His eyes sparkled brightly. You Mingxu let out a scoff, about to speak, but Yin Feng—though still uneasy—quickly added, "Are you afraid of losing? A Xu, you're an excellent police officer. You should be braver!"
This made You Mingxu laugh. She thought to herself, Wow, he's starting to scheme now, using reverse psychology. She patted the armrest of the chair twice and said, "Fine, I'll take the bet. If I win, and this case turns out not to be a revenge killing, you're not allowed to follow me on any future investigations. You'll have to listen to everything I say. If I tell you to go east, don't go west. If I tell you to sleep, no more TV. Understood?"
Yin Feng hesitated, bit his lip, nodded, then glanced at her quickly and said, "You set two conditions, so I want to add one too."
"What is it?"
He lowered his gaze and said slowly, "Don't talk to that person from today ever again."
He mentioned Luo Yu, and You Mingxu was momentarily taken aback. She thought, That guy really is like a mangy dog—nasty and annoying. She replied, "I never wanted to deal with him in the first place. From now on, make sure Chen Feng accompanies you whenever you go out. If you run into him, avoid confrontation and prioritize your safety. He's no good."
Yin Feng blinked, a quick smile flickering at the corner of his lips, and answered, "Mm." Then he stood up and walked away.
You Mingxu asked, "Where are you going?"
He said, "I'm going to pack. I'll be following you on the investigation soon. I've never worked overtime before—should I bring enough snacks and water?"
You Mingxu suddenly felt the urge to kick his perky butt but restrained herself, pressing her fingers to her temples instead.
Not long after, Yin Feng returned. A handsome smile graced his face, and he carried a backpack slung over his shoulder as he sat back down beside You Mingxu.
Curiosity getting the better of her, You Mingxu asked, "What did you pack?"
He had been waiting for this question and immediately emptied the contents of his bag. You Mingxu looked them over and found the preparations quite sensible: a change of clothes, a voice recorder, gloves, shoe covers, a camera, a notebook, bread, chocolate beans, water… and even a compact telescopic baton for self-defense.
As she watched him sort through the items, she said, "Why are you so insistent on following me during investigations anyway? Weren't you a writer before? Chen Feng mentioned you even designed a large, well-equipped writing studio for yourself. Wouldn't it be better to go there, write books, and create stories? It's comfortable and something you enjoy."
Yin Feng replied, "I don't want to go."
"Why not?"
Just then, someone knocked on the balcony door, and Chen Feng stepped out with a plate of sliced fruit.
Yin Feng answered, "I don't know. I can't remember much about the past. Xiao Fengzi also suggested I resume writing—said it might help me recover my memories faster. But the thought of returning to the writing studio and living like the old Yin Feng makes me deeply uncomfortable. I don't want to go, A Xu. I won't go."
You Mingxu was taken aback. Wasn't he very successful before?
Beside them, Chen Feng watched Yin Feng in silence.
You Mingxu glanced at Chen Feng and asked, "Yin Feng, do you remember if it was something—or someone—that made you so uncomfortable you don't want to return to your old life?"
Yin Feng shook his head.
You Mingxu pressed, "Was it Chen Feng?"
Chen Feng's expression shifted slightly.
Yin Feng looked up at Chen Feng and said, "Xiao Fengzi is obedient. Though not particularly endearing, I don't dislike him."Chen Feng finally smiled.
You Mingxu then asked, "Was it that woman from last time, the one called..." She glanced at Chen Feng, who replied, "Su Ziyi."
Yin Feng, however, took a moment to recall who they were referring to before shaking his head and saying, "She is a bit annoying, but she has nothing to do with me. I don't care about her. The person who makes me feel extremely uncomfortable isn't her."
You Mingxu asked calmly, "Then who is it?"
Chen Feng's expression remained unreadable.
Yin Feng frowned deeply and, after a while, said, "I don't know who it is. But every time I try hard to recall the past, I feel very uneasy. It's as if there's someone there, always watching me, staring at me, threatening me. I can't remember who he is, but I know he's there! In my past life, like a dark cloud, he's been chasing me. I don't want to go back to the past at all, and I don't want to see him!"
His emotions clearly became agitated; his face turned pale, and he bit his lips tightly, resembling the fearful and stubborn version of himself that You Mingxu had first encountered in Tibet.
Both You Mingxu and Chen Feng remained silent.
Yin Feng, however, sank into some vague, fragmented memories. In fact, over the past few days, he had followed the doctor's advice and tried to recall the past. He hadn't told You Mingxu, but some blurry images had already surfaced in his mind. He knew his memories were probably slowly starting to return: for instance, his past self buried in writing in a very large room; himself holding a wine glass, chatting happily with a group of people; and even that Su Ziyi, following him around, both of them silent.
There were also memories of himself alone in a dimly lit room, crouching on the floor, gripping his hair. He couldn't remember what he had been doing then, only that he must have been in immense pain. That was why wine glasses were shattered all over the floor, and he saw himself laughing in a very strange way...
As for the existence of "that person," it was more of a feeling. He could even sense that this person had been spying on his past life, making the Yin Feng of the past feel like he had met his match, while also feeling lonely, fearful, and suppressed into a state of silent hysteria.
...
After recalling these memories a few times, Yin Feng felt somewhat annoyed. He thought his past self was too complicated, even pretentious, burdened with many troubles. So, he wasn't very willing to think about it anymore. Partly, he was unwilling to explore the existence of "that person," almost as if he were avoiding it. And partly, compared to his past "self," Yin Feng felt that his current life was clearly much happier and more carefree.
Yin Feng gradually drifted into a daze. You Mingxu only saw him leaning back in his chair, staring at the night sky without moving for a long time. This was the "half-dazed" state she was accustomed to. At least his emotions had calmed down, so she didn't disturb him. Instead, she turned to Chen Feng and said softly, "It seems we need to find some time to have a proper talk about his past."
Hearing this, Chen Feng felt a little hurt. After all, he was the one who had followed Yin Feng for many years and stood by Teacher Yin's side. Yet, at this moment, You Mingxu's tone carried a hint of accusation.
However, Chen Feng quickly adjusted his emotions. The fact that You Mingxu was so protective of Yin Feng and shared the same stance as him was naturally a good thing.
But...Chen Feng said, "I will hold nothing back and speak unreservedly about what I can disclose. However, some matters are known only to the former Teacher Yin, and to him alone."
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