"Alright then!" everyone replied. In these tense and dark times, one had to keep their own spirits up, right? Even tigers need to be well-fed and content to catch jackals, wolves, and leopards.
As the group headed out, You Mingxu lingered a few steps behind, waiting for Yin Feng to emerge from the meeting room.
Having woken up in a good mood, she smiled and asked, "How was your nap? The chair must've been too small for someone your height, right? You could've gone home to rest."
Yin Feng paused, then replied stiffly, "No matter how tall I am, I'm not going home."
You Mingxu: "..." She had no response to his logic.
Changing the subject, she said, "We're planning to eat out. What about you..." She had intended to suggest Chen Feng pick him up, since he wasn't familiar with the detectives, and he usually disliked interacting with strangers.
To her surprise, he said, "Oh, I'll ride in your car, not theirs."
You Mingxu: "...Of course."
The group of detectives, accompanied by the provincially recognized expert, went to a nearby street for skewers—quick and spicy. You Mingxu naturally took the head seat, and Yin Feng immediately sat beside her. Fan Jia, the food enthusiast, and Xu Mengshan, the thrifty one, collaborated on ordering. The other detectives felt somewhat restrained with Yin Feng at the table. They were aware of his mental condition, so they chose their words carefully.
One detective cleared his throat and said, "Teacher Yin, how was it following us on the investigation this morning? Any areas where we fell short? Feel free to critique." He chuckled after speaking.
Everyone else watched Yin Feng.
You Mingxu held her teacup, sipping slowly as if detached from the conversation.
The small restaurant had round stools without backs. Yin Feng sat with his legs spread, hands pressed on the stool, swinging his legs slightly. He gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully before answering, "It felt good. Your reasoning was clear, and your questions were on point. No one else could've done better than you all."
The group laughed, though they found his seated posture somewhat hard to watch for a grown man.
Just then, You Mingxu said, "Tell them what you want to eat, and they'll order for you."
Yin Feng grinned at her. "I'll have whatever A Xu is having." He couldn't resist glancing around with a smug expression.
A detective chuckled, "Oh my."
The others just smiled, though they suspected there was something more to their boss bringing Yin Feng to work and sticking close to him. Still, out of respect for You Mingxu's authority and Yin Feng's reputation, they didn't dare joke too freely.
But there was always one who dared.
After finishing the order, Xu Mengshan set down the menu. Unfazed by the nationally renowned writer—knowing full well the man hadn't always been the epitome of innocence—he smiled and asked, "Teacher Yin, is our Sister You harsh with you? Are you afraid of her?"
You Mingxu lifted her eyes in a silent warning.
Xu Mengshan pretended not to notice.
Yin Feng thought for a moment, then beamed sweetly. "She acts tough, but she's actually very gentle at heart, and sometimes quite adorable."
The table fell silent, followed by a chorus of exaggerated "Oh mys" and teasing tones. Even Xu Mengshan, who had previously held a poor opinion of Yin Feng, was amused. He said, "Gentle? Adorable? Damn, last week I just joked about someone's ugly jacket and got thrown to the ground three times. Was that my imagination..."Xu Mengshan had been sitting to You Mingxu's left, and before he could finish speaking, she had already swatted a palm toward the top of his head. As the second-best fighter in the team, Xu Mengshan instinctively ducked and raised an elbow to strike at her chest.
Yin Feng was initially a bit slow to react, wondering how they had suddenly started fighting, but then he saw Xu Mengshan's wheat-toned, sturdy arm aiming straight for the rounded curve of You Mingxu's chest. Yin Feng's eyes widened, and he abruptly stood up.
But how could You Mingxu be so easily caught off guard? When sparring with her teammates, she never gave a thought to gender distinctions. She raised her hand and gripped Xu Mengshan's arm, pressing it down in one fluid motion. Xu Mengshan let out an exaggerated "Aiyo!" as she pinned both his elbow and his body against the table. Not stopping there, You Mingxu stood up and pressed her other arm against his back—a natural reflex of a top-tier judo expert.
Xu Mengshan chuckled, his face flushed red as he struggled to break free but found himself unable to move. You Mingxu held him firmly in place, leaning casually against his back, and said leisurely, "Seems like you didn’t get thrown around enough last time. How dare you laugh at me, huh?"
Led by Fan Jia, everyone clapped and burst into laughter.
Xu Mengshan was still struggling when You Mingxu considered applying more pressure to grind his face against the table. Suddenly, a hand reached from behind and grabbed hers. Startled, she watched as the person pulled her hand away from Xu Mengshan's shoulder. Then, to her surprise, an arm wrapped around her waist, and she was lifted away from the scene.
Everyone stared in stunned silence. Xu Mengshan, suddenly freed, looked a bit surprised as he scratched his head and straightened up.
Even You Mingxu was taken aback. She turned to look at Yin Feng.
Only then did Yin Feng release her waist. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he turned her around, his brows slightly furrowed with an unexpectedly serious expression. "A Xu, stop fooling around. Sit next to me and eat properly," he said.
You Mingxu was still somewhat dazed as she sat down. He then picked up a morsel of food and placed it in her bowl. Finally snapping back to reality, she felt her face burn with embarrassment. When she looked up, she saw her teammates all smirking at her and Yin Feng.
Damn it... You Mingxu thought, where’s my dignity? And this time, even jumping into the Yellow River won’t wash me clean of this!
Xu Mengshan said calmly, "Earlier, when I saw Sister You bringing Writer Yin along, it felt like she was leading a timid little wife. Now I realize it’s Writer Yin who treats our Sister You like a timid little wife. It reminds me of a proverb I’ve known since childhood: 'A newborn calf fears no tiger.'"
The others finally burst into uproarious laughter, utterly unrestrained. Yin Feng understood the "timid little wife" comment, and for some reason, it warmed his heart. He smiled too.
You Mingxu, humiliated and furious, glared coldly at Xu Mengshan. "Damn it, we’re sparring one-on-one tomorrow," she snapped. Xu Mengshan ignored her and, along with Fan Jia, quickly snatched meat from the hotpot. You Mingxu then turned her glare to the instigator beside her, only to find that Yin Feng’s mind had already moved on to another stage. He was holding a shrimp, carefully fiddling with its tiny legs, looking utterly curious and absorbed.
You Mingxu: "..."
That familiar feeling of suffocating frustration rose in her chest—something she couldn’t spit out or swallow. With a cold expression, she waited until no one was looking, grabbed the most expensive handful of beef, and dumped it into her own bowl.Leisurely times always pass quickly, and soon it was back to the relentless pace of investigating cases. That afternoon, Yin Feng actually took the initiative to say he wanted to go home. You Mingxu couldn't have been more pleased. Without even asking for a reason, she waved him off without looking up.
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