Coming to Myself

The mountains lay prostrate. At the silent foothills, the flashing lights of police cars and ambulances intertwined.

The unconscious Liu Ruoyu had already been carried into an ambulance, his life no longer in danger. Another ambulance waited nearby. Xu Mengshan, Fan Jia, and the others stood silently by, wanting to help but unable to do so.

Yin Feng, despite his large frame, had been nestled in You Mingxu's arms ever since they were discovered by the others, his head bowed, ignoring everyone. You Mingxu, still soaked, was draped in a blanket, holding him with one arm.

Their voices were so low only the two of them could hear.

"Should we get in the ambulance?"

Yin Feng shook his head vigorously and said, "I won't get in the ambulance, no! I won't go to the hospital. If I go, I won't be able to see you. I want to go home, home! Right now!"

He was clearly digging in his heels, clutching You Mingxu's waist and dragging her toward her police car. Unable to break free, You Mingxu looked up and saw her colleagues exchanging uneasy glances.

She yelled, "Why are you all staring at us? Mind your own business. Alright, I'll take responsibility for Writer Yin."

Everyone immediately scattered and moved away. Fan Jia asked with concern, "Is Writer Yin really okay?" Xu Mengshan muttered, "It'd be safer to go to the hospital."

You Mingxu looked down. The guy was still hunched over, his arms wrapped tightly around her, like a scalded prawn. His hair, soaked and plastered to his forehead, made his face appear even paler and his gaze more vacant. He seemed even more like a child now.

She patted his head and said, "Alright, since you're fine, we'll go home. Now let go so I can drive."

He kept his head down and didn't respond, but his grip tightened. You Mingxu tried to pry his hands apart, but he held on stubbornly and uttered two words: "No way."

There was even a faint sob in his voice.

You Mingxu thought to herself, he really had been terrified. It had been so long since he last cried, except for when they first met in Tibet, when he was lost and helpless. And even though his mind was impaired, his pride remained intact. The torment he had just endured was nothing short of extreme humiliation. In his heart, he was still a child, and such humiliation stripped him of his dignity.

At this thought, a fierce rage surged within You Mingxu. She gritted her teeth, forcing it down.

Her heart softened a little more at his current dependence and clinginess.

She called out to Xu Mengshan, who was about to leave: "You drive. Take us back."

The police car sped silently through the night. Xu Mengshan, like an invisible presence, drove steadily and swiftly without a word.

You Mingxu still held Yin Feng, his head resting on her shoulder as if lifeless, unmoving.

But You Mingxu knew she had to comfort him, to help him get through this. Recalling their first meeting in Tibet, he had been like a newborn, trembling and barely able to string words together. Gradually, he had become clearer and brighter, starting to act spoiled in front of her, laughing, running, sulking, and even beginning to reason and solve cases... When she closed her eyes, the image that surfaced was of him standing before her in green clothes, his smile as pure as melting snow and blooming flowers.

Almost instinctively, You Mingxu lightly scratched his cheek with her finger and said, "Were you... really scared just now?"

He didn't speak or move. He ignored her. But his warm breath still brushed against the front of her shirt.You Mingxu paused for a moment, then reached out directly, pinched his chin, lifted it, and made him look at her. But at this glance, she froze. His eyeballs were bloodshot from excessive congestion, covered in crimson veins. His expression looked particularly quiet, so quiet it seemed hollow.

You Mingxu's heart suddenly ached sharply. She didn't know what to do, only instinctively lowered her head and gently nuzzled his cheek. Both their faces were icy cold, but their breaths were slightly warm. She stayed close to him like this, her mind a complete mess.

"Sorry," she whispered. He had suffered this ordeal because of her.

After nuzzling like this a few times, he moved.

Just like before, he also used his face to gently nuzzle hers, slowly, one touch at a time, no different from a small animal. He didn't make a sound, only intimately entangled with her like this. Strangely, at this moment, You Mingxu's mind was completely blank, unwilling to think about anything, with nothing to think about.

His face was soft, with distinct lines along his nose bridge, brow bones, and lips. Even with her eyes closed, You Mingxu could feel it. For no reason, she felt her breathing quicken, and his did too. It was a very bewildering, very subtle, very unfamiliar and dangerous feeling, yet one that made it impossible to stop.

Then she felt a hint of moisture from his lips slide onto her cheek. You Mingxu distinctly felt her heart tremble, and then those lips very slowly slid over, so naturally covering hers.

You Mingxu slightly opened her eyes. The man's blurred, handsome outline was right before her, and at this moment, there was no discernible difference between him and a normal man. Behind him, streetlights flashed by. The faint light enveloped You Mingxu's vision like mist. She slowly closed her eyes again. The only feeling at this moment was actually not wanting to stop.

His hands, which had been lifelessly holding her, seemed to gain strength, his fingers gripping her waist with a strong presence.

They kissed like this for a while until the car turned a corner. Yin Feng opened his eyes and looked at You Mingxu. At this moment, there was no trace of dullness or dejection in his eyes; they were bright, somewhat bewildered, but mostly filled with intense light.

You Mingxu's lips were kissed glossy and moist by him. She opened her phoenix eyes with curved lashes, looked at him, and said nothing.

They gazed at each other for a moment before Yin Feng said, "A Xu, I want more."

His face was too close; she could see the tiny black figure in his eyes. His arms held her too tightly, but did he even understand that tonight, he was holding her with a man's hands, not a child's?

You Mingxu heard her own voice, low and slightly hoarse: "Okay."

Before the wild joy in his eyes could fully bloom, or perhaps because she didn't quite want to see those pure, untainted eyes, she raised a hand to cover his eyes, pressed his shoulder with her other hand, pushing him into the seatback, leaned over, and directly kissed him.

Yin Feng was initially a bit stiff all over, but her breath was too warm, soft, and sweet. His mind was muddled, seeming to understand yet not understand why all this was happening. But one thing he was very clear about: he only wanted to keep You Mingxu confined in his arms like this, kissing her over and over.Xu Mengshan glanced in the rearview mirror again—You Mingxu was still kissing Yin the writer. Even Xu Mengshan’s perpetually expressionless face couldn’t help but flush slightly. He thought to himself: Damn, Sister You is really ruthless this time.