That day, You Mingxu was in a consistently good mood, experiencing a sense of release after complete liberation. She thought: This is actually quite interesting—is it that I inherently carry evil genes within me, which is why I love punishing evil? Or is it because I frequently punish evil that I’ve become somewhat wicked and willful?
Luo Yu was a clever person and never came to cause trouble from start to finish.
When it was time to get off work, You Mingxu’s phone rang right on schedule. Nowadays, every time she received a call from Yin Feng, You Mingxu would pause for a moment.
"Hello?"
"Are you off work yet?"
"Yeah, almost."
"I’ve sent a car to pick you up at the entrance," Yin Feng said. "I’ll be waiting for you at my place. A Xu, it’s really fun here. Come quickly—I have a lot of things to show you."
After hanging up, You Mingxu couldn’t help but smile. She sat quietly for a while, then picked up her bag and left work.
A Bentley was parked at the entrance of the police station. Even though it was quiet, it still attracted quite a few glances. You Mingxu frowned, quickly got into the car, and thought to herself: This guy really used to be extravagant and flashy.
They had agreed yesterday that today Chen Feng would take him back to his own home to familiarize him with some book signing processes and also practice the piano. You Mingxu had promised to go and check it out as well.
The driver in the front seat was a tall, sturdy, and stout man, dressed in a black chauffeur’s uniform. He remained serious and silent throughout the entire journey, as if You Mingxu were the only one in the car. However, when someone cut them off on the road, the driver stepped on the gas and silently chased after them. He had quite a temper.
You Mingxu looked up and said, "Slow down. Safety first."
Only then did she see the driver’s hands tighten on the steering wheel, and the speed gradually decreased.
You Mingxu had heard from Chen Feng before and had also looked it up online—Yin Feng had long established a company and owned a sizable business empire. The people around him had been with him for many years. You Mingxu suddenly felt curious: How could he keep such an impulsive, irritable, and rigid driver by his side, responsible for his travel safety? The Yin Feng of the past was quite interesting.
After driving for over half an hour, they were almost at the suburbs. The surroundings were enveloped by mountains and forests, with lush green trees stretching endlessly. They then turned into a neatly maintained, quiet lane and gradually entered a garden-like area. It turned out to be a low-key yet expansive villa community. Moreover, the walls of each house were very high, making it impossible to see inside, and each property covered a large area.
At the very end, two grand palace-style gates stood wide open, with a white marble driveway leading inside.
With just one glance, You Mingxu thought: Yin Feng and I are truly not from the same world.
Another thought quickly crossed her mind: Why wasn’t he a struggling, impoverished writer in the past? Or if he hadn’t built some cultural business empire and had just quietly remained a writer, wouldn’t that have been fine too?
The driver parked the car in a garage not far from the entrance, then opened the car door for her and gestured for her to walk in on her own. You Mingxu smiled at him and said, "Thanks."
The driver’s thick-skinned, tough face managed to squeeze out a faint smile. You Mingxu had seen all kinds of people and could tell at a glance that although his smile was stiff and he wasn’t good with words, it still seemed quite sincere.
The Yin Feng of the past must have understood this as well.A white path cut across the garden in the courtyard. The setting sun cast a soft glow over the entire yard. A gardener stood among the flower beds, trimming the plants. He wore a dark blue work uniform, an apron, gloves, and a sun hat, holding a large pair of shears. Noticing the sound of footsteps, he looked up and met You Mingxu’s gaze.
He was a man in his early forties, with a thin face and a weary expression, yet his features were delicate and refined.
You Mingxu nodded to him in greeting.
He lowered his head and resumed trimming the flowers.
You Mingxu didn’t mind and continued walking, habitually scanning her surroundings. Suddenly, she noticed something odd about the vast garden—or rather, flower field. In her memory, such flower fields were usually neatly trimmed, orderly, and even symmetrical. But here, the colors of the flowers and plants were unevenly distributed—deep in one patch, light in another. Yellow, dark blue, light blue, and deep purple blooms were scattered haphazardly.
She paused and observed for a moment longer, finally realizing what it resembled: a painting. If the earth were a canvas, the clusters and patches of flowers were like the painter’s brushstrokes. Admittedly, the artistic flair was quite striking.
You Mingxu glanced again at the gardener’s silent, listless back and thought to herself that appearances could indeed be deceiving. Or perhaps, like the owner of the house, this gardener also had a touch of the unconventional artist’s temperament.
After crossing the flower field, she reached the four-story mansion. You Mingxu could only tell that the house was artistically designed—entirely white, with smooth, rounded lines and an asymmetrical structure that somehow felt remarkably cohesive, almost like a museum.
The house was surrounded by numerous fruit trees, several of which were peach trees laden with enticing fruit. To the side, there was also a fishpond, bordered by artfully arranged flowers, plants, and stones. An elderly man with graying hair, wearing a straw hat, a tank top, and shorts, was crouched by the pond, cleaning some tools. He looked up at You Mingxu, immediately stood up, and offered an extremely humble smile on his sun-tanned face.
You Mingxu, however, was slightly taken aback.
Police officers were very familiar with a certain type of person. Their posture, the subconscious tension in their bodies—even years after leaving prison, it was never completely erased. This man in his fifties had a similar aura.
You Mingxu studied him for a moment. Sensing something, he lowered his head, the back of his neck stiffening. You Mingxu walked into the house without showing any reaction, wondering whether the former Yin Feng knew this was an ex-convict. Then she reconsidered: with a sly fox like Chen Feng around, he must have been fully aware. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Upon entering the first-floor hall, You Mingxu was surprised. In the center of the living room stood a sign that read: "Yin Feng Studio." Looking around, she saw seven or eight rooms on the first floor, each with a sign at the door: "Art Design," "Planning," "Editing," "Commercial Promotion"... So, the former Yin Feng had moved his entire studio into his home? However, at the moment, most of the rooms were either closed or empty, with no one inside.
"Hello, are you here to visit Teacher Yin too?" a voice asked from behind.You Mingxu turned around and saw a tall, slender, fair-skinned young man wearing thin black-framed glasses, with delicate and refined features. His eyes were exceptionally bright and clear, making them impossible to miss at first glance.
The young man appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, carrying a drawing board on his back and holding a large basket of fruit in his arms. He looked at You Mingxu with considerable curiosity.
You Mingxu responded, "Mm."
The young man glanced upstairs and said, "When he had the accident, everyone at the company was extremely worried. Now that he's back and able to hold a signing event, it's truly wonderful. Our department insisted that I come as their representative to deliver this fruit basket."
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