He changed his shoes in the entryway, deliberately making a lot of noise. He glanced again at her bedroom door, then walked over in his slippers with a loud "slap, slap, slap—"
"A Xu."
"What is it?"
"I want to come in."
"I'm going to sleep. If you have something to say, say it from outside the door."
"No."
The person inside fell silent. Yin Feng traced the patterns on her door for a while, until his fingers grew warm, then said, "I'll just come in for a moment." With that, he pulled a thin, long wire from his pocket, poked it into the lock twice, and with a "click," the door unlocked.
You Mingxu was leaning against the headboard playing on her phone and didn't look up. The great writer's skills in petty thievery were, as always, first-rate.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him slowly walk over and sit down at the foot of the bed, right beside her feet.
"When I woke up this morning, you were already gone," he said. "Why didn't you wake me? You left me there all alone."
You Mingxu slowly looked up.
His lips were slightly pouted, his head drooping, revealing a clean, firm line at the back of his neck.
You Mingxu understood. So, he didn't remember anything from last night? After all, he had been drugged and his consciousness was muddled.
Watching the wild little white flower from last night now blooming innocently at her feet, her heart swayed like water in a bottle, silent and unsettled. For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or annoyed.
After glancing at him twice, she lowered her eyes and continued looking at her phone. "Oh, there was something at the station. I had to leave early."
Then, she noticed the little white flower shifting his butt a few times closer to her, diligently claiming a spot right by her knees before stopping. He said, "A Xu, I saw you at the book signing. But why did you go to the book signing secretly and not want me to know? Are you trying to avoid me?"
It felt as if a string in You Mingxu's ear had been lightly plucked. She thought, Is this kid suddenly sharp-witted now? Yet his voice was clear and bright, his gaze calm, as if he were merely puzzled.
You Mingxu said lightly, "I was just passing by. I was tailing a suspect earlier and was in disguise. When I went to the book signing later, I didn't bother changing. I arrived late, so I didn't bother saying hello to you all."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him sitting there motionless.
"Oh, I see..." he said.
An inexplicable irritation rose in You Mingxu's heart, vaguely sensing something strange in the air. But when she looked up, she saw Yin Feng sitting there, fiddling with the waistband of his shorts. She thought she might just be overreacting.
"Alright, I need to rest. If you have nothing else, get out," she said.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, then turned to look at her.
Completely different from the celebrity he was during the day, he was still wearing a T-shirt and shorts, his fluffy short hair drooping over his forehead, a pair of large slippers on his feet, and his leg hair exposed.
He said nothing, his gaze deep and penetrating. In that moment, where was the childishness? That was clearly the look of a man eyeing a woman. Now, unintentionally, he was revealing it.
You Mingxu felt inexplicably irritated. Steadying herself, she avoided looking at him and cut off all possibilities directly: "Yin Feng, if you're always demanding rewards and acting like this without having done anything, then I'll have to cancel the rewards from now on, starting today. Understand? It's not like I owe you anything."
Yin Feng stared at her, still saying nothing.You Mingxu was fuming as she got out of bed and headed for the door with a cold expression. But he grabbed her arm: "Alright, I get it! I understand, A Xu, don’t be angry! I won’t ask for rewards randomly anymore, not every day! Unless you’re willing to give them. Please don’t cancel them for the future, okay? What if I perform really, really well later?"
You Mingxu thought, what the hell is this all about? She looked down at his hand gripping her arm—his fingers long and strong. But she didn’t want to look up and meet his eyes.
Yet the harsher, colder words she had intended to say wouldn’t come out. He had humbled himself to this extent—did he truly understand, or not?—and it stifled all her words in her chest.
His grip tightened, suddenly reminding You Mingxu of the time she had picked him up from Tibet.
"...We’ll see how you behave from now on," she heard herself say.
The person beside her let out a relieved "Okay."
You Mingxu suddenly felt stifled and wanted a cigarette. She pulled her hand back, picked up the cigarette pack nearby, and walked to the balcony.
She couldn’t be bothered with him. Only after finishing half a cigarette did she realize she had come out in her pajamas and was feeling a bit cold.
Just as she thought about quickly finishing the cigarette and going back inside, she heard footsteps behind her. She stood still.
A familiar presence drew near, and then a jacket was draped over her shoulders. His hands pressed lightly on her shoulders. Because he was so close, even for just a brief moment, she could feel his chest nearly enveloping her in an embrace. But the contact was fleeting.
"A Xu, don’t catch a cold," he said, his tone cautious and dejected, obvious to anyone.
"Mm."
Then she heard him slowly shuffle back into the room.
Strangely, his brief visit had lightened You Mingxu’s previously irritable and tense mood. She thought that perhaps coexisting peacefully with him under the same roof wasn’t such a difficult thing after all. If she just stayed firm, wouldn’t he fall in line?
In a few days, when his attention and interests were captured by something else, he probably wouldn’t even remember what had happened between them.
Or perhaps, once he regained his memories and sanity, what would any of this even mean to him?
————
The autumn sky was clear and refreshing.
It was a weekend. After getting up and having breakfast, You Mingxu curled up on the sofa to watch TV. Sunlight streamed quietly in from the balcony as she mindlessly scrolled through a cheesy feel-good drama. After finishing one episode, she glanced at the tightly shut bedroom door. That guy was sleeping in again—so unlike a grown man!
By the time she had watched half of another episode, the door finally opened. She glanced at him. Yin Feng’s hair was a mess, his T-shirt wrinkled from sleep, and he shuffled out barefoot, bleary-eyed.
He walked straight to her side, curled up on the sofa again, hugged his legs, and stayed motionless.
You Mingxu said, "Go brush your teeth and wash your face first, and put on your shoes. There’s breakfast in the kitchen that was delivered earlier. Eat it before coming back."
"I want to rest a bit..." he murmured.
You Mingxu snapped, "You just woke up—what do you need to rest for? Go!"
Only then did he stand up, head drooping, and head to the bathroom.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, the quiet of the house was broken. You Mingxu’s mood improved significantly. She stretched out comfortably on the sofa and began to enjoy the TV show with renewed interest.Since their three-point agreement last time, Yin Feng seemed genuinely intimidated—he never brought up "rewards" again, nor did he attempt any more ambiguous physical advances. They appeared to revert to their initial "owner and puppy" dynamic.
You Mingxu considered this ideal. After all, he remained emotionally inexperienced, having had his budding desires stifled before comprehension dawned. Had they continued their previous combustible dynamic, she'd never live down the shame if they actually slept together—facing the police chief, department heads, and all her junior colleagues would become unbearable.
After meticulously brushing his teeth and washing his face until it gleamed, Yin Feng noticed the living room had fallen silent. Lifting his head, he was met with a living portrait of allure.
You Mingxu lay sprawled across the sofa, her slender pale feet propped on the coffee table, embodying utter indolence. A childlike quality emerged in her posture, one rarely seen in her usual demeanor. Apparently amused by something on television, her lips curved in a faint smile.
I want to have her. Really want to. Yin Feng thought with frustrated resignation.
Lately, as if under some spell, this thought had consumed him repeatedly. Ever since that night she'd uttered the word "have" to him, followed by his online research...
But even expressing his affection felt forbidden, let alone acting on desire. One wrong word could trigger her temper, potentially getting him expelled from her life.
He could only remain her obedient puppy, waiting for the day her stone-cold heart might finally blossom.
Author's Note:
The temporary frenzy of passion has subsided, but rest assured—Yin Feng will keep nudging at his beloved cabbage until she can no longer refuse.
OpenNovel