“Ah Xu, I’ve remembered some things. I’ve changed my mind.”

In the instant she heard these words, You Mingxu could feel the pain in her heart—bitter, astringent, and mixed with a vulnerability she refused to acknowledge, all rushing forth at once.

But You Mingxu wasn’t just anyone. The next moment, her rationality returned.

She realized this man before she was completely different from before. He was skilled in matters of romance, a veteran of relationships. Though his tone was low and sincere enough to make her heart tremble, could she trust it?

Moreover, don’t forget.

If Luo Yu was the convergence point of suspicion in this series of cases, with his true nature still unclear to You Mingxu…

Wasn’t Yin Feng another major question mark, an even bigger unknown?

So the surge of emotions in You Mingxu’s heart instantly drained away, leaving only lingering traces of painful doubt and ice-cold clarity.

“Oh?” she asked, “What do you want?”

Yin Feng said, “Come to my house, let’s talk in person. It’s getting dark, and you probably haven’t eaten yet. I have a terrace with a beautiful view. I’ll wait for you there.”

Having calmed down, You Mingxu knew she would go to this meeting. He still held too many secrets—that’s what she told herself about why she was going. It was for the investigation.

But partly wanting to spoil his mood, You Mingxu deliberately changed into a crisp police uniform, complete with a police cap and a conspicuous rose-gold pair of handcuffs hanging at her waist before heading out.

As soon as she left her complex, she saw the black Bentley waiting. You Mingxu opened the door and got in. Tu Ya in the front seat turned and smiled at her, looking somewhat innocent.

You Mingxu had a good impression of him and smiled back.

After settling in, she noticed a faint floral fragrance in the car, and beside her was a bottle of water and a small plate of pastries.

You Mingxu thought to herself: That guy’s getting more and more affected.

But Tu Ya said: “Miss Yu, the water and pastries are prepared for you.”

You Mingxu glanced at them: “Did he tell you to do this?” Playing these games.

Tu Ya lowered his head slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed: “It was my idea… I wasn’t sure if they’d be to your taste.”

You Mingxu was startled, took a pastry, and popped it in her mouth. It was surprisingly good. She said: “Mm, delicious.”

Tu Ya smiled.

You Mingxu looked at this burly, simple-minded driver and thought that even Yin Feng had some pure and lovable people working for him.

Having grown more familiar with him than before, she leaned forward, patted his shoulder, and said while chewing: “Why are you so nice to me?”

Tu Ya hesitated, stayed silent for several seconds, then said quietly: “Master Yin may not remember now, but don’t be angry with him.”

The pastry suddenly lost its taste in You Mingxu’s mouth. She leaned back with an indifferent expression, saying nothing.

At the villa’s entrance, the large iron gates stood open, brightly lit to welcome visitors. You Mingxu got out of the car to see Xiao Yan, dressed in white, coming to meet her.

Xiao Yan was still somewhat afraid of her. This greeting duty wasn’t supposed to be his today—it was usually Old Nine’s job. But Yin Feng was intent on flirting tonight and thought Old Nine too ugly, so he’d switched to the fair and docile Xiao Yan.

Seeing You Mingxu, Xiao Yan remembered being pinned to the ground by her last time. His face flushed red to his neck as he said softly, “Officer Yu, please follow me. Master Yin has been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Mm.”

Passing through the garden, they saw the gardener still standing among the plants, wearing clean work clothes, still looking gloomy and gaunt. Seeing them, he gave a sinister smile.

You Mingxu had already investigated the backgrounds of all of Yin Feng’s people. This strange-looking, artistic gardener was once an internet fraudster who had used computer technology for crimes and served 20 years in prison.

What was that man collecting these guilty people for?

Seeing her examining the gardener, Xiao Yan gathered his courage to explain: “We call him Champion. He has a terrible temper—only Old Nine can control him. He dislikes police officers. Officer Yu… you should ignore him.”

You Mingxu said: “Don’t you dislike police officers too?”

Xiao Yan fell silent. After a few steps, he said: “I don’t dislike them.”

It’s they who dislike me. I want to gain their trust, but never can.

So whenever I close my eyes, I return to that blood-soaked room.

And I know that someday, I’ll end up like Mom and Dad, lying in there.

Suddenly, someone lightly patted his head. Xiao Yan’s whole body trembled, barely daring to look at the woman beside him.

“What are you afraid of?” she said flatly. “Police officers aren’t monsters, we’re normal people too. If you ever need anything, you can come to me.”

She knew this boy had been a habitual thief from childhood, knew his parents were both dead and that suspicion had never cleared from him. She also knew that since his release from prison, Yin Feng had been taking care of him.

Xiao Yan mumbled inaudibly.

A light whistle sounded from above. Xiao Yan ran off, and You Mingxu looked up to see him standing on the third-floor terrace in a black suit and white shirt, backlit as he watched her.

Yin Feng hadn’t lied on the phone—the terrace view was truly exceptional. It was a nice night with a silver moon in the sky. In the distance lay a quiet lake, its shores dotted with lights like scattered pearls and jade.

Despite the winter cold, a fireplace had been installed on one side of the terrace, burning real logs that sent waves of warmth washing over people, making it quite comfortable.

Several round white night lights were installed around the terrace, glowing like luminous pearls, very gently. In the background, soft lyrical music played, a husky male voice singing. Everything was perfectly peaceful.

You Mingxu stood at the terrace entrance as Yin Feng walked over. His suit jacket was open, two shirt buttons undone, hair swept back, his pace unhurried—everything about him exuded a casual masculine charm.

He came up to her, looked over her police uniform, smiled, and said: “I never used to think girls looked good in police uniforms.”

You Mingxu ignored him and walked straight to the table to sit down.

It was a small white square table with an elegant dark embroidered tablecloth, just two chairs placed quite close together. Yin Feng followed and sat beside her, casually resting his hand on the back of her chair.

He wasn’t wearing cologne tonight. Though his personality had changed dramatically, the essence and feeling of the same person remained. As he drew almost imperceptibly closer, You Mingxu had a moment of déjà vu before collecting herself and saying: “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.” She smacked his hand away and scraped her chair back a person’s width with a screech.

Her crude, violent behavior caused Yin Feng to fall silent for a moment.

But you can’t rush these things.

He smiled slightly: “You must be hungry, let’s eat first. I slept all day and I’m starving.”

The chef brought out dish after dish, all of You Mingxu’s favorites. You Mingxu might quarrel with anyone, but she wouldn’t quarrel with her stomach, and she wasn’t worried about Yin Feng trying anything improper. She dug in heartily.