You Mingxu returned to the villa with a heavy heart.

When she walked into the living room, everything seemed normal—some were playing games, others working overtime, and a few were absorbed in TV dramas. On the dining table, an array of aromatic dishes awaited her return.

Yin Feng sat in his usual spot on the sofa, reading a book.

You Mingxu’s heart gradually calmed as she reminded herself that such underhanded smear tactics couldn’t possibly succeed.

Yin Feng smiled when he saw her, acting as if nothing was wrong. You Mingxu maintained her composure as well. Champion tossed aside his mobile game and said, “Finally, you’re back.” He called everyone to dinner.

Yin Feng walked over, took her hand, and gazed at her intently before placing a gentle kiss. You Mingxu suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to be close to him. Disregarding the others’ presence, she wrapped an arm around his waist and buried her face against him. He simply stroked her hair and asked with a soft chuckle, “Did someone upset you?”

His voice carried a barely perceptible coldness. The others, who had never seen You Mingxu act so dependent, stared wide-eyed, wondering if she was running a fever.

You Mingxu released him and said, “What’s there to be upset about? I just got to spend a couple of days at home with you. Let’s eat first and talk later.”

Yin Feng understood—You Mingxu had been caught in the crossfire, and the situation was likely worse than expected. Truthfully, he wasn’t concerned about their opponents’ tactics. He hadn’t anticipated Yin Chen’s sudden move, though he had a hunch about the Punisher’s next steps. Still, having You Mingxu home was preferable; they could support each other better together. Perhaps this was exactly what Ding Xiongwei had intended. Did they think he would sit quietly at home while the Punisher slandered him? Was he supposed to be some docile sheep?

Following You Mingxu’s lead, he guided her to the dining table, hooked her chair with his foot to pull it close, and held her in his embrace as she sat. With others present, You Mingxu tried to pull away, but he whispered, “Why care about them? I want you close to me.”

You Mingxu’s heart softened as she recalled today’s gossip about him in his absence. Sometimes, he still showed that same dependency on her as You Yingjun had, though he rarely admitted it. She yielded, keeping her eyes downcast, ignoring the others.

Except for Xiao Yan’s slow reaction, what kind of people were Champion and the others? They’d seen all sorts of intimate situations, so no one paid much attention to the couple’s unusual closeness.

Champion finished eating first, set down his bowl, and said, “Why are there two police officers outside? Are they watching us?” Everyone looked at You Mingxu, who realized Yin Feng hadn’t told them about today’s events. She glanced at him, and seeing no objection, calmly recounted everything that had happened, up to returning home after surrendering her weapon.

Champion jumped up with a murderous expression.

“Sit down!” Yin Feng commanded.

After a few seconds of eye contact with Yin Feng, Champion sat back down, his face ashen.

Graffiti slammed his chopsticks on the table, his tiger-like face red with anger. “Teacher Yin, what do you need us to do? Damn it, I thought I’d seen the most despicable things possible, but I never imagined the mighty Punisher could be so shameless!”

Xiao Yan’s face had turned pale with fear. He’d always dreaded being falsely accused by the police, knowing its implications. He whispered, “What should we do? How can Teacher Yin clear his name? Can it be cleared? Should we leave?”

Chen Feng, who had been silent until now, finally spoke: “Why panic? Let’s hear what Teacher Yin and the boss’s wife have to say! We’ll follow their lead!”

Everyone fell silent.

Seeing Yin Feng’s continued silence, You Mingxu spoke first, looking between Chen Feng and Yin Feng: “Su Ziyi claims to be Yin Feng’s ex-girlfriend and says he forgot about her after returning from Tibet. What’s the real story?”

Chen Feng started, instinctively looking at Yin Feng.

He hadn’t fully understood their relationship back then. Yin Feng hadn’t shared everything with him at the time.

Yin Feng spoke calmly: “She’s talking nonsense, shameless woman. She was Yin Chen’s person who came to Xiangcheng, and I only helped her occasionally. Later, when I suspected issues with Yin Chen’s death, I tried to probe her for information but got nothing, so I kept her at arm’s length.”

You Mingxu understood immediately. No wonder Su Ziyi dared claim to be an ex-girlfriend, blurring their relationship. Given Yin Feng’s reputation back then, many outsiders probably believed the same.

After some thought, she asked, “What about Li Mingdi? Have any of you met him or remember him?”

“Never met him,” Yin Feng said firmly.

Champion sneered, “If we had, we’d have skinned him alive already. Why wait until now?”

Xiao Yan shook his head.

Graffiti coldly added, “Never seen him! If I had, I would’ve killed him too!”

This was the first time You Mingxu had heard Graffiti speak so coldly about killing someone, and it startled her slightly.

Chen Feng also shook his head, looking at You Mingxu. “I’ve never met him either.”

“Who said you could go killing people?” Yin Feng interjected.

Everyone fell silent.

You Mingxu smoothed things over: “The bureau is investigating. We shouldn’t act rashly now—it would only complicate things if we can’t explain ourselves later. If we need your help, we’ll ask, just like before.”

The others’ expressions relaxed, though they seemed afraid of angering Yin Feng. Avoiding his gaze, they quickly finished eating and retreated to their rooms.

After dinner, You Mingxu held Yin Feng’s hand as they walked in the courtyard.

After walking quietly for a while, she asked, “Are you feeling upset?”

Yin Feng gave a cold laugh. “Isn’t this what they want? I won’t give them the satisfaction. Do they think I’m so easily broken?”

You Mingxu, who had been feeling weighed down, couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes Yin Feng’s pride showed a childish streak, though he could also be quite calculating.

She said gently, “I have all the detailed statements and documents, and Old Ding’s team won’t keep anything from me. We’ll examine everything carefully and find a way to break through their scheme.”

Yin Feng hummed in agreement but seemed distracted.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

They had reached the small fish pond, where dim lamplight flickered on the dark water. All around them was quiet, with swaying tree branches seeming to harbor silent secrets. Yin Feng led her to a bench and pulled her into his embrace.

You Mingxu wasn’t comfortable being held like a small thing—she’d even prefer Yin Feng sitting on her lap. But Yin Feng liked this position and was stubborn about it, so after many times, she had grown accustomed to it.