Since Yin Feng couldn’t remember the past, his thoughts weren’t as complex as You Mingxu’s. His first thought was: that she had an ex-boyfriend. His second thought was a vague understanding of why he felt such instinctive hostility just from seeing a photo. Sharp-minded and always acutely aware of his own physical and psychological state, Yin Feng reasoned that mutual antipathy between ex-boyfriends was only natural.
Then, You Mingxu heard him ask coolly: “Oh? So you were toyed with by this major suspect?”
You Mingxu’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
Listen to the writer’s word choice – “major suspect,” “toyed with.” He certainly knew how to hit where it hurt, wounding without obvious attack.
You Mingxu wasn’t one to back down, responding flatly: “I dumped him.” She patted her colleague’s shoulder, ignoring Yin Feng as they walked away together.
Watching their retreating figures, Yin Feng’s lips curved into a smile as he called out: “Bring the suspect in immediately for Xiang Rong to identify.”
You Mingxu didn’t turn around, just waving her hand to acknowledge. Yin Feng turned to descend the stairs in another direction, but after a few steps, driven by some unknown impulse, he looked back at her retreating figure until she disappeared before continuing down at his unhurried pace.
He thought to himself: When she wasn’t being antagonistic, this woman had a rather spirited and adorable side.
—
Luo Yu sat behind the desk in a luxurious office, watching as his subordinate showed him a video on a phone.
It showed a warehouse where a middle-aged man was being beaten to the ground. Several thuggish men continued striking him with fists and feet until his face was bruised and swollen, finally forcing him to kneel and beg for mercy.
One thug grabbed his head, forcing his face toward the screen: “Still going to testify?”
The middle-aged man sobbed: “No, no, I won’t!”
“How much did they pay you? Spit it out.”
“I didn’t take—”
“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” Several more punches landed.
The man wailed: “I did! I did! Thirty thousand! I took thirty thousand!”
“Our boss wants you to confess everything about taking money for false testimony in court, and turn on them, understand?”
“This… I understand! I understand! Stop hitting me, please! And don’t touch my daughter, I beg you! I’ll tell you everything! I’ll tell you everything!”
…
The video ended, and the subordinate watched Luo Yu’s expression. In recent years, Luo Yu had become less strict about dressing like a lawyer – under his black suit was a black shirt, collar open to reveal a muscular neck. He narrowed his eyes as he lit a cigarette, took two drags, and said: “Fine. Keep watching him until he testifies, then pull the men watching his wife and daughter.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Has Chairman Xing returned from Shanghai? Has he sent anyone looking for me?” Luo Yu asked.
“Not yet.”
Luo Yu pondered for a moment before saying: “I see.” Then he smiled slightly: “You handled this well. Chairman Xing will be pleased.”
The subordinate smiled ingratiatingly: “Of course. Kaiyang Group couldn’t do without you. You’re Chairman Xing’s right-hand man.”
Luo Yu laughed: “Now that’s some satisfying flattery.”
The Chairman Xing they spoke of was Xing Jifu, the chairman of the renowned Kaiyang Group in central China. Now over fifty, Xing Jifu had handed most public operations to his heir, Xing Yanjun, while maintaining a low profile himself. Luo Yu had started as an external lawyer, resolving countless thorny issues for Kaiyang Group over the years. Gradually, industry insiders came to know that the famous – or infamous – Luo Yu was Kaiyang Group’s legal representative.
After handling this matter, Luo Yu dismissed his subordinate. The team he commanded for such tasks had been given to him by Xing Yanjun, though he did his selecting, observing, and training. As a result, his under-the-table methods had become increasingly effective, and no one in legal circles dared cross him. On the surface, however, Luo Yu maintained impeccable professional courtesy and expertise, leaving others no grounds for complaint.
Luo Yu went outside his office to smoke. Other people in the law firm glanced at him before lowering their heads. He was one of the firm’s partners, but now even the other two partners watched his moods. Luo Yu smiled, took the elevator down, and stood by the flower bed below the building to catch the breeze.
From afar, he spotted a familiar police car stopping at the curb. He even knew its license plate by heart. Luo Yu narrowed his eyes, watching You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan approach.
Acting as if Xu Mengshan didn’t exist, Luo Yu spoke in an extremely intimate tone: “What brings you here? Thought you’d forgotten all about me while investigating cases in Chenxi with your new lover.”
You Mingxu glanced at him, her mind stirring. Indeed, when she was investigating the exchange murders, Luo Yu somehow knew exactly when to send people to catch and rough up Yin Feng at the foot of the mountain where Liu Ruyu had jumped. But during her months investigating in Chenxi, he hadn’t contacted her or harassed her as he used to. Had he finally given up, or was there something else going on?
You Mingxu said: “There’s a case involving you. We need you to come to the station to assist with the investigation.”
Luo Yu stared at her, smiling: “What case?”
Xu Mengshan said coldly: “That’s confidential.”
Luo Yu had ignored everyone else from the start. He walked up to You Mingxu and said softly: “Fine, you’ll interrogate me?”
You Mingxu replied: “I will.”
Luo Yu made a phone call.
Soon, someone who looked like a lawyer came down, along with a muscular, fierce-looking man. Luo Yu brought them both into the police car. He was a troublesome character, but You Mingxu didn’t want to argue – if he really was connected to a criminal organization, no number of helpers would matter.
At the station, You Mingxu left him waiting while she watched through the one-way glass as he sat inside with his lawyer, his enforcer waiting downstairs.
Although the person Xiang Rong had described strongly resembled Luo Yu, and surveillance showed their paths overlapping multiple times, it was still just Xiang Rong’s words. So before bringing Xiang Rong in for identification, You Mingxu planned to chat with this old adversary.
Since Luo Yu always spoke to her in a disgustingly sweet manner regardless of time or place – probably thinking the scandal would only hurt her reputation as a detective (after all, what did a corrupt lawyer care about some romantic gossip?) – You Mingxu sent Xu Mengshan away. She still had her pride and decided to question Luo Yu alone.
Just as she pushed open the door, she saw Yin Feng leaning against the hallway wall, watching her with an unreadable expression.
You Mingxu: “What is it?”
He smiled, walked up to block her path, and said: “Let me talk to him first.”
You Mingxu: “What would you talk about?”
Yin Feng was concise: “The past.”
You Mingxu wasn’t naive enough to think the current Yin Feng would be jealous on her behalf. After a moment’s thought, she understood. He had been roughed up by Luo Yu’s men before – back then, You Yingjun had been a good boy who, despite his anger, hadn’t sought revenge to avoid causing trouble. Now, although Yin Feng had lost his memories of that time, could Chen Feng, that eager-to-please lackey, have reported everything in detail? This man had just told her yesterday that he always took revenge for grudges.
Although You Mingxu disliked the current Yin Feng, she remained fair and jerked her chin: “Go ahead. I’ll go downstairs for a smoke.”
Her cooperation slightly surprised Yin Feng, who said: “Thanks.”
You Mingxu turned, saying: “Don’t mention it. We’re even.”
After a few steps, she heard him say: “Not even close. You still owe me for this, Ms. Ex-girlfriend-of-a-suspect.”
You Mingxu: “…” She instantly understood his meaning – back then, Luo Yu had targeted her, and he had just been collateral damage, repeatedly held underwater like a fish in a troubled pond.
Thinking of You Yingjun from those days, You Mingxu felt a touch of pity rise in her heart and decided not to argue with this venomous-tongued man.