You Mingxu’s ears were ringing, drowning out all other sounds. As the ground shook violently around her, through the haze, she could only see a pair of eyes gazing steadily at her.
They were exceptionally calm eyes, carrying a warmth that could instantly settle one’s racing heart.
Debris from the explosion rained down like a sudden downpour, assaulting them both. But You Mingxu, held in those strong arms, could only see his chest before her, her nose filled with an unfamiliar scent. At one point, his body trembled slightly, but he remained silent.
Jing Ping had been protecting her the entire time.
For You Mingxu, this was an unprecedented experience. Since joining the police force, she has always been the one to stand in front of her partners. Because she was capable, she wanted to protect others. She had shielded other officers before, protected You Yingjun, and had even once covered for Xu Mengshan. When the explosion occurred just now, her instinct was to turn and shield Jing Ping behind her.
But unexpectedly, his reactions were even faster than hers, and he had protected her instead.
Due to temporary deafness, Jing Ping frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. You Mingxu, still in his embrace, looked at his face so close to hers, and for a brief moment, felt an urge to smooth out the furrow between his brows.
He suddenly opened his eyes, and their gazes locked in this corner filled with fire and dust.
The explosion seemed to have stopped, and You Mingxu’s hearing gradually returned. She crawled out of his embrace as he quickly got to his feet.
The car had been destroyed, and several surrounding vehicles had caught fire. Anyone in the car couldn’t have survived. Police officers behind them were already calling for firefighters and ambulances.
Yin Feng lay on the ground, with Tu Ya looking slightly unsteady, covered in dust and blood, helping his boss up.
Yin Feng looked up and met You Mingxu’s gaze, giving a slight nod.
You Mingxu glanced at him, picked up her gun from the ground, and approached the car with Jing Ping and others to assess the situation.
Gu Tiancheng lay on the ground, his corpse still burning – this time he was truly, undeniably dead. The situation inside the car was even more horrific, with dismembered limbs and bodies, none surviving.
These ruthless criminals had chosen such a desperate way to face police arrest.
You Mingxu, Jing Ping, Xu Mengshan, and others stood around the vehicle, watching the still-burning flames in silence.
Xu Mengshan came over to ask You Mingxu, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. You?”
“I was standing far away, so fine.”
As Xu Mengshan turned to check other areas, You Mingxu turned her head and froze slightly.
Jing Ping stood in front of her, his jacket torn in more than ten places by explosion debris, fortunately protected by the winter clothing’s thickness. But his neck hadn’t been so lucky. Several cuts marked his fair skin, with one particularly deep gash still containing a fragment the size of a thumbnail, which he seemed unaware of.
“Don’t move,” You Mingxu said.
Jing Ping stood still.
She quickly pulled out the fragment, watching a drop of blood trail down his neck. Instinctively, she wiped it away, then took out a tissue to clean the blood from his neck, saying, “Get this disinfected by medical staff later, and see if you need a tetanus shot.”
“Mm.” He turned to look at her, his monolid eyes carrying a gentle gaze.
You Mingxu smiled. “Old Jing, you’ve got another scar now.” This was how people earned their merit badges.
“What does it matter?” Jing Ping responded.
“Thanks for earlier,” You Mingxu said.
“It’s nothing. As your senior, I should naturally protect my junior.”
“Get lost,” You Mingxu retorted.
He looked at her twice. “You’re the first person who’s dared to tell me to get lost.”
You Mingxu laughed, saying, “You’re quite full of yourself.”
“What, you don’t like it?”
“We’ll see after our fight.”
Originally, Jing Ping hadn’t taken their promised fight seriously at all. He genuinely didn’t want to fight women. Women were naturally physically weaker than men, so what was the point? But after these few days of interaction, he had witnessed You Mingxu’s efficiency, intelligence, and decisiveness. Remarkably, he had begun to feel like he’d met his match.
And she was just a young woman.
“Fine,” he said, his eyes showing a faint smile as he lowered his voice, “I’ll try not to make you cry.”
“…What did you say?”
The dust had settled.
Yin Feng stood not far behind them, wrapped in a thin blanket. He watched them talk, sometimes laughing, sometimes sizing each other up.
In reality, You Mingxu and Jing Ping had only spoken for a minute or two. But to Yin Feng, it felt like an eternity. Those two seemed to be incredibly compatible whenever they were near each other, their personalities clicking naturally.
Yin Feng closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. Beside him, Chen Feng watched his expression with mixed feelings. There was a sense of schadenfreude at seeing Yin Feng in this situation, but as Yin Feng’s servant, he felt guilty about these malicious thoughts. Even Chen Feng had to admit that the two police officers seemed well-matched… There was an indescribable feeling about it – they truly shared a certain similar quality.
“Xu,” Yin Feng suddenly called out.
You Mingxu turned around. Yin Feng beckoned to her, and she walked over.
Their eyes met, and You Mingxu’s gaze quickly swept over him, discreetly checking for injuries.
She asked, “What is it?”
Yin Feng suddenly brought his fist to his mouth and coughed several times. Chen Feng looked worried: “Teacher Yin, are you alright?”
You Mingxu also watched his face intently, noting that he seemed a bit pale.
Yin Feng rubbed his forehead, saying, “It’s nothing. Just a headache from the explosion…” He hesitated, looking at You Mingxu: “I’m fine, let’s go upstairs.”
You Mingxu had the same intention, but seeing his furrowed brows, she felt somewhat irritated and said, “You should go to the hospital. We can handle the scene.”
“We?” Yin Feng gave a cold laugh. “The hideout of those who tried to harm me – naturally, I must see it myself.” He then walked toward the elevator.
You Mingxu didn’t understand what had gotten into him, why he was being so passive-aggressive. She called for Xu Mengshan, Jing Ping, and others to go up together.
But because Yin Feng had mentioned his headache earlier, once in the elevator, You Mingxu kept watching him. When she saw him press his forehead again, she moved closer and asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
His lips seemed to force a smile: “I’m fine.”
Suddenly, there was a soft warmth on his forehead. You Mingxu had reached out to check his temperature.
Naturally, Yin Feng’s temperature was normal. You Mingxu lowered her hand without saying anything.
Yin Feng looked down and saw their shadows cast by the lights above, side by side. She remained standing next to him, not paying attention to others, staying silent. Yin Feng’s mood suddenly lifted, a pleasant feeling seeping into his chest like mild honey water.
Jing Ping finished giving instructions to a subordinate and looked up to see You Mingxu and Yin Feng standing together. Though they weren’t speaking, just standing close, there was somehow an intimate atmosphere between them that others couldn’t penetrate. With his keen eyes, Jing Ping could see it immediately.
He only looked once before turning away.