In truth, You Mingxu knew she would go see Yin Feng today.

She suspected Yin Feng knew this too.

She just hadn’t expected him to cook. This man never followed the expected script.

Walking into the villa, she found Xiao Yan waiting inside the main entrance, a cold air about him, who knew how long he’d been standing there.

You Mingxu paused, saying, “You don’t need to wait for me.” It was such a short distance—she wasn’t going to get lost.

Xiao Yan didn’t know why he kept standing there either. Yin Feng had merely mentioned wanting to greet her when she arrived. He’d come early and waited, despite having nothing to do, yet somehow felt happy about it.

So Xiao Yan could only manage to say, “I had nothing else to do…”

You Mingxu understood then. Looking at this youth who reminded her so much of You Yingjun, her heart softened, and she smiled, “Well, thank you.”

Xiao Yan blushed, lowering his head into the night’s shadows, saying, “Teacher Yin has been waiting for you for a long time.”

At the mention of Yin Feng, You Mingxu’s brows unconsciously furrowed. Looking into the distance, she saw the terrace was dark. Probably as the weather got colder, even he couldn’t bear to have dinner under moonlight by the lake anymore. She laughed inwardly as she followed Xiao Yan into the main building.

Yin Feng was dining alone in the small second-floor dining room.

You Mingxu had imagined that Yin Feng’s cooking would probably be something simple like a steak with wine—easy, requiring minimal culinary skill but still impressive. Instead, she found him sitting alone at the table, eating rice from a bowl with four dishes and a soup laid out before him.

Braised chicken wings, beef with Sichuan pepper, shredded lettuce salad, stir-fried red amaranth, and winter melon soup with pork ribs. It all looked quite proper.

You Mingxu pulled out a chair and sat beside him.

Yin Feng had nearly finished eating. He put down his chopsticks and stood up, saying, “Let’s go to the study. Tu Ya, throw out the leftover food.”

Tu Ya’s voice came from some corner of the house: “Okay.”

You Mingxu glanced at Yin Feng—his expression seemed even worse than usual, and he hadn’t properly looked at her since she entered the dining room.

Rather than feeling angry, You Mingxu found it amusing. Was he upset?

What right did he have to be upset with her?

You Mingxu had come for business and followed him to the study with a neutral expression.

Now that she had come, and wasn’t with that “kindred spirit” anymore, Yin Feng felt his emotions gradually calming. He sat at the large desk and began preparing tea, telling her, “Sit.”

You Mingxu watched quietly as he brewed a pot of fragrant clear tea and placed a cup before her.

Yin Feng poured himself a cup too and leaned back in his chair. The house’s heating was on, and in his crisp black shirt, his expression was deep and dark: “Bird’s tongue tea. Try it.”

You Mingxu glanced at him—ah, back to normal now.

The tea leaves were delicate and green, standing upright, quite beautiful really. She took a sip—it was fragrant. She nodded, “Not bad.”

He looked at her and took a sip from his cup.

After a moment of silence, You Mingxu said, “We had a meeting today, that defined the nature of the Punisher organization.”

“Mm.”

“Why weren’t you there?”

“Old Duan already discussed the ideas with me, so there was no need. Too many people in the meeting would just complicate things.”

You Mingxu finished her cup and set it down, about to pour herself more when Yin Feng’s hand rose first, taking the teapot to fill her cup. You Mingxu watched the clear stream of water, thinking how everyone seemed intent on pouring tea for her tonight.

You Mingxu said, “I want to hear your thoughts on the Punisher organization.”

Yin Feng set down the teapot and looked directly at her: “What’s in it for me?”

You Mingxu looked at him.

Yin Feng smiled slightly: “What do I get in return for sharing my opinion?”

You Mingxu: “What do you want?”

Yin Feng paused for two seconds, his fingers lightly tapping the chair’s armrest.

“Kiss me.”

You Mingxu could hardly believe her ears. Yet the man before her, impeccably dressed and handsome, with dark eyes, had clearly said exactly that.

The study fell silent.

“You don’t have to tell me then,” You Mingxu said coolly. “Let’s consider our previous agreement void.” She made to stand up, but Yin Feng spoke: “Fine, the kiss can wait.”

You Mingxu stared at him for a moment—he showed not the slightest embarrassment as he said, “Stay seated.”

You Mingxu let out a light snort and sat back, crossing her legs. She felt a slight satisfaction at having the upper hand.

Yin Feng said, “The conclusions that can be confirmed and made public have already been discussed in your meeting. But I think this organization has two other notable characteristics.

First, among those who have committed crimes, some are recruited into the organization to become punishers, while others become their hunting targets. What are their selection criteria?

Second, how does this organization’s leader make members so devoted and united in achieving their goals, even disregarding their own lives? How does he accomplish this?”

You Mingxu’s brows furrowed.

The first question—selection criteria? She had encountered several of them along the way: Gu Tiancheng, Chen Zhao, Xiang Rong, and the distinct styles of those rooms’ occupants in their hideout. The answer seemed to be hovering just beyond her grasp…

As for the second question, she hadn’t considered it deeply before but now realized that the leader behind it all indeed had strong control over the organization’s members, even over someone as formidable as Gu Tiancheng. This sent a chill through You Mingxu—what kind of person could they be?

Yin Feng gave her a penetrating look and said, “The answers to these two questions are the same.”

You Mingxu looked at him.

He said, “It’s in that phrase.”

You Mingxu’s heart jolted.

That phrase…

All goodness is dead, all evil shall be done.

Yin Feng uttered one word: “Goodness.”

You Mingxu: “Explain.”

Yin Feng stood up and walked slowly around the room, saying, “The organization selects people who have suffered unfair treatment and become disillusioned with society. In a sense, they were all originally ‘good people,’ just rather obsessive. Gu Tiancheng, talented and ambitious, kept trying to break through despite repeated unfair treatment, wanting to make something of himself and build a family. Xiang Rong, needless to say, deeply loved his wife and son, couldn’t move past their loss, and then encountered devastating misfortune. Chen Zhaoci’s most beloved woman, his only hope in life, died because of campus loans, at the hands of those lenders… If there had been even a glimmer of hope for happiness, these people might have persevered. But in the end, they all ran out of options.

Only such people are what the organization wants to recruit. The original ‘goodness’ in them—clean and upright—has been destroyed beyond recognition by life. When someone then tells them: ‘Let’s eliminate those who are guilty,’ after conditioning and brainwashing, like being dissolved and reforged, they form a new, twisted, but solid moral compass. Good people turned bad and became worse than the original bad. They become committed to ‘punishing evil,’ perfect ‘punishers’ as the organization’s leader wants them to be. That’s why they believe: All goodness is dead, all evil shall be done.”

You Mingxu listened, her heart trembling, and nodded unconsciously.

By now, Yin Feng had walked behind her, his voice carrying: “Conversely, those who were thoroughly selfish and evil from the start could never be as determined and unwavering as them. So the organization doesn’t recruit them but makes them hunting targets instead. This organization is born of evil, yet punishes evil. That’s why it’s called ‘all evil shall be done.'”

“Mm.”

A hand rested on the back of You Mingxu’s chair, and she felt him lean down close, whispering in her ear: “Axu, don’t you think everything I’ve said is correct?”

His voice was too low, too slow, carrying a soft bewitchment. You Mingxu’s neck prickled with goosebumps. Without turning around, she reached back directly and pressed her hand against his face, saying coldly, “Speak properly.”