He cast his gaze into the distance, resembling that proud, untamed man she first met: “In life, one encounters a few kindred spirits. But the more similar people are, the less suitable they are together. The intrigue of love lies in its uncertainties and collisions—between men and women, it ultimately comes down to attraction to a primitive impulse.”

You Mingxu was initially puzzled but quickly caught his meaning. She only uttered two words: “Nonsense.”

He draped his arm over the back of her chair and said, “Stop provoking him.”

You Mingxu replied coldly, “What nonsense are you talking about? When have I ever provoked anyone?”

Yin Feng flicked the back of her head—it hurt quite a bit. He smiled and said, “Don’t smile at him, don’t keep provoking me. Do you think I can tolerate you having some ‘kindred spirit’ around? One Xu Mengshan is already pushing it!”

You Mingxu shot him an irritated glance. She strongly disliked being controlled, and here he was trying to manage her workplace relationships before they were even properly together.

You Mingxu said, “Aren’t you misunderstanding something? Have you remembered that phrase I wanted to hear?”

The implication was clear: We’re not even in that kind of relationship yet, what right do you have to control me?

Yin Feng was quiet for a moment, then said slowly, “You Mingxu, I love you.”

You Mingxu froze, completely still.

Then she heard him continue unhurriedly, “…I want to marry you?”

You Mingxu suddenly reacted: “Shut up, that’s not it.”

His brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at her, then said, “I want to give you everything?”

That was getting closer.

You Mingxu: “No! Yin Feng, guessing doesn’t count.”

He stared at her for a long while, then smiled: “Oh.”

The tense atmosphere between them had somehow dissipated. You Mingxu lowered her head to organize things on her desk, ignoring him. He watched for a while, then grabbed her hand, playing with it persistently as he said, “I’m serious, stay away from him.”

You Mingxu pulled her hand back, finally letting out a light “hmph” before saying, “I won’t let personal matters affect work interactions.”

Yin Feng smiled faintly, knowing this statement meant she had firmly drawn her boundaries. He patted her head and said softly, “Good girl.”

—

After the four-person team reported their latest findings to Ding Xiongwei, he quickly sought instructions from his superiors. The higher-ups immediately held a meeting to discuss and made their decision: You Mingxu would still follow Luo Yu to Guizhou. The police would fight fire with fire, creating the illusion of deploying forces to Northwestern Qianxi while secretly positioning elite units near Dushan County in Southeastern Qian.

Since Luo Yu and Brother Cao’s conversation only mentioned the general transaction area without specific details, they would need to act according to the circumstances.

Additionally, Ding Xiongwei told You Mingxu that this operation’s goal was to catch both parties’ bosses and obtain evidence of their crimes—catching Xing Jifu would be ideal, but the suspects would likely be cautious and wouldn’t easily expose themselves. Therefore, You Mingxu’s ability to adapt to circumstances would be crucial, as police support wouldn’t intervene unless necessary to avoid compromising the entire operation. This meant that even Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping might not be able to assist her immediately. Yet her role was indispensable—she could serve as an insider providing real-time intelligence about the criminals’ movements while also probing Luo Yu’s true intentions.

No one else could replace her; it had to be done.

You Mingxu nodded to Ding Xiongwei, accepting the responsibility.

As for Yin Feng and his subordinates, while they weren’t part of the police deployment, You Mingxu knew they would definitely follow.

The night before departure, not just You Mingxu but also Jing Ping, Xu Mengshan, and many colleagues were filled with tense excitement about the operation. Their opponents weren’t ordinary criminals but two groups of the most vicious, cruel, and intelligent villains. The elite police officers felt the excitement of meeting worthy opponents, along with an iron determination to fight to the death in defense of justice.

That day, Yin Feng didn’t come to the police station. You Mingxu was busy preparing for departure and had no time to think about him. She couldn’t bring her gun—one person entering the tiger’s den against many wouldn’t benefit from carrying a weapon. The hairpin from Jing Ping was securely fastened in her long hair. Additionally, the police’s latest technological devices for monitoring, tracking, and signal transmission were installed in her clothing and personal items. With Luo Yu as her shield, even if these were discovered during a search, he would be the one to find them. At worst, she’d face his anger but no mortal danger.

Near the end of the workday, You Mingxu was carrying the travel bag her colleagues had prepared, about to head to Luo Yu’s home, when she saw Graffiti smiling in his car downstairs.

You Mingxu had expected Yin Feng would come to pick her up today.

Arriving at Yin Feng’s home, she entered the living room to find Chen Feng and others eating dinner. Her sharp eyes caught several travel bags on the sofa and suitcases on the floor, clearly packed with large items. She remained expressionless.

Chen Feng smiled and said, “Miss You is here. Master Yin is waiting for you in the upstairs dining room.” After a pause, he added with a smile, “He’s cooking again.”

Hearing this, everyone looked at her with a knowing smile. You Mingxu, typically so composed, actually blushed slightly under the teasing gaze of these old perverts, maintaining a neutral expression as she went upstairs.

Upstairs, she found Yin Feng wearing what looked like a pretentious apron—black checkered with gold trim, probably designer—emerging from the kitchen with a bowl of soup. He glanced at her and said, “Wash your hands and eat.”

You Mingxu complied, removed her coat to hang on the chair, sat down, and rested her chin on her hand, watching him still cooking in the small upstairs kitchen. Even while performing such domestic tasks, his expression remained cool and distant, though his movements were incredibly skillful. As she watched, she couldn’t help but smile.

Yin Feng tossed the apron into the kitchen and brought out the dishes. You Mingxu quickly suppressed her smile, maintaining a neutral expression.

They ate quietly for a while before he asked, “All prepared?”

“Mm.”

“What time tomorrow?”

“Luo Yu said 5 AM.” You Mingxu glanced at him, “You don’t need to come, we already have plenty of people.”

He let out a scoffing laugh.

Knowing she couldn’t dissuade him, You Mingxu let it go and asked, “Who are you bringing?”

“Everyone.”

No wonder they were having dinner together tonight—they were mobilizing their entire force.

“This isn’t a minor skirmish, it’s the real deal. Tell your people to be careful, don’t charge ahead of the police again,” she said.

“I know what I’m doing.”

When he said he knew what he was doing, he meant it. You Mingxu didn’t need to say more.

“How’s the taste?” he suddenly asked.

You Mingxu thought to herself, does this man have blind confidence in his cooking? It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly impressive either—far from Wei Lan’s culinary skills.

She answered honestly: “Not bad.”

“Compared to yours?”

“Much better than mine.”

Yin Feng smiled at that. His eating posture was rather refined, his fair, slender hands gently holding the chopsticks as he picked up small bites and placed them in his mouth.