“You’re sick!” You Ming Xu cursed in her heart, not bothering to respond as she went upstairs.

Her apartment was quite old, but being among the first commercial housing units built, it was well-constructed and sturdy. She entered and turned on the lights. The square two-bedroom apartment was like her – simple, spacious, plain, lacking warmth but filled with a somewhat messy vitality.

On the center wall of the living room hung a black and white memorial photo. You Ming Xu always looked at it when she came home, sometimes smiling inexplicably at it, feeling her heart warm a little.

The mother in the picture was only in her thirties, looking much more gentle than You Ming Xu, though her gentleness didn’t lack spirit. Her large, bright eyes possessed a sweetness that You Ming Xu lacked. Even her police uniform and cap couldn’t hide her vivacity. You Ming Xu had grown up in Jiang City with her maternal grandparents, only coming to Xiang City for university. They never mentioned her father. Only once did her uncle casually say, “Ming Xu’s looks must take after her father more.” No one responded then.

You Ming Xu took her mother’s surname, and she had no interest in investigating who her father was, whether he was alive or dead, good or bad.

She took a shower and lay in bed watching shows – American dramas, soap operas, trashy shows, anything. Time passed unconsciously this way, her mind empty, comfortable.

Just as she was watching the male lead embracing the female lead and spinning under cherry blossoms, while the villain stood two meters away with a twisted expression that might as well have had “I’m evil” written on his face, her phone pinged.

Her eyes didn’t leave the tablet as she reached for her phone, glancing at it.

A message from an unknown number: “Ming Xu, it’s me, Yin Feng!”

You Ming Xu initially didn’t want to reply, but after thinking, responded: “Got it.”

Ending the conversation with one sentence was her goal.

But clearly, it wouldn’t work – after all, several circuits in his brain weren’t working right now, how could he possibly understand her brush-off?

He immediately asked: “What are you doing?”

You Ming Xu held back her irritation, paused her show, and replied: “Watching TV.”

“What are you watching?”

“‘Eternal Love.'”

“Can I call you?”

“No.”

“Why?!”

“Because I’m tired and going to sleep.”

“Then add me on WeChat and accept my request. You know, that green tadpole app.”

Green tadpole…

You Ming Xu had never heard someone describe WeChat in such a fresh way before. She accepted his request and opened his profile picture to see it larger. It was a black and white side profile of a man, with excellent use of light and shadow, as if rippling water was reflecting on his sharp features. His lips held a slight smile, his eyes slightly downcast. He wore a simple black T-shirt, yet somehow it looked exceptionally stylish.

At the same time, the photo revealed that the former Yin Feng had been somewhat narcissistic and arrogant, definitely confident in his looks, to use such a magazine cover-worthy photo as his profile picture.

On impulse, she checked his Moments feed but found he only displayed the last three days to friends, so there was nothing to see.

He sent a voice message.

You Ming Xu played it.

“I took my medicine today as the doctor said, and got an injection too. In the evening, Chen Feng took me for a short walk. I watched some TV, but it was boring. For lunch, I had meat, carrots, onions, and greens. For dinner, I had soup, more meat, chicken soup, shrimp, and greens. The doctor said I can’t get my wound wet yet, so I wiped myself clean with a towel. Now I’m only a little bit smelly. I’m going to sleep now too. Good night, You Ming Xu.”

His voice over the phone was surprisingly deep and pleasant, but because his tone was so obedient, it had a sort of soft, tender quality. After listening, You Ming Xu was silent for a moment before sending a voice reply: “Good night, Yin Feng.”

Three days later.

Sunlight generously filled the entire hospital room as Yin Feng, fresh from his bath, sat on the bed wrapped in a towel like a large cat. His stitches had been removed, and he felt incredibly comfortable despite the lingering pain. His hair, recently dried by the nurse, was now fluffy and soft all over his head.

He didn’t realize that he now looked like a young man in his early twenties, fair-skinned and clean.

Chen Feng stood before him holding two pieces of clothing, saying: “These are from your favorite brand and style, this season’s latest.”

One was a dark grey stand-collar jacket, the other a black coat. The craftsmanship of luxury brands was just like this – appearing very simple at first glance but made of exquisite materials with sophisticated design. The two young nurses watching fell silent, eager to see how the handsome patient would look in these clothes.

Yin Feng stared for a while, then showed a slightly contemptuous smile: “They’re ugly.”

Chen Feng’s expression didn’t change as he pulled out casual wear and sportswear from the shopping bag, all top streetwear brands.

Yin Feng’s brow relaxed a bit: “These are okay, acceptable.”

Chen Feng wanted to smile – the teacher was still as picky as before about fashion, just that his preferences seemed to have completely reversed… There was a time when a major international men’s fashion brand wanted him as their Asian brand ambassador.

Finally, Chen Feng pulled out a green T-shirt with a large, lively Astro Boy printed on the chest. The pants matched.

Yin Feng sat motionless, eyes fixed on them. He could sense the nurses trying to hold back their laughter, which made his face inexplicably hot and somewhat inexplicably angry. He thought that if Ming Xu were here, she definitely wouldn’t laugh, but would just say matter-of-factly: “Mm, this looks good on you.” Thinking of this improved his mood, though he deliberately kept a serious expression and said: “Well since there’s nothing else good-looking, this set will do.”

Chen Feng: “Okay.”

“I don’t want to choose anymore, just buy several sets of the same.”

Chen Feng: “Alright. Same brand but different patterns, okay?”

“Mm.”

Yin Feng changed into the new clothes and walked to the mirror, looked at himself for a while, then smiled, muttering to himself: “I’ll wear this to show Ming Xu today.”

Chen Feng said: “Zi Yi is here, waiting next door. Do you want to see her?”

Yin Feng’s brows immediately furrowed as he said: “Who is she? Why does she keep coming to see me?”

Chen Feng: “I told you a few days ago, that she was your late brother Yin Chen’s childhood sweetheart from over ten years ago. You used to call her sister. She comes because she cares about you.”

Yin Feng said: “I know. But she was my brother’s person, not mine. Since Yin Chen died long ago, doesn’t that mean she has nothing to do with me?”

Chen Feng: “Theoretically yes. But these past few years, she’s been by your side, and you never objected.”

Yin Feng’s expression suddenly became very anxious: “Is she… my girlfriend?”

Chen Feng thought for a moment and said: “Not exactly.”

Yin Feng was confused: “Then what does that mean?”