As You Mingxu watched the elevator numbers climb, suddenly, several things became clear to her.

Yin Feng had always been by her side.

Whether as Yu Yingjun or Yin Feng, he was always rushing around near her. Memory loss, mental instability, injuries, comas, dangerous situations… no matter what happened, she had grown accustomed to one thing—

He would always be by her side.

But after these recent events, You Mingxu suddenly realized that they were fundamentally different. He wasn’t a police officer and didn’t have her physical capabilities. He might be able to use his intelligence and wit to track down criminals and help her catch culprits time after time. But if something unexpected happened, any random chance, even the most ordinary criminal could potentially hurt him or even endanger his life. Just like today, when he had nearly lost his life.

Some things that were natural for her—like dying in the line of duty on that mountain yesterday—would have been considered an honorable death. But not for him. He was originally a scholar, at most a psychological consultant. He was even a victim of the Punisher organization. Yet now, in their second encounter, he still risked his life for her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Why would he do such things?

You Mingxu lowered her eyes, hiding the bitterness within them.

The answer was already in her heart.

She thought that she had been too stubborn lately, too hung up on his temporary memory loss and withdrawal.

That promise—he simply couldn’t remember it, no matter how hard he tried.

But he was already living it.

Did she need to wait for those words? As he had said, wait for thirty years?

As she pondered this, an inexplicable sweetness welled up amid the bitterness in her heart.

The elevator doors opened to two rows of hospital rooms, with the ICU at the end. It was dinner time, and the bustling hospital held a certain warmth of life. You Mingxu’s heart began beating uncontrollably fast as she walked toward the room at the end of the corridor.

She had only gone a short distance when she heard someone call out from a nearby room: “Mingxu?”

You Mingxu came to her senses and paused, realizing she was next to Xu Mengshan and Jing Ping’s room. Inside were just two beds, both patients awake and looking at her. You Mingxu hurried in.

Xu Mengshan, whose injuries were lighter, was already sitting up, though he still looked haggard. Seeing You Mingxu, his eyes flickered with that gentle, calm light—the same way he had always looked at his partner.

Jing Ping was still lying down, several IV bottles hanging above him, his body tightly wrapped in bandages with only his face visible. His face was still covered in injuries, eyes and cheeks still swollen, a painful sight to behold. Yet he managed to force a smile when he saw You Mingxu.

Before attending the memorial service, You Mingxu had quickly showered and changed clothes—Chen Feng had procured them, having his usual magical way of arranging things. So despite not having properly slept for a day and night, she looked neat and presentable, though very pale, but with that characteristic cool, bright light rekindled in her eyes.

Xu Mengshan, completely dismissing his injuries, looked You Mingxu over and smiled: “Where are you rushing off to? Is everything alright?”

You Mingxu replied: “Everything’s fine. Old Ding came, and the special case team is handling the aftermath. I just…” she paused, “attended Luo Yu’s memorial service.”

Xu Mengshan fell quiet, his expression complex.

After a moment of shared silence, Jing Ping suddenly moved, slowly raising his IV-connected hand to his head. He gave a salute.

Xu Mengshan suddenly felt a wave of complicated emotions—a bitter feeling he didn’t want to face. After a while, though, he found a strange sense of acceptance and also raised his hand in salute toward the window.

You Mingxu remained seated, motionless.

They lowered their hands.

You Mingxu acted as if she hadn’t seen anything and asked Jing Ping: “Old Jing, how are you?”

Jing Ping seemed to strain before producing a sound: “Fine, not dying.” His voice was incredibly hoarse and fragile.

You Mingxu stood and walked to his bedside, gripping his hand briefly, saying: “Rest well and get better soon. When you’ve recovered, we’ll have a sparring match.”

Jing Ping’s lips curled slightly as he answered: “Alright.”

Xu Mengshan asked: “What about the others? I heard Yin Feng and his group arrive later and run into the Punishers, all getting injured. How’s Teacher Yin?”

You Mingxu replied: “Xiao Yan and Tu Ya are like you both—seriously injured but alive. Yin Feng… I heard he just woke up.” At this, a smile appeared on her face.

Xu Mengshan studied her for a moment, his fox-like nature unchanged as his eyes crinkled with amusement: “You heard? Well, since we’re not dying and you’ve checked on us, hurry along. Teacher Yin will be heartbroken if he wakes up and doesn’t see you.”

You Mingxu showed no embarrassment, nodding: “Alright, I’ll go check on him. Call me if you need anything.” She nodded to Jing Ping and left.

After she was gone, Xu Mengshan slowly lay back down, wincing twice before settling.

Both men were quiet for a moment before Xu Mengshan spoke: “There are plenty of fish in the sea. She’s nothing special. I guess it’s because we’re all police officers and haven’t met many women, right? Besides, she and Yin Feng… they’re too deeply entangled, even the gods couldn’t come between them. It’s like an iron wall. We’re lucky to be alive this time. Being alive is what matters most. In the future, finding a caring woman would be a blessing enough. Right, Brother Jing?”

Jing Ping was quiet for a while before responding: “You talk too much.”

Xu Mengshan fell silent.

After some time, Jing Ping’s voice softly rose again: “I know it’s an iron wall. Never planned to kick it down. I’m not that kind of person, I just… couldn’t bear to see her hurt.”

These words suddenly made Xu Mengshan’s chest tighten, leaving him momentarily speechless.

—

You Mingxu paused outside the ICU.

How many times had she stood outside his hospital room?

Yet each time, she felt that nervous anticipation of homecoming, and somehow, the feeling grew stronger every time.

She knocked, and Chen Feng’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Opening the door, she saw Chen Feng standing at the foot of the bed, with two doctors and two nurses hovering around the patient. He couldn’t sit up yet, lying flat, but hearing movement, his expression changed slightly. He glanced at her, his gaze cool, before quickly looking away.

You Mingxu froze, remaining silent as she walked to Chen Feng’s side to listen to the doctor’s instructions. But her eyes never left him, not attempting to hide her observation.