It was an undeniably handsome face—two jet-black eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin, pressed lips. However upon closer inspection, one could see that it differed from Yin Feng’s features.

Why had she thought of Yin Feng when she first glimpsed this man lying there?

Several memories suddenly surfaced in her mind—times when Yin Feng had fallen asleep beside her, that silhouette almost overlapping with the stranger before her now.

The feeling of suspicion in her heart grew stronger.

She observed him without saying anything. Suddenly, she recalled a surveillance video Yin Feng had once shown her—

In Guizhou, beneath dripping eaves, a man with his back to the camera wore Yin Feng’s clothes and carried his bag. That bearing and posture had fooled even Chen Feng and the others. But Yin Feng had noticed something was amiss.

A substitute.

Why was he here now? The chains binding him suggested he’d been here for some time. He had a bed, a desk with a computer and stack of papers, and even a bookshelf nearby.

What was he doing here?

A strange thought suddenly struck You Mingxu—was this how they had trained him? Even mimicking Yin Feng’s living and writing habits?

At this moment, You Mingxu only felt a deep sense of uncanniness, not yet sensing the massive crisis about to unfold.

The other police officers were also familiar with Yin Feng, but seeing this man suddenly appear, they only felt a sense of déjà vu and strangeness, without connecting him to Yin Feng.

Xu Mengshan, however, frowned and instinctively looked back for Yin Feng.

This glance left Xu Mengshan stunned.

Yin Feng had followed the police into this secret room. With officers both in front and behind, he hadn’t felt any tension.

Yet looking at the deep, dim secret room, he had a sense of familiarity.

He suddenly recalled that dream and the fragmented memories of his torture. Similar corridors, similar secret rooms—he had seen that person behind Yin Chen, seen the blood-stained tools covering the walls, and seen himself imprisoned.

However, this might not be the same place. If someone deliberately arranged it, it would be easy to recreate.

He would wait and observe.

But when he followed everyone into this room and saw the man lying on the desk, he froze.

His reaction was quicker than You Mingxu’s. In an instant, he remembered Guizhou, remembered the man standing under the eaves, remembered how everyone around him had no idea, thinking he was still living free and arrogantly. He had been dragged into darkness by those people, while this man had replaced him, become him, quietly appearing in that house.

A surge of intense hatred rose in Yin Feng’s heart, along with an indescribable feeling of disgust. Replace him? Who could replace his existence in this world, rob him of everything that belonged to him? And now, the substitute brazenly appeared before him.

This man was undoubtedly one of the Punisher’s people.

Could he even be that familiar Creator he’d sensed?

Before his mind could form a clear answer, Yin Feng’s body moved first. He grabbed a gun from a nearby officer, immediately aiming it at the man behind the desk, his eyes radiating killing intent, his face frost-like.

When Xu Mengshan turned back and saw Yin Feng’s expression, he was shocked, finding Yin Feng’s reaction unexpectedly intense. But he quickly understood, thinking perhaps Yin Feng had recognized this person’s identity. He also drew his weapon, aiming at the man as a precaution.

The other officers drew their guns as well.

You Mingxu also turned to look for Yin Feng, and seeing his expression, she paused. Suddenly understanding his hatred, her heart softened, and she gave him a reassuring look. In the flickering dim light, he saw it clearly and nodded slightly to indicate he would keep his composure. You Mingxu felt relieved, but many questions remained—why had Ming Tao died here? The police had been led here. Why was this substitute here as well?

Was he now alive or dead?

From outward appearances, nothing seemed amiss.

Xu Mengshan stepped forward again to check the man’s pulse and breathing. As soon as his hand touched the man’s neck, the figure moved slightly, and Xu Mengshan immediately stepped back, raising his gun.

The man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly confused. Upon seeing the light and people before him, he appeared extremely frightened, jerking upright and pressing back into his chair, his face pale, his lips trembling.

“Who… are you?” His voice was hoarse as if he hadn’t spoken for years, each word painfully extracted from his throat.

Xu Mengshan answered, “We’re the police. Who are you? Why are you here?”

The man seemed somewhat uncomprehending: “…Police? Why are there police? Are you here to arrest me? I haven’t committed any crimes, and haven’t killed anyone! Are you here to save me? Have you finally come to save me?”

His words were confused, his emotions extremely frightened and agitated. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan exchanged glances, and You Mingxu, thinking quickly, stepped forward and said softly, “Don’t be afraid. We’re the police, and of course, we’re here to rescue you. No one will harm you.”

The man stared at her blankly. Seemingly sensing her gentleness and kindness, his handsome and delicate features, combined with his silent, shrinking posture, showed a kind of timid docility. You Mingxu’s heart skipped a beat—if his face hadn’t looked different, she would have thought she was looking at Yu Yingjun!

Then the man’s gaze moved past her to those behind her. The criminal investigators had all judged that this person posed no threat and slowly lowered their weapons.

Only one person still held his gun aimed at him, his eyes frighteningly cold.

At that moment, the man also saw Yin Feng. His face suddenly changed color, his previously dull eyes suddenly widening in terror. He fell from his chair and began shrinking behind it: “Ah… ah… ah… you’re here! I’ll behave! I’ll behave! Write well, write immediately! The newest novel is almost finished! Please, don’t hit me, don’t treat me like that again! I promise to write well! Promise to write better than the last book, please, please…” He seemed completely terrified, his whole body shaking as he began to cry.

Everyone was stunned, instinctively looking toward Yin Feng.

Yin Feng’s eyes were dark as he stared at the man as if trying to bore holes through him.

You Mingxu also froze, that vague feeling of something being wrong surging up again. What was this man talking about? Who had made him write? Why did he show such fear upon seeing Yin Feng?

Her heart jumped: Was it deliberate? Were they deliberately trying to frame Yin Feng for something? But how could that be possible? How could they possibly frame Yin Feng? Wasn’t that purely fantastical thinking?