Just then, police reinforcements arrived outside, with sirens and footsteps echoing through the space. The man remained huddled on the ground, trembling and terrified.

Yin Feng lowered his gun and smiled sardonically.

You Mingxu said, “Take him to the car first.”

All the officers moved into action. The man was extremely cooperative now, or perhaps simply too weak to resist, allowing the police to remove his leg chains and lead him out. When passing by You Mingxu and Yin Feng, he still appeared terrified, not daring to raise his head, even shuddering as he passed.

Yin Feng let him pass without a word or glance.

You Mingxu understood what he was thinking and asked, “Still angry?”

Yin Feng said coldly, “This account will be settled with them sooner or later.”

You Mingxu noticed that he hadn’t taken the man’s rambling reactions seriously, so she didn’t dwell on it either. They both looked up as police searchlights were brought in, finally illuminating the entire room.

The room was about twenty square meters, with gray walls and cement flooring, dimly lit with only half a window above ground level, offering a vague view of grass and wire fencing in the yard.

A bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a chair. The wardrobe was packed with books—psychology, criminology, sociology, history…various subjects, but mostly crime-related.

On the desk sat a laptop with a dedicated typing keyboard on one side. The other side was cluttered with papers covered in writing. Next to the papers was a purple clay teacup with half-finished tea inside.

Yin Feng’s brows furrowed slightly, and You Mingxu remained silent.

—

Since the criminal investigators had been working intensely on the case for several days and had worked through this night, recovering Ming Tao’s body and all evidence, as well as bringing in the unidentified man, everyone was exhausted. Ding Xiongwei, understanding their limits, waved his hand and told everyone to go home and rest for half a day. The unidentified man would be kept at the station under guard, with other officers conducting preliminary questioning, while the case-breaking team would return in the afternoon to continue work.

Yin Feng and You Mingxu took Tu Ya and Guan Jun back to the villa.

Chen Feng had already had the cook prepare a feast. All four were famished and ate with the others before retiring to their rooms.

Guan Jun grumbled, “Solving cases is exhausting. Ever since Teacher Yin got his boss lady, he’s been working us like oxen. I can’t even figure out who I am anymore. Am I destined to be an unsung hero? If you push me too far, I’ll hack your precinct’s network!”

No one paid attention to his rambling.

As soon as Yin Feng and You Mingxu returned to their bedroom, they quickly showered to wash away the blood and sweat and then collapsed into bed. Though Yin Feng insisted on holding her tightly, making her somewhat uncomfortable, she was too exhausted to argue and fell asleep in his embrace.

When You Mingxu woke up, it was nearly noon. She found Yin Feng wrapped around her like a giant octopus, his limbs tightly entwined with hers, impossible to escape. Her struggles woke him, and his dark eyes gazed at her from very close range.

With the Ming Tao case solved, You Mingxu felt somewhat lighter. Though there were surely hidden details, they would have to take things step by step, or they’d drive the police to exhaustion. Her tone became playful, with a hint of teasing: “What are you looking at? What do you want to do?”

Yin Feng’s originally somber expression broke into a smile, and he said softly, “You’re quite the talker. Now I have no choice but to act.”

You Mingxu’s heart skipped a beat. Now well-rested and energetic, surrounded by his warm, masculine scent in the bedding, her thoughts began to wander. She stroked his chin: “Come here.”

Yin Feng had never met such a bold woman, making it seem as if she was the one granting him a favor. Yet moments ago, when passion overtook her, her blushing, stifled moans revealed her surrender to his dominance.

He rolled over and pressed down on her.

…

…

They lay side by side on the bed, both breathing softly. Neither wanted to speak nor needed to, as if silence could preserve that moment of ultimate bliss a little longer.

After a while, You Mingxu gently grabbed his hand resting at his side, and smiled to herself.

“Satisfied?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

“Mm.”

He turned to his side again, holding her in his arms, quietly embracing her.

You Mingxu felt somewhat dazed as she asked, “Do you think we’ll always be this good together?”

He said, “We will.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m Yin Feng, and you’re Ah Xu.”

You Mingxu suddenly felt a surge of warmth in her heart and hugged him tightly.

You’re Yin Feng, and I’m Ah Xu.

We’ve traveled so many roads together, tasted so many sweet moments, and endured so much bitterness. You turned away and came back, you swore devotion, and I never let go. Now we’re finally together, properly and completely.

My path was bitter, but you insisted on accompanying me. Thinking about it now, living each day like this isn’t bad at all. Quiet and peaceful, amid blood and corpses, you in me, me in you.

“I love you,” You Mingxu said softly.

She was just that kind of person—never deliberate, rarely direct. But when she wanted to say something, she did so without hesitation.

Yin Feng remained still for several seconds, then suddenly pressed her down again, kissing her frantically while repeating his oath: “…I love you, worship you… it’s not dependence, not anything else… worship you… love you…”

You Mingxu wanted to laugh, but her eyes grew hot. Like this, he seemed to transform back into that stubborn donkey Yu Yingjun, refusing to leave his position above her. But his arms were stronger now, his gaze more steady, and that somewhat obsessive, barely controlled masculine presence drove her wild with desire.

—

So when they arrived at the police station that afternoon, both appeared refreshed and radiant. It made single men like Xu Mengshan feel inexplicably inadequate, though they couldn’t quite understand why.

The subsequent interrogation and wrap-up work didn’t require Yin Feng’s participation, nor would it have been appropriate. So You Mingxu left Yin Feng in the office while she went to meet with Ding Xiongwei. She learned that he had assigned two veteran detectives to question the unidentified man being held in the basement. When she asked, there were no results yet. Though concerned, she couldn’t interfere mid-process, so she went to handle the wrap-up work for the Apprentice Killer case—after all, this had been their primary focus during this period.

The evidence for the Apprentice Killer case was already substantial. All evidence had been found in Ming Tao’s residence, bearing his abundant fingerprints and DNA, along with records of his frequent logins to the bathhouse’s office system to download victim information.