In the darkness, Yin Feng caressed her waist and hands, kissing her silently before saying, “I’m thinking about what it means that they’ve played this card now, after keeping it hidden for so long—willing to sacrifice two people just to restrain us both.”
You Mingxu’s mind raced. “It means they’re preparing their final counterattack!”
Yin Feng rewarded her insight with a kiss on the cheek. “Ah Xu, you always understand what I’m thinking. It won’t be just one counterattack—they’re going to use all their remaining strength for whatever they’re planning. Many people might die!”
You Mingxu’s heart sank.
Yin Feng held her cold hands, gently massaging them. “Let Ding Xiongwei and his team work on clearing our names. Let them drag it out, maybe even make the situation sound more serious to outsiders—like we’re being detained. Not too much though, or they won’t believe it. Let the Punisher feel secure enough to act. All we can do now is wait. Once they make their move, we’ll coordinate with Ding Xiongwei to catch them all at once.”
You Mingxu hadn’t expected that even while being “exiled” home under police surveillance, he was still strategizing. She’d been so worried about clearing his name that she hadn’t considered turning defense into offense. She immediately called Ding Xiongwei to relay Yin Feng’s plan. Ding agreed it was feasible and would make arrangements.
After hanging up, You Mingxu reassured him, “Don’t worry, Old Ding and Mengshan know what they’re doing. They’re not pushovers—they’ll help clear your name.”
Yin Feng remained impassive. “Once we catch the Punisher’s creator, everything will naturally come to light, proving my innocence.”
You Mingxu felt a surge of tenderness at his stubborn pride. She turned to kiss him, but his kiss was more forceful and dominant than usual. She realized that despite his rational planning, being falsely accused still bothered him. Finally, she melted in his arms as he continued to nibble gently. In the heat of passion, his face took on a devilish look as he demanded, “After everything that happened today, you never doubted me at all?”
“Never,” You Mingxu replied without hesitation.
“Why?”
Why indeed?
You Mingxu suddenly recalled You Yingjun’s clear eyes when he smiled up at her, Yin Feng’s anguished expression when Old Nine died, and his lonely look when he’d called himself obsessed with having her. She touched his face and said, “Because you’re my Yin Feng.”
—
By the time they returned to their room, it was deep into the night. You Mingxu, exhausted from the day’s emotional roller coaster, fell asleep quickly. Though Yin Feng held her, sleep eluded him until well past midnight when he finally drifted off.
He woke suddenly, staring at the ceiling. The room was dark, with furniture casting vague shadows. They hadn’t drawn the curtains, and tree shadows from outside cast dim patterns on the opposite wall.
Unable to sleep, Yin Feng glanced at You Mingxu, who was curled up against his arm, sleeping soundly. He kissed her forehead; she didn’t stir.
He sat up, arms resting on his knees, motionless.
Sometimes, in the space between sleep and wakefulness, past events or details become clearer. Like now, as he recalled dinner earlier that evening.
When they discussed Su Ziyi and Li Mingdi, he noticed everyone’s expressions and reactions. Nothing seemed unusual then, but now something felt off.
Some had seemed overly agitated, perhaps from barely controlled emotions.
Others had been unnaturally calm, almost invisible, missing their usual knowing glances with him.
A chill crept through Yin Feng’s heart. He realized he’d overlooked someone tonight.
He got up, dressed silently, and looked back at You Mingxu. If someone was hiding something and planning to act, it might be tonight.
The entire villa was under Champion’s surveillance system. Yin Feng decided to check the study to monitor everyone’s current activities.
But as soon as he cracked open the master bedroom door, he saw a dark figure flash across the opposite stairway.
Yin Feng remained still, watching through the gap.
The person rarely dressed this way—black jacket, black pants, baseball cap—almost melting into the darkness. They quickly descended the stairs and out the front door.
After a moment, Yin Feng silently opened the door, went to the study for a gun, and headed downstairs.
The villa grounds were extensive. Though two police officers guarded the front gate, anyone inside could easily slip past them.
Yin Feng pushed open a side door in a corner of the villa compound. Usually hidden by dense branches and painted to match the wall, outsiders wouldn’t notice it.
Soon, he was in a taxi. It was 3 AM. When Yin Feng wanted to tail someone, he couldn’t be detected. Especially since this person had followed him for years—he understood their meticulous nature as well as his own.
The target’s taxi stopped at a hospital’s inpatient department.
Yin Feng had his taxi wait under the outpatient building’s corridor, watching as the figure, cap low, hurried inside and upstairs, barely noticed by anyone.
Looking up at the hospital’s name, Yin Feng recognized it as where You Mingxu had mentioned Li Mingdi was taken. With their police connections and his expert credentials, finding Li Mingdi’s room would be simple.
Yin Feng followed the phone on silent to avoid startling his quarry.
The hospital elevators were empty at this hour. Reaching the elevator bay, he saw one heading up, numbers climbing. He pressed the button and waited patiently. The elevator stopped at the 15th floor.
Yin Feng took the next one up.
With a soft “ding,” he stepped out, surveying his surroundings. To the right front was a corridor with a nurses’ station. Behind, a row of dimly lit patient rooms. As he approached the corner, about to turn toward the nurses’ station, he caught a glimpse of another figure flashing past the far end of the corridor.
Though not his target, something about that silhouette struck him as oddly familiar. His heart skipped. He hurried to the corner but found only a dead end with several closed doors and no one in sight.