When You Mingxu stepped through her front door, she froze for a moment.

The living room was still the same living room, with the same furnishings, yet somehow it looked much brighter as if everything was subtly glowing. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the floor, walls, table surfaces, sofa armrests, and even her mother’s memorial portrait frame hanging on the wall had all been polished until they sparkled. That explained the subtle radiance throughout the room.

Had Yin Feng’s people treated this old, worn-down house like a five-star hotel when cleaning it?

Beyond that, the room now featured new decorative touches. Several small pig and rabbit plush toys had appeared on the display shelf. The wooden dining table was now covered with a warm-colored cartoon tablecloth. A red throw draped across the fabric sofa…

Anyone who didn’t know better might think she’d had a baby, You Mingxu thought silently to herself.

Chen Feng maintained his usual scholarly yet roguish appearance, sitting at the dining table in his crisp shirt. He set down the folder in his hands and said, “I was just reviewing this month’s investment returns from Teacher Yin’s properties. Everything looks good. We can start dinner now that you’re back.” With that, he walked to the door to give instructions to the cook and housekeeper next door.

“Ah Xu, come see my room,” Yin Feng said.

You Mingxu glanced at him; his face showed an expression of innocent entitlement. She couldn’t be bothered to argue about the familiar way he addressed her, but she was curious to see what had become of his room.

When Yin Feng pushed open the door, the first thing You Mingxu saw was the blue castle-shaped bunk bed with its slide. It was a common style found in furniture markets for children’s rooms, though this one was undeniably more elaborate and grand. Blue wooden “castle walls” protected the bed on the lower level, with stairs leading up to the castle’s second floor. The battlements were trimmed in gold and crowned in the center with what was meant to represent a king’s—no, a prince’s—crown.

Opposite the stairs was an expertly crafted slide, both sturdy and lightweight.

You Mingxu remained silent.

Yin Feng’s expression was equally composed as he glanced at her, removed his shoes, and climbed the stairs. Due to the room’s height limitations, the second-floor castle space was rather cramped. At over 1.8 meters tall, he had to bend nearly in half to survey his domain from above. He made his way to the slide and sat down. Despite his height, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and trim build allowed him to fit comfortably on the slide.

He looked at You Mingxu, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. Then he let go.

Whoosh—

He landed on his bottom, his long legs hitting the opposite wall. Completely unfazed, he immediately stood up and walked to You Mingxu, saying matter-of-factly, “This is quite fun. I won’t let anyone else use it, except you.”

He stepped aside to make way, but his eyes remained fixed on her, gleaming with anticipation.

You Mingxu turned and walked away. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” She didn’t need to look back to know how surprised and disappointed he would be, and sure enough, it took him several seconds to follow. You Mingxu found herself smiling as she walked, though she quickly composed her face when he caught up.

“Why not?!” he pursued the question.

“Not telling you,” You Mingxu said as she sat down at the dining table. Yin Feng immediately pulled out the chair next to her and scooted closer until he was right beside her.

“Why are you sitting so close?” You Mingxu asked.

Yin Feng propped his chin on his hand and pretended to look at something in the distance.

The dinner was exceptionally generous. You Mingxu realized it had been a long time since she’d enjoyed such a comfortable home-cooked meal. She usually ate out or ordered takeaway, occasionally cooking for herself when the mood struck, though those meals were merely sustenance. Today’s dishes were not only light and appetizing, lacking the greasy taste of restaurant food, but also perfectly complemented the rice. The soup was fragrant, clearly made without MSG or artificial seasonings, and simmered long enough for the flavors to fully develop.

You Mingxu typically ate at a good pace, and when she set down her empty bowl, she noticed that Yin Feng and Chen Feng were only halfway through their meals. They both looked up at her.

You Mingxu felt a touch of embarrassment and said coolly, “Take your time. We police officers tend to eat quickly.” This was true.

“Ah Xu, you eat too little—just one bowl of rice. I need at least two,” Yin Feng said.

You Mingxu was about to point out the difference between men and women when he continued: “I remember the first time I hugged you in Tibet—there wasn’t an ounce of fat on your waist, and I could almost wrap one hand around your thigh. Your chest was decently developed and had some meat there, but still not as big as my hand. And I have such big hands! Anyway, you were just too skinny. You need to eat more if you want to grow strong like me.”

You Mingxu shot an angry glance at Chen Feng, who kept his head down, feigning disinterest while fighting back a smile at the corners of his mouth. Then she looked at Yin Feng, who was chewing a meatball, his cheeks puffed out as he smiled at her with pure, bright eyes.

You Mingxu swallowed her anger, wordlessly returned to her room, and slammed the door.

When You Mingxu emerged from her room later, Chen Feng and the others had cleaned up and left. Only Yin Feng remained in the living room, watching cartoons.

She announced she was going for a walk, and Yin Feng immediately turned off the TV to join her. She didn’t mind, and they left together.

Just beyond the residential complex was a riverside greenway, lined with fragrant grass and shady trees. There was a grassy slope where many parents brought their children to play.

After walking a while, You Mingxu noticed her companion had fallen behind, frequently gazing up at the slope, clearly captivated by the children at play.

“Keep up—how else will you digest dinner?” she said.

“Oh.” He caught up, and they walked side by side. Though You Mingxu wasn’t short, he still stood nearly a head taller than her. As they walked in silence, You Mingxu gazed at the dark shimmer of water on the river, reminded of their first meeting in Tibet when he had emerged from his sleeping bag like a wild man. Now he was living in her home. The unpredictability of life seemed incredible to her.

What was Yin Feng thinking about at that moment?

The riverside breeze caressed their faces gently as scattered stars shone overhead. Though he found the act of just walking a bit boring, being led by You Mingxu—who looked so peaceful and gentle now, not fierce at all—made Yin Feng feel as if he’d eaten candy. The sweetness lingered in his throat, subtle and comfortable. He felt an urge to do something, to do things with her, to do things for her. His clouded subconscious seemed eager too, though he couldn’t quite understand why.

He only knew that You Mingxu was like a lonely, wandering beam of light that had somehow, by chance, come to shine upon him. The world was still a vast fog to him, barely showing its shape. But he wanted this light to keep shining on him alone, not to illuminate anyone else.

You Mingxu glanced again at the person beside her. Despite his ridiculous green Astro Boy outfit, his good figure and handsome features, clean-shaven face, and soft, fluffy hair made him look even younger.