Ding Xiongwei continued, “This case is extremely serious. You’ve all seen the condition of the victims, so I won’t elaborate further. All leave is suspended. Concentrate all our resources and solve this case immediately!”

Everyone responded, “Yes, sir!”

Every officer’s face bore the weathered look of someone carrying a heavy burden. Ding Xiongwei’s expression was particularly glacial. Just as everyone was about to disperse, a clear, pleasant voice rang out: “Just focus on investigating A-Xu’s connection. Everyone else is wasting their time.”

For the first time in her life, You Mingxu felt her vision go dark. She suddenly looked up, taking in everyone’s surprised expressions, especially Ding Xiongwei’s severely cold face. They were all staring at someone behind her.

You Mingxu slowly turned around to find Yin Feng standing almost pressed against her, hands in his pockets, the Ultraman design on his chest particularly eye-catching. He glanced down at her, his eyes containing a confident smile, and continued: “On my way here, I observed that while the residential area has heavy foot and vehicle traffic, there are very few surveillance cameras, especially near the building entrance. The killer only needed to change clothes to hide any bloodstains and blend into the crowd.

He was meticulous and planned this carefully, even wearing gloves and shoe covers. If this were a common thief, why wouldn’t they know people would be home at noon? Besides, with people coming and going at noon, it’s not convenient. They could have broken in at any other time. Moreover, the neighbors have more wealth and no one home during the day, yet the killer doesn’t target them. All signs indicate this wasn’t about money. Taking those valuables was either a cover-up or merely opportunistic.

The buildings here are close together, and sound carries. Yet from the moment he entered, he maintained complete control of the situation—none of the neighboring residents heard any obvious cries for help. Each victim was stabbed more than five times, and he arranged the bodies in this manner, revealing intense emotions. Therefore, I believe this is a revenge killing. The perpetrator came prepared specifically to kill Xie Huifang. The two children coming home was unexpected; they weren’t his targets. Otherwise, he could have chosen a time when everyone would be home at night.

So, concentrate all your efforts on investigating my A-Xu’s connection—it will be faster, more precise, and more effective.”

The room full of police officers fell silent.

He had spoken so quickly and fluently, his magnetic voice carrying an almost authoritative quality that brooked no opposition. By the time everyone processed what he’d said, he had already finished his analysis and was staring at You Mingxu beside him, eagerly awaiting praise like a puppy.

The criminal investigators: “…”

You Mingxu ignored Yin Feng and glanced up to steal a look at Ding Xiongwei’s expression. As expected, after a moment of silence, the old wolf’s face darkened completely as he coldly asked, “Why is he here?”

The investigators had all heard about Yin Feng’s identity and his seemingly complicated involvement with You Mingxu in the highway serial killer case. No one spoke up. Ding Xiongwei’s gaze fell on You Mingxu.

You Mingxu wasn’t one to take the blame, and said coolly, “I assume it’s because he has an expert certificate issued by Director Duan, so the officers outside couldn’t stop him. He probably came here out of professional habit from his previous work. I’m not entirely sure.”

Unexpectedly, before she finished speaking, Yin Feng shook his head and tugged at her clothes, saying, “That’s not it, A-Xu. I came to find you. Helping solve the case is just a bonus.”

Beside them, Xu Mengshan couldn’t help but laugh.

You Mingxu maintained an expressionless face.

Ding Xiongwei had no patience for their banter and immediately roared, “Get him out of here now! You Mingxu, if this happens again—bringing unauthorized people to a crime scene—you’ll be demoted to guarding the front gate!”

Ding Xiongwei stormed off. Everyone else immediately dispersed to their tasks. After all, You Mingxu held a respected position in the criminal investigation unit, and she was fierce—no one dared to cross her.

Yin Feng vaguely understood that his A-Xu had been reprimanded by her superior. He stood motionless, his jade-like fair face now tinged with a slight blush. Yin Feng thought she looked beautiful when she blushed—it was such a rare sight. He couldn’t help but reach out and lightly touch her reddened ear before quickly withdrawing his hand.

She turned to face him.

Yin Feng was about to smile at her when he saw her face was completely expressionless, her phoenix eyes devoid of their usual warmth when looking at him. She said, “Didn’t you hear Captain Ding? Get lost, and stop getting in my way.”

—

You Mingxu left the crime scene half an hour later. Xu Mengshan called to say he had arranged interviews with Xie Huifang’s coworkers and several friends.

It was already past ten at night, and no officer wanted to waste even a minute. You Mingxu knew clearly that today would be an all-nighter.

Just as she walked out the door, her phone rang. Seeing it was Chen Feng, she immediately rejected the call.

After descending a few steps, Chen Feng sent her a WeChat message: “Miss Yu, Teacher Yin just sent me a text message, but now his phone is off and I can’t contact him. I’m near the crime scene but can’t get in. I’m sorry, he must have done something foolish to make you angry again. The doctor said Teacher Yin’s emotional and mental state is unstable right now and can’t take any more stress. If possible, please be understanding and persuade him to come back home with me. Before his incident, Teacher Yin was always someone who responded better to gentleness than force. Please!”

Below is a screenshot of Yin Feng’s message to Chen Feng, containing just one line:

“I did something wrong and made her angry.”

You Mingxu stood still for a few seconds, put her phone in her pocket, and went straight downstairs. When she reached the second floor, she saw none other than Yin Feng sitting in the corner. He was hugging his knees, head down, his face hidden in the shadows.

So after being scolded and sent away, he had just sat down a few steps away from the door. You Mingxu thought to herself.

Needless to say, the other investigators knew he was with her. With his access pass, they had probably just passed by without bothering him.

You Mingxu stood behind him and said, “What are you doing here?”

His body moved slightly, and he answered hoarsely, “Can’t I just sit here and get some air? I’m not in the crime scene.”

Now he was being stubborn with her?

You Mingxu looked up at the dirty walls around them, which had no shortage of cobwebs and dust, wondering what kind of filthy air he was trying to get. She said, “Be good and go home. I’m leaving too.”

Yin Feng still didn’t move, looking down at the ground, and asked, “A-Xu, am I really in your way?”

You Mingxu was silent for a moment, turning to look at the latticed windows behind them, where the night was as deep as a pond, capable of swallowing everything in darkness.

She answered, “No, I spoke in anger earlier.”

He was quiet for a few seconds, then asked, “Then are you happy being with me?”

You Mingxu felt the sensation of her chest being compressed again. She slowly let out a silent breath and said, “Yes, of course I’m happy.”

Yin Feng’s body remained still, but he suddenly reached out a hand toward her. You Mingxu held back for a moment before extending her hand, letting him grip it tightly. His way of holding hands was truly childlike—no intertwined fingers or masculine caressing, just holding on tightly as if grasping all his life’s hope.

He said, “Then let me help you solve the case.”

You Mingxu: “No!”

His hand immediately withdrew.

Strangely, his persistence now didn’t irritate her as much as before. Perhaps it was Chen Feng’s message that made her realize he was, after all, a patient. She shouldn’t be so harsh with him. Or maybe she felt a bit sheepish about her previous awful attitude. After a moment of silence, she simply walked around and stood on the stairs below him, so they were face to face.

He buried his face in his arms, only his eyes visible, looking at her brightly. You Mingxu recalled Chen Feng’s words: responds better to gentleness than force. She definitely couldn’t let him help with the investigation, but she needed to convince him to go home obediently.

You Mingxu reached out with both hands and, to his surprise, gripped his shoulders. She forced a smile and said, “Yin Feng, be good and go home to wait for me. That would make me very happy and put me at ease. Otherwise, I’ll get angry. Then I won’t talk to you tomorrow, won’t eat with you or go for walks, and won’t buy you that soccer ball either.”

Suddenly, her waist was encircled in an embrace, and her heart only had time for a moment of weightlessness. Her hands were still on his shoulders, but her entire body had nearly fallen into his embrace. His arms held her tightly, his face pressed against hers, his warm breath brushing her cheek. You Mingxu’s body trembled as his other hand came up to rest on her bottom, cupping half of her round buttock in his palm.

She had lost her balance and was forced to press close to him. Her outer thigh pressed against the inside of his thighs, which held a bewildering warmth.

He was already very tall, and he had essentially lifted her from the lower steps into his embrace.

You Mingxu was stunned for several seconds, and as her blood suddenly rushed up, she was about to explode in anger when she heard him say softly, “I’m sorry.”

You Mingxu froze, and he looked up, meeting her eyes from very close: “I came here on my own and got you scolded.”

You Mingxu’s angry words suddenly became difficult to voice.

“Let go of me first.” She pushed, but surprisingly couldn’t break free, and she couldn’t throw him down the stairs—what if he got another concussion? Yin Feng still looked at her stubbornly: “I promise I’ll go home right away. I understand now that disturbing your work like that wasn’t good. But can you promise not to disappear for many days again? Can you… come back every day, just to let me see you for a little bit, okay?”

In her life, You Mingxu had never been needed by anyone like this. Not by anyone.

She was silent for a moment, broke free from his embrace, stood up, and said, “Alright, I promise. I’ll be there every day.”