For those waiting, every second ticked by in tense silence. Xu Mengshan stared at the monitor, watching Fan Jia’s locator beacon move sporadically as he absently flicked his lighter. You Mingxu lay back with her arms behind her head, remaining completely alert.

Yin Feng sat in a chair diagonal from her, chin propped in his hand. After watching the screen for a while, his gaze naturally drifted to You Mingxu.

To avoid suspicion, the room’s curtains were drawn, leaving just an inconspicuous gap. A dim light cast the room in an evening-like glow. Yin Feng watched as the soft light traced You Mingxu’s silhouette.

Looking closely, her features were both sharp and soft. Her serious expression lent her features a certain severity, but her lips were full and rosy, and her small chin had a gentle roundness to it. Below her long, fair neck, curves swelled gradually, tapering to a waist that was slender, supple, and tender.

Yin Feng had touched all these places, though only twice. The thought stirred something both gentle and melancholic within him.

“Long is the road, and far the search”—the famous quote suddenly popped into his head.

But now, he could sense that You Mingxu was still deliberately or unconsciously blocking his path. Moreover, she was so immersed in the case that she barely spared him a thought. When would he finally be able to break through?

You Mingxu’s eyes began to hurt from staring at the screen. As she closed them for a quick massage, she caught the scent of coffee. Opening her eyes, she found a round thermos lid filled with coffee placed before her.

Looking up, she saw Yin Feng’s tall frame blocking the light as he stood behind her, one hand resting on her chair’s armrest. “Tired, Xu? Have some coffee to stay alert.”

The coffee couldn’t have come at a better time. You Mingxu smiled. “Thanks.”

Beside them, Xu Mengshan’s mouth watered at the sight. “Professor Yin, how about a cup for me too?”

Yin Feng replied, “I only brought one cup. Unless you want to share with us?”

Xu Mengshan clicked his tongue twice and returned to watching the screen.

These past few days, they’d been so busy with the case that You Mingxu had eaten and drunk whatever Yin Feng provided; sometimes they’d even shared a single bottle of water without her thinking twice about it. But his comment now made her feel awkward. Realizing they’d grown too intimate without her noticing, she set down the cup.

Yin Feng noticed and asked, “Not good?”

She replied, “It’s good, I’m just not that thirsty.”

“Oh.”

He remained standing there. After a while, You Mingxu felt his arm and chest brush against her. Glancing sideways, she saw he still maintained his position with his hand on her armrest, eyes fixed intently on the surveillance screen.

The heat from his adult male body seemed to seep through their clothes, barely perceptible.

You Mingxu sat quietly for a moment before saying, “Go back to your seat, don’t just stand here.”

Another “Oh,” and he returned to his place.

More time passed.

Xu Mengshan spoke up: “She’s been stationary in this spot for too long. Almost half an hour now.”

You Mingxu frowned. As the team leader, every decision she made now carries consequences and risks. Storm in? Fan Jia might be at a crucial point, and they’d ruin everything. Wait? What if Fan Jia was in danger?

But her instincts told her they couldn’t wait any longer.

Just as she made her decision and was about to give the order, the listening device, silent for so long, suddenly came to life. The three held their breath as they heard a door open and people entered the room. Chaotic footsteps and voices called out: “Is she here?” “Not here!” “Search carefully, we must catch her, don’t let her escape!”

Xu Mengshan jumped up, knocking over his chair as he looked at You Mingxu. She sprang up too: “Call for backup! We’re moving in now!”

The three rushed to Fenjin Bao Company. When the security guard tried to stop them, Xu Mengshan flashed his police badge: “Move! We’re pursuing a suspect!” The guard shrank back as they charged in.

After running just a few steps, they ran straight into a group of people who were searching the area. Both parties froze in surprise. Before the others could speak, You Mingxu said coldly, “A girl reported illegal detention and assault. Where is she?”

They remained silent. You Mingxu’s heart sank as she shouted, “Get out of the way!”

A quick-witted person stepped forward: “You say you’re police, where are your badges?”

“Snap!” “Snap!” “Snap!” Two police badges and one expert certificate were thrust in their faces. Yin Feng chimed in: “I’m a provincial expert, higher ranking than them. One of mine equals two of theirs.”

“Even if you’re polite, you can’t just break in, right? Don’t you need what’s it called… a search warrant, arrest warrant… do you have those?”

You Mingxu sneered: “The girl who reported is in life-threatening danger. Emergency circumstances override normal procedures. What search warrant? Move aside, stand in the corner for questioning, or we’ll arrest you all!”

When You Mingxu got tough, she was truly formidable. Her eyebrows arched fiercely, radiating cold authority. Her voice, trained by veteran detectives, roared like a lioness. Standing at the front with her police baton, she embodied the presence of one who could hold off an army.

The group of men trembled at her shout. Only Yin Feng, watching her commanding presence, felt both intense admiration and a familiar ache. He wanted to watch her continue dominating the scene while simultaneously wanting to hide this version of her away for himself alone. He thought, that loving someone creates such contradictory feelings.

However, one of them spoke up: “We weren’t raised to be scared. Does being police mean you can break into private property? We’ll file complaints! We’ll petition higher authorities!” Everyone joined in: “Get out!” “Get lost!” “Police think they can break in wherever they want?”

Xu Mengshan could barely contain himself. He quickly said to You Mingxu: “Sorry, boss, I’ll take responsibility for what happens next.” Before he finished speaking, You Mingxu had already kicked the ringleader away: “I did grow up scaring people. Yin Feng, watch our backs.”

A brawl broke out.

Soon, the opponents lay groaning on the ground. Though You Mingxu fought with satisfaction, she felt incredibly anxious. The others were searching for Fan Jia too, yet there was still no sign of her. She could only hope that no news was good news.

The commotion drew more people, but these looked like ordinary office workers, unlike the previous group who resembled loan shark enforcers. Seeing the situation, the newcomers didn’t dare approach.

The three rushed upstairs.

Fan Jia’s locator showed she was still in the office at the end of the third floor. As they reached the third floor, they saw the office door ajar and heard a voice: “That bitch… when we catch her, I’ll kill her! What’s all that noise downstairs!”