The restaurant Qi Bai had chosen was located in a historic snack street. Pang Le had done her research beforehand and knew the area was compact but always crowded, so she parked in a lot two streets away. The two walked for a while before arriving.
"This is the place," Pang Le confirmed after scanning the alleyway. "Just another hundred meters or so down this street, and we'll be there. Let's go."
Guan Xia rarely needed to think when accompanying Pang Le, so she simply followed at a leisurely pace.
After just a few steps, Pang Le said with a hint of triumph, "Just as I guessed. Look who that is?"
Following Pang Le's gaze, Guan Xia easily spotted a strikingly noticeable figure.
Tall, dressed simply in jeans and a white shirt, with casually tousled hair—yet his strikingly handsome face made him stand out like a crane among chickens in the bustling street.
In contrast, Qi Bai had clearly put effort into his appearance. His hair was neatly styled, accentuating his sharp facial features and giving him a heroic air. He wore a slightly snug T-shirt that showcased his toned arms and hinted at the contours of his chest and abs. His loose-fitting trousers and brand-new sneakers completed the look, highlighting all his best qualities.
Honestly, Guan Xia thought Qi Bai was quite good-looking—thick brows, bright eyes, exuding intensity when serious but radiating warmth and a touch of goofiness when he smiled.
Like now, as Qi Bai and the man beside him spotted them and waved enthusiastically, flashing a bright grin. "Over here!"
Guan Xia glanced between Qi Bai and Pang Le and couldn’t help sighing quietly to herself.
As they approached, Qi Bai immediately extended his hand. "Nice to see you again, Miss Guan. Thank you so much for your help."
"You're welcome," Guan Xia replied, shaking his hand. The moment she let go, Qi Bai’s eyes seemed to brighten even more as he turned to Pang Le with an even wider smile. "Hi, I’m Qi Bai. We’ve met before—not sure if you remember."
Though Pang Le wasn’t particularly interested in him, she remained polite. "I’m Pang Le, Guan Xia’s friend. She mentioned you—the officer from that night. Thank you for responding so late; we really appreciate it."
Pang Le seemed to barely recall him, but Qi Bai wasn’t deterred. Still cheerful, he said, "Just doing our job. Oh, this is my friend and colleague, Xu Nian."
Compared to Qi Bai’s exuberant sociability, Xu Nian was much more reserved, offering only a slight smile and a nod. "Hello."
Guan Xia and Pang Le returned the greeting.
After a few more polite exchanges, Qi Bai asked, "Inside or outside seating?"
It was peak dining hours, and the restaurant was clearly popular—spacious but already nearly full, with many tables set up outside as well.
After a brief hesitation, Pang Le said, "Outside. Less noisy, easier to talk."
Qi Bai nodded immediately. "Sounds good."
The four found an empty table and sat down. Qi Bai took the menu from the server and handed it to Pang Le. "This place is famous for its copper hot pot, and their beef and lamb are really fresh. Order whatever you like."
Pang Le quickly scanned the menu, estimating portions for four, and marked her choices without hesitation before passing it back. "Anything else you’d like to add?"
Qi Bai angled the menu toward Xu Nian so he could see, skimmed through it, and added a few more items. Then he looked up. "Want any beer?"
Guan Xia didn’t mind—beer and barbecue were a classic combo—but Pang Le had driven them here.
Just as Guan Xia was about to decline on her behalf, Pang Le answered cheerfully, "Sure! Barbecue’s best with beer, though we won’t drink much."
Qi Bai checked one more box before returning the menu to the server.
Guan Xia glanced around, noting how everyone else was chatting animatedly over drinks and food, then lowered her voice slightly. "Is it okay to ask now? Why... why did that person target me?"
Though the case was closed and secrecy wasn’t strictly necessary, she still hesitated to be too direct.
Qi Bai also kept his voice low. "Because he felt you deceived him."
Guan Xia was baffled. "Deceived?"
Qi Bai chuckled. "People like that have their own twisted logic. No point trying to make sense of it."
Guan Xia truly couldn’t comprehend it—it was almost laughable. "I only spoke one sentence to him. How is that deception?"
Then it hit her. She instinctively turned to Pang Le, who seemed to have the same realization, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"No way. Was it really because of your leg?" Pang Le was stunned. "But you weren’t even using crutches—it was obviously a hiking pole. Anyone with half a brain could tell you weren’t actually disabled!"
"He was dumber than that," Qi Bai said, his expression darkening with disgust at the mention of the killer.
Guan Xia collected herself. "Still, some things don’t add up. Running into him in the hallway was pure chance, and staying at Pang Le’s place the next day was a last-minute decision. Same with tagging along to her gym. There’s no way he could’ve planned ahead to watch me. So, seeing him at the mall was also a coincidence."
Qi Bai nodded.
Guan Xia sighed. "Guess I’m just really unlucky."
"That guy was beyond unpredictable," Pang Le mused, twirling her cup. "Who would’ve thought a killer who’d just murdered two people wouldn’t flee immediately but instead show up for work the next morning like nothing happened? And keep working for three whole days until the store event ended?"
Guan Xia supposed that was the mark of a serial killer—exceptional nerves.
But then another thought struck her.
If the system hadn’t activated, and the low-presence aura tied to it hadn’t fluctuated in intensity, would she have even caught the killer’s attention?
Guan Xia did the math. From the police questioning to the killer’s attack—eight days in total. The day the system activated, the aura’s intensity must’ve been at 100%. But what was it when the killer stood outside her door, ready to strike?
And did the aura’s strength weaken when someone directed malice at her? When no criminals were around, how did it fade in daily life?
Ever since realizing how crucial this low-presence aura was, Guan Xia had been studying it obsessively. But the system remained silent, unresponsive no matter how she prodded.
Frustration prickled at her. Unconsciously, her gaze wandered around restlessly.
Though she had no intention of actively seeking danger, with the highly capable Pang Le sitting beside her and two detectives across the table, Guan Xia found herself almost hoping a criminal would appear—someone who might trigger her system’s reaction—so she could further study that absurd system.
Guan Xia was distracted, but Pang Le and Qi Bai were deep in conversation. When Pang Le nudged her lightly, Guan Xia snapped back to attention and focused on Qi Bai.
Qi Bai said, "Guan Xia was a coincidence for him, and Liu Jiahui was an accident. That’s why he went back to work the day after killing two people—because in his original plan, he hadn’t intended to kill anyone this year."
Guan Xia listened intently.
Pang Le frowned and asked, "He targeted Guan Xia because he felt deceived, but what about Liu Jiahui and her son?"
They were just ordinary people—neither particularly accomplished nor well-off. Aside from the bond between mother and son, they didn’t fit the killer’s usual criteria. Since learning about the first two cases, Guan Xia and Pang Le had discussed it multiple times but still couldn’t make sense of it.
Qi Bai replied, "Jealousy. Because he knew they were about to escape their miserable circumstances."
Guan Xia blinked. "Huh?"
Qi Bai explained, "Liu Jiahui divorced her ex-husband, Liang Da, after his company went bankrupt. Last year, Liang Da started over and paid off his debts. A month before her death, Liu Jiahui and Liang Da were discussing reconciliation."
Guan Xia recalled the chat logs she’d seen in the group chat about Liu Jiahui and her ex-husband. Hesitantly, she said, "But someone in our neighborhood saw her arguing violently with a man who looked like her ex-husband. He even tried to snatch the child."
Qi Bai nodded. "That happened half a year before her death. At the time, Liang Da proposed getting back together, but Liu Jiahui refused. He suspected she had a new boyfriend and tried to fight for custody."
Now Guan Xia understood completely. Liu Jiahui and her son were just as unlucky as she had been—only, by sheer luck, Guan Xia had activated her "cheat" in time and escaped.
The restaurant was crowded, but their food arrived quickly. By the time they finished talking, nearly all their dishes had been served.
Qi Bai deliberately fetched two glasses, opened a bottle of beer, and poured each of them a modest amount. He and Xu Nian, however, were less formal and drank straight from the bottle.
After clinking glasses, Pang Le took a few bites and glanced at Xu Nian, who had been quiet the whole time. She asked Qi Bai, "Do you guys usually eat here when you meet up?"
"Pretty much," Qi Bai replied with a smile. "This place is run by a colleague’s family. The food’s great, and the ingredients are fresh. Since we’ve got to eat somewhere, the whole precinct ends up here for gatherings."
"You just cracked a major case—must mean a few days off, right?" Pang Le asked curiously, casually sliding a skewer of Guan Xia’s favorite grilled wide noodles toward her.
"Yep, five days off," Qi Bai said, his eyes suddenly sparkling as if remembering something. "We’re busy, sure, but once a case is closed, we all get time to unwind."
Even Guan Xia caught the obvious subtext in Qi Bai’s words, and Pang Le naturally understood too. She grinned and nodded. "That’s great. We should hang out sometime. What do you usually do on your days off? Play sports? Fish? Or just eat and drink with friends?"
Qi Bai’s smile widened. "I’m the curious type—always up for trying new things. Captain Xu here is a homebody. Once a case is over, he just stays in, tending to his plants or building Legos. Though he somehow always manages to kill the plants."
"A homebody?" Pang Le glanced at Xu Nian, surprised. "Then he’s a lot like Guan Xia. When she’s painting, she won’t leave the house for weeks."
Xu Nian seemed genuinely disinclined to talk. Even when Pang Le tried steering the conversation his way, he only offered a faint smile without joining in.
It was the first time Guan Xia had seen Pang Le struggle to engage a man in conversation. Recalling Pang Le’s earlier assessment—that Xu Nian was an exceptionally difficult man—Guan Xia couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Pang Le’s judgment of men was as sharp as ever. And now, it was clear: this man was indeed hard to crack.
