While waiting, none of the three were idle.
As soon as the others left, Pang Le pulled out a map from his backpack and studied it intently, referencing photos on his phone.
Meng Lan’s face was still pale from fright, but she had calmed considerably. She sat close to Guan Xia and asked for a detailed account of what had happened to Song Yi in Quchun City.
Guan Xia didn’t actually know much, but to pass the time and comfort Meng Lan, she mixed in some information she’d learned from the 0217 case.
Meng Lan listened with rapt attention and sighed after Guan Xia finished, "That girl Song Yi is truly remarkable. What’s even more admirable is that after such a traumatic event, she didn’t develop any psychological scars and continued with her life as before. I really admire her."
Guan Xia nodded with a smile, though her mind wandered to the speculations she’d uncovered about Meng Lan’s own past accident in Linshan City.
Though unverified, Guan Xia’s intuition told her the truth couldn’t be far off. In that case, Meng Lan, who had endured such an ordeal, was equally extraordinary.
She had played along with those people, mastering deception without guidance, risking her life in a desperate gamble, and surviving against all odds.
Most impressively, she had not only inherited the estate but also freed herself from Luo Deye’s threats and harassment. Putting herself in Meng Lan’s shoes, Guan Xia doubted she could have managed any of it.
Thinking about it now, every woman around her was exceptional—so much so that each new encounter made Guan Xia wonder if they might be protagonists or supporting characters from a crime novel.
But… Guan Xia paused mid-thought and glanced at Meng Lan.
If Meng Lan had the courage to risk everything in such a dire situation, her mental resilience should be rock-solid. So, were her fear and panic today genuine, or…?
Lost in contemplation, Guan Xia was abruptly snapped back to reality by a nudge from beside her.
She turned to see Meng Lan looking at her with concern. "What were you thinking about? I called your name several times, and you didn’t respond. Are you worried about your friends? Or… one friend in particular?"
Meng Lan leaned in closer with a mischievous grin, feigning seriousness. "Come on, be honest. We haven’t seen each other in years—have you fallen in love? Or at least developed feelings for someone? Share the details! I’m dying to know what it’s like to be in love."
Guan Xia, derailed by Meng Lan’s teasing, forgot her earlier train of thought and retorted, "You’re curious? Well, so am I! If you want me to share, I’d need some experience first. Why don’t you start with yours?"
Meng Lan shrugged. "What a coincidence—I don’t have any either."
Guan Xia scoffed.
Meng Lan wrapped an arm around Guan Xia’s shoulder and chuckled. "Guess we’re at a dead end with that topic. Let’s talk about something else. I’m really curious—aside from making new friends through painting, what else have you been up to these years? You have no idea how shocked I was by your performance today. That was a murderer, a sociopath with a gun, and you didn’t even flinch! You acted like a seasoned pro, discussing the case with your friends like it was nothing. For a second, I even wondered if you’d secretly become a cop. Otherwise, how could you seem so… professional?"
Guan Xia froze at the question.
Pang Le, who had been engrossed in the map, also paused and glanced up at Meng Lan.
Meng Lan blinked at their reactions, confused. "What? Did I say something wrong? But you really did seem professional."
Her voice trailed off into a murmur, as if talking to herself.
Guan Xia rubbed her fingers together, about to respond, when Pang Le cut in matter-of-factly, "Of course she’s professional! You have no idea how unlucky Guan Xia’s been lately. Oh, wait—didn’t I mention this earlier? You must’ve been distracted and missed it. Guan Xia’s luck is so bad that every time we step out, something happens. Take Song Yi’s case in Quchun City—you know how we found out about it?"
Meng Lan leaned in eagerly. "How?"
Pang Le explained, "We went to Quchun City for hiking—inspired by Song Yi’s videos. On the way, we stopped at a gas station. While refueling, Guan Xia noticed something off about a guy. Her sharp eyes caught bloodstains on his trunk. We called the police, and sure enough, it was a murder case. The victim was still alive but close to shock—thankfully, Guan Xia’s quick thinking saved them. And get this—the officer who took our statement happened to be Xu Nian’s college classmate. Xu Nian is Guan Xia’s neighbor and friend, so we were practically dealing with an insider. We even planned to grab a meal, but at the last minute, the officer got reassigned to another case. The next day, the place we were supposed to visit was cordoned off. Plus, we’d hiked with Song Yi before and were in the same trekking group, so we heard about her ordeal."
Meng Lan’s expression shifted between shock and sympathy. "That’s… incredibly unlucky. What happened after that?"
Pang Le spread his hands. "After a while, bad luck became routine. Guan Xia naturally picked up some professional knowledge from constantly dealing with the police. You know how obsessive she gets when she’s focused. If you ever visit her place, you’ll see her bookshelf packed with crime novels and even some technical manuals. She’s watched tons of detective dramas too, so I’ve absorbed a bit by osmosis."
He pinched his fingers together, grinning. "Just a tiny bit—nowhere near Guan Xia’s level, but enough to look somewhat competent today, right? You are who you surround yourself with. Look at her friends—former cops, ex-military—it’s no surprise she’s picked up some skills."
Meng Lan nodded thoughtfully.
Pang Le suddenly turned the question back on her. "What about you? After surviving such a harrowing experience, haven’t you grown in some way? Like, staying calmer in dangerous situations?"
Meng Lan smiled sheepishly. "Before today, I’d have confidently said that after cheating death once, nothing could faze me. Turns out I overestimated my courage. The moment I heard there was a deranged killer torturing people nearby, I was covered in goosebumps. Honestly, if you all hadn’t convinced me it was unsafe to descend the mountain at night, I’d have bolted immediately."
Meng Lan sighed with emotion and said, "Perhaps nearly dying once makes you cherish life more. Anyway, I feel every day that it's wonderful to be alive. I want to live hard and live well."
As she spoke, Meng Lan glanced at Pang Le with a smile before turning to Guan Xia, speaking earnestly, "You too—nothing is more important than staying alive. Though I might sound a bit cowardly or selfish saying this, I still want to emphasize that in dangerous situations, survival comes first. Nothing matters more than your lives."
Meng Lan spoke with such seriousness that, perhaps due to the dim lighting, Guan Xia found her eyes startlingly bright, compelling an instinctive nod of agreement.
Pang Le, however, disagreed. Unfolding the map again, she studied it while remarking lightly, "Life is indeed important, but sometimes there are things more valuable than life itself. For me, that includes my parents' lives, my brother's life, and Guan Xia's life. If I ever faced such a critical moment, I’d rather die together than run away alone. Some things are worse than death—especially the kind of regret that drowns you when you could have saved someone but didn’t. What do you think?"
After saying this, Pang Le looked up at Meng Lan with a faint smile, appearing as if she were casually discussing with a friend. But Guan Xia, who knew her well, could tell the smile didn’t reach her eyes—it was more like a mocking smirk.
If Guan Xia hadn’t paid much attention before, she now sensed the underlying tension in Pang Le’s words, and that Meng Lan’s statements weren’t as simple as they seemed on the surface.
Realizing the veiled challenge in Pang Le’s words, Guan Xia instinctively turned to observe Meng Lan.
Meng Lan also wore a slight smile, but with her back to the light and her gaze fixed on Pang Le, Guan Xia couldn’t discern her expression clearly. She only heard her reply cheerfully, "You’re right. Though I don’t agree with some of your points, there’s one thing I do acknowledge—Guan Xia’s life is important to you, and it’s just as important to me. We grew up together, relying on each other. She’s not just any friend—she’s my sister, my family."
Guan Xia expected the two to continue their loaded exchange, but after these words, both fell silent. One resumed studying the map, while the other stared blankly at the camping light, seemingly lost in thought or simply spacing out.
Guan Xia glanced between them, sensing neither wanted to be disturbed, so she swallowed her words and idly zoned out as well.
After waiting for over two hours, one of the rescue team finally returned.
It was Qi Bai, half-dragging, half-supporting a young man covered in blood. His face was pale, his expression vacant, but he didn’t seem to be in pain—as if unharmed.
The three of them sprang up at the sound of footsteps outside the cave, rushing out swiftly.
Pang Le, being the most agile, reached Qi Bai first, helping to support the young man, who moved mechanically with glazed eyes. "What’s the situation? Why are you the only one back? Did the rescue go badly?" she asked.
Qi Bai wiped sweat from his face, panting. "There are four or five more behind us—scared out of their wits. Two girls could barely walk from fear, needing to be carried. But they’re close. Zhong Xiaoyu is helping the weakest one, so they’re not far behind."
Guan Xia approached but stayed close to the cave wall to avoid blocking the path, holding up the camping lamp for light. Worried, she asked, "What happened to him? Is he injured? Why is there blood?"
Qi Bai replied, "No, he’s fine. I checked—just terrified. The blood? From what I could gather from his rambling, he was near the first person shot when gunfire broke out. Got splattered."
As Qi Bai spoke, Guan Xia observed the rescued man. He truly seemed traumatized, unresponsive, his eyes fixed dully on the ground.
"What about the injured?" Pang Le pressed. "Did you encounter them? Are they among those you’re bringing back, or were they taken down the mountain by others?"
Qi Bai shook his head. "No idea. When we found them, they were all on the verge of breakdown—reacting hysterically to every sound. One even tried to jump off a cliff. Luckily, Zhong Xiaoyu stopped her, or we’d have a death on our hands despite trying to help."
Guan Xia studied the young man again but gave up on questioning him given his state. Instead, she and Meng Lan focused on lighting the way as the three moved inside.
Once settled in the cave, Qi Bai immediately rummaged through supplies for a water bottle, gulping down half in one go.
Guan Xia and Meng Lan busied themselves tending to the young man—offering food, water, and a blanket. Only after ensuring his comfort did Guan Xia ask Qi Bai, "Are any of the others you rescued injured? We checked the supplies earlier—just basics like stomach meds, cold pills, and band-aids. If anyone’s hurt, we can’t do much."
Qi Bai took another swig of water. "Before I left, I scanned the others. No blood, just some scrapes on faces and hands. They could move fine, so probably nothing serious."
Relieved, Guan Xia pondered, "Is everyone paired one-to-one? Any needing two helpers? If so, Pang Le and I can go assist."
Qi Bai considered. "No need. We rescued six in total—me, Captain Xu, Brother Jiang, Little Wang, Sister Ji, and Zhong Xiaoyu—each handling one. It’s covered."
Assessing her own stamina, Guan Xia abandoned the idea of joining the rescue, instead standing at the cave entrance with the lamp, peering into the distant mountain path.
Another half-hour passed before the rest returned. Seeing the other survivors, Guan Xia understood why Qi Bai had been the first back.
The other five, though young, varied from overweight to frail, clearly lacking physical endurance—unlike the muscular man Qi Bai had brought.
But when Zhong Xiaoyu dragged in the last person, Guan Xia froze.
So did Pang Le and Meng Lan.
The reason was simple: the young girl bore a striking resemblance to Guan Xia—just slightly rounder, with more rounded eyes. Had they stood side by side, no one would doubt they were related by blood.
Zhong Xiaoyu had made two trips out that night, yet she returned still full of energy. After carefully setting down the person she was supporting, she looked at Guan Xia with surprise and said, "Guan Xia, come take a look—this girl looks so much like you! Wow, the world really is full of wonders. Who knew two strangers could resemble each other this much?"
Guan Xia silently glanced at the girl but said nothing. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Meng Lan, her eyes dark and heavy.
Even if she didn’t want to suspect anything, the fact that the hiking and camping location had been chosen by Meng Lan—and now, by sheer coincidence, she had run into her biological sister, whom she had never intended to meet or even acknowledge—made it impossible for her not to overthink things.
