The group practically wolfed down their meal, with everyone eating quickly except for Meng Lan, who kept talking nonstop. After waiting about ten minutes after the others had set down their chopsticks, Meng Lan finally stopped eating as well.
Guan Xia wiped her hands with a wet wipe and pulled out her sketchbook from her bag. Flipping to a fresh page, she asked Meng Lan, "What did that woman look like? Do you still remember?"
Meng Lan hesitated, taking a moment to carefully recall before nodding uncertainly. "Because it left such a strong impression, I still have a vague memory of her. But I’m not sure if my description will be completely accurate."
Guan Xia, however, was confident. During her previous investigation into Meng Lan’s accident, she had reviewed numerous surveillance videos from the park’s main paths and entrances where Meng Lan had met the woman. Most importantly, she had the system—even if Meng Lan’s description was only one-third accurate, Guan Xia was sure the system would trigger a match.
Just as Guan Xia was about to offer some reassurance, Pang Le cut in with unwavering faith, "Don’t worry, just tell us whatever you remember. As for how we’ll investigate later, leave that to us."
Pang Le’s confidence rubbed off on Meng Lan, and her anxious expression faded. Frowning in concentration, she began describing the woman: "She looked to be in her forties, probably someone who stayed up late often—her hair was thinning, and I could even see patches of scalp near the crown. She didn’t seem to take much care of herself; her eyebrows were messy, with no defined shape, and the ends were sparse. Her eyes were narrow, with single eyelids and a slightly puffy look, with deep wrinkles at the corners. I don’t remember much about her nose—maybe average height? And her lips… I’m not too sure, but I think her lower lip was thinner while the upper was fuller. She was a bit plump, with a lot of facial fat. Oh, and her nasolabial folds were deep—whenever she smiled, they stood out like parentheses. That’s about it."
It was clear Meng Lan remembered vividly, especially the woman’s eyes, even if other details were hazy.
Guan Xia sketched attentively, feeling more assured by the minute.
Zhong Xiaoyu chuckled. "Your memory’s actually pretty sharp! It’s been over a year, and you still recall so much—that’s impressive."
Meng Lan smiled sheepishly. "I was just really scared at the time, so I kept watching her movements. You know how they say mentally unstable people can be aggressive? I was afraid she’d suddenly pull out a knife and stab me. The reason I remember her eyes so clearly is because some of the things she said resonated with me, so I couldn’t help but keep looking at them."
She paused before adding, "Also, when I later felt like someone was following me, I kept thinking about her. I even dreamed about her a few times. So even though we only met once, I still remember about seventy or eighty percent of her appearance."
Guan Xia was too absorbed in her drawing to look up, while Pang Le watched intently and wordlessly placed a cup of warm water in front of Meng Lan. Though he didn’t speak, Meng Lan visibly relaxed.
The others listened to Meng Lan and Zhong Xiaoyu’s conversation while craning their necks to peek at Guan Xia’s sketch.
Finally, after about ten minutes, Guan Xia set down her pencil and handed the drawing to Meng Lan. "Take a look—does this match?"
Meng Lan put down her cup and studied it for a long time, hovering her finger over a few spots. "I remember her brow arch being higher, and here—her nose was flatter. Also, her temples were more sunken."
Guan Xia made the adjustments. After three rounds of revisions, Meng Lan nodded. "That’s close enough. This is the face I remember."
Guan Xia exhaled in relief and casually handed the sketch to Ji An, the former police officer sitting nearest to her.
Ji An frowned at it for a few seconds before passing it to the next person. Then, turning to Guan Xia, he asked, "What are your thoughts?"
As expected, the moment Ji An finished speaking, the system interface instantly popped up in Guan Xia’s mind.
You’ve been questioned by the police. Suddenly, you recall that at 12:09 PM on July 6th, while working on a friend’s case, you spotted a figure in a surveillance video who bore some resemblance to the sketch. Sensing something off, you decide to inform the police.
The text disappeared after a few seconds, replaced by a video clip. Guan Xia had assumed it would show footage from the park where Meng Lan had met the middle-aged woman on the day she attempted suicide. Instead, it was footage from the day of Meng Lan’s accident.
The scene was set in Meng Lan’s residential complex—chaotic, crowded with firefighters, police, medical personnel, and murmuring onlookers.
Standing in a corner under an ornamental tree was a middle-aged woman who bore a fifty to sixty percent resemblance to the sketch. Despite the crowd around her, she spoke to no one, her gaze fixed calmly—almost coldly—on the window of the apartment where the accident had occurred.
What startled Guan Xia was that, aside from the middle-aged woman who had met Pang Le, the system had also highlighted a plain-looking young woman standing beside her with a bright red frame. And it triggered Guan Xia’s intuition.
She was certain she didn’t know this woman, yet inexplicably, her intuition screamed familiarity—like she’d seen her before.
What sent a chill down Guan Xia’s spine was that, so far, everyone who had triggered her intuition had been criminals with blood on their hands. But this young woman? No memory of her whatsoever.
Lost in thought, Guan Xia only snapped back to reality when the system interface vanished.
Meeting Ji An’s questioning gaze and Meng Lan’s curious one, she steadied herself, unconsciously tightening her fingers before answering calmly, "There was a similar case before. Though the process was complicated, Xu Nian’s team managed to match the sketch to someone’s identity. I can’t help much beyond this—it’s up to Xu Nian and the others to see if they can uncover anything."
Meng Lan’s attention immediately shifted to Xu Nian.
Ji An, however, didn’t look away. Instead, he gave Guan Xia a discreet, questioning glance.
Guan Xia subtly checked Meng Lan’s focus before giving the faintest nod.
Ji An’s expression remained neutral, but his eyes shifted—Guan Xia easily read the silent message: We’ll talk later.
Zhong Xiaoyu and Pang Le noticed the exchange. Zhong Xiaoyu visibly perked up with excitement, while Pang Le stayed composed, merely patting Guan Xia’s hand reassuringly and refilling her water cup.
While Guan Xia and Ji An communicated wordlessly, Xu Nian took the sketch passed to him by Qi Bai. Studying it, he followed up on Guan Xia’s words: "Based on Meng Lan’s description, we have reasonable grounds to suspect this middle-aged woman’s motives. We’ll apply for an official investigation upon our return. Within permitted limits, we’ll provide some updates later."
Meng Lan visibly let out a huge sigh of relief. "That's good, that's really good. Now I can rest easy. Thank you all so much—I’m truly grateful."
Wang Yu reassured her gently, "This is what we as police officers are supposed to do. No need to thank us."
With the matter finally settled, Meng Lan seemed as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her entire demeanor brightened noticeably—no longer hesitant or struggling to speak, she smiled more freely and even enthusiastically brought up their camping trip that day.
"Despite the unexpected incident in the middle, I have to admit it was a unique experience," Meng Lan said. "At the time, it was terrifying, but looking back now, it feels kind of interesting. The only downside is that I have to return to Linshan City. I’ve gotten familiar with the company’s staff and workflow, but I haven’t fully mastered everything yet. There’s still a pile of work waiting for me. Maybe next time, when I’m less busy, we can plan another trip. I’d love to go hiking with you all again—see if Guan Xia’s weird luck holds up."
She hugged Guan Xia tightly, clinging to her with reluctance. "Honestly, I don’t even want to leave. You have no idea how much it hurt me during those two years we weren’t in touch. I wanted to reach out, but I was afraid you’d either scold me or end up worrying with me. But now it’s fine—I’ve said everything I needed to say. Even if you yell at me, I won’t mind."
She chuckled mischievously, and Guan Xia smacked her lightly in mock annoyance.
The meal lasted until nearly 3 a.m. before everyone finally parted ways.
This time, Pang Le took the wheel, dropping Meng Lan off at her hotel first before driving Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu home.
Before getting out of the car, Ji An turned from the passenger seat to look at Guan Xia. "If nothing comes up tomorrow, want to meet at our usual spot?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, Zhong Xiaoyu piped up excitedly, "You two have a usual spot? Can I come too? Is that okay?"
Ji An gave her an exasperated look. "If you want to join, just come. No need to ask permission."
Zhong Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together. "I don’t even know what Guan Xia’s discovered yet, but I have a feeling it’s going to be another thrilling case. I can’t wait!"
All three of them laughed. Guan Xia nodded. "Let’s make it tomorrow afternoon, then. Meng Lan’s flight got rescheduled to the morning, so I’ll see her off, we’ll grab lunch, and then meet at the usual place."
Ji An agreed, and she and Zhong Xiaoyu got out of the car.
Pang Le yawned widely and asked Guan Xia, "Since we’re meeting up tomorrow anyway, mind if I crash at your place? Got any clothes I can borrow? I’m not picky—just something that fits."
Guan Xia glanced at her. "If you don’t mind long dresses turning into midi-length or pants becoming capris, then sure, help yourself."
Pang Le tilted her head, considering it for a few seconds before nodding. "A change in style every now and then isn’t bad. Deal—I’m staying over tonight."
After rushing through their nighttime routines and collapsing into bed, Guan Xia felt like she’d barely slept before having to get up again.
Meng Lan’s flight was at 11 a.m. By the time Guan Xia and Pang Le arrived at the airport, Meng Lan had just checked in. She smiled and hugged Guan Xia tightly.
"Guan Xia, promise me you’ll take care of yourself," Meng Lan whispered in her ear. "We’ve come so far since our days at the orphanage—it hasn’t been easy. So we both have to stay well. I still dream about us traveling and hiking together when we’re old. All these years, we’ve been too busy just trying to survive. I haven’t even had the chance to really see the beauty of our country. Let’s make a pact—we’ll visit every stunning place someday. No backing out."
Guan Xia felt a swell of emotion and patted Meng Lan’s back. "I’d love to say yes, but the idea of hiking in our old age makes my legs ache already. How about we adjust the plan? Let’s climb all the mountains we want while we’re still middle-aged, and save the lakes for our twilight years. Deal?"
Meng Lan burst out laughing, her smile radiant. "Sounds perfect. It’s a promise—next time, then?"
She hugged Guan Xia one last time before letting go and heading toward security. But she couldn’t resist turning back for a final glance, waving vigorously before striding forward.
Only after Meng Lan disappeared from sight did Guan Xia and Pang Le leave the airport and get back in the car.
Turning on the AC, Pang Le didn’t drive off immediately. Instead, she grinned at Guan Xia. "Feel better now? The thing that’s been bothering you for so long finally has answers. I know Meng Lan and I are pretty different in personality, and we don’t always see eye to eye on things, but I can tell she genuinely cares about you. You’re important to her."
Guan Xia reflected on recent events before responding. "Based on what I know of Meng Lan’s personality, cutting ties because she was afraid I’d dig too deep and figure things out—or worse, get dragged into her mess—is exactly the kind of thing she’d do. And I do believe she still sees me the same way as before. But something still feels off. Not that she’s hiding anything, but..."
She paused, searching for the right words. "It’s just a gut feeling. Like there’s something crucial we’re missing."
Pang Le frowned thoughtfully. "Her sister? Or that General Manager Wu she keeps mentioning?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, Pang Le added, "Actually, I’ve been getting weird vibes too. The sister is whatever, but General Manager Wu? He sounds too good to be true—a self-made success who’s so generous just because they came from the same orphanage? Didn’t you tell me he’s carrying some heavy grudges too? After everything he’s been through, is it really possible for someone to be that altruistic?"
Guan Xia mulled it over but eventually shook her head. "Logically, yeah, he does seem inconsistent. But I’ve seen his photo—he looks completely ordinary. Nothing about him struck me as suspicious."
The mention of photos made Guan Xia recall the unremarkable young woman from the surveillance footage the night before. She’d been racking her brain since waking up but still couldn’t place where she’d seen her.
After a long silence, Guan Xia sighed. "Overthinking won’t get us anywhere. Let’s grab some food first, then meet Ji An and the others at the usual spot. I couldn’t bring it up last night with Meng Lan around, but that middle-aged woman—I recognize her. You’ve seen her too. Remember the surveillance footage we checked when investigating Meng Lan’s accident? She appeared in it, near Meng Lan’s apartment complex, on the day of the incident."
Pang Le’s eyes widened. "Wait—the day of the gas leak? The one with three dead and one injured, where Meng Lan almost died too?"
Guan Xia nodded heavily and said, "It's more than that. Besides the middle-aged woman, I also saw a young woman in the video who gave me a bad feeling. What's even more bizarre is that she looked familiar, but I've been thinking all morning and still can't remember where I’ve seen her before."
Pang Le was initially startled by her words, then sighed, "I thought it was over, but it turns out things are getting even more complicated. Now I’m genuinely curious—who could that young woman be? Someone around us?"
