After the earlier incident, it was clear that Guan Xia had piqued Xu Nian's interest—something she could tell from the look in his eyes when they added each other as contacts.
Seizing the opportunity, Qi Bai also extended his phone toward Pang Le. "Should we add each other too?"
Pang Le readily agreed.
Thanks to the interruption involving the fugitive, by the time Qi Bai settled the bill and they headed out, it was already past midnight.
Qi Bai asked, "How did you two get here? By taxi?"
Pang Le replied, "We drove. I’ve already called a designated driver—should be here soon." She glanced down at her phone.
Guan Xia turned to Qi Bai. "What about you? Did you drive?"
Qi Bai, who genuinely loved to smile, flashed his pearly whites again. "Nope, we took a taxi. We planned to drink a bit to unwind today, so we didn’t bother driving."
Hearing this, Pang Le spoke up, "Then let us give you a ride? At this hour, traffic’s light—it won’t take long no matter where we’re headed."
Qi Bai, who had been cheerful all evening, finally showed a hint of exasperation. "We know you’re capable, but so are we. We invited you out, so it’s only right we make sure you get home safely."
Understanding his good intentions, Pang Le didn’t insist further, and they all walked toward the parking area together.
Qi Bai was quite the talker. Initially, the four of them walked side by side, but at some point, Guan Xia and Xu Nian ended up lagging behind, lost in their own conversation.
Fortunately, Xu Nian was naturally quiet, so the silence between them wasn’t awkward—until it came time to choose seats in the car.
Xu Nian, standing at nearly 6’3", was promptly directed to the front passenger seat by Pang Le. Meanwhile, Qi Bai and Pang Le were also tall, leaving Guan Xia, who was only 5’5", squeezed into the middle of the backseat.
It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but to avoid blocking their view while they chatted, Guan Xia had to press herself tightly against the seatback the entire ride.
Finally arriving at their destination, Guan Xia practically leaped out of the car, breathing in the fresh night air with relief.
Pang Le bid them farewell, "Alright, we’re heading up now. You two stay safe."
Qi Bai waved cheerfully. "Go on. We’ll wait until your lights turn on before calling a ride."
Pang Le added a quick "goodnight" before tugging Guan Xia into the building.
Only when the elevator arrived did Guan Xia belatedly realize, "Wait, why am I going home with you again? I was supposed to go back to my own place."
Pang Le pressed the floor button and affectionately ruffled Guan Xia’s hair. "Seems your alcohol tolerance isn’t bad. I thought you wouldn’t remember until bedtime. But since you’re already here, no point taking a taxi back now. Besides, aren’t you in the middle of packing? My place is way more comfortable than your mess right now."
Guan Xia wasn’t seriously considering leaving anyway. After staying over so many nights already, one more wouldn’t hurt.
After washing up and settling into bed, Pang Le asked, "Have you decided on a moving date yet? I’ll come help."
Guan Xia calculated her progress. "Friday, probably. Most of my stuff is just manuscripts and artwork—two more days should be enough."
"Sounds good," Pang Le rolled onto her side to face Guan Xia. "Move on Friday, go camping on Saturday—nothing gets delayed."
That was exactly Guan Xia’s plan. The recent events had sparked a vague idea for her new comic, but fleshing it out would take time. Better to wrap things up quickly and focus.
They chatted a bit more before Pang Le drifted off, but Guan Xia lay awake.
She still hadn’t received any follow-up notifications from the system. Last time, the moment the culprit was apprehended, she’d gotten a prompt: "Assisted in solving a homicide—reward: halo recharge." This time, she’d watched Qi Bai and Xu Nian cuff the suspects herself.
Yet two hours had passed since then, and nothing. Guan Xia wondered if the case was too minor, or if the resolution didn’t meet the system’s criteria because the culprits had been fugitives.
Turning this over in her mind, Guan Xia rolled onto her side, growing increasingly frustrated. After a moment, she couldn’t resist muttering inwardly: Useless system.
The next two days were spent packing. By Thursday night, Guan Xia had finally boxed up the last of her belongings, and the Friday morning move went smoothly.
Though Pang Le had offered to help, Guan Xia had already hired movers. Pang Le’s sole contribution was setting Guan Xia’s bag on the sofa after the movers left, then wandering around the new apartment in curiosity.
"Your place is a bit out of the way, but the surroundings are lovely," Pang Le remarked after inspecting every room, lingering on the balcony.
Guan Xia handed her a bottle of water and joined her in admiring the park across the way.
She’d worn herself out house-hunting, but this park had sold her on the apartment.
"Nice, right?" Guan Xia smirked. "I picked this floor after careful consideration—not too high, not too low, but just right to take in the whole park and half of the artificial lake."
The so-called park was more like a small scenic area, built around a low hill with swans gliding across the lake. Guan Xia had imagined how inspiring it would be to paint with this view every day.
"Really peaceful," Pang Le admitted. "Makes me want to buy a place here too. But it’s a 40-minute drive to the gym even without traffic. I’d have to wake up an hour and a half earlier for work—no thanks. I’ll just crash at your place occasionally."
Guan Xia laughed. "Sure, you’re welcome anytime. Though you’ll have to share my room—the spare bedroom’s my studio now."
"Sharing’s fine," Pang Le shrugged. "That’s how we did it at my place. We’ve seen each other in all states—no need for modesty."
Guan Xia choked back a retort, rolling her eyes instead.
Basking in the morning breeze, they chatted idly until the sun grew too intense, forcing them back inside.
"What do you want for lunch?" Guan Xia pulled up her phone to browse nearby options. "Hot pot or Western? I just moved in—haven’t even unboxed the kitchenware. Let’s eat out today and save the housewarming for next week."
Pang Le pondered. "Western. I’ve got gym later—hot pot means changing clothes afterward."
"Got it." Guan Xia adjusted her search and began scrutinizing reviews.
Half an hour later, they’d finally picked a place. Just as they were about to leave, Pang Le’s phone rang.
Glancing at the screen, her eyebrows shot up. "It’s Qi Bai," she mouthed to Guan Xia before answering.
A few dozen seconds later, Pang Le hung up the phone and looked at Guan Xia. "Just as I expected, Qi Bai canceled. Said he got a sudden notice to end his leave and had to return to the station."
Guan Xia's heart tightened. "Does that mean another major case happened in Yongquan City? I remember they’re from the district bureau, so it must be in our Pingjiang District?"
"Major cases happen all the time," Pang Le said casually. "People die every minute in this world. I used to be scared when I was little, but now I’m used to it."
"When you were little?" Guan Xia pressed. "Did you witness a lot of crimes growing up?"
Pang Le nodded. "Yeah. When I was in elementary school, two kids went missing from our neighborhood. The adults said they were probably kidnapped—never found them. In middle school, a boy from the grade below me was found dead in an abandoned classroom two days after he went missing. The killer was never caught. When I was in sports school, an elderly couple was murdered in a nearby community. The case was solved six months later—the culprits were a bunch of fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds. Turns out their parents helped clean up the crime scene, which delayed the investigation. And that’s not even counting all the cases I’ve heard about since moving to Yongquan City after retiring. I’ve never dated a cop or made friends with one, but I still know plenty about these things."
Guan Xia was stunned. She’d known Pang Le for so long but had never heard any of this. She’d always assumed Pang Le had grown up as safely and smoothly as she had.
But hearing this, Guan Xia finally felt the chilling reality of living in a world where crime was woven into daily life. As an orphan who’d made it to adulthood unscathed, she realized just how much she owed to sheer luck—or what some might call "plot armor." No wonder it was a staple in these kinds of worlds.
"Come to think of it, I almost didn’t make it past my teens either," Pang Le suddenly remarked, lost in thought.
Guan Xia startled. "Did a killer target you?"
Pang Le considered it. "Technically, it was human traffickers. I was twelve or thirteen. One day after school, my brother and I saw a little boy, maybe six or seven, crying his eyes out on the street. Said he’d wandered off and couldn’t find his way home. You know I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was three, and with my brother there, I figured we were tough enough to handle it. Didn’t even think to call the police—just took the kid’s hand and helped him look for his house. Took over an hour to find it. To this day, I remember how shabby and run-down that alley was. We planned to hand him off at the door and leave, but the moment we knocked, two grown men rushed out with a rag, trying to cover our noses. Luckily, we reacted fast—dodged and took them down in a few moves. Then we saw more people charging at us, so we bolted. By the time we brought the police back, the place was empty."
Pang Le’s expression grew complicated as she relived the memory. "We ran fast. The whole thing—there and back—took less than half an hour. But in that short time, everyone had vanished. A month later, the boy’s body was found in a grove beside a highway. Maybe they killed him because we saw their faces, or for some other reason. Either way, he died. Later, I went to sports school, then joined the national team. Even after I retired as a world champion, the gang that killed that boy still hadn’t been caught."
Pang Le sighed. "Sometimes I regret not becoming a cop instead. With my skills, maybe I could’ve caught them. But then I remember my personality—I’d have been a troublemaker, probably kicked off the force sooner or later. So I don’t dwell on it. Maybe it’s because I was controlled too strictly as a kid. By the time I hit my teens, I was full-on rebellious. Even now, I don’t take advice well. No wonder my brother worries so much about me."
Pang Le rarely opened up like this. Guan Xia hesitated, unsure how to respond, then awkwardly patted her back.
Pang Le, who’d been feeling somber, couldn’t help but laugh at Guan Xia’s reaction. She pinched Guan Xia’s cheek. "You’re such a treasure. Just looking at you, I can tell your life’s been way tamer than mine."
Guan Xia nodded honestly. Compared to Pang Le, her upbringing had been downright ordinary.
"Wait," Pang Le frowned suddenly. "If what you say is true, you should’ve had nothing but good luck your whole life—otherwise, you’d have at least heard about some cases. So what’s going on lately? In just ten days, you’ve been targeted by a killer and stumbled upon a wanted criminal during dinner. Are you finally hitting a streak of bad luck, or did you catch it from me?"
Guan Xia struggled for an answer, then finally mumbled, "Life has its ups and downs. Maybe after walking uphill for so long, it’s time for the downhill part."
