The small standard room was crowded with people.
Xu Nian and the others sat on the sofa or stools, devouring their instant noodles like a whirlwind, while Guan Xia and her companions waited on the other vacant bed. Only after Xu Nian and his group had nearly finished eating did Guan Xia press the question: "What was the cause of Ning Xin's death? Was it because of that car accident?"
Though the estimated time of Ning Xin's death by the Shuangshi police had taken Guan Xia by surprise, this was her first thought.
Wang Yu wiped her mouth with a tissue and said, "No. We discussed the case in detail with our colleagues in Shuangshi and even saw photos from the accident scene. The bloodstains left at the scene were scattered and minimal—not enough to be fatal. Based on the forensic report, Ning Xin was murdered."
"Murdered?" Guan Xia was both shocked and not entirely surprised. The word confirmed one of her suspicions: the two assailants had been targeting Ning Ping'an from the very beginning. This also explained why Ning Xin's body had been found but not Ning Ping'an's. Yet, a new question arose.
What could a four-year-old child possibly have that would make those criminals go to such lengths? From the known clues, the entire plan had been meticulously calculated—coincidentally intercepting them on their way home under the guise of a passing vehicle, which must have required extensive surveillance. And the deliberate damage to Ning Xin's car was likely part of their scheme.
Pang Le clearly shared the same confusion, her brows furrowed deeply. "Ning Xin was killed the same day? That means those people weren’t after her. And it wasn’t about money either—otherwise, they would’ve gone for her company or savings, which they must’ve known about after tracking her for so long. But a four-year-old? What could they possibly want from her that’s more valuable than Ning Xin’s assets? Could our earlier assumption be wrong? Was it really revenge from drug dealers?"
Pang Le kept overturning her own theories, nearly doubting her own judgment.
Zhong Xiaoyu chimed in, "This case just gets stranger and stranger. If it’s not about money or personal grudges, then it must be revenge. But we’ve already investigated Ning Xin’s social connections—she didn’t have any enemies who’d want her dead. The only one with a motive was her ex-husband, but he and his new wife have solid alibis. Could it be a hired killer?"
As she spoke, Zhong Xiaoyu glanced questioningly at Ji An.
Ji An noticed immediately and shook her head. "We considered that angle too. We checked the bank transactions of both spouses and their close relatives and friends for the year before and after the incident—nothing unusual."
"That’s odd," Zhong Xiaoyu muttered, crossing her arms and frowning in thought. After a few seconds, she asked, "What about Ning Xin’s relatives?"
But before anyone could respond, she dismissed her own idea. "No, according to inheritance laws, unless Ning Xin’s parents were also dead, her other relatives wouldn’t get a single cent."
Guan Xia finally understood Zhong Xiaoyu’s point. Indeed, given that Ning Xin’s parents were still alive, this theory seemed unlikely.
Pang Le suddenly spoke up, "Did Ning Xin leave a will before the incident? Her health was always poor, and with her high intelligence, she must’ve planned ahead."
Ji An nodded. "We looked into that. She did leave a will—all her real estate would go to Ning Ping'an, while half her savings would go to her parents and the other half to Ning Ping'an."
Pang Le’s imagination ran wild. "Then could it be Ning Ping'an’s relatives? Maybe they found out about the will somehow and decided to take her in, raising her until she could inherit the fortune?"
She laughed at her own speculation, but Zhong Xiaoyu’s expression shifted. She turned to Ji An. "Ji An, does Ning Ping'an have any living relatives?"
Ji An nodded again. "A few, but they’re distant—like aunts’ remarried husbands or uncles’ new wives. Back then, we couldn’t find a suitable guardian, so I considered adopting her myself. But Ning Xin got to her first."
Zhong Xiaoyu nodded thoughtfully. "Listening to this, it really doesn’t seem like they’d have the motive we’re guessing."
The discussion hit another dead end. Guan Xia racked her brain but couldn’t make sense of it. Finally, she looked up at Xu Nian and asked, "When you went to the police station today, did they find anything else on Ning Xin’s body? Besides the cause of death, were there any other clues?"
Xu Nian replied, "By the time the body was found, only bones remained, along with fragments of clothing and a very ordinary bracelet. The Shuangshi police identified the victim based on that bracelet. But since the material was common and the design unremarkable—not from any notable brand—it took them a while to confirm. According to Ning Xin’s mother, the bracelet was something Ning Ping'an had picked out for her during a trip to an ancient town at the end of the year before she disappeared. Ning Ping'an had grabbed several, and Ning Xin rotated wearing them. Her mother had to search through many photos before finding one of Ning Xin wearing that bracelet with Ning Ping'an."
As he spoke, Xu Nian pulled up the photo on his phone and handed it to Guan Xia.
Guan Xia took the phone and studied the image. To her surprise, besides Ning Xin and Ning Ping'an, Ji An’s face was partially visible in the corner.
Pang Le noticed too and asked Ji An, "Ji An, you used to visit Ning Ping'an often? Was this taken at Ning Xin’s place?"
Ji An was also gazing at the photo, a nostalgic expression on her face. Slowly, she said, "Ning Ping'an is the daughter of my police academy classmate and roommate. If Ning Xin hadn’t been a better fit, I would’ve been her mother. Even though we didn’t have that bond, she was still my dear friend’s child. And since we lived in the same city, I visited her whenever I had time."
Hearing this, Guan Xia realized why Ji An had resigned and traveled everywhere to investigate the case after Ning Xin and Ning Ping'an disappeared. She had assumed it was out of camaraderie and respect for anti-narcotics officers, but now she saw that Ji An’s feelings for Ning Ping'an ran deeper than any of them had imagined.
After a long moment, Ji An finally looked away. Guan Xia handed the phone back to Xu Nian and asked, "What was Ning Xin’s fatal injury? And were there any other clues on her body or the remaining clothing fragments?"
Xu Nian said, "Based on the marks left by sharp blades on the ribs, the forensic autopsy report concluded that Ning Xin's cause of death was a stab wound to the heart, likely inflicted by a dagger-like weapon. The forensic examiner also found similar slash and stab marks on her forearm's ulna, radius, and wrist bones. The attacker used considerable force, leaving deep wounds that exposed bone—clear evidence of defensive injuries. The police in Shangshuang City deduced that Ning Xin must have fought back against her assailant before her death. It's possible the attacker also bore injuries inflicted by Ning Xin."
Hearing this, Guan Xia couldn't help but take a deep breath. She couldn't imagine the sheer courage it must have taken for Ning Xin, with her frail constitution, to struggle against the assailant—possibly even leaving wounds on them. She hoped these injuries would help guide the investigation.
The discussion continued until past 1 a.m., when everyone finally dispersed to their rooms to sleep.
Yet another sleepless night followed, filled with tossing and turning and chaotic nightmares.
At the first light of dawn, Guan Xia groggily woke up, only to see Pang Le staring back at her with dark circles under her eyes, looking utterly exhausted.
Guan Xia tentatively asked, "Did you have nightmares too?"
Pang Le let out a big yawn and replied with lingering dread, "I don’t know if it’s because I’m so desperate to solve this case, but I kept dreaming that we were running around everywhere with no leads. Just as we were about to leave Shangshuang City, I saw Ning Xin and Ning Ping'an by the roadside, their faces streaked with bloody tears. I felt so guilty that I jolted awake."
Pang Le studied Guan Xia’s expression and asked, "You too?"
Guan Xia nodded. "I spent the whole night wondering what Ning Ping'an could have that those criminals would want. All I remember is a jumble of nightmares—blood, wounds, severed limbs—but I can’t recall the details."
Pang Le sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment before abruptly sitting up. "Since we're awake, let’s get up. Didn’t you really want to hear that recording? If we go early, you might find clues sooner."
Hearing the trust and expectation in Pang Le’s words, Guan Xia couldn’t help but ask, "You’re that sure I’ll find something?"
Pang Le slipped on her slippers and headed to the bathroom, saying over her shoulder, "After working on so many cases together, how could I not know you? Whenever something catches your attention, you always sense something off and find the breakthrough. I bet Ji An and Xu Nian are just as hopeful."
For just a moment, Guan Xia felt uncertain, but then she thought of her system and regained confidence.
After a quick breakfast, the group headed straight to the Nanping District police station handling the case.
Though the detectives in charge weren’t familiar with Ji An, they clearly recognized her. After exchanging handshakes and pleasantries, they got down to business.
The lead detective on the case was a middle-aged man of average height and looks, with thinning hair. Upon hearing their request, he immediately took them to listen to the recording.
The first few minutes of the recording featured only Ning Xin’s voice, asking indirect questions. She likely started recording after noticing the car was taking an unfamiliar route.
Her questions revolved around the road—"This path looks unfamiliar, ma’am. Which route are you taking back to the city?" or "I’ve lived in Shangshuang City for years but never taken this road. What’s it called?"
Eventually, the assailant grew impatient. Around the four-and-a-half-minute mark, a woman’s voice, laced with false cheer, responded.
The woman sounded middle-aged, probably in her thirties or forties, saying, "Don’t worry, dear. This road might not look like much, but it’s a shortcut. No traffic lights—my husband and I always take it when returning to the city. Cuts the time in half."
Ning Xin replied with a smile, "I know you two mean well, but my child and I are afraid of the dark. It’s getting late, and this road has no streetlights. The kid might be fine, but I’ll start feeling dizzy and short of breath—the doctor called it claustrophobia. I see a lit-up intersection ahead. Let’s just stay on the main road. I’m not in a hurry."
A child’s voice chimed in, "Auntie, I’m scared of the dark. I want to see the streetlights."
After a brief silence, a man’s voice, harsh and threatening, snapped, "You’re hitchhiking, yet you’re making demands? I don’t care if you’re not in a hurry—I am. We’re taking the shortcut, so shut the hell up."
From the moment the man spoke, Guan Xia couldn’t focus on the rest of the recording. His voice struck her as eerily familiar—she was certain she’d heard it recently.
Her system-enhanced intuition screamed at her, so she racked her brain, replaying the last two days in her mind. But she couldn’t place it.
Desperate, she tried triggering her system by glancing at Ji An.
Before Ji An noticed, Xu Nian spotted Guan Xia’s odd behavior and asked, "What’s wrong, Guan Xia? Did you find something?"
As if on cue, the system interface appeared.
"You’ve been questioned by the police. Suddenly, you recall that on August 9th at 12:02 p.m., while riding a rideshare to the hotel with a friend, you overheard an argument during traffic. Now, you realize one of the voices in that argument sounds strikingly similar to the man’s voice in the recording. You’re convinced it’s the same person and decide to inform the police."
The system then replayed a video: Guan Xia and Pang Le sat in the backseat, idly looking out the window until a commotion behind them caught their attention. Pang Le even cracked the window to hear better.
The argument was between a driver and another motorist trying to cut in, nearly causing a collision. The driver behind them yelled, "Learn how to drive, you idiot! Traffic’s bad enough without idiots like you cutting in. I’m not letting you through—go ahead and hit me if you dare!"
Guan Xia's eyes lit up as she watched the man in the video. No wonder his voice had sounded so familiar—the tone, the cadence, it was identical to the recording.
It never crossed Guan Xia's mind that they’d get this lucky. Just yesterday, on the very day they arrived in Shangshuang City, they had unintentionally come face-to-face with one of the suspects in the case.
