Lu Tingfeng's estimate had been conservative.
Long before dawn, Guan Xia, who had fallen asleep at her desk with just a coat draped over her, was abruptly jolted awake by the sound of hurried footsteps. The office door was flung open with such force that she sat up groggily, only to see a petite but wiry female officer from Nanping Division standing there. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, but her gaze was sharp as she addressed the room, "We've confirmed the identities of the four people you're investigating."
Ji An and Lu Tingfeng were already awake—quicker to rouse than Guan Xia—and darted to the officer's side in an instant. They snatched the documents from her hands without even a word of thanks, immediately poring over the details.
By now, Guan Xia was fully alert. She picked up the coat that had slipped to the floor and draped it over the chair before joining Ji An. Peering over her shoulder, Guan Xia’s eyes landed on the photo of the woman they called "Sister Liu," placed at the top of the stack. Her name was Liu Xiang, 41 years old, working as a cashier at a supermarket.
This detail took Guan Xia by surprise. "She doesn’t own the supermarket? She’s just a cashier?" This didn’t align at all with their profile of the second suspect outside of Geng Jing.
Ji An murmured, "Don’t jump to conclusions. Keep reading."
Suppressing her confusion, Guan Xia continued scanning the file.
Liu Xiang had married in 2008 but divorced by 2013. She’d had a child, but the child died unexpectedly during the marriage. After the divorce, she never remarried, living alone from 2013 to 2024. However, her single status and attractive appearance meant she had a wide circle of friends—both men and women—making her social life notably active.
Ji An flipped the page, and Guan Xia’s eyes locked onto the first line: Liu Xiang’s ex-husband had died in a car accident three years after their divorce, along with his new wife, during a vacation.
Guan Xia froze, her mind instantly connecting this to the earlier mention of the child’s death. After a pause, she ventured, "Liu Xiang’s child…"
Wang Yu cut in, "It’s probably what you’re thinking—not a pure accident. But we’ll need to check with the local precinct to confirm the details."
Aside from the tragic turn in her marriage, Liu Xiang’s life seemed ordinary, even mundane.
According to the records, she currently rented an apartment in what appeared to be a reputable residential complex. She’d lived there alone for years, rarely moving—a stark contrast to the transient lifestyle typical of criminals.
Had they not already suspected her, nothing in the file would have marked her as someone involved in serious criminal activity.
After reviewing Liu Xiang’s details, Guan Xia moved on to the other three suspects: Ge Qing, Gao Cuicui, and Fan Ya. Their profiles were far simpler. Ge Qing and Gao Cuicui were childhood friends, while Fan Ya owned the supermarket.
Fan Ya had inherited the business from her father. Her mother had passed away during her high school years, and though her father never remarried, his romantic life was messy. Two years ago, in early 2022, he suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage at his girlfriend’s home, after which Fan Ya took over the supermarket.
The records noted that Fan Ya and Liu Xiang were friends, though the nature and depth of their relationship weren’t specified.
Lu Tingfeng finished reading first and checked the time. "Well, dawn’s almost here. No point sleeping now. If we leave soon, we’ll beat the morning rush. We can grab breakfast near the precinct."
Jiang Yingyao glanced outside at the lightening sky. "Same as usual—split into two teams? Ge Qing, Gao Cuicui, and Fan Ya seem to live together, so the three of us will handle them. You two take Liu Xiang?"
Lu Tingfeng shrugged. "Fine. Keep in touch by phone."
As she turned to leave, Ji An suddenly called out, "Wait. Compared to the other three, Liu Xiang is clearly the more dangerous one—likely the ringleader. Plus, she saw your faces last night. Let’s switch." She glanced at Guan Xia. "Jiang Yingyao, Guan Xia, and I will investigate Liu Xiang. You and Wang Yu handle the other three. Head straight to the precinct—avoid the residential area. If you need to question the neighborhood committee, have the local officers call them. Under no circumstances should Ge Qing and the others see you."
Guan Xia immediately grasped Ji An’s reasoning. "You want to do some on-the-ground reconnaissance in Liu Xiang’s neighborhood?"
Ji An nodded. "With her active social life, she’s probably well-known in the area. A divorced woman who’s stayed single for years? If we poke around casually, we might stumble onto something."
That reminded Guan Xia of something. "By the way, didn’t Xu Nian’s team already trace Liu Xiang through Geng Jing? Did they share any findings?"
At this, everyone turned to Lu Tingfeng.
Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Lu Tingfeng said, "Xu Nian’s team only found the lead the night before last. They’d barely started investigating when they noticed Geng Jing acting suspiciously—likely meeting with accomplices to plan their next move. So they pulled all resources from Liu Xiang’s case. From what Xu Nian said, Captain Zhou took over her investigation. Their entire team is now focused on Geng Jing, working in shifts around the clock alongside Captain Zhou’s people."
She checked the time again. "Right now, the last shift should’ve just ended. You can ask in the group chat on the way—someone might reply."
Guan Xia nodded, and Ji An concluded, "Then it’s settled. Dawn’s breaking—let’s get moving before traffic hits."
Though her brief nap had been far from comfortable, Guan Xia didn’t feel sleepy. Still, the lack of brushing her teeth or washing her face left her feeling grimy.
She absently touched her hair, relieved it wasn’t too greasy, then climbed into the car with slightly better spirits.
The moment she settled in, Ji An tossed her a few items. "I knew today would be another long haul, so I drove out last night after you all fell asleep. Make do with these."
Guan Xia inspected the haul: mouthwash, alcohol-free facial wipes, travel-sized skincare, and sunscreen spray.
Guan Xia immediately brightened up, multitasking as she replied, "Sister Ji, you're like a treasure chest—whatever I need, you’ve got it ready."
Ji An started the car and chuckled. "Working with Lu Tingfeng’s team on these round-the-clock investigations has gotten me into the habit. If it weren’t for the late discovery of yesterday’s lead, I would’ve had everything prepared by morning."
As Ji An drove out of Nanping Precinct’s gates, Guan Xia tidied herself up and casually picked up her phone, sending a message in the group chat.
Sure enough, within two minutes, a reply popped up. Before Guan Xia could even read it, her phone rang—it was Qi Bai.
The moment she answered, Qi Bai blurted out, "You guys found this woman too? How did you track her down?"
Guan Xia gave a brief explanation, to which Qi Bai responded, "Damn, you’re moving faster than we are. We only had half a day to look into this Liu Xiang, so our intel’s limited. All we know is that the supermarket she works at isn’t actually hers—it belongs to a friend. She’s listed as a cashier, but she practically runs the place as the manager. Her friend rarely shows up."
Guan Xia felt a wave of clarity. It made sense now—if Liu Xiang was involved in the disappearances of Ning Xin and her daughter, she’d need significant flexibility in her daily routine. Otherwise, frequent absences during work hours would’ve raised suspicions.
"Anything else?" Guan Xia pressed.
Qi Bai added, "Yeah, this Liu Xiang woman has a ton of friends. In just the half-day Pang Le and I were surveilling her, we saw five or six people drop by the supermarket to chat with her while buying stuff. Every one of them seemed to hit it off with her. Say what you will, but she’s definitely a social butterfly."
Guan Xia thought of the three young women, including Fan Ya, and wondered what Liu Xiang had done to earn their trust—even admiration—to the point of collaborating in a crime.
After exchanging a few more details about Liu Xiang as a suspect (with Qi Bai admitting their investigation window was too short for deeper insights), Guan Xia asked, "How’s everything on your end? Smooth sailing?"
Qi Bai gave a sheepish laugh. "Yeah, we’ve got seven or eight teams working in shifts for surveillance. So far, so good."
Guan Xia followed up, "Where’s Pang Le? Not with you?"
Since Qi Bai was the one calling, Guan Xia guessed Pang Le was tied up with another team—otherwise, he’d have been the first to respond.
"On a tailing assignment with Captain Xu," Qi Bai confirmed. "Don’t worry, it’s low-risk."
Guan Xia raised an eyebrow. "Xu Nian and Zhong Xiaoyu just wrapped up last night’s shift, didn’t they?"
Qi Bai sighed. "No choice. We suspect Geng Jing’s crew is making their move soon, and they’re paranoid as hell right now. To avoid spooking them, we’ve got at least four or five teams covering each other during daytime surveillance."
Hearing this, Guan Xia grasped the urgency and tension of their operation and didn’t probe further, only urging them to stay safe.
Qi Bai echoed the sentiment before hanging up.
As Guan Xia set her phone down, Jiang Yingyao caught her expression in the rearview mirror and grinned. "Let me guess—Qi Bai’s team didn’t dig up much on Liu Xiang either?"
Guan Xia nodded. "Pretty much the same as what Lu Tingfeng mentioned earlier. They only surveilled her for half a day before shifting focus to Geng Jing’s suspicious activity."
Jiang Yingyao exhaled dramatically. "This case just keeps getting wilder. First time I’ve worked one where leads keep exploding left and right—to the point we’re stretched thin on manpower."
By the time they reached the precinct near Liu Xiang’s residential area, dawn had fully broken. Ji An gestured to a nearby breakfast spot. "Let’s grab food here. We can bring some for the precinct team too."
Guan Xia and Jiang Yingyao agreed. After a quick meal, Ji An ordered several stacks of steamed buns and soy milk to-go. The trio carried the food to the precinct, just a short walk away.
Thanks to Jiang Yingyao’s badge, they breezed inside. Ji An’s foresight paid off—the officers, exhausted from an all-nighter, perked up at the sight of breakfast.
Since they were all colleagues, the officers spoke freely between bites. The most senior among them, clearly a longtime fixture at the precinct, took the lead.
"This Liu Xiang’s somewhat of a local celebrity in her neighborhood. Hardworking, good-looking, and outgoing—just had a streak of bad luck. Married young to a man over a decade older, only for him to cheat during her pregnancy. Lost the kid before it turned two. She divorced cleanly, but the trauma stuck. It’s been over ten years, and she’s still single, despite half the neighborhood’s elders trying to set her up."
Guan Xia zeroed in on the key question. "How did the child die? Illness? An accident?"
A younger male officer chimed in, mouth full. "Officially an accident, but only her deadbeat ex-husband knows the real story." His tone dripped with disdain.
The senior officer scolded him lightly. "Stick to the facts. We’re cops, not gossiping locals—don’t lead the others astray."
Jiang Yingyao laughed it off. "Don’t mind us. We’ll sort out what’s useful."
The older policeman finally explained, "This is what happened. On the day the child died, Liu Xiang was away at work. Meanwhile, her ex-husband brazenly brought his mistress into their home. While the two were... occupied, they found the child too noisy, so they gave the child a few drops of alcohol and left them on the balcony behind the living room curtains. Unexpectedly, Liu Xiang felt uneasy halfway through her shift and took half a day off to check on the child. She happened to catch the two in the act. When she searched for the child, she found them under the coffee table—foam and blood around their nose and mouth, already lifeless. Later, the autopsy revealed the child had suffered a head injury from a fall. The pain must have woken them at some point, and they had even crawled a short distance to hide under the table. But without timely medical attention, they ultimately didn’t survive."
Guan Xia listened in disbelief. "If the child woke up during that time, they must have cried. Did those two not hear the child's cries?"
The younger male officer scoffed. "Oh, they definitely heard. But they were too... preoccupied. They probably found it annoying and didn’t even bother to check."
Guan Xia thought to herself, no wonder Liu Xiang had been so determined to divorce. Three years later, her ex-husband and his new wife—likely the same mistress from the affair—had both died. In Liu Xiang’s heart, she must have harbored deep-seated hatred for them.
"What happened afterward?" Guan Xia pressed. "Did Liu Xiang hold them accountable?"
The young officer replied, "She tried, of course. But based on the evidence and the scene, neither of them could be directly blamed for the child’s death. Liu Xiang wanted them punished, but without solid proof, it was ruled an accident. In the end, nothing came of it."
Guan Xia wasn’t surprised by the outcome, though she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Yet at the same time, a new question arose in her mind. From Liu Xiang’s experiences, it was clear she had suffered greatly and must have loved her child deeply. So why, after all these years, would she turn around and harm other children? Could it be that she couldn’t bear to see other children happy, her heart now twisted into some kind of vengeful darkness?
