Because of this thrilling speculation, everyone was too excited to eat.
Zhong Xiaoyu, beating Guan Xia to the punch, eagerly said, "To confirm whether this news is true, we secretly investigated Xi Weihong's illegitimate son. Through Brother Lu's special connections, we even managed to get copies of the boy's medical records from childhood to adulthood. This afternoon, before we ran out of time, we even went to catch a distant glimpse of him. Though the guy now has heavy dark circles, is as thin as a rail, and looks malnourished, compared to before, he does seem much healthier."
As she spoke, Zhong Xiaoyu picked up a stack of documents on the table and casually handed them out to everyone. Guan Xia didn’t get the medical records but instead received photos of the same person at different stages of his life.
From the photos, the first one appeared to be taken when the illegitimate son was still a minor—likely a surreptitious shot through a window. The boy was emaciated, almost skeletal, lying pale and listless in bed. The exposed skin showed bruises and petechiae from subcutaneous bleeding. Even without any medical knowledge, Guan Xia could tell the boy was gravely ill.
The next photo, based on Zhong Xiaoyu’s earlier words, must have been taken recently. The setting was the entrance of an entertainment venue, bathed in neon lights. Though still thin—far from being considered healthy by normal standards—his complexion was no longer deathly pale. In the photo, the man seemed overjoyed about something, grinning widely with a girl in skimpy clothing under each arm as he headed toward a parked car.
Normally, seeing someone recover from illness would be cause for celebration, but Guan Xia only felt fury burning inside her. Her mind flashed to Ning Ping'an, a child she had only seen in photos—so small, yet forcibly taken away so her health could be traded for someone else’s.
That child could have grown up happily with her family. But because someone wanted to exchange her life for another’s, Ning Xin had died, Ning Ping'an had been missing for five years, and Ning Xin’s parents wept daily, barely enduring as they waited for answers.
Guan Xia couldn’t help but glance at Ji An. Because of this, Ji An had resigned from her job as a detective and spent over four years chasing leads, all to uncover the truth of this case.
What made it even more bitterly ironic was that Ning Ping'an’s birth parents had been narcotics officers—people who had dedicated their youth and lives to their country and its citizens. Yet their daughter had been stolen, all to save a worthless piece of trash like this.
Guan Xia clenched the photo so tightly it nearly tore. If eyes could shoot flames, she would have burned the man in the picture to ashes on the spot.
The others, though not as visibly furious, wore equally grim expressions.
It took Guan Xia a full ten minutes to calm down and think clearly again.
Still simmering with anger, she tossed the photo onto the table and forced her voice to remain steady. "After some thought, I realized this illegitimate son you’ve uncovered does two things for us. First, it indirectly confirms that Ning Ping'an is likely still alive. Second, he might lead us to her faster than tracking Gao Chengye."
Ji An’s eyes lit up, her tone uncharacteristically animated. "Guan Xia’s right. From Lu Tingfeng’s description, this illegitimate son seems far more reckless and flamboyant than Gao Chengye. He wouldn’t bother hiding his movements as carefully. If we follow him, we’ll probably find Ping'an soon."
The group perked up at this deduction, but Pang Le hesitated. "Wait, I just thought of something. I remember scrolling through short videos once and seeing something about medical advancements. Back then, leukemia patients mostly underwent bone marrow transplants, but now they use something like hematopoietic stem cells. If that’s the case, the illegitimate son might not even need to meet Ning Ping'an in person..."
Before he could finish, Wang Yu shook her head. "No. Whether it’s bone marrow transplants or newer treatments, they all require specialized medical equipment. Whether Ning Ping'an or that man, they’d have to appear in the same place—maybe a private hospital, or some remote location converted into a makeshift surgical facility."
Guan Xia’s mind raced. "Wait—a private hospital would struggle to keep such procedures completely hidden. Sooner or later, rumors would spread. But if they built a place specifically for this, moving large medical equipment would still draw attention unless it’s somewhere isolated... and under construction."
Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu were still catching up, but the others immediately grasped her meaning. Ji An and Wang Yu pulled out their phones and began searching.
The rest joined in shortly after. Twenty or thirty minutes later, Wang Yu suddenly exclaimed, "Found it! Blue Bay Villa. In the entire Anjiang District of Baofeng City, this is the only villa area that started construction eight years ago and finished five years ago. The timeline fits our theory perfectly."
Guan Xia darted over to Wang Yu’s side, peering at her screen. "Where exactly is this villa area located?"
Wang Yu handed her the phone. "At the very edge of Anjiang District—practically the suburbs. One of those villa zones built near the scenic mountain range you mentioned earlier."
Guan Xia took the phone, zooming in and out of the map, scrutinizing the roads between the villa area and the city center. After what felt like forever, she finally exhaled in relief. "After studying this, the direction Gao Chengye was driving today does include this villa area. If we confirm that either the illegitimate son or Xi Weihong owns property here, then Ning Ping'an is definitely hidden there."
No one had expected that what started as a routine case update meeting would yield such a breakthrough so quickly.
The exhaustion from earlier vanished, replaced by exhilaration. Zhong Xiaoyu beamed. "So does this mean we’ll find her in a day or two?"
Zhong Xiaoyu suddenly turned and hugged Ji An, her face beaming with joy as she exclaimed, "That's wonderful, Sister Ji! Ping'an isn't dead—she's very likely still alive. She must be waiting for you to bring her home. In just a couple more days, we can finally reunite with her!"
Everyone watched with shared happiness as Ji An alternated between tears and laughter. For the first time, Guan Xia felt profoundly grateful for the decision she had made. Though an extra day or two might seem insignificant if Ning Ping'an was alive, for Ping'an herself, each day trapped in captivity must have been sheer torment. Over those five long years—nearly 2,000 days and nights—she must have wept in despair countless times, clinging to the hope that someone would come to rescue her.
That night, while the others might not have realized it, Guan Xia knew Ji An was too overwhelmed with emotion to sleep.
The next morning at breakfast, Guan Xia discreetly glanced at Ji An and immediately noticed the dark circles under her eyes, along with faint red streaks—clear signs of a sleepless night. Yet despite her exhausted appearance, Ji An's spirits were unusually high. Guan Xia then observed the rest of the group and found them in a similar state—even if their dark circles weren’t as pronounced, they all looked like they’d pulled an all-nighter.
The entire day, Guan Xia worked with restless excitement. Lu Tingfeng and the others had gone out again, gathering information through their usual discreet channels, while Guan Xia, Xu Nian, and the rest abandoned their usual meticulous deductions and took a direct approach. They headed straight to the local police station overseeing the Blue Bay Villa District and, with the help of the task force, effortlessly obtained the surveillance footage they needed.
Guan Xia couldn’t even wait to return to the hotel—she began reviewing the footage right there in the car, ears perked as she listened to Xu Nian’s phone call with Lu Tingfeng.
They had left in the morning, and by the time they returned in the afternoon, Lu Tingfeng’s team had made significant progress, eager to share their findings.
Guan Xia heard Lu Tingfeng’s rapid-fire update: "Xu Nian, we’ve confirmed it—neither the illegitimate son nor Xi Weihong owns property in Blue Bay. But the mother of the illegitimate son, Xi Weihong’s so-called 'white moonlight,' does. Ever since the villa was built and furnished, she’s been living there. Xi Weihong never stays overnight, though the illegitimate son visits occasionally."
Guan Xia’s mood, initially optimistic, soured instantly. A surge of anger rose in her chest, and she was about to unleash a string of curses when Pang Le’s voice erupted from the other end of the call:
"White moonlight? More like a venomous snake! A complete monster! Her child is precious, but other people’s children are disposable? She stood guard herself, terrified her precious illegitimate son would die if her victim escaped? This whole family is rotten—not even human, just wolves and tigers in human skin. Who knows what kind of beast she was in a past life to luck into being reborn as a person."
Pang Le continued his tirade, and Zhong Xiaoyu chimed in, "By the way, Brother Lu, didn’t we find out earlier that Gao Chengye has been doing Xi Weihong’s dirty work? Even pimping? So much for true love between Xi Weihong and his 'white moonlight.'"
Guan Xia recalled the briefing Xu Nian had given on their first night in Baofeng City.
Lu Tingfeng scoffed. "If they were truly in love, there wouldn’t have been a 'forced breakup' in the first place. Xi Weihong is an only child, raised to believe the world revolves around him. His entanglement with his 'white moonlight' after marriage is just him wanting to have his cake and eat it too. And as for his illegitimate son—he probably doesn’t care much about him either. He only has two sons, and the legitimate one is closer to his mother and won’t obey him. Doting on the illegitimate one is just his way of punishing the other."
Pang Le clicked his tongue. "Rich people like him think money lets them control everything. Well, this time, we’ll teach him the meaning of the law. I’d love to see his face when he’s arrested—furious, humiliated, and powerless."
Guan Xia shared his anticipation. Beyond justice, she relished the moment when villains faced their due punishment.
That night, the entire team burned the midnight oil again. But their efforts paid off—just past 2 a.m., Guan Xia, watching surveillance footage at double speed, finally spotted Gao Chengye driving into Blue Bay Villa. Their theory now had solid proof. Even with dawn approaching, Xu Nian couldn’t wait. He immediately reported the breakthrough to the task force.
After hanging up, under the group’s expectant gazes, Xu Nian nodded. "The task force will fast-track the paperwork. By sunrise, we should have the search warrant. If we find Ning Ping'an in Cheng Yiyan’s villa as we suspect, we can arrest the suspects on the spot."
Cheng Yiyan was Xi Weihong’s "white moonlight." Buoyed by this news, the team finally allowed themselves a few hours of restless sleep.
But they didn’t rest long. At daybreak, they reconvened in Wang Yu’s room, pacing anxiously and checking the time, waiting for updates from the task force. Even breakfast tasted like cardboard.
Finally, at around 9 a.m., Xu Nian’s phone pinged with a new message. The group collectively held their breath as he read it, then nodded firmly. "Approved. The search warrant is here. We can now coordinate with local police to conduct a full search of Cheng Yiyan’s residence in Blue Bay."
They hurried to the Anjiang District precinct overseeing the villa area, expanding their already sizable team before setting off in a convoy of five or six cars, rumbling toward the place where Ning Ping'an might finally be found.
Though Guan Xia had known about the villa district for days, this was her first visit. Nestled on the edge of a scenic area, its location was remote and transportation inconvenient, but the surroundings were undeniably beautiful.
When they arrived, both Cheng Yiyan and the illegitimate son were home. The live-in housekeeper opened the door, and after Xu Nian flashed the search warrant, they brushed past her and entered.
The sight of so many police officers storming in made both occupants freeze. Cheng Yiyan maintained a fragile composure, but the illegitimate son turned deathly pale, collapsing back onto the sofa as if his legs had given out.
Cheng Yiyan forced a smile and stood up, about to step forward and speak, but Xu Nian gave her no opportunity. He swiftly displayed the search warrant again, rattling off a few concise official phrases before leaving several officers to watch over the two of them while he joined the larger team in searching the entire villa.
While the others dispersed to carry out their tasks, Guan Xia remained standing in the living room, unmoving. With practiced ease, she spent 100 aura points to share the system’s vision.
Having gained experience from previous attempts, Guan Xia now handled it with far more skill. Ignoring the golden threads of light—representing the police—that darted up and down the villa, her gaze first swept over Cheng Yiyan and her son, who stood nearby.
It was both surprising and expected—their soul-light clusters were tinged with traces of crimson, though not heavily. Clearly, they had been involved in the crime but hadn’t directly taken a life.
After observing the suspects, Guan Xia’s eyes turned downward. Sure enough, just diagonally below her, she spotted a tiny, faint cluster of pure white light—the soul-light of Ning Ping’an.
Speculation was one thing, but having it confirmed filled Guan Xia with barely contained excitement. The moment the shared vision faded, she strode over to the illegitimate son—whose nerves were visibly weaker—and loomed over him, her tone sharp and demanding.
"Where is Ning Ping’an?"
