After several busy days, Guan Xia and her group quickly settled on their departure date—coincidentally, the same day as Meng Lan's class reunion. While Meng Lan would attend the gathering in the evening, Guan Xia and the others would leave for the airport early in the morning.
On the morning of the 22nd, for safety reasons, Guan Xia didn’t let Meng Lan see them off at the airport. Instead, they said their goodbyes with a tight hug at the doorstep.
Unlike Guan Xia’s relaxed demeanor, Meng Lan was visibly anxious, her brows furrowed into deep creases. She kept opening and closing her mouth as if struggling to find the right words.
Without Meng Lan having to speak, Guan Xia already knew what she wanted to say. Gently smoothing the wrinkles on Meng Lan’s forehead, Guan Xia smiled and reassured her, "Don’t worry, nothing will happen to us on this trip. I promise you, I’ll leave in perfect health and return the same way. I can’t guarantee not a single hair will fall out, but I swear I won’t come back missing any limbs."
The more Guan Xia assured her, the more worried Meng Lan became. Still, she didn’t press further, only hugging Guan Xia tightly again and whispering, "I’ll be waiting for you to come back," before finally letting go and watching as Guan Xia, Pang Le, and Zhong Xiaoyu wheeled their suitcases into the elevator.
It was strange—this was the first time Meng Lan was seeing Guan Xia off, whereas before, it had always been the other way around.
Pressing the button for the underground parking lot, the elevator began its smooth descent. Pang Le glanced at Guan Xia and couldn’t resist asking again, "Hey, Guan Xia, are you sure you don’t want me to call my brother over? I’m just saying, he’s a really good fighter—not as good as me, of course, but he can handle a few guys no problem. With him protecting Meng Lan, not a single hair on her head would be harmed. We’ve just left—I can still call him now if you change your mind."
Guan Xia chuckled. "Really, it’s fine. Xu Nian and I have already discussed Meng Lan’s safety. The Pingjiang District Police Bureau will handle it—their chief personally arranged for a few of Xu Nian’s colleagues to take shifts keeping an eye on her. With them around, I’m sure Meng Lan won’t lose a single hair either."
Pang Le finally relented with a quiet, "Alright."
At the airport, they regrouped with the others and boarded the plane. Guan Xia’s emotions were mixed—there was the unease of not knowing what they might face, but also the thrill of peeling back another layer of the criminal organization’s secrecy. Too restless to sleep, she closed her eyes and mentally reviewed the latest updates Xu Nian’s team had shared with them over the past few days.
Since their last meeting, Guan Xia and the others had been relatively calm, but Xu Nian’s team had been swamped. Though technically on vacation, they’d been working just as hard as usual, leaving early and returning late, occasionally gathering at Xu Nian’s place for strategy sessions.
But their efforts had borne fruit. First, Wang Yu had quickly uncovered details about Wu Yang’s hometown and crafted cover identities for each of them.
The good news was that the village wasn’t as backward as they’d imagined. On the contrary, thanks to Wu Yang and a few others from the same orphanage who’d done well for themselves, the area was quite developed.
Li Feng had not only built six houses upon returning but had also helped the villagers prosper—digging fish ponds for farming, leasing nearby mountains for cultivation, and even establishing several sizable vacation resorts and farm stays. Since the nearest tourist hotspot was only about ten kilometers away, visitors weren’t uncommon, especially now during the mild weather. As long as Guan Xia and the others didn’t act too conspicuously, blending in would be effortless.
When Wang Yu shared this news, even Zhong Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief. The less attention they drew, the more information they could gather—and the longer they could avoid exposing themselves to the criminal organization.
To maintain their cover, they were posing as tourists again—though this time, as part of a small tour group. Wang Yu would play the guide, while Jiang Yingyao, with his natural air of authority, would be the driver—a perfect disguise for his law enforcement background. The rest would act as ordinary travelers: Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu as a couple (both physical education teachers from the same school), Guan Xia and Pang Le as close friends and colleagues on a niche getaway, and Xu Nian as a reserved, high-achieving professional recovering from an illness and traveling alone to unwind—a role that suited his calm, detached demeanor perfectly.
The only tricky part was Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu’s cover. Though they’d worked cases together, they barely knew each other, let alone how to convincingly act intimate.
When Wang Yu explained everyone’s roles, only Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu raised objections.
Qi Bai took it in stride, but Zhong Xiaoyu frowned. "Why do we have to pretend to be a couple? Can’t we be siblings? No offense to Qi Bai—I’m just worried we’re not familiar enough and might slip up."
Wang Yu smiled. "Siblings would work too, but I’m afraid you might struggle with fake names. And don’t worry about not being close—you can always tweak the backstory. Maybe you’re exes in the middle of reconciling, or you just had a fight at the last stop and are still giving each other the cold shoulder. Improvise as needed, just don’t make it too unbelievable."
Pang Le, ever the problem-solver, chimed in, "If it’s too hard, I can swap with Zhong Xiaoyu and pretend to be Qi Bai’s girlfriend. I’m a great actress—no one would suspect a thing!"
Qi Bai’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, his lips quirking into a smile.
But Wang Yu shut it down firmly. "No. You and Guan Xia are too close—you’d instinctively prioritize her in any situation. Better to nip that idea in the bud. Just stick to your natural dynamic with Guan Xia."
Pang Le glanced at Guan Xia and fell silent. Wang Yu was right—no matter what happened, her first instinct would always be to protect Guan Xia, even from something as trivial as a passing snake.
While Wang Yu meticulously planned their covers and itineraries, Qi Bai and Jiang Yingyao dug deeper into their investigation.
Qi Bai, sporting heavier dark circles than ever, was nonetheless buzzing with excitement—he’d uncovered some promising leads.
Through persistent effort, he’d managed to contact a former deputy chief of the criminal investigation division who’d handled the two missing persons cases years ago and had since been promoted to the municipal bureau.
Though over twenty years had passed, the deputy squad leader still had some recollection of this missing persons case. He particularly emphasized the daughter of the missing woman, Li Miao. According to him, when Li Feng, the husband of the missing woman, filed the report, he hadn’t brought his daughter along. However, when the deputy later visited their home, he casually asked the girl a few questions. She responded with startling clarity, insisting that her mother couldn’t have run off with someone. In the days before her disappearance, her mother had repeatedly mentioned to her that Li Feng had been coming home late and leaving early, sometimes not returning until midnight. She suspected he might be seeing someone else.
In response to this, Li Feng had explained at the time that a friend’s business was in trouble, and he had been helping out, hence his irregular hours. The deputy later verified this, questioning the people Li Feng had mentioned. They confirmed that he had indeed been with them during that period. Moreover, on the day the woman went missing, witnesses testified that Li Feng had been with them from morning till night without leaving. It was only after eyewitnesses claimed to have seen the missing woman leaving with another man that the case was eventually shelved.
At the time, these testimonies didn’t raise any red flags. But looking back now, the inconsistencies are glaring. Among the eyewitnesses were several names that stood out—Wu Yang, Wu Xingxian, Li Huai, and Li Wei—four of the six children who had ended up in an orphanage after a fire. The other names were unfamiliar at first, but upon investigation, they turned out to have some connection, however tenuous, to Wu Yang or the other six. The coincidence was unsettling, almost chilling in its implications.
Later, Jiang Yingyao uncovered more information. Together with Xu Nian, he dug deep into Wu Yang’s life, from childhood to adulthood, and discovered that Wu Yang seemed to share a similar trait with Guan Xia—wherever he went, violent crimes seemed to follow. Whether at work, in school, or even during his high school and middle school years, there were always cases around him. Some victims were the fathers of classmates, others the husbands of teachers. On the surface, these incidents appeared unrelated to him, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be an intricate web of connections.
When Guan Xia and the others heard this, they weren’t entirely surprised, but the realization still sent a shiver down their spines—especially for Guan Xia. Her own peculiarity stemmed from the unique nature of her soul’s aura. Even with the system masking it, she unconsciously attracted criminals whose souls bore similarly abnormal auras. So what was Wu Yang’s reason? Or perhaps there was no reason at all—what if he was the one committing the murders?
Whether he was or wasn’t, only further investigation by Guan Xia and the team would reveal the truth.
Their flight departed at 9 a.m., and by the time they landed, it was already past 11. While the others appeared energetic, Guan Xia, who knew them well by now, could tell they were already on high alert. It was clear none of them had slept during the flight, despite keeping their eyes closed.
Wang Yu had arranged for a minibus in advance through the task force, and it was waiting for them in the airport parking lot. The group followed her with their luggage, easily locating and boarding the vehicle.
Once inside, Wang Yu pulled out a duffel bag from the corner and began distributing items. Each person received a bright red, eye-catching cap. Qi Bai and Zhong Xiaoyu got matching couple’s sunglasses, while Guan Xia and Pang Le were given friendship bracelets and matching keychains. Only Xu Nian and Jiang Yingyao received something different—Xu Nian was handed several medicine bottles, and Jiang Yingyao a few pieces of clothing.
Xu Nian wasn’t surprised by the medicine bottles. He paused for a moment before unscrewing the cap to sniff the contents, as if trying to identify the pills inside.
Wang Yu, busy with her tasks, noticed his reaction and explained, “Xu Nian, those are just vitamin C, D, E, and some calcium tablets—nothing harmful. If we’re out for too long, you can take a few to maintain the act. No big deal.”
Xu Nian nodded and stashed them in his backpack. Pang Le couldn’t help but ask, “Why the medicine bottles specifically? Couldn’t we just say we’re tourists recovering from a serious illness?”
Before Wang Yu could answer, Xu Nian replied, “It’s to make us seem less threatening. Based on our deductions, Li Feng conspired with others to commit murder—possibly even two murders—and then transported the remains back to his hometown for burial. Even after twenty years, with the bodies so close, he’d still be highly vigilant. The moment we approach, he’ll be watching and testing us. Especially since our little ‘tour group’ includes several able-bodied men. With Wang Yu’s setup—old, sick, and, well, ‘foolish’—he’ll let his guard down slightly, giving us more opportunities to get close.”
The others immediately understood, nodding in realization.
But a few seconds later, Qi Bai suddenly caught on to something and asked indignantly, “Old and sick, fine—but what’s this ‘foolish’ nonsense? Are you talking about me?”
Wang Yu shot him a glance but didn’t respond, simply pulling out her own red cap and placing it on her head before grabbing a small red flag.
Guan Xia glanced between Qi Bai and Wang Yu, barely suppressing a laugh. Afraid that Qi Bai might redirect his frustration toward her, she quickly controlled her expression and fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist, as if suddenly fascinated by its design.
Fortunately, Jiang Yingyao was licensed to drive the minibus. Once everyone had rehearsed their cover stories and completed their disguises, he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.
Wang Yu’s attention to detail was impressive. Jiang Yingyao’s naturally composed and professional demeanor usually stood out among them, but behind the wheel, he blended right in.
To maintain authenticity, Guan Xia and the others didn’t head straight to their destination after checking into the hotel. Instead, they spent the day sightseeing at nearby attractions, deliberately collecting paper tickets and souvenir stamps. It wasn’t until the next morning that they finally set out for Wu Yang’s hometown—the place they hoped would hold the answers they sought.
(Author’s note: Hit a bit of writer’s block today—will try to update more tomorrow. Love all you little angels, mwah!)
