Ji An arrived at 7:30 PM. The flight Wang Yu had booked for everyone was the last one of the day, departing at 22:05.
When Ji An arrived, Guan Xia and the others had just had their luggage returned. The Lijia Village case had now been transferred to a special task force, so their involvement was no longer needed. Consequently, Zhong Xiaoyu and Qi Bai immediately changed out of their matching couple outfits and took off the various paired accessories, letting out a sigh of relief.
Guan Xia and Pang Le, however, didn't remove their matching friendship bracelets, and the identical pink and white trinkets hanging from their backpacks remained in place. While Zhong Xiaoyu and Qi Bai were busy changing, the two girls exchanged a knowing glance and couldn't help but smile quietly.
Having rushed to get there, Ji An hadn't brought much with her. Finding the group looking somewhat travel-worn, her first question was, "So? Any new developments in the case?"
Zhong Xiaoyu stepped forward and gave Ji An a firm hug, smiling as she said, "There are developments, but nothing major. That's why we need to set off now. We still have two and a half hours before takeoff; leaving now will get us there just in time."
Hearing this, Ji An couldn't help but smile too. "Alright then. My bones have gotten lazy after staying in Shangshuang City for over ten days anyway. Flying around like this can count as some activity."
After saying this, Ji An shouldered the backpack she had just set down. "Let's go then. We should make the most of the time to avoid getting caught in traffic and missing the flight."
During the journey to the airport, Ji An carefully caught up on all the news and events she had missed over the past ten-plus days.
After listening to Guan Xia and the others chime in with their accounts, Ji An sighed. "It seems I really missed a lot these past days. But luckily, I made it in time and didn't miss everything."
With one more member rejoining their team of nine, the others might not have felt it, but Guan Xia sensed a bit more reassurance. After Ji An's remark, she asked, "By the way, Sister Ji An, was your trip from Shangshuang City smooth? Did anything unusual happen?"
With Ji An's intelligence, she understood Guan Xia's implication without needing it spelled out. After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "I was observing carefully the whole way. Maybe I missed something, but from what I saw, there was nothing. The trip was very smooth—no unexpected incidents and no signs of anyone following us."
The group's expressions instantly became a mix: some grew serious, some relaxed, and others frowned in thought.
After a dozen seconds, Pang Le was the first to speak. "So it seems we're still safe for now. Maybe because Li Feng has been away from Wu Yang for so many years, he doesn't pay much attention to this area and hasn't received the news yet?"
They exchanged glances. After a moment, Guan Xia said, "That's unlikely. Wu Yang himself might not be paying close attention, but the people around him wouldn't be so careless. It's more probable they are in the planning and preparation stage. Remember when Xu Nian and the others were escorting Lu Manqing back to Yongquan City and were attacked just after leaving Jianyang City? We deduced earlier that for such a large-scale action challenging the police, they would need to be extremely cautious, requiring at least several days of preparation. They definitely can't just send people on a whim."
Pang Le nodded. "That's true. So, that means we might still have a couple of peaceful days, at least enough time to make contact with the police in Quming City and fully understand the case we're about to investigate."
Guan Xia shook her head again. "Not necessarily. It depends on whether the perpetrator in that case left behind any crucial evidence. If, like the Lijia Village case, there's no evidence linking it to Wu Yang, then any attack we face might be minor. But if there is important evidence that threatens Wu Yang, then we might experience what Xu Nian and the others went through."
Even though Guan Xia didn't state it explicitly, a chill ran through the others, especially Zhong Xiaoyu. She subconsciously sat up straighter, moving from driving with one hand to placing both hands on the steering wheel. She said seriously, "Don't worry, everyone. Once we're on the plane, I'll catch up on sleep. The moment we land in Quming City, I'll be fully alert and will definitely get us to our destination safely."
To cope with what might lie ahead, not only Zhong Xiaoyu but also Xu Nian and the others fell into a deep sleep as soon as they boarded the plane. Guan Xia also tried to clear her mind, using sleep to replenish her energy.
When they opened their eyes again, the plane had already landed in Quming City. One moment they were still somewhat bleary-eyed, the next they were wide awake, following the crowd out of the cabin to collect their luggage.
Throughout the journey, the eight of them stayed together at all times, ensuring no one was left alone. It wasn't until they got into the vehicles prepared in advance by the task force that they relaxed slightly.
Zhong Xiaoyu naturally took the driver's seat. She first scanned the surroundings through the car window before starting the engine, saying, "It seems we're safe for now. It's almost midnight. Should we head to the hotel first, or go straight to the district police station handling that rainy night murder case?"
Guan Xia was also observing their surroundings. To confirm their safety, she even activated the shared system vision to check. Indeed, she didn't spot any criminals entangled with blood-red threads. She then said, "Let's stick to the prior plan and go to the district station first. Every second counts. Who knows if the calm tonight will mean smooth sailing tomorrow as well."
Zhong Xiaoyu agreed. "Alright, let's go."
After calling Xu Nian to inform him, Zhong Xiaoyu took the lead, and the group of eight split between two cars and drove out of the airport parking lot.
It was a fine night—no wind, no rain, with a pleasant temperature. The clouds were thin, allowing the moon's clear light to generously bathe the entire land.
As she drove, Zhong Xiaoyu glanced through the windshield and suddenly realized, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here, no wonder the moon is so full."
Ji An remarked casually, "It's tomorrow, the 27th. Even though we're busy with the case, we can't skip the festival. When we return to the hotel tomorrow, we can just find a shop and buy a few boxes of mooncakes. That'll count as celebrating."
As she said this, Ji An turned and looked inquiringly at Guan Xia.
Guan Xia smiled and said, "Sure. I remember last Mid-Autumn Festival, it was just Pang Le and me. This year is much better, a whole group celebrating together. It's the first time it's been this lively."
Zhong Xiaoyu glanced in the rearview mirror and suggested with a smile, "If you like it, we can spend holidays together from now on. My mom passed away, and I don't get along with my dad. My aunt is good to me, but on special days like these, she misses my uncle even more. So, I'm practically on my own too. Celebrating with you all would be perfect."
Ji An also said, "When I was with the criminal police squad, I was swamped with work. After resigning, I've been constantly on the move. My family is used to not celebrating holidays with me, so I can join you all too."
Pang Le immediately grew excited. "That's wonderful! Once this case is solved, we can have lively gatherings in the future too."
Guan Xia, both before and after her transmigration, rarely had the experience of celebrating holidays with a large, lively group. So when Zhong Xiaoyu made the suggestion, she immediately felt a mix of excitement and anticipation.
She didn't hesitate for even a second before smiling and saying, "Sure, I'd love it if you all wanted to spend it with me."
After saying this, Guan Xia changed the subject, her curiosity piqued. "By the way, Xiaoyu, how is your aunt doing now? Is she alright?"
Guan Xia was truly left with a deep impression of Zhong Xiaoyu's aunt. Not only was she wealthy, but she was also remarkably devoted. It had been several years since Zhong Xiaoyu's uncle passed away, yet she persistently spent both money and energy investigating the murderer, never giving up. Especially after the case was solved, everyone received a large red envelope. Guan Xia still hadn't finished spending that money.
As they drove out from the airport and approached an intersection, the traffic light was about to turn from yellow to red. Zhong Xiaoyu simply stepped on the brake and brought the car to a stop before answering, "She's doing great. Even though she still misses my uncle terribly, it hasn't slowed down her money-making at all. My aunt has always had her priorities straight. No matter how important feelings are, they're never as important as money. It's actually my other relatives who never give it a rest. They keep trying to introduce every useless man around to my aunt. Even my unreliable dad called me, wanting me to put in a good word for his friend with my aunt. Of course, my aunt didn't fancy any of those losers. After all, none of them were as handsome as my uncle, or as good at keeping in shape. Not to mention being particularly obedient and providing great emotional value. Those guys, looking like pigs, still dreamt of being my aunt's sugar baby?"
Zhong Xiaoyu let out a scornful laugh. "Do they take my aunt for a fool? She has a lot of money, but it's not because her head is full of water. Not only did she refuse them all, she even had her bodyguards secretly give them a beating. Even my dad got a thrashing."
With a gleeful chuckle, Zhong Xiaoyu added, "Serves them right. With his character, he still thought he could boss my aunt around? He should take a good look at himself in the mirror."
Including Ji An, Guan Xia and the others listened with great interest. After all, the kind of life Zhong Xiaoyu's aunt led really wasn't something ordinary people could enjoy.
Zhong Xiaoyu seemed to genuinely admire her aunt's personality and went on to share many more details about her aunt's recent life. She only stopped, seemingly reluctantly, when the red light had just over ten seconds left before turning green.
Placing both hands back on the steering wheel, Zhong Xiaoyu focused intently on the counting-down red light. When there were just a few seconds left, Guan Xia's heart suddenly gave a heavy, inexplicable thump, as if she had sensed something. A feeling of creeping dread came over her.
Instinctively, Guan Xia looked up. The crossroads ahead appeared orderly, nothing was happening. Yet, the sense of horror lingered in her heart, refusing to dissipate.
Just as the green light came on and Zhong Xiaoyu was about to press the accelerator, that terrifying feeling surged to a new peak. Guan Xia's hair stood on end, and she instinctively shouted, "Wait!"
Although confused, Zhong Xiaoyu reflexively halted her action. Immediately, everyone grew tense. They first looked around through the car windows, then turned to Guan Xia and asked, "What's wrong?"
The very second Ji An's question left her lips, a large truck from the east-west lane—which should have had a red light, intersecting their lane—ran the red light and sped past right in front of their car. It then slammed violently into the rear of a small sedan coming from the opposite lane. The impact sent the sedan careening off its original path, completely losing balance. Its front end hit the guardrail, causing the entire car to flip over. It skidded forward for a few more seconds, leaving stark marks on the road.
The truck responsible for all this didn't even stop. It drove straight through the intersection and quickly vanished from sight.
It all happened too fast. Before Guan Xia could even answer Ji An's question, everyone's attention was completely seized by the sudden accident.
A dozen or so seconds later, Pang Le finally processed what had happened, her face pale as she spoke up, "If Guan Xia hadn't yelled out just now, and we had driven out... wouldn't we have been hit by that truck?"
Guan Xia's mind went blank for a second, but she quickly forced herself to calm down.
She calculated the timing and distance. If she hadn't given the warning, given their normal speed, they wouldn't just have been hit by that truck while crossing the intersection; they wouldn't have been as lucky as that sedan which was only struck on the rear. Their car would have been hit on the side. Perhaps Zhong Xiaoyu and Ji An in the front seats might have escaped serious harm, but Guan Xia and Pang Le in the back seat would almost certainly not have been so fortunate. If luck were against them, they might even have died on the spot.
Understanding all this, Guan Xia felt her chest tighten and her throat go dry. She asked with difficulty, "Was that truck... was it aiming for us?"
