Guan Xia watched as the suspect was escorted into the police car, thinking her involvement was over. Just as she was considering whether to call Pang Le, Qi Bai's call came through.
Guan Xia was surprised. "Qi Bai? What's up?"
Qi Bai's voice was cheerful. "Guan Xia, are you free this afternoon? If you don’t have anything important, come with me to the station to give a statement?"
Recalling the scene when the female officer had taken her statement at Pang Le’s place earlier, Guan Xia knew it was standard procedure and agreed. "Sure, just give me the—"
Before she could ask for the address to hail a cab, Qi Bai said, "I’m downstairs at your place. Come on down."
Startled, Guan Xia leaned out of her study window and saw Qi Bai standing by his car, phone in one hand and shoving bread into his mouth with the other.
After hastily changing clothes and grabbing her keys and phone, Guan Xia’s first words upon seeing Qi Bai were, "How did you know which building I live in?"
Qi Bai chuckled. "Underestimating me, aren’t you? Given that your window overlooks the entrance of Building 7, and knowing the layout of the Shuimu Spring City complex, it wasn’t hard to figure out."
Realizing she’d asked a silly question, Guan Xia smiled awkwardly and quickly got into the car.
Once inside, she noticed a uniformed officer sitting in the passenger seat and felt even more embarrassed.
Qi Bai wolfed down the rest of his bread before starting the car and driving out of the neighborhood.
"By the way, Guan Xia," Qi Bai began once his mouth was free, "didn’t you used to live in that other neighborhood? When did you move here?"
"Not too long ago," Guan Xia replied politely. "I was renting before, but once the renovations here were done and the place had aired out for half a year, I moved in."
"You’re in Building 9?" Qi Bai suddenly said with a meaningful tone. "Which unit and floor?"
Guan Xia found the question odd but answered honestly. "Unit 2, 9th floor."
"Well," Qi Bai’s voice rose slightly, "what a coincidence."
The remark made Guan Xia realize something, her voice tinged with excitement. "You live in Shuimu Spring City too? Even right across from me?" She vividly remembered what the auntie had said that morning.
Qi Bai didn’t answer, just glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
After waiting a couple of seconds without a response, Guan Xia considered pressing further but hesitated, deciding against it since they weren’t that close.
The rest of the ride passed in silence. Fortunately, it wasn’t rush hour, and they soon arrived at Pingjiang District Police Station.
This was Guan Xia’s first time entering a police station, both before and after her transmigration, and she couldn’t help feeling nervous. She kept her eyes fixed on Qi Bai’s back, following closely, not daring to look around or speak casually.
After getting out of the car, the officer in the passenger seat disappeared quickly, leaving only Guan Xia and Qi Bai to walk up to the third floor and enter a reception room.
The normal, non-interrogation-room-like decor—nothing like what she’d seen in crime dramas—helped Guan Xia relax a little. At Qi Bai’s gesture, she sat on a soft tan sofa.
Qi Bai stepped out for two minutes and returned with the same female officer Guan Xia had met less than an hour earlier. Once the officer entered, Qi Bai vanished again.
The woman sat across from Guan Xia, opened a folder, and smiled. "We meet again, Ms. Guan. I’m Wang Yu. Not sure if you remember me, but thank you for your help."
Guan Xia smiled and said it was no trouble, then couldn’t resist asking, "Were you the one who caught the suspect?"
Wang Yu nodded. "Technically, my colleagues and I did, but your timely tip allowed us to prepare in advance, so the arrest went smoothly."
It sounded like her clue had been helpful but not critical. While pleased, Guan Xia was also puzzled. Based on her last experience, the system’s reward notification had come shortly after the arrest. But now, nearly an hour had passed with no word. Could there be more than one suspect?
Keeping her thoughts to herself, Guan Xia cooperated calmly as Wang Yu completed the statement.
When Wang Yu escorted her out, Qi Bai reappeared as if out of thin air. "All done?" he asked Wang Yu.
She nodded.
"Great," Qi Bai said. "Stay here. I’ve got to go."
Wang Yu asked, "Did the suspect talk?"
Qi Bai scowled and cursed under his breath. "That bastard’s lips are sealed tighter than a clam. Even Captain Xu couldn’t crack him. He just keeps his head down like a dead pig afraid of boiling water. No point wasting more time—I’m heading to the scene."
Wang Yu looked envious. "I’d love to go. Why don’t you stay, and I’ll go instead?"
Without answering, Qi Bai grabbed Guan Xia’s arm as if fleeing a chasing dog and hurried her back to the car.
Though he buckled up in the driver’s seat, Qi Bai didn’t start the car immediately. Instead, he struck up a conversation. "You know, Guan Xia, your observational skills, memory, and sharpness are incredible. Were you always like this as a kid?"
Guan Xia felt a pang of guilt but kept her voice steady. "Not sure. Before you guys, I’d never dealt with the police. I only realized I had this… talent shortly before you did."
Qi Bai sighed regretfully. "We met too late. If we’d found out earlier, we might’ve even been colleagues."
Guan Xia stayed silent. Qi Bai turned to face her earnestly. "Seriously, Guan Xia, have you considered joining us? Our department is desperate for special talents. If you came, the entire station would treat you like a treasure."
Guan Xia shook her head without hesitation. "No, no. I’m just an ordinary person. I could never be as remarkable as you all."
"You’re selling yourself short," Qi Bai laughed. "Just the clues you’ve provided have already saved lives. That’s pretty remarkable."
The praise made Guan Xia both bashful and secretly thrilled. Saving lives—it made the sky seem bluer, the trees greener, even the air fresher.
Stealing a glance at Qi Bai, who seemed in good spirits, Guan Xia finally voiced the question that had been nagging her. "Hey, Qi Bai, what did you mean earlier by ‘what a coincidence’? Do you live in the same complex? Even right across from me?"
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Qi Bai’s smile didn’t waver while his eyes took on that same enigmatic look.
Just as Guan Xia wondered what it meant, someone suddenly opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.
Guan Xia turned to see Xu Nian. No wonder Qi Bai had been waiting—he’d been expecting him.
Xu Nian glanced at Guan Xia while fastening his seatbelt. "What’s with that face, Qi Bai? What were you two talking about?"
Qi Bai chuckled and started the car before saying, "Nothing much, just chatting about Guan Xia moving into a new place—Shuimu Spring City, Building 9, Unit 2, Apartment 901."
Xu Nian paused briefly while fastening his seatbelt, glanced at Guan Xia through the rearview mirror, then continued, muttering, "What a coincidence."
At this point, Guan Xia understood and looked at Xu Nian in surprise. "Captain Xu, so you’re the one living across from me?"
Xu Nian gave a quiet "Mhm," then added after a moment, "Don’t worry. Even though I often come home late at night, I’m always quiet. Normally, I shouldn’t wake you."
Hearing this, Guan Xia immediately realized that some auntie must have repeatedly reminded Xu Nian about this.
She quickly reassured him, "I haven’t lived here long, but the soundproofing seems decent. The motion-sensor lights are pretty sensitive too—no need to cough or stomp to turn them on. So in theory, you coming home normally shouldn’t disturb me."
Xu Nian nodded. "Good." Then he turned to Qi Bai, who was pretending to be quiet but clearly eavesdropping. "Did your foot suddenly go lame? Does pressing the accelerator hurt?"
Qi Bai chuckled again. "Been stepping on it all day—my foot’s a bit numb. It’s fine now."
They drove in silence until dropping Guan Xia off at the neighborhood entrance. Only after watching her enter the complex did Qi Bai finally burst out, "Captain Xu, isn’t this just fate? Yongquan City has millions of people, and you two end up as next-door neighbors? What are the odds? You must have some serious destiny tying you together."
Xu Nian shot him a glare and ignored the remark, instead asking, "Did you really delete Lu Tingfeng’s contact info?"
Qi Bai shivered, his face falling. "Deleted, deleted, I swear! Captain, let’s just move past this. I promise I’ll never mention Guan Xia to Brother Lu again—not a single word."
Xu Nian stared out the window, silent for a few seconds before sighing. "I’m afraid it might already be too late. Knowing him, he’s probably already on his way back to Yongquan City."
Qi Bai instinctively hunched his shoulders, pressing the accelerator a little harder. "It… can’t be that serious, right? I just casually mentioned her in conversation—I never gave any details. Would Brother Lu really come all the way back just for that?"
Xu Nian’s voice was low. "You and I aren’t like him. We’ve never been in that position—we can’t understand his thoughts or actions. But if I were him, after exhausting every effort, even ruthless ones, and still hitting a dead end… I’d cling to any shred of hope too."
Qi Bai fell silent, then muttered dejectedly, "Captain… did I make a huge mistake?"
The car stayed quiet for a long moment before Xu Nian finally spoke. "Keep your eyes open. If you notice Lu Tingfeng really has returned to Yongquan City, tell me immediately."
Qi Bai straightened up and agreed.
By now, evening rush hour had set in. Even with police lights flashing, it took them over twenty minutes longer than before to return to the scene.
The moment they stepped out of the car, Xu Nian approached Jiang Yingyao. "What’s the situation, Brother Jiang?"
Jiang Yingyao replied, "Director Ren’s overseeing the mountain search. Every available officer from the precinct’s been called in, plus backup from the local station. Drones with infrared are on the way. We haven’t caught Jiang Chuntao yet, but she won’t get far."
Xu Nian glanced at the wild hillside—officers were still pouring in while others regrouped. The previously open area around the village, hundreds of meters from the house, was now packed with vehicles.
With Director Ren in charge, Xu Nian wasn’t worried. He just asked about the scene.
Jiang Yingyao said, "Based on irregularities in the vegetation, we’ve dug up four spots so far. Found all the remaining remains of four victims. Only half of the fifth victim’s remains have been recovered."
Xu Nian frowned. "So Luo Shun did dispose of the fifth victim’s body elsewhere, but it hasn’t been discovered yet?"
Jiang Yingyao also found it odd. "Usually, killers refine their methods over time—later victims leave fewer clues. It doesn’t make sense that the remains of the later four were found but not the earlier ones. If there was a perfect spot, Luo Shun would’ve dumped everything there. The fact that he kept changing locations suggests he knew the earlier ones weren’t hidden well enough."
Xu Nian fell into thought without responding.
Jiang Yingyao pondered for a bit longer before shrugging. "Whatever. The suspect’s in custody. No matter how tight-lipped this bastard is, we’ll crack him open sooner or later. Then we’ll know."
Xu Nian kept frowning. "How’s Luo Xiaoyun doing?"
Jiang Yingyao said, "Sent to the hospital. She was indeed drugged with sleeping pills. We’ve already taken her statement. According to her, her parents left early and came back late selling vegetables. She went to school every day and mostly stayed home during breaks, only occasionally helping her parents. She only knew they sold vegetables—nothing else."
Qi Bai snorted. "What did I say earlier? That kid’s no fool. If she really knew nothing, that’d mean she actually knows something."
Jiang Yingyao sighed. "I know she must know something. But she’s only eleven. What can we do?"
Qi Bai opened his mouth, frustration clear, but no words came out.
Jiang Yingyao patted his shoulder reassuringly, then turned to Xu Nian. "But we did dig up something on Jiang Chuntao."
Xu Nian and Qi Bai looked over. Jiang Yingyao continued, "Jiang Chuntao was born in 1980. Before marrying Luo Shun, she had a previous husband. And here’s the kicker—he went missing in 2014."
Xu Nian and Qi Bai exchanged glances, realization dawning, their expressions shifting to surprise.
Xu Nian asked, "Did we cross-check the fifth victim’s blood DNA with Luo Xiaoyun’s?"
Jiang Yingyao nodded. "Sent it to the forensics team. Results will take a while."
Qi Bai exhaled, equal parts stunned and disturbed. "Luo Shun’s ruthless, but Jiang Chuntao… she’s no saint either."
