As Guan Xia began to scrutinize Lu Tingfeng internally, she couldn't help but doubt the story he had just shared. If he was actually a police officer, was his account genuine? And if it was fabricated, what could his motive possibly be?
Guan Xia stared blankly at the teacup in her hands, attempting to analyze the situation from a law enforcement perspective. However, she abandoned the effort after just a few seconds—her impression of the police was too stereotypical, and she couldn’t fathom a plausible reason for them to act this way.
Since she couldn’t make sense of it, Guan Xia took a sip of water and shifted her focus to the second piece of information revealed by the system.
The memory from 2019 didn’t just surprise her—it left her utterly bewildered. She had always assumed that all the case-related clues provided by the system were collected from the moment of activation. Now, it seemed the system had passively recorded data from the very instant she transmigrated into this merged world, only surfacing information when triggered.
Reflecting on her twenty-five years in this world, Guan Xia had previously thought her life unremarkable, almost indistinguishable from her pre-transmigration existence. But today’s revelation made her realize the system was far more powerful than she’d imagined.
She couldn’t resist pondering whether it might be worth deepening her collaboration with the police for the sake of that "halo." For instance, she could use the places she’d lived or frequented throughout her life as filters to search for unsolved cold cases. Who knew? There might be unexpected discoveries.
Then there was the matter of the halo itself. Guan Xia had already helped the police solve three cases, and now a fourth had been triggered. Yet, she still hadn’t fully grasped its rules. She had a rough idea of the conditions for recharging it, but the consumption patterns remained unclear. This uncertainty left her feeling unsettled, unable to plan or predict, rendering her hesitant and cautious in her actions.
Her scattered thoughts made dinner that evening a distracted affair.
Fortunately, she was naturally reserved around outsiders. Pang Le seemed to notice her absentmindedness and skillfully diverted Lu Tingfeng’s attempts at conversation, ensuring the gathering ended on a superficially pleasant note.
On the way home, Pang Le glanced at Guan Xia and asked curiously, "What’s going on with you tonight? Were you spooked by Lu Tingfeng’s story, or do you have some intuition about him?"
At the word "intuition," Pang Le’s expression shifted, turning grave—as if a nod from Guan Xia would prompt an immediate U-turn to confront the man.
Guan Xia hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "It’s not intuition. It’s the photo Lu Tingfeng showed me. It did jog my memory, but..."
She struggled to find the right phrasing, but Pang Le understood immediately. "You suspect his motives?"
Guan Xia nodded.
Pang Le fell silent for a moment before voicing his doubts. "Now that you mention it, Lu Tingfeng does seem suspicious. If he really wanted to inquire about someone, wouldn’t the most straightforward approach be to contact the school’s administration or teachers? Wait—no, I remember him saying his workplace was near your alma mater. That makes even less sense. I’ve never been there, but I know university areas are usually crowded. Even people from the same school might not recognize each other, let alone outsiders. His excuse for asking you seems flimsy."
Hearing this, Guan Xia became even more convinced that Lu Tingfeng’s approach wasn’t an inquiry but a test. Yet she couldn’t fathom why, as a police officer, he would test her.
Pang Le’s expression darkened further. "This Lu Tingfeng is definitely fishy. He might have deliberately used me to get close to you. We don’t know his intentions yet, but it can’t be good. Don’t engage with him. I’ll look into him."
Guan Xia nodded again.
Pang Le dropped her off at home, and by the time she stepped inside, it was already past 10 p.m.
Normally, she’d be winding down for bed, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. After changing her shoes, she headed straight to the study, grabbed two blank sheets of paper, and began sketching after a brief pause.
As she recalled the two faces highlighted in red frames, the system interface silently appeared, freezing the images at their clearest moments.
Guan Xia’s hand stilled briefly before she resumed drawing swiftly.
Nearly half an hour later, she set down her pencil and studied the two sketches. The middle-aged man’s portrait could wait—he was alive, and beyond police databases, finding information about him online would be difficult. Instead, she focused on the girl’s sketch, snapping a photo of it.
Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Guan Xia found what she was looking for.
An obscure news site reported a case from November 17, 2019. The victim was the girl in Lu Tingfeng’s photo—identified only by her surname, Huang, aged 28, a dance instructor at a training center. The cause of death was unspecified. The accompanying images were a single life photo of the girl and a blurry shot of police carrying her body out of a building. There was little else of use.
Still, this confirmed Guan Xia’s suspicion: it was indeed an unsolved cold case.
Without hesitation, she decided to report this to the police. But before doing so, she needed to figure out Lu Tingfeng’s deal.
After deliberating for a few minutes, Guan Xia called Xu Nian.
He answered promptly. "Guan Xia? What’s up?"
Keeping her tone steady, she asked, "Do you know Lu Tingfeng?"
The question seemed to catch him off guard. After a long silence, Xu Nian replied, "Are you home right now?"
Guan Xia sensed the implication. "I am. Should we meet? I can come to you now."
She was already heading to the living room when Xu Nian said, "Let’s talk on the bench downstairs."
Eager for answers, Guan Xia didn’t mind the location. "Fine."
Returning to the study to grab the two sketches, she didn’t wait in the hallway for Xu Nian. Instead, she took the elevator straight down.
Seated on the bench by the lawn, Guan Xia initially rehearsed what she’d say. But within seconds, her attention was hijacked by the itchy mosquito bites on her legs.
She scratched angry crosses into the welts, alleviating the itch slightly, and waved away the buzzing insects while peering into the dark entrance of the building. She debated whether to run back upstairs for repellent before Xu Nian arrived.
Just then, his figure emerged from the doorway. Unlike Guan Xia in her short sleeves and skirt, Xu Nian had dressed sensibly in long sleeves and pants—a practicality that made her envious as she scratched relentlessly. But her envy vanished when he approached and handed her a bottle of bug spray.
Guan Xia blinked in surprise. "You actually brought this?"
Xu Nian sat beside her and explained, "I saw the lawn being watered on my way home. Figured the mosquitoes would be out in force tonight."
Guan Xia took the mosquito repellent from Xu Nian, sprayed it thoroughly over herself, and handed it back. "Thanks."
Xu Nian put it away and replied with a casual "no problem" before getting straight to the point. "How do you know Lu Tingfeng? Have you met him?"
Guan Xia nodded, studying Xu Nian's expression with a rare hint of scrutiny.
Xu Nian shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze for a moment before meeting her eyes again, his demeanor calm.
Guan Xia explained, "He's a new friend of Pang Le's. Pang Le found him interesting—and thought his... constitution was a bit unusual—so he introduced us. We had dinner together tonight."
Xu Nian frowned. Though his expression remained neutral, a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, gone as quickly as it came. He looked at Guan Xia earnestly. "I do know him. He's my friend—and a former comrade-in-arms."
"Former?" Guan Xia caught the emphasis.
Xu Nian nodded. "Yes. He used to be a police officer, but he resigned due to personal reasons." He held her gaze, stressing his next words, "It wasn’t a disciplinary issue. He left on his own terms."
Guan Xia understood why he emphasized that. Despite his frustration at Lu Tingfeng deliberately approaching her, he didn’t want her to misunderstand his character. He was subtly assuring her that Lu Tingfeng wasn’t a bad person.
Not a bad person? Interpreting Xu Nian’s expression and words, Guan Xia fell silent for a moment before asking the question weighing on her. "Lu Tingfeng showed me a photo tonight—asked me about her."
She handed over the sketch of the girl.
Xu Nian took it, studying it carefully. With his head lowered, Guan Xia couldn’t read his expression.
"Why is he asking me about this person? What does he want?" Guan Xia pressed.
She had almost asked if Lu Tingfeng was testing her, but the words died on her lips. Out of respect for the police profession, she held back the sharper edge of her suspicion.
"I’m sorry, Guan Xia," Xu Nian finally looked up, meeting her eyes with sincerity. "I do know why he’s doing this, but it involves his personal privacy. I can’t share much. But I promise you—he means no harm. He’s just searching for hope."
"Hope?" The answer caught her off guard, so absurd that Guan Xia let out a disbelieving laugh.
Xu Nian nodded seriously. "Yes, hope. He’s investigating a case, chasing the truth, but he’s hit a dead end."
Guan Xia understood. "So he came to me? Is that why he left the force?"
Having said what mattered, Xu Nian shifted in his seat, leaning back more comfortably. His voice lowered. "The victim in that case was someone very important to him. It affected him deeply—made it impossible for him to stay on the front lines. After being reassigned, he resigned."
As if lost in memory, his tone softened. "He left Yongquan City the day after quitting. Years have passed since then, and we’ve barely met. We only keep in touch through calls and messages. I don’t know exactly what he’s been doing, but I swear on my honor—he would never hurt you. I’ve known him since we were sixteen. He’s changed, but he still hates injustice. He’d never harm an innocent person."
Guan Xia recalled her brief encounter with Lu Tingfeng earlier that night. The tension in her chest eased slightly. Though her impression of him remained uneasy, knowing he was once an officer still pursuing justice made her reluctant to press further about his probing.
With her doubts answered, she turned to the case.
"This girl," Guan Xia pointed at the sketch in Xu Nian’s hand, "I did see her. On the evening of November 14, 2019, near the food street by my alma mater, Dingyuan Academy of Fine Arts."
She paused before continuing, "And besides her, I remember a suspicious middle-aged man—he seemed to be following her."
Xu Nian’s eyes widened in shock, as if she’d said something earth-shattering.
