Watching Guan Xia's figure disappear into the apartment building's entrance, Xu Nian withdrew his gaze but remained seated on the bench, making no move to stand. He lowered his eyes to the sketch in his hand, his focus lingering on the delicate features of the girl outlined in black strokes. It effortlessly brought back memories of the case from November 17, 2019.
Name: Huang Man
Age: 28
Occupation: Ballet instructor at Starlight Art Training Center
Cause of death: Mechanical asphyxiation
Time of death: Approximately 4:00 AM on November 17, 2019
Prior to death, the victim had ingested sleeping pills, leaving no visible signs of struggle. The autopsy revealed no external injuries, and her internal organs were intact with no evidence of assault. However, the killer had lingered in the victim’s home for an extended period after her death—not only cleaning the scene but also redressing her. The perpetrator had changed Huang Man into a white dress and painted her fingernails and toenails with clear polish. The absence of any traces at the scene indicated the killer had left with deliberate calm.
This very detail led the West District Criminal Police Brigade, initially handling the case, to conclude that the perpetrator was no first-time offender. After issuing cross-district bulletins and escalating the matter to the Municipal Bureau, a special task force was formed.
At the time, Xu Nian, as an officer from Pingjiang District’s Criminal Police Brigade, joined the task force. Yet, after nearly a month of investigation, no breakthrough was found. Still, they weren’t entirely empty-handed—five potentially related cold cases were identified across five cities in the province. However, due to insufficient connections, the cases couldn’t be consolidated, and Huang Man’s case, lacking further leads, eventually went cold as well.
Pulling these details from memory, Xu Nian shifted his attention to the second sketch.
After their interactions during the previous two cases, Xu Nian had come to deeply trust the leads Guan Xia provided. Yet, staring at this face, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unreality. A suspect who had eluded countless officers for nearly a month was now suddenly right before him?
Only now did he truly grasp how invaluable Guan Xia’s talent was to detectives like him.
After sitting on the bench for a few more minutes, Xu Nian didn’t head home. Instead, he drove to the precinct.
With no active cases recently, the Second Division had been keeping regular hours, leaving the office dark. In contrast, the Third Division next door was brightly lit, officers bustling in and out, exchanging greetings with Xu Nian.
After acknowledging each colleague, Xu Nian entered his office, turned on the lights and computer, and quickly pulled up the database to identify the man in the sketch.
Xia Wenguang, male, 39, native of Jianyang City, Dingyuan Province. A 2002 law graduate from Dongning University, he briefly worked as an intern at Ruihai Law Firm in Jianyang before quitting to open a countryside guesthouse in the suburbs.
Xu Nian swiftly reviewed Xia Wenguang’s profile, then searched his social media accounts. His scrolling halted at a few lines in the bio: Xia Wenguang listed travel as a hobby, mentioning trips every two or three years, lasting one to three months. Photos and location tags showed he had explored all of Dingyuan Province and occasionally ventured into neighboring provinces, though never too far.
Recalling the five cold cases the task force had tentatively linked to the November 17 case—their locations and timelines—Xu Nian realized he had just uncovered the critical lead needed to reopen the investigation.
Setting his phone down, he leaned back in his chair and exhaled. A glance at his watch told him dawn was only a few hours away, so he dismissed the idea of contacting his superiors immediately.
After locking the two sketches in a drawer, Xu Nian hesitated for a moment, then dialed Lu Tingfeng three times in a row. When there was no answer, he grabbed his car keys and left.
His first stop was Lu Tingfeng’s apartment, unsurprisingly empty. After a quick sweep of the living room and bedroom, Xu Nian found himself at a loss—until his gaze caught a framed photo on the TV stand. A memory sparked, and he hurried out.
Sure enough, half an hour later, Xu Nian found Lu Tingfeng at a remote, dilapidated basketball court.
Lu Tingfeng was sprawled on the ground, spinning a basketball lazily. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and broke into a wide grin. "Knew you’d come looking for me."
Xu Nian didn’t respond, striding over with an air of barely restrained fury. Just as he opened his mouth, Lu Tingfeng raised a hand. "Hold on, save the scolding. Help me up first—my legs are numb."
With a pained grimace, Lu Tingfeng tossed the ball aside and extended a hand. Xu Nian hesitated, then yanked him to his feet—only to immediately flip him back onto the ground with a judo throw.
Lu Tingfeng’s face twisted in pain. "Hiss— Thought you’d just yell at me, not actually hit me. Fine, go ahead, but not the face, alright? I’m relying on my looks these days." He theatrically covered his face with his arms. "Do your worst. I won’t fight back, promise."
Xu Nian did want to hit him, but the ridiculous display made him snort in exasperation. He settled for kicking Lu Tingfeng’s legs twice before flopping down beside him.
After a pause, Lu Tingfeng, sensing Xu Nian had vented enough, lowered his arms and propped his head on his hands. "Guan Xia talked to you, huh?"
Xu Nian shot him a glare but stayed silent.
Lu Tingfeng chuckled. "Didn’t expect that. She seems all quiet and delicate, but she’s sharp—played me like a fiddle. I even considered trying a ‘charm offensive,’ but clearly, she’d see right through it." He suddenly sat up, pulling out his phone to check his reflection. Satisfied, he lay back down. "Phew. Still gorgeous. Guess it’s just someone here who’s blind."
Xu Nian kicked him again. "Could you ever be serious?"
Lu Tingfeng took the hit with a grin. "If I turned serious, I’d steal your whole vibe. No thanks. You’ve been a fossil since we were kids—so boring."
Another two kicks later, Lu Tingfeng mimed zipping his lips. "Alright, alright. Let’s get to business."
Xu Nian took a deep breath. "Why are you back? Why approach Guan Xia?"
Lu Tingfeng shrugged. "Exactly what you’re thinking. Wanted to see if she could help with the case I’ve been chasing."
Xu Nian’s temper flared again. "And?" he ground out.
"Then?" Lu Tingfeng could tell Xu Nian was about to hit him again, so he finally straightened up a little and said, "I don’t want to lie to you. I did plan to ask for her help. As long as she’s willing, I’d give her anything she wants."
Xu Nian couldn’t help raising his voice slightly. "But she’s just an ordinary person. No matter how talented she is, you shouldn’t make choices for her in any way or by any means before she’s ready."
Lu Tingfeng chuckled, his tone light but deliberate. "Xu Nian, I’ve always envied you, really. Since we were kids, every decision was yours to make. You chose which school to attend, what major to study. Even though we’re about the same age, you’ve always had a clear path ahead. I guess I was the same, though not as sharp-minded as you. I only applied to the police academy because the uniform looked cool—and because you were going there. But honestly, if not for what happened later, I’d have been a cop for life. It’s just that cool—solving cases, saving lives. Every officer is a hero. But it’s a shame… none of us expected or wanted what happened."
Lu Tingfeng still wore a faint smile, but his voice was anything but calm. "I know you understand. I know it wasn’t my fault. But I can’t help thinking this way. You watched my little sister grow up too. The worst part is, she wasn’t even supposed to be born into this world to suffer. My parents didn’t plan to have a second child after me because of their careers. It was me—I was jealous of Jun Ming having such a sweet, adorable sister, so I pestered my parents until they had her. She came into this world because of me. But she only lived to seven. Just seven years, and then she was gone… in that way. I know I should move forward, that the dead are gone and the living must go on. If she’s watching from above, I know she’d want me to live well. I don’t want to let down everyone who cares about me either. But I just can’t. As long as her killer walks free, I’ll never have peace."
Xu Nian listened quietly, waiting until Lu Tingfeng’s agitation subsided before speaking. "I do understand you. I share your desire to catch that killer. I’m a cop, and I’m your friend. Helping you is what I should do. But Guan Xia isn’t part of this. She’s just an ordinary person—someone who’s even contributed to society. She’s a stranger with no ties to you or me. You can’t drag her into this."
Lu Tingfeng sighed suddenly and sat up to face Xu Nian. "I didn’t want to say something this harsh, but it seems necessary."
Xu Nian frowned and sat up as well.
Rubbing his face, Lu Tingfeng gathered his thoughts before continuing. "You’ve known Guan Xia longer than I have, interacted with her more. You should understand better than anyone how rare her talent is. She’s like a gold ingot buried under rubble—even if her brilliance is hidden now, it’ll be discovered eventually. I get that cooperating with the police would be the best way to protect her safety and maximize her potential. But you’re a cop, and I used to be one. We both know that deep collaboration isn’t just about solving cases. Can you guarantee she’d have absolute freedom? That no one would interfere with her?"
Xu Nian’s brow furrowed deeply, but he remained silent.
Lu Tingfeng smiled. "I know my former colleagues. After you all learned about Guan Xia, someone must’ve approached her. But if I had to guess, she refused, didn’t she? She doesn’t want to be a cop—probably never even considered it."
Xu Nian still didn’t answer.
Propping his chin on his hand, Lu Tingfeng studied Xu Nian with amusement. "I’ve only met Guan Xia once, but that brief encounter gave me some insight. She’s an orphan who got where she is entirely on her own. She might seem easygoing, but I’d bet she’s stubborn at her core—the type who yields to kindness but digs in against pressure. The methods we were trained in? I doubt they’d work on her. So do you still think working with the police is her best option?"
Xu Nian scoffed. "Then why do you think she’d cooperate with you? If she’s as stubborn as you say, your tactics won’t work either. I told you before—no one can or should force her before she’s ready."
Lu Tingfeng sighed again. "Xu Nian, you really haven’t changed all these years. The world isn’t divided into ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t.’ Fine, let’s say I listen to you—I abandon my plan, stay away from her, never approach her again. But with so many unsolved cases out there, even if it’s not me, there’ll be others. How can you be sure no one else will seek her out? She’s a person, not a pet. You can’t watch her 24/7. Most importantly, she’s got legs and a strong will. She won’t stay in Yongquan City forever—she’ll leave eventually. What will you do then?"
Xu Nian took a deep breath, his expression darkening with the urge to kick Lu Tingfeng again.
Lu Tingfeng quickly shifted his legs away, putting some distance between them.
After gauging Xu Nian’s mood, he cleared his throat and went on. "But I’m different. If she agrees to work with me, I’ll give her complete autonomy. I’ll just be her shadow—go wherever she goes, tackle whatever cases she chooses. My only roles would be protecting her safety and providing the information she needs. Best of all, solving more cases this way would build her reputation. When she eventually collaborates with the police, she’d have real leverage. No one could lead her around blindly. Doesn’t that sound like the best arrangement for everyone?"
Xu Nian sneered. "If you recognize how valuable her talent is to the police, you know how dangerous it is to criminals. How can you guarantee her safety alone? And about ‘providing information’—don’t forget, you’re no longer on the force. Even if you’ve got cop friends, confidentiality laws mean none of them would dare feed you that much intel."
Xu Nian's words were sharp and unkind, yet Lu Tingfeng couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Xu Nian with a resigned expression and said, "Trying to fish for information, are you? If you want to know something, just ask me directly. I’d tell you—no need for such roundabout tactics. Fine, I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing all these years. I’ve met many people like me. Those with money contributed money; those with strength offered their efforts. So don’t worry. Though I may seem alone, there are actually many standing behind me. I swear to you, all of us would lay down our lives to protect Guan Xia—as long as she’s willing to help us."
Xu Nian studied Lu Tingfeng for a long moment before exhaling heavily. "You’re truly out of your mind, pinning all your hopes on a complete stranger."
"Because there’s no hope left," Lu Tingfeng replied calmly.
