The weekend arrived quickly. Guan Xia had just finished binge-watching another drama. She set down her phone and stretched with a big yawn, counting on her fingers. Aside from her daily morning workouts, it had been two or three days since she last stepped outside properly, and nearly half a month since her return from Quchun City after recharging her "halo."
Xu Nian had stayed in touch due to the ongoing case. Although two more cold cases had been linked and successfully merged with the investigation, the first case was still unresolved.
Guan Xia figured it was time to go out. If nothing else, her taste buds were protesting—she was sick of takeout, and the sight of her own cooking had become unbearable.
She picked up her phone again, about to call Pang Le to invite her for dinner, but just as she opened her call log, Pang Le beat her to it.
Guan Xia answered with a delighted laugh. "I was just thinking of you, and here you are calling me. Talk about being on the same wavelength! Were you about to ask me out to eat?"
Pang Le chuckled too. "What a coincidence! Yeah, yeah, dinner tonight? Same as usual—I’ll pick you up?"
Guan Xia happily agreed.
Forty minutes later, they met at the entrance of Guan Xia’s neighborhood. Guan Xia hesitated when she saw Pang Le’s outfit. "You’ve… changed your style again?"
Pang Le usually sported voluminous curls and body-hugging dresses, but today, her hair was sleek and straight, paired with an ethereal white gown. Her makeup was barely there, toning down her usual glamour by at least seventy percent. If not for the untamed glint still lingering in her eyes, Guan Xia might’ve thought she’d been body-snatched.
Pang Le waited until Guan Xia was settled in the passenger seat before flipping her hair proudly. "Well? Stunned, aren’t you? Not to brag, but this look took me over two hours. The more ‘no-makeup’ it looks, the harder it is to pull off."
Guan Xia praised her with a few exaggerated compliments before narrowing her eyes. "Two hours? You called me just forty minutes ago. Seems like I wasn’t your first choice for tonight."
Pang Le immediately softened her voice, playing apologetic. "Sorry, sorry! You know you’re always my number one, right? Don’t be mad!"
Guan Xia huffed, not actually upset, but curiosity got the better of her. "So, you got stood up?"
Pang Le cautiously checked Guan Xia’s expression before admitting, "Yeah. We were supposed to have dinner—some fancy Western place. But just as I finished my makeup, he texted saying something urgent came up. Couldn’t be helped. Still, after spending two hours on my face and another hour on my hair, I wasn’t about to waste it."
"So you thought of me," Guan Xia said with another mock huff. "Fine, but since I’m the backup plan, you’re paying."
"Absolutely!" Pang Le grinned, relieved, and started the car.
Guan Xia assumed they’d stick to the original plan and go for Western food, but instead, Pang Le took a series of winding backroads before parking in a familiar-looking alley.
Guan Xia stepped out, puzzled. "What’s the plan? I feel like I’ve been here before."
"We have," Pang Le said, locking the car and linking arms with her. "Same spot we parked last time with Xu Nian and the others."
Guan Xia remembered. "The barbecue place?"
"Not tonight," Pang Le said. "I found this hot pot spot when I brought my gym crew here. The front desk girl recommended it—super unique flavors. Don’t worry, the AC’s strong. No sweat-fest."
Guan Xia swallowed her protest at the last reassurance.
The alley was just as lively as before, but this time, they didn’t venture far. Just a few steps in, Pang Le stopped at a bustling storefront.
"Here we are," she said, holding the door open. "See how packed it is? Total hidden gem."
Guan Xia glanced around. The decor was simple, but the space was large, with two-thirds of the tables already filled despite it being early for dinner.
Pang Le led her to a window seat. "This spot’s perfect—close enough to the AC to stay comfortable. We sat here last time too."
Guan Xia had no objections. When the server brought menus, they deliberated and placed their order.
Pang Le rinsed their cups and poured water, casually asking, "Did you ever ask Xu Nian about what we discussed? What’d he say?"
Guan Xia shrugged. "Pretty much what you predicted. He said he’d bring it up with his superiors, but I doubt it’ll go anywhere. Guess I was overreaching."
Pang Le wiped their chopsticks clean. "I think your idea’s solid. I mean, I’ve spent the most time with you—I know you better than they do. But honestly? No need to rush. Today’s May 25th. If I remember right, it’s barely been a month since you first gave the cops that lead. In just a month, you’ve helped crack three cases, with a fourth underway. Sure, it was accidental, but still—that’s not bad for your ‘talent.’ Plus, you’re young. No hurry."
Guan Xia had been restless lately, haunted by the elusive "halo." But Pang Le’s breakdown made her realize only a month had passed since she’d activated the system.
It was as if the sword hanging over her head had lifted slightly. Guan Xia exhaled, tension easing.
Leaning back in her chair, she propped her chin on her hand. "You always say you don’t think much, but you’re pretty sharp. That pep talk was flawless."
Pang Le shot her a look. "I’m lazy, not stupid. Just prefer action over overthinking."
Guan Xia studied her face and grinned. "With your skills and looks, you’re already unbeatable. If you started using your brain more? God, the world wouldn’t stand a chance."
Pang Le burst out laughing at the exaggeration.
As they chatted, more groups streamed in, filling the remaining tables. Guan Xia noticed most newcomers were young. The rich aromas had already made her stomach growl; now, hunger gnawed harder.
She sighed. "Turns out, even after years in Yongquan City, I’m as clueless as a tourist. Never knew this place existed until last time."
"That's because you were too busy surviving before," Pang Le said. "You only really started enjoying life in the last two or three years. Another thing is that you're such a homebody—I can't even imagine what you do staying indoors for days on end. Don’t you get bored?"
Guan Xia shook her head. "Not at all. I read books, binge shows, watch variety programs, and when inspiration strikes, I doodle a bit. Honestly, I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day."
Pang Le sucked in a breath. "It’s a miracle we even became friends."
Guan Xia wholeheartedly agreed and nodded with a smile.
The restaurant was crowded, so it took about ten minutes for their food to arrive. Just as the hot pot finally started boiling and Guan Xia was digging in, she overheard a man at the next table say, "What are they eating? It looks delicious. Get me the same thing."
Guan Xia instinctively turned and saw a man in his forties glancing at their table while speaking to the server.
He had a simple, clean-cut hairstyle, fair skin marred by patches of red—like a sunburn—and though he was no longer young, he hadn’t gained weight. His thick eyebrows, narrow eyes, unremarkable nose, and thin lips were ordinary on their own, but combined with his sharply defined jawline, they somehow made him unexpectedly handsome.
Sensing Guan Xia’s gaze, the man turned toward her after placing his order and met her eyes with a warm smile—unusually kind for a stranger.
Guan Xia reflexively smiled back before looking away, though something about him felt off. He seemed familiar.
And familiarity was never a good sign. As she ate, she wracked her brain.
Her first thought was the recent unsolved case she’d provided leads for. Xu Nian had told her that while a suspect had been identified, the crime scene had been scrubbed too clean for direct evidence. The police were surveilling him but hadn’t made an arrest yet.
Steadying herself, Guan Xia focused, summoning the system interface in her mind. The recorded footage replayed, and as the red-bordered face enlarged, a few seconds of scrutiny confirmed her chilling suspicion: it was the man at the next table.
Shock and disbelief hit her. Wasn’t he from Jianyang City? His crimes had always occurred between September and November, and he usually holed up in his own guesthouse the rest of the year. It was only May—why was he in Yongquan City? Xu Nian had said they were watching him closely. Were there officers in the restaurant?
Guan Xia fought to keep her expression neutral, continuing to eat while subtly scanning the room.
The tables around the man were full, each seating two to four adults of varying ages, chatting casually over meals. She didn’t dare look too obviously, but a quick glance revealed no obvious police presence. Still, given the killer’s brutality, Xu Nian’s team had to be here—probably more than one or two officers.
The thought eased her slightly, but internally, she was screaming.
How absurd was this? It was her first time stepping out in days, a completely random outing—she hadn’t even decided on the destination beforehand. And yet, here he was. Worse, he’d broken his pattern. Was he scouting a new victim?
The possibility made her skin crawl. And that brief eye contact, his smile—she wanted to bolt.
But with Xu Nian’s investigation ongoing, she forced herself to finish the meal, her face stiff with tension.
Pang Le noticed immediately. Before she could ask, Guan Xia shot her a look, and Pang Le took the hint, focusing on her food.
Normally, their meals lasted at least an hour and a half. This time, they wrapped up in under an hour.
Once outside, Pang Le finally whispered, "What’s wrong? Did you notice something?"
Guan Xia clung to her arm, gripping tightly as if for support. "Don’t look back. Just keep walking. The man at the next table—he’s the suspect from the case I tipped Xu Nian off about."
Pang Le gasped, nearly turning before stopping herself. "Wait, why hasn’t he been arrested? Why’s he still out here?"
"He’s under surveillance. They’re gathering evidence," Guan Xia explained.
Pang Le exhaled in relief. "Oh, okay. For a second, I thought about tackling him myself."
She sounded almost disappointed.
Guan Xia pinched her arm in annoyance.
Pang Le fake-winced, and the two stayed linked until they reached the car.
Feeling exposed, Guan Xia rolled up the half-open window. Pang Le shut all the windows and turned on the AC.
As they pulled onto the brightly lit main road, Pang Le glanced over. "Should you tell Xu Nian about this?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment. "Probably not. He mentioned a task force was on this. The surveillance team must’ve already reported the suspect’s location. They’re tracking his every move."
Unlike Guan Xia, Pang Le stayed calm, though her expression was grave. "I noticed him looking at you. What if he’s targeting you? Like that psycho—what was his name? He something."
Guan Xia’s blood ran cold. She wanted to dismiss it as bad luck, but after this coincidence, she couldn’t. That seemingly harmless smile—what was really going through his mind?
Lost in thought, she was about to ask Pang Le to stay with her when her phone rang.
Pulling it from her bag, she saw Xu Nian’s name on the screen.
Realizing something, Guan Xia answered the call swiftly. Before she could even speak, Xu Nian's voice came through, "Is QH663 Pang Le's license plate number?"
Guan Xia instinctively glanced at Pang Le for a moment before replying, "Yes, it's hers. Why?"
Xu Nian's tone turned serious. "We just got word from our surveillance team. After you left the restaurant, Xia Wenguang followed two minutes behind and trailed you all the way to where you parked. I recommend you stick together from now on and avoid going out unnecessarily. I’ll also be staying at home for the next couple of days and will arrange for colleagues to keep watch near the neighborhood."
Pang Le’s suspicions had just become reality. Though Guan Xia had braced herself for this, fear crept in, and she couldn’t help but sigh at her own luck—how could this happen to her?
After acknowledging the warning, Guan Xia hung up and relayed the situation to Pang Le.
Pang Le raised an eyebrow, her expression practically screaming, "I told you so."
Guan Xia couldn’t help but smile bitterly. "Looks like you’ll have to put up with staying with me for a few more days."
