Guan Xia had been waiting for Xu Nian for quite some time, and after two more days, she finally received good news one evening.
Because she couldn’t stop thinking about verifying her suspicions, Guan Xia would take out the photos and examine them carefully whenever she had a spare moment. That day, her eyes grew tired from staring at them for so long, so she decided to take a nap. Unexpectedly, when she woke up, it was already dark outside.
Having slept far longer than intended, Guan Xia checked her phone and realized she had missed a delivery call—the new books she had ordered were already at the pickup point.
Though she didn’t feel like going out, she eventually changed her shoes and headed out anyway. It was on her way to collect the package that the system interface suddenly popped up.
You have successfully assisted the police in solving a homicide case.
Aura recharging…
Recharge complete.
Almost as soon as she read those words, Guan Xia’s steps lightened with joy.
After half a month, she had finally sent another criminal behind bars—one who might very well face the death penalty—and her aura had replenished once more.
Most importantly, this killer had been far more ruthless and cunning than any before. Even though the truth had been uncovered, the lack of direct evidence had allowed him to roam free—until now. Justice, however delayed, had finally caught up with him, and he would pay for his crimes.
Just as she reached the pickup point, her phone rang. Pulling it out, she saw it was Xu Nian calling.
The pickup spot was crowded, so Guan Xia stepped aside to a quieter corner before answering. The moment she did, she heard Xu Nian’s unusually cheerful voice. "Guan Xia, we got him. He’s already been taken back to the station."
Even though she couldn’t see his face, his tone alone told her he was smiling just as excitedly as she was.
Though she already knew the outcome, Guan Xia couldn’t help but exclaim, "Congratulations! The case is finally solved."
Xu Nian chuckled. "Same to you. Without your help, there might’ve been another victim by May."
Guan Xia felt a surge of relief, but looking back at everything that had happened, it was as if every piece had fallen into place at just the right time.
There was also the fact that, though Lu Tingfeng’s actions still left a bitter taste in her mouth, his interference had inadvertently pushed the case forward—saving a life in the process.
Thinking of Lu Tingfeng, Guan Xia tentatively asked, "Once the case is wrapped up, do you think we could talk? If you have time, that is."
Xu Nian agreed without hesitation. "Of course. Are you free tonight? I’m on my way home now. If it’s convenient, we could grab dinner and chat."
Guan Xia was surprised. "Tonight? But didn’t you just arrest him? Won’t you have to interrogate him overnight?"
Xu Nian explained, "When we got the go-ahead to make the arrest, the task force leader made it clear—this suspect isn’t like the others. Given our usual methods, we wouldn’t get a confession right away. So they’ve called in an interrogation specialist from the provincial bureau. He’s already on his way, which means we can take a break and go home for now."
Guan Xia thought back to everything Xu Nian had told her about the case. From what she knew, the killer, Xia Wenguang, had taken at least nine lives over the span of more than a decade. At 39 years old, that meant he had started killing in his twenties, growing increasingly ruthless with age. To Guan Xia, he no longer seemed human—just a monster wearing human skin.
"I’ve been reading some crime novels lately," she said. "From what I understand, as long as the evidence is solid, a case can still go to trial even without a confession. Is that right?"
Xu Nian confirmed, "That’s correct. But even though this man has killed so many people—and no one cares about his motives or whether he had some tragic backstory—the interrogation is still necessary. Procedure demands we at least try to get him to talk."
While the police might be used to such things, Guan Xia was still curious. After a brief hesitation, she asked, "Once the interrogation’s over… could you tell me what his motive was?"
Xu Nian replied, "Sure. The specialist is taking the latest flight tonight. They’ll conduct an overnight interrogation, so we should have the results by morning. I’ll let you know as soon as I can."
After thanking him and hanging up, Guan Xia wasted no time. She quickly retrieved her package and hurried home.
Pressing the elevator button, she waited for it to arrive on the first floor. When the doors opened, she was startled to see a familiar figure inside.
"Xu Nian? What a coincidence!" Guan Xia blinked in surprise. "Weren’t you just on your way home? How did you get here so fast?"
Xu Nian glanced at the package in her hands and smiled. "I was already near the neighborhood when I called you."
As Guan Xia stepped into the elevator, he reached for the box. "That looks heavy. Let me carry it for you."
Guan Xia instinctively pulled it back. "It’s fine, just a few books."
Xu Nian didn’t withdraw his hand. "Consider it a thank-you for helping us with the case?"
At that, Guan Xia relented and handed it over. "If that’s the case, this ‘thank-you’ seems a little too light. Shouldn’t it at least include a meal?"
"Even that wouldn’t be enough," Xu Nian said. "But we can start with dinner. How about I treat you tonight?"
"Deal." Guan Xia grinned.
They chatted until the elevator reached the ninth floor. Guan Xia unlocked her door, and Xu Nian followed her inside to set the package down. "I’ll leave it here, then. I should go shower and change first."
"Alright." Guan Xia saw him out. "See you in a bit."
Closing the door behind her, she grabbed a small knife and carefully opened the package. After inspecting each of the five books for damage and confirming they were all in perfect condition, she carried them to her study and placed them neatly on the shelf.
Returning to the entryway, she began using correction fluid to obscure the address on the shipping box. As she worked, she happened to glance at the new doormat she had bought after moving in—and noticed something odd.
The dark green mat, embroidered with the words "Welcome Home," bore two dusty footprints that were clearly not her size. Recalling Xu Nian’s shoes, she wondered if he had left them when he came in earlier.
Setting the box aside, she then noticed that her other pair of frequently worn shoes—the ones she hadn’t put away—were slightly askew by the shoe rack. The left heel was tilted, as if something had bumped into it. Had she knocked them over while changing into slippers? But she didn’t remember doing so.
A flicker of unease passed through her. Part of her wondered if she was overthinking it, but her instincts insisted something was off. After a moment’s hesitation, caution won out.
Grabbing her keys from the shoe rack, she hurried out and knocked on Xu Nian’s door.
After two sharp raps and a brief wait, Xu Nian opened the door, looking puzzled. "What’s wrong?"
Just as Guan Xia was about to speak, the system interface suddenly appeared again.
You were being questioned by the police when you suddenly remembered something. On the evening of May 28th at 7:12 PM, after returning home, you noticed unusual footprints on the doormat. Your neatly placed casual shoes were also out of position, and you faintly heard a soft noise coming from the bedroom. Your sharp instincts told you that a stranger might have entered your home, and you decided to inform the police.
The uncertain suspicion turned out to be true. In an instant, Guan Xia felt a chilling sensation shoot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her legs weakened, and she instinctively grabbed Xu Nian’s arm to steady herself, forcing herself to stay calm as she spoke, "Xu Nian, I think someone broke into my place."
Xu Nian, initially puzzled, reflexively supported Guan Xia. But upon hearing her words, his expression immediately turned serious. "Wait outside. I’ll go in and check."
Guan Xia was immensely grateful she had moved—and that a police officer lived right across from her.
Watching Xu Nian move swiftly yet cautiously into the apartment, Guan Xia paced anxiously in the hallway, torn between worry and impatience. Barely three or four minutes later, she heard a somewhat shrill voice cry out, "Brother, I was wrong! I was wrong! Don’t hit me!"
It sounded like Xu Nian had subdued the intruder. Gathering her courage, Guan Xia stepped inside.
As soon as she reached the entryway, she saw Xu Nian dragging out a young man from the bedroom—his hands already cuffed behind his back.
The man was of average height and unremarkable appearance, now wearing an ingratiating smile as he pleaded, "Brother, I messed up, I really did. I just acted on impulse—I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Look, nothing bad happened. Can’t you just let me go?"
Xu Nian ignored him, shoving the man out the door before barking, "Who are you calling 'brother'? Get down, hands on your head."
The young man obediently crouched and clasped his hands behind his head.
Xu Nian pushed the door wide open, inspecting the lock carefully before saying coldly, "'Nothing bad happened'? You broke in and hid in the closet—seems to me you just didn’t get the chance to do worse!"
His sharp tone made the man flinch. In a panic, he slapped himself across the face and stammered, "Officer, I swear—I really did regret it after hiding in the closet! I was about to leave, but then I heard someone come home. I had no choice but to stay hidden. I heard you two talking and figured you’d leave soon, so I thought I’d slip out unnoticed. But then you caught me..."
He hung his head dejectedly. "I really didn’t plan to do anything bad. If I had, I could’ve come out as soon as you left. But I didn’t—doesn’t that prove I changed my mind?"
Xu Nian scoffed. "We work with evidence, not excuses. When did you break in? What were you planning? And why the closet?"
The man glanced up, hesitating before finally admitting, "Around seven. I was sitting in the complex when I saw the resident leave, so I snuck in and picked the lock. Weird thing is, I was dead set on going through with it while breaking in, but the moment I hid in the closet, I started regretting it. Felt like I was possessed or something—why else would I do this? I was still wrestling with it when you came back."
Just as Xu Nian was about to press further, Guan Xia, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. "Around what time did you start regretting it?"
The man looked at her, frustration etched on his face. "Not sure. Maybe around seven? I saw you leave at 6:35. Took me about ten minutes to get upstairs and pick the lock, then hide in the closet—so around 6:45 or 6:50."
Guan Xia did the math. She remembered receiving a notification at 6:20 about her package being left at the pickup point. After hesitating on the couch for a few minutes, she’d put on her shoes and left. Factoring in elevator wait time, she’d likely exited the building around 6:35. Walking to the complex entrance at her usual pace, the system interface would’ve displayed the payment confirmation around 6:45.
This meant the intruder’s sudden remorse was likely due to the influence of the low-presence aura.
Working backward, Guan Xia recalled another incident—two days prior, on Sunday the 26th. While jogging, she’d felt an intense gaze fixed on her. At the time, she’d dismissed it as paranoia. Now, it seemed her instincts had been right. But afterward, she’d called Xu Nian under a pretext—why hadn’t the system triggered then?
After a moment’s thought, she concluded it might’ve been because the situation lacked concrete details or clues.
Quickly organizing her thoughts, Guan Xia pressed, "A couple of days ago, when I was jogging, I kept feeling watched. Was that you?"
The man practically buried his face in his hands. "Yeah. I’m always up early watering my plants on the balcony, and I’d see you running. Never thought much of it—just figured you were pretty, maybe I’d introduce myself someday, see where things went. But that morning, I don’t know what came over me..."
He groaned. "Looking back, maybe I was possessed."
Guan Xia fell silent, deep in thought. The morning of the 26th... She remembered getting a call from Xu Nian shortly after waking up—the alert about the stalker had been resolved. She’d made dumplings with Pang Le, then gone home and headed out for her usual jog.
On the surface, it was no different from any other day. The only variable was the encounter with the stalker the night before, on the 25th. But Guan Xia had faced that same stalker multiple times since moving in, and nothing unusual had happened. Why now?
After turning it over in her mind, she landed on one key difference: malice.
The stalker from before—she remembered their brief interactions. Aside from mundane exchanges like grocery transactions, he’d once casually advised an elderly neighbor to ignore gossip and prioritize her health.
Guan Xia couldn’t be sure if his words had been kind, but she knew they hadn’t carried ill intent.
This time, however, the stalker had followed her—with Pang Le as the primary target, but Guan Xia, as Pang Le’s companion, had clearly been subjected to malice as well.
So, confronting a stalker might deplete the aura’s strength unpredictably, but malice? That seemed to drain it drastically—possibly even reset it entirely.
If she kept passively assisting the police, even with minimal outings, maintaining a peaceful life would be nearly impossible.
Realizing this, Guan Xia felt both surprised and unsurprised, as if the sword of Damocles that had been hanging over her head had finally fallen. Amidst the worry, there was also a sense of relief—like something long anticipated had at last arrived.
