Afterwards, Xu Nian questioned the young man further, but Guan Xia didn’t pay much attention to the specifics. Her mind was entirely occupied with what she should do next.
She had hesitated before, reluctant to let go of the hard-earned stability in her life. But now that her original plans were no longer feasible, she had to take the initiative and make new arrangements for the future.
Guan Xia lost herself in thought for a long while until Xu Nian called her name. "Guan Xia? Guan Xia?"
Snapping out of it, she looked up and saw two uniformed police officers had arrived at some point. One was closely watching the handcuffed young man, while the other, a female officer, had already turned on her bodycam and was looking at Guan Xia, clearly preparing to take her statement.
Realizing this, Guan Xia pushed all her scattered thoughts aside and focused on giving her account to the officer.
The situation wasn’t complicated, and with Xu Nian present the entire time, things were resolved quickly. After the officers and the young man left, Xu Nian turned to Guan Xia and said, "I’ve done a preliminary interrogation. That guy might seem harmless, but given how skilled he was at picking locks, he probably has a record. Add breaking and entering to that—even if nothing serious happened—and if he has prior offenses, he won’t be getting out anytime soon."
Guan Xia thanked him sincerely.
Xu Nian smiled. "No need for that. Don’t forget, I’m a cop. Anyway, after something like this, I doubt you’re in the mood for dinner. Do you want to go see Pang Le? I can clean up and take you."
Guan Xia was surprised but shook her head with a smile. "We should still eat. Like you said, nothing serious happened, so let’s stick to our plans."
Xu Nian studied her expression carefully, and only when he saw she wasn’t forcing herself did he nod. "Alright, wait for me at home. I’ll shower and change, then come get you."
After watching Xu Nian enter his apartment and close the door, Guan Xia returned to hers. She gathered the photos scattered on the coffee table, looked through them once more, then curled up on the sofa.
Hugging the long pillow Pang Le had given her during her housewarming—almost as if her friend were right beside her—Guan Xia suddenly felt a little safer and allowed her thoughts to wander.
She was worried, but only briefly. Compared to how things had been when she first arrived in this world, her situation now was much better.
Not only did she have the system, but she also had her own home, money, friends, and she’d grown up. She was no longer that helpless child who clung to the one skill she had, pushing forward desperately without daring to stop. Even if the road ahead was uncertain and dangers might arise, she believed she’d overcome them and eventually live the life she wanted.
After roughly assessing her next steps, as she’d done countless times before, Guan Xia felt more settled and began considering what would best serve her future plans.
Pang Le was an easy decision—she could just ask her directly. Pang Le was straightforward; if something worked for her, she’d agree, and if it didn’t, she wouldn’t force herself. Given her personality, she’d definitely want in on something this exciting.
Aside from Pang Le, the person Guan Xia most wanted to collaborate with was Xu Nian. As a skilled and composed detective who spoke little but had shown trust and respect toward her in their interactions, he seemed like the perfect partner. But there was still the same issue: if the cases she uncovered weren’t in Pingjiang District, Xu Nian’s hands would be tied.
After much deliberation, another name surfaced in Guan Xia’s mind—Lu Tingfeng.
Before today, she’d only briefly considered the possibility of working with him, dismissing the idea almost immediately. But now, revisiting it, she realized it might not be so far-fetched.
However, before making any moves, Guan Xia needed to confirm two things: the final verification of her suspicions and, more importantly, control.
No matter who she partnered with, she refused to be in a subordinate position—it would leave her feeling far too vulnerable.
Only when she held the reins could she vaguely see the path ahead, without fear of stumbling into some unseen pitfall.
Like finally finding the end of a tangled thread, Guan Xia’s thoughts grew clearer the more she pondered. She was even starting to strategize how to negotiate with Lu Tingfeng to her advantage when a knock at the door interrupted her.
Startled, it took her a moment to remember she had dinner plans with Xu Nian.
Quickly gathering the photos from the coffee table, she tossed them into her bag by the entrance, slung it over her shoulder, and opened the door before changing her shoes.
"Decided what we’re eating tonight?" she asked Xu Nian while slipping on her shoes. "You’re treating, so it’s your call."
Xu Nian didn’t hesitate. After a moment’s thought, he suggested, "How about something hearty?"
Guan Xia had expected him to propose something like barbecue, so his answer surprised her. But she quickly understood.
While the task force in other cities had been hunting down the killer from the first case, Xu Nian and his team in Yongquan City hadn’t been idle. Though she didn’t know the specifics, surveillance was mentally and physically exhausting, leaving little room for proper meals. Now that the culprit was caught, it made sense he’d want to indulge.
"Sounds good to me," Guan Xia agreed readily.
They didn’t go far, choosing a nearby restaurant in the neighborhood. It wasn’t crowded, the food was average, but the portions were generous, and the ambiance was decent.
It was clear Xu Nian had been neglecting his appetite lately. Though he ate quietly as always, his pace was noticeably faster than last time.
Guan Xia wasn’t particularly hungry, but watching him enjoy his meal so much, she managed an extra half-bowl of rice before setting down her chopsticks and pulling out the photos again, skimming through them to reinforce her memory.
Another ten minutes passed before Xu Nian finally pushed his plate away, wiped his mouth, and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
Guan Xia handed him the photos without preamble.
Xu Nian took them, puzzled at first, but after flipping through them, understanding dawned. "These are cases that happened near where you lived?"
Guan Xia nodded.
"Did you remember anything?" Xu Nian pressed.
That was exactly the question Guan Xia had been waiting for. As expected, the moment the words left his mouth, the system interface appeared before her.
You were being questioned by the police when you suddenly remembered something. On December 19, 2020, at 4:32 PM, while riding Bus 912 back to school and passing through Zhenhua Road, you had seen a middle-aged man attempting to jump into the river to commit suicide. You and other bystanders managed to save him. After returning to the bus, you noticed the man talking to another passerby who seemed to be comforting him. However, by reading their lips, you realized it wasn’t just comfort—the passerby appeared to be saying, "Do you want revenge? I can help you." Sensing something amiss, you decided to report this to the police.
Following the text was another video, this one even longer than the previous, likely for continuity. It began with the driver of Bus 912, which Guan Xia was on, abruptly braking after spotting the suicide attempt. The driver got out, and in the chaos, many passengers, including Guan Xia from the front section, rushed to help. After pulling the man to safety, the crowd didn’t immediately return to the bus. Instead, they offered scattered words of comfort until traffic police arrived to direct the flow of vehicles. Only then did people reluctantly board the bus again.
Guan Xia sat back in her original seat, her gaze intermittently lingering on the rescued man. He seemed calmer now, but his expression was bleak, his eyes hollow, tears streaming down his face without pause. Most of the bystanders had dispersed, but one young man sat down beside him. The distance made it impossible to hear anything, and the interaction looked like ordinary consolation. However, as the video zoomed in and slowed down, red frames highlighted both men’s heads. With the earlier text as context, Guan Xia focused intently on the passerby’s lips. Perhaps due to preconceived notions, but upon closer inspection, the lip movements did seem to match the words: "Do you want revenge? I can help you."
The screen froze for a few seconds before the system interface faded away, leaving Guan Xia in silence.
Her suspicions were confirmed, yet she felt no satisfaction—only a sudden realization. Neither of the two men highlighted in red in the video matched any of the victims from the cases she had reviewed. Only the rescued man appeared in a peripheral corner of one of the photos.
"Show me the photos again," Guan Xia said quickly, taking them from Xu Nian and flipping through them.
After a few minutes, she found the one she was looking for. Her eyes fixed on the face of a man hidden among the onlookers in the photo—the same man who had attempted to jump into the river in the video.
Even with this discovery, Guan Xia remained puzzled. The logic of it all eluded her.
Based on previous experience, the text and video suggested the killer was the passerby. But no—that might not be right. Maybe they weren’t strangers. Perhaps they were friends or had some other close relationship? After all, no one would kill for a stranger.
Her thoughts tangled briefly before clearing. She handed the photo to Xu Nian. "I remember something about this case, but I’m not sure. Can you tell me the general details?"
Xu Nian examined the photo carefully before hesitating. "I don’t recall much. This wasn’t a case from Pingjiang District, was it?"
Guan Xia shook her head. "No, it’s from the district where my university is."
Xu Nian thought for a moment. "That would be Chengxi District. Since we’re working on the current case, I’ve had some contact with Chengxi’s homicide team. Once things settle down, I’ll see if I can ask them for details and let you know."
With the case spanning districts, this was the only option for now. Guan Xia thanked him, remembering she had bookmarked the case webpages earlier. She could at least look up which case the photo came from when she got home.
Upon arriving, Guan Xia immediately rushed to her study and turned on her computer, pulling up the saved webpage from her bookmarks.
The case was an unsolved quadruple homicide in Chengxi District on January 29, 2021—a family of four brutally murdered, including a couple and their two sons.
Aside from a brief news report, there were two photos: one showed the family of four posing closely together, while the other was the image that had triggered the system—a cordoned-off apartment building, swarmed by police, with a crowd of onlookers behind the barricades. Among them was the man from the video who had tried to jump into the river. Guan Xia wondered what connection he had to the victims—and what kind of grudge he held.
