The first light of dawn crept in as Qi Bai stepped into the office, clutching a bag of breakfast in one hand and a stack of files in the other. His eyes immediately landed on Xu Nian, who was leaning against the conference table, staring intently at the whiteboard ahead.
The board was covered with photos and scribbled notes. Qi Bai handed the files to Xu Nian, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. "Captain Xu, you pulled another all-nighter?"
Xu Nian snapped out of his thoughts and took the documents, flipping through them quickly. "Got two hours of sleep."
"I left the buns on the table," Qi Bai said, stuffing one into his mouth. "I barely slept either—kept dreaming about the crime scene from Case 119. I just can’t figure out why Liu Jiahui and her son were targeted. I looked into it: Liu Jiahui was born in '93, married in '17, divorced in '20, and was raising her son Liang Wenxing alone until her death. She barely had any contact with her ex-husband Liang Da. For the first two years after the divorce, he didn’t even pay child support. It wasn’t until '23, when Liang Da started a new business, that she received sporadic payments. They were just an ordinary mother and son—no obvious connections to the victims in Cases 612 and 119. Well, except for one thing."
Qi Bai took another aggressive bite of his bun before adding, "Liu Jiahui and her son had a very close relationship. I visited her workplace and neighborhood—everyone said she took excellent care of her child despite raising him alone."
His expression turned puzzled. "Did the killer change their selection criteria? Or is this just a copycat crime?"
The last sentence was muttered under his breath, almost to himself.
Qi Bai stopped eating, his mind involuntarily replaying the details of the two cases.
Case 612 had two victims.
Tang Wenyan, male, 29, graduated from a top university’s flagship program—admitted on a scholarship, completed his master’s and Ph.D. consecutively, and secured a teaching position at his alma mater immediately after. He was engaged to his childhood sweetheart and was two months away from his wedding when he died.
Qiao Rong, female, 29, graduated from the same university’s finance program. She started a business during her graduate studies and, within three years of graduating, grew it from a three-person team to a small company with 82 employees.
Both were exceptional individuals, and their parents were accomplished professionals in their respective fields.
Case 119 also had two victims.
Tan Hongyu, male, 13, a first-year middle school student.
Tan Hongyun, male, 2.
Their father was the general manager of a real estate company, and their mother was a partner at a law firm.
Qi Bai turned the details over in his mind, but after finishing his breakfast in a daze, he was no closer to an answer—his thoughts were a tangled mess.
The sound of Xu Nian moving snapped him back to reality.
Qi Bai grabbed a wet wipe from a colleague’s desk, wiping his hands as he approached Xu Nian. "Captain Xu, any leads yet? The teams from Taoyang City and Ningguan City should be here soon."
Xu Nian had finished reviewing the autopsy report and was staring at the whiteboard again. "Not a copycat. The method and the killer’s precision in leaving no traces—it’s too skilled to be an imitation."
Qi Bai caught the implication. "So the breakthrough still lies with Liu Jiahui and her son. Got it. I’ll go check the surveillance footage with Jiang Yingyao."
He turned to leave but paused, looking back. "Captain Xu, don’t forget to eat. Once the others arrive, you won’t have time."
Xu Nian waved a hand in acknowledgment.
---
Guan Xia had stayed at Pang Le’s place for two days, and the soreness in her legs had finally eased enough that she no longer needed the hiking stick.
Feeling lighter, she walked alongside Pang Le toward the gym, an unusual spring in her step.
While waiting for the elevator, Pang Le replied to a few messages before suddenly asking, "So? After hanging out with me for two days, any inspiration for your new comic?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Lawyer Shi is good-looking, but he doesn’t spark any creative urge."
Maybe it was because their interactions were too brief, but to Guan Xia, Lawyer Shi was unremarkable beyond his face.
Pang Le hummed. "What if we invite you along next time we grab dinner? More exposure might help."
Guan Xia shot her a glare. "What kind of terrible idea is that? I’m not third-wheeling your dates."
The elevator arrived, and they squeezed into a corner. Pang Le changed the subject. "Your new place has been airing out for half a year, right? When are you moving in?"
Guan Xia did the math. "Another two weeks should do it. By then, the case in my building should be closed—perfect timing."
Pang Le fell silent for a beat before leaning in and lowering her voice. "A friend of mine from Taoyang City mentioned something last night. There was a case there years ago with a similar MO—might be a serial killer."
That caught Guan Xia off guard. "A serial killer?"
Pang Le pulled out her phone and opened a link her friend had sent, handing it to Guan Xia.
Guan Xia skimmed quickly. The case happened in '19—a couple, both killed. The woman was slit across the throat, and the man drowned. Their bodies were found over ten kilometers apart. If not for their relationship being confirmed later, no one would’ve connected the two.
After reading the summary, Guan Xia focused on the photos.
The angle was awkward, the edge of the frame cutting off part of a uniformed officer’s shoulder. The body lay face-down by the riverbank, with signs of crawling before death. Despite the pixelation, a trail of blood was faintly visible, snaking forward before pooling beneath the corpse.
Pang Le spoke up. "This was the primary scene. The male victim drowned here."
Guan Xia stared at the bloodstained path left behind, a complicated mix of emotions rising in her chest.
The elevator dinged. Pang Le tugged her along. "Let’s talk inside the gym. This case was huge back then—my friend heard all kinds of rumors."
Guan Xia quickened her pace.
As they rounded a corner, just meters from the gym, Guan Xia suddenly felt it again—a gaze, heavy and intent. But unlike last time, there was an unmistakable edge of malice.
She whipped around, locking eyes with a familiar figure—the giant panda mascot she’d seen multiple times over the past two days.
Guan Xia froze.
Pang Le turned back. "What’s wrong?"
Guan Xia didn’t answer, her stare fixed on the mascot. Even through the costume’s head, she could feel its unwavering attention.
Pang Le stepped closer, following her gaze. "What is it?"
Just then, the panda crouched to interact with a child nearby. Guan Xia exhaled and shook her head. "Not sure. I just felt like someone was watching me."
Guan Xia glanced back at the panda mascot once more, hesitating before speaking. "I don’t know if I’m overthinking it, but that gaze…" She searched for the right words. "It felt somewhat malicious."
Pang Le immediately stopped walking upon hearing this. He moved to Guan Xia’s left, positioning himself between her and the panda mascot, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders before guiding her forward.
Once inside the gym, Pang Le quickly pulled Guan Xia into a corner, his expression serious. "A stranger wouldn’t harbor ill will toward you for no reason. Could he be the suspect from the case in your building? Maybe you saw him and gave the police a lead, so now he’s targeting you?"
Guan Xia shuddered at the thought, but after a moment of consideration, she shook her head. "He must have been seen by others in our unit that day, not just me. And the police would’ve thoroughly questioned everyone in the neighborhood. Besides, even if he knew I lived in 501, how would he know what I told the police? Most importantly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him. Today’s the third day since your match—the first two were normal. Only today felt off."
After a pause, she added, "Also, staying at your place and coming to the gym were last-minute decisions. That panda mascot has been here since the store’s anniversary event started. There’s no way he could’ve been stalking me deliberately."
Pang Le fell silent, reluctantly convinced but still uneasy. "Something doesn’t sit right with me. Let me ask the floor manager about that panda mascot."
He pulled out his phone and typed rapidly. A few minutes later, he looked up at Guan Xia. "I checked. The panda mascot is an out-of-towner named He Wei. He came to Yongquan City last year and used to deliver food. The store hired him temporarily for the anniversary event, and today’s his last day—he won’t be back tomorrow."
"So it really can’t be the suspect," Pang Le concluded, though he remained puzzled. "You’ve been with me these past three days and never provoked He Wei. Why would he suddenly take a dislike to you?"
"Who knows?" Guan Xia sighed. "Maybe he’s just unhinged?"
Pang Le frowned, circling Guan Xia thoughtfully before a realization struck him. "The only difference between today and the last two days is that you changed clothes and stopped using crutches. Could that be it?"
Guan Xia: "…"
Pang Le chuckled at his own theory and patted her shoulder. "Never mind. If we can’t figure it out, let’s drop it. He won’t be here tomorrow anyway, and I’ll stick with you in the coming days. Even if he tries anything, he won’t stand a chance."
Guan Xia wasn’t worried anymore. Her initial tension had faded once they ruled out the suspect. Now, she felt completely at ease.
