Stepping out of the hotel, the city was enveloped in silence, with few cars or pedestrians in sight. Guan Xia gazed into the pitch-black night and suddenly realized how often she had been going out late recently—it felt like she hadn’t rested at a normal hour for several days in a row.
As she descended the steps of the hotel entrance, Guan Xia immediately noticed two cars parked by the roadside, their windows rolled down. Wang Yu leaned out, waving at them, while Xu Nian turned his head to watch their approach. Ji An led the way, with Guan Xia and Pang Le walking side by side behind her. Seeing the others, they quickened their pace slightly.
But as they walked, Guan Xia caught a glimpse of a girl wearing a white baseball cap moving along the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Under normal circumstances, their paths wouldn’t have crossed—one group walking faster, the other slower. Yet, when they were just a few meters apart, the girl suddenly accelerated, charging straight toward them.
The abrupt sprint startled Guan Xia. She instinctively slowed down, afraid of colliding with the girl, when sharp shouts rang out: "Guan Xia, watch out!"
Confused, Guan Xia looked up toward the voices and saw familiar faces—Xu Nian, Wang Yu, and others—leaping out of their cars in alarm, rushing toward her. Only then did she belatedly grasp that something was wrong. But before she could react, her right foot kicked against something, and she lost her balance, crashing heavily to the ground. In that split second, a flash of light crossed her vision, and then all she could focus on was the pain.
It hurt—so much that her entire mind zeroed in on the inexplicably sprinting girl and the warnings from her friends. She hadn’t been looking at the ground, so she couldn’t adjust her posture in time. All she managed was to bend her elbows and knees, but the impact still sent her sliding forward slightly.
It had been years since she’d last been injured. The pain forced her to suck in sharp breaths, frozen in place, unable to move.
When she finally recovered enough to look around, she found everyone gathered around her, hesitating to help her up. Pang Le was so frantic that sweat beaded on his forehead as he kept asking, "Guan Xia, are you okay? Where did you get hurt?"
Guan Xia took a few deep breaths before gripping Pang Le’s hand to pull herself up. Her first instinct was to look behind her. She didn’t see anyone at first—just a baseball cap lying on the ground and a knife.
She was about to ask what had happened when Pang Le suddenly scooped her up and placed her on a nearby stone bench, putting some distance between her and the others. Only then did Guan Xia see the girl—her hands cuffed, restrained firmly by Jiang Yingyao and Wang Yu. The girl had a strikingly beautiful face, but it was twisted with fury, her eyes burning with hatred as she glared at Guan Xia. The moment Guan Xia saw her, a name flashed in her mind: Yuan Yue.
Recognizing the girl only deepened Guan Xia’s confusion. Though she hadn’t seen what happened after her fall, the reactions of the others made it clear—Yuan Yue had come for her. She had tried to kill her.
But why? Yuan Yue had just kidnapped Zhuo Mingyan and Xiang Zhenli and fled to the old industrial district. Based on their deductions, she was likely to harm—or even kill—the two of them. That was why the entire police team had rushed there, deploying a massive search operation. So why had Yuan Yue gone against expectations and appeared here instead? And why had she targeted Guan Xia?
Guan Xia had too many questions. Her bewilderment must have been obvious because Xu Nian suddenly asked, "Do you want to sit in on the interrogation? I’ve already contacted my colleagues—they’re on their way back. We’ll be taking the suspect in soon anyway."
Guan Xia nodded immediately. Of course she wanted to. But Pang Le interjected, "I know you’re curious about her motives, but your injuries are pretty extensive. Shouldn’t we go to the hospital first?"
Only then did Guan Xia look down at her wounds. Her elbows and knees were covered in large scrapes. Though the cuts weren’t deep, the sheer area of raw skin made the bleeding look alarming.
Ji An, ever the seasoned professional, gently probed around the injuries and said, "No broken bones—just superficial wounds. Disinfect them and avoid cold water for a while. If you’re worried, Xu Nian, you all can go ahead first. We’ll take Guan Xia to the hospital and meet you after."
Xu Nian studied Guan Xia for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
And so, the group that had just reunited split up again. Guan Xia watched as Xu Nian and the others collected the scattered evidence from the ground and escorted Yuan Yue into the car. Only then did she have a chance to ask, "What exactly happened back there?"
Pang Le scooped her up again, carrying her toward the parking lot as he recounted the events.
Guan Xia learned that as she fell, Yuan Yue had pulled a knife from her pocket and lunged at her. But Guan Xia’s sudden stumble caused the first strike to miss. Yuan Yue had been about to swing again when Pang Le and Ji An reacted. Pang Le, being closer, had seized Yuan Yue’s wrist, knocked the knife away, and then flipped her over his shoulder, pinning her to the ground before Jiang Yingyao and Wang Yu moved in to restrain her.
After finishing his account, Pang Le couldn’t help adding, "See? I told you before—if I ever ran into her, I’d take her down in one move."
Pang Le made it sound effortless, and truthfully, subduing Yuan Yue had been easy for him. But regardless, he had saved Guan Xia’s life. So she said sincerely, "Thank you, Pang Le. If it weren’t for you—"
Before she could finish, Pang Le cut her off. "No need for thanks between us. Honestly, I was just as stunned. If you hadn’t tripped at that exact moment, who knows how things would’ve turned out? If anyone deserves thanks, it’s you—that fall saved your life."
Everything had happened too fast earlier, leaving Guan Xia’s thoughts tangled. But now, with a clearer mind, she realized how uncanny the timing had been.
Ji An had been walking right in front of her at the same pace. If there had been a loose paving stone, Ji An would have noticed and warned her—it was just her nature.
Ruling out external factors, Guan Xia’s first thought was the halo. Recalling the last time someone had hidden in her home, intending to attack her but suddenly changing their mind, Guan Xia understood—the halo had saved her again. But perhaps because Yuan Yue’s murderous intent had been too strong, she had still gotten hurt. Fortunately, the halo had recharged tonight—otherwise, things might have ended very differently.
Once again, Guan Xia recognized the halo’s importance and quickly ran through her thoughts.
This incident had probably drained the halo’s energy again. But with Yuan Yue now captured, it wouldn’t be long before the halo recharged once more.
Sure enough, as soon as Ji An drove them to the hospital, before Guan Xia could even step out of the car, the system interface popped up with a settlement notification.
With the protection of her halo restored, Guan Xia’s anxious heart finally settled.
Upon entering the emergency hall, the doctor took only a glance and confirmed Ji An’s earlier diagnosis. After simply disinfecting and dressing her wounds—without bandaging—they were told to avoid certain foods, keep the wounds dry, and regularly clean and reapply medication before being sent on their way.
Pang Le, still uneasy, asked, "The wound area is quite large. Won’t it be prone to dust without bandaging?"
The doctor, already calling the next patient, didn’t even look up. "It’s too hot outside. Bandaging would slow the healing. Her wounds aren’t deep—just superficial. No need to worry."
Only then did Pang Le relax and help Guan Xia out.
Pang Le had initially wanted to carry her, but Guan Xia refused—not out of shyness, but because she’d adjusted to the pain after some time.
After leaving the hospital, the three headed straight for the Fengshan District Bureau where Xu Nian’s colleague was stationed. Ji An had called ahead, so as soon as they parked, Xu Nian was already walking toward them.
The moment Guan Xia stepped out of the car, she was about to ask for updates when Xu Nian beat her to it. "How are you? What did the doctor say?"
He even leaned down to examine the wounds on her limbs.
Since Fuan City was sweltering, Guan Xia had changed into shorts after arriving at the hotel, which was why her friction wounds from the fall were so severe.
Guan Xia raised her arms for Xu Nian to see and smiled. "Don’t worry, they’re just superficial. The doctor disinfected and dressed them, then sent us off. As long as I avoid certain foods and keep them dry, they’ll heal quickly. They’re not as bad as your injuries last time."
As she spoke, she also took a closer look at Xu Nian’s wounds. He paused, then tilted his head slightly, brushing aside the hair near his injury to give her a better view.
The parking lot’s dim lighting—far from the nearest streetlamp—forced Guan Xia to lean in for a clearer look. Compared to last time, his wound had visibly improved. The scab was less inflamed, and the surrounding redness had faded. Another week, and it’d likely be fully healed.
After inspecting the wound on his forehead, Guan Xia checked the scratches on his face. They’d mostly healed, with only a slight discoloration where new skin had formed—barely noticeable unless scrutinized.
"Almost fully recovered," Guan Xia remarked with a smile. But when she met Xu Nian’s gaze, she realized how close they were standing. Her next words caught in her throat—until the sound of Ji An locking the car broke the tension. Guan Xia subtly stepped back before continuing, "But you should still be careful not to get your forehead wound wet."
Xu Nian lowered his hand and straightened up. "Got it," he said, then after a brief pause, added, "You too."
With that, he turned and led them toward the office building. Just as Guan Xia was about to follow, Pang Le sidled up beside her. Mindful of her injuries, Pang Le didn’t sling an arm over her shoulder as usual but leaned in to whisper, "Did you suddenly realize Xu Nian’s actually kind of good-looking?"
Typical Pang Le—always teasing. Guan Xia rolled her eyes, but Pang Le, anticipating the reaction, playfully turned away as if suddenly fascinated by a nearby tree.
A few seconds later, once she figured Guan Xia had moved on, Pang Le turned back, her expression turning serious. "Honestly, I’ve been thinking the whole way here, and I still can’t figure out why Yuan Yue targeted you. Could she have realized at the temporary gathering this afternoon that you’re the core of our trio?"
Guan Xia had considered the same possibility but shook her head after a moment. "I thought that too at first, but looking back, it doesn’t add up. Ji An was the one who came across as the most professional and experienced. Plus, she was the first to spot Sha Junhao in the surveillance footage."
Pang Le rubbed her chin. "True, but Yuan Yue had those cameras installed for a long time. She already knew about Ji An. Given how cautious she is, she must’ve done her homework. Putting myself in her shoes—after two years, if Ji An could’ve cracked the case, she would’ve. The sudden progress now, with the two of us as wild cards, would’ve drawn her attention to the newcomers."
"Then why not you?" Guan Xia countered. "We’re both new faces, but according to your account, she came straight for me."
"Maybe she picks the easier target?" Pang Le groaned, her thoughts tangled. "Who knows? She’s caught now. We can just ask her later."
