As the surgery progressed minute by minute, the rain outside grew heavier, transforming from scattered drops into relentless sheets. Even with the windows closed, the sharp pitter-patter of raindrops was unmistakable.
By now, most of the detectives had little to do regarding the case, except for the forensics team still busy with evidence. Due to the weather, no one felt like moving, so they stayed put in the hospital, waiting for updates on the suspect’s condition.
The surgery ended much sooner than expected. Guan Xia and Pang Le, dozing off with their heads resting against each other, were jolted awake by the sudden commotion around them. Blinking groggily, they saw the operating room lights turn off as the doctor stepped out. Facing the expectant gazes of the crowd, he shook his head solemnly. "We did everything we could."
Though they had braced themselves for this outcome, the news of the suspect’s death still left everyone stunned. Guan Xia, in particular, felt a pang of mixed emotions. She didn’t know how much the suspect had stolen from the victims’ home, but no matter the amount, it paled in comparison to the two lives lost—a thought that weighed heavily on her.
As the suspect’s body was wheeled out, Xia Chenghui spoke wearily, "Call Forensic Doctor Cheng. Have the body sent back to the precinct for an autopsy."
Lin Zhuang acknowledged the order before asking, "What about the suspect’s family…?"
Xia Chenghui replied, "I already communicated with them earlier. The rain in Dongyi started even sooner than here. They can’t make it overnight but will come as soon as the storm passes."
With Xia Chenghui’s directive, the entire team sprang back into action. Guan Xia and the others, however, were dismissed and headed straight back to their hotel.
This time, Guan Xia didn’t struggle with insomnia—she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. When she woke again, it was already noon the next day.
She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before her brain fully booted up. Then it dawned on her—during the wait for the suspect’s fate last night, the system had already concluded its evaluation, and her "halo" had recharged.
Solving two major cases in such a short span left Guan Xia physically drained and mentally sluggish, yet a quiet sense of accomplishment welled up inside her. Unlike previous cases, she had been deeply involved in cracking these from start to finish.
Though awake, she had no intention of getting up—until Pang Le’s words forced her out of bed.
"You’re finally up!" Pang Le exclaimed. "Xu Nian has called you twice already. Probably new updates on the case. Call him back—I’ve been dying of curiosity!"
One moment, Guan Xia felt as heavy as an old woman; the next, she was light as a feather, propping herself up against the headboard while reaching for her phone. "You could’ve just answered and filled me in later," she muttered.
"No way," Pang Le retorted righteously. "If the news is too explosive, I’d have a million thoughts to vent. Who’d listen if you weren’t awake? I’d rather wait for you."
Pang Le always had a knack for absurd logic. Guan Xia shook her head in amusement, too tired to argue, and dialed Xu Nian.
He picked up instantly. "The victim’s surgery ended at 10 this morning. They survived but aren’t out of the woods yet—straight to the ICU after surgery. Won’t wake up anytime soon."
Survival was enough. Guan Xia and Pang Le both exhaled in relief.
Xu Nian continued, "The autopsy results for the suspect, Wei Jianming, are in. The car crash caused a ruptured spleen, leading to his death."
One alive, one dead. Guan Xia’s emotions tangled briefly before settling into quiet satisfaction. Compared to the dead suspect, the innocent victim’s survival was a heartening victory.
"What about the fingerprint match?" Guan Xia asked. "Any results?"
"Confirmed a match," Xu Nian replied.
With that, Guan Xia knew the case was officially closed.
The following days passed lazily. Guan Xia, Pang Le, and Ji An stayed holed up in the hotel—sleeping when tired, eating when awake. Out of sheer boredom, they even played video games together. It was fun, but Guan Xia and Ji An were hopelessly bad, robbing them of any real enjoyment. After a few rounds, they switched to scrolling through short videos, leaving Pang Le to game alone in high spirits.
Time flew when they had nothing to do. Before they knew it, the 17th arrived. The downpour finally ceased that afternoon, and Wei Jianming’s family arrived that evening. By the time Guan Xia and the others reached the Dingyang Precinct, the mother and daughter had just finished identifying the body. Wei Jianming’s wife was sobbing uncontrollably, nearly collapsing, while her daughter, though tear-streaked, remained steadier, supporting her mother as best she could.
It took a long time for their tears to subside, soothed by Xia Chenghui and another female officer.
But when questioned about Wei Jianming’s behavior before the crime, their grief resurfaced.
His wife choked out between sobs, "I had no idea… He sounded completely normal when he left, said he was meeting a friend and would be back by night. I thought it was just his usual crowd—I even scolded him before he left. How could I have known he’d go rob and kill someone? He’s been timid his whole life! Back when the markets weren’t as convenient, I was the one who slaughtered chickens and fish for holidays—he couldn’t even stand the sight of blood! How could he… why would he…?"
Her voice broke into incoherent murmurs, her face a mask of devastation and disbelief.
Seeing her in no state to answer, Xia Chenghui turned to the daughter. "Before the incident, did your father behave unusually? Any financial disputes? Or did he pick up any bad habits recently?"
Wei Jianming's daughter had also cried until her eyes were red and swollen. After recalling for a long time in a daze, she sniffled and said, "Because of my busy work schedule, leaving early and returning late, I moved out a few years ago. The last time I saw my dad was a week ago. He didn’t look well—his face was pale, and he had several blisters around his lips. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he might have caught a chill from the air conditioning. I even went to the pharmacy to buy him medicine. Later, when I got home, I overheard him talking on the phone on the balcony. His tone sounded anxious, almost pleading, as if he was begging someone for help with some trouble. But when I asked him about it afterward, he refused to say anything. So I told my mom, and she confronted him, asking if he had lent his salary to his friends again. My dad denied it, so my mom checked his bank statements. She must not have found anything suspicious because they stopped arguing, and the matter was dropped."
Xia Chenghui was about to ask another question when she noticed Wei Jianming's daughter glancing at her mother, hesitating as if she had more to say. Realizing this, Xia Chenghui made an excuse for the female officer nearby to take Wei Jianming's wife away before saying to the daughter, "You can tell me now."
Wei Jianming's daughter nervously bit her lip, struggling for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, "My mom only checked my dad’s salary account and didn’t look further. But I was still worried, so I secretly checked my mom’s bank card—the one she shares with my dad. Besides their savings, it also had my brother’s money saved for buying a house and his wedding. I knew the password."
She paused here, and even before she continued, Guan Xia could guess the outcome from her expression.
Sure enough, Wei Jianming's daughter spoke with a complicated tone, "I don’t know the exact amount in that account, but I know my brother had deposited at least 150,000 yuan into it. When I checked later, there were only a few thousand left. That’s when I realized my dad had lent the money to his friends again."
Xia Chenghui asked, "Did you tell your mother afterward?"
Wei Jianming's daughter began crying again. "I didn’t dare. Ever since I was little, my mom and dad fought countless times over this, even physically. When I was 20, my mom finally snapped and said if my dad didn’t get the money back this time, she would divorce him and leave. My dad got scared and managed to recover the money, but afterward, he told me some of his friends cut ties with him because they felt he went back on his word by demanding repayment before the agreed time. I know my mom—she might argue with him, but she doesn’t joke about divorce. She’d follow through. That’s why my dad must have been too afraid to tell her. It’s not that I was covering for him—I just thought maybe I could hide it from my mom and find a way to help him get the money back first. But before I could do anything… things turned out like this."
The girl seemed overwhelmed with regret, her emotions spiraling again as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Guan Xia and Pang Le exchanged complicated looks, silently sharing the same frustration. After waiting a while and confirming no new information was coming, they quietly slipped away.
Once they found a secluded corner, Pang Le couldn’t hold back. "This is insane. How can a married man be this ridiculous? I’m starting to wonder if his brain is wired differently. Who sacrifices their own family for so-called friends? I thought people like this only existed in TV dramas and novels—I never imagined they’d be real. What was he thinking? Did he crave their gratitude? But if he’d spent that money on his family, even just buying skincare for his wife and daughter, the salespeople would’ve thanked him with a smile!"
Guan Xia, who had been holding back, added, "What’s even crazier is that he not only hid it from his wife but also tried to cover the debt by robbing a stranger—no, wait, it started as borrowing, then turned into robbery when he was refused. But why? Professor Jiang was a complete stranger to him! How could he do something so unthinkable just because Professor Jiang was kind?"
"And in the end, he lost his life," Pang Le said coldly, too stunned for any other reaction. "At least he’s the only one who died. Professor Jiang survived—but damn, he’s the real victim here. I still can’t believe someone nearly lost their life just for being a good person."
"Insane. Absolutely insane," Pang Le muttered repeatedly before sighing. "This world really punishes kindness. Remember when my brother and I almost got kidnapped trying to help a lost kid? If we hadn’t trained in martial arts since childhood, who knows what would’ve happened. Honestly, for women, health is everything. Forget dieting—being strong means you can run faster. And never extend kindness unless you’re absolutely safe. You never know if the person you’re helping is human or a monster."
Pang Le seemed genuinely shaken, rambling at Guan Xia with heavy implications until she repeatedly promised to stay cautious and avoid danger.
By the time they left Dingyang District’s police station, it was almost midnight again. With the case closed, Xia Chenghui clung to Guan Xia, thanking her profusely and insisting she stay another day to be properly hosted. Guan Xia had to use every ounce of her social skills to politely decline before finally seeing them off.
Their flight was early the next morning—the 6 a.m. one. After such an exhausting few days, Guan Xia and Pang Le couldn’t wait to return to their own homes and beds.
While they could leave freely, Xu Nian and the others weren’t as lucky, forced to stay an extra day due to various reasons.
Before parting, the group gathered for a late-night meal—something simple, just burgers, fries, and sodas from a fast-food joint on their way back to the hotel. Guan Xia craved something spicy, but Pang Le shut that down immediately.
Wang Yu couldn’t help laughing before bringing up an unfinished topic.
"We’ve got a few days off after this," she said to Guan Xia. "Xu Nian promised a team-building trip once the case wrapped up. You should come—let us properly thank you. Director Ren and Xu Nian are covering the expenses, and Qi Bai’s handling the cooking. All we have to do is show up and eat."
"Qi Bai?" Guan Xia hesitated. "If I remember right, didn’t he break his arm? How’s he going to be the chef?"
Wang Yu said helplessly, "It's not like we want to exploit him, but he's been so bored that he volunteered himself. Even though he’s injured and hasn’t been able to join us physically these past few days while we investigate the case, he’s been anything but idle. He keeps spamming the group chat, demanding updates, insisting on voice calls to discuss the case, and staying up until two or three in the morning. Brother Jiang has scolded him multiple times."
Jiang Yingyao, who was mentioned, also wore a resigned expression. "That’s just how this kid is—if you don’t rein him in for a day, he’ll start flying sky-high. Last time, he promised me he wouldn’t pull all-nighters during his break, but these past two days, he’s practically been keeping vigil with us. If we ignore him, he whines in the group, accusing us of isolating him and not caring about him anymore."
Even Xu Nian couldn’t help but look exasperated at the mention of Qi Bai.
Guan Xia quickly changed the subject. "Is his cooking any good?"
Wang Yu thought for a moment. "His regular meals aren’t great, but his barbecue is decent. He’s generous with the seasoning and has good control over the heat. Whenever we have team gatherings, he’s the star of the show. Plus, he knows how to liven things up. Sure, he’s a bit noisy, but everyone always ends up having fun, so we let him do his thing."
Guan Xia noticed that despite their complaints, they genuinely cared for Qi Bai.
"Oh, and one more thing," Wang Yu added, her expression turning mysterious. "When you get back, there’s a little surprise waiting for you."
"A surprise? What kind?" Guan Xia instinctively pressed.
Wang Yu tried to keep it a secret, but Xu Nian spilled the beans. "It’s about the bonus we mentioned before."
Guan Xia was genuinely surprised. "That fast? I just gave you my bank details."
Xu Nian smiled. "Director Ren had already submitted the application earlier. It just got approved recently, so it processed quickly."
Guan Xia couldn’t help but smile, feeling a wave of happiness. With this, not only had she helped the police solve cases using her system to recharge her "halo," but she’d also earned bonuses from the related cases—a true win-win. She’d already been looking forward to going home, and now she was even more excited.
