The next day, as soon as they arrived at the mall, Guan Xia dragged Pang Le up and down every floor, but the panda mascot was nowhere to be seen.
"He’s really gone," Pang Le said, her tense expression finally relaxing. "Seems it really was just a coincidence."
The mall had four sprawling floors, and after walking around, Guan Xia could already feel the soreness she’d just shaken off creeping back.
She stretched her legs slightly and remarked, "I’m still kind of curious why that He Wei guy suddenly had it out for me, but since he’s gone, whatever."
"You really wanna know?" Pang Le pretended to pull out her phone. "Want me to ask around?"
Guan Xia rolled her eyes. "I was just saying."
Pang Le knew Guan Xia well enough to recognize she wasn’t actually curious. Smirking at Guan Xia’s annoyed expression, she reached out to steady her. "You really need to exercise more. Your legs are sore after just this little walking."
Guan Xia indignantly checked her step count and shoved her phone in Pang Le’s face. "Little? Look—over 12,000 steps already!"
Pang Le stifled a laugh, but before she could respond, a group of kids came barreling toward them. She tugged Guan Xia aside and said dismissively, "Yes, yes, you’re amazing. Walking so much before noon."
Guan Xia smacked Pang Le’s arm and was about to retort when she caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking figure downstairs. But when she looked again, the person was gone. She turned back to Pang Le and warned, "Watch your tone. Keep being sarcastic, and I’ll stomp on your new shoes."
Pang Le instinctively took a step back, glancing protectively at her pristine high heels before raising her hands in surrender. "Fine, I’ll stop."
Satisfied, Guan Xia turned and headed toward the gym.
Just as they arrived, Pang Le was about to give her usual reminders when her phone buzzed with a notification.
After a quick glance, her expression soured.
She typed a brief reply, then looked at Guan Xia. "Turns out He Wei really was shady. The floor manager just texted me—police showed up first thing this morning asking about him."
Guan Xia’s heart skipped. "What did he do?"
Pang Le handed her the phone.
Guan Xia skimmed the chat log:
2nd Floor Manager Sister Tan: Lele, you asked about He Wei the other day—did you know something?
Pang Le: Huh? No, why? What’s up, Sister Tan?
Sister Tan: Right after we opened today, police came asking the logistics manager about him.
Pang Le: Seriously? What’d he do?
Sister Tan: They didn’t say, just took all his records.
Pang Le: Were they detectives or regular cops?
Sister Tan: How would I know? They were in plain clothes, but one looked familiar—probably from the local precinct.
Pang Le: So regular cops. Means he’s in trouble, but probably nothing major.
Sister Tan: Who’d have thought? He seemed so polite to everyone.
Pang Le: Can’t judge a book by its cover, Sister Tan. At least he only worked three days. Anything missing from the mall?
Sister Tan: Doubt it. That mascot suit didn’t even have pockets—what could he steal?
Pang Le: Fair.
Handing the phone back, Guan Xia exhaled in relief.
Pang Le scoffed. "Told you no normal person would randomly fixate on you. He probably got arrested right after leaving."
In brighter spirits, Guan Xia opened a food delivery app. "Haven’t had boba in days—craving some. Want one?"
Pang Le immediately scooted closer. "Yes! Strawberry boba, half sugar, light ice."
Over the next few days, their indulgent eating spree added two pounds to Guan Xia’s weight.
One evening after a movie, as they drove into their building’s garage, Pang Le suddenly brightened. "Bestie, I’m craving hot pot."
Guan Xia checked the time while unbuckling. "9:30 PM. If we eat now, we’ll still beat midnight. Let’s go."
Pang Le hesitated. "Actually, our usual spot has terrible parking. We’d have to walk half a mile. My friend sent me a hot pot base—let’s just grab ingredients from the supermarket and cook at home."
Guan Xia nodded. "Fine. Quick trip, then."
They strolled leisurely to the nearby store, which was nearly empty at closing time. While picking out dipping sauces, a loud crash echoed nearby—a girl had dropped a bottle of soy sauce, shattering it. Dark liquid pooled on the floor, splashing a man’s black dress shoes.
The girl frantically apologized, offering tissues. The man, surprisingly calm, wiped his shoes and asked if she was okay. His voice, though soft, struck Guan Xia as oddly familiar.
Pang Le, uninterested, held up a sauce. "This one, right? Same as last time."
After confirming, Guan Xia said, "That’s everything. Let’s go."
At checkout, Guan Xia heard the same voice say, "No bag, thanks."
She glanced up to see a stranger—square-faced, thick-browed, with pale lips that suggested poor health.
Pang Le handed her the lighter grocery bag. "Here. We still have drinks from last hot pot night—perfect for tonight."
Guan Xia frowned. "When was that?"
Pang Le calculated. "Uh… six months ago?"
Guan Xia: …Better check those expiration dates.
Back home, as they prepped the meal, Guan Xia inspected the drinks. They expired in a week.
Pang Le cheerfully divided them. "Perfect timing!"
They clinked bottles before digging in.
"Happy weekend," Pang Le gulped down half a bottle of beer cheerfully before settling into her chair and mixing dipping sauces for both of them.
Guan Xia waited for the hot pot to boil, and as she glanced away, her eyes inadvertently landed on her phone resting by the table, stirring a pang of melancholy in her.
Over the past few days of eating and drinking, she had not only received a reply from that police officer but had even exchanged a few sporadic messages with him. Yet, to her surprise, the system still showed no reaction.
Even when she carefully steered the conversation, prompting the officer to ask her questions—meeting what she had deduced as the necessary conditions for the system's activation—nothing changed.
As one of the transmigrators, Guan Xia couldn’t help but feel her system was the most troublesome of them all.
After quickly filling her stomach to about seventy percent, Guan Xia couldn’t hold back any longer and asked Pang Le, "Have you heard any updates about that case in my building recently?"
Pang Le fished out the nearly overcooked tripe and placed it in Guan Xia’s bowl, answering casually, "There are some, but nothing substantial. My ex-boyfriend only mentioned that the police seem to have made significant progress, though he doesn’t know the specifics. He inferred it from the fact that the task force has increased their manpower several times over."
Guan Xia wasn’t familiar with the intricacies of the police system and gave Pang Le a puzzled look.
Pang Le couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. "If you don’t get it, neither do I. But my guess is, if they’re suddenly ramping up resources after so many days, they must have at least narrowed down the investigation. Otherwise, mobilizing so many officers costs money every second—without solid justification, the higher-ups wouldn’t approve it."
That explanation made sense to Guan Xia, and she silently prayed once more for the police to arrest the murderer as soon as possible.
They didn’t leave the table until 11 p.m., both too lazy to move, so they sprawled on opposite ends of the sofa, chatting idly.
Pang Le’s phone buzzed a few times before she suddenly asked Guan Xia, "Are you free next weekend? Lawyer Shi invited us camping."
"Us?" Guan Xia looked skeptical. "He invited you, didn’t he? Don’t drag me into this."
Pang Le sounded earnest. "Seriously, it’s both of us. Here, see for yourself." She held out her phone.
Guan Xia was too comfortable in her spot to bother moving. After a moment’s thought, she replied, "Let’s see. If the police catch the killer in the next few days, I plan to pack up and move. My birthday’s coming up, and it’d be nice to start fresh in the new place for good luck."
Pang Le remembered and asked, "Isn’t your rent paid yearly? Did you talk to your landlord? If she tries to shortchange you, I’ll bring Lawyer Shi along to back you up."
Guan Xia smiled. "It’s settled. My landlord’s pretty reasonable. She agreed to refund the extra rent after I move out and even offered to pay me for the stuff I’ve added over the past two years if I leave them behind. It’s not much, but better than nothing."
Pang Le raised her brows in surprise. "Sounds like your landlord’s a decent person. But if you’re moving, how could I not be there?"
She started tapping on her phone again. "I’ll reschedule with Lawyer Shi and help you move first."
Guan Xia wasn’t having it and snorted. "I see what you’re doing—you still want me as your wingwoman. Let me make this clear: if this is one of those ‘you-bring-a-friend, I-bring-a-friend’ setups, I won’t go even if it means cutting ties with you."
Pang Le rolled her eyes. "What kind of person do you take me for? Do you really think I’d pull such a shady move? Relax, it’s not just us. There’ll be a bunch of people. Lawyer Shi’s a hiking enthusiast—he has a whole group for it. They often organize trips to the mountains to unwind. Trust me, you won’t be bored or awkward."
Only then did Guan Xia feel reassured, shifting into an even cozier position as she sprawled on the sofa.
