The group practically wolfed down their al, with everyone eating quickly except for ng Lan, who kept talking nonstop. After waiting about ten minutes after the others had set down their chopsticks, ng Lan finally stopped eating as well.
Guan Xia wiped her hands with a wet wipe and pulled out her sketchbook from her bag. Flipping to a fresh page, she asked ng Lan, "What did that woman look like? Do you still rember?"
ng Lan hesitated, taking a mont to carefully recall before nodding uncertainly. "Because it left such a strong impression, I still have a vague mory of her. But I’m not sure if my description will be completely accurate."
Guan Xia, however, was confident. During her previous investigation into ng Lan’s accident, she had reviewed nurous surveillance videos from the park’s main paths and entrances where ng Lan had t the woman. Most importantly, she had the system—even if ng Lan’s description was only one-third accurate, Guan Xia was sure the system would trigger a match.
Just as Guan Xia was about to offer so reassurance, Pang Le cut in with unwavering faith, "Don’t worry, just tell us whatever you rember. As for how we’ll investigate later, leave that to us."
Pang Le’s confidence rubbed off on ng Lan, and her anxious expression faded. Frowning in concentration, she began describing the woman: "She looked to be in her forties, probably soone who stayed up late often—her hair was thinning, and I could even see patches of scalp near the crown. She didn’t seem to take much care of herself; her eyebrows were ssy, with no defined shape, and the ends were sparse. Her eyes were narrow, with single eyelids and a slightly puffy look, with deep wrinkles at the corners. I don’t rember much about her nose—maybe average height? And her lips… I’m not too sure, but I think her lower lip was thinner while the upper was fuller. She was a bit plump, with a lot of facial fat. Oh, and her nasolabial folds were deep—whenever she smiled, they stood out like parentheses. That’s about it."
It was clear ng Lan rembered vividly, especially the woman’s eyes, even if other details were hazy.
Guan Xia sketched attentively, feeling more assured by the minute.
Zhong Xiaoyu chuckled. "Your mory’s actually pretty sharp! It’s been over a year, and you still recall so much—that’s impressive."
ng Lan smiled sheepishly. "I was just really scared at the ti, so I kept watching her movents. You know how they say ntally unstable people can be aggressive? I was afraid she’d suddenly pull out a knife and stab . The reason I rember her eyes so clearly is because so of the things she said resonated with , so I couldn’t help but keep looking at them."
She paused before adding, "Also, when I later felt like soone was following , I kept thinking about her. I even dread about her a few tis. So even though we only t once, I still rember about seventy or eighty percent of her appearance."
Guan Xia was too absorbed in her drawing to look up, while Pang Le watched intently and wordlessly placed a cup of warm water in front of ng Lan. Though he didn’t speak, ng Lan visibly relaxed.
The others listened to ng Lan and Zhong Xiaoyu’s conversation while craning their necks to peek at Guan Xia’s sketch.
Finally, after about ten minutes, Guan Xia set down her pencil and handed the drawing to ng Lan. "Take a look—does this match?"
ng Lan put down her cup and studied it for a long ti, hovering her finger over a few spots. "I rember her brow arch being higher, and here—her nose was flatter. Also, her temples were more sunken."
Guan Xia made the adjustnts. After three rounds of revisions, ng Lan nodded. "That’s close enough. This is the face I rember."
Guan Xia exhaled in relief and casually handed the sketch to Ji An, the forr police officer sitting nearest to her.
Ji An frowned at it for a few seconds before passing it to the next person. Then, turning to Guan Xia, he asked, "What are your thoughts?"
As expected, the mont Ji An finished speaking, the system interface instantly popped up in Guan Xia’s mind.
You’ve been questioned by the police. Suddenly, you recall that at 12:09 PM on July 6th, while working on a friend’s case, you spotted a figure in a surveillance video who bore so resemblance to the sketch. Sensing sothing off, you decide to inform the police.
The text disappeared after a few seconds, replaced by a video clip. Guan Xia had assud it would show footage from the park where ng Lan had t the middle-aged woman on the day she attempted suicide. Instead, it was footage from the day of ng Lan’s accident.
The scene was set in ng Lan’s residential complex—chaotic, crowded with firefighters, police, dical personnel, and murmuring onlookers.
Standing in a corner under an ornantal tree was a middle-aged woman who bore a fifty to sixty percent resemblance to the sketch. Despite the crowd around her, she spoke to no one, her gaze fixed calmly—almost coldly—on the window of the apartnt where the accident had occurred.
What startled Guan Xia was that, aside from the middle-aged woman who had t Pang Le, the system had also highlighted a plain-looking young woman standing beside her with a bright red fra. And it triggered Guan Xia’s intuition.
She was certain she didn’t know this woman, yet inexplicably, her intuition scread familiarity—like she’d seen her before.
What sent a chill down Guan Xia’s spine was that, so far, everyone who had triggered her intuition had been criminals with blood on their hands. But this young woman? No mory of her whatsoever.
Lost in thought, Guan Xia only snapped back to reality when the system interface vanished.
eting Ji An’s questioning gaze and ng Lan’s curious one, she steadied herself, unconsciously tightening her fingers before answering calmly, "There was a similar case before. Though the process was complicated, Xu Nian’s team managed to match the sketch to soone’s identity. I can’t help much beyond this—it’s up to Xu Nian and the others to see if they can uncover anything."
ng Lan’s attention imdiately shifted to Xu Nian.
Ji An, however, didn’t look away. Instead, he gave Guan Xia a discreet, questioning glance.
Guan Xia subtly checked ng Lan’s focus before giving the faintest nod.
Ji An’s expression remained neutral, but his eyes shifted—Guan Xia easily read the silent ssage: We’ll talk later.
Zhong Xiaoyu and Pang Le noticed the exchange. Zhong Xiaoyu visibly perked up with excitent, while Pang Le stayed composed, rely patting Guan Xia’s hand reassuringly and refilling her water cup.
While Guan Xia and Ji An communicated wordlessly, Xu Nian took the sketch passed to him by Qi Bai. Studying it, he followed up on Guan Xia’s words: "Based on ng Lan’s description, we have reasonable grounds to suspect this middle-aged woman’s motives. We’ll apply for an official investigation upon our return. Within permitted limits, we’ll provide so updates later."
ng Lan visibly let out a huge sigh of relief. "That's good, that's really good. Now I can rest easy. Thank you all so much—I’m truly grateful."
Wang Yu reassured her gently, "This is what we as police officers are supposed to do. No need to thank us."
With the matter finally settled, ng Lan seed as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her entire deanor brightened noticeably—no longer hesitant or struggling to speak, she smiled more freely and even enthusiastically brought up their camping trip that day.
"Despite the unexpected incident in the middle, I have to admit it was a unique experience," ng Lan said. "At the ti, it was terrifying, but looking back now, it feels kind of interesting. The only downside is that I have to return to Linshan City. I’ve gotten familiar with the company’s staff and workflow, but I haven’t fully mastered everything yet. There’s still a pile of work waiting for . Maybe next ti, when I’m less busy, we can plan another trip. I’d love to go hiking with you all again—see if Guan Xia’s weird luck holds up."
She hugged Guan Xia tightly, clinging to her with reluctance. "Honestly, I don’t even want to leave. You have no idea how much it hurt during those two years we weren’t in touch. I wanted to reach out, but I was afraid you’d either scold or end up worrying with . But now it’s fine—I’ve said everything I needed to say. Even if you yell at , I won’t mind."
She chuckled mischievously, and Guan Xia smacked her lightly in mock annoyance.
The al lasted until nearly 3 a.m. before everyone finally parted ways.
This ti, Pang Le took the wheel, dropping ng Lan off at her hotel first before driving Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu ho.
Before getting out of the car, Ji An turned from the passenger seat to look at Guan Xia. "If nothing cos up tomorrow, want to et at our usual spot?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, Zhong Xiaoyu piped up excitedly, "You two have a usual spot? Can I co too? Is that okay?"
Ji An gave her an exasperated look. "If you want to join, just co. No need to ask permission."
Zhong Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together. "I don’t even know what Guan Xia’s discovered yet, but I have a feeling it’s going to be another thrilling case. I can’t wait!"
All three of them laughed. Guan Xia nodded. "Let’s make it tomorrow afternoon, then. ng Lan’s flight got rescheduled to the morning, so I’ll see her off, we’ll grab lunch, and then et at the usual place."
Ji An agreed, and she and Zhong Xiaoyu got out of the car.
Pang Le yawned widely and asked Guan Xia, "Since we’re eting up tomorrow anyway, mind if I crash at your place? Got any clothes I can borrow? I’m not picky—just sothing that fits."
Guan Xia glanced at her. "If you don’t mind long dresses turning into midi-length or pants becoming capris, then sure, help yourself."
Pang Le tilted her head, considering it for a few seconds before nodding. "A change in style every now and then isn’t bad. Deal—I’m staying over tonight."
After rushing through their nightti routines and collapsing into bed, Guan Xia felt like she’d barely slept before having to get up again.
ng Lan’s flight was at 11 a.m. By the ti Guan Xia and Pang Le arrived at the airport, ng Lan had just checked in. She smiled and hugged Guan Xia tightly.
"Guan Xia, promise you’ll take care of yourself," ng Lan whispered in her ear. "We’ve co so far since our days at the orphanage—it hasn’t been easy. So we both have to stay well. I still dream about us traveling and hiking together when we’re old. All these years, we’ve been too busy just trying to survive. I haven’t even had the chance to really see the beauty of our country. Let’s make a pact—we’ll visit every stunning place soday. No backing out."
Guan Xia felt a swell of emotion and patted ng Lan’s back. "I’d love to say yes, but the idea of hiking in our old age makes my legs ache already. How about we adjust the plan? Let’s climb all the mountains we want while we’re still middle-aged, and save the lakes for our twilight years. Deal?"
ng Lan burst out laughing, her smile radiant. "Sounds perfect. It’s a promise—next ti, then?"
She hugged Guan Xia one last ti before letting go and heading toward security. But she couldn’t resist turning back for a final glance, waving vigorously before striding forward.
Only after ng Lan disappeared from sight did Guan Xia and Pang Le leave the airport and get back in the car.
Turning on the AC, Pang Le didn’t drive off imdiately. Instead, she grinned at Guan Xia. "Feel better now? The thing that’s been bothering you for so long finally has answers. I know ng Lan and I are pretty different in personality, and we don’t always see eye to eye on things, but I can tell she genuinely cares about you. You’re important to her."
Guan Xia reflected on recent events before responding. "Based on what I know of ng Lan’s personality, cutting ties because she was afraid I’d dig too deep and figure things out—or worse, get dragged into her ss—is exactly the kind of thing she’d do. And I do believe she still sees the sa way as before. But sothing still feels off. Not that she’s hiding anything, but..."
She paused, searching for the right words. "It’s just a gut feeling. Like there’s sothing crucial we’re missing."
Pang Le frowned thoughtfully. "Her sister? Or that General Manager Wu she keeps ntioning?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, Pang Le added, "Actually, I’ve been getting weird vibes too. The sister is whatever, but General Manager Wu? He sounds too good to be true—a self-made success who’s so generous just because they ca from the sa orphanage? Didn’t you tell he’s carrying so heavy grudges too? After everything he’s been through, is it really possible for soone to be that altruistic?"
Guan Xia mulled it over but eventually shook her head. "Logically, yeah, he does seem inconsistent. But I’ve seen his photo—he looks completely ordinary. Nothing about him struck as suspicious."
The ntion of photos made Guan Xia recall the unremarkable young woman from the surveillance footage the night before. She’d been racking her brain since waking up but still couldn’t place where she’d seen her.
After a long silence, Guan Xia sighed. "Overthinking won’t get us anywhere. Let’s grab so food first, then et Ji An and the others at the usual spot. I couldn’t bring it up last night with ng Lan around, but that middle-aged woman—I recognize her. You’ve seen her too. Rember the surveillance footage we checked when investigating ng Lan’s accident? She appeared in it, near ng Lan’s apartnt complex, on the day of the incident."
Pang Le’s eyes widened. "Wait—the day of the gas leak? The one with three dead and one injured, where ng Lan almost died too?"
Guan Xia nodded heavily and said, "It's more than that. Besides the middle-aged woman, I also saw a young woman in the video who gave a bad feeling. What's even more bizarre is that she looked familiar, but I've been thinking all morning and still can't rember where I’ve seen her before."
Pang Le was initially startled by her words, then sighed, "I thought it was over, but it turns out things are getting even more complicated. Now I’m genuinely curious—who could that young woman be? Soone around us?"
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