Chapter 40 Not Particularly Passionate, But I Feel I Should…

Chapter 40 Not Particularly Passionate Yet, But I Always Feel Like I Should...

As Lu Tingfeng's words hung in the air, both of them fell silent. Eventually, Lu Tingfeng was the first to recover, lying back down with a smile as he asked Xu Nian, "I’ve told you what I’ve been up to all these years. Aren’t you going to share your experiences?"

Xu Nian also lay down expressionlessly. "It’s just solving cases, no different from before you left. Let’s talk about you instead."

Lu Tingfeng turned onto his side, looking at Xu Nian. "What do you want to know? Ask away."

Xu Nian thought for a moment and asked, "Was it you who provided the crucial leads to the local police to solve Case 319 in Qiuning City, Ningyun Province?"

Lu Tingfeng's grin instantly widened. "I knew it! Still the same old you—hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Acting like you don’t care about me at all, but secretly keeping tabs on my news."

Xu Nian ignored Lu Tingfeng’s cheeky grin and didn’t move a muscle.

Seeing that Xu Nian wasn’t reacting, Lu Tingfeng finally replied, sounding bored, "Yeah, it was us. Me and a couple of friends. We followed the clues and pieced together the burial site of the murderer, but we weren’t entirely sure. We decided to go check it out first to confirm. Who would’ve thought we’d be so unlucky? Just as it got dark, while we were searching, we ran into two people carrying a body, about to dig a hole. Our first instinct was to subdue them right there. After all, one of us is a former police officer, another a retired soldier—each of us could've handled one, no problem. But before we could even lunge, one of them suddenly pulled out a gun. Luckily, we reacted quickly, or we might've bought it on the spot."

Lu Tingfeng pursed his lips. "But thankfully, although the process was a bit risky, it paid off. We successfully got the local police to reopen the cold case and put one killer away, and as a bonus, nabbed two more—with both witnesses and physical evidence intact."

Xu Nian felt like scoffing again. "And you wanted to get Guan Xia mixed up in something that dangerous?"

Lu Tingfeng, afraid of being kicked, quickly scooted back. "Haven't I already made promises and sworn to you? Why bring it up again? Don’t worry, I decided to do this because I knew the skills of the friends I was working with. I may act a little reckless, but I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t just run straight into a murderer’s knife. This was an accident, pure and simple. I know my limits. I’ve left the police force; I’m just a civilian now. I won’t go around leading people to apprehend suspects. We’re just looking for new investigative directions. Once we find a new breakthrough that could reopen a cold case, we immediately contact the local police."

Xu Nian studied Lu Tingfeng’s expression carefully. Though his face was still playful, his eyes were serious. Only then did Xu Nian reluctantly believe him.

Still, Xu Nian repeated, "I believe you, so I hinted to Guan Xia that you’re barely qualifies as a good person. I don’t know if it’ll work, but it might help make her dislike you a little less. But I’ll say it again: until she's ready herself, you cannot use any method or means to force her."

Lu Tingfeng looked at Xu Nian, studying his face carefully. He knew it was both persuasion and a warning. Finally, he sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright. Since we’re friends. I’ve listened to you since we met, so I'll grudgingly listen to you one more time. I promise you, before she’s willing herself, I will absolutely not use any method or means to force her."

After talking all night, Xu Nian finally showed a relaxed smile. But then, he heard Lu Tingfeng say provocatively, "What if I don't use any methods or means, and just rely on my good looks? That wouldn't break our agreement, would it?"

Xu Nian held back again and again but ultimately couldn’t resist flipping over, sitting up, and throwing a punch at Lu Tingfeng’s infuriating face.

...

After briefly communicating with Xu Nian, Guan Xia stayed holed up at home for several days without going out much. Aside from binge-watching dramas and reading, she spent her time trying to figure out the system in her mind.

That night, sketching the system’s reaction had given her an idea. Over the past few days, she kept recalling memories related to the previous three cases and indeed discovered a pattern: any video triggered by the system and played on the interface would reappear if she recalled it again.

Guan Xia felt that the system was like turning the part of her memory related to the perpetrators into a hard drive. Police inquiries were the search bar, and things related to the perpetrators were the search terms. As long as they matched, the system would be triggered and would play over and over, no restrictions.

However, even after roughly understanding this, she still had no clues about Guan Huan.

By recalling memories to bring up the system interface, Guan Xia tried to summon Guan Huan during this time, but the system didn't respond. It just replayed the video on its own and then disappeared again.

Guan Xia also attempted to repeatedly bring up the system interface to observe if the color or gloss of the interface had changed, but to no avail.

After researching for several days, the system interface remained the same, but Guan Xia was going crazy. Frustrated, she grabbed a pillow and started pounding it, as if beating that idiot system she wished had never existed.

Just as she was venting her anger, the doorbell suddenly rang. Guan Xia was momentarily startled before she realized what it was. Before she could even get up from the sofa, she heard Pang Le’s loud voice: "Guan Xia, open the door."

Guan Xia was surprised by Pang Le's unannounced visit.

She opened the door to let her in. Pang Le closed the door behind her and handed something to Guan Xia.

Guan Xia took it instinctively and looked down to realize it was the sketchbook she had lent to Lawyer Dong.

Guan Xia was surprised. "Isn’t this what I lent to Lawyer Dong? How come you're the one returning it?"

Pang Le kicked off her high heels, changed into slippers, walked a few steps, and collapsed onto the sofa before casually saying, "I came to talk to you about Lu Tingfeng. It’s a bit complicated and hard to explain over the phone, so I figured I’d just come over. Before I came, I remembered what you said last time about not being interested in Lawyer Dong, so I went to him and asked for the sketchbook back to prevent him from using it as an excuse to bother you later."

Guan Xia placed the sketchbook on the coffee table and sat down next to Pang Le. "He just handed it over, just like that?"

Such a good excuse for contact was given up so easily. Guan Xia wondered if what Pang Le had said earlier about Lawyer Dong being interested in her was just an illusion.

Pang Le laughed. "It wasn't that simple, of course. But you know me—I’ve always had thick skin. He tried to brush me off by saying since he borrowed it, he should return it himself. I told him he’s so busy, who knows how long it would take? This sketchbook is part of a series, and every time I come to your place and see an empty spot, it bothers me. He didn't have a comeback for that and eventually gave it to me."

Guan Xia also laughed and gave Pang Le a thumbs-up.

Pang Le sighed. "See, this is how men are. They say they’re interested in you, but when they’re busy, they won’t spend any time getting to know you. For them, their careers always come first. Women are just their pastimes during their free time."

Guan Xia found Pang Le’s somewhat mocking expression odd. "If you have so many insights, why do you spend so much time dating?"

Pang Le said matter-of-factly, "I like everything beautiful. I’m after their good looks, just like how I go shopping for pretty dresses. Isn’t it normal to spend some time on that?"

Guan Xia couldn’t understand it and didn’t want to try. She quickly changed the subject. "When you came in, you said you had results from looking into Lu Tingfeng?"

Pang Le sat up a bit, hummed in agreement, pulled out her phone, fiddled with it for a moment, and handed it to Guan Xia. "Take a look at this photo first."

Guan Xia took it. It was a life photo of a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old. She had short hair cut at ear-level, and her skin wasn’t very fair, clearly tanned from often being in the sun. Her large eyes were curved into crescents from smiling, and she looked back at the camera while running, full of vitality and energy.

Although Pang Le hadn’t said anything yet, just looking at this photo, Guan Xia realized something. "Is this Lu Tingfeng’s..."

Pang Le nodded. "His younger sister. Born in 2007, died in 2014."

Guan Xia’s fingers gripping the phone unconsciously tightened.

Pang Le said, "There’s another photo behind this one. Take a look."

Guan Xia swiped her finger, and the second photo came into view.

The environment in the photo appeared to be a abandoned pond, with only a shallow amount of water at the bottom and mostly black mud. The surrounding area was filled with withered yellow weeds. A heavily pixelated, but vaguely small figure lay by the pond. Because of the pixelation, it was unclear, but one could faintly see large patches of blood and large bruises on the exposed skin.

Having just seen the little girl’s vibrant life photo, suddenly seeing her body lying in such a desolate and dirty place, even with mental preparation, Guan Xia felt her heart tighten as if blocked by something.

Trying hard to calm her emotions, Guan Xia put down the phone to regain her composure. "Is this why Lu Tingfeng sought me out?"

"Pretty obviously yes," Pang Le said. "His sister was one of the victims in a serial murder case at the time. The specific details of the case are unknown; this is all that could be found out. The year his sister was killed, Lu Tingfeng was 19. After graduating from the Public Security University, he worked as a criminal police officer for over four years due to his outstanding performance. Later, because of his overly hot temper when dealing with suspects, especially those where the victims were women, he was repeatedly complained about and disciplined. Eventually, he was transferred from the front lines to an internal role. Lu Tingfeng did not accept this and resigned."

Guan Xia listened quietly and pressed, "What happened after that?"

Pang Le spread her hands. "No idea after that. He left Yongquan City, anyway. The person I asked to help gather information only found out that he seemed to be moving around a lot, not staying in one city for long. Because he was so unstable, very little information could be found about his later activities."

Although they couldn’t find out what Lu Tingfeng had been doing after leaving the police force, just looking at his state in the years after his sister’s death, it was clear that his sister’s murder had deeply affected him. Most likely, he was running around for her case.

Knowing this background, Guan Xia’s dislike for Lu Tingfeng decreased a bit more. Although his abrupt approach and testing were annoying, he really was, as Xu Nian had hinted, not a bad person.

However, one thing puzzled Guan Xia: since Lu Tingfeng had already left the police force, why could his inquiries still trigger the system? Did this mean the system was a bit too unreasonable, or was the triggering mechanism not limited to active police officers but also included those who had left?

Guan Xia pondered this and thought she could try testing it with another former police officer. But as soon as this idea came to her, she felt a headache coming on. Her social circle was too small. Aside from Xu Nian and the others, Pang Le’s circle had no overlap with the police. She would have to wait for an opportunity later.

After zoning out for a bit, Guan Xia pulled her attention back and looked at Pang Le. "Has Lu Tingfeng been to your gym recently?"

Pang Le shifted to a more comfortable position and said, "Yes, every day. Like a normal customer, he bought an annual membership. He comes, gets on the treadmill, warms up, and then works out with the equipment. We even sparred once."

Guan Xia was curious. "Who won?"

Pang Le proudly lifted her chin. "Naturally, I won. Although his skills are decent, they’re based on subduing and restraining. I’m different—I not only have competition experience but also know many techniques. He only had the advantage at the beginning; after that, I pretty much had him pinned down."

Guan Xia admired her and gave another thumbs-up. "As expected of a world champion, you’re truly amazing."

"Of course." Pang Le's chin lifted even higher.

After these two exchanges of banter, the atmosphere lightened a bit. Guan Xia grabbed a cushion and slumped down, when suddenly Pang Le spoke up, "Has Lu Tingfeng contacted you again since that night?"

Guan Xia shook her head, "No, not even a friend request."

"That's strange," Pang Le frowned. "From his actions last time, it seemed clear he had heard about your special ability and was trying to rope you in to help investigate his sister's case. Why did he make a move and then give up? Is he playing hard to get?"

Hearing the word "recruit," Guan Xia also frowned. "Can you choose a different word? It makes me feel like he's trying to drag me into a crime."

Pang Le lightly patted Guan Xia. "Don't change the subject, I'm seriously analyzing this. I finally got my brain in gear, and if I wait too long, it'll stop again."

Guan Xia had no choice but to ignore those two words and join in the analysis. "Even though he hasn't contacted me, he's still showing up around you like normal. That means... he hasn't really given up?"

Pang Le thought for a moment, then shook his head. "But even though he comes, he hasn't asked me anything. He hasn't even initiated a conversation with me. It's like he's really just here to work out. I even asked the gym staff, and he hasn't tried to strike up conversations or ask them questions either. He comes every day, works out, and leaves. A couple of times, I was scrolling on my phone in the lounge, and he didn't even say hello before leaving."

"That is a bit strange," Guan Xia pondered but couldn't come up with anything. "Since he hasn't reached out, let's just leave it be for now."

Pang Le said, "That's all we can do. But what I'm more concerned about is, what do you think? And that night, you remembered something from his photo. Did you tell Xu Nian?"

Guan Xia nodded. "Yes, I told Xu Nian that night when I got back and asked him about Lu Tingfeng too."

Pang Le was surprised. "You really trust Xu Nian, huh? But then again, he does come off as reliable. What I don't get is how you knew Xu Nian would know Lu Tingfeng."

Guan Xia explained her reasoning. "I've only provided clues to the police three or four times, all within a month. Even if it's something special, only Xu Nian's 2nd Squad, who I've been in contact with, would know about me. At most, it might be known within the Pingjiang District SubBureau. And then there's you. But given our relationship, you wouldn't have spilled it. So who else could it be?"

Pang Le belatedly had a moment of realization. "No wonder you asked Xu Nian. So what did Xu Nian say?"

Guan Xia replied, "Xu Nian actually revealed less than what you found out. But I understand because of confidentiality rules. He also hinted to me that Lu Tingfeng isn't a bad person."

Pang Le scoffed. "Lu Tingfeng is his friend and former colleague. Of course he'd speak up for him. It's not that I'm heartless—I feel for Lu Tingfeng's situation and even think it's a shame. But he's been out of the police force for years now, and he's so obsessed with his sister's case. Who knows what his personality is like now? The fact that he approached you through me shows he's already working outside police guidelines and has become a little unhinged. I'm really afraid he might go to any lengths for his sister's case, even forcing you to help him."

Pang Le seemed to think of something and shuddered, grabbing Guan Xia's arm. "Promise me, Guan Xia, don't let his looks mess with your head. Pitying a guy will bring you a lifetime of bad luck."

Guan Xia was speechless. "I'm not like you, into collecting pretty stuff. If I were swayed by his looks, I wouldn't have remembered something and then played it cool with him."

Pang Le finally realized. "True. But I still want to remind you: it's fine to check out attractive people, just admire the pretty surface. Don't try to understand his heart or soul, and definitely don't think about 'redeeming' him. Look at all those TV dramas where people try to redeem someone and end up losing their lives."

Seeing Pang Le's earnest expression, Guan Xia couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not stupid. Why would I give up my peaceful life to try to redeem anyone? It's just... with my special talent and physique, I'll inevitably have to deal with the police in the future. I'm not sure what to do from here."

Pang Le paused, looking at Guan Xia seriously. "Have you thought it through? Do you really enjoy helping the police solve cases?"

Guan Xia fell silent, images of the victims from the cases that triggered the system flashing through her mind. After a moment, she slowly said, "I wouldn't say I'm loving it, but I feel like I should do something."

Whether it was because this was a world fused with Detective Novel elements or because Guan Xia had encountered too few cases, she felt the proportion of female victims was unusually high. She didn't want to disrupt her peaceful life, but whenever she unintentionally heard about unsolved cold cases, her emotions were always stirred. And then there was that elusive LowProfile Aura whose rules she still couldn't figure out. She couldn't remain passive forever. As she had told Pang Le, no matter how little, she should pitch in.