Chapter 17

Chapter 17

For a split second, Tang Qiu even had the worst possible thought—had she left behind any unnoticed clues at the scene during her three previous operations? Were the police following the clues back to her identity? Could this man named Qiao Yang be a cop sent to get close to her?

If so, how would they treat her? Would they notice the huge difference between her and the original owner? Would they be curious how she knew the exact time and place of the crimes ahead of time?

As her thoughts raced, Tang Qiu felt a surge of panic. She even considered scrapping all her plans for the day, bolting from the scene, finding a surveillance blind spot, and using her new item to turn into a cat and hide.

This was the last and safest escape route she could think of in a hurry, but her rational mind shut it down the moment the thought popped up.

She thought back carefully—her usual caution made her think it was impossible. Most importantly, except for the first time when she used her real face, the other two times she was always in disguise with the Confusion Mask. Plus, she'd worn a wig and gloves, making sure no hair or fingerprints were left at the scene. Her face was fake, and there were no biological traces—how could the cops possibly track her down?

Going over this, Tang Qiu quickly got her confidence back. Her face stayed calm, and her racing heart slowly settled down.

She pretended to watch Bao Xiangchen talking to Chen Chen, but she was really keeping an eye on Qiao Yang from the corner of her eye.

Qiao Yang was still looking at her, but now that Tang Qiu had calmed down, she noticed that besides a hint of scrutiny, there was a mix of curiosity and complicated emotion in his eyes—definitely not the way you look at a stranger.

After watching him a few more times, she finally confirmed: Qiao Yang might really be a cop, but his purpose was way off from what she'd first guessed. He definitely knew the original.

But from his hesitant expression, Tang Qiu figured he knew her but wasn't close, which is why he was holding back.

Once she figured this out, Tang Qiu decided to stop hiding. She looked straight at Qiao Yang, and when there was a lull in the conversation between Bao Xiangchen and Shen Chen, she asked bluntly, "Do you know me?"

Qiao Yang clearly hadn't expected her to be so direct. He froze for a second, then awkwardly looked away. A couple seconds later, he looked back at Tang Qiu and said, a little embarrassed, "Sorry, you've changed so much since high school that I wasn't sure at first, so I kept staring."

High school? Tang Qiu suddenly got it. No wonder she had no memory of him after going through all the original's stuff—he was a high school classmate.

That was almost ten years ago. The original's family only had one graduation photo, with dozens of people in matching uniforms crammed in with school leaders and teachers. Everyone's face was just a tiny black dot. And during senior year, everyone was stressed out and looked like crap. How the hell was Tang Qiu supposed to recognize anyone from just that one photo?

Tang Qiu pretended to study Qiao Yang for a moment, then finally shook her head and said, "Sorry, I got hurt recently. I feel like I sort of remember, but when I try to think clearly, I can't."

The vibe suddenly shifted from casual chat to a high school reunion. The others went quiet, looking back and forth between Tang Qiu and Qiao Yang with nosy, curious expressions.

Qiao Yang clearly didn't like being the center of attention. He looked at Tang Qiu sincerely and said, "How about we talk over there?"

Wanting to figure out Qiao Yang's intentions and maybe pump him for info, Tang Qiu agreed right away. "Sure, let's go over there."

Under the disappointed and reluctant stares of the group, the two walked to a tree about a dozen meters away and stood facing each other.

They stood a respectful distance apart. Qiao Yang spoke first: "Let me be clear upfront—I don't have any bad intentions or ulterior motives toward you. It's just that last night, I had a rare night off and had dinner with Lao Bao. He mentioned that during a camping trip a while back, a girl named Tang Qiu was attacked and hurt, almost died, and the guy who did it is still out there. The name sounded familiar, and when I saw the photo he pulled up, it looked like a high school classmate. So I thought I'd come today to see if it really was someone I knew, and if so, whether there's anything I can do to help."

Afraid she'd misunderstand, Qiao Yang explained carefully, choosing his words deliberately.

Tang Qiu frowned, but her mind was on something else. "Is Bao Xiangchen a cop too?"

Qiao Yang was surprised she'd guessed he was a cop. He raised an eyebrow and replied, "No. I met Lao Bao during summer break in high school. He studied computer science in college, worked as a programmer for a few years, almost died from overwork, then quit. Now he runs a BBQ joint. I stop by sometimes when I'm free."

Tang Qiu nodded in understanding. That explained why the original hadn't dared to chase the fleeing attacker—this guy's fitness was even worse than Chen Chen's. If he had chased, he'd have been taken down in one go.

Perhaps because of his job, Qiao Yang was very observant. He seemed to read Tang Qiu's thoughts and added, "When Lao Bao mentioned it yesterday, he said he's still been kicking himself ever since you got hurt. He regrets being too cowardly at the time. The attacker was alone. If he had been braver and chased first, maybe others would have followed. No matter what, there were several of them—maybe they could have caught the attacker."

Tang Qiu shook her head calmly. "What's done is done. Regret doesn't change the outcome. The only thing we can do now is trace every clue the attacker left behind and catch him as soon as possible."

A strange light flickered in Qiao Yang's eyes. He studied Tang Qiu carefully, thinking that after nearly ten years, she really was very different from high school. His impression of the girl in his memory had been vague, but now, looking at Tang Qiu, it gradually became clearer.

He pursed his lips and asked, "Lao Bao said you lost your memory after the injury, and you supposedly don't remember any details of the incident. How is your injury now? Have you recalled anything?"

Tang Qiu raised her eyes to meet Qiao Yang's gaze calmly and replied, "No. Not just the details of the incident—I've forgotten a lot from my life. Even when I do recall fragments, they're fuzzy and disjointed."

Qiao Yang looked at her in surprise. "How about your work and daily life…"

This was the first person Tang Qiu had met since her transmigration who knew and had some familiarity with the original. According to her own wishes, she didn't want too much contact with him. But given his profession, which could be very useful to her, after a brief consideration, she decided it was okay to have appropriate interaction. So she said a bit more to set the stage.

In response to Qiao Yang's seemingly genuine concern, Tang Qiu gave a faint, satisfied smile and said, "Before the injury, I was a lawyer. But with amnesia, I can't continue working. I've already resigned. As for daily life, don't worry—I have some savings, enough for the near future. Right now, I just want to become stronger, to avoid similar incidents in the future, and to catch the person who hurt me as soon as possible."

Qiao Yang nodded understandingly.

Tang Qiu took the opportunity to ask, "Do you have any advice for my case?"

Qiao Yang thought for a moment and said, "I got a brief overview from Lao Bao last night. Given the location, your case should be handled by the Yuntang District Bureau. Usually, the victim's description of the attacker's physical features and details of the incident provide many leads and breakthroughs for the police. Since you've lost your memory, if you're okay with it, my suggestion is to revisit the crime scene under police protection and use scene reconstruction to see if it helps jog your memory."

He emphasized, "This is the most important and crucial thing you can do for this case."

Tang Qiu thanked him and lowered her eyes. She had already planned this. She still clearly remembered Chen Chen and Lv Xinghe's description of the attacker: very tall, likely over 1.9 meters or even 2 meters, extremely burly, bigger than the two of them combined, and very agile while escaping. He navigated the complex forest environment without stumbling, showing his familiarity with the area, strong psychological resilience, and considerable combat ability. Tang Qiu was certain that the original was not the attacker's first kill.

Until she was strong enough, even if the probability was small, she couldn't go alone to the attacker's familiar territory. But with police escort, it would be different—she could safely learn more information about the attacker, even just fragments.

After careful consideration, she deemed it more beneficial than harmful and made a mental note to discuss this plan with Lei Yue to help make it happen.

While they were talking, the last two participants in the camping trip finally arrived.

Tian Li was a short but outgoing girl. She jumped out of the car energetically, holding her nephew's shoulder as she walked forward, apologizing loudly, "Sorry, everyone, I'm late! After the camping trip tomorrow, I'll treat you all to a meal to make up for it. Please don't be polite, or I'll be too embarrassed to come next time!"

Even if anyone had complaints, they couldn't say anything now. Everyone made conciliatory remarks.

Tang Qiu and Qiao Yang stopped talking and looked toward the lively group.

Qiao Yang's reaction was instinctive, but Tang Qiu fixed her gaze on Tian Li's nephew, a boy who looked about eight or nine years old.

Because the system interface, which had been quiet for a while, suddenly popped up again.

You have seen He Hongxuan. The item "Fate's Prophetic Eye" has been used.

You have successfully predicted He Hongxuan's fate. You foresaw his death. Time: March 29, 07:52.

Tang Qiu glanced at the current time: March 27, 08:12 AM.