Ten at night was prime time for the Internet café. Given You Mingxu’s cryptic instructions, Xu Mengshan kept a low profile, approaching the counter when it was quiet to ask the staff to call the owner.

The owner was the same middle-aged man in his forties from before, surnamed Xiang, who appeared steady and honest. Xu Mengshan showed his police badge and said, “I need all surveillance footage from the entire internet café for the evenings before Xie Huifang’s case.”

The case had been widely publicized, and the owner had cooperated with investigations before, so he naturally knew about it.

The owner immediately agreed, calling staff to retrieve the footage.

Xu Mengshan leaned against the counter to wait. The owner poured him some water, which he accepted with thanks, slowly drinking while observing the café.

The owner asked a few questions about the investigation’s progress, which Xu Mengshan dismissed with brief responses.

Soon the staff transferred the footage to a USB drive. As the owner handed it over, he added, “Has there been some development in the case? Is that why you’re checking the footage again?”

Xu Mengshan didn’t answer, just saying, “Thanks.”

The owner continued, “Someone else just came asking for the footage, but I didn’t give it to them.”

Xu Mengshan raised his eyebrows: “Who?”

The owner replied, “Another kid, surname Liu or Chen, always comes here with Li Biran, just left actually. Oh, he said Li Biran wanted to see the footage, sent him to get it, and said they wanted to review the case to help catch the killer faster. But that’s nonsense, right? I couldn’t give it to them, they’re not police.”

Xu Mengshan froze, then walked out of the café with the footage. Outside, despite the neon lights and bustling traffic, he saw no suspicious figures.

Though You Mingxu hadn’t explained her reasoning, he felt something was wrong and pulled out his phone to call her.

At the school’s quiet side entrance, You Mingxu was putting Li Biran into a police car when she heard Xu Mengshan’s report. Her brows furrowed: “Damn! The kid’s too clever, he’s planning to run!”

Several police cars sped toward the factory.

In the deepening night, many clues and evidence poured forth following Li Biran’s breakthrough—

Police found shoes matching the Xu Jiayuan crime scene at Li Biran’s home, with traces of unwashed blood on the soles. Li Biran’s parents watched in bewildered shock, unable to comprehend what this meant.

Following the route map from Li Biran’s home to Xu Jiayuan’s crime scene, police finally found surveillance footage showing Li Biran appearing about 10 minutes after the crime, throwing a bloodied backpack into the river. They were currently retrieving the bag.

During Xie Huifang’s time of death, Liu Ruyu hadn’t been at work and had no alibi. Neighborhood surveillance caught Liu Ruyu entering and leaving the complex around the time of the crime, matching Yin Feng’s profile—carrying a bag and wearing different clothes afterward.

Police were now searching Liu Ruyu’s activity range for hidden weapons, bloody clothes, and other evidence.

However, when You Mingxu and Yin Feng arrived at Liu Ruyu’s residence, they found it empty. The sixteen-year-old had vanished.

It was already midnight, and the factory area blazed with lights. A light mist shrouded the Yuelu Mountains, making them look like a silent giant beast. Faint lights dotted the mountain’s base as police began tracking Liu Ruyu’s escape route and searching upward.

The Yuelu Mountains weren’t tall or particularly large. This wasn’t an ideal hiding place.

You Mingxu and Yin Feng were among the searchers. You Mingxu’s face was stern as she moved quickly, cutting through thorns and brush without hesitation. Despite his size, Yin Feng struggled to keep up, calling out, “Axu, slow down!”

You Mingxu wouldn’t hear of it, saying, “Stay here and wait for me.”

Yin Feng naturally refused, both worried about her safety and unwilling to admit he was slowing her down. Gritting his teeth, he trudged through the thorny undergrowth, enduring the sharp, clear pain. Breathing heavily, he managed to keep up with his hero.

You Mingxu noticed his determined struggle to follow, panting heavily, and felt like smiling. She thought about how this pampered writer with his carefully maintained model’s physique would get roughed up following her.

But wasn’t it better for a man to be a bit rough?

Yet before them, the vast night revealed no traces.

“Where do you think he’s hiding? Where would he escape to?” You Mingxu asked.

Mentioning that kid made Yin Feng angry. If not for him, he’d be walking home hand-in-hand with You Mingxu by now. So he answered huffily: “However clever he is, however many detective novels and TV shows he’s watched, he’s still limited, still a child. Now that he’s exposed, rushing up the mountain, how could he plan carefully? He’s following basic survival instincts, running desperately toward distant, dark places. That’s where he’d feel safe. You can just search randomly.”

You Mingxu smacked his head: “Nonsense, we can’t search randomly.” But his words boosted her confidence. They were among the first police on the scene, and with You, Mingxu’s agility and tracking skills, plus Yin Feng barely managing not to slow them down, after crossing another mountain, they’d unknowingly reached the front line.

Thick vegetation covered the mountainside. The night was deep, without a trace of light. Silence surrounded them, and even the path had disappeared. Looking around, all trees, rocks, and slopes were reduced to black silhouettes, mere shapes, and lines against the night background. The wind whispered, making it feel like walking through haunted terrain.

You Mingxu led Yin Feng further up the slope. A thought suddenly struck her: that child, that killer, now alone in the same environment. Was he feeling scared?

Beside her, Yin Feng suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. You Mingxu immediately stopped to ask: “What’s wrong?”

In the deep darkness, the tall man held his leg, his voice almost buried in the dirt: “Just stepped on a sharp rock, my foot hurts…”

You Mingxu: “It’s fine, move it around a bit.”

He obediently kicked his leg a few times.

“Better?”

He nodded.

“Keep moving.” You Mingxu resumed her quick pace. Yin Feng’s foot was still numb, the sharp pain lingering, feeling slightly wronged yet also dependent. He had no choice but to keep following, catching glimpses of her cold profile in his hurried vision as he softly said: “Then you’ll have to rub my foot when we get home, so I don’t get injured.”

You Mingxu was exasperated, snapping: “Have you ever heard of someone getting injured from stepping on a rock? Just walk properly.”

Yin Feng could only walk faster, saying softly: “Just one rub, I’ll wash my feet when we get back.”