Xiao Xuan looked at her scissors hand with a touch of triumph and said, "You're getting bolder, but this young lady still has ways to deal with you."

Her slender, long fingers suddenly reminded me of something, so I quickly grabbed both of her hands and scrutinized them under the light, counting one by one.

"What are you doing? You're so annoying," Xiao Xuan sounded a little strange.

After counting several times, there were still ten fingers, not one missing.

I looked up. "Xiao Xuan, didn't you used to have an extra finger?"

Xiao Xuan's expression changed instantly, and she slapped me across the face. "When have I ever had extra fingers!"

Her hand landed on my shoulder, but I didn't flinch. Xiao Xuan asked curiously, "What on earth is going on?"

Now that Xiao Xuan was fully lucid, her relentless need to get to the bottom of things was fully exposed.

But since Xiao Xuan was back, there was no need to tell her about that terrifying possibility. I only hoped she would never leave me again; whose finger it was didn't matter to me.

Yet, a perverse thought suddenly surfaced in my mind: "Could it be the killer's own?" I immediately cursed myself as an idiot. Who would cut off their own finger just to scare someone? Moreover, whoever kidnapped Xiao Xuan was likely the serial killer, making such a foolish act even less probable.

However, if this person wasn't the killer, then losing a finger meant nothing; it wouldn't impair his masterful Jieshi Daofa (Corpse Dissection Saber Technique)!

Based on this strange line of reasoning, I arrived at an even more incredible conclusion: the kidnapper was not the killer!

But the moment this conclusion formed, I mentally tore it limb from limb, tossed it into the Sammāyijia (True Fire), and burned it to ashes. What nonsense was that? Only a madman would play games with his own digits, and I was actually using that as a basis for inference—wasn't I even crazier than a madman?

Was I so afraid that the great city of Anyin could no longer tolerate me that I had to desperately scramble toward Stone Plate Mountain? The thought of Stone Plate Mountain instantly cooled my brain, like swallowing a dose of tranquilizers.

"Senior Brother, looking at your shifty eyes, you must be trying to spin another lie to fool me," Xiao Xuan, having returned to her usual self, immediately started acting playfully mischievous.

I didn't want to argue with her over that point, and I urgently needed to know what had happened to her over these past few days, so I changed the subject. "Xiao Xuan, how did you disappear?"

Xiao Xuan paused, seemingly not understanding my question. After a moment, she spoke word by word, "You mean I disappeared?"

I knew she would have to face this sooner or later, so I nodded seriously. "Last time I sent you to Jia University to question that male student, you vanished on the way. The entire precinct spent untold manpower and resources looking for you. Such a huge incident—don't you remember anything?"

My words made Xiao Xuan's surprise deepen, then transition into confusion. Slowly, she returned to the vacant state she was in when she first woke up. Seeing this shift, I immediately shouted, "Xiao Xuan, don't think about it! Let's ignore this for now and talk about it when we get back to the city!"

But Xiao Xuan's condition terrified me. Her eyes were unfocused, unable to concentrate, as if she were possessed. No matter how loudly I called, she existed in another world—a world I couldn't see or reach.

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, but there was no change. Suddenly remembering a previous method, I immediately pressed my mouth to hers and began breathing deeply into her mouth.

"So stinky! Ugh, ah, what—what are you doing?"

Xiao Xuan jolted awake, screaming at me as I frantically forced air into her lungs. I pulled her into a tight embrace, gently pressed my lips to hers, and mumbled, "I won't ask anything. We will never be separated!"

I knew Xiao Xuan’s current state was pathological, very common among people who have suffered trauma. When people are hurt, they try desperately to avoid it. If they cannot escape, the trauma solidifies. Once the trauma forms, the person's memory locks onto it, leading to reactions beyond the ordinary when encountering similar situations again. For example, being bitten by a snake once makes one fear a well rope for ten years. However, when the trauma exceeds a person's capacity to bear it, this memory mutates—the altered memory forces the original memory deep into the recesses of the mind, compelling it to forget the event. Forcibly touching upon it can induce swooning, and in severe cases, even shock or death.

This is a mystery of the human body. We don't need to know why it happens; knowing what to do when it happens is enough.

Xiao Xuan's situation must be exactly this: she must have endured unimaginable suffering during this period, causing her mutated memory to force the original one into dormancy.

My heart ached fiercely. I gently reached out, stroking Xiao Xuan's damp, fine hair, kissing her even harder, terrified that she might suddenly vanish from my world again. If that happened, I would truly go insane.

Xiao Xuan gradually softened. Her tongue was like a slick, playful little snake, constantly teasing my nerves. This feeling was completely different from being provoked by Zhang Hemei at the 'Lan Guiren' bar; this touched my soul.

Beneath the vast night sky, we kissed passionately, unaccompanied by clear breezes or bright moons. The only company we had were the ghosts of those who died unjustly here.

It was already late, eleven o'clock at night, and the city lights were much dimmer than before. In Shi Liu Bay, dozens of kilometers from the urban area, this darkness felt rather sinister and terrifying.

I pulled out my phone, ready to share this good news with Officer Jiang and all my colleagues. More importantly, I needed a car. I didn't want to spend the night here with Xiao Xuan, nor did I want to walk miles through this eerie, haunted bay. But when I pulled my phone from my pocket, I found it had taken on water and was completely useless.

I glanced helplessly at Xiao Xuan. She gave a faint smile and gently wrapped her arms around my waist. The dampness of her clothes conveyed her genuine warmth; I wasn't dreaming.

After walking for about two li, two parallel beams of light finally pierced the darkness ahead—headlights. We both ran joyfully into the road, waving our hands in the middle, as if welcoming a beautiful tomorrow.

It was an SUV. When the driver spotted a female police officer in uniform ahead, it was more effective than any distress signal. The car screeched to a halt.

The SUV driver was a middle-aged man, dressed in a way that suggested a slight familiarity with the fringes of society—clearly an underworld figure, but not one of the violent thugs. It was highly likely he had done such things before and had now reformed.

After getting into the car, I exchanged a few pleasantries, expressing my gratitude. He responded courteously, and the car moved forward at a steady pace.

I turned my head and looked out the window, suddenly thinking: This is Shi Liu Bay, and it’s eleven at night. What is he doing driving out here so late?

Could it be…

A sudden alarm bell rang in my heart, and I asked, "It's so late; is there a reason you're coming to Shi Liu Bay?"

I deliberately stressed the words "Shi Liu Bay" to put pressure on him; he couldn't possibly not answer.

Since I was sitting in the back seat, I couldn't see the SUV driver's expression, but he must have been tense. He didn't answer for a long time, and I clearly saw his hands gripping the steering wheel trembling.

My expression sharpened immediately. Xiao Xuan, sitting beside me, sensed it too; she straightened up, ready to prevent a sudden attack from behind.

"We thank you for the ride, but you must tell us why you are here so late?" My voice was now very stern.

Just then, a massive force suddenly threw me up from the back seat, my head slamming hard against the front seat back. I yelled, "Xiao Xuan, grab him quickly!"

The driver slammed the SUV to an emergency stop and immediately opened his door to flee. But in that instant, Xiao Xuan rapidly unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed the collar of the driver's coat.

With a shh sound, the driver's jacket ripped open, though not completely. But the man twisted like an eel and shot out of the torn fabric. It was late at night, and we were in Shi Liu Bay; if he ran just ten meters forward, catching him would be nearly impossible.

I had already pushed open my door. Seeing the situation, I roared, used a Gongbu Suo Hou (Arch Stance Throat Lock) technique, and pinned him firmly beneath me. Xiao Xuan also got out of the car. She found a rope from somewhere and, with practiced speed, bound him tight in just a few moves.

I didn't have time to question him; I first opened the rear trunk. If he was here to dispose of evidence, the person or body must be hidden there.

The trunk sprang open with a pa. I heaved it up forcefully and froze, because it was empty—nothing but a spare tire and a set of repair tools.

The driver had been watching coldly the whole time. Realizing our intent, he suddenly shouted, "What are you doing? Just because you're the police, you can act like this? It's useless relying on you people! Let me go!"

Xiao Xuan pressed him down and snapped, "Behave!"

Something was fishy. I wasn't going to let him go; the man was clearly guilty, otherwise, why the sudden brake and dash? There had to be an unknown element here.

I strode over to him and demanded harshly, "Speak! What exactly is going on?"

The driver lifted his chin and retorted, "What do you mean, what's going on? I just got out to take a leak. Why are you treating me like this? You're treating a good Samaritan like a villain."

Dare to mock the police? He must be a seasoned crook. He immediately spotted his weakness and fabricated a seemingly plausible lie. He might even be a repeat offender who had done time.

But I wasn't buying it. I gripped his shoulder and barked, "Stop playing games with me. If you don't talk now, I have a place where you will talk!"

The driver began to panic and yelled, "What are you doing? Let me go! Police! Someone's attacking me!"

After that outburst, he realized there wasn't a soul around for miles. Even if I beat him, it would be a beating no one would witness.

I shook my fist and smiled. "Thanks for the reminder."

Xiao Xuan frowned. "Senior Brother?"

I chuckled. "Dealing with guys like this sometimes requires a little violence. Since it's just the two of us here, you can be my witness—just say this guy hurt himself trying to escape." Saying that, I grinned wickedly and brandished my fist at the driver.

Seeing he was trapped and couldn't escape, the driver decided avoiding a beating was better than getting one. He confessed: "Officer, I truly didn't do anything terrible. I just saw this car parked here, and since the owner wasn't around, I went to check. The keys were still inside, so I decided to take it for a little joyride. I planned to return it before morning."

Hearing his story, Xiao Xuan and I were both stunned, exchanging glances, unsure if the man was telling the truth or lying.

Truth or lie, the man didn't seem decent, and this matter certainly needed thorough investigation. I decided to take both the man and the car back and hand them over to my colleagues at the precinct for processing.

The "driver" spent the whole ride pleading, swearing he only wanted a little drive and certainly wasn't stealing the car. But even the most honest monk wouldn't believe his demeanor.

I was also perplexed. Who would park a car in such a cursed place and leave the keys in the ignition?

Where did that person go after getting out?

Strolling around Shi Liu Bay in the dead of night?

Could he be a ghost?

The back of my neck felt cold. I stomped on the accelerator, and the SUV sped away from the grasp of the bizarre Shi Liu Bay, racing toward the city center.

It was nearly one in the morning when we reached the precinct. The officer on duty was nodding off, pecking at rice, when I startled him with a heavy clap on the desk. When he looked up, his face turned ashen white.

Judging by his expression, he must have thought I was a lunatic, and a lunatic appearing at one AM surely meant trouble, hence his reaction.

I felt a surge of anger, but I dared not push him too far because Xiao Xuan was right beside me. There were some things better kept hidden from her. Thinking of this, I suddenly felt that my broken phone was a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, that fellow Zhang Jiewei would surely have badmouthed me in front of Xiao Xuan, ruining our budding romance!

Considering that tomorrow was Saturday, the start of the weekend, I decided not to inform anyone about Xiao Xuan's return for the time being. I would just call Officer Jiang on Monday before she went to work.

I looked at Xiao Xuan, thinking privately: When she gets to the precinct, she'll find out. Will she still give attention to this 'lunatic' of hers?

Xiao Xuan saw my strange look and made a face, thinking I was just teasing her.

I handed the supposed car thief over to the duty officer, gave a brief rundown, and passed him the car keys. Then, amidst his stunned gaze, I hurried away with Xiao Xuan.

Since hailing a taxi late at night was difficult, we didn't get back to a home—my home—until two in the morning. I had originally planned to take Xiao Xuan back to her own place. Although her parents were unaware of her disappearance, thinking she was on official business, they hadn't seen her for a long time and should see her first. But it was too late, so I brought Xiao Xuan back to my apartment.

Of course, Xiao Xuan agreed; otherwise, I wouldn't dare forcibly bring a female officer home.

Back home, neither of us felt sleepy, like a pair of bats—me from excitement, and Xiao Xuan perhaps because she had been in a stupor for so long, making her unusually energetic upon waking. After showering, we sat on the sofa enthusiastically, showing no inclination to sleep.

Given her reaction earlier, I dared not press her about what happened in the past few days. I just talked about trivial matters unrelated to work, like how a big star had visited the city recently for several concerts, or how a certain master had re-emerged, causing continuous controversy.

Xiao Xuan sat quietly on the sofa, then suddenly asked with confusion, "Senior Brother, why was I in Shi Liu Bay? I don't remember anything."

Hearing her ask this question voluntarily made me secretly happy. I used suggestive language: "I only rushed over after receiving your call. But when I got there, I found you collapsed in the drainage ditch. Did you discover something?"

As Xiao Xuan listened, her brow slowly smoothed out, losing the previous distressed symptom. I was secretly pleased with myself.

"What exactly happened? What did you find? Think slowly, don't rush. Maybe you forgot everything after you passed out; you’ll remember after resting a while." My pace was slow, to avoid stimulating her, but I desperately needed the answer to find the person who kidnapped her—a person directly connected to the killer.

Xiao Xuan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "I think I saw someone. He was like a shadow, constantly following me. I couldn't shake him off."

"A shadow? You mean a person's shadow? Did you get a clear look at him?" I asked cautiously. I suddenly realized I might have a talent for psychology; every word I spoke was suggestive but avoided touching the fragile parts of the patient.

Xiao Xuan shook her head. "No, I never saw his face. He was always facing away from me. Sometimes I felt the light ahead was too bright, so I couldn't make out his appearance."

"Roughly how tall?"

As a criminal investigator, catching a glimpse of a person usually gives an instant impression of their facial features, height, build, and clothing. I believed Xiao Xuan would still retain a subconscious memory of these details even in a state of collapse.

Indeed, this time Xiao Xuan answered clearly: "One meter seventy-three to one meter seventy-six."

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