novelraw Chapter 1218: Frightened Nan Xiaonan
Chapter 1218: Frightened Nan Xiaonan
Why was Auntie Ren here?
Pure coincidence... or maybe just boredom.
Just kidding.
That morning, right after stepping into the office, Auntie Ren was blindsided by the sudden news of her promotion and raise, as if she’d reached the peak of her career. Feeling dazed, she decided she needed some fresh air—to calm herself down a bit.
Definitely not because she wanted to savor the thrill of skipping work right under the former Editor-in-Chief’s nose. Nope, not at all. (It was exhilarating!)
Running into Forensic Nan Xiaonan, however, was quite the surprise—after all, once the police finished filming, collecting evidence, and moving the body, they rarely returned to a crime scene.
“What a coincidence, Forensic Nan!” Ren Ziling greeted warmly.
—Don’t come near me!
Even so, Nan Xiaonan calmly nodded. Why was this happening again? She’d already worked so hard to transfer out, and yet she could never seem to escape…
“Are you investigating here too?” Ren Ziling smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “Why not take me along? I might even help!”That tone clearly said she wasn’t planning to leave.
Nan Xiaonan sighed inwardly. She really didn’t want too much contact with this woman, but if she refused, would that attract the attention of the World's Will?
She knew all too well the power behind a Child of the World—their thoughts often manifested into reality. In short, they were blessed by divine luck.
Even if she refused now, under that irresistible influence, she would probably end up doing exactly as Ren Ziling wished—entering the scene together.
Nan Xiaonan quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
“This is really awkward…” Ren Ziling sighed when Nan Xiaonan remained silent. Looked like her plan to tag along might fail. Maybe Little Bao had exposed her identity after she left last time?
“Alright, you can follow me,” Nan Xiaonan said suddenly.
Ren Ziling blinked, then beamed. “Forensic Nan! I’ll definitely thank you properly later! You’re way more reliable than Old Ma!”
---
Achoo—!
In City X, Officer Ma, who was on his way to a black market driver hangout after receiving new intel from Zhou Yusheng, suddenly sneezed.
“Caught a cold, Sir Ma?” Lin Feng asked casually.
Ma rubbed his nose. “Don’t think so. Just got a chill… How much longer till we get there?”
“About half an hour. If we can confirm Wang Liang really took an unlicensed car, the case might become clearer,” Lin Feng replied seriously.
Ma nodded. Suddenly he thought—when it came to finding people, especially underground drivers, wouldn’t Ren Ziling be far more efficient?
He decided to give it a try.
---
Nan Xiaonan had been to the crime scene before, though not on the day the body was found. That visit was for evidence collection.
Once a scene was declared cleared of value, no one guarded it anymore, and the seals would remain until the case was solved.
The two women, each with their own motives, entered the apartment’s living room.
Ren Ziling looked around curiously, touching things here and there—but carefully. She even brought her own disposable gloves.
Watching her, Nan Xiaonan thought this woman was clearly prepared. Probably not her first time doing something like this.
“No photos,” Nan Xiaonan said automatically when she saw Ren Ziling taking out her phone. It wasn’t her will—just the instinct of the soul she had assimilated, the real Nan Xiaonan.
“I know,” Ren Ziling chuckled awkwardly. “Just a phone call.”
She stepped out to the balcony—it was a call from Ma Houde. She felt a twinge of guilt; did he already find out she was skipping work?
“…Looking for someone?”
The topic surprised her. Quickly, she pulled out a notepad. “City X, November… Got it. You want unlicensed car drivers from those days? No problem. Usual deal—info fee, one thousand five hundred!”
After hanging up, she immediately made another call. Her voice dropped, but Nan Xiaonan’s hearing was sharp.
“…Hey, Rat Qiang, I need some people. Yeah, November, City X… What? Too little? Fine, I’ll call Snake Ming instead! I’ll transfer it later. And listen—you use that money for your wife’s baby formula, not gambling, or I’ll kill you. Alright, waiting on your message.”
When Ren Ziling returned to the living room, Nan Xiaonan pretended not to notice. She was crouched beside the freezer.
Ren Ziling curiously walked over—just as Nan Xiaonan stood up, blocking one side of the freezer.
A faint dark-red sigil suddenly glowed behind her, then melted away into the metal.
“Forensic Nan, didn’t sleep well last night? You look a bit pale,” Ren Ziling said, blinking.
“It’s nothing. Just anemia,” Nan Xiaonan replied flatly—the real Nan Xiaonan indeed suffered mild anemia.
“Oh… here, have some of this!” Ren Ziling smiled and pulled out a can of M&M’s from her bag.
Emmmmm…
…Nan Xiaonan took 10,000 points of emotional damage from M&M’s.
…She tried to resist. Resistance: 0. Failure.
…She suffered 10,000 true damage.
…She reluctantly reached out her hand.
…She ate the M&M’s. Satisfaction +100%.
…Ren Ziling’s favorability unchanged.
Turn end.
“Thanks,” Nan Xiaonan said, glancing at the candy. She decided to stock up later.
“I don’t really eat these,” Ren Ziling said with a grin. “But sometimes when I’m interviewing kids—or anemic people like you—they’re great for raising favorability.”
Hmm… hopefully they’re not expired? How long ago was that? A few months?
Nan Xiaonan smiled faintly, then froze—danger! She almost fell for the Child of the World’s charm aura!
She knew too well how terrifying that effortless charisma was—an almost divine ability to win people over.
“I’m leaving,” she said abruptly.
Ren Ziling looked around the apartment and sighed. As expected, there wasn’t much left to see after the first investigation. “Heading back to the bureau? I’ll give you a lift; I drove here anyway.”
“No need. I’m off duty today.”
“Off duty and still working?” Ren Ziling blinked. “Forensic Nan, you really are a workaholic.”
—Just leave already!
Nan Xiaonan nodded calmly and gestured for her to go. Ren Ziling sighed helplessly. “Sure you don’t want a ride? It’s raining; the roads are messy.”
Heh.
“No, thanks.”
---
Downstairs, seeing Ren Ziling walking toward her red car, Nan Xiaonan finally exhaled in relief.
Holding her umbrella, she glanced up at the apartment where the murder happened, thinking, I’ll come back tonight. By then, the spell should be ready.
Her power really was too weak. If only she had even a tenth of her original body’s strength, it would have activated instantly.
Shaking her head, she turned to leave—just then, a food delivery scooter zoomed past, splashing filthy puddle water all over her.
Nan Xiaonan instantly became drenched like a drowned chicken.
“Forensic Nan, let me drive you!” Ren Ziling rolled down her car window and shouted from a distance.
Nan Xiaonan looked at her soaking wet clothes and sighed helplessly.
Heh.
—Of course. Child of the World.
“Alright.”
Knowing she couldn’t escape her fate, Nan Xiaonan sighed again and carefully got into Ren Ziling’s car.
---
“...Come up and have a cup of hot tea.” Nan Xiaonan sighed once more.
If possible, she would’ve preferred to part ways right outside her apartment. But there was too much to consider.
A Child of the World was someone blessed with extraordinary luck—someone who could even affect the fortune of those around them.
Over the years, Nan Xiaonan had seen far too many people meet misfortune simply because they left a bad impression on one of them. It sounded superstitious—but superstition was the one thing you never gambled with.
In her former world, there had once been an evil sorcerer who angered a Child of the World. The next day, during a ritual, an accident occurred. That mighty nine-star warlock perished tragically, undone by his own magic—just because the Child of the World had said, “He who does evil will meet his end.”
Even now, if she ignored Ren Ziling and went straight upstairs, the most she’d get would be some harmless gossip—“How rude,” “So ungrateful,” “What a cold person.” But who could guarantee that those casual judgments wouldn’t trigger some chain of bad luck later? Nan Xiaonan didn’t dare test it.
“Ah, I’d hate to impose!” Ren Ziling blinked. “What if I disturb your family?”
Then why did you look so eager to come in…
Heh.
“It’s fine. I live alone,” Nan Xiaonan smiled faintly. Since she was already involved further than she liked, she might as well maintain a good impression—at least until her transfer went through.
---
“Target has returned.”
Across from the apartment building, in another unit, a foreign man in his thirties, dressed in a black jacket, was watching through binoculars. Speaking into a satellite phone, he reported, “She’s back.”
“You’ve disappointed me. Why is she still alive? This time, no mistakes.”
“I understand… but there’s a strange woman in her apartment.”
“Does this stranger know anything?”
“Unclear. We have no records of her.”
“Then play it safe—eliminate the stranger too. The organization allows no leaks.”
“Understood.”
The man hung up, opened a metal case beside him, and began assembling a sniper rifle.
He positioned it by the window.
---
“Wow, you really live alone,” Ren Ziling said as she looked around Nan Xiaonan’s apartment. It was a simple one-bedroom, one-living-room, one-bathroom setup—perfect for a single woman.
She sat down comfortably, eyes bright. “Back in college, I always dreamed of having a place like this after graduation.”
“Heh… and now?” Nan Xiaonan asked casually as she boiled water on the stove.
“Now I live with my son,” Auntie Ren smiled. “Aren’t you going to change clothes first? You’ll catch a cold.”
“In a bit.” Nan Xiaonan smiled faintly. Keep your composure, keep your composure.
…Wait. Live with her son? That didn’t make sense. Judging by her physical condition, Ren Ziling shouldn’t have ever given birth.
Nan Xiaonan frowned inwardly but chose not to pry. Less contact was better. After turning the flame down, she went into her room to change.
“This woman keeps her curtains shut tight…”
And they were black—giving the place a slightly oppressive feel.
Ren Ziling opened the balcony door to let in some air, glancing outside. Just then, her phone rang—it was Rat Qiang.
“That fast?”
“Heh, I’ve been running a private car service lately. Most of the drivers who do under-the-table trips are regulars, so they were easy to find.”
“I’m thinking maybe I should cut your bonus…”
“Don’t, Grandma Ren! My kid’s still waiting for milk powder!”
“Fine. But be careful with that business. It’s shady, but better than gambling or stealing manhole covers again. Watch yourself—I won’t bail you out next time.”
“Got it. I’ll send the numbers and names now.”
After receiving the info, Ren Ziling immediately forwarded it to Ma Houde in City X, adding a note about the informant’s fee.
Then, she looked around Nan Xiaonan’s apartment again. A photo frame on a nearby shelf caught her eye.
Just then, Nan Xiaonan came out in clean clothes—only to find Ren Ziling holding that photo and staring at it. A bad feeling crept up her spine.
“Wow, you know Old Qin too?” Ren Ziling smiled.
Nan Xiaonan nodded. Does this woman know everyone in the police department?
“I’m sort of his junior,” she replied calmly. That was indeed part of the real Nan Xiaonan’s background.
She remembered now—when she had merged with this woman’s body, Nan Xiaonan had just been in a fatal car crash, barely clinging to life. That’s why the fusion had gone so smoothly. The other trapped consciousnesses in this sub-world were likely in similar states.
While she was lost in thought, Ren Ziling kept studying the photo.
It showed Nan Xiaonan, Chief Qin, and several people in white lab coats—two were white men, one was Black, and one of the white men was elderly. It seemed to be taken in a research facility lounge; a gray building loomed faintly in the background.
“This old man… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere,” Ren Ziling murmured, frowning.
An urge to throw Ren Ziling out surged inside Nan Xiaonan—not from herself, but from the original soul within her.
And at that very instant, a sharp sense of danger struck her.
“Watch out!” she cried.
Ren Ziling jumped in fright—her hand slipped, and the frame crashed to the floor.
In that same heartbeat, from a building across the street, a high-speed bullet was fired—
BANG!
The frame shattered on the ground, glass scattering. Ren Ziling froze, then quickly crouched. “Ah! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!”
While she fumbled to clean the glass shards, Nan Xiaonan’s eyes widened—she felt it. A surge of the World Will’s power. Behind Ren Ziling, a translucent shield had briefly flared into existence.
Something had just been fired at her—and vanished the moment it touched that barrier.
Nan Xiaonan’s gaze turned toward the direction the shot had come from, but it was too far. Too many windows, some open, some closed. She couldn’t tell which one.
And looking back at the completely oblivious Ren Ziling, her expression grew strange.
This was absurd.
Even for a Child of the World, even with miraculous luck—this was ridiculous!
Weren’t Children of the World supposed to go through hardships and trials before “achieving destiny”?
This was blatant divine protection!
---
Meanwhile.
In that opposite apartment, the foreign sniper frowned. The shot had clearly fired—but missed? Impossible.
Before he could react, the space behind him twisted.
A bullet materialized from thin air and pierced through the back of his skull.
He collapsed instantly.
(End of Chapter)