She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

At this moment, the group had finished their shopping spree. Though Yan and Jue Jue hadn’t bought anything, watching Tan Xiaobao go on her buying frenzy—along with the strings of zeros on the price tags in these stores—left Yan completely unfazed.

Trying on clothes hadn’t felt like it took long, but by the time Tan Xiaobao had meticulously paired and tested every outfit, working her way through an entire rack of clothes, an hour had already passed.

"The other stores will have lines anyway, and I’m not that hungry yet," Tan Xiaobao said, patting her stomach.

She’d eaten so much fruit in the morning that even though changing clothes was exhausting, she really wasn’t that hungry now.

It was just past eleven, making lunchtime a bit awkward.

"Bingbing, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍do you have anything else going on today? Want to grab lunch together?" Yan asked Chu Bingbing.

Since she and Jue Jue had already promised to spend the day with Da Bao and Xiaobao, she couldn’t bail on them—but bringing Bingbing along for lunch was no problem.

"Sure. I’ll head off to my own things after we eat," Chu Bingbing nodded.

The group first stopped to buy fruit teas and milk teas from different brands, then wandered around the food court before settling on a grilled fish restaurant.

They ordered one fish in a savory sauce and another with green peppercorns. Since grilled fish took a while to prepare, the three girls sat side by side—Yan on the inside, with their guest Chu Bingbing sandwiched between her and Xiaobao. Zhu Jue and Da Bao sat across from them.

The moment they sat down, Yan was already diving into her phone.

The gossip—where was her gossip?!

"Yan, what are you looking at?" Chu Bingbing asked, watching as Yan buried her face in her phone the second they sat down.

"The drama on the trending list," Yan replied succinctly.

She was terrified that if she missed even a second, the juicy details might vanish.

"What? What is it?" The moment she said that, all five of them at the table immediately buried their faces in their phones.

The earliest exposé about the Xie family hadn’t appeared on Weibo but on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

It started with a blogger venting their frustration in a post, kicking themselves for missing out.

**[Seasoned Momo]**: I HATE THIS!!! I was so tired I went to bed early and missed the biggest gossip of the century!! Last night, two separate police teams showed up in my neighborhood—apparently they came straight from another city. The whole complex was buzzing. Some neighbors even used high-powered telescopes to spy, and a bunch ran to nearby houses to watch the commotion. And me? I was snoring away, completely clueless. I didn’t see a thing. I could cry.

The blogger, who went by "Seasoned Momo," attached a casual snapshot of their residential area.

Though they didn’t include a location tag, the IP address showed Bin City, and the upscale garden-style complex made it instantly recognizable.

"A rich resident of Huaxi Bieye? Holy crap, isn’t that the top luxury compound in Bin City? Which household messed up?"

"Hey neighbor, I live next door to the place that got raided. I saw everything… Let’s chat privately on WeChat."

"A homeowner in Bieye got arrested by the cops? And two separate teams came? What kind of divine punishment did they incur? Usually, financial crimes would just lead to a company shutdown—this can’t be criminal, right?"

"Rumor has it, whoever got taken this time isn’t coming back. Cross-regional police operation, officially supervised—the Xie family is DONE! No wonder their news and scandals were popping up nonstop lately. Hah, like a final flare before the end."

"Ahhhh! I want the tea! Who can tell me which family it is? What company? Please, blogger, reply!"

"Seasoned Momo" only responded to the comment from their neighbor, ignoring all the other curious replies. Soon after, the post was deleted.

But netizens who’d caught wind of the scandal—about a wealthy family being raided by two police teams—had already taken screenshots, just in case it got taken down.

Now, the gossip Yan was seeing on Weibo was exactly that: screenshots from Xiaohongshu’s "Seasoned Momo," blurry nighttime photos, and a desperate plea from another user.

"URGENT! Does anyone know anyone living in Huaxi Bieye in Bin City? My dad works for one of the households there, but since last night, he’s been completely unreachable. No replies to texts, no answer to video calls. I even had the butler’s number saved—no luck there either. Can someone help me get in touch? [Chat screenshots] [Missed call logs]"

Since both posts involved the same residential complex, internet sleuths quickly connected the dots.

Huaxi Bieye was a well-known, long-established luxury villa area in Bin City, home to many celebrities and tycoons. People immediately started listing names, calling the compound’s 24-hour security, contacting real estate agents for inside info, and even tagging the Bin City police department.

Some particularly bold netizens went straight to the social media accounts of celebrities, business moguls, or corporate pages known to reside there, asking outright:

"Was it your family that got arrested?"

This way, if the account denied it, they could eliminate one wrong answer.

The world was never short of well-connected individuals, especially when the teams sent by Zheng Yi and the special task force had clashed, causing enough commotion that the entire neighborhood had been buzzing about it overnight. Group chats among residents were flooded with updates, and those with business ties to the Xie family immediately started investigating what had happened.

So, it didn’t take long for someone to spill the beans.

"It’s the Xie family—the same one that’s been all over the news lately. No idea who exactly got taken, though."

"It happened late at night. By the time we found out, it was already over."

The Xie family!

The moment this answer surfaced, the internet exploded.

"Holy sh*t! Second Xie’s family? Who got arrested? With that kind of commotion, did the whole family get taken in?!"

"Judging by that netizen’s post about their dad working at the Xie mansion—probably as a gardener or something—even the staff got detained. And Xiaohongshu’s Momo mentioned two separate police teams from out of town. This is HUGE."

"Gotta say, just days ago, Second Xie was being praised for ‘turning over a new leaf’—buying his wife a mansion, gifting her diamonds, all that. Now? Crickets from the media."

"LOL, they’re scared. Entertainment news loves sensationalizing scandals, but when real crime happens, they suddenly play dumb."

Once it was confirmed online that the Xie family was involved, the official accounts of Mingxie Group across all platforms were flooded with comments.

At the same time, netizens were dying to know—why had the Xie family been arrested?

Tax evasion wouldn’t warrant this kind of response. Even financial crimes would usually involve raiding an office building, not storming a luxury villa like Huaxi Bieye. This was clearly targeting specific members of the Xie family.

After all, the Xie family usually made headlines in the entertainment gossip columns. Their sudden transformation into true-crime material was downright shocking.

Yan scrolled through her phone, watching as netizens scrambled for answers but still hadn’t uncovered the real reason. She couldn’t help but feel just as impatient.

Although Yan and Jue Jue had personally witnessed Xie Zhen being taken away, they had no idea what crime he had committed!

Moreover, after Xie Zhen was detained in the capital at noon, two teams had already taken control of the Xie family in Bincheng by evening. She was frantic with worry—what exactly was going on? And how was Lan Ruo doing?

After parting ways at noon the day before, Yan guessed Lan Ruo must have rushed back to Bincheng as quickly as possible. But if the entire Xie family had been taken away, even she would likely be dragged into the police station for questioning.

"Ugh, what on earth is happening? There should be an official announcement soon. We were even gossiping about this in the dorm earlier," Chu Bingbing said, equally anxious.

Yan exchanged a glance with Jue Jue, then after a moment of thought, sent Lan Ruo a message:

**[Yan]:** Lan Ruo, are you okay?

Bincheng, Special Case Division Office.

Lan Ruo walked out, visibly exhausted, accompanied by two officers. A female officer handed her a cup of warm water.

"Miss Lan, you can rest here for a while before heading home."

Lan Ruo thanked her and took small sips of the water. From yesterday until now, she had been utterly drained—completely spent.

Her questioning was over, conducted separately by two specially assigned officers. One session covered her and Xie Zhen’s body-swapping situation, while the other focused on the case involving Xie Jin, Xie Zhen’s elder brother.

After Xie Zhen was taken away at noon yesterday, she had spent several hours alone in the courtyard house, trying to steady herself.

Divorce—or not? How could she secure the greatest advantage from this mess?

Whether Xie Zhen lived or died was none of her damn business.

But their marriage and the company’s interests were things Lan Ruo had to carefully consider.

She didn’t return to Bincheng immediately. Instead, she followed Xie Zhen’s original plan, arranging for a late-night flight back.

She needed to create a time gap.

If she had immediately informed the Xie family about Xie Zhen’s arrest in the capital, she wouldn’t have known what moves they might make while she was still in Ningcheng.

Especially since this involved a criminal case—whatever it was, Lan Ruo refused to believe Xie Zhen, that idiot, could have pulled it off alone.

Why had he been taken away precisely during their trip to Ningcheng? The answer struck her almost instantly.

As Lan Ruo pieced together memories from the past few years, her heart grew heavier.

She remembered clearly—before their engagement, Father Xie had once called her into his study, silently studying her for a long time before saying marriage was a lifelong commitment and urging her to reconsider.

Back then, Xie Jin had already passed away. Father Xie was overseeing the group, grooming Xie Zhen as the undisputed future heir. Though Xie Zhen had a notorious playboy reputation, he was still the perfect golden catch in the eyes of Lan Ruo’s parents.

At the time, Lan Ruo assumed Father Xie simply knew his son’s temperament and was asking if she was prepared to spend her life with Xie Zhen.

But now, she realized her father-in-law must have known something back then.

And she had been completely in the dark.

Lan Ruo closed her eyes briefly, finishing the water in the paper cup before turning to one of the officers.

"Officer Li, did you find anything at that place?"

The "place" Lan Ruo referred to was Xie Zhen’s secret.

If not for the body swap over the past month, she would never have discovered it.

Because she had become "Xie Zhen," their daily habits and behaviors had to remain consistent.

So when Lan Ruo, as "Xie Zhen," stayed in the study, she noticed Xie Zhen would always come in to check on her.

More accurately, he was watching to see if she touched anything—especially his bookshelf.

Xie Zhen forbidding her from touching the shelf had initially amused her.

At first, she thought it was just because of the body swap—he already disliked her, and now, fearing she might cause trouble under his name, he restricted everything.

But later, she sensed something odd.

Once, she accidentally touched a custom wooden carving on the bookshelf. Xie Zhen immediately warned her not to touch it again, claiming his mother had it blessed by a master and that it couldn’t be tainted by a woman’s "yin energy."

Lan Ruo had fired back, "What’s so sacred about a stupid wooden carving? I’m in your body now—are you saying your ‘yang energy’ isn’t strong enough?"

Xie Zhen was furious but still forbade her from touching it, insisting she was still a woman at heart.

After that, every time she entered the study, Xie Zhen would follow. If she so much as stood up and moved near the shelf, his eyes would track her.

Before the body swap, Lan Ruo had rarely set foot in that study and had no idea why Xie Zhen was so fixated on the carving.

His obsession wasn’t typical for a blessed object—precious jade was fragile, but wood? There was no risk of it breaking.

Still, she used his paranoia to her advantage, bargaining for concessions in exchange for leaving it alone.

She had even suggested that since Xie Zhen’s mother knew this "master," she—as Xie Zhen—could ask her mother-in-law for the master’s contact details.

But Xie Zhen flatly refused, claiming the master was no longer alive.

At the time, Lan Ruo found it increasingly suspicious. And when she learned Xie Zhen was involved in a criminal case, her first thought was that the carving might be connected.

Lan Ruo took the late flight back to Bincheng, only to be met by the task force upon landing. They escorted her to the Xie family’s Huaxi Villa, where the entire property was sealed off. Father Xie and Mother Xie were handcuffed and taken away.

As a family member, she received three criminal detention notices.

This time, Lan Ruo finally saw the charges clearly: "Intentional homicide" and "harboring a criminal."

Especially when she realized the victim was her brother-in-law.

At that moment, she couldn’t tell if she was lucky or cursed.

Officer Li hesitated before answering, "We found something—it’s key evidence for the case. But the details aren’t something I can share yet. Here, these are your personal belongings."

Lan Ruo took the bag from Officer Li—her purse, phone, and other items were inside.

When she turned on her phone, the flood of calls and messages nearly froze it.

Frowning, she ignored the incessant calls from family, blocking them one by one, then dialed the company’s executive office to arrange a ride.

Between last night and this afternoon, Lan Ruo had no idea how far the rumors had spread.

But with three members of the Xie family now detained—Xie Zhen definitely not getting out anytime soon—the company needed leadership to keep running.

Given the circumstances, she might not even need to wait for Xie Zhen to sign divorce papers from his jail cell. Lan Ruo could only hope for a swift widowhood.

Seeing Yan’s message on her phone, Lan Ruo felt emotions too tangled to put into words.

She wasn’t a fool. Since Xie Zhen had been taken away, Lan Ruo had spent the entire afternoon yesterday piecing together why Miss Yan had chosen this exact moment to arrange for their body swap.

If not for them, she would have been the one taking the fall for Xie Zhen and ending up behind bars. A life-saving favor like this was beyond repayment.

Lan Ruo sent Yan a message to confirm her safety and express her gratitude once more.

Up until now, she had relied entirely on the wealth and influence of her husband’s family. But if the Xie family collapsed, forget about repaying Miss Yan and Ding Ling—her own future would be in jeopardy.

So now, Lan Ruo had to stabilize the company and keep it running smoothly. The world would keep turning without anyone, and companies often ran even better without their idiot bosses!

Among life’s three greatest joys—promotion, wealth, and a dead husband—she now had to prepare herself for the role of a widow who had lost everything and was struggling to keep the company afloat alone.

Even if only to repay Miss Yan’s life-saving kindness and the care Xie Jin had once shown her, she had to endure the pressure and move forward.

…

When Yan received Lan Ruo’s message, two servings of grilled fish had just arrived at the table.

She confirmed Lan Ruo’s safety, but her gossip-hungry heart still itched with curiosity—though it wouldn’t be right to pry directly from the person involved.

At the table, Tan Xiaobao and Chu Bingbing were already passionately speculating about the drama.

The mall was even more crowded in the afternoon, so after briefly browsing a shop or two, the group decided to head back.

As luck would have it, just as Yan and Zhu Jue arrived home, Chu Bingbing returned to her hotel, and Da Bao and Tan Xiaobao were unpacking their shopping haul, leaving only Yan and Zhu Jue in the house—when Ding Ling’s message came through.

Ding Ling sent a link, along with an account and password.

**[Ding Ling]:** I’ve gathered all the details about the Xie family. Yan, I’ve set up a special account for you—you can use it to access all future cases, including the investigation records of past incidents. Account: xxx Password: ……

Yan froze when she saw the message, but her overwhelming curiosity quickly won out. She copied and saved the login details, then tapped the link to investigate, her head pressed close to Zhu Jue’s as they read intently.

What they saw left both of them stunned.

Since this was an official record from a special investigations unit, it even touched on supernatural elements.

Second Xie had indeed committed "intentional murder." According to his confession, the mastermind was his mother, who had meticulously planned a hired killing—staging a car accident to eliminate Xie Jin, the eldest son of the Xie family.

Second Xie claimed he had been coerced into participating by his mother. The crime had been carefully covered up, but after the accident, Father Xie, whose hair had already been half-gray, turned completely white overnight.

Xie Jin was dead beyond any doubt, and with no illegitimate children outside the family, the only remaining heir was Second Xie—the very son who, along with his mother, had orchestrated the murder. To ensure the Xie legacy continued, Father Xie had no choice but to clean up the mess and force himself to groom this spare heir.

“His beloved eldest son was killed by his second son and stepmother, and his first thought was about securing the family’s future—even going so far as to raise Second Xie as his successor. What a cold-blooded businessman,” Yan muttered in disbelief.

If Xie Jin had known that after being murdered by his brother and stepmother, his own father would immediately take the killers under his wing and groom them to inherit everything—how would he have felt?

Even as outsiders, just reading about it made them feel like they could vomit blood from sheer frustration.

A father who wouldn’t even seek justice for his own son—there wasn’t a shred of familial love left.

“Did Xie Jin not turn into a vengeful spirit?” Zhu Jue wondered aloud.

“No—oh my god!” Yan continued scrolling through the case files, which included photographic evidence and detailed records.

The investigation team had documented everything meticulously.

They had discovered a hidden chamber in the Xie family’s study—the heart of their villa.

The entrance to this chamber was concealed behind a wooden carving on the bookshelf, serving as a secret mechanism.

The photos clearly showed the inside of the chamber, lined with layers of yellow talismans, ropes arranged in what looked like a ritual formation, and other objects Yan couldn’t identify.

At the center was something resembling an urn.

Yan and Zhu Jue skimmed the accompanying notes.

“The ‘Soul-Imprisoning Binding Array’—a forbidden dark art from two hundred years ago. It traps a spirit in one place, preventing it from passing on to the afterlife or reincarnating, condemning it to eternal suffering.”

Yan’s jaw dropped. She and Zhu Jue exchanged horrified glances before instinctively huddling closer together, their skin crawling from what they were reading.

Killing someone wasn’t enough—these people were so haunted by guilt that they wouldn’t even let the victim’s soul rest.

If Yan hadn’t known this was real, she would’ve thought she was reading some sensationalized tabloid gossip from Hong Kong’s elite circles.

Words like “ruthless” or “evil” weren’t enough to describe them.

“Utterly depraved,” Yan whispered, her chest tight. She couldn’t bear to read any further.

Just how terrified had Second Xie and his mother been of Xie Jin’s return, to resort to something like this?

“Thank goodness for righteous officers like Zheng Yi,” Zhu Jue said, squeezing her hand.

Yan nodded firmly. Though Ding Ling had sent her the special investigation team’s records, due to interdepartmental cooperation, some of the content had been shared by Zheng Yi’s team as well.

From these records, they could see the relentless efforts of Zheng Yi and his colleagues.

Yan didn’t know the exact nature of Zheng Yi’s special “halo” ability, but it was precisely this kind of meaningful power that could expose hidden crimes to the light of justice, clearing Xie Jin’s name at last.

“The records say Xie Jin’s spirit was on the verge of collapse. Another day or two, and he might have faded away completely.”

Yan sighed deeply at the final notes. Good people never lived long.

“If there were more halos like Zheng Yi’s, the world would be a better place—maybe even peaceful!” Yan mused.

Xiao Qingnang, the Saint of Medicine; Zheng Yi, the embodiment of justice; and Yi Lude, the Beast Whisperer she’d met before—she believed these specialized abilities could do so much good for society and humanity.

“And that dark practitioner who set up the array—how horrifying!” Yan muttered.

Meanwhile, Ding Ling, who had sent Yan the message, was also poring over the records with her own account, lost in thought.