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

To avoid being bombarded with unnecessary questions, after obtaining Lu Chen’s permission and temporarily borrowing the wooden door from the interdimensional convenience store, Yan and Zhu Jue made a swift escape.

The place called Malawan was thick with eerie energy, and as ordinary people, it was best not to linger there too long.

Moreover, if the authorities were to clash with the mastermind behind the "Beautiful Red Envelope Group," neither she nor Zhu Jue had the skills to contribute—better to leave professional matters to the professionals.

Zhuo Si had been rescued, the victims were safe, and whatever happened next was none of their concern.

After leaving Malawan, Yan and Zhu Jue weren’t in a hurry to return to campus.

“Pomelo leaves, pomelo leaves,” Yan muttered to herself. After some effort, they finally found a store selling pomelo leaves on a food delivery app.

They checked into a nearby hotel with a bathtub. Following a method Brother Bao had taught them back in Yangcheng—when an ancient tomb was unearthed and accidents occurred—they soaked the pomelo leaves in water and took a bath to ward off evil and cleanse bad luck.

Having only brought small bags with them, they ordered disposable bath towels and other essentials, thoroughly washing away the day’s exhaustion.

“I’m so tired.” Though it was only early evening, Yan felt like the day had stretched on endlessly.

From the moment they woke up, there had been no respite.

First, Lu Chen sent a message, then they went to the convenience store and encountered Lou Yun from the "Beautiful Red Envelope Group." Next, Zhuo Si messaged them, they contacted Officer Zheng Yi, rushed to Malawan, and then faced a horde of ghosts…

Looking back, Yan realized just how packed and chaotic the day had been.

Now lying in bed, she felt like her body was about to fall apart.

Meanwhile, Zhu Jue was carefully fanning their phones with pomelo leaves before wiping them down meticulously with alcohol wipes.

Yan couldn’t help but laugh at his seriousness. “Jue, I think wrapping the phones in pomelo leaves might be more effective.”

Fanning them seemed purely psychological at this point.

Zhu Jue considered it for a moment before nodding. “Good idea.”

They bundled both phones in pomelo leaves, then Zhu Jue secured them with a hotel towel, tying a knot as if performing a solemn purification ritual.

“I’m not afraid of ghosts, but we did see quite a few today,” Yan mumbled.

“Even though they were victims, it was still a little scary,” Zhu Jue admitted, recalling the scene.

The two had experienced their fair share of supernatural encounters—ever since meeting the Ghost King in their first year of university, they’d often been greeted by the lingering spirit of an old alumna from the Republic era.

But not all ghosts were the same. Zhuo Si’s sudden scream had left them stunned.

“When one of them tapped my shoulder, I didn’t even react at first.”

“I was too shocked, and I didn’t want to provoke them, so I just turned away immediately.”

“A crowd of faceless ghosts… it was like a nightmare.”

Yan nodded in agreement. Now that they were calmly reviewing the events, it felt easier to process, but in the moment, they’d both been too stunned to think straight.

“Can’t blame Zhuo Si for being terrified. Thankfully, none of those ghosts meant harm,” Zhu Jue said.

“I actually thought—” He paused.

“That they wanted to play a game with us.”

After all, they’d been engrossed in Sudoku when Zhuo Si pointed out the ghosts behind them. When one tapped his shoulder, his first instinct was, Do they want to join in?

Zhu Jue instinctively handed over his phone—and was met with a surprisingly friendly response. The ghosts could communicate.

The day had been a rollercoaster. After a simple takeout dinner and a thorough wash, the two collapsed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, thanks to the "door," the authorities moved swiftly and decisively.

Special case teams conducted interviews, recorded statements, and gathered information from the victims about the perpetrators they’d encountered before their ordeal.

Once the culprits were identified, task forces were deployed—each team a mix of local special case operatives, police officers, and armed personnel, ensuring no potential danger was overlooked.

It was an unprecedented, large-scale operation. With time of the essence, departments coordinated at breakneck speed, extending beyond Bincheng.

To prevent leaks during the arrests, Zheng Yi oversaw the Malawan operations center, ensuring seamless coordination.

Experts in arcane formations from the special case teams used the wooden door to mobilize reinforcements, preparing to corner the mastermind in their lair.

Unaware of these developments, the young couple slept soundly.

The next morning, they woke up sneezing in unison.

“Achoo—”

Zhu Jue checked the room’s temperature. They’d set the AC to 25°C before bed, and the room was comfortably warm with no open windows. Neither had a fever, so it didn’t seem like a cold.

“Could it be allergies acting up?” Yan wondered.

“But Brother Xiao’s treatments should’ve fixed that.”

With no other symptoms beyond the sneezing, Zhu Jue settled on an explanation—

“Maybe ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍someone’s talking about us. Could be our parents or Da Bao and Xiao Bao.”

“Yeah, they probably miss us,” Yan agreed.

Their phones, wrapped in pomelo leaves for over twelve hours, had accumulated a flood of messages.

Exhausted from the previous day, they didn’t make it to breakfast until nearly 10 a.m.

As she poked at her poached eggs, Yan scrolled through her notifications. Zhuo Si’s effusive messages—thanking them for risking their lives, calling them saviors—made her skin crawl.

“This is so cringey,” Yan groaned.

“Mine’s worse,” Zhu Jue said, showing his screen.

Yan glanced at it and immediately looked away with an “Ew.” Zhuo Si’s messages to Zhu Jue were so over-the-top, it was like he was a step away from kneeling and calling him “Daddy.”

She skimmed past the avalanche of praise and replied succinctly:

[Yan]: Stop calling us experts—we’re just regular people. Is everything resolved on your end?

Officer Zheng Yi and Li had also sent messages, though theirs were brief, just confirming the operation’s success. They were likely swamped with follow-up work, so Yan replied with a sticker and left it at that. Zhuo Si, however, had plenty of free time to spill details.

[Zhuo Si]: It’s all over, Boss! My statement’s done too! You have no idea how intense it was last night!!!

【Zhuo Si】: Talk about a perfect trap—straight into the lion’s den! Last night, after we evacuated all the victims, just past midnight, the dark energy in the area shifted. That sinister cultist came to check on things, only to walk right into our reversed formation, staring down the barrels of our soldiers’ rifles. Truly, the truth lies within firing range!

【Zhuo Si】: That’s all I know for now. Today, they’re still rescuing the victims in the real world. Those who only lost their souls might have a chance at recovery—I overheard something about summoning some reclusive expert to "mend bones and stitch spirits"!

Zhuo Si sent a long string of messages, leaving Yan blinking in surprise.

"It’s good news that the surviving victims can recover," Jue Jue remarked.

Yan looked weary. "Man-made bad auras are the worst. I hope we never see them again."

The investigation into how the shadowy cultist behind the "harvesting lives and breaking bodies" scheme orchestrated everything was still ongoing.

"I’d rather deal with ordinary auras," Yan muttered bitterly.

Zhuo Si was still texting, asking if the two of them had free time soon. Though unsure what he wanted, Jue Jue politely declined.

【Zhu Jue】: We’re heading back to our home in Ning City. We’ll talk when we return.

After a semester of classes, followed by a summer term, and then a series of chaotic events, Yan and Zhu Jue decided to spend the last stretch of summer break at home to rest—partly to avoid any more encounters with strange individuals.

【Zhuo Si】: Got it, boss! See you when you’re back!

After sending the message, Zhuo Si glanced up at the "big shots" surrounding him.

He hunched his shoulders. "The bosses said they’re going home. I didn’t get a chance to ask about that ‘shop owner’ situation."

"You’ve been working hard—go home and rest if there’s nothing else," Zheng Yi said, unsurprised. She hadn’t expected him to pry anyway.

Last night’s operation was over, and the mastermind behind the case had been captured. Zheng Yi’s confidence came from the progress bar only she could see.

However, the "Beautiful Sin" case was still stuck at 80%. The remaining 20% involved cleanup and aftermath.

As someone with her own supernatural peculiarities, Zheng Yi wasn’t new to handling paranormal cases. But this one had exposed her shortcomings and broadened her horizons.

Especially because… she never expected Yan and Zhu Jue, two informants, to play such a pivotal role.

At first, she assumed they were just specially trained operatives. But now, Zheng Yi suspected their backgrounds ran much deeper.

Particularly after the appearance of the mysterious "Anywhere Door" owner. The shopkeeper, whose aura screamed danger to Zheng Yi, explained that he lent the door this time because he couldn’t refuse the request—and because it involved his guests.

The shopkeeper’s role demanded permanent neutrality in this world, so a certain young man’s proposal to borrow the door couldn’t be fulfilled. A shame.

Still, the authorities hadn’t walked away empty-handed. Thanks to the wooden door, another supernatural affairs department managed to establish contact with the shopkeeper, and one of their agents even received an invitation.

As for Yan and Zhu Jue, their identities remained enigmatic. The shopkeeper’s gaze held respect and admiration for them. Zhuo Si referred to them as "bosses" without fail. And Cheng Li from the Special Cases Unit admitted she wasn’t entirely sure either—they were informants registered under the Ghost King’s Bell.

Xiao Gua, another team member who joined the operation, casually mentioned, "There were a few cases Bell Sis handled before—she always said it wasn’t her doing, just some ‘passing expert’ lending a hand."

The Bell and the shopkeeper were clearly beings beyond ordinary comprehension.

Yet, in their eyes, the young couple held an even more peculiar, inscrutable status. Zheng Yi’s imagination failed to grasp it.

"It’s hard to fathom their true identities," Cheng Li mused beside her.

She flicked the edge of a file containing the two’s mundane life records—elementary school, middle school, high school, university, a seamless trail of academic excellence.

"How are you handling their case records and informant confidentiality ratings?" Cheng Li asked.

"One copy for archives, one erased. If they want to be ordinary, we’ll scrub them from regular informant logs. The higher-ups get a top-secret file," Zheng Yi replied.

The two had helped immensely and disliked trouble. The least they could do was ensure no loose ends. If they wanted to live as normal people, so be it.

That day, Officer "Justice" submitted an unusual informant file.

Its contents were sparse.

[File Description: "Ordinary" individuals of unknown origin.]

[Confidentiality Level: Top Secret]