The Vanishing Lover

"I know what you did."

The business card stuck in the window of Qin Guan's car parked at the airport was indeed placed by Xu Ruyi.

The day before Qin Guan returned from his business trip, she slipped it onto the driver's side window of his car.

Making this card, writing that phrase, ensuring it was conspicuous enough for Qin Guan to see at a glance—this truly marked the beginning of Xu Ruyi's formal "declaration of war."

Because, by then, she already had a complete plan.

It was time. Time to seek justice for her parents.

First, she connected with that receptionist girl at the law firm, ensuring the girl could later serve as proof for her timeline. Then, she began to deal with Qin Guan.

In terms of strength, she was certainly no match for Qin Guan. But she had one advantage—she was in the shadows, he was in the light.

And another: Qi Min.

Her husband's mistress was ambitious, vain, greedy, and had that incident with him at the lakeside hotel during their business trip.

"I know what you did"—this phrase was the first stone Xu Ruyi hurled from the shadows. Qin Guan, who had done so many bad things, who bore the weight of human lives, would inevitably feel guilty, fearful, panicked, and terrified because of it.

No matter how capable a person, if their mind is unsettled, disturbed, their actions will inevitably go wrong.

Only when he made mistakes would she have a chance to win.

"That card was placed by Xu Ruyi,"

"To do something like this, she probably wouldn't have entrusted it to anyone else, because hiring anyone would leave potential risks or vulnerabilities for herself,"

"She must have disguised herself, avoiding attention. But, apart from some blind spots, most parking areas at the airport have surveillance cameras. You can trace her movements through the footage,"

Qin Guan's mind was becoming increasingly clear.

Sitting quietly, thinking calmly, untangling everything that had happened without haste—the Qin Guan who was invincible in court had returned.

"She put that card on my car, naturally to scare me. Why scare me? I've thought it over, and I believe there are only two possibilities,"

"First, she had already discovered her father's will by then. From the will, she learned about my affair with Qi Min and held a grudge against me. The phrase she wrote meant she knew about my betrayal of the marriage."

"Second, this is something I found hard to believe, but after all that's happened, I have to consider it—"

Qin Guan lifted his head calmly. "Xu Ruyi not only knew about my affair with Qi Min back then, she might have even known about everything that happened between Qi Min and me at the lakeside villa. The phrase she left on the card referred to me 'killing' Qi Min."

"She knew Qi Min and I were having a tryst at Lakeside Charm Hotel, even knew all the intimate details in bed,"

As Qin Guan said this, he looked at Old He across from him—Old He had been listening quietly with his arms crossed, but his eyes clearly held not a shred of trust in Qin Guan's words.

No rush. Disbelief was normal.

Qin Guan took a deep breath, his mind settling further. "As for how she could possibly know, this point—don't say you, even I couldn't believe it and couldn't figure it out,"

"But, as you police say, everything leaves traces. She's not a god, she doesn't have X-ray vision. Therefore, for her to achieve this, it boils down to a few things,"

"First, she must have planted a camera in the room Qi Min and I stayed in. Only by installing a camera could she know those intimate details about Qi Min and me that outsiders couldn't possibly know,"

"And to install a camera in the hotel, she would need to bribe a staff member at Lakeside Hotel. That's why I've been saying, please, you must thoroughly investigate the hotel staff—waiters, cleaners, front desk, maintenance workers. Someone among them must have had contact with Xu Ruyi,"

At this point, Qin Guan's calm mind suddenly trembled—during his second trip to Lakeside Hotel in handcuffs, when the elevator doors opened, the first thing he smelled was Qi Min's signature perfume, and he heard Qi Min's distinctive phone ringtone.

That day, he thought it was some bizarre coincidence, even superstitiously wondered for the first time in his life if it could be Qi Min's ghost haunting him.

Now, calm, he brushed aside that fog of fear. Everything became clear.

All those "coincidences" were never coincidences.

Like that small photo of Qi Min under the bed.

"After Qi Min faked her death, I cleaned the entire room. I wouldn't say meticulously, but I absolutely wouldn't have overlooked a photo under the foot of the bed,"

The photo under the bed could only have been placed by Xu Ruyi.

Because Qi Min couldn't have dropped that photo there; she always treasured it, keeping it in her wallet.

"Qi Min was vain and loved beauty. That photo was taken when she was around twenty. She really looked good in it—young, slim, with regular features, outstanding charm,"

Qi Min was extremely proud of that photo.

Only a few days after joining the firm, during a gathering, she "accidentally" let the photo "slip" onto the dining table—specifically, right beside Qin Guan.

That was also the first time Qin Guan saw that photo.

He just glanced at it briefly, didn't say anything—he'd seen plenty of women's luring tactics, varied and numerous, but the goal was always the same: to capture a man.

It's just that he, Qin Guan, was never an ordinary "prey." Trying to hook him with beauty was meaningless.

He watched coldly as the photo ended up in the hands of Qi Min's boss, Lawyer Wen, who immediately held it up: "Aiya, Xiao Qi, I recognized it was you at a glance! So young and beautiful! I think you look just like that one, that really beautiful Hong Kong/Taiwan star, what's her name? A Miss Wen... ah, Wen Bixia! Doesn't she look like her!"

As soon as Lawyer Wen shouted this, everyone crowded around to look.

By the time Qi Min, "blushing shyly," came to retrieve the photo, her goal had been achieved—everyone at the firm had seen it, including Qin Guan, and they all praised how beautiful she was.

Xu Ruyi had praised her similarly too.

Which time was it when Qi Min visited their home?

Qin Guan couldn't remember clearly.

But he recalled a minor, insignificant detail—

Qi Min had come around dinnertime that visit. Xu Ruyi invited her to stay for the meal. Qi Min naturally declined politely. As she was leaving, she complimented, as usual, "Lawyer Qin's reputation for loving his wife and daughter" and being a "rising star in the industry." Xu Ruyi saw her to the door and also complimented her with a smile:

"You're amazing too! Qin Guan often praises your excellent work, says your boss Lawyer Wen always compliments you for being capable and smart! Young, smart, and beautiful! You know, the first time I saw you, I really thought you looked like Wen Bixia when she was young! Actually, I'd say your features are even more striking than hers!"

Xu Ruyi wasn't usually so effusive with her compliments.

Her praising like that must have been because Qi Min had mentioned it.

Since Qi Min had mentioned it, she must have shown Xu Ruyi that photo. After all, Qi Min never went anywhere without that photo—she carried it in her wallet and had another in her compact mirror.

After getting involved with Qin Guan, she gave one to him.

"The one she gave me, I threw it away long ago. I tore it up and dumped it in the trash," Qin Guan said. "But Xu Ruyi must have gotten hold of another one. Then, when setting her trap, she placed it under the foot of the hotel bed."

Getting Qi Min's photo wouldn't have been difficult.

That woman, after only three visits to their home, couldn't wait to show Xu Ruyi her best photo—almost thirty, still immersed in her past "youthful beauty," even believing the false "flattery" from others. Xu Ruyi instantly looked down on this smooth-talking assistant from the firm.

It's just that back then, Xu Ruyi naively believed Qin Guan shared her view.

Because, since she first knew him, Qin Guan had been a steady, down-to-earth man who never judged by appearances.

And because Qin Guan had repeatedly commented on Qi Min in front of her as "shallow," "dumb," "vain," "only capable of doing things that require no brains"...

He demeaned Qi Min with his words while secretly sleeping with her behind Xu Ruyi's back.

For over two whole years.

When deciding to deal with Qin Guan, Xu Ruyi immediately thought of Qi Min's photo.

That was Qi Min's most cherished picture.

Since Qi Min had shown it to her, she had naturally shown it to many others—things corroborated by many people were the most powerful evidence.

To set her trap, she needed to get Qi Min's photo.

However, the prerequisite was that neither Qi Min nor Qin Guan could find out.