The Vanishing Lover

Xu Ruyi returned from the police station late at night.

She parked her car in her designated spot, turned off the engine, and sat quietly.

The silent cabin completely isolated her from the outside world. Inside the car felt like an island entirely her own.

But she knew this wasn't an island, and she didn't have one.

She had been upgraded from a complete victim to a "wife under suspicion."

The captain of the criminal investigation team had personally taken her to the station and personally "chatted" with her.

This was "treatment" reserved for important suspects.

This was expected. Hadn't they all said when devising this plan? Luring Qin Guan into the trap was easy; deceiving the police was difficult.

The hardest act had finally begun.

She had no reason to retreat, feel sad, or panic. She had only one path: to move forward, no matter how difficult.

A black car with its headlights on was circling within the residential complex, seemingly looking for a parking space.

Of course, it could also be surveilling her.

Xu Ruyi opened the car door. The chilly night wind rushed in.

She pulled her trench coat tighter and strode towards her home. As she walked, she quickly reviewed the first confrontation with the police over the past few hours—

They had meticulously questioned her about her father's will.

Had her father mentioned this will before? Had she seen it before? Had she touched it before the police retrieved it from Qin Guan's safe...

Fingerprints.

It must be about the fingerprints.

Fingerprints on the will were easy to erase, wiped clean entirely. But fabricating them out of thin air was too difficult—she had researched it thoroughly. It required a set of expensive professional tools: first extracting fingerprints, lifting them, then transferring them onto the will.

First, acquiring the whole set of tools wasn't easy. Even if bought, the purchase would leave traces.

Moreover, even if obtained, a novice would struggle to replicate them perfectly. Transferred fingerprints wouldn't escape the eyes of experienced detectives and could easily backfire.

She had abandoned "replication." That meant there were absolutely no Qin Guan's fingerprints on that will.

She knew this could be a fatal flaw, but she had no better solution.

The only possible remedy was Qi Min's fingerprints—she had once carefully folded the will and handed it to Qi Min as her daughter's artwork. "Hey, look at Little Pear's drawing of you!"

She had been baking at the time, her hands naturally gloved.

Qi Min took it, eagerly opening it—the moment she did, Xu Ruyi stopped her, "Oh, I picked the wrong one! It's this one!"

The building door clicked shut behind her, the smart lock making a crisp sound.

It was a sound indicating safety.

Safety—Xu Ruyi pressed the elevator button, thinking quietly—there were no fingerprints from her or Auntie Feng on the will. They were safe for now.

But that was the extent of the so-called safety.

The information the police were pursuing had already extended back to before Qi Min disappeared at the lakeside villa.

Meaning, they had doubts about the entire case.

This was completely normal. At this moment, she was no longer just fighting Qin Guan; she was trying to confuse the police's line of sight and influence their judgment.

Her opponent was the powerful, professional, and keen-eyed police force.

Could she successfully complete the task?

Team Leader Qi had asked about her movements on March 17th, the day Qin Guan returned from his business trip—they were obviously investigating who placed that card, "I know what you did," on the windshield of Qin Guan's parked car at the airport parking lot.

Xu Ruyi hadn't placed it.

The elevator doors opened. Xu Ruyi stepped in—Guanlanting was a high-end development with one elevator per household. The elevator was always pristine and clean. An electronic screen silently played public service announcements. The metal walls reflected her image from head to toe like mirrors.

She wasn't tall, with a slender figure. Even disguised in oversized sportswear she rarely wore, with a hat, mask, and glasses, she couldn't vanish from surveillance cameras.

"A person's posture, their way of walking, cannot be changed in a short time,"

Xu Ruyi strongly agreed with this.

Therefore, she hadn't gone to that camera-filled airport parking lot—nor had she deliberately arranged to meet some long-lost friend to create an alibi for herself on the day Qin Guan returned.

She had followed her daily routine: taking Little Pear to kindergarten, then going to her yoga class. After yoga, she returned home for lunch. After lunch, she went out to buy Little Pear's performance costume and shoes. On her way back, she renewed her VIP membership for the next quarter at the stew shop outside the complex.

This was her ordinary, unremarkable daily life. Recalling it herself took effort. But once "recalled," the police could easily verify her alibi.

"Don't be deliberate. All deliberate actions will be spotted by the police. Believe in their sharp eyesight. We can't avoid it,"

Yes, if she couldn't avoid it, then she wouldn't act.

The police would certainly check the parking lot surveillance. And they would surely be disappointed—the person who placed the card on Qin Guan's car, whether in height or build, was completely unlike Xu Ruyi.

The elevator door opened, and the apartment door opened too.

Only a small lamp was on inside, casting a dim, yellowish light. Auntie Feng stood at the doorway, already in her pajamas.

She had obviously been waiting anxiously, standing by the window. When she saw Xu Ruyi's car return and her come upstairs, she couldn't wait to open the door to greet her.

"It's fine, just routine questioning," Xu Ruyi took the water Auntie Feng handed her and drank it all in one go. Her tightly strung body relaxed slightly at that moment.

Only slightly.

She sank onto the sofa. Auntie Feng sat beside her. They looked at each other but didn't dare say much—the police had thoroughly searched this place. Could they have installed cameras or listening devices?

Just like she had done to Qin Guan.

She had placed cameras in Qin Guan's study and bedroom. He hadn't noticed—without those cameras, how could she have learned the safe's password or the location of Qi Min's phone?

"It's good it's nothing, it's good it's nothing. Coming back so late, I was really worried. Little Pear woke up and asked several times where Mommy was," Auntie Feng sighed, making "small talk." "The child is young, doesn't understand. She doesn't understand why Daddy suddenly disappeared either. But thankfully there's Mommy; she's not afraid of anything. But not seeing her mom all of a sudden... she got scared and cried..."

She was talking about herself.

Xu Ruyi looked quietly at Auntie Feng—her eyes were red and swollen. Clearly, the anxious wait had tormented her, her thoughts churning with worry.

The hair at her temples had turned much whiter. Lately, her white hair had visibly increased.

"I'm fine, Auntie Feng," Xu Ruyi placed her hand into Auntie Feng's palm, like she did as a child—Auntie Feng's hand was rough and thick, giving her a solid, substantial sense of security.

"How can you be fine?" Auntie Feng gripped her hand tightly, choking up. "The old master has only been gone a few months, and now such a big thing happens at home. Little Pear just lost her grandpa, now she's lost her daddy... Miss, you have to take care, you have to be strong. This family, it all depends on you holding it together now."

This last sentence was what she most wanted to say.

Xu Ruyi nodded solemnly—of course she would be strong. The first act had closed perfectly; the real battle had just begun. She would never retreat, never admit defeat. She absolutely had to send that demon to prison.

"I don't know what to do either, Miss. I can't even read, I can't help you with anything," Auntie Feng continued, voice thick with emotion. "I told Xiao Zhi. Xiao Zhi said he'll take leave and come see you."

Xu Ruyi looked up, surprised—Xiao Zhi was coming?