The Vanishing Lover

Three million yuan.

A huge sum of money.

Xu Ruyi naturally knew what that money was for – the money Qi Min was trying to extort from Qin Guan through the "fake death" scheme.

But Xu Ruyi still gave it without hesitation – she had to give the money to advance Qi Min's plan.

And by this time, she understood Qin Guan even better – even while fully believing he had killed someone, Qin Guan could remain so calm and calculating.

This man was profoundly deep.

He wouldn't be easily fooled.

Because he spoke with absolute confidence: "Honey, don't worry, this money will be back in your account in a couple of days."

Just two days – meaning he had already devised a strategy to deal with the extortion and was certain he would win.

This man was an extremely formidable opponent.

Qi Min wouldn't just fail to get this huge sum; she would likely stumble badly – and only when cornered like a dog might she produce the leverage she held over Qin Guan, right?

Indeed, everything unfolded as Xu Ruyi had anticipated – the next day in Xincheng, Qin Guan, with the three million yuan safely in his card, easily deceived "Zeng Demei" and successfully retrieved the stocking evidence wrapped in a black plastic bag from the supermarket.

Moreover, after getting the evidence, he even turned around and tailed "Zeng Demei."

"I told you before, but you didn't believe me. That day, Xu Ruyi was also there, or rather, Feng Xiangping was. She was following me on Xu Ruyi's orders,"

Qin Guan recalled calmly.

He hadn't spotted Feng Xiangping's trace that day, but he was certain she had been hiding in the shadows, following him, watching his every move.

"After coming out of the supermarket, I placed that bag containing the black stockings in my car, stuffed it under my driver's seat. This is a personal habit of mine, something Xu Ruyi knows very well."

Yes, Xu Ruyi had teased him about it before: "What kind of habit is this? Why do you like stuffing things under the driver's seat? Is it something valuable? Are you worried it'll be stolen or snatched?"

"She knew this habit, and she had my car key."

"The car key – I must add something here," Qin Guan paused slightly, looking at Old He and the officer taking notes beside him. "Please be sure to note down the car key. Of course, I know you've already investigated that auto repair shop, and Xu Ruyi has admitted to you it was her doing. But what she said then was all false, an excuse to fool you."

"She said at the time it was to find evidence of my affair with Qi Min. I know you believed it, and even I wavered for a while. But now I understand completely: no. She had that key made never to find evidence of an affair. She wanted to find my leverage."

"Therefore," he looked at Old He, pleading with raw sincerity, "Captain He, please, you must keep investigating. This lead can still be dug into. Dig deeper, and you'll know everything I'm saying is the truth. My car key was duplicated by Xu Ruyi earlier, before any of this happened. Why so early? Because she already had a plan to deal with me! She had long been secretly watching my life, already pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

The car key was duplicated by Xu Ruyi.

Qin Guan was right; she had done it before this whole incident began.

From the moment she discovered her father's will, she had started investigating in secret – checking his study for clues, secretly duplicating his car key, using the gap when she went out to throw away garbage at night to enter his car and search it meticulously.

That car key was indeed duplicated at that auto repair shop.

As she had previously admitted to the police, on the evening she went to get the key duplicated, she disguised herself – dressing up sexily and exquisitely, mimicking Qi Min's usual style.

When the repair shop owner took her deposit and asked for her name with pen in hand, Xu Ruyi gave the name "Qi Min."

No phone number, only the name "Qi Min."

"I just wanted to stir up some trouble, to cause conflict between them" – that was the perfect excuse for the wronged wife.

This move was never a spur-of-the-moment idea; it was the first cautious, tiptoeing step Xu Ruyi took after discovering this man's terrifying true nature.

"Anyway, she had my car key. That day outside the supermarket, she entered my car and took the black stockings from under the driver's seat."

"Last time she claimed she was with my daughter the whole time. I don't believe it. Either she or Feng Xiangping, one of them must have done it."

Qin Guan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down again.

"You can check the road surveillance cameras. My car was parked in a space. I'm sure there are cameras nearby. Check the footage, and you'll definitely see Xu Ruyi!"

Qin Guan sucked in another sharp breath, pressing down his agitation.

He stared fixedly at Old He – the other man's face was tense, meeting his gaze unblinkingly.

Steady. Don't get agitated.

"The black stockings Xu Ruyi took are the very pair you found in the room at the Lakeside Villa Hotel."

Qin Guan's tone became steady again. "That is to say, the most crucial piece of evidence you retrieved from Lakeside Charm Hotel was, in fact, deliberately placed there by Xu Ruyi."

The ball was finally kicked out.

Qin Guan closed his mouth.

He didn't need to emphasize it; Old He knew exactly how serious this statement was – if the origin of a crucial piece of evidence in a murder case was questionable, the consequences would be unthinkable. It wouldn't just shake the entire trial; it would give ample reason to question the police's investigative competence and procedures.

"Let's pause for a moment."

Old He tapped the table lightly, opened the door, and strode out.

Officers moved up and down the corridor. Not far away, his superior, Qi Zhifei, stood by a window, frowning as he listened to a subordinate's report – that guy used to be his apprentice, but had overtaken him and was now his boss.

A wave of frustration welled up in Old He's chest. He turned into another corridor, pushed open a window, and took deep gulps of fresh air.

This case was originally assigned to Qi Zhifei. It was He Zhisheng who had fought tooth and nail to get it – initially, when Li Yang reported his girlfriend missing, the team had treated it as an ordinary missing persons case and given it to him.

If it had been classified as a homicide from the start, he definitely wouldn't have gotten it.

Because he wasn't senior enough, and because his abilities weren't outstanding.

But he had patience and tenacity; he was willing to dig deep – from the very first time he investigated Qin Guan, he hadn't let go of any suspicious detail. He had pursued relentlessly. Later, when he realized Qi Min might have been murdered, he worked even harder, forgetting food and sleep.

He wanted to crack this case entirely on his own. It wasn't just about whether it could help his promotion; more importantly, he wanted to prove his capability – the sharp observational and judgment skills an old detective still possessed even after life-altering changes.

Originally, the case had seemed crystal clear in his mind: Qin Guan and Qi Min had a rendezvous out of town; driven by emotional and financial disputes, he impulsively killed her and dumped the body in the lake.

That's how it was. He had mentally celebrated in advance, just waiting to wrap it up neatly and submit it. Never did he expect that now, Qin Guan had stirred up this clear water, turning it muddy.

"Captain He!" His apprentice, Xiao Wu, jogged over, handing him a file. "Captain He, look! Qin Guan wasn't wrong. This three million yuan did indeed come from Xu Ruyi's account! And look at the surveillance footage!"