What a sensible and righteous wife she was.
Qin Guan stared at Xu Ruyi, feeling a chill crawl down his spine.
Even after learning of her husband's affair, she had urged him to prioritize cooperating with the investigation, saying their personal matters could be resolved at home later.
So reasonable. So law-abiding.
There was absolutely no hope left with Xu Ruyi—she would never save him. She was waiting for him to walk into the trap, coldly watching him struggle.
Qin Guan had to save himself.
Hiding the truth was no longer possible—how could he explain knowing about the "Xinhe Hotel"? Claim Qi Min had mentioned it during their last park meeting?
No. That very night, Li Yang and the police had come knocking. Qin Guan remembered frantically searching his pants pockets for the address Qi Min had stuffed into them, yet he hadn't uttered a word about the hotel then.
How could he suddenly know a location he hadn't been aware of that day?
As a criminal defense lawyer, he knew all lies would appear clumsy and laughable before the police.
After weighing his options, he had to admit knowing about Xinhe Hotel—but vehemently deny ever entering Qi Min's room.
At most, he could say this: After hearing Xu Ruyi falsely claim she'd been assaulted by Qi Min, he became agitated and went to Xinhe Hotel. He only met Qi Min at the back door and argued briefly.
The police would find evidence of Qi Min's stay at the hotel. Even if they strongly suspected his involvement in her latest disappearance, they couldn't charge or interrogate him without concrete evidence—at least not immediately.
Besides, there was no corpse.
Yes. They would never find the body.
This way, he could buy time to calm down and devise solutions. Most importantly, the police might discover Xu Ruyi's presence at Xinhe Hotel, exposing her lies.
Then Xu Ruyi would get what's coming to her.
A woman who knew nothing about criminology thought she could outsmart him?
A large "Demolition" character was painted on the exterior wall of Xinhe Hotel.
The area had originally been rural outskirts. After urban expansion, it was incorporated into the new district, causing land prices and housing costs to skyrocket. The demolition had created numerous millionaires overnight.
The hotel owner Qi Dahai was one such beneficiary.
The so-called Xinhe Hotel was actually his family's three-story house converted into lodging. Just the land area alone guaranteed his financial security for life after demolition.
The owner spoke with premature generosity: "Don't judge by the lack of decor—my guests all know this place offers the best value! AC running 24/7, hot water anytime, every room fully equipped!"
Yet they didn't even have front desk surveillance.
"We did install cameras, but they kept breaking. Ugh! My wife's friend installed them, bragging about their quality, but they malfunctioned constantly. My wife's so stubborn—we're not poor, yet she insisted on cutting corners here!" The owner wore an "aggrieved" expression. "Eventually we stopped repairing them. Most guests here are honest construction workers anyway!"
Naturally, he found no record of "Qi Min" checking in.
"No such person. Never had anyone by that name. We've had Xu Min, Liu Minmin, but no Qi Min." The front desk computer looked outdated but had decent internet speed.
No records of Qin Guan or Xu Ruyi either.
"Absolutely no missed registrations!" The owner nearly swore to heaven when he saw the police frown. "We may be simple, but we follow procedures strictly! ID required for every check-in!"
A young officer suddenly thought of something: "Check the name Zeng Demei."
Sure enough, it appeared immediately.
"Yes! Zeng Demei booked four days ago—paid upfront for a whole week! Room 201, still has three days left!"
The reservation was indeed under Zeng Demei's ID.
Qin Guan cursed inwardly—another of Qi Min's theatrical schemes!
"I'll take you to the room!"
The owner grabbed a key ring, bypassing the staff to personally lead the way.
"We haven't cleaned the room yet! Our guests are gods—we only clean when they permit it! Privacy first!"
"I watch TV dramas! I know you cops love untouched crime scenes!" He kept chatting up the officers while climbing stairs. "Uncleaned rooms preserve tiny evidence!"
Reaching the second floor's dim corridor, Qin Guan followed the group stiffly, mind racing.
The room remained exactly as he'd left after taking Qi Min away—lived-in mess without signs of struggle. Hair on the bed, trash in the bin would prove Qi Min's stay.
His own traces were nearly erased—he'd clipped Qi Min's nails after she scratched him, then scrubbed his arms with bathroom bleach to destroy any residual DNA.
Such meticulous preparation couldn't possibly fail.
The owner unlocked the door.
As soon as it opened, Qin Guan was stunned.