1
Qin Guan arrived home at exactly seven o'clock.
His phone showed eight missed calls from Xu Ruyi - he'd silenced it while tailing the young man.
Parking hurriedly, Qin Guan rushed upstairs. Never before had he caused Ruyi such worry.
"I left my phone in the car! Took forever to find it. Must have accidentally set it to silent - missed dozens of calls this afternoon!"
He launched explanations the moment the door opened.
The lavish dinner remained untouched except for Little Pear's portion. Both Auntie Feng and Ruyi had clearly waited for him.
"No wonder you didn't answer! We thought something terrible happened," said Ruyi, freshly showered with damp hair as she fed Little Pear. Auntie Feng washed clothes on the balcony.
"Showered so early? Any plans tonight?" Qin Guan affectionately grasped Ruyi's hand.
"Today was sweltering..." Ruyi's eyes suddenly widened at his arm. "Your arm! It's covered in blood!"
The youth's scratches.
"Ugh, searching for my phone everywhere. Thought maybe it fell behind the coffee machine at work. You know how heavy that thing is? Reached behind impatiently and got scraped good."
Qin Guan delivered the rehearsed lie flawlessly.
"Let me see!" Ruyi frowned, fetching antiseptic.
Her floral shampoo fragrance enveloped him.
2
For three days, Qin Guan maintained an air of troubled distraction.
Returning early daily, he still bought Ruyi's favorite groceries, cooked earnestly, bathed their daughter, brewed tonics. Yet between chores, he sat brooding - brows knotted, chopsticks idly pushing food.
Little Pear noticed first: "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Ruyi soon followed: "Work troubles?"
"Nothing serious. Just office matters." Qin Guan smiled tenderly, awaiting her full attention. "Don't worry - I'll handle it."
He understood Xu Ruyi perfectly.
Securing funds required strategy. Directly requesting three million would fail - despite her gentle demeanor, Ruyi guarded finances closely.
Her parents had left three fully-owned properties, a mortgaged high-tech district penthouse, pending demolition land, substantial savings, and antique-filled old house - including rosewood furniture worth 300,000 alone.
Three million meant little to her.
3
Finally, at 1:30 AM on the third night, Qin Guan's calculated chair scraping lured Ruyi out.
She'd been sleeping with Little Pear since the fall.
"You never smoke." Ruyi gently confiscated his cigarette, dousing it under the tap. "What's wrong?"
Her slender fingers combed through his hair. "We're family. Don't bear burdens alone."
The awaited moment arrived.
With theatrical reluctance, Qin Guan embraced her moonlit silhouette, unleashing rehearsed woes.
"That independent venture project... everything was set - office lease negotiated, contracts signed, deposits paid. Then three partners backed out."
4
Perfect justification.
Ruyi knew of Qin Guan's entrepreneurial plans. She'd never question it, having no contact with his colleagues.
"There's no turning back now. As a man, I can't work for others forever. Our family deserves better." Qin Guan stood agitatedly, moonlight etching his profile. "But the rent, renovations, advertising - all require..."
"I'll help with the funds." Ruyi decided swiftly.
Success.
As predicted, this calculated vulnerability pierced Ruyi's maternal instincts - every woman secretly desires her man's ascendance.
"Ruyi, how can I ever repay you?" Qin Guan's performance peaked - voice cracking, tears flowing. "I'll return every cent quickly. Trust my capabilities."
"I've always trusted you." Ruyi murmured against his chest, docile as a kitten.
5
Early morning of the fourth day, Qin Guan met Zeng Demei.
True to her word, she'd relocated.
She arrived alone at a bustling crossroads in the new district, wearing a black backpack. Rush-hour traffic and crowds surrounded the traffic lights - her deliberate choice for safety.
"Stop looking around. The kid quit. Just me today," Zeng Demei said coldly as Qin Guan scanned the area. "Let's hurry."
A stalemate ensued.
Qin Guan demanded to inspect the stockings before payment. Zeng Demei insisted on confirming the funds first.
Morning commuters cast curious glances at the mismatched pair under the rising sun. Qin Guan's neck prickled - what if someone recognized him?
"Fine," Qin Guan surrendered. "Wait here. I'll transfer the money now."
"I'm coming," Zeng Demei countered shrewdly. "I'll watch you transfer. Instant confirmation saves time."
6
At the bank's ATM, the transfer completed. Zeng Demei's phone chimed.
Her pores seemed to radiate joy as she silently mouthed each digit. Eyes gleaming, cheeks flushed, she resembled a lottery winner.
"Enough gawking! The money's yours!" Qin Guan pushed her, face ashen from the financial hemorrhage. "Where's my stuff?!"
"Relax! Honest folks keep promises!" Zeng Demei beamed with renewed rustic charm, as if they were old friends reuniting.
The evidence awaited downtown.
Directing Qin Guan to a supermarket parking lot, Zeng Demei led him to storage lockers buzzing with morning shoppers.
Her barcode unlocked a compartment. Layer by layer, she unwrapped a black plastic bag revealing a sealed transparent pouch.
Qin Guan urgently extracted the black stockings - unmistakable proof. The burnt hole from bedside lamp heat, the frayed threads from his desperate teeth during Qi Min's death throes.
7
A boulder lifted from Qin Guan's heart.
Destroy this damning evidence, retrieve the lake-submerged suitcase, and Zeng Demei's extortion power vanished - even if she squandered all three million.
By the time he resealed the bag, Zeng Demei had disappeared - likely rushing to enjoy her windfall.
"Idiot!" Qin Guan sneered at the "lost" fortune, stuffing the package into his briefcase.
Spotting Zeng Demei hailing a taxi while phone-whispering, suspicion flared - someone pulled her strings.
Rage ignited. He needed to unmask this puppet master.
Ditching his car, Qin Guan hid the evidence under the driver's seat, donned a baseball cap, and flagged another taxi.
Tailing Zeng Demei's cab, they vanished into traffic.