Hiding in the staff lounge, Qin Guan endured unprecedented torment.
Each word from the ongoing phone call outside made his heart race violently.
Yang Qingqing's flawless responses perfectly corroborated Xu Ruyi's fabricated story.
She described Xu Ruyi's outfit colors, shoes, handbag from that day with precision.
Even mentioned the bandaged thumb injury Xu Ruyi got while clumsily making pastries for Little Pear days earlier - a detail Yang Qingqing recounted verbatim.
Xu Ruyi had bribed Yang Qingqing.
Qin Guan's throat went dry - when did that naive woman learn to manipulate witnesses?
But the true horror lay elsewhere.
She'd meticulously coordinated every detail with Yang Qingqing in advance.
When could she have done this?
After waking in the hospital? Before or after her police "confession"?
If after, her efficiency terrified him.
If before...
Cold sweat soaked Qin Guan's back.
How did she master this?
The same woman who blushed at white lies had orchestrated this elaborate scheme!
Were it not for the police outside, Qin Guan might have stormed out to confront Xu Ruyi immediately.
The interrogation continued:
"You've met her husband Qin Guan? The lawyer?"
The officer's casual tone chilled Qin Guan's blood. "Think they're well-matched? Harmonious couple?"
Every word carried hidden purpose.
This wasn't about verifying injuries - they were investigating him.
When the call finally ended, the officers didn't leave. They summoned the manager upstairs.
Qin Guan waited agonizingly for over an hour until the manager returned, wiping sweat: "They examined Yang Qingqing's room and... the staircase."
Staircase.
The fatal flaw in Xu Ruyi's story.
"They took measurements and evidence," the manager whispered. "Sealed off floors 1-4."
Qin Guan shoved past him, tearing through yellow police tape blocking the emergency exit.
The sight at the second-floor landing froze his blood.
White walls bore dark bloodstains - one massive splotch surrounded by spray patterns.
Exactly as Xu Ruyi had described her "fall".