1
That morning, the sunlight stretched lazily across a gentle breeze.
It was rare to encounter such fine weather during a business trip - one must understand that every early summer in this coastal city, the weather became as unpredictable as a menopausal mother-in-law, fluctuating between gloom and sunshine without warning.
Of course, Qin Guan's mother-in-law had long passed away. Even if she were still alive, the old lady would have remained gentle and kind-hearted. She wasn't much for conversation, content with tending her flowers and plants, greeting everyone with a soft smile.
His wife Xu Ruyi was exactly like her mother.
Ruyi was delicate, gentle, and serene, though her health was somewhat fragile. Come to think of it - Qin Guan suddenly remembered hearing faint coughs from her during that hazy state between sleep and wakefulness that morning.
"Auntie, make some lily seed and lotus root soup for Miss this afternoon, add a pinch of Sichuan fritillary powder. She must have gotten overheated yesterday when she took the child out in the sun,"
The nanny had come from Ruyi's maternal home, having served since Ruyi was seven or eight years old, still accustomed to calling her "Miss."
After pondering a few more seconds, Qin Guan frowned, "Could she have caught a chill? She kicked off the blankets the night before last..."
"Don't worry, Sir," The nanny was long accustomed to Qin Guan's doting on his wife. As she stuck the handwritten notes he'd prepared onto the refrigerator door, she chuckled warmly, "You focus on your business trip. I'll take good care of Miss and Little Pear."
Little Pear was Qin Guan and Xu Ruyi's three-year-old daughter, an exquisitely beautiful little princess.
Qin Guan nodded, surveying the kitchen - the child's formula, supplementary foods, his wife's bird's nests and fish maw supplements, even the afternoon tea treats she enjoyed during his absence were fully stocked.
Nothing had been overlooked.
2
"Little Pear's still asleep. Never mind, there's not much time - best not wake her. If she rouses, you might miss your flight after all."
Standing before the full-length dressing mirror, Qin Guan allowed Xu Ruyi to stand on tiptoe, stretching her slender arms to deftly tie his tie. She spoke while managing a rare smile - having lost a significant amount of weight since her father's passing three months prior, Ruyi hadn't smiled in ages.
"What can I do? The moment I see Little Pear, my legs turn to lead. Who could blame me? Not only am I a devoted husband, but a doting father too."
"By the way, Ruyi, during these seven days, make sure to keep safe at home. Call me immediately if anything happens - my phone will be on 24/7. I've written down the contact numbers for my training conference and my colleague Qi Min on sticky notes..."
Qi Min, whom Xu Ruyi had met twice, was the senior assistant at Qin Guan's law firm. This time, she and Qin Guan were attending the training together.
"Enough, no need to worry about me. You're the one who should take care traveling," Xu Ruyi gazed up tenderly at Qin Guan, "You might not be used to northern cuisine. Such a pity we can't bring canned food on planes. When you return, I'll make seafood for you."
Qin Guan sighed inwardly - someone who'd endured the terrors of hunger since childhood could adapt to any cuisine.
Naturally, his wife who'd never wanted for anything couldn't comprehend this.
She simply expressed her heartfelt concern in her own simple way.
Qin Guan lovingly embraced his wife's frail frame. With slight effort, Xu Ruyi's feet left the ground - she stood just 160cm tall, like a delicate sparrow before his 185cm stature.
As they embraced and kissed, giggles sounded from the doorway.
It was the nanny and Qi Min who had just arrived - Qin Guan and Qi Min had agreed to depart together the previous day.
The nanny whispered something, prompting Qi Min's hearty laugh: "No problem, I'll wait slowly. Let them cherish their affection a while longer. Goodness, I've long grown accustomed - everyone at our firm knows Lawyer Qin and his wife are like immortals' companions."
3
After a reluctant farewell to his wife, Qin Guan drove his Toyota, carrying Qi Min straight to the airport.
Rushing to catch their flight, upon arrival they immediately sought their hotel, registered, collected study materials, dined with colleagues from across the country, exchanged insights...
During these seven days, apart from brief video calls with his wife and daughter morning, noon and night, Qin Guan remained swamped - studying by day, while others gathered at bars evenings, he returned to his hotel for earnest review.
This was a habit forged through years of impoverished study - he would never forget those nights starving until he chewed fresh cotton, pretending it was food...
Having been poor, having feared poverty, he understood better how precious his current life was - the exquisite four-bedroom apartment in the coastal city, his reputation as star lawyer at the region's largest firm, staying in pristine five-star hotels on trips, the designer suits in his closet, the luxury watch by his computer...
These were things he'd never dared imagine in his youth.
Of course, Qin Guan acknowledged - he owed gratitude for his father-in-law's longstanding financial support...
Knock knock. Mid-reverie, someone rapped at the door.
The door opened to reveal Qi Min tilting her head in a coquettish smile, chestnut waterfall hair cascading down.
4
She held a postcard of a lakeside villa hotel far from the city center.
"It's off-season now, the place is quiet. Each villa room faces different directions with excellent privacy..."
Leaning against the doorframe in form-fitting modified black cheongsam, Qi Min's eyes glimmered as she nibbled her lower lip, bare foot lightly rubbing her calf - she'd always been adept at sending the right signals.
Qin Guan swallowed hard - they say affairs rarely last beyond a year, yet he'd slept with this woman for two years without tiring.
Not only unweary, even now her slightest provocation sent his desire skyrocketing.
"Perfect timing. After tomorrow's training concludes there's an exchange event lasting an extra day or two," Qi Min moistened her lips, voice turning huskier, "No attendance required..."
No attendance meant no need to participate.
At such crowded events, who'd notice if he showed up?
Moreover, Qin Guan had already informed Xu Ruyi he'd return two days late.
The opportunity was ideal, everything perfectly aligned.
5
Had Qin Guan followed his initial thought from half an hour prior - returning early to surprise his wife and child - none of what followed would have occurred.
But he didn't go home.
The afternoon after training ended, he and Qi Min took separate taxis to the villa.
The lakeside retreat proved as discreet as Qi Min described.
Qi Min arrived first to check in. As per their usual routine, Qin Guan waited until she texted the room details and left again by taxi before alighting and heading upstairs.
They'd always alternated their movements with practiced coordination.
Dusk approached when Qi Min returned, hat-clad and carrying fresh grapes.
"Bought these en route, so sweet. What do you think of this place? Did you see the giant slide on third floor? Goes straight into the lake for swimming! Wow, this bathroom's huge with jacuzzi jets! And this massage bed..."
The spacious room featured lakeside balconies, abundant windows including one facing the front courtyard, even the bathroom had large windows overlooking the water.
But before Qi Min finished speaking, strong hands seized her - Qin Guan roughly tore open her cheongsam with practiced ease.
He never showed tenderness toward his mistress.
Especially with Qi Min - from the first day this woman seduced him, Qin Guan knew she sought only benefits he could provide.
He offered convenience, she provided services. No debts between them.
"You're always so impatient," Qi Min giggled as her dress ripped, enthusiastically reciprocating with moans and whispers, "Qin Guan, tell me - am I better, or her?"
True to form, she repeated her refrain: "Since you know I'm better, know I love you - when will you leave her for me?"
6
Divorce his wife for his mistress?
Qin Guan wasn't that foolish. Regardless of marital satisfaction, Qi Min herself didn't meet his standards - at 27, her ambitions outweighed her years. She craved the spotlight, clinging to any important figure at banquets like a leech.
Of course, she had merits - publicly discreet, self-aware. Their two-year affair remained undetected. Privately, skilled in bed, voluptuous and vigorous.
What man wouldn't desire such a mistress?
Thus after a night of passion, as dawn tinged the sky, Qi Min returned from the bathroom to bed, already stirring again.
"Shall we try that?" She threw off the covers, voice bright. Qin Guan knew she meant their frequent "breath play" - using stockings to lightly choke each other, reveling in the thrill of controlling life and death.
Producing two new black stockings from her bag - another virtue: always prepared - she initiated their familiar game.
But Qin Guan never anticipated that as he rhythmically tightened and loosened the stocking around Qi Min's neck, reveling in her praises, something went horribly wrong. Suddenly her face flushed crimson, eyes bulging, breath ragged.
"Qi Min! Qi Min!" Panicked, Qin Guan fumbled with the knotted stocking. The more frantic his efforts, the tighter it seemed. From the corner of his eye, white foam seeped from Qi Min's lips.
7
When the stocking finally loosened, Qi Min lay motionless.
Her youthful body stretched rigidly across the bed, lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. No amount of shaking or shouting elicited response.
She was dead.
"Not me! I didn't use force! This has nothing to do with me!" After momentary stupor, Qin Guan grasped the severity. Retreating instinctively, he babbled excuses to the corpse, tumbling off the bed.
Leave!
Slip away unnoticed!
This was his first thought - the room was under Qi Min's name. If he removed his belongings, police couldn't trace him.
But -
His belt-buckling hand froze. Futile. As a lawyer handling countless cases, he knew surveillance cameras blanketed everywhere. This upscale hotel, however remote, must have footage.
Moreover, everyone knew he'd recently been intimate with Qi Min. Physical evidence - fluids, contact traces - all implicated him.
Report to police?
This notion was instantly uprooted.
Xu Ruyi's face flashed before him - their child, their comfortable life with live-in help, the two properties and shops under his wife's name, the law firm's major shareholder being his father-in-law's friend...
Reporting meant not just personal ruin, but losing everything!
Yet not reporting - what alternative remained?
Qin Guan paced like a caged beast, trembling hands clutching hair.
At his wit's end, car horns blared from the front courtyard.
Peering through curtains, he saw a figure alighting from a vehicle. Recognizing the lifted face, Qin Guan's mind exploded.