The moment Qin Guan saw the disposable glove, his instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"A Noodle Shop."
The very eatery his deceased in-laws and Xu Ruyi used to frequent.
These cheap disposable gloves only came with takeout orders.
His father-in-law had passed four months ago. After the funeral, Xu Ruyi had been too grief-stricken to set foot in this apartment. Qin Guan had personally handled all the arrangements - sorting through the deceased's belongings, storing away keepsakes in cabinets to prevent Xu Ruyi from being reminded of her loss. He'd even hired professional cleaners through his client's brother-in-law's online housekeeping service, workers who'd scrubbed every corner spotless before locking up.
He remembered inspecting their work thoroughly. Not a speck of dust remained, not even in the trash bins. Those meticulous cleaners would never have missed a food-stained glove wedged between the trash can and cabinet.
Nor could it have been left by others - Xu Ruyi's out-of-town relatives who came to mourn wouldn't order takeout here. As for Xu Ruyi herself? Her devastation had been visceral, collapsing from grief multiple times. The idea of her casually ordering delivery in this sorrow-filled place was unthinkable.
Qin Guan picked up the flat plastic packet. No dust. It must have slipped into the narrow gap unnoticed when someone took out the trash. But who?
His mind raced like a courtroom summation. Suspicious details resurfaced: the hidden crayfish seasoning in Auntie Feng's cupboard, his daughter's claim of seeing familiar figures at the aquarium, the unlatched window letting in drafts earlier...
"Xiao Zhi!" The epiphany struck like lightning. "He's been living here!"
Pacing like a caged predator, Qin Guan brandished the glove at the policemen. "Don't you see? Xu Ruyi's using the last place anyone would look - her own father's memorial apartment! No hotel records, no paper trail. She had Xiao Zhi erase Qi Min's traces at Xinhé Hotel too!"
His words tumbled out in a torrent. "They're framing me! Xu Ruyi, Xiao Zhi, that scheming Auntie Feng - they're fabricating this entire evidence chain to make me the prime suspect in Qi Min's disappearance!"
The officers exchanged skeptical glances. Qin Guan's polished composure cracked. "Check his school attendance! If he's skipped classes recently—" His demand choked off as he stumbled in the narrow hallway, kicking loose a flaking wall patch near the master bedroom doorframe.
The exposed stain stopped them all - dark brown and unmistakable. Qin Guan's breath caught. He'd know that bloodstain anywhere.