"Perhaps it was karma for doing too much evil. The vixen actually provoked the rat demon and asked you to catch it. Unexpectedly, upon your arrival, you discovered that the vixen was a beautiful woman transformed by sorcery. In reality, she was an extremely ugly monster. You even made the vixen reveal her ugly true form on the spot, forcing her into a corner and killing Boss Li! The vixen also wanted to kill you, but unfortunately, both she and the rat demon were your match. In the end, the rat demon died at your hands, and the vixen escaped!"

"Rat demon?" Lan Ziye then remembered. Wasn't this the mission she'd completed a few days ago? But what was this fabricated 'fact'? The only people present that day were Young Master Chu and the so-called judge. Who had spread this story? And even exaggerated it like that!

Lan Ziye suddenly thought of Wu Xuzi's face as a profiteer, and thought to himself, "That's what he did. He's the best at making up stories!"

"Didn't Vanilla just come out of the hospital? How does she know all this?" Lan Ziye asked deliberately.

"That... I don't know. Anyway, it was Sister Vanilla who asked me to find you. In order to find you, I really put in a lot of effort and finally contacted Wu Xuzi, the middleman..." said the woman.

"Okay, I already know the general situation. Take me to the study where your husband disappeared!" Lan Ziye listened to the woman nagging for a long time, and his heart was tired, so he stood up and said.

"Okay! Please come this way, Mr. Lan!" The woman hurriedly stood up and led the way, and helped Lan Ziye open the study door.

The study is decorated in a simple yet elegant style. A bookcase, occupying an entire wall, is neatly packed with books. In front of the bookcase sits a large mahogany desk and a matching executive chair. A closed laptop sits on the desk. Beside it, beside a mouse and mousepad, there are several neatly stacked books. Next to the books sit a cactus and an exquisite pen holder. To the left of the desk are three sofas and a round coffee table with tea sets on it. To the right, a floor-to-ceiling window offers a view of the scenery outside. Two oil paintings hang on the wall behind the sofas: one depicts sunflowers, vibrant and golden; the other depicts a country cottage with a yard full of daisies, also evokes a sense of optimism.

Lan Ziye's hands slid across the desk, which was spotless. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Do you come in to clean it every day?"

"Cleaning?" The woman looked confused.

In this situation, how could she have the energy to clean? During the days when Zhixun disappeared, she came in dozens of times every day, but she just opened the door and took a look before closing it in disappointment. Later, she moved away and never came back.

"It's so strange. It's been ten days and this place is still so clean!" Lan Ziye said intentionally or unintentionally.

The woman's eyes widened instantly and said, "Mr. Lan, what do you mean? You don't mean to say that my husband is still in this study?" As she spoke, her eyes kept scanning the study, as if she could really find her husband here.

But the place was so small, so clearly visible, how could a living person be hidden there without being discovered? The woman looked around a few times, and disappointment gradually appeared on her face.

Lan Ziye ignored the woman's words and fixed his eyes on the two oil paintings.