Huo Hongtao ultimately didn’t reveal Bai Qingqing’s name.

Upon hearing this, the female public security officer’s expression turned stern. She asked in a serious tone, “Comrade Huo? When did you lose the money? Where did it happen? How did it get lost?”

Huo Hongtao replied awkwardly, “I… I lost it on the road.”

As he spoke, he looked pleadingly at Han Xinrui. “Xinrui, just treat the money as a loan from you to me. Please don’t make a scene. We’re husband and wife. If this keeps going, we’ll just be a laughingstock.”

But Han Xinrui clearly had no intention of letting it go.

She had stirred up trouble precisely to get her money back. There was no way she’d be swayed by a few soft words from Huo Hongtao.

Ignoring him completely, she held tightly onto the female officer’s arm. “Comrade, my husband is the director of the fertilizer plant. If he were that careless, how could he have been promoted so young? He must have been swindled.”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. “It took our family years to save that much money. How can he just say it’s gone, and that’s that?”

The neighbors in the compound didn’t believe Huo Hongtao’s explanation either.

Then suddenly, Aunt Wang exclaimed, “Qingqing, where did you get those big gold bangles on your wrist? And that big gold necklace around your neck? You didn’t have those a few days ago!”

Aunt Wang had already felt suspicious when the public security arrived. Then she noticed Bai Qingqing wearing two large gold bangles on her wrists.

One look at Huo Hongtao, and she knew exactly what had happened.

These shameless adulterers had gone too far.

Fine, keep things ambiguous if you want—but how could you take someone else’s dowry and money?

After Aunt Wang’s outburst, everyone turned to look at Bai Qingqing.

It was only then, with that reminder, that they noticed the shining gold bangles on both her wrists and the glittering gold necklace around her neck.

The gold was practically blinding.

When Bai Qingqing heard Aunt Wang speak up, her scalp tingled. With everyone staring at her now, she quickly shrank behind Huo Hongtao.

Sun Zhong had been a farmhand. He drove freight trucks into dangerous mountain roads to help support the family. After he died, he left Bai Qingqing with a mountain of debt—there was no way she could afford gold jewelry.

“Brother Huo, I…” Bai Qingqing was panicking.

If people found out that Huo Hongtao had given Han Xinrui’s dowry and money to her, no amount of explaining would help.

She also worked at the fertilizer plant. If this blew up, she wouldn’t be able to show her face there again.

Huo Hongtao shielded Bai Qingqing behind him, shooting a resentful glance at Han Xinrui, who was still sitting on the ground. “Han Xinrui, just treat the money as a loan. I’ll write you an IOU. That should be enough, right?”

Han Xinrui looked down in silence, neither agreeing nor refusing.

The female public security officer glanced at Han Xinrui, then spoke up for her. “You two are married. Even if he writes an IOU, it might not hold up.”

Han Xinrui finally spoke in a quiet voice. “I just want to know where my gold bars and money went.”

Huo Hongtao looked up and shot an angry glare at the officer, then gritted his teeth and continued, “Han Xinrui, I’ll return every cent within ten days. That should be good enough. All these people here, including the public security, are witnesses. I can’t deny it.”

Han Xinrui stared at the gold bangles on Bai Qingqing’s wrists for a long time, then nodded. “Fine. Go write the IOU.”

Fuming, Huo Hongtao turned and went inside to get pen and paper. In front of the public security officer and all the neighbors, he wrote the IOU.

Then, in full view of everyone, he stamped his fingerprint on it.

The female officer handed the IOU to Han Xinrui and said in a firm, heartfelt tone, “Comrade Han, if he doesn’t return the money, come back to the station.”

Han Xinrui thanked the female officer sincerely.

Without her help, it wouldn’t have been so easy to get that IOU today.

The officers left.

The neighbors in the compound gave Bai Qingqing meaningful looks as they passed.

At this point, Bai Qingqing was full of regret.

If she had known this would happen, she never would’ve flaunted those things.

With all those old busybodies watching her now, they’d definitely think Huo Hongtao had given her Han Xinrui’s dowry.

And he had.

But it wasn’t like she had asked for it, he’d given it to her of his own accord.

When someone offers something willingly, what reason did she have to refuse?

Once the neighbors dispersed, Bai Qingqing tried to leave too, but Han Xinrui grabbed her. “Sister-in-law, those gold bangles look so nice. When did you get them made? Once I get my gold bars back, I’ll have two bangles made for myself too.”

Bai Qingqing quickly hid her hands behind her back. “These were from when I married Sun Zhong. He bought them for me.”

With that, she shoved past Han Xinrui and ran.

Han Xinrui watched her retreating figure, the look in her eyes growing colder.

Once everyone had gone, Huo Hongtao pointed at Han Xinrui in fury. “Han Xinrui, are you happy now? Was this worth it? Are you only satisfied when you drag my sister-in-law into it too?”

Han Xinrui didn’t respond. She simply held up the IOU. “Huo Hongtao, return my gold bars and money within ten days. Or don’t blame me for what comes next.”

Hearing this, Huo Hongtao snapped, humiliated and furious. “We’re already married. What’s yours is mine. I told you, just treat it as a loan. Why can’t you let it go?”

Han Xinrui couldn’t even be bothered to argue. She turned and walked away.

Watching her cold, distant demeanor, Huo Hongtao suddenly felt uneasy.

Why didn’t she cry or shout today?

In the past, she would’ve clung to him and questioned him nonstop—demanding to know if he’d given the money to Bai Qingqing. Why hadn’t she asked that today?

He shook his head. She must have thought things had gone too far this time and didn’t dare make a scene.

My sister-in-law was right, Han Xinrui had been spoiled. If he ignored her for a few days, she’d fall in line and stop asking about the money and gold bars.

…

After leaving the compound, Han Xinrui headed to the other housing unit where Huo Hongtao’s parents lived.

Her own parents and in-laws had worked at the same factory, and this unit had been given to her as part of her marriage. In her past life, Huo Hongtao secretly gave it to Bai Qingqing but told her it had been rented out and that the rent was going to his parents.

It wasn’t until ten years into their marriage that she found out he had transferred the house to Bai Qingqing.

In this life, she was going to divorce him. Everything that belonged to her, she would take back.

She needed to check now if Bai Qingqing’s family had already moved in.

In her previous life, after Huo Hongtao gave Bai Qingqing the house, she brought in her parents and younger brother.

Now, Han Xinrui needed to confirm if the house was still empty.

If it was, taking it back would be simple.

If Bai Qingqing’s parents and brother had already moved in, she’d have to take steps to drive them out.

When she arrived at the compound, Uncle Zhang at the gate greeted her. “Han girl, did you rent out your family’s yard? A few days ago, I saw someone living in those two rooms of yours!”