He was quite familiar with the affairs of the Si Family.

He couldn’t understand why these people were blaming Si Nian for Lin Sisi being caught stealing money.

Were they out of their minds?

Lin Sisi’s eyes reddened with grievance. “Mom, Dad, I really didn’t do it. This happened so long ago, and even my foster parents couldn’t find the thief. You know how things are in the countryside… If Si Nian hadn’t gone back, this matter would’ve been forgotten. I don’t know why she’s doing this. If it’s because of Fu Yang, then I’d rather not marry him than let you bear such shame because of me…”

Lin Sisi burst into tears, her pitiful appearance tugging at heartstrings.

Zhang Cuimei’s heart shattered at the sound of her daughter’s sobs.

The look she gave Si Nian was as if she wanted to devour her alive.

Yes, everything had been fine when their daughter first returned. But ever since Si Nian was sent to the countryside, trouble had followed.

Now, this scandal had erupted in front of so many people!

The Si Family’s reputation had been utterly ruined by this adopted daughter.

“Si Nian, we raised you for eighteen years! Even if there’s no credit, there’s still effort, right? We were the ones who forced you to marry into the countryside—Lin Sisi had nothing to do with it. Why must you target her like this? You’ve disappointed me beyond words!”

“That vicious look on your face now—you’re nothing but an ungrateful backstabber! Today, you’ve humiliated our Sisi, and as her mother, I won’t let you off easy!”

Zhang Cuimei’s harsh words hung in the air.

After hearing this, everyone was almost convinced that Si Nian had orchestrated this behind the scenes.

But before the crowd could mock her, a cold, low voice cut through the tension.

“You’ve all misunderstood.”

Zhou Yueshen stepped forward, his tall figure shielding Si Nian from the malicious glares.

His expression was icy, his eyes dark with stormy emotions.

It was hard to imagine that Si Nian had grown up in such an environment.

“The disappearance of the 3,000-yuan dowry has nothing to do with Si Nian.”

Zhou Yueshen’s gaze swept over the crowd, his deep, ink-black eyes unsettling.

“It was me who reported it.”

“If you have any issues, direct them at me.”

The crowd froze.

All eyes locked onto him in stunned silence.

Lin Sisi was dumbfounded.

What?

Zhou Yueshen?

How could it be?

She stared at him in disbelief, unable to fathom that the man she had once married in her past life was now the one who had reported her to the police.

Had there truly been no trace of affection between them?

Captain Li nodded solemnly. “Zhou Yueshen is correct. He was the one who asked me to investigate. Initially, we thought it was just a simple theft case, but it turns out there’s much more to it.”

“I previously came to the Si Family to investigate this matter and suspected Lin Sisi’s involvement, but without concrete evidence, the case was delayed until now.”

The crowd was still reeling from the shock when Captain Li dropped another bombshell.

“So last time, Captain Li wasn’t here to visit the Si Family—he was investigating a case?”

“Then why did Lin Sisi and the others claim he was just paying a visit?”

“My god, how shameless!”

“And aren’t they close with Director Li’s family? Why would Captain Li arrest her now, of all times?”

“You clearly don’t know Captain Li well. He’s not the type to go easy on someone just because of connections. Besides, Director Li hasn’t said a word in her defense.”

“Wait, so Lin Sisi is connected to the missing 3,000 yuan? Is Captain Li implying that she stole the dowry?”

“Haven’t you heard? Before Lin Sisi returned, she was engaged to someone in the countryside. The groom’s family paid a hefty dowry, but her birth family refused to return it. That’s why they sent Si Nian to marry in her place. I thought the matter was settled, but it’s resurfaced now!”

“Good heavens, is that true? If so, that’s downright malicious! She kept the money and forced Si Nian to take her place? That was deliberate!”

“Exactly! When Si Nian married into that rural family, everyone pitied her.”

Though Si Nian’s personality wasn’t the warmest, her talents were undeniable—something the entire military compound acknowledged.

When she was sent off to the countryside, many whispered about the waste of such a bright young woman.

But they’d assumed it was just fate.

No one could’ve imagined such a sinister backstory.

3,000 yuan was no small sum!

Even for families like theirs, it was a significant amount.

“C-Captain Li, there must be some misunderstanding here! Our Sisi isn’t that kind of person!” Zhang Cuimei ignored the murmurs around her, desperately defending her daughter.

Captain Li’s voice was firm. “I don’t know about misunderstandings. I only deal in evidence. Lin Sisi conspired with her classmate Liu Dongdong to fabricate an alibi and deceive the police! However, she overlooked Liu Dongdong’s family. During our investigation, we learned that on the day the money went missing, Lin Sisi never visited the Liu household!”

Liu Dongdong had kept her arrangement with Lin Sisi a secret, afraid her family would expose them.

So ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍the entire scheme was a private collaboration between the two.

The Liu family knew nothing about it.

The disappearance of the Si Family’s 3,000 yuan had caused quite a stir.

The Lius, being from the same village, were well aware of it.

When questioned, Liu Dongdong’s family revealed that Lin Sisi had never stepped foot in their home.

In fact, they distanced themselves, stating that Lin Sisi and Liu Dongdong had never been close—they rarely even spoke, let alone spent time together!

Clearly, Liu Dongdong had been bribed.

Additionally, during their encounter at the department store, Liu Dongdong had slipped up in front of Si Nian.

This confirmed the police’s suspicions.

Further surveillance revealed Lin Sisi splurging on luxury items—spending far beyond what the Si Family could afford.

Si’s Father and Si’s Mother paled, stammering, “M-Maybe she just misremembered… It was so long ago…”

Captain Li scoffed. “Then let me ask you this—where did Lin Sisi get the money for these extravagant purchases? Your family’s financial status is modest, yet she spent lavishly without restraint. Our investigation traced the serial numbers on the bills—they all came from a county bank. Since the money wasn’t withdrawn in the city or given by her birth family, where else could it have come from?”

When presented with the evidence, Si’s Father and Si’s Mother were at a complete loss.

For the first time, they had no explanation.

They turned to their daughter, their expressions a mix of horror and disbelief.

They knew exactly how much they’d given Lin Sisi.

This money couldn’t have come from them.

So where had it come from?

Lin Sisi’s heart pounded with terror.

She never imagined the police had been secretly investigating her all along.

After the last incident, she was a bit frightened and thought about spending the money as quickly as possible. Little did she know it would become a weapon against her.

It’s over… completely over…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep