The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Seeing that the topic had been successfully shifted, Qin Fangfang seemed to have finally found an outlet for her frustrations. She immediately seized the opportunity, slapped her thigh, and began to wail bitterly:

"Yes! Officers, you came just in time! We were just about to report it to the police! Last night, some heartless bastard stole all our valuables! Even Mingzhu's dowry, which she was supposed to take to her wedding today, is gone! That's all real money! How are we going to get married now?!"

At this point, Qin Fangfang's tears truly fell.

That was just an act, but now it's really tearing her heart out!

Those sewing machines, bicycles, radios, bankbooks, and cash—that was all the wealth she had accumulated over most of her life!

"I wonder which heartless thief stole this! Officers, you've all seen it yourselves—everything that could be carried away has been stolen! You absolutely must catch this thief!"

Qiao Shouguo also let out a long sigh, rubbing his hands together and feigning misery with a distressed expression: "Comrade, you see, we are victims too. Our family suddenly suffered such a disaster, our home was robbed and we are now penniless. As parents, we are very anxious and upset, and that's why we spoke to our child a little harshly... and a misunderstanding occurred."

Upon hearing this flawless attempt to elicit sympathy, a cunning glint flashed in Qiao Xinxin's eyes, who had been standing behind the police with her eyes lowered.

Trying to use being robbed as a cover-up to clear your name? Dream on!

"what!"

Suddenly, as if she had been greatly frightened, Qiao Xinxin slapped her forehead, tears streaming down her face again, and cried out in panic and helplessness:

"Yeah! Everything in my room was stolen too!"

Her face was pale, and her voice was filled with extreme fear and regret: "If only... if only I had locked all the doors and windows tightly last night when I went to sleep! I wonder if that thief saw me when I was fast asleep last night... In this sweltering summer, if I had exposed myself and that blind thief had seen everything, how could I, a young woman, ever live like this again!"

boom--!

Upon hearing this, Qin Fangfang, who was still wiping away tears, froze, while Qiao Lijun and Qiao Mingzhu, who were standing to the side, turned deathly pale in an instant!

Qiao Lijun stared wide-eyed in horror, his Adam's apple bobbing violently as he swallowed hard, his hands instinctively clenching his collar tightly.

He suddenly remembered that last night... when he and Mingzhu were passionately making love in the room... the door seemed... to have been unlocked at all!

If that thief sneaked into Mingzhu's room in the middle of the night... wouldn't that be...?

Qiao Mingzhu, huddled in the corner, looked even more awful than a ghost.

She bit her lower lip so hard it almost drew blood, her sharp nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.

If that thief really saw something he shouldn't have... if word got out, how could Qiao Mingzhu ever face anyone in this compound again?!

She was determined to make her brother dig out that damned thief and gouge his eyes out! And her dowry, worth a fortune—even though she absolutely didn't want to marry that cripple Zhou Liguang, she had to have that substantial dowry! Without money, what would she live on?!

The two police officers exchanged a glance. Although they found the empty house strange, they decided to handle each case separately.

"We will immediately open a case and investigate the burglary. We'll send the local police officer over to collect evidence shortly." The older officer forcefully steered the conversation back on track, his gaze fixed coldly on Qiao Shouguo, his tone brooking no argument.

"But! A burglary at home and a bad mood are absolutely no excuse for forcing your daughter to marry in your place! This is my last serious warning to you: you are not allowed to force this girl to marry! If there is a next time, it won't be the two of us here trying to reason with you; we'll come with an arrest warrant and arrest her! Do you understand?!"

"I understand! I understand!"

Qiao Shouguo was so frightened that he shuddered and nodded repeatedly, bowing deeply like a pestle pounding garlic: "You can rest assured! Absolutely not! We absolutely won't force her!"

Qin Fangfang nodded vigorously, her face plastered with a fawning smile: "No, no! Officer, we really just got angry and started arguing. We were just trying to scare the child. We would never actually drag our own flesh and blood into a fire."

Qiao Lijun gritted his teeth, his gaze so gloomy it seemed to drip water, staring intently at Qiao Xinxin, who was hiding behind the police.

But with so many eyes watching and police officers under his nose, he dared not vent his anger and could only nod reluctantly and humiliatingly.

In the corner, Qiao Mingzhu kept her head down and didn't speak. Her fingers were digging into the hem of her clothes so hard that her nails were almost flipped up. Large tears of grievance and resentment fell uncontrollably.

That damned Qiao Xinxin! Why can't this country bumpkin just obediently accept her fate and marry him in her place?!

To avoid serving that cripple Zhou Liguang, she even gave her virginity to her older brother. After all that trouble, is she really going to have to marry that cripple herself?! What did she do last night? Did she sleep with him for nothing?

Seeing that they had enough of the reprimanding, the police turned to Qiao Xinxin and said gently, "Young lady, don't be afraid. If they dare to force you or hit you again after we leave, just run straight to the police station and find us! We, the police officers, will stand up for you! This is a new society; we absolutely will not allow this kind of feudal remnant arranged marriage to happen!"

Qiao Xinxin looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, and bowed deeply with tears of gratitude: "Thank you, officers... Thank you so much, you are like my second parents..."

The two police officers quickly took notes in their notebooks, gave Qiao Shouguo a few serious reminders about public security regulations, and then turned to leave.

Just as they reached the gate, the older policeman seemed to remember something, suddenly turned around, and his gaze fell on the proud and imposing Aunt Wang.

"Ma'am," the police officer asked politely, "you just said you witnessed them forcing you into marriage, and you're an important eyewitness. Would it be convenient for you to come with us to the police station to give a detailed statement for our records?"

"Convenient! Of course it's convenient! What's inconvenient about it!"

Aunt Wang slapped her thigh, her voice so loud the whole building could hear, "I've long been fed up with the hypocrisy of some people in this courtyard! I'm going with you!"

After saying that, she turned her head, took a step forward, and patted Qiao Xinxin's hand tenderly with her rough, large hand. Her voice was loud and clear, yet it carried the gentleness and authority of an elder:

"Girl, don't be afraid! If they dare to lay a finger on you while I'm away, just shout at the top of your lungs right here in the yard! Our neighbors aren't deaf; they're all listening at home! I refuse to believe that in broad daylight, under the clear sky, they would dare to disregard human life right under so many people's noses!"

Qiao Xinxin gripped Aunt Wang's hand tightly, her eyes reddening with emotion as she nodded repeatedly, her voice choked with emotion and pitiful: "Thank you, Aunt Wang... I'll remember it all."

Aunt Wang turned her head, glared fiercely at Qiao Shouguo's family, gave a heavy snort, and then walked out of the Qiao family's gate with her head held high and chest out, following the two policemen.

"boom--"

The neighbor thoughtfully closed the door from the outside, completely isolating onlookers in the corridor.

The air inside the room instantly plummeted to freezing the moment the door closed, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

Qiao Shouguo's hands trembled violently behind his back; Qiao Lijun's eyes were bloodshot as he gasped for breath; Qiao Mingzhu huddled in a corner, only daring to let out soft, desperate sobs.

Qiao Xinxin, who had been clinging to the policeman's leg and crying her heart out, now stood quietly in the center of the empty living room, her head still down, her arms wrapped around herself, her shoulders shaking. She looked pitiful and helpless, like a lamb to the slaughter that had fallen into a pack of wolves.

Only she knew that the corners of her downturned mouth were actually turning up in a crazy smile.

In this deathly silent living room, where a major battle could erupt at any moment—

"Knock knock knock!"

Suddenly, a crisp and cheerful knocking sound came from outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, a cheerful woman's voice came through the thin wooden door:

"Comrade Qiao! Director Qin! Are you home? I'm here to do the bride's hair and makeup! Please open the door quickly, we can't be late for the auspicious time!"

The makeup artist has arrived!

Upon hearing the words "do the bride's makeup," Qin Fangfang's heart skipped a beat, and her face turned deathly pale.

A bride? Who in this house could be the bride today?!