The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Tang Aijun's mind went blank.

Under investigation?

Work suspended?

His dad?

"I...I am his son, Tang Aijun." His voice was dry. "May I ask...what kind of investigation is it? When did it start?"

"Oh, it's you! What kind of investigation? I can't disclose that." The other person's tone was indifferent. "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Then...can I see him?" Tang Aijun asked urgently, "I have something urgent to attend to!"

"No," the other party refused outright. "Visits are not allowed during the investigation. The family will be notified once the results are available."

After saying that, he hung up the phone with a "click".

The busy tone rang in my ears, monotonous and jarring.

Tang Aijun stood there, microphone in hand, frozen like a stone statue.

Clerk Su glanced at him, then lowered her head to continue knitting, but the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly, with a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

Tang Aijun slowly put down the microphone.

My hands were shaking, and my legs were shaking too.

He held onto the table to keep from falling.

My father... is he under investigation?

When did this happen?

Why didn't he know anything about it?

Looking back on the past month, it feels like a dream.

A ridiculous, insane, and ultimately utterly collapsed dream.

It all started when Qi Weiwei contracted tuberculosis and returned to her parents' home to recuperate.

He still remembers the day Qi Weiwei came back from the hospital, pale-faced and coughing incessantly, saying that the doctor had diagnosed her with tuberculosis and that she needed to be isolated for treatment.

She offered to go back to her parents' house for a while.

Tang Aijun was overjoyed at that moment.

tuberculosis?

That's an infectious disease!

He wished Qi Weiwei would stay far away, preferably never to come back.

However, he still had to say a few polite words, and he even pretended to take out money.

This time, however, Qi Weiwei did not panic and stop him. Instead, she glanced at him with a complicated look in her eyes, but he didn't pay attention and just assumed that she was delirious from her illness.

She quickly packed a few clothes and rode off unsteadily on her father's old bicycle.

Once she left, Tang Aijun and Tang Tiantian completely let loose and lived life to the fullest.

Before, they had to sneak around and avoid Qi Weiwei and the two children. Now that Qi Weiwei is gone, the two children are sent to the nursery during the day and Sun Xidi takes care of them at night. They are like birds released from their cages.

In the courtyard, they dare to hug and cuddle even during the day.

Tang Tiantian would sit on Tang Aijun's lap to feed him. When Sun Xidi saw this, she just frowned and said, "Be careful that idiot doesn't come back. You can't break this habit. What if she sees you again?"

Tang Aijun didn't care at all: "Grandma, she has tuberculosis, she won't be back for at least a year or two. Besides, even if she comes back, what can she say?"

Tang Tiantian playfully complained, "That's right, Grandma, you're being too cautious. That silly girl, give her a smile and she'll be happy for ages. How dare she interfere in Ai Jun's affairs?"

Sun Xidi thought about it and agreed, so she didn't say anything more.

That period was the most enjoyable time for Tang Aijun.

He works during the day, and at noon he goes to the small courtyard in the back alley of the supply and marketing cooperative to meet with Tang Tiantian in secret.

When I get home in the evening, Tang Tiantian often comes over, and the three of us eat together, just like a real family.

The only drawback is the money.

Although Tang Aijun was a propaganda officer at the steel rolling mill, his salary was low, only 42.5 yuan a month.

He spends money extravagantly, smoking, drinking, and treating others to meals, so he can't save any money at all.

Tang Tiantian works as a sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative, earning even less—only thirty-eight yuan a month.

But she loves to dress up and buy things; she can't do without face cream, soap, and new clothes.

That day, Tang Tiantian pestered Tang Aijun again, wanting to buy an imported women's watch from the Friendship Store.

"Brother Aijun, my colleague Xiao Zhang's boyfriend bought her one, it's so pretty! The dial is gold, and the strap is a delicate chain, it looks amazing on her wrist!" Tang Tiantian leaned against him, tracing circles on his chest with her finger. "I want one too..."

"Friendship Store?" Tang Aijun frowned. "Things there are so expensive."

"It's not expensive, it's only three hundred yuan," Tang Tiantian said coquettishly. "Brother Aijun, please be kind to me..."

Three hundred yuan!

Tang Aijun gasped.

His monthly salary is only 42.5 yuan, so 300 yuan is equivalent to seven months' salary for him!

"Sweetie, this... is too expensive," he said hesitantly. "I don't have that much cash on hand."

"I know you don't have cash on hand," Tang Tiantian pouted. "But you can pay me back slowly. How about this, you pay the three hundred, but I have to cover it first. You give me fifty from your monthly salary for six months, okay?"

Tang Aijun was making plans in his mind.

Fifty a month, three hundred in half a year.

Although the pressure is high, it's not impossible.

The key point is that he knew Tang Tiantian had savings.

This girl is good at saving money. She's asked him for money a lot over the years, and she's also squeezed money out of Sun Xidi. She must have quite a bit of savings.

"Fine." He gritted his teeth. "I'll pay the three hundred. But it's agreed that you have to pay for it first."

"Really?" Tang Tiantian's eyes lit up, and she hugged his neck and kissed him. "Aijun-ge, you're the best! Let's go buy it now, okay?"

She jumped off Tang Aijun's lap and excitedly ran to her room to get the money.

Tang Aijun sat in the main room, feeling the pinch of losing three hundred yuan.

He smoked one cigarette after another, thinking about how he would have to tighten his belt for the next six months.

No, I still have to squeeze some more money out of my dad.

What excuse can you use?

Or rather, it was Qi Weiwei who caused the trouble?!

But can Dad trust him?

Just then, a scream like that of someone who had seen a ghost came from the bedroom:

"My money?! Where's my money?! My money's been stolen!"

Tang Aijun's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed inside.

Tang Tiantian was standing in front of the open box, her face pale and her whole body trembling.

The box, which should have contained all her savings, was now empty except for a few old clothes.

"What happened?" Tang Aijun asked.

"Money... my money is gone!"

Tang Tiantian grabbed his arm, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

"All the money I saved is gone! And the gold ring my grandma gave me is gone too!"

Tang Aijun's mind went blank.

He hurried to his room and checked his drawers.

The place where he usually kept his money was now empty.

Although it wasn't much, only a few dozen yuan, it was his living expenses for the month.

"My money's all gone!" he exclaimed, his face grim.

Sun Xidi heard the commotion and came over. Upon hearing that the money was missing, she quickly went back to her room to check.

A moment later, she came out wailing and crying, "My life savings! All the money I've saved my whole life! My bankbooks! And my silver bracelets! Gone, all gone!"

The three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

The room was deathly silent.

A few seconds later, Sun Xidi was the first to react, slapping her thigh: "It was that bitch! It must have been that little slut Qi Weiwei who stole it!"