She clutched her drink tightly, and it was a long moment before she spoke: “Then do you know where he got all that money?” Zhang Qiu shook her head. “I asked, but he wouldn’t say. He hasn’t had it for long, though, and he just said he wanted to earn a little interest on it.” She hesitated before continuing, “He wouldn’t tell me, so I couldn’t really press him. I did try to warn him, subtly, but he just said he had it under control.” “Since you know now, I think you really should talk to him about this.” “Xiaohui, honestly... your Zhou Sen is so good to you. It’s touching, even for an outsider like me.” “What he did was definitely wrong, but… try not to lose your temper with him. I really think he’s had it tough.” Su Xiaohui barely remembered saying goodbye to Zhang Qiu, her mind reeling from their conversation. She’d suspected from the start that the money wasn’t legitimate, but she never could have imagined that *she* was the reason he was hiding it. All because she’d mentioned offhand how she envied her colleagues’ new bags and luxury goods—things she’d never splurge on for herself—he had resorted to this just to give her what she desired. *Was he a fool?* Embezzling public funds leads to prison. He knew that better than anyone, yet he still did it. And the worst part was, her first instinct hadn't been to confront him. Instead, she’d suspected him of cheating, of hiding some secret affair. *How could I be so awful?* At that thought, Su Xiaohui wanted nothing more than to slap herself across the face. What more could she possibly ask for, with a husband like him? Nothing could happen to Zhou Sen. It just couldn't. That thought jolted her into action. Su Xiaohui shook herself from her stupor and sped home. She hadn't been home in days, but the house was just as warm and welcoming as when she'd left. Her husband wasn't in the living room when she came in. Tiptoeing to her daughter's door, she could hear him inside, just as she'd expected, reading a story. Su Xiaohui’s heart melted. She must have done countless good deeds in a past life to deserve a husband like him. About ten minutes later, once their daughter was asleep, Zhou Sen emerged from the room. He jumped when he saw Su Xiaohui, but his surprise quickly melted into a wide grin. “Honey, you’re back?” “Why didn't you call? I would've picked you up.” Then his expression changed, his smile vanishing as he saw her face. “Honey? Why are you crying? Did someone hurt you?” Su Xiaohui threw her arms around him, saying nothing, just sobbing into his chest. Zhou Sen held her, murmuring reassurances and asking anxiously who had upset her. After a long while, her crying subsided. She pulled back, looked at Zhou Sen, and said, “Honey, we need to talk.” Zhou Sen nodded. Not wanting to wake their daughter, they went to their bedroom. Su Xiaohui got straight to the point. “Honey, I know everything.” The color drained from Zhou Sen’s face. He shot to his feet. “Honey, I can explain.” Su Xiaohui held up a hand. “There’s no need. I saw Qiuqiu. She told me everything.” “How could you be so foolish? You have to return the money. Now.” “Embezzlement means jail time! If something happens to you, what will happen to Lele and me?” As she spoke, fresh tears streamed down her face. Zhou Sen wiped at her tears, his voice full of apology. “Honey, don’t cry.” “I know what I’m doing. Don't worry, it'll be fine.” “The money has to sit in an account somewhere. If it’s in mine, at least it can earn some interest.” “When the school needs it, I’ll just withdraw it.” “Nothing will go wrong.” Su Xiaohui grew more frantic. “Don't you try to fool me! I may not be an expert, but even I know what you're doing is illegal!” “Listen to me. Put the money back. I don't want anything. I just want our family to be safe and together.” Hearing this, Zhou Sen’s voice filled with self-reproach. “It's my fault. I'm useless. I can't give you the life you deserve.” “Don’t be ridiculous. Our life is wonderful as it is.” Su Xiaohui held him tightly. In the end, Zhou Sen promised to return the money. Still anxious, Su Xiaohui called Zhang Qiu the next day just to be sure. Only after receiving confirmation did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. After this incident, she felt the bond between her and her husband had grown even stronger, as if they were falling in love all over again.