Chapter 2 — 20 Million Yuan Buys Freedom, Not Marriage

Three years have passed, his so-called "effort"... was waiting for my father's money.

“Tran Hao, I ask you a question.”

“You should ask.”

“If my father didn't give me this 20,000,000 yuan, would you still want to marry me?”

His face changed completely.

"What do you mean? Do you suspect I came to you for money? To Niem, are you that kind of person? I've known you for three years!"

“So why does every mention of money make you agitated?”

"Are you excited? I'm not excited! I just think you're selfish! 20,000,000 yuan, you spent it all alone, have you ever thought about this house? Have you ever thought about my feelings?"

“What do you think?” I smiled faintly.

"Tran Hao, this money is the dowry my father gave me. He worked hard all his life, just wanted me to live a little better. Your first reaction was to use it to buy a house for your parents, pay off your car debt - so have you ever thought about my father's feelings?"

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. After a while, he changed his tone.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I shouldn't have said that. But Niem Niem, think again about the house book, add my name in—"

“No more.”

“You go.”

He looked at me, his eyes changed. No more resentment. It's resentment.

"Okay. I'm good."

The door was slammed shut. The next morning, my close friend Lam Van came to find me. She is my college roommate, a real estate broker, and she also helped me maintain this school district's house before.

“Tran Hao called me last night.”

I'm making coffee, my hands don't stop.

"Say you're not reasonable, 20,000,000 yuan of dowry was decided on your own. When his mother came to see the house, you had a bad attitude and didn't even add your name to the book."

I gave her coffee.

“He asked you to come as a guest speaker?”

Lam Van rolled her eyes.

"Do you think I look like I would defend him? I came to tell you something."

“What?”

"Yesterday you asked me to find a house renovation company. I also looked up the management's recent transaction history of this area. Guess what I found out?"

I looked at her.

“Tran Hao came to this area three months ago to look at houses.”

The cup in my hand stopped.

“Has he seen this school district?”

"Yes. The second week after your father said he would give you a dowry. He made an appointment with a broker from my company and looked at it twice. His apartment looked even bigger than yours, 160 square meters, four bedrooms, total price 22,000,000 yuan."

I leaned against the table.

“That means he has known this area for a long time.”

“Not just knowing.” Lam Van opened her phone and showed me the screenshot, "He also asked how to pay. He asked - can I use someone else's name to transfer money, but the house book shows two people?"

I looked at that chat. Every word is clear.

"The broker said that if the person transferring the money and the person signing the money do not have the same name, they have to have it notarized. Tran Hao asked if the notary would mind. They advised that the party paying the money sign directly. Then Tran Hao said one sentence—"

Lam Van pushed the phone towards me. On the screen is Tran Hao's message:

"The person who paid for it is my future father-in-law. The old man doesn't know these things, so I'll bring him there at that time."

Not sure. Leading is okay. I pushed the phone back.

“Is there anything else?”

Lam Van looked at me, as if searching.

"There's one more thing. Chen Hao's car loan, he told you it was 4,000 yuan per month, right?"

"His car is an old car. The loan has been paid off since long time ago.”

“How do you know?”

“His ex-girlfriend works out at the same gym as me. Last week we met in the locker room, so we could talk. She said she bought that car three years ago for 80,000 yuan, paid it in two-year installments, and then paid it off. The 4,000 yuan every month he told you… all went into his pocket.”

I put down my coffee cup.

“Three years. 4,000 yuan per month. Nearly 150,000 yuan.”

“What else?”

Lam Van hesitated a bit.

“The ex-girlfriend said the two of them broke up because they discovered Tran Hao was having an affair with another girl at the same time. That person... is you. The time was September three years ago.”

September, three years ago. The moment I met him.

“When did he break up?”

“November of the same year. That means in the first two months of knowing you, he still hasn't broken up."

I stood by the window, looking down at the green strip below the house, an old lady was walking her dog.

“Lam Van, help me look up one more thing.”

“Is there any other house under Tran Hao's name?”

Two days later, Lam Van gave me the answer.

“Tran Hao is not in the name of any house. But his mother, Vuong Thuy Lan, has one.”

“Hong Van area in the East of the city, 87 square meters, two bedrooms. Registered last March.”

“Last March?” I thought for a moment, "That month Tran Hao borrowed 120,000 yuan from me, saying his father was hospitalized and needed a deposit."

“You gave it?”

Lam Van was silent for a few seconds.

“The deposit for that apartment… is exactly 120,000 yuan.”

I smiled softly.

“Also, the person who borrowed money is Tran Hao. Pay 3,200 yuan every month.”

“He takes 4,000 yuan from me every month saying it's to pay for the car, and now he also has 3,200 yuan for rent?”

“How much living expenses do you give him every month?”

“5,000 yuan.”

"His salary is 15,000 yuan a month, you give him 5,000 yuan for living expenses, he reports 4,000 yuan for the car loan and you also pay, plus 120,000 yuan for the loan deposit - To Niem, how much money have you made up in the past three years?"

I never counted. But Lam Van planned to help me.

“Just being conservative would cost 400,000 yuan.”

I nodded.

“Okay. I got it."

“What are you going to do?”

“No movement for now.”

“I want to see what else he can do.”