Chapter 6 — My Husband Brought His Ex Home

Han Hao reached out to catch the older woman, his gaze finally igniting with a sharp, blinding fury.

Huy Tri Ha!

Must you truly drive my mother completely out of her mind?

I returned his glare with a chilling question of my own. Then are all of you determined to drive me to the edge of absolute madness? His breath hitched, the angry retort dying instantly in his throat. I stared down at the hand he was using to steady Zhou Lanzhi. A sudden, bitter wave of amusement washed over me. He had always known how to protect his mother. How to protect Fang Xiaohui. How to protect the precious dignity of the Han family. The only person he never once protected was me.

The police arrived with remarkable speed. It was the same officer from earlier. The management staff promptly presented the written authorization, the high-resolution security footage, and my official property ownership deeds. The officer reviewed the documents, his expression turning grave and severe.

Is this signature written in your own hand?

I answered flatly, No.

Did you authorize this woman to issue access passes or arrange for unauthorized individuals to reside here long-term?

No.

The officer shifted his piercing gaze toward Zhou Lanzhi.

Whose handwriting is on this authorization form?

Zhou Lanzhi’s lips began to tremble violently. Han Hao lunged forward, desperate to intervene. Officer, please understand, this is merely an internal family misunderstanding. The officer cut him off coldly, raising a hand.

I asked a direct question. Whose handwriting is it?

Tears spilled instantly from Zhou Lanzhi’s eyes, cutting deep furrows down her powdered cheeks.

It was mine. But I had no malicious intentions.

The officer pressed on relentlessly. Were the three characters of Huy Tri Ha’s name written by you as well? Zhou Lanzhi kept her head down, offering no answer. Silence, in the eyes of the law, was an admission of guilt. The officer pulled out his notebook and began writing.

You will accompany us back to the precinct to make a full statement.

Zhou Lanzhi’s knees buckled, her legs turning to jelly beneath her.

I am not going! Ah Hao!

Han Hao’s face drained of all color, panic clawing at his chest. He lunged across the room to grab my arm, lowering his voice into a desperate, wretched plea. Tri Ha, I am begging you. Let it end here, tonight. I will make Xiaohui leave immediately, and I will force my mother to apologize to you. We can go back home and live a peaceful life together.

I stared at him, detached and cold. Go back home? Which home?

He froze mid-sentence, struck dumb. I enunciated every single word with deliberate cruelty. From this exact second onward, you no longer possess the right to use an access card to my home.

At that precise moment, the management employee’s computer screen chimed softly, flashing a brand-new visitor registration notification. Fang Xiaohui had just scanned her facial recognition data to re-enter the residential complex. The timestamp read mere moments ago. She had bypassed the main entrance entirely, slipping in through the subterranean parking garage. And the registered host who invited her was none other than Han Hao.

I stared fixedly at the glowing characters on the screen, feeling the air rush entirely out of my lungs. The host was Han Hao. Only moments ago, he had sworn to my face that he would make Fang Xiaohui leave. Only moments ago, he had gripped my arm, begging me to let the matter rest. Yet, the very second I turned my back to summon the law, he had unlocked a backdoor for her.

Han Hao caught sight of the notification on the screen as well. All the blood drained from his face in an instant. I looked down at him, my voice dangerously calm. Is this also a family misunderstanding?

His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Zhou Lanzhi was the first to snap back to reality. She began to wail aloud, tears streaming down her face. Ah Hao, you fool! How could you possibly let Xiaohui come back?

Her panicked shriek was a confession in its own right. The officer turned his sharp gaze back to Han Hao.

Did you send that invitation?

Han Hao’s Adam’s apple bobbed convulsively. Yes. But I only told her to come back and pick up her things.

A sharp, humorless laugh escaped my lips. Her luggage is already down here. Her dog was carried out just moments ago. What on earth is left for her to come back and fetch?

Han Hao nervously avoided my piercing gaze. She forgot her phone charger upstairs.

I looked at him as though watching the most pathetic actor on a wretched stage. At that exact moment, the walkie-talkie on the management desk crackled to life. The security guard stationed downstairs reported over the line, We’ve just intercepted a woman surnamed Fang at the parking garage level. She claims to be a guest of the homeowner and insists on heading upstairs. She’s carrying a backpack and leading a small dog.

The management employee looked up at me for instructions. I replied evenly, Bring her to the management center.

Five minutes later, Fang Xiaohui was escorted in by the security guard. Over her white dress, she now wore an open knitted cardigan. The corners of her eyes were pink and swollen, and she clutched the small white dog tightly against her chest. The moment she stepped across the threshold, her eyes locked onto Han Hao.

Ah Hao, I only came back to get my charger.

Han Hao immediately stepped forward to shield her. Xiaohui, don't be afraid.

I watched the two of them standing side by side. One offered instinctive protection; the other accepted it with practiced dependency. They looked far more like a genuine family than Han Hao and I had ever been.

The officer looked down at Fang Xiaohui. Why did you choose to enter through the underground parking garage just now?

Fang Xiaohui bit her lower lip, trembling slightly. I was afraid Tri Ha would misunderstand.

I cut in sharply, So you knew perfectly well that I refused to grant you entry, yet you snuck in anyway?

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any second. I didn't sneak in. Ah Hao told me to come. He said this is his home too.

Han Hao’s expression shifted frantically. Xiaohui.

Fang Xiaohui acted as though she hadn't heard him. With trembling fingers, she pulled her phone from her pocket and unlocked her messaging history. I really didn't mean to cause trouble. Ah Hao said he would handle everything. He said he would take care of it.

The screen illuminated the dim room. There, displayed in bold black text, were the messages Han Hao had sent her: Just come back up, don't pay attention to her. She is just trying to scare people. My mother will talk to her. Stay in the guest bedroom for tonight, we will figure out the rest tomorrow. If she makes a scene, I'll take the blame.

As I read the words, a deep, bone-chilling cold spread through my veins. So it hadn't even been the master bedroom initially. It was only because I had caught them in the master bedroom today that they had hastily reassigned her to the guest room.