Xia Anran noticed the jade bracelet on the hand waving in front of her. The bracelet was a deep green with a smooth, lustrous texture, clearly of high quality.

However, because Ye Lingling’s hands were not attractive—her skin was dry and slightly dark—the elegant bracelet looked cheap, as if it had been bought from a street stall.

A cold glint flashed in Xia Anran’s eyes. That bracelet did not belong to Ye Lingling—it was part of the dowry her mother had given her.

After arriving in Bincheng, Ye Lingling had coaxed it from her under the pretense of safekeeping. But in the end, she had claimed it as her own.

“Anran? Anran?”

Noticing that Xia Anran was staring fixedly at the bracelet on her wrist, Ye Lingling grew uneasy and instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

But Xia Anran grabbed her wrist tightly and asked anxiously, “Cousin, why are you wearing my dowry bracelet? That’s meant for my wedding—it’s not something you can just wear! Give it back to me.”

She looked genuinely distressed, and her voice was loud enough for everyone in the hospital room to hear. All eyes turned to Ye Lingling.

At this time, people were particular about traditions—wedding items were sacred and not to be touched by outsiders, let alone worn.

Ye Lingling, who cared deeply about appearances, felt her face burn as everyone stared at her. Embarrassment turned to anger—she was furious that Xia Anran had exposed this in public, humiliating her.

But she reacted quickly, using her aunt as an excuse.

“Auntie asked me to keep it safe for you. I was afraid it might get lost, so I wore it.”

Xia Anran frowned and asked in a doubtful tone, “That’s not right. Before coming to Bincheng, Mom put the bracelet on me herself and told me never to take it off, to wear it for a lifetime. She never said you should keep it. After we got here, you told me I might break it and that I should let you hold onto it until my wedding. But now, how come…”

She deliberately left her sentence unfinished and instead cast a suspicious look at Ye Lingling.

Even without her saying more, everyone in the room understood the implication.

So, Xia Anran’s mother had never entrusted the bracelet to Ye Lingling—Xia Anran had been wearing it herself, and Ye Lingling had tricked her into handing it over.

The woman in the next hospital bed, who had just been praising Ye Lingling as a good sister, felt indignant. She hadn’t expected Ye Lingling to be so scheming. She immediately spoke up for Xia Anran, her tone full of reproach.

“Give it back to her! How can you just wear someone’s wedding bracelet like that?”

Ye Lingling cursed inwardly. You nosy old woman, what does this have to do with you? She then shot Xia Anran a sharp glare. You little brat, you just woke up and already have so much to say?

She couldn’t return the bracelet, but she also couldn’t let people think she was trying to keep it for herself. So, she came up with another excuse, speaking softly,

“You were hospitalized, weren’t you? I was afraid it would get lost at home, so I put it on. I’ll give it back when you’re discharged.”

Her tone was like that of an older sister coaxing a childish younger sibling—a mix of helplessness and indulgence.

If this were the original Xia Anran, she would have believed her instantly.

But Xia Anran saw through Ye Lingling’s deception. She was sure that if she didn’t get the bracelet back today, Ye Lingling would later claim it had broken. By then, she’d never see it again.

She seized on Ye Lingling’s words and countered, looking unconvinced,

“Who would dare steal from the military compound? Or… do you not trust Uncle Huo and Auntie Huo? Sister, how could you think that way? The Huo family is honorable and upright—even if you gave it to them for free, they wouldn’t take it. You’re judging a gentleman with a petty mind.”

Ye Lingling was thrown off by Xia Anran’s aggressive questioning. Her face flushed red.

Before, whatever she said, Xia Anran would listen. But today, she just kept pressing!

Of course, she couldn’t outright say she was afraid the Huo family would covet the bracelet. If Uncle Huo and Auntie Huo heard that, would they still think well of her?

“Of course not Uncle Huo and Auntie Huo! I was worried about Auntie Li taking it.”

Ye Lingling quickly shifted the blame to the Huo family’s housekeeper. She nervously glanced at Xia Anran, afraid she’d say something even more damning.

This time, Xia Anran didn’t respond. Instead, her large, bright eyes looked past Ye Lingling, and she called out in a soft voice,

“Auntie Huo.”

Ye Lingling’s body stiffened at once. Panic flashed across her face as she turned around—only to see Liang Meijuan standing right behind her in a white doctor’s coat and cap.

Her tongue twisted in fear. “A-Auntie Huo, I…”

“Xiao Li has worked in our home for over ten years and has never taken anything. She has good character.”

Liang Meijuan’s expression was cold, and the warmth in her gaze from before was gone, replaced by a layer of icy indifference.

Even if Ye Lingling hadn’t directly accused her and Old Huo, suspecting their housekeeper was just as bad. Wasn’t that the same as saying they had raised a thief?

Liang Meijuan was furious. If she hadn’t overheard this by chance, she wouldn’t have realized Ye Lingling wasn’t as simple and honest as she seemed.

Normally, Ye Lingling was very close with Auntie Li, affectionately calling her “Auntie” and eagerly helping with cooking and housework. Auntie Li had spoken well of her many times.

But if she knew Ye Lingling suspected her of being a thief, wouldn’t she be heartbroken?

Liang Meijuan had never spoken to her in such a cold tone before. Ye Lingling was so frightened that she scrambled to explain,

“Auntie Huo, I didn’t mean that… Anran suddenly fainted… I thought that if she saw the bracelet when she woke up, she’d be happy and recover faster. I wasn’t suspicious of anyone! I just… I just misspoke earlier!”

She anxiously watched Liang Meijuan, feeling like she was being roasted over a fire. She regretted her words terribly. Why hadn’t she thought of this excuse sooner? Instead, she had stupidly said she was afraid of losing the bracelet, putting herself in such an embarrassing position.

But before she could feel relieved, Xia Anran spoke again.

“Sister, if you wanted to make me happy, you could have just told me. Why bring up Auntie Li? She treats you like her own daughter. If she knew you doubted her, wouldn’t she be heartbroken?”

This little brat again?

Ye Lingling clenched her teeth in frustration. If you hadn’t kept pressing me, would I have said the wrong thing?!

Doubt crept into her mind. Did Xia Anran say all that on purpose, knowing Auntie Huo was there? Was she deliberately leading me into a trap to ruin my image in Auntie Huo’s eyes?

Realizing this, she couldn’t stop herself from glaring at Xia Anran.

Right on cue, Xia Anran shrank back slightly, looking timid as she whispered hesitantly,

“Sister, why are you glaring at me? Did I say something wrong?”

Now, Ye Lingling was even more convinced that Xia Anran was doing this on purpose.

Xia Anran had always been spoiled and hot-tempered. Normally, if she was glared at, she would immediately point at the person’s nose and scold them. She would never act scared.

Though Ye Lingling quickly masked her expression, Liang Meijuan had already caught the flash of hostility in her eyes.