As Xia Anran got out of the car, she immediately saw Huo Ruiyang. Behind him stood a man in his fifties, dark-skinned and thin, dressed in a coarse gray cotton shirt.

From his attire and complexion, he looked like someone from the countryside. He followed closely behind Huo Ruiyang, his expression tense, his demeanor hesitant and fearful—less like a guest and more like a prisoner.

Just as Xia Anran was observing the man, a startled voice came from inside the car.

“Ah! I left my thermos at the hospital! Xiao Wu, hurry, turn around and take me back!”

Xia Anran turned to see Ye Lingling anxiously patting the back of Xiao Wu’s seat, urging him to drive.

Frowning, Xia Anran recalled clearly that when they left the hospital, she had seen Ye Lingling place the thermos in the car.

“It’s not at the hospital. I saw you put it in the car,” she said.

Xiao Wu also confirmed, “That’s right, I saw you put it in.”

“Even so, I still need to go back. The deposit hasn’t been refunded yet! Xiao Wu, hurry, go back!”

Ye Lingling did not get out of the car. She still insisted on returning to the hospital, no longer mentioning the thermos but now claiming the deposit hadn’t been settled. Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu finally started the car and drove her back.

Watching the Jeep turn around and leave, Xia Anran’s eyes flickered with suspicion.

She distinctly remembered the deposit had already been refunded. What was going on with Ye Lingling? Why was she so determined to leave, acting as if she were being chased?

A thought struck Xia Anran, and she turned to glance at Huo Ruiyang. Could it be that Ye Lingling was feeling guilty and afraid to face him?

Their commotion drew Huo Ruiyang’s attention. He looked over and, at first, didn’t recognize Xia Anran. It was only when she spoke that he realized it was her.

In the few times they had met, she had always drawn thick black eyebrows, worn striking red lipstick, and plastered her face with powder. She would fidget with the end of her braid while looking at him, acting both rustic and pretentious.

The only time she had appeared without makeup was the night he had been drugged. But even then, her face had been flushed, her gaze hazy—like an enchanting fox, seductive and bewitching.

But now?

Her face was clean, glowing softly under the sunlight. Her lips were a natural light red, and the gauze wrapped around her forehead gave her a slightly delicate appearance.

When she looked at him, the obsessive infatuation she once had—like a fly fixated on a piece of meat—was completely gone. Her gaze was indifferent and distant, her posture upright, her chin slightly lifted, exuding a touch of arrogance.

Huo Ruiyang was puzzled.

It was just a lack of makeup, yet why did it feel like she was a completely different person?

Xia Anran noticed Huo Ruiyang staring at her, his face solemn and cold, exuding an imposing aura—like a strict magistrate interrogating a criminal. Even in the summer heat, his gaze sent chills down her spine.

This man had always avoided the original owner of her body like the plague. There was no need for her to warm up to someone who clearly disliked her.

She decided not to greet him. Keeping her gaze straight ahead, she walked into the house, treating Huo Ruiyang as if he were invisible.

Yet, no matter how much she ignored him, the strong presence of this man remained palpable.

That air of authority, the commanding aura of someone in power—why was she sensing it from him?

Straightening her spine, Xia Anran refused to back down. She might lose in status, but she would not lose in demeanor. There was no way she would let him suppress her.

Seeing Xia Anran ignore him and head straight inside, Huo Ruiyang suspected she was feeling guilty. Was she afraid of the veterinarian in the car, so she avoided approaching him?

As she was about to step inside, Huo Ruiyang called out in a deep voice:

“Wait.”

Xia Anran stopped, frowning.

What was with this guy? She wasn’t bothering him, so why was he initiating contact?

Was he so used to her previous self clinging to him that he couldn’t handle being ignored? Was he trying to reclaim her attention?

Turning around, she looked at Huo Ruiyang with indifference and asked coldly, “What do you want?”

That distant, impatient expression made Huo Ruiyang once again feel like she was a completely different person.

Even the most arrogant soldiers under his command would stand at attention under his gaze. Yet, she stared right back at him, unwavering, without the slightest trace of fear or hesitation.

There was no warmth in her eyes either—only cold detachment, as if he were a stranger.

When Huo Ruiyang didn’t respond, Xia Anran’s patience wore even thinner.

“Commander Huo, do you have any instructions?”

She deliberately avoided calling him “Brother Huo”—there was no need for unnecessary familiarity. Now that their engagement was broken, they were strangers. It was better to keep their distance. She even emphasized the word “instructions,” making it clear she was being sarcastic.

“If you have something to say, say it. If not, I’m leaving.”

Huo Ruiyang was momentarily stunned by her words.

His gaze then landed on her outfit—a red blouse, blue trousers, black shoes—matching exactly what the veterinarian had described.

But he still needed the veterinarian to confirm her voice before making a final judgment.

Xia Anran could feel his scrutinizing gaze and found it extremely uncomfortable. Her expression turned even colder.

‘What, does he think I’m one of his soldiers? Trying to intimidate me with his stare? Who’s afraid of him?’

With that thought, she raised her chin and glared right back at him.

She had seen enough grand occasions in her life—why should she be intimidated by him?

Then, Huo Ruiyang turned to the veterinarian and asked, “Is it her?”

Xia Anran’s expression grew even colder.

Why did it feel like Huo Ruiyang was treating her like a criminal? Did he bring someone here just to identify her?

Could it be—?

A thought flashed through her mind.

Huo Ruiyang wouldn’t have brought someone to recognize her for no reason. He must have found a lead.

Could this man be the one who sold the drug? Did a woman buy an aphrodisiac from him, and now Huo Ruiyang had brought him here to identify the buyer?

Xia Anran narrowed her eyes.

Ye Lingling’s panicked departure earlier—could it be related to this man?

Caught off guard by being asked to identify someone, the veterinarian flinched. He wiped his eyes and examined Xia Anran.

The clothes matched the girl from that night, but the height and build seemed different.

He had been too nervous earlier and hadn’t clearly registered Xia Anran’s voice. Afraid of making a mistake, he wanted her to speak again.

He stepped closer and asked, “Miss… do you recognize me?”

Xia Anran searched the original owner’s memories. There was no recollection of this man. She shook her head.

“I don’t know you. I’ve never seen you before.”

Huo Ruiyang observed her closely.

She showed no signs of nervousness or avoidance when looking at the veterinarian. Instead, she carefully studied him.

With the original Xia Anran’s impulsive nature, she shouldn’t have had such a strong psychological defense. Could it be that she truly didn’t know him?

As the veterinarian got a closer look at her, he focused on her eyes—bright and captivating, with a small red mole at the corner of her right eye, adding an extra touch of charm.

But she carried a cold arrogance that overshadowed any seductive qualities.

Judging by her eyes alone, he was certain—this was not the woman who bought the drug.

That woman had downward-slanting eyes, less radiant and expressive than this girl’s. Her complexion was also darker.

After careful observation, he confidently shook his head at Huo Ruiyang.

“It’s not her.”

Huo Ruiyang’s expression darkened.

If it wasn’t Xia Anran, then this situation was even more serious than he had thought.

Xia Anran glanced at him coolly. “Can I go now?”

Her indifferent tone snapped Huo Ruiyang out of his thoughts. He nodded. “You can.”

As she reached the door, she suddenly stopped, reconsidering something.

She turned back.

Huo Ruiyang’s face instantly darkened, his eyes sharp—was she about to cling to him again?

But her next words caught him completely off guard.

“If I’m not mistaken, you brought him here to identify the person who bought the drug, right?”