Ye Lingling saw Veterinarian Che retreat as if he had seen a ghost and was so nervous that she dropped the thermos from her hand. Fortunately, Xiao Wu, who was following behind her, reacted quickly and propped it up with his foot before it could hit the ground and shatter.

Xiao Wu’s foot throbbed with pain, and he grumbled unhappily, “What a nuisance.”

Ye Lingling didn’t dare to say a word. She bent down to pick up the thermos, intending to hide behind Xiao Wu as she entered the house.

But Xiao Wu didn’t give her the chance. Afraid she would drop the commander’s thermos, he picked it up and walked away.

The moment Xiao Wu left, Ye Lingling was exposed. She quickly turned to sneak away.

Huo Ruiyang saw her panicked expression, and his already cold face darkened further. He commanded sharply:

“Stop.”

Ye Lingling shuddered and froze in place, but she didn’t dare to turn around.

Her series of evasive actions clearly exposed her guilt. Huo Ruiyang fixed his deep gaze on her, the immense pressure making it hard for her to breathe. Her body stiffened as if she had been paralyzed, unable to move a muscle.

Huo Ruiyang, his face dark, gestured to Vet Che. “Go identify her.”

Vet Che stepped forward and stood in front of Ye Lingling. She lowered her head even further, avoiding his gaze.

Unable to see her face clearly, Vet Che bent down to look at her properly. Using the same words he had said to Xia Anran, he asked:

“Do you know me?”

Ye Lingling shook her head hastily. “No, I don’t.”

Vet Che found her voice oddly familiar. Eager to finish his task quickly, he ordered,

“Lift your head. Let me see you.”

“What are you looking at? Pervert!”

Seeing that she had no way to escape, Ye Lingling raised her hand and slapped Vet Che across the face. The moment she landed the hit, she turned to run.

Vet Che was furious. He grabbed her wrist instantly, his anger flaring. What had he done to deserve this? First, he got caught by an officer, and now he was being slapped by some little girl?

Ye Lingling struggled with all her strength, but she couldn’t break free. Left with no choice, she looked at Huo Ruiyang for help.

“Brother Huo! He’s harassing me! Save me!”

At that moment, Vet Che got a clear look at her eyes and suddenly shouted,

“It’s her! She’s the one who bought the medicine!”

“Officer, does this count as redeeming myself?”

Vet Che looked at Huo Ruiyang excitedly, as if he had won a great battle. His face flushed with exhilaration.

Ye Lingling had still clung to a sliver of hope—she had been wearing a veil that day, so he shouldn’t have been able to recognize her!

But the moment she heard Vet Che’s words, her face turned ashen. She panicked and screamed,

“It wasn’t me! I… I don’t… I don’t even know him!”

Her voice cracked from fear, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

But hearing her denial only made Huo Ruiyang’s expression even darker, as if ink had spilled over his face. He stared at her coldly, exuding a dangerous aura.

Ye Lingling was terrified. She knew denial was useless now.

She had made a mistake—she should never have provoked this dangerous man. Huo Ruiyang was ruthless, and anyone who crossed him never met a good end.

No—she absolutely couldn’t admit it.

Ye Lingling burst into tears.

“It was Anran! She… she forced me to do it! I really didn’t want to go, but she said that if I refused, she’d throw me out. I was scared…”

Ye Lingling thought that Huo Ruiyang would believe her and turn his wrath on Xia Anran instead.

This was her backup plan—if things went south, she would push all the blame onto Xia Anran.

Everyone knew how obsessed Xia Anran was with Huo Ruiyang. It wouldn’t be surprising if she had done something like this.

But as Ye Lingling finished speaking, she noticed that Huo Ruiyang’s expression remained just as cold and unreadable. His dark eyes were like a bottomless frozen lake, chilling her to the bone. She shivered, her heart sinking in fear.

“It’s over. Why doesn’t he believe me?”

If it weren’t for Xia Anran’s earlier warning, Huo Ruiyang might have believed Ye Lingling. After all, Xia Anran had recently done many reckless things in an attempt to marry him.

But Xia Anran was the one who had reminded him that there were other young women in the household. She was also the one who suggested he hide and wait for Ye Lingling to return before appearing.

If she had been behind the scheme to buy the medicine, why would she remind him?

Of course, there was another possibility—maybe now that she had been exposed, she was sacrificing a pawn to save herself, throwing Ye Lingling under the bus.

But Xia Anran was impulsive and lacked deep cunning. She wasn’t the type to orchestrate such a complex setup.

Instead, it was Ye Lingling who was always trying to please everyone, vying for attention, and making Xia Anran look utterly useless in comparison. Someone with such a scheming mind was far more likely to do something like this.

Especially considering that both she and Xia Anran had been drugged that day. Given Ye Lingling’s usual concern for Xia Anran, she should have gone to take care of her first.

But instead, Ye Lingling chased after him, leaving Xia Anran behind without a second thought!

All signs pointed to Ye Lingling being more suspicious!

The veterinarian felt that he had already redeemed himself by completing his mission, so he wanted to leave. He hunched over and asked Ho Ruiyang ingratiatingly:

“Officer, may I leave now?”

Huo Ruiyang lifted his gaze and glanced at him, making the veterinarian immediately stiffen in fear.

Huo Ruiyang ordered, “Take her and come with me.”

Ye Lingling was Uncle Xia’s niece. Before sending her to the police station, he had to notify his father and let him understand the situation.

Hearing that he still wasn’t free to leave, the veterinarian’s face fell, but he dared not resist. He obeyed the order, grabbing Ye Lingling by the wrist. Fueled by resentment over the trouble she had caused him, his grip was rough, yanking and dragging her along without the slightest concern for whether she could bear it.

Ye Lingling screamed and kicked at him.

“Don’t touch me! Let go of me!”

The veterinarian, pained by her kick, retaliated by dragging her even harder. Ye Lingling was in so much pain that her face turned pale.

Aunt Li emerged from the kitchen, carrying a fruit platter, and was immediately taken aback by the sight before her—Ye Lingling’s wrist was being firmly held by a man in his fifties, tears streaming down her face as she struggled desperately. Huo Ruiyang walked ahead with a grim expression, completely ignoring Ye Lingling’s cries for help.

Aunt Li wanted to help Ye Lingling, but seeing Huo Ruiyang’s demeanor, she hesitated and instead asked in a low voice,

“Ruiyang, what’s going on?”

Huo Ruiyang didn’t respond. Instead, he asked in a deep voice, “Where’s my father?”

“He’s in the study upstairs, talking with Anran…”

Before Aunt Li could finish her sentence, Huo Ruiyang was already striding upstairs.

The veterinarian wasn’t sure whether he should follow, but when Huo Ruiyang glanced back at him, he immediately panicked and dragged Ye Lingling up the stairs.

Ye Lingling stumbled and staggered, forcibly pulled along, an unspeakable fear welling up inside her.

…

On the second floor, in the study, Xia Anran was meeting Huo Ruiyang’s father, Commander Huo. He sat behind his desk in his military uniform, reading a document.

This was a man who had walked through the fire of war. Years of military service had made him appear solemn and austere. His sharp eyes carried an inherent authority, and his mere presence commanded respect. In his presence, people instinctively held their breath.

Xia Anran had seen her fair share of major events and had met plenty of high-ranking officials, but even so, she couldn’t help but feel pressured in front of Huo Zhenting.

Hearing the door open, Huo Zhenting looked up from his documents and greeted her with a smile.

“Anran, come and have a seat.”

Xia Anran walked over and sat upright in the chair opposite him, with the desk between them.

Facing her, Huo Zhenting put aside his usual sternness, but there was still a hint of difficulty in his gaze.

Xia Anran knew why Huo Zhenting had called for her. She didn’t want to put this elder in a difficult position, so she took the initiative to express her stance.

“Uncle Huo, I know why you wanted to talk to me. I am a victim in this matter as well. Why don’t we report it to the police? That way, I can clear my name and eliminate a hidden threat.”

Huo Zhenting hadn’t expected Xia Anran to suggest calling the police to prove her innocence. The pressure he had been under these past two days had been immense.

His wife was pressuring him—if it turned out that Xia Anran was truly behind the drugging incident, he had to make a choice between honoring a life-saving debt and ensuring his son’s lifelong happiness.

If he called off the engagement, he would bear the stigma of betrayal and dishonor, as well as fail to repay Old Xia for saving his life.

If he didn’t cancel the engagement, he would be forcing his son to marry a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, ruining his future.

Huo Zhenting had been torn, unable to make a decision.

Xia Anran observed his reaction and knew he was already considering calling off the engagement. She continued,

“Uncle Huo, I have one more request. A forced union will never bring happiness. I want to dissolve my engagement with Brother Huo. I hope you can grant me this wish.”

Just as Huo Ruiyang reached the study door, he heard Xia Anran’s words. His hand, poised to knock, suddenly froze in place.