Ye Lingling was filled with fear and unease, as if she had lost her soul. Her heart pounded wildly, unable to settle, and her hands twisted anxiously while her eyes darted toward the door.

Meanwhile, using Ye Lingling’s attempt to drug someone as justification, Xia Anran once again brought up the issue of breaking off the engagement with Huo Zhenting:

“Uncle Huo, I sincerely apologize. My family has raised a hidden threat, causing your family such a great trouble and nearly harming Brother Huo. It was also my stubbornness that gave Ye Lingling the opportunity to take advantage. The decision to break off the engagement has nothing to do with you. I will personally tell my father that it was my decision. I believe that once he learns of my cousin’s actions, he won’t blame you.”

Ye Lingling, still staring at the doorway, suddenly heard Xia Anran’s words. She turned to her in disbelief—how could Xia Anran be willing to break off the engagement with Huo Ruiyang?

Huo Ruiyang was equally surprised. Not only was Xia Anran willingly calling off the engagement, but she was also taking full responsibility for it?

Earlier, when she had first suggested breaking the engagement, he had assumed she was using it as a tactic to pressure his father into speeding up their marriage.

But now, he could tell—Xia Anran truly wanted to break off the engagement with him.

Huo Zhenting was also taken aback by her words, but a trace of admiration appeared in his eyes. This girl had a kind heart; all the foolish things she had done before had been due to Ye Lingling’s manipulation.

Ye Lingling’s mistakes had nothing to do with her. Since the girl was inherently good, the engagement should remain.

With a kind expression, Huo Zhenting made his decision and said to Xia Anran,

“This marriage was arranged by your father and me. Your cousin’s mistakes have nothing to do with you, so let’s not mention breaking the engagement anymore. You and Ruiyang should get along well; with time, love will naturally develop.”

He firmly believed that emotions could grow over time. If there was no love now, they could always marry first and fall in love later.

Seeing that Xia Anran had finally agreed to break the engagement, only for his father to bring up his outdated views on brotherhood and marriage again, Huo Ruiyang abruptly stood up and firmly refused:

“Father, you have no right to decide my marriage.”

Huo Zhenting was furious that his son was showing him no respect. He slammed the table and stood up, glaring at him with a dark expression.

Huo Ruiyang, however, did not back down. His face remained cold as he stared at his father, refusing to compromise.

As the tension between father and son escalated, Ye Lingling added fuel to the fire by whispering to Xia Anran,

“Anran, your tactic is brilliant—retreating to advance.”

Her words were like adding oil to the flames, immediately painting Xia Anran as a scheming manipulator.

Xia Anran shot her a cold glance and sneered,

“I, Xia Anran, keep my word. If I say I’ll break off the engagement, I mean it. Unlike you, who always resorts to underhanded tricks.”

After shutting down Ye Lingling, Xia Anran firmly addressed Huo Zhenting:

“Uncle Huo, times have changed, and marriage should be based on free will. Childhood engagements are an outdated tradition that should be abolished. A forced marriage will never be happy. Huo Ruiyang and I are incompatible in every way, and I don’t like his personality—he’s as cold as an iceberg. Rather than resenting each other in the future, it’s better to part ways now while preserving the good relations between our families.”

Huo Ruiyang studied Xia Anran carefully. There wasn’t a trace of deceit in her eyes; she was completely honest and straightforward. Her words were also well-articulated, nothing like the unreasonable, aggressive woman he had seen before. He found himself seeing her in a new light.

As for her complaints about him being cold as ice, Huo Ruiyang couldn’t care less. As long as the engagement was canceled, she could say whatever she wanted.

Seeing that Xia Anran was serious about breaking the engagement, and hearing her openly state her dislike for his son’s personality, Huo Zhenting finally relented with a sigh of regret.

“Alright. Since you truly dislike Ruiyang’s personality,  let’s call off the engagement!”

Huo Ruiyang’s tense nerves finally relaxed. He had expected an uproar, but who would have thought the engagement would be dissolved so easily?

He couldn’t help but glance at Xia Anran again. She stood there gracefully, a faint smile on her face. Her dark, bright eyes shimmered like the stars, and from her looks to her demeanor, she was completely different from before—almost like a different person.

Had she changed so drastically overnight because of Ye Lingling’s scheming? Or was this her true personality all along, merely obscured by Ye Lingling in the past?

Ye Lingling had the same thought. Xia Anran had never spoken with such composure and eloquence before—there was no way this was her! As if she had seized on a weakness, Ye Lingling screeched,

“You’re an imposter! My cousin would never agree to break off the engagement!”

Xia Anran cast her a cold glance, her voice carrying an icy edge.

“If you hadn’t spoken, I might have forgotten about you.”

Ye Lingling instinctively felt that nothing good would come next. In a panic, she screamed at Xia Anran, “Shut up!”

Ignoring her, Xia Anran turned to Huo Zhenting and said,

“Uncle Huo, my cousin poisoned an active-duty soldier for her selfish gain. The law should take its course. We cannot let her go unpunished—keeping her around will only bring further harm.”

“You dared to set me up?! I’ll kill you!”

Ye Lingling’s worst fear was that Huo Zhenting and Huo Ruiyang would pursue her for drugging him. Hearing Xia Anran’s words, rage and panic overtook her. She lunged forward, aiming to scratch the face she had envied so much.

Xia Anran had some martial arts training. While filming an action movie in the past, she had studied Muay Thai for three months under a professional trainer—more than enough to handle someone like Ye Lingling.

However, she was still recovering from a serious illness, making her movements sluggish. As Ye Lingling’s claws came dangerously close to her face, Xia Anran braced herself for a few scratches.

But before she could react, she saw a blur—Ye Lingling was suddenly sent flying!

Behind her stood Huo Ruiyang, his face as cold and sharp as ever. He withdrew his gaze almost immediately after glancing at her.

Xia Anran had a “thank you” stuck in her throat. This man—he helps someone and still keeps such a frosty expression. He probably doesn’t even know how to smile.

Living with someone like him—if you didn’t freeze to death, you’d suffocate from the silence.

Ye Lingling had taken a solid kick from Huo Ruiyang. Clutching her waist, she whimpered in pain. But when she tried to cry louder, sharp stabs of agony made it impossible to even move.

Just then, Liang Meijuan walked in. She was met with the sight of Ye Lingling curled up on the floor, groaning in pain. As a doctor, her first instinct was to check her injuries.

But Huo Zhenting coughed, snapping her out of it. With a cold expression, she ignored Ye Lingling and placed the items in her hand onto the table.

“Old Huo, I found these in Ye Lingling’s room. This packet is sleeping pills—the label states there were ten, but only eight remain. The missing two were likely given to Anran.

This other packet is a laxative—also originally ten, now only seven. That proves Anran was telling the truth. Ye Lingling is utterly vicious—she drugged Anran with three pills at once. That could have been fatal!”

Ye Lingling had been dreading the moment when Liang Meijuan would search her room. Now, she was drowning in regret—why hadn’t she disposed of the pills sooner?

Seeing that the evidence had been found, her world collapsed. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

What should she do? What should she do?!

Her eyes suddenly lit up when they landed on Xia Anran. If Anran pleaded on her behalf, Uncle Huo might let her off. She was her only hope!

Ignoring the pain, Ye Lingling crawled toward Xia Anran, clutching her leg as she wept.

“Anran, I was blinded by greed! I was foolish! I’m not even human—please, forgive me!”

Xia Anran looked down at her, her delicate face devoid of warmth.

“Forgiving you isn’t entirely impossible.”

Hearing this, Ye Lingling was overjoyed and nodded frantically.

“As long as you forgive me, I’ll do anything!”

Xia Anran’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

“Remember—you said that yourself.”