The Blood Pendant Never Lies

My daughter was born prematurely and immediately sent to the incubator.

Finally, the day came to bring her home from the hospital. I practically threw myself forward, clutching my daughter tightly in my arms.

But the next second, I froze completely.

The Blood Guanyin pendant around my neckit hadn't turned red?

This was a gift from the Miao teacher at the orphanage, given to each of us orphans.

She said the jade was sealed with our blood and a type of Miao blood parasite.

Once blood relatives came near, the parasite would come alive and the pendant would turn blood red.

But now, with my daughter in my arms, it didn't move at all.

My head spun and I nearly dropped the baby.

If this child in my arms wasn't my daughter,

then where was the baby I'd carried for ten months and labored for fourteen hours to deliver?

My face went deathly pale, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

My husband Ethan thought I was just overcome with emotion and came over with a smile:

"Our daughter is finally discharged. You don't have to worry anymore."

I grabbed his arm desperately, my voice shaking:

"Ethan, this isn't our daughter. Look at her faceshe doesn't look like either of us at all!"

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders with a laugh:

"Rain, you're just too anxious! All newborns look pretty much the same. How can you tell who they look like?"

"I took this baby directly from the nurse's hands. There's no way it's wrong."

"But..."

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

I suddenly pulled open the baby's swaddling, turned her body over, and with trembling fingers examined every inch of her skin.

No birthmark.

Her bottom was completely clean. Nothing there.

My mind exploded with a buzz.

"Our daughter has a red plum blossom birthmark on her bottom. After delivery, the nurse specifically showed it to me!"

I was practically screaming:

"This baby doesn't have it. She's not our daughter!"

Ethan's smile instantly froze.

He looked at the baby again, his face turning white as paper.

Two people with double eyelidshow could we possibly have a baby with single eyelids?

Without another question, he immediately grabbed the baby and rushed out, driving straight to the hospital.

I wanted to chase after them, but the C-section incision on my belly suddenly tore open. The pain made it impossible to move.

I collapsed on the floor, imagining what might have happened to my daughter.

Switched at birth, kidnapped by traffickers, sold to a place I'd never find...

The tears wouldn't stop.

I desperately called my husband, but couldn't get through.

Time crawled by, second by second.

Just as I finally managed to drag myself to the door, it suddenly opened.

My husband was holding another baby, his face full of smiles:

"Honey, I brought our daughter back!"

"The hospital made a mistake. There were two babies in the NICU, and another baby's father has the same name as me. The nurse grabbed the wrong one. Thank God you noticed!"

I broke into tears of relief and immediately took the baby.

The tiny face was about fifty percent similar to mine.

Half of my anxiety finally settled.

The birthmark was there too.

Tears fell again. What a blessing!

My daughter was finally back.

But then,

my hand suddenly froze.

The pendant on my chest still hadn't turned red.

This baby wasn't my daughter either?!

My heart churned uneasily. I forced myself to calm down, my gaze slowly moving to Ethan's face.

"Are you sure," I asked, word by word,

"this is our daughter?"

He gently took my hand and pulled a document from his bag, his tone certain:

"Of course. This time I did a paternity test with our daughter. Lookconfirmed father-daughter relationship."

Those words were printed clearly on the white paper.

But my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, tightening more and more.

If the baby was my husband's, why hadn't the pendant turned red?

Unless this DNA paternity test was fake.

Or this baby wasn't the one I gave birth to.

At the thought of these two possibilities, my back felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over it, chilling me from head to toe.

I slowly raised my head to look at Ethan.

His face still wore a smile.

I tentatively asked:

"Ethan, could this report be fake?"

"What if someone deliberately stole our daughter and made a fake report to deceive you..."

He interrupted me with a laugh,

"Honey, you must be scared from that mix-up earlier. I promise, this time it's definitely real."

He took our daughter and sat on the sofa, gently playing with her little face.

"I already reported it to the police at the hospital. The DNA testing agency has a long-term partnership with the police. The results can't be wrong."

"Plus, look how this baby resembles both you and me, and the birthmark is there too. It can't be wrong."

He looked up and smiled at me:

"Stop scaring yourself."

I stared intently into his eyes and said, word by word:

"But my Blood Guanyin pendant hasn't turned red!"

"Don't you remember? I told you before that if I encounter a blood relative, this pendant will turn red."

Ethan was clearly stunned for just a moment.

Then he laughed, louder than before:

"Honey, and you're a college professoryou actually believe in this stuff! How could such mystical things exist in this world!"

"Besides, I already did a paternity test with this baby. She's definitely ours!"

He stood up and pushed me toward the bedroom,

"Stop overthinking. The doctor told me to hurry and get the baby vaccinated. Go get ready, we're leaving soon."

I don't know if it was just my imagination,

but for a split second, I saw Ethan habitually pinch his fingers.

And when he did that gesture,

it meant he was nervous or lying.

I said nothing more.

With the mix-up that just happened, maybe he was nervous too.

Perhaps he was right.

I'd worn this pendant from age six until nowtwenty yearsand it had never turned red.

Maybe it was just a hopeful story the orphanage teacher left us, a beautiful lie.

I slowly pushed down the unease in my heart, held my daughter, and left with my husband.

The community health center wasn't crowded.

I was filling out forms with my head down when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Rain!"

I whipped my head around.

It was someone I grew up with at the orphanage.

Her name was Vivi, and she was smiling at me.

"Rain! I can't believe we live in the same community! Did you have a boy or a girl?"

"A girl."

Her eyes lit up:

"I'm so happy. We finally both have our own blood relatives."

My eyes welled up as I nodded emphatically.

Just then, her husband walked over holding their baby and came up beside her.

My gaze inadvertently fell on her neck.

I suddenly noticed the Blood Guanyin pendant was turning red, bit by bit.

I stood frozen like I'd been struck by lightning.

So this pendant really does turn red when near blood relatives.

So the Miao teacher from the orphanage hadn't lied to us.

My breathing became rapid. My chest felt like something was blocking it, getting tighter and tighter.

Could it be that the baby my husband brought back really wasn't my daughter?

But if that wasn't my daughter,

then where was my daughter?

Just as I stood there in a daze, my husband walked over holding our daughter and took my hand to leave.

Looking at the pendant around my neck that still hadn't changed color,

I pushed his hand away and stared hard at my husband, demanding:

"Whose bastard child is this?"

"Where exactly is my daughter?"

Ethan froze on the spot.

His face was full of hurt:

"Honey, what's wrong? Why are you saying this? The baby is obviously oursmine and yours! This is our daughter!"

I looked at him coldly and demanded loudly:

"Stop pretending. This isn't my daughter at all! Where did you hide my daughter?!"

The crowd that heard the commotion all started pointing and whispering about us.

My husband immediately panicked and lowered his voice to explain:

"Rain, what's gotten into you? The hospital did make a mistake before, but I already switched the baby back. You don't need to be scared anymore."

He held our daughter up in front of me, showing the baby's face.

"Let everyone see how much this baby looks like you. How can you suddenly say she's not yours? What happened?"

His face was full of confusion.

The onlookers' eyes moved between me and my daughter, discussing among themselves:

"Miss, this baby really does look a lot like you!"

"Exactly, like she was carved from the same mold. Why are you saying she's not your daughter?"

I laughed coldly and pointed to the pendant on my chest:

"Because this thing hasn't turned red. The first time you brought a baby back, it didn't turn red, and that really wasn't my baby."

"This time it still hasn't turned red, so this definitely isn't my daughter!"

Just now, Vivi told me that many of the orphanage kids had found their biological parents thanks to this red-turning pendant.

This further confirmed my suspicion.

Ethan looked utterly helpless, rubbing his forehead as he explained again:

"Rain, I've told you so many times to believe in science and not those superstitions! Why won't you listen?"

"Besides, I already did a DNA paternity test with our daughter, confirming we're father and daughter. What exactly are you doubting?"

I said coldly:

"Our daughter did a DNA test with you, but not with me."

Ethan looked shocked, his eyes full of hurt:

"You're... suspecting me of having an affair?"

Ignoring Ethan's wounded expression, I grabbed my friend from the orphanage:

"Vivi, didn't you just say you work at a paternity testing center?"

"I'm asking you to do a DNA paternity test between me and this baby right now!"

I grew up with Vivi at the orphanage.

Her test report couldn't possibly be wrong.

"As long as I do a DNA paternity test with her, it will prove this isn't my daughter! As for whether she's your bastard child, that depends on whether you dare to test again!"

Faced with my accusation, Ethan just smiled bitterly, his expression unchanged:

"If this is what it takes to dispel your doubts and acknowledge our daughter, I'm willing to cooperate."

He turned to Vivi, his tone sincere:

"Please arrange sample collection for all three of us immediately, and rush the results."

Seeing Ethan so open about it, doubt crept into my heart instead.

Had I really made a mistake?

After the blood was drawn, the wait was agonizing.

A few hours later, Vivi walked in carrying a rush document envelope.

With trembling hands, I tore open the envelope and pulled out the report.

Black words on white paper, clear as day.

"Based on available data and DNA analysis results, supports that Ethan is the biological father of the child, and supports that Rain Song is the biological mother of the child."

My mind went blank.

The person doing the DNA paternity test was reliable, and DNA couldn't be faked.

Had I really made a mistake?

Was this really my daughter?

My eyes turned red as I looked apologetically at my husband, my voice choked:

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I misunderstood you."

Ethan pulled me into his arms, gently patting my back:

"It's okay, honey. I must not have done enough to make you this anxious."

"The doctor said you just gave birth and your hormones are unstable, making you prone to postpartum depression. I didn't care for you enough. It's my fault!"

"I'll hire a nanny right away to take care of you and the baby!"

He looked at me tenderly,

then turned to smile at Vivi:

"You and Vivi haven't seen each other in so long. Why don't you chat and relax a bit before going home?"

People crowded around, saying:

"Yeah, I think this girl must have postpartum depression to be so paranoid."

"Where can you find such a good husband? You must cherish him!"

"Trust is the most important thing between spouses!"

I remembered the first time Ethan and I met, the dazed expression he wore looking at me. My heart warmed.

Under his passionate pursuit, we got married.

He'd always been incredibly attentive to me.

I touched my nose sheepishly,

"Okay, thank you everyone for your concern. I won't be paranoid anymore."

After getting our daughter vaccinated, Vivi and I went shopping and had dinner.

We chatted from afternoon until evening before I went home.

As soon as I walked through the door, I discovered there was already someone new in the house.

The nanny was happily playing with our daughter in the nursery.

She wore a mask on her face, so I couldn't see her features.

My husband explained that the nanny, Grace, was a patient from his plastic surgery department. She had scars on her face and was afraid of scaring me and the baby, so she'd keep wearing a mask.

I didn't mind.

My husband Ethan was a plastic surgeon. Knowing people like this wasn't unusual.

After changing clothes and washing my hands, I headed straight to the nursery to hold my daughter.

The moment my daughter opened her eyes and smiled at me,

I discovered

that the Blood Guanyin pendant on my chest was turning red, bit by bit.

Tears filled my eyes as I screamed for Ethan to come look:

"Ethan! The pendant turned red! Natalie really is my daughter!"

However, when Ethan saw the reddening pendant around my neck,

he was clearly stunned.

I jokingly teased him:

"Shocked, aren't you? Can't believe your own eyes? I was wrong to doubt you earlier. Let me apologize again, okay?"

Ethan opened his eyes wide, stroking the pendant and murmuring:

"I never thought... this thing actually works."

I hugged him playfully:

"I know, right? But why did it only change now? It made me worry for so long."

Ethan seemed to remember something and said with a smile:

"I remember when our daughter was in the hospital, you left this pendant in the refrigerator. Could it be that the blood parasite was frozen and only slowly revived, which is why the pendant turned red?"

I remembered now.

When our daughter was in the incubator,

I couldn't eat or sleep all day, constantly forgetting things.

Once I even stuffed the pendant and a towel into the refrigerator together, where it stayed frozen for several days.

Maybe that really was the reason?

That last bit of anxiety finally settled back into my stomach, safe and sound.

I was overjoyed and specifically took a photo to send to Vivi, telling her the good news.

The next morning when I woke up, the sun was shining brightly.

The nanny made me sweet wine egg drop soup.

I took a sip. It was sweet.

"Where's Natalie?" I asked casually.

"Daddy took her downstairs for a walk."

At those words, my whole body shuddered violently.

I stared hard into Grace's eyes:

"What did you say? Natalie went downstairs?"

Behind the mask that only revealed Grace's eyes, her face showed complete confusion:

"Yes, the doctor said the baby should get more sun. What's wrong?"

I shot to my feet.

The chair tipped backward with a loud crash.

So that's it!

I finally knew where my daughter actually was.