After Marrying the Officer Chapter 1289 - 1288: Careful Analysis of the Situation

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Previously on After Marrying the Officer...
Following the discovery of leads to Xia Lianlian's whereabouts, Ou Jun and his family were blindsided by a sudden wave of damaging rumors targeting Xia Chuyi. These rumors dredged up past events from the countryside, questioned Xia Chuyi's integrity, and even hinted at inappropriate relations with Huo Shiqian. While Ou ZhenTing became enraged and vowed to uncover the culprit, Xia Chuyi suspected Xia Lianlian was involved, but believed someone else must be orchestrating the widespread gossip.

Xia Chuyi calmly stated, "Even so, these rumors will not cause me any actual harm."

Stated simply, not only are these words just mere rumors, but even if Xia Chuyi had actually committed such deeds.

With the powerful backing of the Ou and Huo Families, no one else would dare to truly comment.

"Therefore, others will, at most, treat this as a jest and will soon forget about it," Xia Chuyi explained. "No one would dare, nor would they genuinely use this incident to attack me or take any action against me."

Xia Chuyi spoke with unvarnished honesty.

Upon hearing her words, both Ou ZhenTing and Ou Jun immediately agreed.

Indeed, what if there were some circulating rumors?

Who would truly dare to oppose Xia Chuyi?

These whispers, to be frank, were merely intended to cause trouble for Xia Chuyi and by extension, for the Ou and Huo Families.

The real focus should be on the individual orchestrating these rumors – what is their ultimate objective?

Regarding the Ou Family or the Huo Family.

To be perfectly honest, their adversaries are few; the majority are simply business competitors.

Presently, with Wang Zijian in a position of authority, the Ou and Huo Families, particularly the Huo Family, benefit from Huo Shiqian, who is a highly esteemed protégé of Wang Zijian.

This signifies that the Ou and Huo Families are not solely relying on the support of him and Huo Zhongcheng.

More crucially, both families possess capable successors.

Consequently, there are virtually no individuals who can genuinely challenge their standing.

And should anyone dare to do so, the repercussions would be beyond comprehension.

Yet, when considering those with profound animosity towards them, only Mr. Liu comes to mind.

However, following the incident involving Wang Zicheng, any residual influence Mr. Liu might have possessed has been thoroughly eradicated.

Thus, Ou ZhenTing genuinely struggled to comprehend who would instigate this or what their motive could possibly be.

"Never mind who is behind this for the moment," Ou ZhenTing contemplated. "Since you suspect Xia Lianlian, let us first focus on locating her."

"Once we find Xia Lianlian, we will undoubtedly uncover the person manipulating her," Ou ZhenTing declared, a determined glint appearing in his eyes. "Upon discovering this individual, I, Ou ZhenTing, shall ensure they face severe retribution!"

After issuing these directives, Ou Jun departed to search for Xia Lianlian.

Meanwhile, Ou ZhenTing proceeded to confer with Huo Zhongcheng regarding the ongoing matters.

This particular issue, while potentially minor, possessed the capacity to escalate, yet it posed no substantial threat to Xia Chuyi herself.

Nevertheless, as a respected elder, Ou ZhenTing could not tolerate slander directed at his daughter.

Consequently, Ou ZhenTing felt it imperative to consult with Huo Zhongcheng on the most effective strategy to quell these disruptive rumors.

After all, given their esteemed positions, once they officially intervened, who would dare to utter another word?

If, after both Ou ZhenTing and Huo Zhongcheng had issued their statements, anyone still possessed the audacity to bring up the matter, they could be dealt with directly, without any pretense of subtlety.

Naturally, a report to Wang Zijian was also deemed necessary.

Upon receiving the news, Wang Zijian's brow furrowed, and he uttered, "This situation..."

Wang Zijian harbored additional anxieties.

This was primarily due to the recent intelligence from the border indicating that Huo Shiqian had ventured into the mountains and subsequently vanished without a trace.

In essence, both of the esteemed juniors favored by Wang Zijian were now missing within the treacherous border forests.

Regarding this perplexing disappearance, Wang Zijian remained uncertain whether the instigation stemmed more from external forces or internal factions.

Furthermore, he questioned if these sudden, disruptive rumors were somehow connected to that grave incident.