After Marrying the Officer Chapter 1347 - 1346: Finale 19

"Heh, because that Guo Jiacheng fellow treated you and Huo Shiqian in one manner to your faces and quite another behind your backs, it didn’t dawn on me for a while that there was no one left watching me closely."

With a grimace twisting her lips, Xia Lan let out a giggle. "What a shame, wouldn't you say? He treated you both like that, yet you still offered him your genuine affections?"

"As soon as Guo Jiacheng encountered an 'incident' at the border, Huo Shiqian rushed over like a desperate hound to his rescue."

"Little did he realize, that path offered no turning back!"

Perhaps sensing the distress clouding Xia Chuyi's features, Xia Lan grew excessively pleased with herself and proceeded to unfurl the entire sequence of events from start to finish.

"And Guo Jiacheng, that absolute fool, we merely employed a slight ploy and skillfully enticed him straight to the border!"

"Heh, so now you see, the very reason I can stand here, unharmed, before you is entirely owed to Guo Jiacheng."

"But the truly ironic twist? Huo Shiqian, in his haste to save him, now faces the brink of losing his life at the border because of it!" Xia Lan’s excitement escalated with each word she spoke. "Xia Chuyi, tell me, isn't that precisely what he deserves?"

What had initially ignited as sheer anger began to subside; Xia Chuyi, her expression now devoid of emotion, regarded Xia Lan and stated, "Xia Lan, you have lost your mind."

"Heh, insane? Indeed, I am insane!" Xia Lan retorted. "It's because none of you ever extended me a path to truly live!"

"Xia Chuyi, I had already resolved to cease my desire to contend with you, to cease my quest to battle you!" Xia Lan declared, her expression bordering on derangement. "My sole wish was to leverage my own capabilities to forge a distinct existence for myself!"

"Why must you insist on contending with me for that particular investment?"

"Had you not vied with me for that investment, you likely would not have come to harbor such intense disdain for me!"

"Therefore, Huo Shiqian found himself in dire straits entirely because of your insatiable greed, your relentless pursuit of more; you fought me for the investment, and subsequently, Guo Jiumin unearthed your secret!"

"So, Xia Chuyi, you are, in essence, a harbinger of misfortune!"

"Xia Chuyi, what do you imagine Guo Jiumin intends by bringing you here?" Xia Lan’s features contorted as she posed the question. "He resents my inability to provide him with sufficient benefits, thus he aims to ensnare you instead."

"And by what means does he plan to keep you firmly within his grasp? Heh, his strategy is to await Huo Shiqian's demise, and then swiftly marry you into his own family!" Xia Lan's expression warped further as she let out a chilling giggle. "That, my dear, is precisely why he orchestrated the ruin of your reputation in the first place—his ultimate objective was to assume the role of the valiant rescuer and capture your innocent heart!"

"Xia Lan!" The vile nature of Xia Lan's words caused Xia Chuyi's gaze to instantaneously sharpen. "Do you even comprehend the gravity of your assertions?"

Guo Jiumin harbored intentions of marrying her?

The revelation Xia Lan had divulged filled Xia Chuyi with an overwhelming sense of revulsion.

However, whether Xia Lan’s pronouncements held even a shred of truth, Xia Chuyi understood with absolute clarity that Xia Lan's ultimate aim was to incite her.

For, the moment Xia Chuyi succumbed to provocation and lost even a modicum of her composure, she would inevitably find herself embroiled in a monumental conflict with Guo Jiumin.

And once such a confrontation erupted, not only would Xia Chuyi forfeit any chance of supplanting Xia Lan in the coveted consultant position, but there existed a significant likelihood that she might not even escape with her life.

Consequently, all of Xia Lan’s frantic declarations and subsequent actions served a deeper, underlying purpose.

At this precise juncture, Xia Lan proclaimed with an air of unearned pride, "What am I saying? I am merely endeavoring to impart the unvarnished truth to you, nothing more!"

"The truth?" Upon hearing the word "truth," Xia Chuyi emitted a frigid, derisive laugh. "The sole reason you are divulging all of this to me is out of the fear that I might align myself with him and secure Guo Jiumin's complete trust, isn't that the case?"

"Xia Lan, at this very moment, you possess merely this one solitary lifeline remaining—Guo Jiumin, am I correct in my assessment?"

As Xia Chuyi's words reached her ears, Xia Lan's gaze faltered momentarily, betraying a hint of shame.