Jiang Yan clenched her fists.

“Xia Xiaolan, you should be grateful that I don’t raise my hand against commoners.”

Xia Xiaolan nodded with a grin, “Of course, no matter how much you despise me, you have to tolerate me, or Zhou Cheng’s opinion of you will only worsen.”

Xia Xiaolan’s mouth was asking for a punch.

Every word she spoke was provocative.

Jiang Yan regulated her breathing, “You’ve been trying to provoke me since we met. No, it started from that phone call. Xia Xiaolan, why did you want me to come here angry?”

Jiang Yan’s words sounded more like she was talking to herself.

She hadn’t figured out Xia Xiaolan’s purpose.

Would Zhou Cheng and Pan Baohua emerge from somewhere once she lost her temper?

Jiang Yan calmed her breathing, no longer angry.

She wouldn’t fall for Xia Xiaolan’s trap!

Unexpectedly, Xia Xiaolan frankly admitted:

“Yes, I am provoking you. Everyone unconsciously wears masks in life, creating certain personas for themselves. When extremely angry, people shed these masks, revealing their true thoughts. I’m very curious – where does your hostility towards me come from? Even if you like Zhou Cheng, with your pride, isn’t it beneath your status as the Young Miss of the Jiang family to direct your anger at me?”

Jiang Yan’s feelings for Zhou Cheng weren’t just affection.

Xia Xiaolan truly didn’t understand.

Jiang Yan suppressed her anger.

Anger was useless and could lead to poor judgment.

But Jiang Yan was genuinely angry.

Xia Xiaolan kept calling her “Young Miss of the Jiang family” – Jiang Yan believed her current achievements weren’t due to her family background.

Among female soldiers, few worked as hard as she did. She had served on the frontlines – why shouldn’t she be promoted?

“Xia Xiaolan, you’re not suitable for Zhou Cheng.”

Jiang Yan was like a beautiful leopardess, confident and dangerous. She didn’t hate Xia Xiaolan – Xia Xiaolan just wasn’t right for Zhou Cheng. Such a delicate hothouse flower should find a man who could carefully nurture her.

Zhou Cheng?

Zhou Cheng had lofty ambitions; he shouldn’t be slowed down by Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan studied Jiang Yan for a while, clicking her tongue in wonder: “You’re speaking truthfully. You’re not jealous of me – you genuinely think I’m not suitable for Zhou Cheng, not worthy of him… You’re not the first to think this way. I originally didn’t want to explain myself to you, didn’t need to bother with you, because whether Zhou Cheng wants to be with me or not has nothing to do with you.”

Jiang Yan’s brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out.

She had decided not to let Xia Xiaolan provoke her, no matter what she said.

But Xia Xiaolan’s sweet voice was like wisps of smoke, seemingly weightless yet insistently creeping into Jiang Yan’s ears:

“Want to know why I say this? Whether you cry or make a scene, use your past friendship as leverage, or dangle materials that could help Third Brother Pan’s case as bait… none of these tactics will work. Whether Zhou Cheng and I stay together is our decision. External factors might make Zhou Cheng waver, but you aren’t one of them.”

“If I’m not worthy of Zhou Cheng, not suitable for him, are you?”

“Jiang Yan, I admit you’re more exceptional than ordinary people – being born well is quite a skill, and you won at the starting line. Being the Young Miss of the Jiang family means you have support in whatever you do. You have a family background, beauty, and intelligence, and with your efforts, it’s natural that people admire you!”

“However, you’re not the only excellent person in the world. Every profession exists because society needs it. Besides soldiers, we need farmers, doctors, manufacturers of daily necessities… street sweepers, sewage workers – everyone is needed by our country!”

“Just because my family background isn’t as good as yours, I’m not worthy of Zhou Cheng? Jiang Yan, in what way am I inferior to you? Whatever you can give Zhou Cheng, I can give too, even more. If I marry Zhou Cheng, it won’t bring shame to him or the Zhou family… Some people might even say Zhou Cheng is lucky to have married me!”

Xia Xiaolan was extremely confident.

Everything she had today was earned by herself.

It was the accumulation of her two lifetimes.

Knowledge creates wealth, and a career brings confidence.

Young girls like Jiang Yan thought Xia Xiaolan was clinging to Zhou Cheng… Xia Xiaolan sneered – if Zhou Cheng rose to great heights in the future, it would partly be due to her effort and time!

She could befriend anyone Zhou Cheng was close to.

Which of Zhou Cheng’s family members hadn’t she taken care of?

She didn’t rely on Zhou Cheng for support; instead, she could help grow his family’s assets like a snowball.

Xia Xiaolan had meant to strike at Jiang Yan, but after this outburst, her frustration had completely dissipated, leaving her feeling incredibly satisfied.

How many people had doubted her along the way?

Now, fewer and fewer people questioned her. Xia Xiaolan wasn’t a natural genius; she was the type who succeeded through hard work.

Through her efforts, she transformed this relationship from appearing unequal in others’ eyes into one of equal standing. This change wasn’t just about love – it was about her difficult journey of rising above her circumstances!

Looking at Jiang Yan’s increasingly dark expression, she wanted to throw back her head and laugh:

“Zhou Cheng is willing, his family doesn’t object, and his friends give their blessings. Jiang Yan, who do you think you are? You think I’m not suitable for Zhou Cheng, not worthy of him, so I should feel ashamed and leave him? People should know their place – your opinion isn’t that important, you just won’t admit it… In Zhou Cheng’s heart, you don’t matter nearly as much as you think. What right do you have to look down on me?”

These young girls, each trying to challenge her, thought Xia Xiaolan was made of clay.

If Jiang Yan disliked Xia Xiaolan, Xia Xiaolan despised her even more, every word she spoke striking at Jiang Yan’s core!

Jiang Yan stared at Xia Xiaolan, speechless.

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t be bothered with her anymore and drove straight to Peng City. Construction was everywhere in Peng City, and Jiang Yan wasn’t familiar with the place at all. Xia Xiaolan parked by the roadside and held out her hand:

“If it weren’t for those materials you have, I wouldn’t have bothered saying so much! Now we’re in Peng City, you should hand over the materials, then I’ll let you see Third Brother Pan.”

Jiang Yan had never met a girl her age who could overwhelm her like this.

Xia Xiaolan’s sharp words had indeed torn through part of Jiang Yan’s psychological defenses. Jiang Yan looked around:

“…You said I could see Third Brother, that’s why I came.”

Where was Third Brother Pan now?

Xia Xiaolan had called her from the academy just to give her a thorough scolding.

Xia Xiaolan’s rapid-fire questioning had cornered Jiang Yan, leaving her unable to retort. What angered Jiang Yan even more was that she had walked right into Xia Xiaolan’s trap to be scolded!