Lei Xiao’s wife, Xia Mingzhu, was from the capital, so she knew just how influential Master Bi’s family was. Her father and her, however, never expected that Gu Yin would ever make acquaintance with people from Jijing Island.
By their looks, Gu Yin could tell that the two of them had heard about Master Bi and Jijing Island. Having been in the political field for more than a decade, Lei Xiao was very adept at reading people’s faces. His father-in-law had only held him in slightly higher regard when he heard about Gu Yin’s admission to the medical organization, so he was shocked to see the look of awe and aspiration on the elderly man’s face upon hearing about Master Bi. He figured that the maestro must be someone with high status on Jijing Island.
Breathing slowly, Old Master Xia looked up and said, “Gu Yin, tell Master Bi that we’ll host him in the capital instead. He doesn’t need to make a trip down to Ming City.”
Gu Yin froze when she heard that, but she promptly recovered and obediently responded, “I’ll go seek his opinion first.”
The old man nodded while smiling.
…
After their meal, Gu Yin gave Master Bi a call in front of everyone. The maestro agreed to their suggestion right away. Seeing this, Old Master Xia became increasingly satisfied with her. In a kind, amiable tone, he told her, “Gu Yin, you can go upstairs to rest.”
“Okay,” she answered and promptly turned around to head upstairs. When she reached the second floor, she turned her head slightly and glanced down in the direction of the living room, thinking, Even the Xias are taking the initiative to fawn over me. Seeing how respectfully the director of the medical organization treated Master Bi, I might even stand a chance to attend medical summits on Jijing Island if I become Master Bi’s disciple. Gu Mang, on the other hand, is nothing. Hah.
At that thought, she retracted her gaze and slowly made her way back to her room while wearing a smirk on her face.
…
Meanwhile, in the living room downstairs.
“Father-in-law, is Master Bi from Jijing Island?” Sitting on the sofa with his hands clasped over his knee, Lei Xiao looked at Old Master Xiao with a slight frown. He had no idea what things were like over on Jijing Island.
Still in a daze, the elderly man did not respond. It was his wife who answered his question instead. “That’s right. He’s from the Bi family, one of the four major clans on Jijing Island.”
Countless families in the capital dreamed of making acquaintances with the powerhouses of Jijing Island. Because the Xia family were small fry, they never dared to harbor such a dream, and yet because of Gu Yin, they would soon have connections with an aristocratic family like the Bis.
Lei Xiao’s eyes bulged as he repeated, “One of the four major clans?”
Xia Mingzhu nodded. “The Bai, the Bi, the Leng, and the Ye families are the powerhouses of Jijing Island. Even the capital’s Lu family has to pay their respects to the Bis.”
There used to be five powerhouses, but the Gu family’s influence waned with a change of their family head and they had been heavily suppressed by the four other clans.
As Old Master Xia gradually regained his senses, he smiled. “I didn’t know that Gu Yin would bring us such great honor.”
His daughter agreed. “Gu Yin is very capable. She just recently entered the medical organization, and not only did she become Kang Qi’s protégé, even Master Bi wants her as a disciple.”
He looked at his son-in-law thereafter. “And there you were doubting Gu Yin’s abilities when Gu Mang came in first on the national joint exams. You even wanted to get Gu Mang on your side. Is her network as wide and deep as Gu Yin’s?”
One was in the capital, while the other would soon be heading to Jijing Island. They were worlds apart in terms of capabilities.
Upon recalling how his parents had collapsed out of anger because of Gu Mang, Lei Xiao’s countenance became stern and icy. “Why even bother mentioning that wretch? There’s no way she’ll ever catch up to her younger sister in her lifetime.”
