The capital city and Qingsi County are two completely different places.
Leaving aside the towering buildings, wide streets, and bustling traffic, the demeanor and smiles of the people present were striking: one was confident and generous, while the other was reserved and demure.
Bai Zhu did grow up well in the capital, but this time when she returned, her mindset was completely different.
She followed Xiao Lingchen for a few minutes. Xiao Shisan had arranged for someone to pick her up. Once in the car, he handed her a thick, folded piece of paper.
Unfolded, the paper was quite large, covered with intricate family tree lines and detailed descriptions of lineage and factions.
"Are these people from the Xiao family?"
Bai Shu heard some rumors about the Xiao family.
It is said that it is a huge family head. Although there are few direct descendants, there are definitely many collateral branches and followers. They are famous in various fields and are known as a powerful family. The relationships among them are so intricate that they are hard to remember.
She remembered that before she left the Xiao family, there were scandalous news stories in the capital such as "Xiao family's cousin slapped a top actress in public for the sake of her boyfriend" and "Xiao Si Gongzi, one of the six young masters of the capital, is a charming and debonair man who dates eight girlfriends at the same time".
The distant cousin of a classmate at school was one of the "eight girlfriends," and that classmate became a popular figure at school, surrounded by admirers.
However, on this piece of paper, the two arrogant and domineering young masters and ladies of wealthy families were not located at the very bottom.
Bai Zhu looked at it carefully and said, "I will remember it."
Xiao Lingchen glanced at it, picked up a pen, and casually drew a few circles and lines at the top of the paper.
I circled five or six people and crossed out the rest.
"You don't need to remember so many. Just remember these few. They may be old, but they have good tempers and are easy to get along with. Don't be afraid," he said calmly. "As for the others, they won't dare to provoke you. If you encounter them and don't want to deal with them, then just ignore them."
Bai Shu was stunned to find that the group he had circled consisted entirely of senior members of the Xiao family, as well as the heads of several long-time friends of the Xiao family.
As for those so-called "Miss Cousins" and "Fourth Young Masters," they were completely disregarded and crossed out.
"Aren't they... Miss Xiao and the Fourth Young Master of the Xiao family?"
Xiao Shisan glanced at them and laughed: "Those are all collateral relatives. You were brought back by the eldest young master himself. Even their elders treat you with utmost respect. What are they compared to you?"
Bai Zhu nodded as if she understood, but still thought it best to remember it in her mind, just in case she would not not recognize it if she met it in the future.
Although Bai Shu had imagined the power and status of the Xiao family, she was still surprised when she actually saw it.
The car drove all the way to the center of the capital, until it entered a former imperial residence with red walls and green tiles.
The vermilion gate, the stone-inlaid passageway, the courtyards, the winding corridors and floating bridges, the lake blooming with lotus flowers, the well-arranged pavilions, terraces, towers and rockeries, the old cypress trees green and the wild flowers red, the peach blossoms and apricot blossoms, the white cranes and peacocks, Bai Zhu was almost stunned by the sight.
"...Is this the residence of royalty?"
Xiao Lingchen chuckled and patted her head: "It used to be a princess's residence from the previous dynasty. There are no royal relatives left now. If you like, you can take a walk around the area first. I'll go see my father and come back."
Bai Shu nodded and watched him leave. Xiao Shisan arranged for a maid to accompany her. They walked slowly along the lakeside promenade for a while. She was a little thirsty, so the maid went to get her some water.
She entered a pavilion half-hidden by artificial hills and vines, and watched curiously as the koi, said to be "worth a fortune," swam around in the pond.
However, the quiet atmosphere was soon broken by a series of complaints coming from around the corner of the corridor in another direction:
"Sister Qingwan, you are the only daughter of the Xiao family! Where did Brother Lingchen find this country girl? How did he manage to bring her into the Xiao family?"
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