138 The Four Great Families (He's Jade 5+)

After grabbing some fruit and chatting about gossip, it was finally time to head home.

Parting ways with Xie Xitong, Lin Xia opened her front door to find the usual—not a soul in sight. Lin Hui was already attending the experimental junior high, and life at home was improving steadily. Everything was just as Lin Xia had hoped.

She collapsed onto her bed for ten minutes before heading to the study to turn on her computer.

The "space" she possessed was truly wonderful, but staying in it for too long inevitably caused a sense of temporal disorientation. When you spend a long time in that space, it feels real, yet only ten minutes have passed in the real world. Over time, you start to wonder if your brain has gone faulty.

The first thing she did after opening the computer was log into QQ.

*Ding, ding, ding.* It was all messages from "Meow Meow."

Meow Meow: "Star writer, star writer! You haven't submitted this issue's draft yet. It's that time again!"

Meow Meow: "Don't even think about pretending you haven't seen this. I have a trump card—if you don't submit, I’ll call your house every day to harass you. Hmph!"

Meow Meow: "o(>_<)o"

Checking the timestamps, the oldest message was from three days ago.

Liuyan: "Mm, I'll send it to your email right away."

Lin Xia had already prepared the drafts and kept them in her "Youjian" draft box, so she could send them over immediately.

Liuyan: "Okay, sent."

Meow Meow: "You really are a good girl! o(^_^)o After this issue, we won't serialize the rest; we just need you to finish the remainder quickly so we can publish. So, you really need to get to work—the summer market is waiting for your book!"

Liuyan: "Mm, I know. I still have some rough drafts on hand. I'll finish the book by the end of next month and send the rest to you. It won't delay the publication."

Meow Meow: "↖(^^)↗ That’s great. When do you plan to start the new book? If *Xinyue* doesn't have your work for even one issue, sales won't be as explosive, so... hehe, you know what I mean."

Liuyan: "I’ve already started outlining the new piece. Don't worry, I’ll have something for you when I send the next batch of drafts."

Meow Meow: "Wow, you really are the least troublesome author. You're a dear—come here, let big sister give you a kiss!"

Liuyan: "Uh, my sexual orientation is normal."

Meow Meow: "..."

Liuyan: "By the way, Meow-jie, can I ask you a question?"

Meow Meow: "Ask away."

Liuyan: "A new girl transferred into our class. She’s stunningly beautiful and carries herself with such nobility. She wears a Piaget watch as if it were nothing—I don't know how many articles I'd have to write to afford a watch like that. She also wears perfume—the 'Sui Love' one your aunt gifted you. Luckily, I heard about it from you, otherwise, I’d be completely perfume-illiterate."

Meow Meow: "Hmm, what’s your classmate's name?"

Liuyan: "Qin Yingxue."

Meow Meow: "The surname Qin, eh? There are a few Qin families in the capital, but only one family has a 'Qin Yingxue.' I know who it is. But what on earth is she doing in your little town?"

Liuyan: "Meow-jie, who is she?"

Meow Meow: "This... alright, I'll tell you."

With that, the messages on the computer screen ceased.

Lin Xia was surprised when the landline in the living room started ringing. Who would be calling at such a late hour?

Seeing no reaction from Chen Qing, she stood up and walked into the living room.

"Hello?"

"Oh, it's Meow-jie."

"Mm, it wasn't convenient to talk about what you just asked on the computer. It’s safer over the phone."

Lin Xia understood. Traces left on a computer could potentially be recovered no matter how well you cleared them; only spoken words would truly vanish into thin air.

"I see. Is this Qin Yingxue's background really so significant that you have to be this careful, Meow-jie?"

"Anyone operating in the capital knows that caution is key. Even if everyone knows these things, if you accidentally say the wrong thing and offend them, they might not do anything to your face, but their influence behind the scenes is enough to crush ordinary folks like us. It's better to be careful."

Lin Xia was stunned and replied solemnly, "You're right, Meow-jie. I was too careless."

"When you visited B City last time, didn't you hear us mention the name Xu Yichen? The Qin family is a household name on par with the Xu family. We call them the 'Southern Qin, Northern Xu, Eastern Li, and Central Song.' Qin Yingxue is the second young lady of the Qin family’s main branch. She has two older brothers and an older sister. As the youngest, her family dotes on her—if she wanted the moon, they wouldn't just give her the stars. Although I know why she’s in your town, one thing is certain: you must absolutely not provoke that young lady. Her being there is definitely not just for a simple visit."

Originally, she hadn't intended to tell Lin Xia, thinking it was just a young girl's curiosity, and sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing. But remembering a conversation she had with her uncle, Chen Qing felt it was necessary to warn her. After all, besides Liuyan, there was no other author in *Xinyue* magazine who could match her fame; she needed to understand the stakes.

Lin Xia pondered and got the gist of it.

This Qin Yingxue’s background was truly formidable. She just wondered who her target was. Looking at the entire Rongcheng, who could possibly be worth her giving up the luxurious life of B City to come to such a remote place?

I'm afraid she’s not here with good intentions!

"I understand. Thank you, Qing-jie." It was true that having connections made things easier. If Chen Qing weren't in the capital working at the magazine, how could she be so well-informed?

In the magazine industry, the first rule is to know who you cannot touch and what you cannot report. Especially in a place like the capital, where officials are everywhere, you have to be extremely cautious and keep your head down.

Seeing that Lin Xia was so sensible, Chen Qing felt relieved. She feared those who gained a little fame and became arrogant. Such people were the easiest to bring disaster upon their families and friends. As the saying goes, one doesn't fear a god-like opponent, but a pig-like teammate.

"Keep a low profile and try not to clash with that young lady. For a family like theirs, crushing a person is easier than crushing an ant."

Lin Xia felt a chill. She knew it was unlikely she would provoke such a powerful figure, but who knew when luck might turn? Such young ladies were hard to read—fickle and arrogant.

Even in later times, with the internet so developed, one couldn't rely entirely on it to bring criminals to justice, let alone now. That "My father is Li Gang" incident from years ago, where someone was killed and another injured, didn't the perpetrator still live comfortably?

This society has never been perfectly fair. It's the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.

Recalling when Qian Rong had scanned the classroom, her gaze had paused on their area. At the time, she thought Qian Rong was looking at Xie Xitong or Sun Xiaoxiao.

In fact, she wasn't. She was looking at Qin Yingxue, who happened to be sitting right behind them.

"I know, Qing-jie. What does 'Southern Qin, Northern Xu, Eastern Li, and Central Song' mean?" she asked, changing the subject.

"B City has many prominent families, and these four are the most significant, much like the four great families in *Dream of the Red Chamber*—the Xue, Shi, Wang, and Jia."

"The Qin family moved here from the south; they are a top-tier southern noble family with wealth that could rival a nation. The Xu family are military elites in the north; the old patriarch is retired, but his prestige remains. The Li family is a rising star over the last two years, with many collateral branches, relying on marriages with other families to bolster their position. Their momentum is even faintly surpassing the Qin and Xu families now."

"As for the Song family, they are the most mysterious. Some say they are wealthier than the state; others say their power is overwhelming. There are endless rumors, but no one has ever seen their true face. The Song family members are all very low-key."

Listening to this, Lin Xia finally understood. No wonder people say art comes from life but is higher than life. If one were to describe these four families, it would indeed be *Dream of the Red Chamber*. She just didn't know which one was the prototype for the Jia family—all show, but lacking a decent heir.

She had already met one of the younger generation of the Qin family. Although Qin Yingxue wasn't the heir, one could see the microcosm of the family through her.

So, this is a true noble family, she thought. It was Lin Xia's first time seeing a woman who radiated true nobility from her very bones. Liu Ziqing was cold and aloof, Zhao Xin was pure and charming, Qin Yingxue was matchlessly elegant and arrogantly noble, and Xie Xitong was cute and lively. As for herself... Lin Xia reflected, she could only describe herself as steady and reserved.

The boys in this class were truly blessed, having so many beauties gathered in one place, all of whom were as intelligent as they were beautiful.

"Xiaxia, are you still listening? Xiaxia?"

"Mm, I'm listening." *Pfft*, what was she thinking about? Lin Xia chided herself, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Anyway, these things aren't on the internet, but they aren't exactly secrets in B City, which is why I could tell you. You’ve always been steady, so just be careful and keep to yourself. People from these great families are all incredibly calculating; they analyze every word you say in a dozen different ways." Chen Qing warned, still a bit worried.

"I know, Meow-jie. I understand."

"Alright, that's enough. Go do your homework. I get tired just watching you study and write on top of that. You must have lost weight recently."

"Not at all! I've been eating and sleeping well, I've actually put on a few pounds. Thanks for your concern, Meow-jie. How are things with you and Brother Wu? Has he returned to the country?"

"He came back for a visit a while ago. You girl, you're quite precocious, asking about your Meow-jie's private life!"

"Haha, Meow-jie, I'm just concerned! You know, the culture abroad is so open, and foreigners dress so revealingly, I was just worried Brother Wu might not be able to resist!"

After a few more words with Chen Qing, Lin Xia hung up.

The current situation was becoming increasingly complicated. Lin Xia smiled bitterly. How did such a small town like Rongcheng manage to attract so many "big Buddhas"?