Yun Xi glanced at Yun Ziling, who seemed to have been deliberately isolated in the crowd. The Jiang family weren't going to acknowledge her status.
Or, in other words, except for the Old Master, the other people in the Jiang family didn't like the Yun family at all.
Jiang Henglin had hurriedly dragged Yun Ziling over to meet the elders of the Jiang family, but, in the end, he didn't dare to take her with him and simply abandoned her.
After causing such a farce, not only hadn't he managed to get any benefits, but he'd also slapped himself in the face. What had been the point?
But, if Jiang Henglin wanted to shoot himself in the foot, she had no business stopping him, right?
Yun Xi looked on as Qiao Ximin was being led by her elders toward Mu Feichi, and her cold eyes suddenly became piercing.
She put down her glass, turned around, and walked toward Yao Ying.
Every generation had its social circle. Because Mu Feichi had paid such public respect to the Yao family, relatives of the other families now had a much higher regard for the Yao family.
Several madames were standing around Yao Ying chatting when Yun Xi walked up.
"Second aunt, I feel a little bit cold, so I'm going to go home now."
There was a lot of heat in the hall, but Yun Xi had found that she had become skilled at telling blatant lies without batting an eye.
Yao Ying knew that she wasn't used to this kind of occasion, so she stood up and said, "Then I will have the driver take you home first."
"No, no, don't worry about me. I can call the driver, and you can have a good chat with the madames."
Yun Xi smiled gracefully, nodded politely at the ladies, turned around, and walked directly outside.
Because of her identity as the future daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, the madames immediately began to talk about her.
Standing among all the guests, Mu Feichi looked at the figure at the gate who appeared to be left alone. His eyes seemed perturbed, and he turned his head and called Qi Yuan over to give him a few words of instruction.
Qi Yuan nodded in response and walked out of the banquet room quickly.
As soon as he'd noticed that Yun Xi had left, Mu Feichi had no intention of dealing with the guests who came forward anymore. He turned around and walked toward Commander Mu.
It was rare for Mu Chenhao to see Mu Feichi approaching them. Even in the Mu family's house, Mu Feichi kept his distance from the mother and son.
He was his half-brother, but Mu Feichi had never seemed to have treated him as a younger brother.
From the beginning, for so many years, he'd treated the mother and son as outsiders.
However, Mu Chenhao regarded Mu Feichi as his idol and his most respected brother.
"I have something to deal with now, so I'm going to leave early. You can host the rest."
Mu Feichi dropped this sentence at Mu Chongli indifferently, as he turned around and left.
He didn't even glance at Mu Chenhao or anyone else in the clan. He always acted like such an arrogant lone wolf that people felt helpless around him.
Before Mu Chongli had time to answer, Mu Feichi had already merged into the crowd.
Before the waiting guests had time to come forward and talk to him, they saw him leaving in a hurry. He took his coat from the attendant at the door of the banquet room and left the banquet room in a hurry.
The banquet's vibe suddenly became cold. No one could seem to understand what was going on. After a while, as Mu Chongli came back to his senses and eased the atmosphere with some diplomatic words, the banquet continued with a lively atmosphere.
Mu Feichi had been the focal point of today's banquet. Everyone had come to see and talk with him. As soon as he left, everyone seemed to have lost the point of their coming, and they lost much interest in the rest of the banquet.
Yun Xi had just come out of the banquet room when, from a few steps away, she heard Qi Yuan calling her from behind.
She paused, turned her head, and looked at the man who was coming up from behind her. She was a little surprised.
"Shouldn't you be at the Young Marshal's side? Why did you come out?"
"The Young Marshal sent me to talk to you. He wants to ask you to wait for just a little while, and he will take you home. I'll drive, and the Young Marshal will be out soon."
"Huh?" Yun Xi was a little dumbfounded. "He just abandoned his guests and ran away by himself?"
"The Young Marshal doesn't like these kinds of occasions. If it weren't for the fact that he was in power, he might have just shown up for a minute and left."
"..." It was indeed his M.O. If he didn't like something or someone, he wouldn't spend five minutes on it.
Qi Yuan soon appeared with the car. Yun Xi glanced around and hurriedly got into the car.
From the back seat, Mu Feichi glanced at her. Watching her frantic attempts to get into the car without being seen, he couldn't help but laugh quietly.
"Anyone who didn't know better would think we were having an affair."
There was nothing she could answer to this comment. Yun Xi pulled herself together as she sat down, turned her head and, with a speechless expression on her face, rolled her eyes at the man sitting next to her.
The spacious back seat of the Bentley was so soft that it made her want to sink in.
"Young Marshal, everyone in the audience was waiting to say a few words to you. It's not good for you to just run away like this, is it?"
"What's so bad about it? They might want to speak to me, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to them. Moreover, do I look like I have so much leisure time to listen to them kiss up to me? I am a soldier, not a politician or a businessman, so I can do things my way. As long as I don't violate moral and ethical principles, I can do what I want. There's no need to put on a show of pretension with me."
Yun Xi couldn't help it, and she laughed in a low voice. "Young Marshal, these are your principles indeed. You usually act with integrity and justice, which is admirable. But what you said just now was hypocritical. How do they know what you think? They must think that you are the same as everyone else, who follow the unspoken rules of connections in everything. How can they know that you are a soldier first and a person in power second?"
Soldiers take obedience to orders as their duty and the interests of the people as their principles.
But for the people seeking favours, they didn't have much to seek from a soldier, but they had much to seek from the Mu family's ruler.
So everything they did concerning him was in terms of his identity as the Mu family's ruler, instead of the country's Young Marshal.
"I'm happy that you can understand." He couldn't help but smile. "How about it, was it gratifying to shame Jiang Henglin today?"
"I don't know about him, but the Jiang family should be embarrassed today. There's also Han Yaotian, who was probably also embarrassed to take the blame for Han Zhong."
"Well, as long as you're happy!" Mu Feichi raised his hand to check the time on his watch. "Are you hungry? Do you want to go eat something?"
"Dressed like this to eat supper? You must be kidding me, Young Marshal."
"Then let's go back to the Mu Mansion to eat."
As he was speaking, he took out his phone, called the butler, and asked him to prepare supper.
Yun Xi was more interested in the story about Jiang Qilin, but Mu Feichi wouldn't tell her directly. He always changed the subject and delayed time after time.
Yun Xi was pretty sure that he must have made up his mind to climb through her window.
Yun Xi guessed that there was no other way. She wanted to know these things, and she had to get more detailed and specific inside information from him. She didn't believe the things that others said.
Curiosity killed the cat. He was sure she wanted to know, so he was deliberately keeping her guessing.
She was on a tight leash and couldn't fight back. Yun Xi felt annoyed and helpless, so she quickly finished the supper and asked the butler to call the car to take her back home.
At home, Yun Yuanfeng, along with Liang Xiuqin, Chen Lixue, and Liang Xinyi, had been waiting in the living room for a long time. It was the first time that the Yun family had participated in this famous banquet, so Yun Yuanfeng was naturally full of questions.
"Yun Xi, how was the banquet? Why have you come back so early?"
"Oh, I was a little uncomfortable, so I came back early. I didn't know most of the people at the banquet anyway, and they had no intention of making friends with me. Most of them were there for the Young Marshal and didn't pay attention to ordinary people."
"You...have you seen the Young Marshal?"
"Yes, I saw him since I went to the banquet, but people from all the other families were all anxious to speak to the Young Marshal, and ordinary people couldn't even get close at all."
She was telling the truth. Even if she had a good relationship with Mu Feichi in private, she wasn't going to give her contacts away.
Naturally, Yun Yuanfeng didn't expect Yun Xi to reveal her ties with the Young Marshal, but if she could make friends with other families, he would certainly like to see that happen as well.
It was a pity that Yun Xi never lived up to her expectations and didn't manage to establish good relationships with any other family.
Yun Yuanfeng felt disappointed and helpless, and his face lost a bit of its previous kindness. He lectured Yun Xi sternly, "In the future, you need to know how to befriend those heiresses. And you must also know how to have a good relationship with those wealthy young masters. Only if you expand your network of connections will you be able to fare better in the future!"
Yun Xi nodded. She naturally understood what Yun Yuanfeng meant. On the surface, he wanted her to expand her contacts, but in reality, didn't he just want her to pave the way for his brighter future?
"I understand. Maybe they all thought that since I just came back from the countryside, that they could look down on me. They didn't want anything to do with me!"
Although this was just an excuse, Yun Xi knew that it was an excuse that would rile up her dad.
However, before Yun Yuanfeng could be baited, Liang Xiuqin bit the bait first.
As soon as she heard Yun Xi say this, Liang Xiuqin immediately felt superior. After all, Yun Xi wasn't the only one in the family to attend the Weiya Banquet tonight. Yun Ziling was there as well!
"Everyone there may have been unwilling to make friends with you, but our Ziling is different! Our Ziling underwent debutante training, so she knows dance steps, etiquette, and how to socialize better than you. She represents the Young Madam of the Yun family when she goes out. Naturally, she is more polite and likeable than you, who just came from the countryside. What's more, this time the Second Young Master of the Jiang family came to pick her up in person to go to the banquet. Her status is obvious, so who would dare to not give her face? Maybe the Second Young Master will take her to meet the Elders of the Jiang family. When the time comes, you should hand over the position of fiancee to her!"
Yun Xi simply looked at Liang Xiuqin, then nodded with a chuckle. "Mom told me the same thing. So let's wait until the right time comes along. If she can sit in the position of the Second Madam Master of the Jiang family with her abilities, then I'll happily give up the position."
After waiting so long, and after so much effort, she could finally say it out loud. And naturally, Liang Xiuqin was very happy to hear this confession.
"Okay! You said it yourself, so don't try and deny it when the time comes!"
"I said what I said. And I always stick by my words!"
Yun Yuanfeng wasn't very particular about which of them married into the Jiang family. As long as the Jiang family became their in-laws, it would be a life-changing action for his prospects.
Of course, the best-case scenario would be for Yun Xi to social climb with the Shen family, while Yun Ziling married into the Jiang family. That way, his two daughters would help him establish ties with the two prominent families. That would be a good deal for him too!
"Yun Xi, after you graduate, you should sign up for a debutante training course. After all, you're also the Yun family's Young Madam, and you should learn all the etiquette of someone in your position. It will be good for you in the future!"
"Got it, Dad!"
Liang Xiuqin was immediately unhappy when she heard that Yun Xi was going to take a debutante training course!
Yun Xi was the Oldest Young Madam of the Yun family, so she already had the upper hand. If she was allowed to take a debutante training course, she would further steal the spotlight from Yun Ziling. Yun Ziling would stop receiving the Jiang family's attention!
A scourge like Yun Xi should have the fate of a scourge, so she shouldn't even think about stealing the wealth and glory from Yun Ziling!
"Yuanfeng, the cost of the debutante training course is expensive. Yun Xi can't even guarantee her marriage to the Jiang family, and now she's giving the responsibility to Ziling to deal with. You would be wasting money by paying for her debutante training. It would be better to save the money for next year when Ziling attends the debutante ball. The ball is held once every three years. As long as she can attend the debutante ball, she will have a place in the upper society's social circle. Everyone will have a higher regard for Ziling and, of course, the Yun family. But for a scourge like Yun Xi who grew up in the countryside... why would socialites and heiresses want to come into contact with a hillbilly?"
"That's enough! Stop talking! Yun Xi is also my daughter, and she's the Oldest Young Madam of the Yun family, so I will give her nothing less than I should give her!"
Yun Yuanfeng looked at Yun Xi. For the first time, Liang Xiuqin's persuasion didn't work.
Yun Xi's excellence was obvious to all, and she was no worse than Yun Ziling in any aspect. Even if the Jiang family didn't acknowledge this marriage, there was still the Shen family.
As long as she was trained well, she might even be able to social climb through the three prominent clans' rulers in the future. Compared with the short-sighted Liang Xiuqin, he was looking at the bigger pictures and expected more.
"Yuanfeng!" Liang Xiuqin shouted anxiously, but she had to shut up because of Yun Yuanfeng's warning look.
She gritted her teeth and turned her head to glare angrily at Yun Xi. She was not going to take this quietly!
Now that the relationship between Liang Xinyi and the Han family was torn apart, her source of money was cut off, and she must rely on Yun Yuanfeng's financial support.
But once Yun Yuanfeng gives Yun Xi all the good things, there will be even fewer things to give Yun Ziling in the future, so how can she just let it happen?!
Yun Xi was just a scourge, so why should she get so many things that don't belong to her?
"Shut up!" Yun Yuanfeng glared at Liang Xiuqin coldly. He then spoke to Yun Xi.
"Yun Xi, Dad won't give you anything less than what is given to your sister!" Compared to Yun Ziling, he sees more hope in Yun Xi.
"Thanks, Dad!" Yun Xi chuckled lightly and stood up. "If there's nothing else, I will go upstairs and rest!"
"Go ahead."
Before she left, Yun Xi looked at Liang Xiuqin, who appeared resentful, and Chen Lixue, who looked like she was already planning her revenge. Yun Xi ignored them and just went up the stairs.
She didn't want to talk about Yun Ziling's cold reception and humiliation at the banquet tonight. Liang Xiuqin had always been proud of Yun Ziling, so she would let her stay proud.
After taking a shower, Yun Xi turned on the computer and was about to ask Grey Wolf for a copy of Jiang Qilin's medical records when she heard a knock on the window.
She turned around and immediately saw a figure standing outside the window. She was getting used to Young Marshal Mu's addiction to window climbing.
She opened the window to allow Mu Feichi to climb through and enter the room. Holding a paper bag in his hand, he turned around and sat on the bed unceremoniously.
The desk was beside the bed. Yun Xi sat on the chair, turned to look at the man beside the bed, and then looked at the brown paper bag lying in front of him.
"This is Jiang Qilin's medical record. So you can read it for yourself."
"You're giving it to me so easily?" Yun Xi almost couldn't believe it. He gave her whatever she wanted!
"Why not? If I don't give it to you, you're just going to ask Grey Wolf for it."
Mu Feichi kicked off his slippers, uncovered her quilt, and laid down by the window. Yun Xi was dumbfounded!
She saw that he was wearing a plush, black nightgown today, and she realized that he didn't wear shoes. He wasn't here to give her information, but to get into her bed!
"Young Marshal, what are you doing? I've got the information. You can leave now."
"It's snowing outside, and it's cold, so I don't want to go anymore."
'Is there a more shameful excuse than this?'
Mu Feichi saw her glaring at him while biting her lip. He rubbed her head with a self-righteous and matter-of-fact expression on his face.
"Didn't I say I would tell you a bedtime story? Why you don't want to know about Jiang Qilin?"
"I can ask him myself."
"Are you sure he will tell you everything? If you are sure, then you can ask him. No matter what, I will stay overnight tonight and won't leave!"
Very annoyed, Yun Xi glared at him angrily. But her words sounded coquettish. "All you know how to do is bully me!"
Mu Feichi squinted and squeezed her smooth face. "Yep, I'm bullying you indeed!"
Pulling out a thick stack of documents from the envelope, Yun Xi looked at them carefully. There were not only photos of the scene of the car accident, but also the hospital's report detailing their diagnosis and CT scans of the bones in the legs.
The information, allowing her to see clearly and in detail what Jiang Qilin's leg injury had been, was very complete.
Listening to Mu Feichi talking about Jiang Qilin's past and this arranged car accident, Yun Xi learned a lot of inside information that she hadn't known about in her previous life.
Before Jiang Qilin had had this car accident, he had been pretty much neglected in the Jiang family. He wasn't the son of the Oldest Master Jiang's first wife, so Old Master Jiang and Old Madame Jiang didn't like him very much."
"But he is still the eldest grandson. Even if he wasn't born to the first wife, he isn't an illegitimate child. Why don't Old Master Jiang and the others like him?"
"Because the Oldest Madame of the Jiang family came from an ordinary background, and the Jiang family cares about prestige. Oldest Master Jiang insisted on marrying the Second Madame also, but because her family wasn't powerful enough, she had no status in the Jiang family either. However, Second Master Jiang, who is Jiang Henglin's father, was different. He married the heiress of the Lin family. The Lin family have a strong background in the military and business and can strengthen the Jiang family's position in the military and business. In addition, Jiang Henglin is better than Jiang Qilin at pleasing the elders, so in the Jiang family, Jiang Henglin is the darling."
"But didn't you say that Jiang Qilin isn't as simple as he seems? Since he isn't simple, then why does he have such a low profile?"
Mu Feichi smiled, reached out and pulled her computer over to him, and quickly entered the names of two corporations in the search engine.
"The boss behind these two listed corporations, with assets of no less than tens of billions, is Jiang Qilin. Compared to that idiot, Jiang Henglin, Jiang Qilin is the one who hides his true strengths the deepest. His abilities are equal to any of the Young Masters in the four distinguished families."
Yun Xi looked at the names of the two corporations that Mu Feichi had pulled up on her laptop screen. She had worked with one of them in her last life.
She knew that corporation very well and understood the strength behind it, but she'd never expected that the boss behind this company would be Jiang Qilin.
As usual, the real masters and bosses are hidden behind the scenes.
"I had no idea that he was so powerful. I thought that since he was sitting in a wheelchair now, perhaps he was living a life of low self-esteem and depression every day."
"Jiang Qilin isn't an ordinary person, so you've underestimated him a lot. Even if the Jiang family doesn't like him, as long as he is still alive, the Jiang family's inheritance rights will still belong to him in the future."
Leaning back against the headboard, he looked at her nonchalantly. His black shirt made his facial features appear even more chiselled and handsome.
"How about it, do you now understand his medical history? Can you heal his leg?"
Yun Xi rifled through the medical records she was holding and shook her head. "I can't see what his problem is by looking at the medical records alone. I have to inquire about his recovery over the past two years. I checked his knee reflex today. If we can couple Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion treatments, there should be some hope."
Mu Feichi squinted, pondered for a moment, and asked, "How sure are you?"
"About 50 per cent. As I said, it depends on his rehabilitation history over the past two years and whatever plans there are for his future treatments."
"If you can heal his legs, the weight of this favour would be no less than giving the president a favour."
"Really?" Seeming not to care about that aspect very much, Yun Xi raised her eyebrows. "I just think it's a pity for a person like him to have to sit in a wheelchair. I just want to try it to help him. I didn't want him to owe me a favour."
"Even if you don't want a favour, people will still remember it." Mu Feichi chuckled lightly and stretched out his hand to pull her onto the bed. "It's getting late, so you should rest!"
"Young Marshal, your bedtime story is over, so you can scram."
"Will you scram together with me?" Mu Feichi's dark eyes got serious as he pulled her onto the quilt.