Chapter 134 - 133: Because I’m Here

Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Because I’m Here

Zhou Qi immediately smiled warmly at him and said, "Xian’er, sit down."

His voice, gentle and harmless like the smile at the corners of his mouth, made Zhou Xian stiffen as if afraid. He glared fiercely at Xu Jing before reluctantly sitting down.

Xu Jing: "..."

She glanced coolly at Zhou Qi and said, "Mr. Zhou, I think you owe me an explanation."

Although she didn’t specify what needed explaining, Zhou Qi immediately understood. He smiled warmly and said, "This time, I happened to bring Xian’er along when returning to the capital. I wasn’t comfortable leaving him alone at home, so I brought him with me. Rest assured, Miss Xu, I won’t let Xian’er behave as rudely as last time. Please, Miss Xu and Mr. Cheng, have a seat."

As he spoke, he stood up personally to pull out the chair opposite them.

He could obviously control Zhou Xian, so Xu Jing wasn’t too worried about any disturbances from him. However, she didn’t believe his reasons for bringing Zhou Xian were that simple.

She glanced at Zhou Qi, said nothing, and sat down.

Since they were discussing matters related to Xinglin Hall, Chen Hu stayed outside as it was inconvenient for him to be present.

After they sat down, a servant standing by immediately came forward to pour tea and water for them. Judging by their attire, these servants weren’t from the restaurant; they were brought by Zhou Qi himself.

Just as Cheng Xianbai had said, even a rotten ship still has three thousand nails. No matter how much the Zhou Family declined, they were far from being comparable to ordinary households.

Xu Jing couldn’t help but feel envious.

This damned fate, why couldn’t it give her a slightly better starting point?

Zhou Qi smiled and looked at them, "Although I invited Miss Xu for lunch, I thought discussing business while eating, even the most exquisite dishes, might leave us oblivious to their flavors. So, wouldn’t it be better to savor the food slowly after our discussion? What does Miss Xu think?"

Xu Jing picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and said indifferently, "I have no preference; as the guest follows the host’s lead."

Unable to hold back a light laugh, Zhou Qi said, "Miss Xu is indeed straightforward. In fact, when Mr. Cheng sent over the invitation yesterday, I was quite surprised. I had long wanted to visit Miss Xu, but it turns out Miss Xu is far more decisive than I am."

Xu Jing glanced at him, suddenly put down her tea cup, and laughed softly, "Mr. Zhou, since we are all here, let’s not waste time probing each other.

I suppose you anticipated my visit. With Tianyi Hall and Xinglin Hall both as medical guilds in Anping County, you couldn’t be unaware of Guangming Hall’s suppression of us. This time, Guangming Hall has united with all the local herbal merchants and pharmacies in and around Anping County to suppress us at Xinglin Hall. Given our foundation, it’s nearly impossible to overcome this crisis on our own."

After all, those networks and relationships take years to build.

Zhou Qi’s eyes flickered, and he couldn’t help but smile, "No one could accuse Miss Xu of being ordinary. Indeed, I know about Guangming Hall’s suppression of Xinglin Hall. Normally, anyone else would have been unable to endure this time, but clearly, Miss Xu is not just anyone. I heard Miss Xu has already managed to temporarily avert this crisis by arranging for peppermint to be procured from the Western Capital.

To be honest, I didn’t expect Miss Xu to come seek me out. In fact, even if you hadn’t come, I was planning to visit you these past few days. I returned to the Western Capital this time specifically because of you. I believe that discussing cooperation now would be beneficial for us."

Xu Jing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

This revelation was perhaps too candid, even admitting to taking advantage of the situation.

Indeed, this cunning old fox realized she had seen through his intentions, so he simply laid everything out openly, increasing the likelihood of cooperation.

This also indirectly demonstrated his attitude toward the collaboration.

Xu Jing said calmly, "No wonder Mr. Zhou rescued Tianyi Hall in its time of crisis. I’ll be straightforward too. I came this time intending to collaborate with Tianyi Hall. With its extensive roots in the medical guild trade, Tianyi Hall possesses a comprehensive network and connections, as well as numerous specially trained doctors and advantageous exclusive prescriptions. These are precisely what Xinglin Hall lacks. To grow stronger, Xinglin Hall cannot rely solely on itself. By collaborating with Tianyi Hall, it can perfectly compensate for these deficiencies."

Zhou Qi listened quietly to Xu Jing’s words and smiled faintly, "Miss Xu doesn’t seem surprised about my intention to collaborate."

On the side, Cheng Xianbai, doing his best to stay low-key and leave the negotiations to the two big shots, glanced secretly at Xu Jing after hearing that.

When Xu Jing said those words earlier, Cheng Xianbai, as a member of Xinglin Hall, couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed. This negotiation seemed entirely one-sided, as if Tianyi Hall would be doing them a huge favor by lending a hand!

Xu Jing leisurely curled her lips and said, "Of course I’m not surprised, because Xinglin Hall has me."

Zhou Qi was slightly taken aback.

Cheng Xianbai, having just taken a sip of water, couldn’t help but choke and coughed vehemently.

Even the usually impatient Zhou Xian couldn’t help but give her an absurd look, his expression seeming to say—how could such a narcissistic and shameless woman exist in this world!

Xu Jing, however, seemed unfazed by her shocking statement and continued slowly, "Mr. Zhou has always been interested in us at Xinglin Hall. You probably had the intention to cooperate long ago. However, Xinglin Hall is just one among the many insignificant medical guilds in Anping County, and just over a month ago, we were so broke that we were on the verge of closing down."

Cheng Xianbai’s coughing softened, and he silently shrank a bit.

"It’s puzzling; why would Tianyi Hall notice such an insignificant little clinic? There’s only one answer—Mr. Zhou wasn’t interested in Xinglin Hall, but in me."

Xu Jing smiled faintly, "I heard Mr. Zhou always wanted to reestablish Tianyi Hall’s branch in the Western Capital. The Western Capital is the capital of Great Chu, and setting up a medical guild there is a symbol of status. Furthermore, in the Western Capital, you can rapidly connect with many powerful individuals. With influential figures backing you, Tianyi Hall could thrive and ultimately return to its peak.

Mr. Zhou is ambitious. However, while Tianyi Hall lagged, Guangming Hall evidently surged ahead, expanding its presence in the Western Capital. Undoubtedly, they would try everything to prevent Tianyi Hall from establishing a branch there. This explains why you frequently visited the Western Capital recently without making any moves; it wasn’t a lack of desire but rather the inability to act."

Zhou Qi looked at Xu Jing with some surprise, the smile on his face slowly fading.

"And the ability of Guangming Hall to suppress you implies they have allied with local Western Capital powers, something beyond a merchant’s defense. To break Guangming Hall’s blockade, you must retaliate in kind, employing influential powers to counter the powers behind Guangming Hall. But forming connections with such influential people is no easy feat."

Xu Jing took up her cup and sipped it to wet her throat, "Therefore, you came up with a solution—to find a skilled female physician to infiltrate the elite Western Capital circles and act as a liaison for Tianyi Hall. After all, while skilled male physicians abound, top-notch female physicians are rare. Usually, female physicians trained in the palace merely assist the imperial physicians. Moreover, many illnesses affecting women aren’t convenient for male physicians to treat, making female physicians more likely to penetrate the elite circles of the Western Capital.

This is why you first noticed me."

Zhou Qi looked at Xu Jing quietly for a moment, unable to suppress a genuine admiration on his face, sighed, and said, "Miss Xu consistently exceeds my expectations. How did you come to know all of this?"

These matters should only be known to the core members of Tianyi Hall, and they had never leaked any information, even the search for a female physician, which had been proceeding in secret.