I'd like to ask your husband for a favor

Xu Mu noticed the position of Xiao Ran’s other hand and said righteously, "Then I won’t look. Men and women should maintain propriety."

"What about my injury…?"

"It can’t be treated. Traditional Chinese medicine relies on observation, listening, questioning, and pulse diagnosis. If I can’t even observe, I naturally can’t make a diagnosis."

Xu Mu waved his hand and sat on the sofa.

Xiao Ran’s expression turned slightly awkward before she asked, "How about I take a photo for you? I’ll blur out the sensitive parts."

"No, photos can distort judgment. I need to see it with my own eyes and perform hands-on examination. You haven’t coughed up blood, right? Then it’s not serious. Just avoid intense physical activity in the future."

Xu Mu leaned back on the sofa calmly.

According to the plot, Xiao Ran frequently suffered injuries early on, but the Dragon King treated her fairly well.

He would specifically seek out rare medicinal treasures to heal her injuries and restore her body.

What Xu Mu needed to do now was cure her before the Dragon King intervened.

That way, Xiao Ran would owe him a favor.

"But what if I engage in intense activity in the future?"

As the Dragon King’s right-hand woman, Xiao Ran often undertook dangerous missions.

Fighting against formidable opponents inevitably required strenuous movement.

"It’ll worsen your lung condition, leading to coughing up blood, followed by severe lung damage. Eventually, even slight exertion will leave you breathless, and your physical abilities will decline."

Xu Mu glanced at Xiao Ran as he explained.

Xiao Ran froze—everything he said matched her symptoms exactly.

Since she started coughing blood, she had clearly felt her stamina deteriorating. Before, she could fight continuously for long periods.

But now, forget fighting—even running for more than ten minutes left her lightheaded and dizzy.

If she kept pushing herself, Xu Mu’s words suggested she’d soon become completely incapacitated.

Her fists clenched. She couldn’t accept this.

"You’re getting worked up again."

Xu Mu observed the change in her expression.

"Cough! Cough—!"

Xiao Ran immediately pulled out a handkerchief, covering her mouth as she coughed violently.

It took her a while to recover.

"President Xu… can my injury be cured?"

Xiao Ran was now convinced that Xu Mu was a miracle doctor.

His diagnosis was eerily accurate, as if he had experienced the injury himself.

"I don’t know. I haven’t observed it yet."

Xu Mu shook his head lightly.

"You’re a miracle doctor. I’m willing to cooperate with the treatment."

Xiao Ran spoke with utmost sincerity.

Besides, many gynecology departments had male doctors these days—it wasn’t unusual.

"No. Like I said, men and women should maintain propriety. I’d need my wife’s permission."

Xu Mu declared with unwavering righteousness.

[Affection Points +10]

[Affection Points +5]

Ye Yu’s affection had turned positive—the 10 points were undoubtedly hers.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ran’s head also displayed an increase in affection points. This Xu Mu was exactly as Meng Wanyue had described.

"Brother-in-law, you’re actually a miracle doctor? Check me too—my period came early this month!"

Ye Yu chimed in from the side.

Xu Mu put on a grave expression. "Let me examine the wound."

"You—! Shameless brother-in-law!"

Ye Yu’s face flushed red as she spat out the words.

Just then, the villa’s front door swung open, and Ye Tong walked in with a smile.

"You’re back."

Xu Mu stood up, smiling.

"Yeah, you’re home early today." Ye Tong’s gaze shifted to the short-haired beauty, Xiao Ran. "And who’s this?"

"Hello, I’m Xiao Ran. You might not know me, but you definitely know my boss—his name is Ye Chen."

Xiao Ran stood up politely.

"Ye Chen… my brother?" Ye Tong’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Sis! Big brother’s alive!"

Ye Yu chimed in from the sofa.

Even Ye Yu didn’t understand why she felt this way. Back in the Ye family, she had despised her brother the most.

But now, knowing he was alive, she felt genuine joy.

Perhaps it was because after the Ye family’s downfall, Ye Tong was her only remaining relative.

And now, there was one more.

Ye Tong could hardly believe it—her brother was alive.

"You’re not lying to me?"

She stared at Xiao Ran. If he was alive, why hadn’t he contacted them all these years?

Back then, Ye Chen had gone missing near the border. The Ye family had even offered a multi-million reward, yet not a single trace of him was found.

"I know it’s hard to believe, but I have proof."

Xiao Ran took out her phone and dialed a video call using a foreign app.

After about thirty seconds, the call connected.

A man’s voice came through, devoid of emotion. "Xiao Ran, how many times must I tell you? Don’t call me. Send a message, and I’ll call you back when I see it."

"Dragon King, this is a special case. Look who’s here?"

Xiao Ran turned the phone toward Ye Tong.

Through the screen, Ye Tong saw a man who was both familiar and foreign.

He sat in a leather chair, dressed in a black trench coat, his hair slicked back in a mature style.

Though he was a year younger than Ye Tong, his eyes carried the weight of years.

"Chen!"

Ye Tong’s eyes moistened. "You’re alive?"

Ye Yu rushed over too. "Brother, is it really you?"

Xu Mu remained just out of the camera’s view. He could see Ye Chen on the screen, but the latter couldn’t see him.

He activated his Divine Eye but found it ineffective.

It seemed the Divine Eye only worked in person.

On the screen, Ye Chen’s eyes flickered slightly, though his expression remained unchanged.

"Sis, Yu, I’m alive. I’ve been doing well. How about you? How has the Xu family treated you?"

"The Xu family has been good to us. When our family faced financial trouble, they were the only ones who helped. After our parents disappeared and the company collapsed, the Xu family suffered heavy losses too."

Ye Tong continued, "But they never complained. They even took Yu and me in."

"The Xu family did well. What about Xu Mu? How has he treated you?" Ye Chen pressed.

"My husband has been wonderful."

Ye Tong glanced at Xu Mu with a smile. "He even cooks for us—his skills are amazing."

Xu Mu grinned on the side. His efforts these past months hadn’t been in vain.

However, according to the plot, the Dragon King would later seize control of the Xu family, using it as a stepping stone to enter Yang City.

Eventually, he’d dominate Jiangbei’s economic lifeline.

This arc spanned a significant portion of the story, and Xu Mu doubted the Dragon King would spare the Xu family.

His priority was still to grow stronger—only with power could he protect what was his.

"That’s good."

Ye Chen gave a slight nod. "Sis, I have matters to attend to now. Once I’m done, I’ll return to see you. I’ll also investigate our parents’ disappearance."

"Alright." Ye Tong nodded.

The call ended abruptly.

"Do you believe me now?"

Xiao Ran smiled as she pocketed her phone.

"I want to know—what has my brother been doing all these years? If not for his face, I wouldn’t have recognized him."

Ye Tong looked at Xiao Ran, puzzled.

The Ye Chen she saw now felt like a stranger, completely different from the brother in her memories.

Even after all these years apart, his demeanor remained composed.

"This matter... I think it's best if my boss explains it to you himself when he returns."

At this point, Xiao Ran suddenly bowed deeply to Ye Tong. "Ms. Ye, I’d like to ask your husband for a favor."