Xu Mu stared at the smile that Xu Ningbing had just revealed, momentarily stunned.
He had to admit, Xu Ningbing usually wore a cold, icy demeanor, but when she smiled suddenly, she truly looked breathtakingly beautiful.
“Sis, you do have some charm when you smile,” Xu Mu said, standing up to compliment her.
“Only some?”
Xu Ningbing’s smile vanished instantly, but above her head, words appeared.
【Favorability +5】
“I thought you weren’t interested in appearances,” Xu Mu teased.
He pulled out a martial arts manual called the “Mountain Breaking Palm” from his belongings. “Take a photo with your phone. This is a martial art technique.”
“A martial art technique?”
Xu Ningbing was momentarily taken aback. “Did you get this from that old master?”
“That’s right. I traded some good wine for it,” Xu Mu nodded lightly.
Xu Ningbing’s reaction was exactly what Xu Mu expected.
Since she had just stepped into the realm of ancient martial artists, she probably didn’t realize how precious such manuals were.
Meng Wanyue, already an established ancient martial artist, naturally behaved differently.
“Great!”
Xu Ningbing immediately took out her phone and snapped a picture of the yellow-grade technique.
“Don’t practice it on your own. Ask Dad when you get home after work,” Xu Mu reminded her. For someone like Xu Ningbing, who had just entered the ancient martial artist world, even a yellow-grade technique would be difficult to master.
He also didn’t plan to reveal the black-grade techniques just yet—at least not until she reached the Dark Qi stage.
After finishing, Xu Mu said his goodbyes and left.
……
Back in the office, Xu Mu sat down in the boss’s chair and closed his eyes to rest.
His mind was occupied with the current situation around him.
The favorability ratings of Ye Yu and Xu Ningbing had both turned positive.
One was a Level 9 Destiny, the other a Level 10 Destiny.
Xu Mu’s own realm was steadily rising, but the glaring problem was the lack of experts around him.
Currently, apart from Lin Yang’s crisis, the Xu family also faced potential threats from the Dragon King and a secretive clan.
Just as Xu Mu was deep in thought, his phone vibrated.
He glanced at it and saw it was Feng Yue, so he answered, “Hello?”
“Xu Shao, have you forgotten about me? I already said I’m willing to follow you, and yet you haven’t even uttered a single ‘hmm’,” Feng Yue’s voice came through the phone.
“I’ve been busy preparing things. Come to my company now and meet me,” Xu Mu replied.
He had been so focused on Xu Ningbing that he had forgotten about Feng Yue, but he certainly couldn’t say that out loud.
“I’m already outside your company,” Feng Yue said from the other end.
Xu Mu smiled slightly. Feng Yue had finally understood the nature of their relationship.
He got up and left the office, heading downstairs to the company entrance, activating his perception.
He spotted Feng Yue’s figure; she was still waiting at the same spot where she had picked him up last time.
Seeing that location reminded Xu Mu of what had happened between them previously.
This time, he didn’t sit in the back seat but took the passenger side.
Feng Yue, wearing sunglasses, turned to look at Xu Mu. “Xu Shao, you’re finally sitting here. Looks like our relationship is moving a step closer.”
“It’s not closer. We’ve already had close contact for a while,” Xu Mu said, arms crossed.
Feng Yue smiled coquettishly. “You’re right, Xu Shao.”
Xu Mu was speechless, then glanced at her. “When I said that, shouldn’t you have covered your face and acted shy?”
"I'm not that kind of woman, but if Young Master Xu likes it, I can pretend."
Feng Yue started the car and drove away, following the main road toward the outskirts of the city.
"No need. You should just be your true self."
Xu Mu shook his head, took out his phone, and sent a message to Feng Yue.
Feng Yue was driving and didn’t check her phone. She smiled and asked, "What did you send me?"
"The formula and production process for a beauty pill. This pill has remarkable effects on skincare, especially for acne—it works instantly."
Xu Mu said calmly.
Hearing this, Feng Yue nearly lost control of the steering wheel, her heart pounding and emotions running wild.
Since the Xu family was already producing weight loss pills, it made sense that they could develop a beauty pill too.
"Young Master Xu, why are you giving me this?"
Feng Yue tried to calm herself. She felt this product, like the weight loss pills, could become a bestseller.
"I need you to start a beauty company and use this medicine to rake in the profits."
Xu Mu leaned back, hands behind his head, smiling.
"So you mean the Xu family wants me to be the head of a branch company?" Feng Yue asked.
"No, it has nothing to do with the Xu family. You have only one boss—me. The company is yours; I only take the patent fees."
Xu Mu glanced at Feng Yue. "We'll split the profits 70-30."
"Young Master Xu, giving me this medicine—how will your father react?"
By now, Feng Yue had driven out of the city and pulled over by the roadside.
"This medicine is mine, no one else’s business."
Xu Mu looked at her. "Do you have confidence you can make this beauty company succeed?"
"As long as the effects are as you say, I’m confident."
Feng Yue took out her phone and reviewed the formula Xu Mu sent. It was still all traditional Chinese herbs. "Young Master Xu, the mistake you made with the weight loss pills was this."
"Where?" Xu Mu asked.
"This world is built on comparison."
Feng Yue smiled as she took off her sunglasses. "For example, if you have a hundred yuan, you might feel poor and inferior. But if everyone around you only has one yuan, you feel superior."
"I see what you mean—you’re saying beauty exists because of comparison."
Xu Mu chuckled softly.
"Exactly. Anyone can get weight loss pills and lose weight anytime, so no one feels urgency."
Feng Yue shook her phone. "But if I produce the beauty pills in limited monthly quantities, it will cause a rush to buy. Whoever gets them first will enjoy looking better for a month, maybe even longer."
Xu Mu smiled. "You think the Xu family didn’t consider this? We just wanted to use the weight loss pills to generate massive cash flow and keep the company running smoothly."
"I get it now. I was too hasty," Feng Yue said, awkwardly waving her hand.
"But your company can operate that way."
Xu Mu continued, sending Feng Yue the files Meng Wanyue had organized—dozens of cases of people falling victim to honey traps. "Take a look when you have time, see if they can be useful."
"Okay."
Feng Yue nodded.
“Just see me off, alright? And make sure you prepare everything on your end.” Xu Mu said calmly.
Feng Yue looked at Xu Mu in surprise, then a wave of affection seemed to shimmer above her head.
“Xu Shao, how deep is your scheming?” she asked.
“What’s wrong now?” Xu Mu frowned.
“I’m your woman now—I’ve accepted your favors—and besides, we’ve already been together once before.”
Feng Yue stared deeply at Xu Mu. “I thought next, you’d be like all those vulgar men and expect me to repay you.”
She could hardly believe that the man before her was still the Xu Mu she once knew.
Apparently, he had never been interested in her. His closeness back then was only to root out the company’s mole.
Feng Yue prided herself on understanding men, but this one was completely unreadable.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
Xu Mu glanced at Feng Yue. “I almost forgot—you’re actually quite attractive.”

【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)

shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"