"No."
Feng Yue walked out from behind the bar, looking distracted as she sat on the sofa. "He said the finest liquor doesn’t need any extra ingredients because they’re unworthy of it."
"What happened between you two?"
Lin Yang frowned, noticing the odd expression on Feng Yue’s face.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about something else."
Feng Yue shook her head lightly.
"Good. But since you managed to invite him here, it means he still cares about you. We’ll plan better next time."
Lin Yang smiled as he sat across from Feng Yue.
"There won’t be a next time."
"What do you mean?"
Lin Yang’s smile froze.
Feng Yue didn’t answer. Instead, she took out her phone and made a call.
"Yue-jie," a deep voice answered on the other end.
"Has Xu Mu left?" Feng Yue asked.
"Yes, he just walked out the door."
"Did he pay?"
"No," the voice replied.
"Have all the security guards block the entrance. No one leaves without paying today. We’re running a small business here."
After hanging up, Feng Yue turned to Lin Yang with a smile. "Mr. Lin, your total bill today comes to over 1.6 million. I’ll give you a discount—just 1.6 million will do."
Lin Yang’s brows furrowed. "Didn’t you say that as long as Xu Mu came, he’d cover the entire bill?"
"That’s how it usually is, but not today. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to trick him into ordering expensive drinks, not me."
Feng Yue stared at Lin Yang.
"I don’t have that much on me right now. Let me owe you for now."
Lin Yang waved his hand dismissively.
"We don’t do credit here," Feng Yue said coldly.
"Boss Feng, have you forgotten? I still have leverage over you. Isn’t that worth more than 1.6 million?" Lin Yang smirked.
Feng Yue’s expression darkened further.
She felt like a fool.
She might dislike Xu Mu, but he had never threatened her.
Yet this man in front of her had been blackmailing her from the moment they met.
And she had actually helped Lin Yang scheme against Xu Mu. How despicable.
[Affection Points +20]
For some reason, Feng Yue suddenly felt that Xu Mu wasn’t so bad after all.
"Then go ahead and tell Xu Shou your little secret. But before you do, you’ll pay up—or I’ll call the police."
Feng Yue held up her phone.
---
Meanwhile, downstairs in the bar.
The crowd, still drinking, was stunned when they realized Xu Mu had left.
Everyone turned to the DJ on stage, wondering if he’d forgotten to announce something.
Wasn’t he supposed to say, "Tonight’s bill is on Young Master Xu"?
Liu Tu and his table, including the girl with heavy eyeliner, were completely baffled.
"Brother Tu… he didn’t pay," the girl whispered.
"No shit!" Liu Tu clenched his fists, seething.
He had only planned to spend a little over a hundred to impress the girl, then take her to a cheap motel afterward.
He knew she was still in high school—fresh and untouched.
But when he saw Xu Mu, he got carried away and ordered the most expensive drinks to show off.
Now Xu Mu hadn’t paid, and Liu Tu wasn’t sure he could even leave. He only had about 300 yuan on him.
"Wait here. I’m going out to make a call."
Liu Tu grabbed his phone and headed for the exit.
"Brother Tu, I’ll come with you."
Another guy with dyed hair stood up. He might not have gone to school, but he wasn’t stupid.
Liu Tu was clearly trying to bail and leave them behind.
The two girls at the table also stood up—they weren’t fools either.
A waiter approached them with a polite smile.
"Sir, you can pay at your table using the QR code. Your total is 18,800."
Liu Tu’s face paled. Where the hell was he supposed to get that kind of money?
"Ahem… I didn’t bring that much with me today."
Liu Tu forced an awkward laugh.
"It’s easy to borrow money or ask your parents for help through your phone."
The waiter’s smile remained professional. "Since you’re part of the scene, you should know the consequences of skipping out on Yue-jie’s tab."
Liu Tu glanced at his companions, then fixed his gaze on the girl with smudged makeup.
"Lu Xueyao, give me your phone."
"Brother Tu, what are you doing?"
Lu Xueyao tensed up, stepping back. "I don’t have any money!"
"I know. But you can take out a loan."
Liu Tu grinned. "Don’t worry, we’ll pay you back in a few days."
"Brother Tu… why don’t you take one out instead?"
Lu Xueyao spoke cautiously.
"Shut the hell up! I’m blacklisted—I can’t get a loan! Hand it over!"
Liu Tu’s voice turned sharp.
The waiter stood by silently, making no move to intervene.
Tears streamed down Lu Xueyao’s face, smearing her makeup as she reluctantly pulled out her phone.
She regretted everything. She thought following Liu Tu would mean no one could bully her anymore.
Instead, she was the first one he betrayed.
Liu Tu swiftly navigated to a loan app, taking out 20,000 yuan in Lu Xueyao’s name. He scanned the payment code, then handed the phone back to her.
Her tears had ruined her makeup, but she bit her lip and entered the password without sobbing.
"Thank you. We hope to see you again."
The waiter checked the payment confirmation on his tablet and nodded politely.
As they left the bar, Liu Tu slung an arm around Lu Xueyao’s shoulders.
"You helped me out today, so I’ll make it up to you. Come with me."
Lu Xueyao clenched her jaw, trembling. Then, through gritted teeth, she said, "No!"
"You think you have a choice? Don’t you want me to teach those bullies a lesson for you?"
Liu Tu smirked. "I can call a hundred guys to back me up in a fight."
"No! I said no!"
Lu Xueyao shoved Liu Tu away and ran, only to collide with someone’s chest.
She looked up—and froze.
It was Xu Mu, the very man Liu Tu had been talking about earlier.
Xu Mu was holding a bag of takeout skewers. He had been about to drive off when he spotted a street vendor and decided to bring some food home for Ye Tong and Ye Yu to boost their affection.
"Young Master Xu… I’m sorry."
Lu Xueyao was already crying uncontrollably.
Xu Mu studied the girl in front of him, her makeup ruined.
Normally, he wouldn’t have given a second glance to a punk like her—too young, too reckless, probably already tainted.
But out of habit, he activated his Divine Eye—and his eyes widened in shock.
Another female lead?
Name: Lu Xueyao
Role: Student, Female Lead of The Strongest Son-in-Law
Affection Points: 1
Fate Level: 8 (Max: 10)
He remembered running into another female lead from The Strongest Son-in-Law at the mall.
Seemed like the protagonist of that story started with humble beginnings, meeting girls from modest backgrounds first.
But with her affection points positive and a Fate Level of 8, Xu Mu wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
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?"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"