Xu Mu shook his head slightly—his sister really had a knack for asking for trouble.
He unbuttoned the suit he was wearing, tossed it onto the sofa, kicked off his shoes, and stepped onto the large yoga mat in the room.
"Come on, I'll give you a few pointers."
Xu Mu kept one hand in his pocket as he glanced at Xu Ningbing.
"You're all talk, you weakling! The hardest thing about you is that mouth of yours!"
Xu Ningbing stepped forward and threw a rapid series of punches at Xu Mu.
But with effortless dodges, Xu Mu evaded every one of them.
Xu Ningbing’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her strikes and technique were professional-grade.
She knew full well—Xu Mu was showing off.
If this were a real match, the crowd would be cheering for him, not her.
"We’re not boxing here!"
Xu Ningbing suddenly retreated, then launched a high kick aimed straight at Xu Mu’s neck.
Xu Mu ducked low and rushed forward, narrowly avoiding the kick before wrapping his arms around her body.
With only one leg supporting her, Xu Ningbing lost her balance the moment Xu Mu swept her other foot. She crashed onto the mat.
Xu Mu’s face collided with something overwhelmingly soft.
Though momentarily distracted, his muscle memory kicked in. He swiftly secured a triangle choke, locking Xu Ningbing in place.
She struggled fiercely but found no way out.
"Ready to tap out?"
Xu Mu released her.
But the moment he tried to stand, Xu Ningbing’s long legs clamped around his neck like a vise.
"I’m not surrendering yet!"
With a sharp twist of her body, she flipped Xu Mu onto his back.
Now face-to-face with an overwhelming view, Xu Mu blinked in momentary confusion.
But he recovered instantly, twisting his body to break free.
Before he could even catch his breath, Xu Ningbing lunged at him again.
She pinned him down once more.
The impact left Xu Mu dazed for a split second, but he snapped back to focus.
Seizing the opportunity, he rolled her over, locked her from behind, and secured a rear-naked choke.
"You little brat! Let go!" Xu Ningbing hissed between ragged breaths.
"Sis, you’re shameless. I already won fair and square."
Xu Mu released her again.
Xu Ningbing was stunned. She could tell now—Xu Mu’s skills far surpassed hers.
Was he telling the truth?
Had he been going easy on her all this time, just because she was his sister?
[Affection +5]
Xu Ningbing’s expression turned awkward. Maybe she’d misjudged him all along.
Just then, a knock echoed through the office door.
Xu Ningbing jolted upright, hastily straightening her clothes. She didn’t even bother with her heels before sliding into her executive chair.
A quick glance at Xu Mu made her feel oddly guilty, as if they’d been caught doing something illicit.
"Come in!"
She took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses.
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, a slight paunch, and a height barely scraping past five feet. He carried a document in hand.
His eyes flicked toward Xu Mu, surprise flickering across his face.
Rumors had always painted the siblings as estranged—yet here they were, clearly on good terms.
"President, your signature."
Xu Ningbing skimmed the document before signing.
Once the man left, she shot Xu Mu a cool glance. "Who taught you all this?"
"That’s a secret. But I’m sure you can tell."
Xu Mu leisurely slipped his suit back on. "I just didn’t want to make my big sister cry. I’ve been holding back for you since we were kids."
Xu Ningbing’s cheeks flushed at his words.
[Affection +5]
"If you really want to improve, come find me. I’ve got more than enough to teach you."
With that, Xu Mu turned to leave. "I’ll handle the Meng Wanyue investigation. You’ll get your answers."
As she watched his retreating figure, Xu Ningbing felt her heartbeat quicken.
Memories of their past clashes replayed in her mind. Had Xu Mu really been holding back all along?
---
Back in his own office, Xu Mu settled into his chair.
He lightly touched his face. That "face wash" earlier had been… formidable.
No wonder men swore that bigger was better.
But the company’s mole needed dealing with.
Not for Xu Ningbing’s sake—but for Xu Shou’s.
The Xu family’s empire wouldn’t fall into anyone else’s hands.
After work, Xu Mu messaged Meng Wanyue, instructing her to head home first.
He’d pick up Ye Tong before meeting her.
His motive was simple: he needed to know where Meng Wanyue lived.
At home, Ye Tong was tidying up when Xu Mu returned.
She paused her cleaning. "Little Yu texted me. She’s not coming back tonight."
"Yeah, she told me too."
Xu Mu took Ye Tong’s hand. "I’m taking my secretary out to dinner tonight. You’re coming with me."
Ye Tong recalled the fierce beauty from last time and smiled. "I’ll pass. You two should talk privately."
"What nonsense are you thinking? This is a family-style dinner."
Xu Mu gave her backside a light pat. "Change your clothes. We leave in thirty."
"Alright."
Ye Tong felt a pang of warmth. Maybe Xu Mu wanted her there to ease her worries.
[Affection +10]
Noticing the affection points floating above Ye Tong’s head, Xu Mu remembered—Lu Xueyao alone had contributed over a thousand points today.
Perfect timing for a ten-draw. Maybe he’d land something good.
While Ye Tong went upstairs to change, Xu Mu pulled up his system panel.
Name: Xu Mu
Identity: Villainous Prodigy, HR Manager of Xu Corporation
Realm: Mid-Stage Ming Jin
Physique: 130
Spirit: 130
Cultivation Points: 40 (Max 100)
Fate Energy: 124
He clicked the roulette for a ten-draw.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained 20 Cultivation Points.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained 10 Attribute Points.]
Xu Mu stared at the screen. Two consolation prizes right off the bat.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained 30 Cultivation Points.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained 10 kg of Gold.]
…
Xu Mu blinked. Gold? Really?
Still, ten kilograms meant roughly twenty-two pounds. At current market rates, that was worth several million.
Not bad for a hard asset.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained 30 Cultivation Points.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Obtained Divine Ability: Second-Level Perception.]
…
The screen flashed brilliantly. Xu Mu’s heart raced—another divine ability!
But another perception skill?
His first-level perception already let him sense all living beings within a hundred meters.
What did the second level do? Expand the range further?
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
