She Would Never Give Xu Mu a Chance

Xu Mu had already discussed with Xu Shou, who informed him that he would have full authority over everything related to the pharmaceutical company.

Moreover, Ye Tong was originally a top student who had studied in a related field, so they planned to have her work under Wang Weiliang.

Xu Mu naturally agreed.

Back in his office, Xu Mu’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was Feng Yue again.

After a moment of hesitation, he answered. "What is it?"

"You completely ignored what I told you last time! Lin Yang’s weight-loss pills have already filmed their ad!" Feng Yue’s voice was urgent.

"I know you’re anxious, but calm down first," Xu Mu replied. "Tell me, why are you in such a rush?"

"Your Xu family invested so much money, and now someone else is reaping the rewards. Aren’t you worried?" Feng Yue shot back.

"Wasn’t it because of you that the formula got leaked?" Xu Mu asked coolly.

"I regret it."

"You don’t regret it. You’re just upset because someone else took the prize. If it were still in your hands, would you regret it?" Xu Mu shook his head slightly. "Don’t call me again for a while. I don’t want my wife to misunderstand."

With that, he hung up.

——

Meanwhile, Lin Yang’s team worked around the clock, determined to launch their product before Xu Corporation’s weight-loss pills hit the market.

With the added star power of Song Luoluo, Lin Yang’s pills hit the shelves that Saturday.

Song Luoluo, a rising star with a massive following, brought instant attention.

Lin Yang also splurged on trending hashtags, ensuring the weight-loss pills stayed in the spotlight.

The moment they were released, they sold out instantly.

Lin Yang and Li Feipeng grinned ear to ear as they watched the profits roll in.

Lin Yang, especially, grew increasingly overconfident. Realizing production couldn’t keep up with demand, he instructed Li Feipeng to invest in more production lines, expanding operations to churn out more pills.

Xu Mu, on the other hand, remained unfazed.

After all, within ten to fifteen days, their weight-loss pills would lose their effectiveness.

At noon, he received a call from Zhou Hening, who had convinced Shen Wanning to collaborate with Xu Mu.

Zhou Hening had left for Yanjing for a conference, so Shen Wanning would meet Xu Mu in person that afternoon.

Xu Mu waited in his office. The moment he got Shen Wanning’s message, he headed downstairs to greet her.

Outside the company building, a Navigator was parked.

Shen Wanning stepped out, her appearance unchanged—long black hair, a flowing dress, and a black face mask.

She had gained some fame by now, and showing her face in public often caused a stir.

"Ms. Shen," Xu Mu approached with a smile.

Shen Wanning gave him a cool glance. Even she hadn’t expected that the buzz around her recent concert was all because of Xu Mu.

But what good was exceptional piano talent?

If a person was rotten at heart, she still looked down on them.

In her circle, there were plenty of gifted musicians—many of whom had terrible personalities behind the scenes.

"Xu Mu, let me be clear," Shen Wanning cut straight to the point. "When my teacher first asked me to shoot an ad for weight-loss pills, I refused."

"But after seeing Song Luoluo endorsing them, I decided to come to you."

"Song Luoluo?"

Xu Mu had seen the ads recently—she was a singer and actress who had starred in a popular idol drama.

She was one of the hottest female celebrities lately.

"Exactly. To be honest, I despise this woman. As long as you can guarantee that your weight-loss pills are better than the ones she endorses and won’t cause any issues, I’ll agree to shoot the ad."

Shen Wanning was someone who held grudges.

A few years ago, during a TV show, Song Luoluo had publicly called her music "non-mainstream."

She even claimed that Shen Wanning had turned to instrumental music only because her singing skills were lacking.

At the time, Song Luoluo was far more popular than her. After those remarks, Song Luoluo’s mindless fans swarmed Shen Wanning’s social media, hurling insults.

They left negative reviews on her music and even made up mocking memes about her, infuriating Shen Wanning.

Now that she had gained some fame herself, and Zhou Hening had personally assured her that the Xu Corporation’s weight-loss pills were undeniably superior, she decided to take the opportunity.

There was no other reason—she just wanted to one-up Song Luoluo.

"Miss Shen, I can guarantee you that their weight-loss pills will run into trouble within a month," Xu Mu whispered to Shen Wanning. "They stole our formula to begin with, and now we’ve improved ours further."

"Good!" Shen Wanning nodded. "Then I’m willing to shoot the ad. Like my mentor said, I don’t need payment."

As the heiress of the Shen family in Jiangbei, she certainly didn’t lack money.

"Very well. I promised Mr. Zhou that I’d compose a piano piece for you free of charge," Xu Mu said with a smile. "Do you need time to prepare?"

"No need. We can start filming right away."

Shen Wanning had no intention of getting entangled with Xu Mu. If she stayed overnight in Jiang City, who knew what this shameless man might try to do?

She planned to finish the shoot quickly and go home as soon as possible.

Xu Mu nodded and called Meng Wanyue, instructing her to arrange for the filming crew to start immediately.

...

The Xu Corporation had its own photography team, stationed right inside the Xu Tower.

They planned to shoot indoors—after all, modern special effects were convincing enough to fake any setting.

At the moment, the crew was setting up the scene.

The stylists were busy as well. Shen Wanning was naturally beautiful and barely needed makeup; the focus was on her outfit and overall look.

Meanwhile, Xu Mu sat at the piano, his fingers gliding over the keys as music suddenly filled the air.

In an instant, he captured the attention of everyone present.

For this piece, Xu Mu aimed to emphasize contrast.

The opening was heavy and slow, like the labored steps of an overweight person.

The weight of the music even made the listeners’ breaths grow shallow, as if they themselves had become sluggish, panting after just a few steps.

Then, midway through, the style shifted abruptly—yet seamlessly—into something refreshing, like a gentle spring breeze.

By the finale, the tempo quickened, turning light and lively, like dancing sprites.

The most astonishing part? The sheet music for the ending was identical to the beginning.

The same notes, yet they evoked two completely opposite emotions.

As the final note faded, the crew stood frozen, utterly stunned.

"Holy shit! That was insane! The music was next-level!"

"Boss Xu, you’re too damn good!"

...

The staff weren’t just buttering him up—Xu Mu’s performance had genuinely blown them away.

[Favorability +5]

Even Meng Wanyue’s usually dull eyes flickered with admiration.

She found the man before her impossibly talented—an amazing cook, a musical genius, and so kind to her.

Compared to him, even the Dragon King paled in comparison.

Shen Wanning was utterly stunned. Was this guy some kind of monster?

No!

He must have known this piece beforehand.

But even so, being able to play it like this proved just how skilled he was.

Her expression suddenly froze as she remembered—just a few years ago, Xu Mu had been completely clueless about music.

Yet now, he was this formidable. Why had he suddenly thrown himself into studying music?

Could it be…

Because she worked in the music industry?

Had he elevated his musical prowess to this level in just a few years… all to pursue her?

After all, Xu Mu had openly pursued her before.

Shen Wanning suddenly lowered her head. This Xu Mu… he really was persistent.

Too bad his character was lacking. She’d never give him a chance!

…