Xu Mu turned around to see Shen Wanning striding toward him, frowning, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
"Are you stupid? Didn't you hear that woman's tone just now? She was oozing fake sweetness!" Shen Wanning huffed as she stopped beside him. "Let me tell you, she only likes your money!"
Xu Mu chuckled. If there was one thing Dai Xingluo didn't care about, it was money—she was from the powerful Dai family, after all.
"What are you laughing at? Don't tell me you've already fallen for her tricks. Are you brain-dead?" Shen Wanning snapped.
"I'm laughing because you're not my girlfriend," Xu Mu said, hands in his pockets. "So why are you getting so worked up?"
"I—"
Her face flushed instantly.
Right! Why was she so worked up? What business was it of hers if Xu Mu got scammed by some manipulative woman?
"I'm just saying this as a friend. I don't want to see you fooled," Shen Wanning muttered, waving her hand. "Forget it. Do whatever you want. I already warned you."
"Let me see what you bought," Xu Mu said, reaching out his hand.
At least she meant well—he could return the favor by helping her out.
Shen Wanning hesitated, her throat bobbing slightly, then finally decided to let him take a look.
She opened a black wooden box. Inside, resting on red cloth, was a jade pendant.
"How much was this?" Xu Mu asked.
"Twenty-eight thousand. It's top-grade mutton-fat white jade—"
"Stop."
Xu Mu cut her off. "Do you even know what you're saying? Real mutton-fat white jade costs thousands—sometimes tens of thousands—per gram. You think you got a full pendant for twenty-eight thousand? Where's your brain?"
"I…"
"That thing's worth two hundred eighty, at best. Next."
He saw another box in her bag. Shen Wanning opened it, revealing a jade Buddha pendant.
"This one's fifty thousand. It's Hetian jade—ice type, looks just like glass—"
"It is glass."
Xu Mu gave her a flat look. "The only real cost here is the carving. I'll be generous and say it's worth a hundred bucks."
"You're talking nonsense! That shop is huge—they wouldn't lie!" Shen Wanning protested, clenching her fists.
"Then go return it and see if they take it back," Xu Mu said, turning to leave.
Her cheeks burned. The shop's counter had a big sign: No returns or exchanges once items leave the counter. They claimed it was to prevent switching items—but really, it was just an excuse.
"Xu Mu!"
Shen Wanning ran after him. "Fine, I'll trust you this once. Help me pick something good, then!"
Xu Mu thought for a moment, then took out the white jade cloud-pattern pendant he'd picked up earlier.
He wasn't particularly interested in flawed items, but to others, this would be a rare treasure.
"Here," he said, handing it to her. "If your father likes antiques, this will definitely get him excited."
Shen Wanning frowned, inspecting the piece. "This? It's cracked."
"Then give it back," Xu Mu said, reaching for it.
She quickly hid it behind her back. "Fine! I'll trust you this once."
"Alright, I'm leaving."
He waved casually and walked out of the antique market.
From the far corner of the street, Dai Xingluo—dressed in her flowing Hanfu—was standing quietly, watching the entire exchange.
Xu Mu called Feng Yue to ask where she was.
She told him she'd been out late the night before, drinking and chatting with a few rich ladies from Yang City, and was still at home in bed.
Hearing that, Xu Mu immediately drove over to her place.
He'd dropped her off there once before, so he knew the way.
Her factory was next to the sanitation department, and her apartment was right across from the police station—clearly a sign she was still traumatized by Lin Yan.
Parking his car by the roadside, Xu Mu walked into the old residential area.
Standing by the entrance to her building was Feng Yue, wearing a simple floral dress. Her hair was loosely tied up, and she had butterfly-knot slippers on her feet.
"Brother Xu, you've been looking for me quite a lot lately," she said with a teasing smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
"You'll thank me later," Xu Mu replied calmly. "Which floor?"
"Fifth," she said, turning toward the stairs.
Her near-perfect, heart-shaped figure moved rhythmically as she walked up the steps—it was… distracting.
Following behind her, Xu Mu asked curiously, "You're rich. Why live in an old building like this, without an elevator?"
"I used to live here when I was in Yang City," Feng Yue said, glancing back with a smile. "I'm a nostalgic person. Before I left for Jiang City, I bought this place."
A few minutes later, they reached the fifth floor. She unlocked the door, and Xu Mu followed her in.
The floor was wooden, the decor warm and cozy.
"So, Brother Xu, what did you need me for this time?" Feng Yue asked, sitting gracefully on the sofa.
"I met a master," Xu Mu said as he sat beside her. "He gave me two pills—he said they can let someone step into the realm of martial artists."
"Brother Xu, could you not say something that shocking in such a calm tone?"
Her eyes lit up with disbelief, her body trembling slightly. "You're saying… you can make me a martial artist?"
She, unlike Ye Tong or Ye Yu, knew how terrifying martial artists were. Lin Yan alone—and even Xu Mu's earlier display—had made her realize how extraordinary they were.
"That's right," Xu Mu said. "You won't be able to fight top experts, but in a critical moment—it could save your life."
He took out a Marrow-Cleansing Pill. "Take this first."
But Feng Yue didn't reach for it. Her gaze stayed fixed on him. "I don't understand, Brother Xu… why are you so good to me?"
"Because," Xu Mu said evenly, "you're mine now."
[Favorability +50]
Feng Yue's peach blossom eyes shimmered with tears.
Leaning back against the sofa, she tilted her head toward the ceiling to stop them from falling.
All her life, she'd lacked a sense of security. Every man who came close only wanted her body.
But Xu Mu was different—he didn't even seem interested. A single word from him would have been enough for her to offer herself willingly, and yet… he never asked.
She didn't know why, but whenever Xu Mu was near, she felt safe.
"This Marrow-Cleansing Pill will purge impurities from your body," he said gently. "It'll strengthen your foundation. Afterward, you'll notice black residue—just wash it off in the shower."
Feng Yue nodded softly, took the pill, and walked toward the bathroom.
Xu Mu sat on the sofa, thinking about the Feng family.
The real weak points were Feng Jian and Chen Cai. He doubted Feng Jian would last much longer anyway.
"Brother Xu, why is my body turning black?"
Her voice came from the bathroom two minutes later.
"It's just impurities—it's normal," Xu Mu said.
Using his perception, he monitored the process.
Unlike Ye Tong or Ye Yu, who had been shy about it, Feng Yue didn't seem embarrassed at all.
"Oh? So you didn't peek after all? That's unexpected," she teased from inside, her voice playful and echoing off the tiled walls.