Xu Mu's mind was racing, and soon the pieces fell into place.
Fan Shiyu was a killer, and her target had been Dai Xiao.
At this stage, who wanted Dai Xiao dead the most?
It could only be Feng Kang.
And if Feng Kang had already hired assassins, there was no way he'd stop at one kill — it was very possible he had also ordered Xu Mu's death.
That meant Fan Shiyu was here to kill him.
He had never told her where he lived, so if she could find his home this easily, that meant Feng Kang had provided the information.
Xu Mu stood up immediately and headed for the door. He planned to invite her in.
Though she was an assassin, Fan Shiyu had never given him a bad impression.
And since he'd saved her life before, if she truly meant to repay kindness with malice, Xu Mu wouldn't hesitate to send her to the afterlife.
After all, his life was the one that mattered most.
But just as he reached the villa gate, her car was already gone.
It seemed she'd only come to scout the location today — to identify his residence.
"Mr. Xu, what's wrong?"
Meng Wanyue noticed Xu Mu heading outside and quickly stood up.
"It's nothing. I was going to grab something from the car, but on second thought — let's just eat first."
Xu Mu smiled lightly and returned to the table.
"Brother-in-law, what exactly were you doing yesterday? Even your dad called, and he sounded super nervous!"
Ye Yu leaned forward curiously.
The other two — Ye Tong and Meng Wanyue — pricked up their ears.
Meng Wanyue hadn't known what was going on, but last night Ye Tong had called her, asking whether Xu Mu had come by her place.
That's when she learned he hadn't returned home.
"I went to rescue Xu Ningbing," Xu Mu explained calmly as he ate. "She went off on her own to search for spiritual treasures and ended up trapped."
All three women listened closely. There was no need to hide the truth from them — they were all martial artists themselves.
"Searching for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures? Mr. Xu, you should've taken me with you!"
Meng Wanyue instantly set down her chopsticks. "Places like that are full of experts competing for treasure — it's extremely dangerous!"
She knew well enough: even someone as strong as Xiao Ran often came back wounded after such fights.
"It's over now, isn't it? I'm back safe."
Xu Mu smiled reassuringly at her. "Come on, eat."
Meng Wanyue nodded reluctantly.
After lunch, Ye Tong headed back to the company. Xu Mu offered to drop Ye Yu off at school — though in truth, Meng Wanyue was the one driving.
Xu Mu and Ye Yu sat together in the back seat, chatting casually, when his phone rang.
It was a call from Feng Jian. Xu Mu answered.
"Brother Xu!" Feng Jian's voice was anxious. "I've been waiting all day — has the Divine Doctor delivered the medicine to you yet?"
"Funny you ask — it just arrived," Xu Mu replied with a chuckle.
"That's great! Where are you now? I'll come find you right away!"
"No need," Xu Mu said. "I'll head to Yang City this afternoon. I'll call you when I get there."
He planned to stop by Yang City, report to Li Yun to let her know he was safe, and then settle the matter with Fan Shiyu.
They hadn't exchanged contact information before, so he'd have to seek her out himself.
"Oh right, Brother Xu," Feng Jian said quickly, "about my mom — have you thought about it? I brought her lunch earlier, and she brought it up again. She was crying, saying she'd do anything if you could save her."
Xu Mu sighed inwardly. This guy sure knows how to talk… shouldn't he have led with his mother's issue?
"How do I contact her?" Xu Mu asked.
"She's locked up most of the time, and I can't get inside," Feng Jian explained. "But when I deliver her meals, I can see her for a bit. I could have her tie a string to the phone and pull it up through the window at the back of the villa."
"Alright. I'll call you later."
By then, they had arrived at the school. Xu Mu hung up.
At this point, the Feng family no longer required his direct action. All he needed to do was inform the Dai family that Feng Kang had ordered Dai Xiao's death.
That alone would be enough.
After all, Dai Xiao was the eldest son of the Dai family. Even if his father didn't act, his mother certainly would.
As the first wife, mobilizing a few martial artists would be nothing for her.
And now that their so-called "protector," Lin Yan, was crippled, the Feng family was nothing more than a fish on the chopping block — waiting to be gutted.
"Brother-in-law, I'm heading to class," Ye Yu said cheerfully, waving goodbye.
Xu Mu nodded lightly, watching her disappear through the school gates. Then he turned to Meng Wanyue with a smile.
"Let's go — to Yang City."
"Yes, Mr. Xu."
Meng Wanyue turned the car around — but then,
"Wait."
Xu Mu suddenly said, "Pull over."
Though puzzled, she immediately stopped by the roadside.
Xu Mu's gaze had fallen on a narrow alley nearby — where he spotted a familiar face: Lu Xueyao.
The rebellious girl he'd once saved. He'd been too busy recently to visit the school, so he hadn't seen her in some time.
Getting out of the car, Xu Mu walked toward the alley and found Lu Xueyao flanked by two bald men.
Nearby, a young man with dyed red hair and a tattooed arm sat on the ground, blood running from his mouth.
"What's going on here?" Xu Mu asked, his tone calm but sharp.
"Kid, we're serving justice here. None of your business!" one of the bald thugs snapped.
"Brother Xu Mu!"
Lu Xueyao's face lit up with joy as she hurried to his side.
A small notification seemed to pop in his mind:
[Favorability +10]
The bald men froze, their expressions shifting instantly.
"Sister Lu, we're sorry!" one of them stammered.
"'Sister Lu'?"
Xu Mu frowned. "What's this about?"
"I was just teaching this punk a lesson," Lu Xueyao said, pointing to the red-haired youth. "He's been stopping students and pretending to 'borrow' money — basically robbing them."
"And them?" Xu Mu gestured toward the bald thugs.
"They're Zhao Yan's men. Because of you, Zhao Yan treats me politely now," she explained. "I've been hanging around them lately."
"You should be studying — not running around with people like this."
Xu Mu's voice turned cold.
"Brother Xu Mu… I don't have much hope anymore. My grades are terrible — I'll be lucky to get into a second-rate college."
Lu Xueyao had once been a decent student, but constant bullying at school had left her fearful and distracted in class. Her grades had plummeted.
Now, she had basically given up. She planned to find a job after graduation.
"Come with me."
Xu Mu grabbed her wrist and led her out of the alley. "Even if you think there's no hope, that doesn't mean you should be mixing with people like that."
"Brother Xu Mu, Zhao Yan and the others have been really good to me."
Xu Mu stopped and looked her straight in the eyes. "And why do you think that is?"
"Of course… because of you, Brother Xu Mu."
Lu Xueyao lowered her head slightly.
"And what if one day I lose my influence?" Xu Mu asked quietly. "If that red-haired thug gets angry and stabs you when you're alone — then what?"
"I…"
Her voice was as small as a mosquito's. "But I just wanted to teach those bad guys a lesson. I can't stand people who bully the weak."
Xu Mu looked at her expression — the mixture of defiance and sincerity — and asked softly,
"Do you really enjoy doing these things?"