Li Yun herself didn't know what she was thinking.
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe something deeper.
At that moment, only one thought remained in her mind — to repay Xu Mu.
She didn't even consider what consequences this decision might bring.
The Wrong Assumption
Xu Mu sat in his car, his expression changing instantly when he heard Li Yun say she was drunk.
Drunk?
Given her personality — especially with Zhao Yingying's situation — how could she possibly have the heart to drink?
Something was clearly wrong.
"Auntie, what's going on—"
Before he could finish, Li Yun had already hung up.
Xu Mu cursed under his breath, ready to call back — but then he noticed her message.
It contained the hotel name and room number.
Without a second thought, he tossed his phone onto the console, started the engine, and sped off.
The Hotel
Upon arriving, Xu Mu used his perception to scan the entire building from afar.
From the upper floors downward, his spiritual sense swept through each room — and then he saw Fang Chu.
The man was lounging on a bed, wrapped in a bathrobe, casually munching on goji berries.
That alone was enough.
Xu Mu instantly understood what was happening.
This whole thing — it had to be Fang Chu's setup.
He kept scanning further down… until he located Li Yun.
She was alone, lying on a bed, cheeks flushed crimson from alcohol.
Xu Mu immediately headed inside, took the elevator, and arrived at her floor.
He knocked softly.
After a brief pause, the door opened a crack. When Li Yun saw it was Xu Mu, she opened it fully.
"Auntie—"
Before Xu Mu could even finish, she collapsed into his arms.
The heavy scent of alcohol hit him immediately. He steadied her and guided her inside, using his foot to nudge the door shut.
Helping her to the bedside, he frowned.
"Auntie, why did you drink so much? Who made you? Did you go to see Fang Chu?"
He fired off questions one after another.
Li Yun half-closed her eyes, voice soft and languid.
"Xiao Mu, my head's spinning… I can't think straight… I don't even understand what you're saying."
Her mature face carried a sensual flush. "I just know… I want to repay you — for your kindness."
[Favorability +30]
As she spoke, the buttons of her tight blouse came undone one by one.
Xu Mu froze completely.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He knew Li Yun well enough — she wasn't the kind of woman to do this.
Was she really that drunk?
Li Yun noticed his hesitation. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She covered herself with the blanket, whispering through her sobs,
"I know… you think I'm dirty. I've been married before — I'm just an old woman."
That did it.
Xu Mu sighed — using pity as a trap, huh?
He couldn't exactly "not fall for it," could he?
Wordplay
"Sister Yun," Xu Mu said suddenly, "there's a saying I can't quite remember… something about water and… merging? Can you help me out?"
"You don't even know that? Of course it's 'water—'"
She caught herself mid-sentence, cheeks burning red, quickly swallowing the rest of the words.
[Favorability +20]
Even though she didn't finish, her actions spoke louder than words.
Elsewhere
As night deepened, Fang Chu sat impatiently in his hotel room.
He picked up his phone and tried calling Li Yun — but her phone was off.
His brows furrowed.
He'd nearly finished his bag of goji berries, yet the woman hadn't shown up.
His first thought was Liu Ping.
Could it be that Li Yun went straight to him?
Cutting out the middleman and doing the deal herself?
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense — and the angrier he became.
He immediately dialed Liu Ping's number.
On the other end, Liu Ping answered obsequiously,
"Mr. Fang, what can I do for you?"
"Did Li Yun come to you?"
Fang Chu got straight to the point.
"No, of course not. She doesn't even know where I live—how could she find me?"
Liu Ping's voice came through the receiver.
Fang Chu nodded to himself. That made sense.
Li Yun didn't have Liu Ping's contact information — there was no way she could reach him.
Then where did she go?
He couldn't figure it out.
Given how much Li Yun cared about Zhao Yingying — almost more than her own life — how could she just disappear like that?
Had she really given up on her daughter?
He tried calling again, but her phone was still off.
Finally losing his patience, he threw on his clothes and headed downstairs, intending to drive to Li Yun's home himself.
After the Hotel
Xu Mu and Li Yun left the hotel together.
Li Yun couldn't even bring herself to look at him.
When they got to the car, she didn't dare sit in the front passenger seat — she slipped into the back instead.
"Sister Yun, why are you sitting so far away from me?" Xu Mu asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
He hadn't expected divine retribution to come this fast.
Compared to Ye Tong and Feng Yue… they each had their own charms, but this time—
The Heaven-Grade technique she'd used, Water Fusion Art, was on a completely different level.
Among the women he knew, probably only Xu Ningbing and Mu Qingying could match that kind of talent.
After all, a technique like that depended heavily on innate gift.
Li Yun, however, felt she had no face left to show.
Her body and soul both felt shattered.
She had often seen jokes online saying that "women need this kind of thing."
Back then, she used to scoff — after all, her late husband had treated it like a chore, a dull obligation.
Only today did she finally understand what it really meant.
[Favorability +20]
"Xiao Mu," she whispered like a mosquito, "I was drunk… I don't remember anything from earlier."
"I know," Xu Mu said gently, smiling. "Let's go home. I'll help you sort out the case documents."
Li Yun nodded silently, still not daring to meet his eyes — she just stared out the window.
A Near Encounter
On the drive back, they happened to pass a Ferrari leaving the same urban village where Li Yun lived.
Xu Mu's spiritual sense flickered — Fang Chu.
So he had been waiting at the hotel, and when Li Yun didn't show up, he must have decided to check her home instead.
Xu Mu parked by her house, and both of them went inside.
"Sister Yun, Where's Your Brain?"
"Auntie— no, Sister Yun," Xu Mu began, sitting on the sofa. "Tell me honestly — what happened?"
Li Yun took a deep breath, forced herself to push aside her shame, and told him everything from start to finish.
When she was done, Xu Mu's eyes widened.
"Where's your brain? You really couldn't tell this was Fang Chu's setup?"
Li Yun looked like a scolded wife, shrinking into herself.
[Favorability +10]
In a tiny voice, she said, "I guessed it might be… but it was the only way to save my daughter. I'm sorry."
Xu Mu sighed, pulled out his phone, and sent her the videos he'd found.
Li Yun opened them and watched both clips carefully.
When she finished, fury flared in her eyes.
"That old man — he did it on purpose!"
"Exactly," Xu Mu said. "He was standing on the main road right outside your block — clearly he knew it was the route Zhao Yingying takes to school."
He continued,
"He was on the phone right before it happened. Someone must have tipped him off about where she was."
"Yes! That must be it!"
Li Yun nodded rapidly, tears streaming down her face.
"But," Xu Mu added calmly, "this is still circumstantial. It's not hard evidence — but it's enough to get Yingying released safely."
He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow I'll have our group's top lawyer handle your case."
Li Yun looked at him through tear-filled eyes, her heart overwhelmed with emotion.
Then she stepped closer, her voice trembling.
"Xiao Mu…"