Li Yun walked up to Xu Mu and suddenly knelt before him.
"Xiao Mu, thank you. What you've done for us is like giving us a second life."
"Get up, quickly."
Xu Mu hurriedly helped her up. "Helping you is the right thing to do — we're family."
Only then did Li Yun rise to her feet, though tears still glistened in her eyes.
"Alright," Xu Mu said as he guided her to sit beside him, "Sister Yun, you probably already know who's behind all this."
"I've guessed as much," she said, her tone turning icy. "When you don't know who's guilty, look at who stands to gain."
Her gaze sharpened. "It's Fang Chu."
"Exactly. Who else could it be? What kind of 'brother' would ever hand over a beauty like you for free?"
Xu Mu's tone was calm but edged with sarcasm.
[Favorability +10]
Li Yun glanced at him shyly. "I'm just an old woman…"
Xu Mu chuckled. "With skin that smooth and firm, you still call yourself old?"
Her cheeks flamed red just as her phone began to ring.
She took one look at the screen — her eyes instantly turned cold.
"That bastard Fang Chu!"
Before, she had only disliked him — his petty schemes, his underhanded attempts to slander the Xu family's company.
But now?
He had been willing to sacrifice Zhao Yingying's freedom just to threaten her.
Disgust had turned to hatred.
"I'm blocking him. I don't even want to see his name."
She was about to hang up, but Xu Mu stopped her.
"Don't. A man like Fang Chu won't give up that easily. If you hang up, he might come here in person."
Li Yun hesitated, then nodded and answered.
"Auntie, what's wrong with you? Have you given up already — planning to let Yingying go to jail?"
Fang Chu's voice dripped with fake sympathy. "Sigh! I understand, really. It's a matter of a woman's honor… sigh!"
Xu Mu leaned over and said into the phone,
"You know, I heard men who sigh too often can't have children."
"What the hell—!? Who are you!? Xu Mu!?" Fang Chu's voice instantly shot up an octave.
"That's right," Xu Mu said evenly.
"Where's Li Yun? Why do you have her phone?"
"She went to the bathroom," Xu Mu replied calmly. "I saw your name and answered for her. Why? Got a problem?"
"What are you doing with her? What's going on between you two?" Fang Chu's tone grew darker.
Xu Mu's reply was sharp and cold.
"We're discussing why you're such a shameless scumbag. What did Yingying ever do to you for you to go after her like that?"
"Y-you're full of crap! Stop trying to stir up trouble between us!"
Fang Chu's voice trembled with rage.
Li Yun suddenly spoke, her tone full of contempt.
"Fang Chu, we already have evidence. My daughter is fine now. I've got work to do — goodbye."
She hung up, immediately blocked his number, and exhaled sharply.
"Even hearing that man's voice makes me sick."
Back Home
After saying goodbye to Li Yun, Xu Mu finally returned home.
It had been a long, exhausting day — but at least Zhao Yingying's trouble was resolved.
When he stepped inside, he found Feng Yue sitting comfortably on the sofa, chatting with Ye Yu, as if it were her own house.
"Brother-in-law, you're back?" Ye Yu greeted him cheerfully.
Xu Mu nodded slightly.
"The master chef's home?" Feng Yue teased with a grin. "I was planning to freeload a meal off you, but you look busy — guess I'll have to settle for the lady of the house's cooking."
"Almost done, hubby!" Ye Tong's voice called from the kitchen.
"Mm."
Xu Mu leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, relaxing.
Ye Tong, Feng Yue, and Li Yun — three women, each with their own unique charm.
If he had to pick who was the best or worst, he couldn't.
But if he had to choose one, it would still be Ye Tong.
In the end, a lifelong partner wasn't just about passion — it was about the kind of person they were.
Watching Ye Tong emerge from the kitchen with a warm smile and a tray of food, Xu Mu knew his choice had been right.
Dinner
The four sat around the table.
Ye Yu immediately placed food in Xu Mu's bowl.
"Brother-in-law, eat!"
"Thanks."
Xu Mu smiled, lowering his head to take a bite.
"Mmm, delicious. It tastes even better than yesterday's."
Feng Yue laughed. "You hear that, Sister Tong?"
"Oh, stop teasing me," Ye Tong replied, smiling bashfully. "I'm nowhere near my husband's level."
"Coming over for dinner and now comparing skills? Maybe you shouldn't come next time," Xu Mu said teasingly.
"You've got me wrong — I didn't even plan to come!" Feng Yue grinned.
"Hubby, I invited her," Ye Tong explained. "Cooking for one more person isn't any trouble."
She was already making her move — she knew Feng Yue was single, a neighbor, and… conveniently nearby.
Perfect.
Besides, judging from her figure, she looked sturdy enough to "handle" a little more.
Ye Tong's long-term plan was already in motion.
After dinner, Feng Yue was about to leave, but Ye Tong caught her hand.
"Stay and watch some TV with me."
They were neighbors, after all — just a few steps apart.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu sat on the sofa, opening his system interface.
He remembered that morning's ten-draw — he hadn't even had time to allocate his points before Li Yun's call.
Now, with two more ten-draws available, it was time to use them all.
But first, he took out the Grade-2 Pill, "Ear Spirit Pill," that he'd drawn earlier.
He already understood its effects clearly — a truly useful medicine.
In simple terms, it could treat tinnitus and deafness.
Normally, as people age, hearing loss is inevitable and irreversible — modern medicine can only rely on hearing aids.
But this pill could completely cure it.
Even congenital tinnitus — that faint "buzzing" or "cicada sound" some young people hear in silence — could be healed.
Severe cases often disrupted sleep.
This pill could fix that too.
Xu Mu placed it in his mouth, closing his eyes to analyze its composition — and instantly understood how to make it.
It required only two Grade-1 spiritual herbs, not particularly rare, meaning it could be mass-produced.
But unlike the weight-loss pills, this one wasn't for the masses — it would have to follow a high-end route.
He smiled and continued drawing.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining 20 Cultivation Points.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining an Earth-Grade Technique — Concealment Barrier.]
Xu Mu's eyes widened.
Another Earth-Grade technique — though judging from the name, this one wasn't meant for combat.