Xu Mu and Ye Tong sat together at the dining table. Because of the hidden cameras, Ye Tong seemed a little uneasy.
"It's fine. We're just doing what we always do."
Xu Mu smiled reassuringly at her.
[Favorability +10]
Ye Tong nodded softly. Indeed, they hadn't done anything intimate in the living room earlier, nor talked about company matters. That thought helped her relax a little.
After dinner, Ye Tong washed the dishes while Xu Mu went upstairs first. Before long, Ye Tong followed him into the bedroom.
Since her "relative" hadn't left yet, Xu Mu didn't have that sort of thought tonight either. He figured it wouldn't hurt to give himself a small break — even someone with his physique needed to take care of himself sometimes.
The Next Morning
When Xu Mu opened his eyes, Ye Tong was already waking up beside him.
She was about to get up and make breakfast, but Xu Mu stopped her, telling her to rest instead.
[Favorability +20]
Ye Tong was touched. For the first time, she felt she couldn't just stay at home doing nothing — she wanted to help Xu Mu somehow.
A plan had already formed in her mind: she'd go talk to Wang Weiliang, one of the Xu family's senior researchers.
Back in school, her major had been chemical pharmacology, aligning with her family's business. But since the field burned through money fast, when Xu Mu asked her what she wanted to pursue, she had given it up.
Now, with Wang Weiliang working for the Xu family, she decided she'd talk to him — even if she had to start from the bottom again.
Xu Mu made breakfast, ate a portion himself, and left some for Ye Tong before heading out to work.
Not long after he arrived, he received a message from Xu Ningbing, telling him to come to the chairman's office.
Xu Mu went upstairs, knocked, and stepped inside. Aside from Xu Shou and Xu Ningbing, Chen Bei was also there.
"You're here?"
Xu Shou greeted him with a smile.
Xu Ningbing, however, narrowed her eyes slightly. This Xu Mu was getting more and more arrogant.
He had promised to draw her the illustrations of the Heavenly Treasures yesterday — yet he still hadn't delivered. What, was she supposed to beg him for them?
"Mm."
Xu Mu replied briefly and sat down on the sofa.
"About last night," Xu Shou said grimly, "Old Chen already told me everything. That Qian Gang is absolutely shameless, resorting to such vile tricks."
"I didn't have a choice," Chen Bei said with a helpless sigh. "I had to hand over the fake data. Originally, I planned to drag things out for a few days."
"What do you think, Xiao Mu?" Xu Shou asked.
"We shouldn't give them too much time," Xu Mu replied after a pause. "Let's leak some news — say our approval has come through and the product is ready to hit the market. That'll make them panic and rush production."
"Good idea," Xu Shou said, smiling. "Once they hear that, they'll move faster — and that's when they'll make mistakes."
Chen Bei stood up and nodded.
"Understood, Chairman. I know what to do."
Xu Shou waved him off.
After Chen Bei left, Xu Mu took out his phone and played a recording for Xu Shou.
"I paid quite a bit to get this recording," he said. "Chen Bei told you what happened while he was conscious — but this contains what happened after he was unconscious."
Xu Shou and Xu Ningbing listened together. As the conversation between Feng Yue and Qian Gang played, both of their faces darkened.
"And to think he said that to win her over… utterly pathetic."
Xu Shou snorted coldly.
"A simp deserves no pity," Xu Mu said with a lazy shrug. "In the end, he licked and lost everything."
Both Xu Ningbing and Xu Shou exchanged glances — hearing that, they realized Xu Mu's past contact with Feng Yue hadn't been out of infatuation.
Qian Gang had taken a few days off, not coming to work.
Still, having spent decades at the Xu Group, his connections ran deep.
By noon, he received news that the Xu Group's new drug had passed review and would soon hit the market.
If that was true, it wouldn't be long before launch.
Qian Gang hurried downstairs, intending to tell Feng Yue immediately.
But just as he opened his car door in the underground parking lot, someone suddenly grabbed him from behind.
A strong man pressed a knife against his waist.
"Who… who are you?" Qian Gang stammered.
"Get in the passenger seat," the man said with a grin. "My boss wants to see you."
Cold sweat broke out across Qian Gang's back — he'd worked his whole life, but this was the first time something like this had ever happened.
He didn't dare resist and obeyed quietly.
The burly man drove the car straight to a villa belonging to Li Feipeng, the owner of Fengwei Foods.
When Qian Gang saw where they were, he immediately understood who was behind this.
At the stone table in the courtyard, Lin Yan and Li Feipeng were having tea.
"Director Qian," Li Feipeng greeted him with a smile, standing up. "Apologies for bringing you here like this."
"Wasn't the deadline supposed to be a week?" Qian Gang asked, trying to sound calm.
"Last night, with Feng Yue's help, you should've already gotten it, right?" Lin Yan said, rising to his feet.
Qian Gang's pupils shrank.
"How… how did you know that?"
"I didn't," Lin Yan said with a smirk. "But now I do."
He stepped closer, voice low and cold.
"You've got what I want, and you're still holding back? Are you trying to play games with me?"
"I… I thought Feng Yue already gave it to you," Qian Gang stammered. "Didn't you say she was your woman?"
"She is my woman — just not a very obedient one."
Lin Yan pointed at him.
"Hand it over. Do that, and I'll pay you handsomely."
Qian Gang hesitated, then took out his phone and showed them the fake data Feng Yue had edited the night before.
Li Feipeng snatched the phone and grinned as he skimmed through the document, quickly transferring a copy to his own device.
"You can go. Once we make our profit, you'll get your reward."
"What about my blackmail material?" Qian Gang asked nervously.
"Relax," Lin Yan said smoothly. "We're men of our word — we won't leak it."
Qian Gang nodded and left, still pale.
As soon as he was gone, Li Feipeng looked at the file again, excitement flooding his face.
"Mr. Lin, we've struck gold! I'll notify the team to start full-scale production right away!"
"Idiot," Lin Yan snapped. "You're really going to start mass production without testing it first?"
"You're right," Li Feipeng chuckled awkwardly. "We'll make a few test batches first."
"Good."
Lin Yan nodded, a cruel gleam flashing in his eyes.
Once the money started rolling in, he'd finally make his move against the Su family.
And when that time came—Su Yaya, his precious "white moonlight," would surely come crawling back to him in tears.