Xu Mu originally wanted to hang up right away, but after a moment's hesitation, he decided to answer—to see what this woman wanted.
"What is it?" he asked flatly after picking up.
"Brother Xu, do you have time right now?"
Feng Yue's voice still carried a trace of that alluring tone, but compared to before, it had lost much of its former seductive charm.
"I'm busy," Xu Mu replied curtly.
"I'm already outside the Xu Group building," came her reply.
Hearing that, Xu Mu decided to continue the conversation. At least she had the sense to come in person—someone of her low status had to take the initiative if she wanted to meet him.
"Fine. Wait a bit. I'll come down after I finish lunch."
He ended the call.
"President Xu, who was that?" Meng Wanyue asked from across the table.
"The bar owner where I told you to install the listening device," Xu Mu said with a faint smile. "Ignore her—we'll eat first."
Not every so-called "female lead" was worth building Favorability with.
Take Feng Yue for instance—an illegitimate daughter of the Feng family, whose purpose in coming to Jiang City was likely to bring down the Xu family.
As an enemy, why should Xu Mu bother raising her Favorability?It wasn't like she was irreplaceable.
Right now, he had stable sources of Fate Points through people like Ye Tong and Lu Xueyao.
After lunch, Xu Mu even spent half an hour in the restroom before lazily heading downstairs to the building's entrance.
In a sense, he was setting an example for the "old villain Xu Mu"—showing what it really meant to be a man.
A bootlicker never gets the girl. Bootlickers only lick… crap.
He stood outside for about ten seconds when a black Porsche Cayenne stopped in the distance. A woman stepped out.
She wore a black overcoat, a mask, and oversized sunglasses.But from the sway of her hips and the curve of her stride, Xu Mu recognized her instantly.
It was Feng Yue.
"Brother Xu, you really made me wait," she said softly as she approached.
"The company's been busy lately. The fact I'm making time to see you at all is already giving you a lot of face."
Hands in his pockets, Xu Mu's tone was cool. "What do you want?"
"Can we talk in the car?" she asked, nodding toward the Cayenne.
Xu Mu extended his perception briefly—no one else was inside. He nodded slightly.
Once they were seated in the car, Feng Yue smiled faintly. "Brother Xu, are you really that disgusted with me—sitting in the back seat by yourself?"
"More or less," Xu Mu replied calmly.
Feng Yue didn't get angry like she used to. She started the car and drove off, soon pulling into a dimly lit underground parking lot, stopping in a shadowed corner.
She moved to the back seat, took out her keys, and locked the doors.
Now, there wasn't another soul around. No one would notice them here.
When Feng Yue removed her mask and glasses, even beneath the makeup Xu Mu immediately noticed the bruises on her face.
"Who hit you?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Lin Yan."
The moment she said it, tears welled in her eyes. "Brother Xu, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Xu Mu asked coolly.
"I've done a lot of things I shouldn't have—worst of all, I worked with Lin Yan to target you."
Feng Yue took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "You were always so good to me…"
"Stop. I don't have time for your sob story. Just say what you came for—then drive me back to the company."
Xu Mu glanced at her impatiently.
"Brother Xu, I just feel like… you've been distant with me lately," she said softly. Something about his gaze felt unfamiliar, colder.
"You want to know why?" Xu Mu asked.
She nodded slightly.
"The reason's simple. I met someone more beautiful than you, gentler than you—someone whose eyes are only for me."
His tone remained indifferent. "You know what? Compared to her, you're nothing. I only regret being blind—wasting so much time and money on you."
Feng Yue's tears overflowed again.Of course. Xu Mu wasn't a fool. He knew exactly who truly cared about him.
"Drive me back. I'm not in the mood to listen to your drama," Xu Mu said. "You can go cry to your other sugar daddies—like Qian Gang. Old men are good at pretending to care."
Feng Yue froze, recalling the video recording Lin Yan had shown her—where Xu Mu himself had mentioned her and Qian Gang.
Clearly, he already knew that she'd once told Qian Gang at a restaurant that she'd "spend a few nights" with him once their deal succeeded.
"Brother Xu, you've misunderstood me," she said, her voice trembling. "I admit I've used many men, but I've never actually let them succeed."
She looked at him meaningfully. "You should know that best."
"Why tell me this? Whether you slept with them or not—what does that have to do with me?"
Xu Mu frowned. "These days, anything can be faked. A quick restoration surgery doesn't cost much."
"…Fine, Xu Shao. I'll take you back then."
Feng Yue dabbed her tears with a handkerchief, got out, and sat in the driver's seat.
She started the car and drove out of the parking lot.
Once they were outside, she spoke again."Lin Yan already has all the data from your Xu Group's weight-loss formula. He's begun full-scale production."
Xu Mu leaned back in the rear seat, legs crossed, staring out the window silently.
"I think you should tell your father right away," she continued. "Push to launch your drug within the next few days—get it to market first."
Through the rearview mirror, she glanced at him.
"I know you're not interested in company affairs, but I'm not trying to harm you—I'm trying to help you."
Xu Mu chuckled coldly. "The weight-loss formula you and Qian Gang tricked out of Chen Bei—and now you're saying you're helping me? Feng Yue, doesn't that sound a little contradictory?"
He tapped the door lightly. "Stop the car. We're close enough—I'll walk back."
"Xu Mu, if you don't listen to me, you'll regret it. I am trying to help you!" she said coldly, pulling to the side of the road.
Xu Mu sneered, opened the door, and stepped out.
Regret?We'll see who regrets it once they realize they're mass-producing a fake formula.
As she watched him leave, Feng Yue clenched her fists in fury."Xu Mu, you really are brain-dead. Whoever marries you someday will die of anger!"
She slammed the accelerator, and the car shot forward.
Back at the company, Xu Mu called Zhou Henning, asking him to introduce some celebrity candidates.
Zhou told him he was currently performing in Yang City, up in Jiangbei.
If Xu Mu didn't mind the trip, he could come find him today; otherwise, Zhou would come to Jiang City after finishing—though that'd be later tonight.
Xu Mu didn't hesitate. Out of respect for his seniority, he decided to go meet him personally.
He brought Meng Wanyue along, and they drove to Yang City.
Jiang City was the capital of Jiangbei Province, but economically, it ranked second.Yang City was the strongest city in the province.
The Xu Group had originally risen in Jiang City before expanding to Yang City, where they'd built much of their empire.
When they had supported the Ye family, most of that cooperation had been based in Yang City. But after the Ye family's downfall, many of those businesses collapsed.
Only one struggling branch remained—rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy.
Meng Wanyue focused on driving, passing car after car on the highway.
Suddenly, a red Ferrari shot out from the left, pulling up beside their Cadillac Escalade.
The passenger window rolled down, revealing a young man with dyed hair and an earring, who promptly flipped them off.Even without hearing him, his mouth shape made it obvious he was cursing.
Then the Ferrari swerved ahead of them and began brake-checking—tapping the brakes repeatedly to provoke her.
"What's going on?" Xu Mu frowned, finally noticing after Meng Wanyue hit the brakes sharply.