Xu Mu was sandwiched between two girls holding onto his arms, their walking posture unsteady as they moved.
It seemed like the two of them were deliberately competing — one tried to pull Xu Mu left, the other right.
As his body swayed, his arms inevitably brushed against certain parts of their bodies.
Judging from their height, Ye Yu was slightly shorter than Lu Xueyao.
But from Lei's "professional" perspective, it was exactly the opposite.
Ye Yu was more thunder, Lu Xueyao more rain.
The three of them staggered to the car. Ye Yu let go of Xu Mu first, reaching for the front passenger-side door.
Lu Xueyao quickly reacted and grabbed Ye Yu's arm from behind.
Clearly, she didn't want to give up the front seat. If it were Ye Tong, that'd be another story—after all, she was Xu Mu's legal wife. But since Lu Xueyao considered herself the "second wife," shouldn't her status be higher than Ye Yu's?
"Brother-in-law, look at her!"
Ye Yu immediately called for Xu Mu's help, though her tone was more playful than angry.
Xu Mu rolled his eyes and pressed down on both their heads. "Both of you, sit in the back."
He gently pushed them to the backseat and closed the door.
Hesitating briefly, Xu Mu decided to follow what Feng Yue had done before and drove the car down into the underground parking lot nearby.
He felt it was best to talk things through clearly—especially with Ye Yu.
He needed someone like Lu Xueyao, so he definitely wasn't going to drive her away just because Ye Yu didn't like it.
Once inside the underground garage, Xu Mu parked the car in a quiet corner.
His Cadillac was a seven-seater, and the two were seated in the second row earlier.
Before getting out, Xu Mu looked back and said, "Sit in the third row."
He then got out and walked to the rear.
To his mild surprise, the two girls had synchronously left a space in the center. So Xu Mu sat between them.
He pressed the car key to lock the doors. With the vehicle lights off and privacy glass blocking outside light, the interior fell into complete darkness.
Such close darkness always had a way of stirring other thoughts.
Both Lu Xueyao and Ye Yu's breathing grew rapid, their faces flushed red.
"Alright, Xiao Yu, you asked Xueyao to come along. You probably have something to say, right?" Xu Mu crossed his arms, glancing at Ye Yu.
"That's right! Lu Xueyao, stay away from my brother-in-law. What you're doing is totally improper! Got it?"
Ye Yu puffed angrily at Lu Xueyao.
"I get it. But I won't leave. Brother Xu gave me a second life. I'll follow him for the rest of mine," Lu Xueyao said, already having guessed Ye Yu's intention along the way.
"Brother-in-law!"
Ye Yu clung onto Xu Mu's arm and shook it.
"Ahem! Xueyao, Xiaoyu is right. I'm already married..."
"I don't care!"
Lu Xueyao cut him off immediately.
"You're still young."
"I'm an adult!"
She gripped Xu Mu's hand tightly, lowering her head as tears dripped onto his hand. "Brother Xu, please don't push me away. I don't need a title, and I won't ruin your family. I just want to see you from time to time. That's enough to make me happy."
Xu Mu froze, unsure what to say.
But thinking about Xueyao's life—her father dying young, mother remarrying, gaining a new family, the closest person turning into a stranger—it was easy to see the scars left behind.
Raised by her grandmother, bullied in school for years, then cheated by some punk who nearly took advantage of her…
A pitiful girl deeply craving safety.
Xu Mu had become the sole light in her otherwise dark world.
Ye Yu frowned, feeling sympathy and discomfort. This woman was too humble. She could never bring herself that low.
"Xueyao, I won't chase you away," Xu Mu said, patting her head.
[Favorability +30]
Relieved, Lu Xueyao leaned her delicate face on Xu Mu's shoulder.
Xu Mu turned to Ye Yu. "She's still young. Maybe one day she'll meet someone better."
"I won't. Brother Xu, you're the only one for me," said Xueyao softly.
Xu Mu rolled his eyes. Could she not hear he was giving her an excuse?
He put an arm around Ye Yu's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything to your sister."
"I know my sister well. She won't mind. But me—I'm different! I'll protect my brother-in-law's body!"
Ye Yu clung tighter and glared coldly at Lu Xueyao. "I'll allow you to hang around, but don't overstep."
Lu Xueyao frowned. "Your sister and Brother Xu don't mind. Why should you? You're not his wife."
"Well, well! Look at you showing your true colors! Trying to fool my brother-in-law into leaving my sister, huh?"
Ye Yu sneered. "No way! I won't allow you to cling to him anymore!"
"That's none of your business."
As she spoke, Lu Xueyao leaned over and kissed Xu Mu's cheek.
"You—!"
Ye Yu trembled, pointing at Xueyao, then spat slightly on her own palm and wiped Xu Mu's face. "Dirty! My brother-in-law's dirty now!"
"What the hell! That's gross!" Xu Mu grabbed her hand.
"So you think I'm gross? Her kisses smell sweet, mine stink, huh?"
Ye Yu puffed up even more.
"No, that's not what I meant."
Xu Mu sighed helplessly, feeling like he was dealing with kids.
"Then I'll do it too!"
And she pecked Xu Mu's other cheek.
Xu Mu froze. Ye Yu, who used to resent him so much, had suddenly kissed him. It was bewildering.
Even Ye Yu herself didn't know why she did that. Face burning, she lowered her head and muttered, "You'd better think carefully. My sister and I—we're not the same person. There's only one of her."
"I know. You're all my wings."
Xu Mu hadn't meant to say something so corny, but it happened to sound perfect.
To Ye Yu, he meant her and her sister.
To Lu Xueyao, he meant her and Ye Yu.
[Favorability +10]
[Favorability +20]
Xu Mu decided he needed to talk to Ye Tong. She was his wife, and her kind nature made him unwilling to deceive her.
…
After resolving the issue between Ye Yu and Lu Xueyao, Xu Mu drove them home.
By the time he dropped Ye Yu off at the villa, it was noon.
He didn't go back to the company immediately. Since it was lunchtime, he decided to make her a quick bowl of noodles.
"Ye Yu, it's noon. I'll make you some noodles."
He entered the kitchen, relying purely on muscle memory, and cooked two bowls.
They sat across from each other at the table. Ye Yu's face was bright red the whole time, not even sure why she had acted that way earlier.
Why had she done something so embarrassing?
"Does it taste good?" Xu Mu asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes." Ye Yu nodded quickly, then changed the subject. "Brother-in-law, since I finally have a few days off, I want to go somewhere with my sister."
Xu Mu nodded. "Alright. Where do you want to go? I'll come with you both."
"I'll talk to her tonight when she gets home," Ye Yu said with a smile.
…
After eating, Xu Mu drove to the company.
As he approached the gate, he sensed Meng Wanyue walking toward it.
Xu Mu's face stiffened. What was Meng Wanyue up to?
Even though he trusted her, he decided to follow.
Meng Wanyue walked out of the company entrance.
Her posture was as elegant as ever, wearing a pure black trench coat and heeled boots.
Under her arm was a freshly printed folder, clearly on urgent business.
Xu Mu frowned, keeping his distance as he quietly followed.
She didn't seem to notice and walked straight toward the commercial street nearby.
Soon, Meng Wanyue entered a high-end café.
Xu Mu parked his car some distance away, then ordered a coffee himself and sat where he could observe her through the glass.
Not long after, another man arrived.
He looked around forty, with an academic air—glasses, a calm smile, and a conservative gray suit.
He sat across from Meng Wanyue. The two shook hands politely and began talking.
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes slightly.
Through his heightened senses, he could roughly catch their conversation.
"President Meng, thank you again for agreeing to the university's cooperation plan."
The man spoke with deference, clearly treating her with respect.
"It's my duty. The corporation has always valued research cooperation," Meng Wanyue replied with a professional smile.
They discussed project timelines, funding, and lab resources. Everything sounded legitimate, with nothing suspicious at first glance.
Still, Xu Mu didn't relax his guard.
After all, since that incident with the pharmaceutical research unit, he'd learned not to trust appearances too easily.
As he watched, he noticed Meng Wanyue occasionally check her phone—her expression unreadable.
Her calm exterior didn't conceal the faint tension in her eyes.
Half an hour later, the man left. Meng Wanyue sat for a bit longer before standing up slowly and walking toward the exit.
Xu Mu didn't follow this time.
Instead, he finished his coffee and decided to wait by the company entrance.
When Meng Wanyue returned, she seemed distracted, not noticing Xu Mu standing at the elevator.
"Out for business?" he asked evenly.
Meng Wanyue paused briefly, then nodded. "Yes. I went to finalize the university collaboration."
Xu Mu looked into her eyes. Her tone was steady; if she was lying, she was very good at hiding it.
"I see," Xu Mu said at last. He didn't push further and stepped into the elevator beside her.
The ride up was silent save for the soft mechanical hum.
Only when the elevator doors opened on the executive floor did Meng Wanyue speak again.
"Director Xu, are you doubting me?"
Xu Mu turned to her. "No. But even if I did, I'd tell you straight."
A faint smile curved her lips. "Good. Then I'll take that as trust."
She walked off, heels echoing lightly down the polished corridor.
Xu Mu breathed out slowly.
Something about that meeting still didn't sit right with him—but he wasn't ready to confront her. Not yet.
He turned toward his office, phone buzzing just then. It was a message from Ye Tong.
"Mu, are you free tonight?"
He stared at the message for a moment, then smiled faintly and typed back, "Always."
He slipped the phone away, sitting at his desk. The weight pressing on his chest eased slightly.
For now, the chaos with Ye Yu and Lu Xueyao had settled, but deeper issues still lingered ahead.
As Xu Mu looked out the floor-to-ceiling window, the cityscape shimmered under the midday sun.
For all his strength and calm, a quiet thought drifted through his mind:
Sometimes, the hardest fate to manage isn't the world's—it's the heart's.