This time, Xu Mu didn't park in the underground garage but in a spot outside the company.
His Divine Eye perception now extended to two hundred meters, and with his current cultivation level, tailing Meng Wanyue was an easy task.
When he sensed her leaving through the company gate, he immediately got out and followed.
Meng Wanyue walked eastward along the street and eventually entered a park.
Through his perception, Xu Mu saw her sitting alone on a bench beneath a pavilion—clearly waiting for someone.
Xu Mu's eyes narrowed. A bad thought flashed across his mind: Could it be that Meng Wanyue had been pretending all along?
But he quickly shook his head. Her Favorability toward him was real.
He moved closer, hiding behind a small grove, where he could watch her through gaps in the trees. He didn't plan to call out—he would simply wait to see whom she was meeting.
"Handsome, what are you looking at?"
A slender, elegant hand suddenly reached toward his shoulder from behind.
Just as the hand was about to touch him, Xu Mu twisted aside in an instant, reappearing five meters away.
"Oh? Not bad at all."
The woman—a short-haired beauty in a black coat—regarded him with wary eyes.
Xu Mu looked back at her. She had a chic short cut, the left side of her hair partially covering one eye.
Around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, about 1.7 meters tall—her aura suggested a C-rank martial level, roughly equal to Ye Tong's.
Despite the "one-eye-covered" hairstyle, there wasn't a trace of cheapness about her. Perhaps it was because she was simply too beautiful.
Hands tucked casually in her coat pockets, she stood studying Xu Mu.
Xu Mu activated his Divine Eye—someone who could approach him silently like that was definitely no ordinary person.
Name: Xiao Ran
Identity: Assassin; female lead of The Dragon King's Return
Favorability: -5
Destiny Level: 5 (out of 10)
The information shocked Xu Mu—it was actually her, Xiao Ran!
She was the Dragon King's right-hand woman, one of his most powerful subordinates. Her Fate Level was low only because, in the mid-story arc, she died saving the Dragon King.
In The Dragon King's Return, the Dragon King came back from exile and crushed everything in his path—gods, demons, or men. But in the middle of his campaign, he suffered his greatest defeat. If not for Xiao Ran's sacrifice, the Dragon King would have perished.
Seeing this woman, Xu Mu realized he had misunderstood Meng Wanyue. Clearly, Xiao Ran had summoned her here.
"President Xu! Sister Ran!"
Meng Wanyue jogged over, eyes flicking between them.
"Well, if it isn't my dear Wanyue—you've changed! Only a few days, and you've grown even prettier."
Xiao Ran smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Where? You're still more beautiful, Sister Ran," Meng Wanyue said shyly.
"And who's this?" Xiao Ran looked at Xu Mu.
"Oh, this is Xu Mu from the Xu Group—I've mentioned him before," Meng Wanyue explained.
"So the Dragon King's elder sister's husband is you." Xiao Ran gave Xu Mu a cool glance.
"Dragon King? What Dragon King?" Xu Mu frowned, pretending not to understand.
Cold sweat ran down Meng Wanyue's back—she hadn't realized her slip earlier. If Xu Mu had confirmed it, it would have meant she'd leaked classified information—an offense punishable by death.
"Hm? Wanyue, you didn't tell him?" Xiao Ran teased, pinching her cheek.
"I'd never leak a mission given by the Dragon King himself," Meng Wanyue replied quickly.
"Good. The Dragon King was right to send you to protect his most precious family." Xiao Ran smiled, then turned back to Xu Mu, studying him closely.
"Sister Ran, can we tell President Xu about this?" Meng Wanyue asked hesitantly.
"It's fine," Xiao Ran said. "The Dragon King has already returned to the country in secret. In a few days, he'll probably come to meet you."
Then she smiled lightly. "Handsome, Wanyue and I haven't seen each other in ages. Mind if we talk privately for a bit?"
"Of course. Wanyue, I'll head back first," Xu Mu said, waving to her before leaving.
He hadn't expected the Dragon King to return so soon. Still, for now, when the Dragon King came home, he'd see a harmonious family—not a hostile one. That meant Xu Mu still had time to strengthen himself.
Leaving the park, Xu Mu considered keeping watch from afar, but thought better of it. He wouldn't be able to hear what they said anyway—might as well go back.
When he returned to the office, Xu Mu sat in his chair, thinking. The Dragon King's way of building a power network wasn't bad. He himself had the Fate System—perhaps it was time to start cultivating strong allies of his own.
An hour later, there was a knock on the door. Xu Mu's perception confirmed it was Meng Wanyue.
"Come in," he said.
Meng Wanyue entered softly. "President Xu…"
"Wanyue," Xu Mu interrupted, "I owe you an apology. When I saw you leaving alone, I guessed you were meeting one of the Dragon King's people—so I followed you."
[Favorability +5]
"It's fine," Meng Wanyue said gently. "You were just worried for my safety."
"But that was dangerous. Xiao Ran was even testing you," Xu Mu said, guiding her to sit on the sofa.
Meng Wanyue froze—thinking back, he was right. Working under the Dragon King required constant vigilance; being here with Xu Mu felt much easier.
But that thought made her eyes grow misty.
Seeing this, Xu Mu quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Wanyue, what's wrong?"
"President Xu… I might have to leave you soon."Tears welled up as she clenched her fists. "Sister Ran said that once the Dragon King returns, my mission here will be over. I might be reassigned elsewhere. Maybe… we'll never see each other again…"
"Wanyue!"
Xu Mu pulled her into an embrace. "As long as your heart stays with me, I'll find a way to keep you here!"
"Really?" She looked up, eyes shimmering like a hurt kitten's.
"Hahaha! Of course!" Xu Mu chuckled, lightly flicking her nose. "Think about it—you're close to Ye Tong, the Dragon King's sister. One word from her, and you'll never have to leave."
Her eyes lit up. "Right… that's true."
"Of course, I have other methods too," Xu Mu said confidently.
At this rate, catching up to the Dragon King was only a matter of time. When that day came, if Meng Wanyue chose to follow him—how could the Dragon King refuse?
Looking at her tearful but trusting face, Xu Mu felt a quiet satisfaction. Her reaction told him everything—when forced to choose between him and the Dragon King, she had chosen him.
Smiling faintly, Xu Mu decided to add a little more fuel to the fire—by revealing the Profound-Rank technique he had just acquired.