Xu Mu was a little surprised. What was this woman looking for him for?
Still, since she'd waved him down, he couldn't just pretend not to see her.
He pulled over. Xiao Ran smiled, opened the back door, and got in.
"Beauty, what's up?"
Through the rear-view mirror, Xu Mu looked at her very pretty face—short hair that strangely suited her features.
"President Xu, right? I want to have a chat," Xiao Ran said, leaning back with a smile.
"You weren't really waiting out here for me to get off work, were you? Since you're close with Wanyue, you could've just come up to find me."
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes. Her voice and breathing weren't quite right—she was injured.
Which made sense. In the plot, Xiao Ran only handled top-tier missions.
She usually helped the Dragon King seek out heavenly materials and earthly treasures to boost his strength.
Competing for those treasures meant facing hidden clans at the pinnacle—and even powerful sects. Walking away unscathed from them wasn't exactly easy.
"I didn't want Wanyue to know. I'm simply curious about President Xu. I've got your file here."
Xiao Ran's smile lingered as she regarded his face in the mirror. "Who would've thought the notorious wastrel is actually an ancient martial artist."
"What ancient martial artist?" Xu Mu asked with a look of confusion.
"Heh. You sensed me behind you without looking, and in an instant moved five meters away. Even someone at late Hidden Force couldn't do that."
Arms folded, Xiao Ran sighed lightly. "You hide yourself well."
Xu Mu was rattled on the inside. As expected of the Dragon King's right hand—she wasn't simple.
Outwardly calm, he said, "I'm not an ancient martial artist. I'm just a physician. To treat illness, I learned a bit of how to use qi."
"Oho, then President Xu is really impressive."
Thumb up, Xiao Ran leaned forward, hugging the passenger seat back, and asked, "So, President Xu, tell me—what's wrong with me?"
"You're not sick—you're injured."
Xu Mu started the car and pulled out slowly. "Your complexion is dusky, and your breathing cadence differs from normal. That's chronic hypoxia throwing your system off. Lately your spirit and sleep have both been bad, haven't they?"
Xiao Ran's smiling face instantly grew solemn, the one visible eye widening like a bronze bell.
"See? You got anxious. Blood pressure rose, pressure building in the lungs. I'd expect a cough about now."
Xu Mu watched her through the mirror. "Let's hope there's no blood. If there is, it means it's serious."
"President Xu, you— cough, cough!"
Right as she spoke, Xiao Ran's body gave in to a fit of coughing.
She quickly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and covered her mouth.
After a dozen coughs, she calmed. She glanced at the blood on the cloth, then closed her hand over it.
She couldn't believe it. What on earth is this man?
How did he know so precisely?
She knew it wasn't Meng Wanyue who told him.
When Wanyue came here on assignment, she hadn't been injured yet.
"No blood, right?" Xu Mu asked with a light smile.
"President Xu, you've got some tricks. Then guess—how did I get hurt?"
"With just a look, that's all I can tell. To probe further, I'd have to take your pulse."
Xu Mu shook his head. "But your boss—he's really not much of a human being."
Xiao Ran's gaze turned cold. "President Xu, mind your words."
"I'm not speaking out of turn. These injuries are obviously old. Your boss didn't let you recover—put you right back to work. This latest wound isn't heavy by itself, but it triggered your previous trauma to flare up together."
He said evenly, "About your boss—am I wrong?"
"My boss saved my life," Xiao Ran said in a low voice.
"A hen on the roadside will get 'saved' too. People call it pity, but really they want the eggs. When the time comes, the whole family gathers—chicken soup."
Xu Mu's tone was flat.
"President Xu, you do have a way with words."
"Just telling the truth. Someone like you—who wouldn't want you? If you were in danger, I'd save you too."
He paused. "I'm almost home. Where are you headed?"
"I'll go to your place too. I want to see Ye Tong and Ye Yu. At this point I can't be bothered to lie: my boss is your wife's younger brother."
She finished and fell into another harsh cough.
Xu Mu said nothing, easing on the gas. He'd figured as much long ago.
Now he was considering whether to pull Xiao Ran into his own camp.
According to the plot, there were still several times she would be gravely wounded before her death.
She was a woman who valued loyalty. If he helped her a few times… maybe she'd choose to stand with him.
—
At the villa, he parked in the garage.
"Ye Yu should be home. My wife will be a bit later."
Xu Mu led Xiao Ran toward the house.
Hands in her coat pockets, she followed behind him into the living room, where Ye Yu was barefoot on the sofa watching TV.
Seeing Xu Mu, she chirped, "Brother-in-law, you're back—…and who's this woman?"
Xiao Ran took in Ye Yu's look and nodded inwardly. Just like Meng Wanyue's report.
When the Dragon King heard Ye Tong had married a wastrel, he worried she'd be bullied and sent Meng Wanyue to investigate.
From Ye Yu's expression, life at the Xu home was clearly good.
"Ye Yu, don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing between me and Xu Mu," Xiao Ran said with a smile. "But I am on good terms with your brother."
"My brother?"
Ye Yu jumped up, a thin figure flashing in her mind. "Brother Ye Chen?"
"That's right."
Xiao Ran nodded.
"He's not dead?"
Ye Yu stared wide-eyed.
"He's alive—and doing just fine."
Xiao Ran sat down on the sofa. "We'll tell you and your sister together when she gets home. Before that… President Xu, could you take a look at my injuries?"
She blinked playfully at him.
"My consultations are expensive," Xu Mu said lightly.
"No problem—I've got money."
"Money's not what I'm after… Forget it, let me check you first."
He sat beside her and took her wrist, feeling the pulse carefully.
Ye Yu was dumbfounded. Her brother-in-law could treat patients too?
What a strange scene… like an ox playing the lute.
Then she remembered—back at the Xu estate, he did seem to know a thing or two about medicine.
Xu Mu's expression turned serious.
Seeing this, Xiao Ran tensed. "President Xu, just say it."
"I need to see the wound," Xu Mu said.
"But my wound is…"
Xiao Ran covered the C-class thunder on her chest.