Xu Mu patted Meng Wanyue on the shoulder. "Wanyue, you've had a long day. Rest here tonight."
"Alright."
Meng Wanyue nodded lightly.
"You two, come with me."
Xu Mu glanced at Ye Tong and Ye Yu, then turned toward the room across the hall.
The sisters looked at each other, faces flushed.
Heads lowered like convicts about to receive punishment, they followed behind Xu Mu.
Meng Wanyue watched the three of them head into the opposite room.
She stood by the door for a long while.
She didn't quite know why, but part of her wanted to join them.
She was envious—envious of Ye Tong and Ye Yu.
She suddenly recalled the time she and Ye Tong got drunk and Xu Mu helped her home.
A thought surfaced in her heart: if only Xu Mu had gotten handsy with her back then…
Their relationship might have taken a step forward.
Xu Mu sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard.
Looking at the two women before him, he said coolly, "Tonight you're both my handmaids. Help the master relax."
They accepted the bet's consequences without complaint and stepped forward.
Xu Mu rested his head on Ye Tong's lap; she gently pressed a few acupoints on his face.
Ye Yu knelt by his side and massaged his legs.
"That's right—just like that."
Xu Mu closed his eyes and stretched lazily, utterly at ease.
After walking so much with them today, he deserved a bit of relaxation.
Ye Yu puffed her cheeks. She had imagined… other tasks, but ended up doing the hard work.
Then again, with her Sister right there, no matter how bold her Brother-in-law might be, he wouldn't dare go too far.
"Alright, give your hands a break—step on my back."
Feeling it was about time, Xu Mu rolled off Ye Tong's lap and lay prone.
"I… I haven't washed my feet," Ye Tong murmured.
"It's fine. I don't mind. Didn't they say Maotai is brewed on a mash trodden by maidens' feet?" Xu Mu joked.
[Favorability +20]
A spark of delight flickered in Ye Tong's heart—so in his eyes, she was still a maiden.
"Sis! I'm doing it too!"
Ye Yu slipped off her socks. Four little feet landed on Xu Mu's back.
Unsteady at first, the sisters held onto each other to keep their balance.
Ye Yu felt a strange sense of wonder—she'd finally fulfilled that old wish of "stepping Brother-in-law underfoot."
After a while, Xu Mu sent Ye Yu back to rest; it was time to get down to "serious business" here.
Ye Yu pouted. Of course she knew what those two were about to do.
"Sis, keep it down later, okay? Don't disturb the neighbors," Ye Yu said before leaving.
Ye Tong dove under the covers in mortified embarrassment.
"The troublesome one's finally gone. Your task begins now," Xu Mu said, looking at Ye Tong. "Tie your hair into twin ponytails."
"H-honey, at my age…"
"What about your age? A bet's a bet—you lost."
He cut her off. Truth be told, he'd wanted to try this for a while.
Ye Tong had that fresh, refined look with a hint of mature grace—
the kind of face that could switch between big-sister charm and little-sister cuteness.
But she usually dressed prim and proper, leaning mature.
Tonight he wanted a different style.
Ye Tong's face was as red as a cooked crab, but a bet was a bet.
She could only comply.
When Xu Mu saw Ye Tong with twin ponytails, his eyes lit up at once—
hairstyles do work wonders.
As she was now, one could mistake her for a first-year college student.
"Ugh, don't wanna move—I'm exhausted today," Xu Mu said, spreading his arms and lying back, moving from the "Realm of Supreme Ease" into the "Realm of Wood."
Ye Tong knew exactly what he meant.
Thinking of how he had stood up for her at the ancient town earlier, she decisively set off on the "journey."
Xu Mu loved music; if he were to describe twin ponytails, he'd call them dancing musical notes.
Early the next morning.
Xu Mu woke early and checked his Fate Points—already over two thousand.
Just as he was about to roll the lottery, a message came in.
It was from Feng Yue: only a few words—"I'm willing to follow you."
Xu Mu set the phone aside.
Her reply didn't surprise him.
Even among ordinary women, keeping one's first time into the late twenties is already rare—
let alone someone as beautiful as Feng Yue, who'd long walked the knife's edge.
That she'd held out this long meant only one thing:
she valued herself and wouldn't sell her body unless absolutely necessary.
If she was ready to sell it now, it meant she had reached the point of no return.
At that very moment, Xu Mu had displayed his strength,
and the Xu family had made a strong return to Yang City with a weight-loss drug.
She'd have to be a fool not to choose him—especially since they'd already shared a night.
"Let's draw first."
He murmured to himself. He hadn't expected Feng Kang's first wife to be from a secluded clan—
though he still didn't know whether it was a Yang City hidden clan.
He tapped the wheel and started a ten-draws. The roulette lit up and spun.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained 30 cultivation points.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained 20 attribute points.]
…
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained a Grade-One Yang Vitality Pill.]
Xu Mu frowned—another pill.
Still, a first-grade pill shouldn't be anything too precious.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained 20 attribute points.]
…
Soon, the first ten-draws finished.
Mostly minimum guarantees—only one Yang Vitality Pill.
He checked its effects—and his eyes brightened. It replenished yang energy.
Indications: kidney-yang deficiency leading to sore waist and knees, fatigue, impotence, and premature ejaculation.
Immediate effect upon use, with no side effects.
Long-term use strengthens the body.
This would sell like crazy. The market had plenty of similar medicines:
the ones that worked had side effects, and the ones without side effects barely worked.
Of course, there was a premise: no "heavenly materials and earthly treasures," otherwise mass production would be hard.
Glancing at the still-sleeping Ye Tong, Xu Mu opened his storage space.
When he took out the Yang Vitality Pill, he also noticed a Beauty Pill inside.
Come to think of it, that Beauty Pill could be mass-produced too.
He put the Yang Vitality Pill in his mouth. With his Pharmaceutical Mastery,
the ingredients and processing methods surfaced in his mind.
He nodded inwardly—feasible.
No rare spiritual ingredients required. Looks like most Grade-One pills use ordinary Chinese herbs.
An idea flashed: division of labor.
He'd hand the Beauty Pill to Feng Yue to handle production—as his hidden dagger.
As for the Yang Vitality Pill, the Xu family would manufacture it themselves.
"Crap!"
Lost in thought, Xu Mu realized the pill had melted on his tongue.
He'd been thinking so hard he forgot to spit it out.
A surge of heat gathered below his waist.
"Honey, you're awake," Ye Tong mumbled sleepily.
She'd walked just as much yesterday, and then served Xu Mu last night—she was exhausted and usually would have woken earlier.
"Sorry, Wife," Xu Mu said solemnly.
"Huh?"
Ye Tong froze—then wanted to scream for help.
Meng Wanyue, Ye Yu—come save me!
…