Still, one thing about the situation surprised Xu Mu.
This kind of woman standing before him — he was encountering for the first time. Though a stranger, her Favorability was as high as twenty points.
Zhou Xia walked up to the two men, smiling as she studied Xu Mu.
From afar she had already noticed him — tall, well-built, radiating power.
"Are you new around here?" Zhou Xia asked with a soft smile.
"No, my buddy's the one moving in," Xu Mu said, pointing at Chen Xuan.
As expected of the protagonist, he always seemed to attract these strange women.
"Hello, miss. I'll be living here from now on," Chen Xuan said politely.
Zhou Xia turned to him — he looked rather delicate and refined. Not as striking as Xu Mu in her eyes, but still decent.
"I see. My name's Zhou Xia. We can get to know each other better in the future," she said before turning around and walking toward her house next door.
As she walked, her hips swayed deliberately, rippling with every step.
Carrying his woven bag, Chen Xuan muttered to Xu Mu, "Brother Mu, that woman's not ordinary."
"Oh? You can tell?" Xu Mu asked, a little surprised.
"My master used to say, if a woman's aura surpasses her looks, she's definitely not simple," Chen Xuan explained quietly. "That woman's appearance is average, but she carries a strange charm."
"What do you think she is?" Xu Mu asked with a grin.
"Maybe… a giggle-da."
"Damn! Old Chen, you sure know your stuff." Xu Mu gave him a thumbs-up. His guess wasn't far off at all.
A woman from the Yin–Yang Sect, after all, was exactly that kind of person.
After waiting for a bit, a middle-aged woman with permed hair arrived on an electric scooter.
She stopped in front of the house with a smile. "You must be Mr. Xu?"
"That's me," Xu Mu replied, stepping forward.
"Hello, I'm the landlord here. My son just had a baby in the city, so we're going there to help. The house will be empty for a while," she said, unlocking the door. "Come take a look — it's fully furnished and ready to move in."
She looked genuinely pleased. She had quoted a high price, expecting a haggle, but they'd agreed immediately.
Xu Mu and Chen Xuan went inside. The place was cozy and tidy.
"Auntie," Xu Mu asked casually, "our neighbor next door — that woman's renting too, right?"
"You mean Zhou Xia? She moved in about a month ago. The neighbors say she stays home during the day and goes out at night," the landlord whispered. "Probably not a decent woman. You two be careful."
"Don't worry, Auntie, we both have families," Xu Mu said with a polite smile.
The landlord left soon after, riding off on her scooter.
Sitting on the sofa, Xu Mu said, "Old Chen, that woman across the way is a martial artist."
"What?" Chen Xuan froze. "If she's a martial artist, then I was wrong earlier — she wouldn't do that sort of thing."
"Not necessarily. Have you heard of the Yin–Yang Sect?"
Xu Mu decided to warn him. Chen Xuan was young and impulsive — a little flirting from that kind of woman could ruin him.
"I've heard of it," Chen Xuan nodded. "My master said it's an evil sect that hides well — even the Cleaners have them on their wanted list."
"You think she's from the Yin–Yang Sect?"
"Just a guess," Xu Mu replied with a faint smile. "Anyway, settle in. There are blankets — you can rest right away."
"Alright."
Chen Xuan carried his woven bag into the bedroom.
Xu Mu, meanwhile, extended his spiritual sense to observe Zhou Xia next door.
Now that his perception had improved, he could even pick up sounds at this distance.
…
Zhou Xia was sitting on her sofa, scrolling through her phone.
After watching her for a while, Xu Mu confirmed she was just watching short videos, so he withdrew his attention.
"Brother Mu, the bed's made. I'll be staying here for now," Chen Xuan said, stepping out of the bedroom. "If anything happens, just call me."
"Need me to get you a car?"
"No, I don't have a driver's license yet. I'll get myself an electric scooter later," Chen Xuan said with a smile.
"Alright then. Just be cautious around that woman," Xu Mu reminded him. "I'll head back."
Chen Xuan nodded. "I'll see you off."
Outside, Xu Mu started his car, ready to leave — when Zhou Xia came out from her house and knocked on his window with a smile.
Xu Mu rolled it down. "What's up, sis?"
"Heading somewhere?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm going back to the city," Xu Mu replied truthfully.
"Could you give me a ride? I've got some errands in the city too," Zhou Xia said sweetly. "Just drop me at the subway station."
"Sure, hop in," Xu Mu said.
He didn't know what she was up to, but if she tried anything, he wouldn't mind teaching her a lesson.
Zhou Xia nodded, opened the passenger door, and, facing away from him, sat down slowly — deliberately emphasizing her curves.
But Xu Mu was long past being tempted; compared to Feng Yue, this woman didn't even come close.
"Stop — sis, you'd better sit in the back."
"Hm? Why?" she asked, smiling.
"To be honest, my wife has a bad temper. She says only she can sit in the front. If she finds a strand of someone else's hair, she'll give me hell," Xu Mu said casually.
"Hehe, I see. Then I'll sit in the back."
Zhou Xia smiled and climbed into the back seat.
Xu Mu shot Chen Xuan a reassuring glance and drove off.
"So, handsome," Zhou Xia asked sweetly, "what's your name?"
"My name's Ye Chen," Xu Mu replied with a grin.
"What? You're also called Ye Chen?" Zhou Xia exclaimed.
"Also? You know another Ye Chen, sis?" Xu Mu asked curiously.
"Hehe, yes — I do have a friend named Ye Chen," Zhou Xia replied smoothly.
Through the rearview mirror, Xu Mu caught her expression. From the way she reacted, it was clear — that Ye Chen was no "friend."
Could there be a story between her and Ye Chen, or perhaps between the Yin–Yang Sect and Ye Chen?
"What a coincidence," Xu Mu said lightly.
"Young Ye Chen," Zhou Xia said, her voice suddenly low and sultry, "what do you think of your big sister's looks?"
"You have great presence, sis. My friend even said you're beautiful," Xu Mu replied with a smile.
"Can you guess what I'm going to do now?" Zhou Xia chuckled.
"I can't guess," Xu Mu said inwardly, sneering — so it begins, huh?
"Today's my birthday. I specially bought a cake, but the store forgot to give me a fork," she said, leaning forward slightly. "I'm heading out to get one."
"I see."
"Do you have a fork at home? If you do, send one over to my place — then I won't have to go," Zhou Xia said with a teasing smile.