The two wrestled for a bit, but Gu Xiyan wasn't the type to sulk, and at last, with flushed cheeks, she gently kissed Mu Jinyu.
She intended to make it brief, like a dragonfly skimming the water surface.
However, Mu Jinyu saw through her intention, suddenly pulled her into his arms by the waist, and they embraced for more than a minute...
It wasn't until he noticed that Gu Xiyan seemed to be running out of breath that Mu Jinyu finally let her go.
"You?!"
Gu Xiyan was panting, her beautiful eyes moist and shimmering, glaring fiercely at Mu Jinyu.
Yet with her cheeks flushed and given the scenario, her look not only lacked fierceness but also appeared slightly angry yet coquettish, uniquely charming.
Mu Jinyu chuckled softly and said, "From now on, be good and listen to me. Don't always question me, understand?"
Gu Xiyan grunted, turned her head away, and ignored him.
Mu Jinyu didn't mind her verbal disapproval; he hummed a tune and started shoveling dirt to fill the deep pit.
With Mu Jinyu shoveling earth into it, the several pieces of jade inside the pit started emitting a faint glow and then camouflaged to look like mud.
The Spirit Gathering Array that Mu Jinyu had set up was the most advanced he could manage at the moment.
The original spiritual energy within those jades was thin, but as they became focal points of the array, drawing nearby spiritual energy, they did not dissipate, allowing it to be re-laid after a while.
On the contrary, as they attracted spiritual energy and absorbed enough, the originally murky crystals would become clearer, transforming into top-quality grade jade, priceless treasures.
However, this process might take hundreds of years.
Otherwise, given Mu Jinyu's cultivation, he wouldn't have set up a Spirit Gathering Array just to exhaust himself.
Soon, Mu Jinyu had refilled the deep pit and then returned the shovel and pickaxe to the storeroom.
Then, he went to wash his hands.
"Now, just waiting for the assembly line equipment to arrive, to engrave it with 'Spirit Attraction Formation,' and test how the batch production of the Beauty Pills works, I should then be able to make money while lying down," Mu Jinyu thought delightedly as he washed his hands.
Gu Xiyan stood by, and after he finished washing his hands, she also went up to wash hers.
"Heading back?"
After washing her hands, Gu Xiyan turned her head towards Mu Jinyu and asked.
"Yeah," Mu Jinyu nodded.
Then, the two left the washbasin and walked towards where Gu Xiyan had parked her car.
Getting into the car, Gu Xiyan started it and drove out of the pharmaceutical factory.
Exiting the pharmaceutical factory, not far away was a cluster of abandoned factories. Just as Gu Xiyan was preparing to drive past this abandoned factory towards the city area, Mu Jinyu's expression suddenly hardened, and he said, "Stop the car."
"Screech!"
The car abruptly halted, and Gu Xiyan turned her head, looking puzzled at Mu Jinyu, saying, "What's the matter?"
Mu Jinyu's expression was stern as he said, "Stay in the car. Don't get out. Wait for me to come back!"
Mu Jinyu's aloof demeanor made Gu Xiyan's heart skip a beat, slightly panicking as she was about to ask what was wrong.
But Mu Jinyu had already opened the car door, jumped out, then quickly slammed it shut, leaped over the fence of the abandoned factory, and disappeared from sight.
"Hello..."
Gu Xiyan still wanted to ask what exactly was wrong with him when Mu Jinyu suddenly disappeared, especially since she still didn't know what was going on...
After letting out a feeble cry, she looked around at the pitch-black surroundings and didn't dare to speak again, fearing she might attract something unpleasant.
"Mu Jinyu, you jerk..."
Gu Xiyan gripped the steering wheel tightly, cursing under her breath, frantic inside, hoping Mu Jinyu would come back soon.
...
Mu Jinyu jumped into the abandoned factory, his expression stern and his eyes murderous, listening to the faint cries and sobs of a girl, then he walked toward the direction of the sounds.
He wasn't walking fast, mainly to avoid alerting the people inside.
Gradually, he approached a warehouse emitting a faint light, and the voices, sobs, and cries from inside could be heard:
"Boss, this girl is driving me crazy. Should I take off my socks and stuff them in her mouth to shut her up?!"
"Your stinky socks will knock her out, what then? Moreover, she's the Du Family's darling. We were just ordered to kidnap her to negotiate with the Du Family. Eventually, we'll have to let her go. If she ends up harmed, we won't be able to answer to our superiors!"
"Wu wu... I want to go home..."
"..."
Listening to the conversation inside, Mu Jinyu knew this was a kidnapping case.
Normally, given how Mu Jinyu fancied himself, he should have left quietly and minded his own business.
But the tender crying of the little girl inside was too heartbreaking; he couldn't just ignore it.
Listening to that youthful crying, Mu Jinyu guessed that the little girl must only be about six or seven years old.
While the kidnappers hinted they would ultimately let her go home safe without physical torture or damage, such an experience at her age, being mysteriously kidnapped and staying with strangers, would inevitably cause considerable emotional trauma.
This was detrimental to her development.
With a heavy sigh, Mu Jinyu cursed himself for looking for trouble, then suddenly kicked the tightly closed warehouse door open!
"Clang!!"
"Who's there?!"
"Damn it, seeking death! Second, grab that girl, I dare anyone to make a move!"
The kidnappers inside, although briefly startled by the kicked-open metal door, did not crumble mentally. Not knowing the skill level of the intruder, they immediately attempted to secure the little girl as a way to deter the intruder.
Unfortunately, before they could approach the girl, left to cry on the side, Mu Jinyu had already stepped into the warehouse, fast as an arrow and fierce as thunder, kicking out once more, sending out a sharp whistling noise, kicking one man flying!
The man was caught off guard and couldn't defend against Mu Jinyu's fierce kick, flying backward into a stack of wooden crates, crushing them, spitting a mouthful of blood, and then passing out.
The other kidnapper, rushing towards the little girl, turned his head to witness the scene, his expression shocked, and his steps involuntarily slowed.
It was just a split-second difference.
Mu Jinyu moved again, swift as a cheetah pouncing on its prey or a tiger descending a mountain, instantly closing the gap to the kidnapper, then clenched his fist, swung his punch, raising a sharp swooshing sound, aiming straightforwardly at the kidnapper's chest!
This punch was extremely fierce, overwhelming the kidnapper with great pressure, as if Mount Tai was bearing down on him, making him feel immobilized, unable to escape or defend!
The kidnapper's eyes showed terror, clueless about what to do, only able to watch the punch from Mu Jinyu heading straight for him!
"Boom!"
It sounded like a punching bag bursting, the kidnapper's chest collapsed under Mu Jinyu's fist, and the man flew backward, spitting blood, laying on the ground with faint breaths.