Incurable Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1 (2/2)

Her foot resting on the clutch, she hadn’t even pressed the ignition button when a dull knock sounded against her car window.

A figure stood outside in the dark. His reflection on the glass showed a lean, tall silhouette, though his features were obscured. Mu Wan stopped short of pressing the ignition and rolled down the window.

As the dark glass slid down, it felt like a theater curtain rising on a stage.

Without his white coat, the man had shed his polished, scholarly aura, somehow looking even more otherworldly. He wore a loose, comfortable linen shirt that looked impeccably tailored on him. He held a closed, long-handled umbrella; his long, slender fingers wrapped around the black handle, knuckles sharply defined.

A thin twilight shadow draped over the sky. Beneath it, his pale, cool-toned skin seemed to catch a faint glow. Up close, his features were even more striking than from a distance, especially his eyes.

They were dark and bright, clear yet unfathomable, like a deep, still pool.

Seeing the window down, his expression remained tranquil and composed. He pointed beneath her car.

“Give me a second. There’s a cat under your car.”

His voice was like a clear spring—deep and cool.

It was Daoist Liu.

As he spoke, Liu Qianxiu had already walked to the back of the car. Amid a soft rustle, Mu Wan rested her wrist on the window frame and glanced in the rearview mirror.

In the small mirror, the man crouched low, his long legs folded. Holding a small, biscuit-shaped treat in his right hand, he had a profile that was both shadowed and strikingly clear, like an unfinished watercolor painting.

Staring at the space beneath the rear tire, Liu Qianxiu called out in a steady, gentle voice, “Come here.”

In the narrow frame of the mirror, a cat emerged from under the car.

Mu Wan’s eyes flickered with interest.

It was a calico cat, plump and round-bellied, its fur coated in a layer of gray dust. The moment it stepped out, it looked up and let out a soft, sweet meow at Liu Qianxiu, sounding entirely familiar with him.

As soon as the cat was clear of the tires, Liu Qianxiu didn’t hesitate. He bent down, scooped it up, and cradled it in his arms.

The ground was covered in puddles, and the cat’s paws were caked in mud. The moment it settled against him, it tracked dirt all over his shirt. Little muddy prints shaped like plum blossoms bloomed across the linen fabric, but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

Lin Wei had said he barely interacted with people, yet he was surprisingly affectionate with animals. Watching Liu Qianxiu hold the cat, his tall, slender figure seemed to blend into the misty twilight, giving off an ethereal, untouchable vibe. For a brief second, Mu Wan genuinely felt as if she were looking at an immortal.

“Is this your cat?” Mu Wan rested her elbows on the window frame, looking up at the man and the cat.

Liu Qianxiu turned his head, and the calico in his arms looked over too. Inside the car, the woman was as vibrant as a flame. She was smiling at him, her eyes curved into crescents, bright and clear.

“No, it’s a stray.”

“It seems pretty fond of you.” Mu Wan glanced at the calico. The cat’s pupils had dilated into large, dark pools.

“I feed it occasionally,” Liu Qianxiu replied.

Their exchange was brief. She asked a question, he gave an answer—just one sentence, never a word more.

He really was as aloof and detached as they said.

“Do you like cats?” Mu Wan asked with a faint smile.

“Mm.” Another single-word answer.

Getting her answer, Mu Wan gave a little shrug, her delicate face scrunching up into a bright, playful smile.

“Meow~”

It was a short, soft sound—not too loud, not too quiet. The sweetness in her voice mixed with her laughter, wrapping around him like a marshmallow drizzled in rich chocolate syrup, soft and utterly captivating.

Distracted by her little meow, the calico twitched its ears and looked over. And the man behind it slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes, as they met hers, were perfectly still, vast and unfathomable.

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