Incurable Chapter 3 Part 2

Just before they turned into the north wing, Mu Wan lifted her eyes and caught sight of a tall, straight-backed figure.

She stopped instinctively and looked again.

The corridor on the east side was quiet and empty.

Mu Wan had been to Qingsong Pavilion a few times before and knew that the east section was reserved for VIP guests only. Sometimes, even money alone wasn’t enough to get in. And yet, for a moment just now, she had thought that silhouette looked a little like Liu Qianxiu.

She knew his back.

The last time, when she had meowed at him and driven away, she had seen him in the rearview mirror.

Still, she had probably imagined it.

How could Liu Qianxiu possibly come to a place like this for dinner?

By the time the two of them reached the private room, most of the guests had already arrived. The moment Mi Yu entered, the tense expression she had worn the entire way there bloomed into a radiant smile.

Zhang Chengze counted as a second-tier television director. Mi Yu had worked with him before. The drama he was preparing this time was rumored to have investment from Shen Entertainment, making it a highly desirable project. Mi Yu was here with her sights set on the female lead role.

There were at least fifteen, maybe twenty, actors seated around one large table. Mu Wan took one glance around and saw that Mi Yu had by far the highest status among them.

Mu Wan had no status at all, but since she was there to help Mi Yu drink, she sat beside her and, as soon as they settled in, toasted the director with three glasses in succession.

Once that was done, the mood in the room gradually warmed. Mu Wan’s arm hurt, and she had little appetite. She lazily picked at a few bites of food before hearing Director Zhang let out a cold snort.

“What’s so great about Shen Entertainment?” he snapped. “Even without their investment, you think I can’t make a drama?”

Some of the producers and assistants around him immediately chimed in. Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Wan noticed Mi Yu’s expression change slightly.

As the biggest entertainment company in the industry, Shen Entertainment boasted both top-tier artists and top-tier investment. A drama could still be made without them, certainly—but its quality would likely suffer.

“The Shen family is only riding on the Liu family’s coattails anyway,” one producer said after raising a glass to Director Zhang. “Without the Lius, they’d be nothing.”

The gathering was large, and with that little spark, everyone suddenly had something to talk about. Director Zhang and a group of men formed a circle. Mi Yu and the actresses formed another. Elsewhere, some crew members had gathered into their own conversations.

After helping Mi Yu toast Director Zhang a few more times, Mi Yu lowered her head to check her phone. Leaning back in her chair, Mu Wan overheard a group of actresses nearby still gossiping about the Shen family.

“The Shen family only thrives because of the Liu family,” a short-haired actress explained. “Right now, Shen Entertainment is under Shen Yu’s cousin, Liu Qingyuan, the eldest son of the Liu family. But the Liu family’s business is huge—they have auction groups all over the world. The Liu Auction Group here in China is only one branch. The person who oversees all of the Liu family’s auction businesses is the head of the Liu family, the second young master—Liu Qianxiu.”

At the mention of the name Liu Qianxiu, Mu Wan found herself instinctively focusing, then turning to look at the short-haired actress giving the explanation.

“Liu Qianxiu and Liu Qingyuan are half-brothers from the same father,” the actress continued. “I heard their relationship is terrible. Their father, Liu Fengmian, had a marriage arrangement with Mei Wanyang—the eldest daughter of the Mei family—but while still engaged to her, he got involved with Shen Yu’s aunt, Shen Chunqi. Mei Wanyang only found out after giving birth to Liu Qianxiu that Shen Chunqi had already given birth to Liu Qingyuan. After that, she grew depressed and eventually died. Because of that, the Mei family and the Liu family became enemies.”

“She went on, “So Liu Fengmian simply brought Shen Chunqi and Liu Qingyuan back to the Liu family home, while Liu Qianxiu was raised separately by the old patriarch of the Liu family. A few years ago, when the old master was gravely ill in the hospital, the Mei family showed up with people and pressured the situation. In the end, the old master passed the position of family head to Liu Qianxiu—with only one condition: that he spare Liu Fengmian and Shen Chunqi’s branch of the family.”

“So that’s how things are now,” she concluded. “Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan are managing the Liu Auction Group, but to put it bluntly, they’re basically just working for Liu Qianxiu. The true head of the Liu family now is Liu Qianxiu—the very same Young Master Liu who’s one of the Four Great Young Masters of Xiacheng.”

Stories about wealthy families were always dramatic enough to sweep people away. Several young actresses listened, utterly fascinated.

One of them asked, “So his mother was basically driven to death by his father and Madam Shen. Do you think he’d really let them off?”

“What do you think?” the short-haired actress let out a little huff. “I heard that after Liu Qianxiu took over as head of the family, Liu Fengmian immediately sent Shen Chunqi off to Australia. They must be scared.”

Another actress asked, “Then where is Young Master Liu now? Out of the Four Great Young Masters, he seems like the most mysterious one.”

“Exactly. No one knows where Liu Qianxiu is,” said another actress in an off-shoulder dress. “A true recluse hidden in plain sight, quietly controlling everything in the Liu family. It’s honestly so captivating. In a while, it’ll be the third anniversary of Old Master Liu’s death. As family head, he should show up. The question is whether the media will manage to photograph him.”

The women chattered on and on, soon shifting the topic to the Four Great Young Masters of Xiacheng in general. Deep down, each of them still harbored a little hope. Maybe they would never become famous, but if they had a beautiful face and could marry into wealth, that wouldn’t be so bad either.

Mu Wan’s attention slowly drifted back inward.

Her head felt as though it had been wrapped in a thick blanket—heavy, muffled, unclear. She turned to Mi Yu and said, “Sister Yu, I’m going to the restroom.”

The rounds of drinking were mostly over anyway. Mi Yu glanced at Mu Wan’s drooping left shoulder and said blandly, “Go ahead.”

In the restroom, Mu Wan splashed cold water on her face.

But even after washing up, the blanket over her mind seemed unchanged. Her face still burned hot, just like her left shoulder.

She remembered that after treating her wound that morning, Liu Qianxiu had specifically warned her not to drink alcohol.

And yet in the span of half an hour, she had already drunk about half a jin.

Pulling out a paper towel, Mu Wan wiped the drops of water from her face and stepped out of the restroom.

The restroom was at the far end of the corridor. No one was outside. The private rooms were well soundproofed, making the corridor feel especially empty and quiet.

Mu Wan leaned back against the wall. The smooth, icy ceramic tiles pressed through the thin fabric of her dress against the skin of her back, making her feel a little more awake.

Her head still felt heavy, so she lowered it and decided to stay there for a while to sober up.

The carpet beneath her feet was red, embroidered with a grove of bamboo in the same red thread. Qingsong Pavilion’s four sections—east, west, south, and north—were themed after plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. The north section was the bamboo wing.

The embroidery was exquisite. The red bamboo leaves were stitched with remarkable delicacy, sharp-edged and elegant—just like the birthmark on Mu Wan’s chest.

I just think it’s quite beautiful.

A low voice echoed in her mind.

Mu Wan’s head buzzed faintly, and she let out a soft laugh.

As she laughed, someone appeared in front of her.

With her head still lowered, all she could see at first was the lower half of his body—straight stance, long legs.

In her haze, Mu Wan thought she caught the faint scent of disinfectant.

The corner of her eye moved. She slowly lifted her heavy head and finally saw the person standing before her clearly.

Liu Qianxiu stood there in silence.

A patient who ought to have been lying in a hospital room under observation was now leaning against a corridor wall, trying to sober up. She was dressed in red, her small, fair face flushed like ripe fruit. Her beautiful eyes seemed washed clean by rain, strikingly clear. As they focused on him, her pupils slowly tightened, making her look very much like a cat—and very much like a spirit.

She looked straight at him.

The corners of her red lips curled upward, the outer corners of her eyes tilting slightly, and her voice sounded like wine brewed from bayberries—lazy, sensual, hoarse, and sweet.

“Meow~ Daoist Liu came to catch me~.”

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