By the time Mu Wan and Mi Yu reached the private dining room, most of the guests had already arrived.
The moment Mi Yu walked through the door, the cold expression she had worn all evening blossomed into a radiant smile.
Zhang Chengze was a moderately successful television director.
He and Mi Yu had worked together before.
His upcoming drama was rumored to have investment from Shen Entertainment.
That made it a valuable project.
Mi Yu was here for the female lead.
There were at least fifteen actors in the room, perhaps closer to twenty, all gathered around one large table.
Mu Wan glanced around.
Mi Yu was clearly the biggest name there.
Mu Wan herself had little status.
But since she was expected to drink on Mi Yu’s behalf, she sat beside her.
Almost as soon as she sat down, she toasted Director Zhang three times.
As the alcohol began to circulate, the atmosphere gradually warmed.
Mu Wan’s arm hurt.
She had little appetite, so she idly picked at a few dishes.
Then Director Zhang suddenly gave a cold snort.
“What exactly is so impressive about Shen Entertainment? You think I can’t make a drama without their money?”
Several producers and crew members immediately voiced their agreement.
Beside Mu Wan, Mi Yu’s expression shifted slightly.
Shen Entertainment was one of the largest entertainment companies in the industry.
Its artists were top-tier.
So were its investments.
Director Zhang could certainly make a television drama without them.
Whether it would be the same drama was another question.
“The Shen family only has what it has because of the Liu family anyway,” one of the producers said after raising a glass to Director Zhang. “Without the Lius, they’re nothing.”
The dinner was large enough that the guests naturally divided into smaller circles.
Director Zhang sat at the center of one.
Mi Yu and several actresses formed another.
Members of the production crew had their own conversations elsewhere around the table.
After helping Mi Yu toast Director Zhang several more times, Mu Wan leaned back in her chair.
Mi Yu had already turned her attention to her phone.
Nearby, several actresses were still gossiping about the Shen family.
“The Shens really do depend on the Lius,” said a short-haired actress. “Shen Yu’s cousin, Liu Qingyuan, the eldest son of the Liu family, currently runs the domestic Liu Group.”
She lowered her voice slightly, clearly enjoying the attention.
“But the Liu family’s holdings are much bigger than that. Their auction businesses operate all over the world. The Liu Auction Group here is only one branch of the family’s interests.”
Another actress leaned closer.
“So who controls all of it?”
“The head of the Liu family.”
The short-haired actress smiled.
“The second young master, Liu Qianxiu.”
The moment Mu Wan heard that name, her attention sharpened.
Almost instinctively, she turned toward the speaker.
“Liu Qianxiu and Liu Qingyuan have the same father but different mothers,” the actress continued. “And apparently, the two of them don’t get along.”
Everyone around her was listening now.
“Their father, Liu Fengmian, had already been engaged to Mei Wanyang, the eldest daughter of the Mei family. But while the engagement still stood, he became involved with Shen Yu’s aunt, Shen Chunqi.”
Someone gave a quiet gasp.
The actress continued.
“Mei Wanyang didn’t learn that Shen Chunqi had given birth to Liu Qingyuan until after she herself gave birth to Liu Qianxiu.”
“What happened to her?”
“She fell into a deep depression afterward and eventually died young. After that, relations between the Mei and Liu families completely deteriorated.”
Mu Wan said nothing.
“Liu Fengmian eventually brought Shen Chunqi and Liu Qingyuan into the Liu family. Liu Qianxiu, meanwhile, grew up mainly under Old Master Liu, the family patriarch.”
The short-haired actress took a sip of her drink.
“A few years ago, Old Master Liu became seriously ill. The Mei family brought people over and pressured the Lius during the succession dispute. In the end, Old Master Liu handed the position of family head to Liu Qianxiu.”
She paused deliberately.
“With one condition.”
The women around her leaned in.
“Liu Qianxiu had to spare Liu Fengmian, Shen Chunqi, and their side of the family.”
The table went quiet for half a beat.
“So that’s why things are the way they are now,” she continued. “Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan manage Liu Auction Group, but when you get down to it, they’re working for Liu Qianxiu.”
She smiled.
“Liu Qianxiu is the actual head of the entire Liu family.”
“And he’s one of Xia City’s Four Young Masters?”
“Exactly. Young Master Liu.”
The affairs of wealthy families somehow always managed to sound more dramatic than anything written for television.
One of the actresses frowned.
“So his mother basically died because of his father and Madam Shen. Would he really let them go?”
The short-haired actress gave a soft snort.
“What do you think?”
She leaned closer.
“I heard that after Liu Qianxiu became family head, Liu Fengmian sent Shen Chunqi to Australia. They must be afraid of him.”
Another woman asked, “Then where is Young Master Liu now? He’s the most mysterious one out of all four.”
“No one knows.”
A woman in an off-the-shoulder dress sighed dreamily.
“The greatest recluses hide in plain sight, right? Imagine quietly controlling the entire Liu family while nobody even knows where you are.”
Her eyes gleamed.
“That’s ridiculously attractive.”
The others laughed.
“Old Master Liu’s third death anniversary is coming up soon. Since Liu Qianxiu is the family head, he’ll probably have to appear. Who knows whether the media will manage to photograph him.”
The conversation gradually drifted toward the other members of Xia City’s Four Young Masters.
Beneath all the gossip ran a faint current of fantasy.
In their industry, not everyone became famous.
But if a woman had a beautiful enough face, marrying into wealth could seem like another kind of success.
Mu Wan gradually stopped listening.
Her head felt heavy.
It was as though someone had wrapped her thoughts in a thick blanket, leaving everything dull and sluggish.
She turned to Mi Yu.
“Sister Yu, I’m going to the restroom.”
Most of the toasting was already done.
Mi Yu glanced at Mu Wan’s drooping left shoulder.
“Go.”
Mu Wan splashed cold water over her face in the restroom.
It did little to clear her head.
Her cheeks were burning.
So was her left shoulder.
Then she remembered what Liu Qianxiu had told her that morning after treating the wound.
No alcohol.
In the past half hour, she had consumed close to a quarter liter of liquor.
Mu Wan pulled a tissue from the dispenser, dried the water from her face, and walked out.
The restroom sat at the far end of the corridor.
No one was outside.
The private rooms were well insulated, leaving the entire hallway spacious and silent.
Mu Wan leaned back against the wall.
Cool, smooth tile pressed through the thin fabric of her dress and against her skin.
It helped.
A little.
Her head was still heavy.
She lowered it and decided to stand there until the alcohol wore off enough for her to think clearly.
The carpet beneath her feet was red.
A bamboo grove had been embroidered across it in darker shades of crimson.
Qingsong Pavilion’s four sections were themed after the traditional Four Gentlemen: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum.
The north section belonged to bamboo.
The embroidery was exquisite.
Every red bamboo leaf had been stitched with sharp, delicate edges.
Mu Wan stared at them.
They looked like the birthmark on her chest.
I just thought it was pretty.
His low voice surfaced in her memory.
Something seemed to hum faintly inside her head.
Mu Wan smiled.
While she was still smiling, someone stopped in front of her.
Her head remained lowered.
At first, all she could see were a man’s legs.
Long.
Straight.
Motionless.
Then she caught a faint scent.
Clean and sterile.
Disinfectant.
Mu Wan’s eyes shifted.
Slowly, she raised her heavy head.
And saw him.
Liu Qianxiu stood quietly in front of her.
The patient who was supposed to be under observation at the hospital was currently leaning against a restaurant wall, trying to sober herself up.
She wore a red dress.
Her small, pale face was flushed from alcohol, vivid as ripe fruit.
Her beautiful eyes looked as though they had been washed clean by rain.
As they slowly focused on him, her pupils contracted.
Like a cat’s.
Almost bewitching.
She looked straight at him.
Her red lips curved.
The corners of her eyes dipped with lazy amusement, and when she spoke, her voice sounded as though it had been steeped in bayberry wine.
Languid.
Husky.
Sweet.
Intoxicating.
“Meow…”
Her smile deepened.
“Daoist Liu’s here to catch me.”
— End of Chapter 3 —
Naughty "cat demon"
ReplyDeletehow adorable!!! hahahaha thank u for the chapter~
ReplyDeleteShe should be grateful that the pain killer in her system (body system) is weakening/diminishing. Taking alcohol with the pain killer for surgery still running in her body is not the brightest idea of staying whole and alive.
ReplyDelete