Incurable Chapter 14 Part 1

When Mu Wan arrived, the woman in the red dress at the table slightly changed expression. Her eyes dimmed in the end, and she lifted her glass to take a sip of lemon water. After drinking, she looked over again—calm restored, that faint, barely-there condescension returning.

Mu Wan’s red lips curved subtly. Following Liu Qianxiu to the table, she sat down beside him as the server pulled out a chair.

This was an upscale Western restaurant—quiet and serene, with simple, elegant decor. Their seats were tucked into a corner, like a small private nook, separated by branches; the people inside were half hidden, half seen.

In the nook, the crystal chandelier shone brightly. Several oil paintings hung on the wall. The tableware was spotless. Every detail in the small space spoke of refinement and restrained luxury.

Xiao Tan saw that Liu Qianxiu had brought someone—and a woman at that. His gaze flicked between them.

“And this is…?”

“Hello, my name is Mu Wan,” Mu Wan introduced herself. “I needed to speak with Doctor Liu. When he heard I hadn’t eaten, he brought me along.”

After that, Mu Wan nodded to the female doctor beside them. “Thank you, Doctor Xiao.”

Xiao Yun smiled lightly, as if it were nothing. “No problem.” As she spoke, her back straightened bit by bit, a wave of heat rising under her skin.

So she really was haunting him.

Xiao Yun wore a bright red dress tonight, radiant and eye-catching. Mu Wan, however, wore only a black halter top and deep coffee-colored harem pants. The pleated waistband tied into a large bow beneath her flat stomach, emphasizing a slender waist and lifted hips—her proportions flawless.

She hadn’t put on much makeup. Her brows were dark and long; under her wavy hair, her face was small and pale, her lips vivid red. She looked like a Hong Kong film star under a vintage filter—naturally alluring, coolly glamorous, impossible to look away from.

The server came over. Mu Wan ordered with ease. Since Liu Qianxiu had brought her to dinner, there was no need to be overly polite or embarrassed. After she ordered, Liu Qianxiu chose the same.

With Mu Wan’s arrival, the meaning of the meal changed instantly—no longer a “thank-you dinner,” but a simple internal gathering. Xiao Yun began talking about a few recent surgeries, every other word a technical term. Mu Wan couldn’t understand and couldn’t jump in. She rested her chin in her palm and stared at the oil paintings on the wall, waiting for the food.

Watching Mu Wan sit there bored at the table, Xiao Yun slowly gained confidence.

This restaurant served delicate dishes, so the food came a bit slowly. After waiting a while, Mu Wan got up and went to the restroom. As soon as she came out, she saw Xiao Yun washing her hands at the sink.

That little space by the sink was brightly lit, the faucet reflecting light. Under the lamps, the red dress looked even more vivid.

Mu Wan didn’t like Xiao Yun because she looked down on her and considered her frivolous. But they were sharing a table, and Xiao Yun was the host. Mu Wan walked over and greeted her.

Xiao Yun stood upright. She was about the same height as Mu Wan. Both were slender, but Mu Wan’s curves were more pronounced. Xiao Yun swept an indifferent glance over Mu Wan and spoke lightly.

“When we were talking just now, you were pretty bored, weren’t you?”

Her tone was acceptable. Mu Wan didn’t make it stiff. With water running over her hands, she answered softly.

“Doctor gatherings are like that. The topic never leaves surgery, patients, papers… It’s too specialized. Outsiders can’t join in, so it feels dull.” Xiao Yun’s words carried an undercurrent as she smiled, turning to look at Mu Wan. “But doctors don’t really notice. Doctors understand doctors—so we’re all having a great time.”

Mu Wan turned off the tap.

Only the two of them stood there. The faucet still dripped after Mu Wan shut it, a small sound tapping into the porcelain basin.

Mu Wan—this “outsider”—lifted her eyes to Xiao Yun. That speech had Xiao Yun’s personal style written all over it: fake seriousness, posture, self-importance, contempt. She was implying Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu weren’t in the same world.

Mu Wan’s lips lifted. Her smile stayed polite and composed. She looked Xiao Yun up and down once and said:

“The red dress is pretty.”

Xiao Yun’s chin trembled.

She’d bought it on purpose after seeing Mu Wan look good in one, thinking Liu Qianxiu liked it.

Mu Wan pulled a paper towel, still smiling. She dried her hands slowly and said:

“But Doctor Liu has already seen me wear it. He won’t really look at anyone else wearing it anymore. I’m an actress. When it comes to looks, I’ve never lost.”

She wiped the last drop of water away, tossed the damp towel into the trash, and left the restroom with a smile.

When she returned, Xiao Tan and Liu Qianxiu were still talking. Since they’d started on surgery, they continued. Mu Wan had just walked up when she heard Xiao Tan say:

“Next week there’s a research conference at Wen City Central Hospital—are you interested?”

Liu Qianxiu didn’t answer. He sensed Mu Wan’s approach and glanced back at her. Mu Wan looked at him, about to ask about what Xiao Tan had just said, when the server greeted them and announced that the dishes were coming.

As the food arrived, Xiao Yun came back too. She’d touched up her makeup; her expression hadn’t changed—still gentle, still poised.

The table talk remained about surgery. Mu Wan cut her steak with her knife, eyes on Liu Qianxiu.

Liu Qianxiu glanced back at her once.

Mu Wan chewed her steak, lips moving in small motions. Since she couldn’t join the conversation, she just kept eating—until her steak plate was almost empty. Xiao Tan asked Liu Qianxiu something; Liu Qianxiu turned to answer, and without drawing attention, slid his untouched steak—already cut—toward Mu Wan.

He hadn’t eaten any, but it was neatly cut. A hand used to a scalpel cut steak just as well—each piece even, edges clean, arranged in tidy rows.

Mu Wan puffed her cheeks as she looked at him. “You’re not eating?”

“Mm.” Liu Qianxiu answered quietly.

Sweetness filled her chest. Mu Wan handed him her empty plate.

“Then I’m eating it all~.”

He took the plate and set it in front of him, saying softly, “Okay.”

Their movements were small. Xiao Tan didn’t notice. Only Xiao Yun, holding her lemon water across from them, lowered her gaze. Her knuckles slowly whitened.

After dinner, everyone split up. Mu Wan followed Liu Qianxiu home to see the cats. Since she really had nothing else to do, she’d eaten two full steaks—her belly was round and full. Even the ribbed fabric of her halter top looked stretched.

Mu Wan buckled her seatbelt. Her belly bulged like a little hill. She gave up trying to hide it and turned her eyes to Liu Qianxiu beside her.

Liu Qianxiu started the car. Sensing her gaze, he turned to look. Mu Wan glanced down at her belly; his eyes followed, and he saw it, too.

Mu Wan laughed and teased, “Doctor Liu, look at this belly—how many months am I?”

Her frame was slim and long. With her belly rounded out, she looked oddly adorable.

Even though he wasn’t an OB doctor, Liu Qianxiu estimated anyway. “Four months.”

Mu Wan pushed her belly forward slightly, hands braced on her narrow waist.

“See? This is the empire you built.”

She meant: her belly got this big because she ate the extra steak he gave her. But the words sounded—belatedly—suggestive.

Her cheeks warmed. She straightened up, subtly pulling her belly back in. Outside the window, streetlights flickered past, not bright enough to show her face clearly.

Liu Qianxiu’s gaze paused. His lips pressed tight. He looked away and drove.

Back at Liu Qianxiu’s place, Mu Wan checked on the kittens—hugging this one, rubbing that one—then remembered she’d be going to Wen City to film.

She stepped out of the cat room. Near the bedroom door, Liu Qianxiu had just come out after a shower.

He really didn’t like eating out. Not only did he avoid it—if the outside smell clung to him, he’d wash it off the moment he got home. He stayed dust-free, without the slightest trace of worldly smoke and warmth.

His hair was half-dry. He wore loose, wide-sleeved and wide-legged loungewear, his figure lean and upright. Under black hair, his dark eyes and red lips looked unexpectedly vivid. A towel hung over him; he wiped briefly, set it down, and lifted his gaze—spotting Mu Wan.

He was too clean—clean like transparent spring water.

Mu Wan’s heart sped up. She steadied herself and asked, “That research conference your hospital has next week in Wen City … are you going?”

Liu Qianxiu listened quietly, then lowered his eyes to her. His gaze was clear and bright. Mu Wan felt guilty under that look.

“I… I overheard it,” Mu Wan said. “Because I’m going to Wen City next week, too, for filming. Are you going to that conference?”

She asked again, looking up at him—urgent.

They stood in the living room. Their shadows overlapped on the floor. Mu Wan waited for his answer. Liu Qianxiu’s lashes trembled slightly, and he said lightly:

“Depends on the hospital’s arrangements.”

If he said that, then nine times out of ten, he wouldn’t go.

Mu Wan went, “Oh.” Then she added, “If you go, maybe we’ll run into each other at the hospital, because my drama is filming there.” Her right arm reached behind her back, fingers gripping the bend of her left arm. “If you go, there won’t be anyone to watch the cats. If you don’t… then I won’t see you until the week after next…”

The words slipped out with her emotions. She lowered her lashes, not quite happy.

The moment she finished, she snapped back and hurriedly added, “I mean—I won’t see Da Tou and Er Tong until the week after next.”

The living room lights cast a layer of shadow across her face. Her head was slightly lowered as she stared at the carpet. With her arm gripping her other arm, her collarbone looked even sharper.

She wasn’t short—just very thin. Standing there alone, she looked like she had endless things she wanted to say.

Liu Qianxiu looked away. “I’ll take you back.”

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