Chapter 14 (1/2)
Part 1: The Conquest and The Unanswered Question
When Mu Wan arrived, the woman in the red dress at the table showed a subtle shift in expression. Her eyes darkened for a fraction of a second before she picked up her glass and took a sip of lemon water. By the time she looked over again, her gaze had returned to calm, though that faint, condescending look had crept back in.
Mu Wan’s red lips curved slightly. She followed Liu Qianxiu to the table. The waiter pulled out a chair, and she gracefully took the seat right beside him.
This was a high-end Western restaurant, quiet and serene, with a simple yet elegant decor. They sat in a corner booth, separated from the rest of the dining area by decorative branches that offered privacy while keeping the space open.
Inside the booth, the crystal chandelier cast a bright, warm glow. A few oil paintings hung on the walls, and the tableware was immaculate. Every detail of the small space exuded refinement and quiet luxury.
Xiao Tan noticed that Liu Qianxiu had brought someone, and that it was a woman. His gaze flicked between the two of them before he asked, “And who is this?”
“Hello, I’m Mu Wan,” she introduced herself with a polite smile. “I had some things to discuss with Dr. Liu. He heard I hadn’t eaten yet, so he brought me along.”
With that, Mu Wan turned to the female doctor beside her and gave a small nod. “Thank you, Dr. Xiao.”
Xiao Yun offered a faint, effortless smile. “It’s no trouble.” As she spoke, she subtly straightened her back, a wave of dry heat rising beneath her skin.
She really is like a ghost that won’t leave.
Xiao Yun was wearing a stunning red dress today, radiant and eye-catching. Mu Wan, on the other hand, was dressed simply in a black halter top and dark brown harem pants. The pants featured a pleated waistband with a large bow tied just below her flat stomach, accentuating her wasp waist and perfect proportions.
She wore very little makeup. Her brows were dark and naturally shaped, and beneath her wavy长发 (long hair), her small face was pale and delicate, her lips a vibrant red. She looked like a classic beauty from a vintage Hong Kong film, exuding a natural, effortless allure and a cool, striking charm that made it impossible to look away.
The waiter arrived, and Mu Wan ordered with casual confidence. Since Liu Qianxiu had brought her, there was no need to be overly polite or shy. After she finished, Liu Qianxiu ordered the exact same thing.
With Mu Wan’s arrival, the underlying meaning of today’s dinner completely shifted, turning into a simple, casual gathering. Xiao Yun took the lead, bringing up recent surgeries. Her conversation was filled with medical jargon. Mu Wan didn’t understand a word and couldn’t插嘴 (interject). Resting her chin on the back of her hand, she simply stared at the oil painting on the wall and waited for the food.
Watching Mu Wan look bored at the table, Xiao Yun gradually regained her confidence.
The restaurant was known for its exquisite, slow-plated dishes. After waiting a while, Mu Wan stood up to use the restroom. The moment she stepped out of the stall, she saw Xiao Yun washing her hands at the sink.
The vanity area was brightly lit, the faucets reflecting the glare. Under the lights, Xiao Yun’s red dress looked even more vibrant.
Mu Wan didn’t particularly like Xiao Yun. The woman looked down on her and clearly thought she was frivolous. But since they were sharing a table and Xiao Yun was technically the host, Mu Wan walked over to the sink and greeted her.
Xiao Yun stood up straight. She was about the same height as Mu Wan, and both had slender figures, though Mu Wan’s curves were much more pronounced. Xiao Yun gave her a casual once-over and said in a light tone, “You must have been pretty bored while we were talking earlier.”
Her tone wasn’t outright hostile, so Mu Wan didn’t respond with any harshness. The tap water ran over her hands as she simply acknowledged it with a soft “Mm.”
“That’s just how doctors’ gatherings are,” Xiao Yun continued, her tone carrying a subtle, deliberate edge. “The topics never stray from surgeries, patients, and research papers. It’s highly specialized. Outsiders can’t join the conversation, so it naturally feels dull.”
She paused, letting the words hang, before turning to look at Mu Wan with a faint smile. “But we doctors don’t even realize it. Doctors understand doctors best. We have a wonderful time talking.”
Mu Wan turned off the faucet.
The two of them were alone at the sinks. As the water stopped, a single drop fell from the spout, hitting the porcelain basin with a soft plink.
As the “outsider,” Mu Wan lifted her eyes to look at Xiao Yun. That little speech was entirely in Xiao Yun’s personal style: fake propriety, putting on airs, self-righteous, and condescending. She was subtly implying that Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu weren’t even in the same world.
Mu Wan’s lips curved into a polite, measured smile. She casually looked Xiao Yun up and down and said, “Your red dress is very nice.”
Xiao Yun’s jaw twitched.
She had bought this dress specifically today because she saw Mu Wan wearing red the other day and assumed Liu Qianxiu liked the color.
Pulling out a paper towel, Mu Wan kept smiling as she slowly and methodically dried her hands. “But Dr. Liu has already seen me in red. He doesn’t really look at anyone else wearing it anymore.”
She tossed the damp towel into the bin and offered a final, bright smile. “Besides, I’m an actress. When it comes to looks, I’ve never lost.”
When she returned to the table, Xiao Tan and Liu Qianxiu were still talking. Since the topic of surgeries had been brought up, they just kept rolling with it. Mu Wan had just sat down when she caught Xiao Tan saying, “Are you interested in attending the research conference at Wen City Central Hospital next week?”
Liu Qianxiu didn’t answer immediately. He noticed Mu Wan’s return and glanced at her. Mu Wan looked back, thinking about what Xiao Tan had just said. She was about to ask when the waiter arrived to serve the food.
As the plates were set down, Xiao Yun returned from the restroom. She had touched up her makeup, her expression unchanged, still the picture of gentle elegance. The conversation remained on surgeries. Mu Wan picked up her knife and fork to cut her steak, but her eyes stayed fixed on Liu Qianxiu.
Liu Qianxiu glanced back at her.
Mu Wan chewed her steak, her mouth working in small, delicate bites. Since she couldn’t join the conversation, she just kept eating. By the time Xiao Tan asked another question and Liu Qianxiu turned to answer him, Liu Qianxiu had silently slid his own untouched plate of steak over to Mu Wan.
Liu Qianxiu hadn’t eaten his steak, but it was already cut. The hands that wielded a scalpel were just as precise with a steak knife. The meat was cut into perfectly even, bite-sized pieces, arranged neatly on the plate.
Mu Wan puffed her cheeks out and looked at him. “Aren’t you eating?”
“Mm,” Liu Qianxiu replied in a low voice.
Her heart swelled with sweetness. Mu Wan handed him her empty plate. “Then I’ll eat it all!”
Taking the empty plate, Liu Qianxiu quietly said, “Alright.”
The interaction was so subtle that Xiao Tan didn’t notice. Only Xiao Yun, sitting across from them with her lemon water, watched with lowered eyes, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the glass.
After dinner, the group parted ways. Mu Wan followed Liu Qianxiu back to his place to see the cats. Because she had literally nothing else to do at the table, she had ended up eating two entire portions of steak. Her stomach was completely full, the ribbed fabric of her halter top stretched tight.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Mu Wan fastened her seatbelt. Her stomach pushed against the strap like a little hill. She simply popped the button open to relieve the pressure, then turned to look at Liu Qianxiu.
Liu Qianxiu started the car. Feeling her gaze, he glanced over. Mu Wan looked down at her stomach, and his eyes naturally followed hers, landing on the round little bump.
Mu Wan laughed and joked, “Dr. Liu, look at this belly. How many months pregnant do I look?”
She had a slender, tall figure, so the little bulge actually looked somewhat cute.
Though he wasn’t an obstetrician, Liu Qianxiu roughly estimated and replied, “Four months.”
Pushing her belly forward just a tiny bit, Mu Wan grabbed her narrow waist with both hands and declared, “Look, this is the empire you conquered.”
Her original intention was to joke that her belly was big because she ate his portion of the steak. But only after the words left her mouth did she realize how incredibly ambiguous and slightly dirty it sounded.
Mu Wan’s face grew warm. She sat up straight, tucking her belly back in. The mottled streetlights outside the window couldn’t quite illuminate her flushed face. Liu Qianxiu’s gaze paused, his lips pressing into a tight line. He withdrew his eyes and drove the car forward.
Back at Liu Qianxiu’s apartment, Mu Wan checked on the kittens, hugging and petting each of them. It was then that she remembered she was going to Wen City to film.
She walked out of the kitten room. At the bedroom door, Liu Qianxiu had just stepped out of the shower.
He truly disliked eating out. Not only did he not eat the food, but he also washed away any lingering smells the moment he got home. He was completely spotless, without a single trace of worldly smoke and fire.
His hair was half-dry. Dressed in loose, flowing traditional-style clothes, his tall frame looked elegant and striking. Beneath his dark hair, his ink-black eyes and red lips were vivid and arresting. He draped a towel over his shoulders, gave his hair a simple rub, then set the towel aside and looked up to see Mu Wan.
His aura was just so incredibly clean. Clean like transparent spring water.
Mu Wan’s heart rate accelerated. She gathered herself and asked, “Are you going to your hospital’s research conference in Wen City next week?”
Liu Qianxiu listened quietly. He lowered his eyes to look at her, his pupils clear and bright. Mu Wan felt a sudden wave of shyness under his gaze. “I accidentally overheard it. Because I happen to be going to Wen City next week to film. Are you going to that conference?”
She asked again, looking up at him, her eyes eager.
The two of them stood in the living room. Their shadows on the floor overlapped. Mu Wan waited for his answer. His eyelashes trembled slightly before he said lightly, “It depends on the hospital’s arrangement.”
Saying it like that meant there was a ninety percent chance he wasn’t going.
Mu Wan let out a soft “Oh.” “If you go, we might run into each other at Wen City Hospital, because my drama is filming there.” She reached her right arm behind her back, grabbing her left elbow. “If you go, there really won’t be anyone to watch the cats. But if you don’t go… I won’t be able to see you until the week after next…”
Sinking into her emotions, the words slipped out before she could stop them. She lowered her eyelids, looking distinctly unhappy.
Realizing what she’d said, she quickly added, “I mean, I won’t be able to see Datou, Ertong, and the others.”
The living room lights cast a shadow over the woman’s face. She looked down at the carpet, her collarbones protruding sharply from the awkward way she was holding her arms.
She wasn’t short, but she was very slender. Standing there all alone, she looked like she had a million unsaid words in her eyes.
Liu Qianxiu withdrew his gaze. “I’ll drive you home.”
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