Wen City lies south of Xia City, a historic old city, about 4 hours by car. Mi Yu, as the second female lead, would attend the ceremony as well, but Mu Wan rarely rode in the same car with her. For short trips, she preferred public transport: driving four hours versus a high-speed train in an hour and a half.
She’d already been added to the Hong Xiu group chat. After getting off at the station, she took a cab to the Wen City Hotel, where the crew was staying.
Wen City Hotel was the best hotel in the city. It was Mu Wan’s first time staying at a five-star hotel for a TV drama. With Shen Group’s investment, the production was visibly flush. When she picked up her key card, she overheard someone gossiping that the hotel had been booked out just so the female lead could stay comfortably, and everyone else was benefiting from her.
Ah. The female lead.
Mu Qing.
When Gao Mei told her a few days ago, only a few flashes of memory crossed Mu Wan’s mind, and she didn’t think much further. From the start, she and the Mu family were strangers—her mother was the thread holding them together.
Her mother died. The thread snapped. They went their separate ways, never to cross again.
The Mu family wished Mu Wan didn’t exist. To Mu Wan, the Mu family was only a tree she once passed, a wind that once blew by—seen, felt, then gone without any ties.
Mu Wan returned to her room.
It was a standard twin room: an entryway, then, straight ahead, the floor-to-ceiling window and balcony. The room was spacious, fully equipped, and decorated with a slightly antique feel. Wen City was an old city; even just stepping off the train, Mu Wan could feel the thick cultural weight in the air.
That evening, the crew held a meeting to discuss the arrangements for the next day’s opening. The director and producer wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, so it was fairly relaxed. After the meeting, everyone returned to their rooms.
Gao Mei shared the room with Mu Wan. Back upstairs, the two of them ran lines for a while. Gao Mei ran out briefly, and when she came back, she carried a pile of braised snacks and oden.
“Got it from the logistics guys.” Gao Mei set everything on the table. A salty-sweet smell rose instantly.
They were at the desk by the balcony. Scripts spread out. Mu Wan held a duck claw, looking down at her phone, while Gao Mei kept talking about gossip.
“Mu Qing isn’t coming to the opening ceremony tomorrow. The crew will shoot other people’s scenes first while waiting for her.” Gao Mei gnawed on the duck claw, amazed. “Her backing is insane. They say she’s engaged to Young Master Shen Cheng from the Shen family. And she’s from an old family too—a proper young lady.”
The sweet-spicy taste spread across Mu Wan’s tongue. She glanced at Gao Mei. Most of this gossip was probably secondhand. The Mu family had declined even back in her grandmother’s generation. With Mu Qing’s father in charge now, there was none of the old grace left.
Mu Wan didn’t comment. She kept scrolling, looking at her cats. The meeting had run late; it was already 9:30 when they dispersed. Liu Qianxiu slept at 10, so Mu Wan didn’t disturb him.
After enough script drilling, Mu Wan finished the duck claw, then went to shower and sleep.
The next day, the opening ceremony happened as scheduled. Mu Qing indeed didn’t come. The male lead and Mi Yu’s scenes were being filmed at the foot of Wenshan Mountain, so Director Zhang Chengze naturally went there.
This drama was a Republican-era medical + espionage series. Mu Wan played a disposable nurse. Her scenes mostly took place at Wen City Central Hospital. The director filmed the main storyline, while Mu Wan’s scenes were handled by the assistant director on-site at Wen City Central Hospital.
After the drama aired, it would also promote Wen City Central Hospital, so the hospital cooperated fully. They even cleared out certain wards for actors to change costumes.
After changing in the ward, Mu Wan pinned on her nurse’s cap and pushed the door open.
The Republican-era nurse uniform was different: inside was a long-sleeved cotton-linen top, while outside was a long white slip dress, unlike modern nurse scrubs.
Mu Wan headed toward the small garden behind the hospital, where she was filming.
She had just stepped out of the inpatient building when she swept her gaze across—and spotted a group walking into the emergency building.
Among them, one tall man stood out immediately.
Mu Wan’s heartbeat spiked. Before she even realized it, she was already running over.
“Liu Qianxiu!”
The emergency building was noisy, but her voice was sweet and clear. After she called out, she saw Liu Qianxiu turn back.
Clean brows and eyes. That quiet, refined aura.
The moment he turned, Mu Wan’s whole heart filled with honey.
Her heart hammered against her ribs—thump, thump, thump. She looked at Liu Qianxiu, eyes flickering, and smiled.
Xiao Tan turned too. When Mu Wan came close, he glanced at her nurse’s uniform and laughed.
“I didn’t expect you to be in the same line of work.”
“I’m not,” Mu Wan said quickly, standing beside Liu Qianxiu. Heat rushed up, making her face burn. “I’m an actress.”
Then she tipped her head up to look at Liu Qianxiu, eyes bright.
“Didn’t you say it depended on the arrangements?”
She was in a nurse’s uniform. Under the white cap, her face looked small and vivid, her eyes wet and shining, her red lips slightly curved. When she smiled, the light in her eyes blinked like her heartbeat.
Liu Qianxiu lowered his lashes slightly. Under them, his eyes were dark and clear. His expression stayed calm, his voice low.
“Mm. The arrangements came through—so I came.”
The author has something to say:Mu Wan: I have your child in my stomach, this is what you laid down!Liu Daochang: When did I fight?Mu Wan: Well, a few days into the future ... right?
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