There were large stretches of old Republican-era houses, preserved with their original atmosphere. Besides being a filming location, it’s now a major tourist area. Mu Wan walked down the long street, surrounded by snack stalls and little trinket stands.
In weather like this, rain unending, standing in a Jiangnan-style alleyway always made the heart settle into something quiet. Mu Wan held her umbrella, stepped on the green stone slabs, and entered a courtyard.
Inside, cameras were set, actors and crew all in motion. The cold old architecture of the Republican era had been injected with a thin thread of human warmth.
The rain hadn’t stopped. Mu Wan had just put away her umbrella and was about to get makeup and change when someone slapped her shoulder hard.
Before she could turn, Gao Mei dragged her into a corner.
“Where did you go last night?” Gao Mei demanded. She wore a rough-cloth maid costume from the era, with her hair in two pigtails, her round face scrunched into a knot.
“I got drunk and slept over at a friend’s,” Mu Wan said lightly.
“You have friends here?” Gao Mei blurted, then relaxed, finally letting go of Mu Wan’s arm. She sighed. “You went to the dinner and never came back. I thought you and Zhang…”
Mu Wan had texted Gao Mei before going to Ying Ke Xuan, saying she’d be late. And last night, they’d carried a female actor out of Director Zhang’s room.
Gao Mei knew exactly what kind of person Mu Wan was, but with Mu Wan gone all night, Gao Mei had wanted to ask and hadn’t dared. Only now, seeing her standing here intact, did Gao Mei finally let the fear slip out.
They were interrupted by the set starting up. Zhang Chengze sat behind the camera and called, “Action!”
In front of the lens, a Republican-era female student in a short teal jacket and long black skirt stood before the ancestral hall, acting opposite a middle-aged couple.
The parents were furious and devastated. The father was angry, the mother heartbroken, while the girl recited her lines with a blank face.
Gao Mei leaned in and whispered to Mu Wan, “The female lead’s acting is awful. And today’s scene was supposed to be her on her knees the whole time. She refused, so the director changed the script on the spot.”
As Gao Mei spoke, the scene ended. Zhang Chengze sighed, almost imperceptibly. The female lead looked over, eyes asking.
“Pass,” Zhang Chengze said.
“That passed?” Gao Mei looked like she’d been stabbed.
Mu Wan curled her lips and laughed quietly.
“Life really isn’t fair,” Gao Mei muttered, watching assistants swarm around the female lead. Her mind flicked to the actress carried out of Zhang Chengze’s room last night. She’d only heard it from someone else, but Zhang Chengze’s reputation for getting nasty when he drank wasn’t exactly baseless.
That actress could go through all that and still only earn a few extra shots.
Meanwhile, Mu Qing got the lead role easily, and the entire set revolved around her.
“Being born lucky matters,” Gao Mei sighed, then glanced at Mu Wan. “But with acting like that, even with a big investment, she won’t make a splash. She’ll just ruin her reputation. You’re different. You’re gorgeous, and you can act. If someone backed you, you’d blow up worldwide.”
The second half was teasing. Mu Wan smiled and let it pass.
She didn’t care what Mu Qing was thinking. She said a quick word to Gao Mei and went to change and get her makeup done.
This old house was the heroine’s family home in the story. Most of the scenes here featured the heroine, including one between Mu Wan and Mu Qing.
Both characters were spies. Mu Wan came to deliver a message, and that meeting was what ultimately led to her character’s murder. Inside Mu Qing’s boudoir set, Mu Wan handed over the note. Mu Qing took it, delivered her lines, and the scene ended.
Mu Wan stepped back, emotions packed away. Mu Qing glanced at her once, then lifted her eyes slightly and looked away.
After that, Mu Wan’s scenes at this location were done.
While she was changing, exclamations of surprise and admiration rose outside. Mu Wan stepped out and saw red everywhere.
The entire courtyard had been turned into a sea of roses.
Fragrant, soft, almost unreal. Women’s squeals of delight layered over the rose scent until the whole scene felt hazy and dreamlike.
Gao Mei came over, her small eyes still full of shock.
“From Young Master Shen Cheng,” she whispered. “You didn’t see it. A whole line of men in black suits carrying armful after armful of roses and piling them up. She got more roses in one day than I’ll get in my entire life.”
Her voice held pure envy. Women were emotional creatures. They loved romance, even when it hurt.
“They paused filming,” Gao Mei added. “Mu Qing got the flowers and went into the car to call someone.”
Mu Wan glanced at the roses, so thick there was barely room to step.
“I’m leaving,” she said. “I’m having dinner with a friend.”
Gao Mei stared at her, baffled. “Why are you not reacting at all? Every woman on set is losing her mind with jealousy.”
The scent was strong. Mu Wan’s throat tickled. She rubbed her nose and said, “I don’t like flowers.”
Gao Mei didn’t focus on the flowers. She focused on Mu Wan’s voice. She eyed Mu Wan’s slightly flushed face with concern. “Are you getting sick?”
“It’s fine. I’m going.”
Mu Wan patted Gao Mei’s shoulder and left the old house.
The long street widened gradually, and scattered tourists drifted through. Mu Wan wove past them and texted Liu Qianxiu.
[Mu Wan]: Liu Qianxiu, I’m done filming. Where are you?
The restaurant Mu Wan chose was on Wencheng’s commercial street, two blocks from Wencheng Hotel. To save time, she sent him the address, and they agreed to take separate taxis and meet there.
After sending the message, Mu Wan leaned back against the taxi seat. Night shadow crept in. The rain-night breeze was cool. Her head felt heavy, her nasal tone thick when she spoke.
“Driver, could you turn off the AC?”
By the time she arrived at the commercial street, the rain had stopped. Summer drizzle had wrung the heat out of the air, and even the wind felt cool. The street was crowded with people out for the evening.
Mu Wan pushed through the flow toward the restaurant. Before she even reached the entrance, she saw Liu Qianxiu waiting there.
Her head stopped feeling heavy in an instant. The cool breeze cleared the heat clinging to her skin. Mu Wan called out, sweet and bright:
“Liu Qianxiu.”
He turned. The streetlights filled his dark eyes like a mirror lake reflecting a starry sky.
Mu Wan’s heartbeat wobbled again. Smiling, she hurried over.
When she reached him, she looked up, eyes sparkling. “It’s right…”
She didn’t finish.
A cool hand landed on her forehead.
Mu Wan’s gaze flickered.
Her forehead under his palm was burning hot. When he dipped his head to feel it properly, she tilted her face up and even gave a small cough.
“You have a fever,” Liu Qianxiu said, withdrawing his hand. His palm still felt hot afterward, and it wasn’t clear whose temperature it belonged to.
The moment he pulled away, Mu Wan’s head went dull and achy again. Her throat itched. The little bit of energy she’d forced up collapsed.
She really did have a fever. She’d been rained on all day. Even in the taxi, she’d felt fuzzy and dazed. But they’d made plans. Mu Wan didn’t want to go back. She wanted to eat with him.
Her mind was a blur. Her breathing deepened, hot air spilling out as she looked up at Liu Qianxiu.
“Why didn’t the medicine you gave me this morning work?”
She sounded like her fever had scrambled her logic.
“Medicine that works is bitter,” Liu Qianxiu said.
Mu Wan frowned slightly, lips pouting in obvious dissatisfaction.
Liu Qianxiu glanced down at her, then scanned the area and said, “Wait there.”
Mu Wan followed his gaze and saw a bench inside a beauty shop, set up for customers to rest. She really was tired. She nodded dizzily and let him guide her there.
It wasn’t crowded inside. Only Mu Wan sat on the bench, quiet and obedient.
Liu Qianxiu stood to leave. Mu Wan grabbed the edge of his shirt. He turned back, and she looked at him and said, “I’ll wait here. Come back soon, okay?”
He lowered his eyes and nodded.
Mu Wan let go.
The shop felt warmer than outside, like the AC had been turned down. Still, after sitting for a while, Mu Wan grew restless. Five more minutes passed, and she lifted her head toward the entrance.
Liu Qianxiu came back.
In his hand was a white pharmacy bag marked with a red cross, clearly medicine. And in his other hand was something even more ridiculous.
A huge, deluxe bouquet of cotton candy.
White around the bottom, blue above that, pink in the center, ridiculously oversized and sweet.
Mu Wan stood up.
Liu Qianxiu had bought fever medicine, then picked up a bottle of water from the beauty shop before walking over. He handed Mu Wan the cotton candy and said while sorting the medicine, “If it’s bitter, take a bite after.”
He gathered the pills, then reached to hand her the water, paused, and took it back. He twisted off the cap first, then offered it again.
Mu Wan didn’t take it.
He lifted his eyes.
Mu Wan looked back at him.
Her fever flush made her face pink like last night when she was drunk. Her eyes held light, dark, and bright.
“Liu Qianxiu,” she called softly, nasal and low.
He pressed his lips lightly together and answered, patient and quiet.
“Mm.”
“I’ll remember you for the rest of my life,” Mu Wan said.
His gaze paused.
Mu Wan smiled, satisfied and sweet.
“Because this is the first time I’ve ever received flowers. It is sweet~.”
The author has something to say:Gao Mei: Don’t you like flowers?Mu Wan: Of course I like it if it from my man!
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