Before Tonight
Rain continued through the night.
By morning, even the dust between the mountains had been washed clean.
The tea fields of Wuling Tea Estate were cool and damp.
Beneath a blue sky brushed with clouds, several tea pickers moved between rows of brilliant green.
Tall wooden windows stood open.
Beyond them lay the tea plantation and distant mountains half veiled in morning mist.
The room itself was nearly empty.
Cool morning air moved freely through the windows, clean and refreshing.
Mei Yaozhi sat on the firm woven mat.
Sleep still lingered in his large eyes.
His posture was casual.
Beside him, Liu Qianxiu sat perfectly upright.
A low table stood between them.
Tea utensils had been arranged across its surface.
A woman dressed in hanfu performed the tea ceremony.
Fresh Longjing leaves, picked that morning, floated green and fragrant.
Tea streamed from the spout of a purple-clay teapot into small cups.
A delicate fragrance spread through the room.
Mei Yaozhi glanced at Liu Qianxiu again.
The man possessed an almost frightening degree of discipline and restraint.
His routine was precise to the point of absurdity.
Sitting there now, straight-backed and silent as he watched sunlight gradually dissolve the mist over the distant mountains, Liu Qianxiu seemed surrounded by a faint immortal aura.
As though he did not belong to the ordinary world.
Then again, perhaps that was exactly it.
He never had.
“We got up this early just to sit at a tea estate and drink tea.”
Mei Yaozhi picked up his cup and emptied it in one swallow.
The smooth fragrance traveled down his throat.
At least it cleared away some of his remaining sleepiness.
Once the tea ceremony ended, the woman quietly withdrew.
Mei Yaozhi finally sat straighter.
Time for business.
He handed a document folder across the table.
“The person you asked me to investigate.”
The paper folder made a crisp sound as Liu Qianxiu accepted it.
There were only three pages.
But the information was remarkably detailed.
Mei Yaozhi gave him a brief summary.
“The Mu family in the western district started in textiles and tailoring. They rose during the Republican era and reached their peak in the eighties.”
He poured himself another cup of tea.
“After Old Madam Mu passed away, Mu Yatang took over. The family isn’t what it used to be anymore.”
Liu Qianxiu turned a page.
“Mu Wan took her mother’s surname. Her mother was Mu Qijun.”
Mei Yaozhi continued.
“Mu Qijun became pregnant before marriage. To hide the scandal, the Mu family told people Mu Wan was her adopted daughter.”
He tapped the folder.
“But Mu Wan was actually her biological daughter.”
His voice became more subdued.
“The Mu family believed Mu Wan had disgraced their family reputation, so she was treated badly there. Especially after Mu Qijun died.”
“She moved out as soon as she became an adult.”
“Now she has no contact with the Mu family.”
Mei Yaozhi paused.
Something else came to mind.
He poured himself more tea.
“It took me a ridiculous amount of effort to find out who got Mu Qijun pregnant back then.”
He looked at Liu Qianxiu.
“Mu Wan’s father.”
A hint of amusement entered his voice.
“And strangely enough, he was also…”
“Song Kangze.”
Liu Qianxiu had reached the final page.
He spoke the name calmly.
Mei Yaozhi froze.
Then stared at him.
“You actually know him?”
Liu Qianxiu pulled out the second page.
It contained information about Mu Wan’s father.
He lowered his eyes to it without explaining.
“Is that why you asked me to investigate her?”
Mei Yaozhi watched him.
Liu Qianxiu lifted his eyes.
His expression revealed nothing.
Mei Yaozhi could never tell what Liu Qianxiu was thinking.
He was like a pool of clear water.
You could see all the way through.
Yet somehow, you still could not tell how deep it was or what lay beneath.
Mei Yaozhi did not ask again.
Instead, he continued,
“She’s a minor actress now. Practically eighteenth-tier.”
He leaned back.
“Some of the roles she takes look pretty exhausting.”
Mei Yaozhi glanced at him meaningfully.
“If you wanted to help her, it would barely take any effort…”
His phone rang before he could finish.
Mei Yaozhi glanced at the screen.
“I have to go.”
Liu Qianxiu tapped one finger lightly against the folder.
“Thanks.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
Mei Yaozhi laughed as he stood.
Just before leaving, something occurred to him.
He tapped a finger against his temple.
“Oh. Grandma knows I came to see you this morning.”
He pointed at Liu Qianxiu.
“She told me to make sure you come home with me for dinner tonight.”
Old Madam Mei was Mei Yaozhi’s grandmother.
She was also Liu Qianxiu’s maternal grandmother.
The corner of Liu Qianxiu’s mouth curved slightly.
“All right.”
Mei Yaozhi smiled too.
Then he turned to leave.
“Good. I’m getting out of here. I haven’t even eaten breakfast and I’ve already filled my stomach with tea.”
Before sunrise, Mu Wan had already arrived at the filming base.
This production was a war drama.
She played a military doctor.
From darkness until dawn, almost every scene involved explosions.
By the time the sky brightened, her face was covered in dust and soot.
The dawn battle sequence finally wrapped.
She only had one more scene left.
Her character’s death.
After that, she would be finished with the role.
Running back and forth across the battlefield pretending to treat wounded soldiers had drained her.
Her waist ached.
Her back hurt.
During a production break, Mu Wan sat beside a trench reinforced with stacked sandbags and opened Plants vs. Zombies on her phone.
She had not even finished planting her sunflowers when the phone vibrated.
A message appeared across the top of the screen.
Daoist Liu: Where are you?
Mu Wan’s heartbeat jumped with it.
She immediately opened the conversation.
Mu Wan: Filming. At the production base.
After sending it, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and smiled.
Unfortunately, there was dust on her lip.
Mu Wan immediately spat twice.
Then she sent another message.
Mu Wan: What about you? What are you doing at home?
It was Sunday.
He did not work on Sundays.
He should have been at home.
Liu Qianxiu did not answer the question.
Instead, another message appeared.
Daoist Liu: I have plans tonight.
Mu Wan’s smile stopped.
She understood immediately.
Her body seemed to shrink inward.
Her narrow shoulders drew together until she resembled a dusty little calico hiding in a corner.
Someone sat down nearby, sending another cloud of dirt into the air.
Mu Wan coughed twice.
Even her phone screen became dustier.
“Mu Wan, look at that guy!”
Gao Mei had dropped down beside her.
She grabbed Mu Wan excitedly.
“He’s ridiculously handsome!”
Gao Mei craned her neck.
“Is he an actor? Impossible. If someone with that face were an actor, there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize him.”
Mu Wan was too disappointed to care.
She remained focused on her phone, deciding how she should answer Liu Qianxiu.
When Gao Mei received no response, she simply took Mu Wan’s face between both plump hands and forced her to look.
“Hey…”
Mu Wan’s small face was squashed between Gao Mei’s palms.
Her eyes swept irritably across the set.
Then stopped.
Straight ahead.
The smell of smoke and explosives still hung thickly over the battlefield set.
Dust filled the air.
Dark smoke rolled through the background.
And in the middle of all that chaos stood a man.
He wore a light-colored shirt and trousers.
Tall.
Lean.
Clean.
His features were quiet.
His presence cool and detached.
He stood amid the smoke and dust as though none of it could touch him.
Mu Wan’s heart jumped.
She stared for two seconds.
Then immediately stood.
Liu Qianxiu was looking at her from a distance.
Her small face was filthy with soot.
Only her eyes remained clear and bright.
When she saw him, disbelief came first.
Then panic.
Mu Wan quickly raised one hand and began wiping at her face.
She rubbed again.
And again.
In the end, all she managed was to clear a small pale patch on her left cheek.
She eventually gave up.
Mu Wan jumped down from beside the trench and ran toward him.
Her slender figure moved quickly through the set.
When she reached Liu Qianxiu, she looked him over several times, as though she still could not quite believe he was real.
Only after confirming it did her eyes curve.
“Why are you here?”
Her voice trembled faintly.
She had rubbed her face too hard.
The newly exposed patch on her cheek had turned a little red.
Liu Qianxiu looked at her quietly.
“I don’t have time tonight.”
“Huh?”
Mu Wan looked confused.
Then nodded.
“I know. I got your mes…”
“Do you want to have lunch together?”
The rest of her sentence vanished.
Mu Wan lifted her head.
Her eyes were suddenly filled with light.
— End of Chapter 21 —
Thanks for the chapter! And so we finally know why the FL's family treat her and her mother so badly. It's understandable, even if it's not condonable :/
ReplyDeleteStay safe!
Finally they are going to the next step 🤩
ReplyDelete