Something Had Changed
Mu Wan finished filming her final shot.
An explosion threw her backward from the trench. She rolled down and hit the ground.
Liu Qianxiu watched from inside his car.
Mu Wan did her best to make the fall look graceful.
It did not help much.
When she got back to her feet, a thick layer of dust clung to her lashes.
She knew she probably looked filthy.
Like a refugee.
Once filming wrapped, Mu Wan went to the changing room and changed out of costume.
Before going to find Liu Qianxiu, she stopped by the restroom and washed her face.
When she looked up again, the face reflected in the mirror looked like a freshly peeled egg.
Smooth.
Pale.
Soft.
Beneath long black brows, her eyes were clear and bright.
Her nose was delicate.
Her lips naturally red.
Even without makeup, she was still beautiful.
Mu Wan wiped the remaining water from her face with both hands and left the restroom.
Liu Qianxiu’s car was parked outside the production base.
The temperature had risen again today.
By ten in the morning, it was already thirty degrees Celsius.
Mu Wan felt as though she had just crossed a mountain of fire. Sweat appeared only to evaporate almost immediately.
When she reached the car, she opened the passenger door and saw Liu Qianxiu sitting behind the wheel.
Cool air rushed over her.
His figure reflected in her eyes.
Her body cooled.
So did her heart.
Mu Wan’s eyes shifted slightly.
She smiled, climbed inside, and fastened her seat belt.
She had not dried her face before leaving the restroom.
Outside, the humid air had kept her skin comfortable.
Now, under the car’s air conditioning, it began to feel slightly tight.
Mu Wan took out some moisturizer and dotted it across her face.
A few damp strands of hair clung obediently to her cheeks.
“Why did you come all the way here?”
Usually, Mu Wan was the one who went to the hospital and waited for Liu Qianxiu to finish work.
This was the first time he had come to the production base to find her.
That alone made her happy.
Because it was different from before.
Something between them had changed.
As for exactly what had changed, Mu Wan was too happy to think it through.
Her heart felt sweet and cool.
Like strawberry ice cream melting on her tongue.
“I was passing by,” Liu Qianxiu replied calmly.
“Oh.”
Mu Wan drew the word out softly.
Her slender fingers spread the white dot of moisturizer from the tip of her nose across her warm cheeks.
She had arrived on set at four that morning.
Six straight hours of filming had kept every nerve in her body taut.
The moment she climbed into his car, everything relaxed.
Once she finished applying the lotion, Mu Wan stretched out against the seat like a stray cat that had finally found shelter from the wind and rain.
She leaned against the window and looked toward the production base outside, where filming was still in full swing.
“Is this how you usually film?”
The car started, vibrating faintly beneath them.
Liu Qianxiu’s voice came through the cool interior like air moving through a mountain forest.
“Pretty much.”
Mu Wan looked back at him.
“Supporting characters usually end up like this. Sooner or later, we die.”
The corners of her eyes lifted.
“I’ve died countless times while filming.”
Her voice became animated.
“All kinds of deaths too. I’ve probably experienced more ways to die than you’ve seen as a doctor.”
There was even a note of pride in her voice.
The car stopped at a T-intersection.
Liu Qianxiu switched on the left turn signal.
He looked at the delight in her eyes.
“Do you like being an actress?”
“Not especially.”
Mu Wan shook her head.
She thought about it.
“I only really have my looks. Acting makes money faster than most other things.”
Liu Qianxiu looked at her more carefully.
Mu Wan’s lashes fluttered.
Suddenly feeling guilty, she muttered,
“They were just hidden under the dust today.”
The light turned green.
Liu Qianxiu drove forward.
His profile remained clean and refined, lips pressed together slightly.
He neither agreed nor disagreed.
The car turned onto the main road.
Looking ahead at the wide, smooth lanes, he said,
“You’d make more money if you became famous.”
Trees swept rapidly past the windows.
The sky was high and bright.
White clouds stretched overhead.
Mu Wan looked at Liu Qianxiu.
She lightly wet her lower lip.
Then she turned toward the road ahead.
“But then I wouldn’t be able to come find you every day.”
Her voice softened.
“I want to make money quickly.”
She paused.
“But I want a peaceful life even more.”
Liu Qianxiu’s gaze lowered slightly.
Her words seemed to linger inside the car.
He continued driving.
He did not answer.
When they reached his apartment, Mu Wan changed into slippers.
Liu Qianxiu started toward his bedroom.
Mu Wan watched him for a moment.
Then hesitated.
“Can I take a shower here?”
His steps stopped.
He turned.
Mu Wan met his quiet gaze directly.
Her heartbeat gradually accelerated.
“I was filming all morning. I’m covered in dirt. It’s uncomfortable.”
She scratched lightly at her hair.
Her thick black hair was tied into a high ponytail, exposing her pale, fresh face.
Honestly, at this point, her face was probably the only clean part of her.
Liu Qianxiu said nothing.
Instead, he changed direction.
He walked toward a room Mu Wan had never entered before and opened the door.
“This room has its own bathroom.”
“Thank you.”
The moment he agreed, Mu Wan hurried inside.
As she walked, she called back,
“Does it have everything I need for a shower?”
“No.”
Mu Wan stopped.
“…”
“I’ll bring it.”
Both large bedrooms had their own bathrooms.
There was no shared one.
The moment Liu Qianxiu said he would bring the toiletries, something inside Mu Wan fluttered.
He would probably bring the things he normally used.
Did that count as indirect physical contact?
Mu Wan’s face began to heat again.
Liu Qianxiu noticed the faint flush across her cheeks.
His gaze moved toward her narrow shoulders.
She wore a cropped black T-shirt that exposed a strip of pale skin at her waist.
Dust had settled over the shirt too.
“Do you need clothes?”
Mu Wan looked up.
Her gaze trembled.
Her face seemed to grow even redder, the flush spreading from the line of her jaw to her earlobes.
Her throat tightened slightly.
“Hmm?”
The sound lifted like the flick of a cat’s tail.
Her teeth lightly caught her lower lip.
“Do you have women’s clothes here?”
“No.”
Liu Qianxiu looked at her.
“Only clothes I’ve worn.”
Only clothes he had worn.
“I want them,” Mu Wan said.
Liu Qianxiu brought her clothes and everything she needed for the shower.
Mu Wan carried the pile into the room.
His apartment was large.
The guest bedroom was large too.
She had expected it to be almost empty.
Instead, it was fully furnished.
Like the living room, the color palette was mostly pale gray.
Unlike the antique atmosphere outside, however, this room was much more modern.
A large bed.
Pendant lights.
A walk-in closet.
Decorative paintings.
A sofa.
A projector.
The sliding glass doors were tightly shut, while light curtains had been pulled aside.
Beyond them lay an empty wooden balcony.
Cold.
Unused.
It was obviously a room meant for guests.
But no one seemed to have actually stayed here before.
Otherwise, there would at least have been spare toiletries.
Still carrying everything, Mu Wan walked barefoot into the bathroom.
— To be continued in Part 2 —
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