Not Just a Doctor
The weather remained muggy.
The supermarket was close, but by the time they returned, Mu Wan still felt sticky and uncomfortable.
The moment they entered the apartment, she went to shower.
Afterward, Liu Qianxiu took his turn.
The air conditioner cooled the living room.
Mu Wan sat cross-legged on the sofa, staring out into the black night.
From the bathroom came the sound of water striking the floor.
Her thoughts gradually wandered.
Then the water stopped.
Mu Wan’s body tensed.
A moment passed.
The bathroom door opened.
Her eyes shifted toward it.
Liu Qianxiu stood in the doorway.
His hair was only half dry.
He wore trousers, but had not yet put on his shirt.
Smooth lines of muscle stretched across his upper body.
He looked back at Mu Wan.
His hand paused as he reached for his shirt.
Then he noticed her gaze drifting downward.
Without changing expression, he put it on.
The living room had already cooled.
Mu Wan, however, felt increasingly hot.
Lin Wei had once told her that men were creatures ruled by their lower bodies.
So what exactly was wrong with the man standing in front of her?
Even if he practiced Daoism, he had already showered.
Surely there was no law saying he had to put his shirt back on afterward.
Mu Wan’s lips parted.
She suddenly felt she had been far too passive.
Heat rushed through her.
She stood and walked toward him.
Fresh from her own shower, her skin was soft and cool, carrying the faint fragrance of water.
She approached like a small hunting cat.
Eyes determined.
Defiant.
The corners flushed pink.
She rose onto her toes, ready to kiss him.
Liu Qianxiu caught her by the shoulders.
His gaze darkened.
“Are you still eating dinner?”
Mu Wan had long since forgotten what modesty was.
She shook her head.
“Why don’t you eat me first?”
For the first time, Liu Qianxiu followed her lead and answered in kind.
“I’m afraid by the time I’m done, you won’t have the strength to eat.”
Coming from anyone else, the words might not have meant much.
Coming from a man whose entire presence seemed made of restraint, they were devastating.
Mu Wan went soft against him.
She clung to him like a water snake and murmured,
“I have plenty of strength.”
Liu Qianxiu looked down at her for a long moment.
Then his hand moved to her abdomen.
Mu Wan shivered.
Her eyes closed.
His fingers pressed lightly over her stomach.
“You still need to eat first.”
His voice was calm.
“It’s bad for your stomach otherwise.”
Doctors were such trouble.
Mu Wan’s courage had risen in one glorious burst.
Now it faded just as quickly.
Liu Qianxiu went into the kitchen.
He cooked the vegetables they had bought.
After dinner, Mu Wan received another call from Li Nan.
Her brows immediately drew together.
Afraid something had gone wrong with Thousand Threads of Snow, she took her phone to the small balcony outside her bedroom.
“Hello, Your Excellency. Is there a problem with my role in Thousand Threads of Snow?”
Li Nan had not expected that to be her first question.
But considering everything that had happened to her recent projects, the concern made sense.
He laughed.
“No.”
Then he said,
“I called to ask whether there are any other projects you want to take.”
“The company can approach them for you.”
Since signing with the agency, Mu Wan had never received this kind of treatment.
Partly because she had no real celebrity status.
Partly because she had never been particular about roles.
As long as something was reasonably suitable, she would take it.
But after her scenes had repeatedly been cut over the past two weeks, the company seemed to have finally started paying attention.
They were now willing to actively negotiate for her.
Mu Wan had no work scheduled next week.
Even so, she did not immediately take advantage of the opportunity.
“Whatever the company arranges is fine.”
Li Nan sounded almost dissatisfied.
“Even if you only play supporting roles, you still need your own direction.”
His voice became more serious.
“You’ve been accepting too many unrelated roles. That’s why when this batch disappeared, we didn’t know what to find for you next.”
On the surface, he was talking about the agency’s interests.
But when Mu Wan thought about it carefully, he was also taking her own preferences into account.
It benefited both sides.
So she stopped being polite and named several productions she had originally wanted to audition for.
“All right.”
Li Nan responded immediately.
“I’ll start talking to them tomorrow.”
Mu Wan smiled.
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“I’m only doing my job as your manager.”
His tone remained restrained.
Then, almost as though reviewing his own shortcomings, he added,
“I manage a lot of artists. Inevitably, there are times when someone doesn’t receive enough attention.”
“Don’t take it personally.”
He paused.
“Actually, with what you have, you could be playing lead roles.”
The first half of the conversation had been perfectly normal.
That last sentence left Mu Wan completely confused.
“What I have?”
Li Nan did not answer.
He hung up.
The conversation had lasted almost fifteen minutes.
Mu Wan listened to the dial tone.
She was still puzzled, but she did not think much of it.
The bedroom lights were off.
Light from the living room spilled through the doorway and reflected against the balcony glass.
A figure appeared clearly in that reflection.
Mu Wan’s fingers slowly tightened around her phone.
Liu Qianxiu had come over.
He leaned into her from behind.
His body felt cool.
It seemed he had gone to rinse off again.
Mu Wan’s shoulders lowered as she felt him close.
“You told me skipping dinner was bad for my stomach.”
She murmured,
“But you just ate and then showered. Isn’t that also…”
Her voice stopped.
Liu Qianxiu kissed her earlobe.
His breath brushed over her skin.
Something dangerous entered the air.
Mu Wan’s eyes widened slightly.
Her heart missed a beat.
“That doesn’t matter for me,” he said.
Then her feet left the floor.
Liu Qianxiu lifted her into his arms.
Mu Wan wrapped both arms around his neck.
He carried her to the bed.
Outside, the wind moved.
Inside, shadows shifted.
Tenderness and desire tangled together.
Much later, Mu Wan had no strength left.
Her entire body felt as though Liu Qianxiu had taken it apart and put it back together again.
She lay limp within his arms.
One forearm covered her heavy eyes.
Her voice was hoarse.
“Are you sure that was your first time?”
“Mm.”
Mu Wan made a small dissatisfied sound and rolled over.
Like a cat refusing to admit defeat, she muttered sleepily,
“Doctors really do know everything…”
She slept without dreams.
Heavy rain had fallen during the night.
By morning, it had stopped.
The sky, however, remained gray.
At six, Liu Qianxiu woke.
Mu Wan had exhausted herself the night before and remained deeply asleep.
He dressed quietly and left the bedroom.
There was not much furniture in Mu Wan’s living room either.
At least it had a sofa and a marble table.
Still, the apartment had been occupied by one person for too long.
It lacked the warmth of a home.
Liu Qianxiu glanced around.
Then went into the bathroom.
After a quick shower, he came back out and began buttoning his shirt.
Before he finished, his phone vibrated.
At the same time, a cat meowed somewhere outside near the living-room window.
Liu Qianxiu walked toward the window and answered the call.
It was Liu Qingyuan.
Several days earlier, Liu Qianxiu had suddenly instructed the finance department to invest in a television drama.
The Liu Group dealt in antique auctions.
The entertainment industry had nothing to do with its business.
More importantly, Liu Qianxiu’s investment had reduced Shen Entertainment’s share in the production.
Even that might have been tolerable.
But early that morning, the finance department had sent another report.
Liu Qianxiu had ordered investments in several more productions.
Films.
Television dramas.
Even obscure web series.
None of these investments had been part of the group’s plans.
And Liu Qianxiu had not discussed any of them with Liu Qingyuan or their father.
In practice, Liu Qingyuan and Liu Fengmian had been the ones running the Liu Group for years.
To Liu Qingyuan, Liu Qianxiu’s actions were not merely damaging their interests.
They were contemptuous.
Liu Qingyuan suppressed his anger.
At first, he used the board of directors as an excuse.
Then his tone became openly hostile.
“For all these years, Father and I have been the ones running the Liu family businesses.”
His voice tightened.
“You were the one who never wanted anything to do with the Liu Group. So why are you suddenly…”
“I simply didn’t want to manage it.”
Liu Qianxiu cut him off.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t.”
One arm rested against the windowsill.
The movement drew the fabric across the firm lines of his waist and abdomen.
His voice was low.
His tone almost indifferent.
“I am the head of the Liu family.”
He paused.
“Everything belonging to the Liu family belongs to me.”
His expression did not change.
“What I choose to do with it is not something you have the right to criticize.”
— End of Chapter 35 —
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Authornim, why. Just why? Why did you not let us atleast take a peek? WHY
ReplyDeleteHa and here I was thinking that some smuty scenes will be written -.-
ReplyDeleteWhen the everything in the family was belonged solely to the patriarch while actually the whole family work and chip in to accumulate all of those wealth, ... It's really understandable that there would be in-fighting in the family for the said wealth. It's as if they're treating everyone else than the patriarch and his heir as slaves.
ReplyDelete