Chapter 42 (2/3)
Mu Wan smiled and did not bother pretending innocence. “Still, this is your show now. You’re the lead.”
Having put on the outer layer, Mi Yu did not leave. She sat down, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. The woman’s cigarette was long and slim between her red-polished fingers, making the whole picture strangely elegant.
“So why don’t you become a lead too?” Mi Yu asked, blowing out a ribbon of smoke.
“I don’t like a life where I’m constantly being watched,” Mu Wan said, sitting down beside her. “I want a stable life. As long as I can keep acting and make enough money to live comfortably, that’s enough for me.”
“You’d live comfortably even without earning anything,” Mi Yu said with a short laugh, her narrow eyes lifting with what looked like meanness. But there was no real malice in it. Her face was simply made that way.
“Well, that’s true,” Mu Wan admitted shamelessly.
She did not feel embarrassed accepting everything Liu Qianxiu gave her. Before, she had acted to earn fast money. Now she acted because she genuinely enjoyed it. Working while trying different roles and finding new ways to grow—that made life richer.
“It really is funny,” Mi Yu murmured, taking another drag. “There are so many people in the world, and everyone wants something different. You’ve got the resources, but you want to play supporting roles. I, meanwhile, have clawed and struggled for half my life, and no matter how much I want to be the lead, I’m always fated to end up second.”
“You are the lead now,” Mu Wan said with a smile.
“Thank you,” Mi Yu said suddenly, looking at her.
The sincerity in her tone made Mu Wan pause. Then she understood. She shook her head. “You don’t need to thank me, Yu-jie. Back then, you were always the one who brought me along whenever you had a role. If anyone should be grateful, it’s me.”
Mi Yu let out a low, lazy snort of amusement. “At least I didn’t waste my effort raising you. You’re not ungrateful.”
“Of course not,” Mu Wan said, laughing too. She checked the time. “I should go. I’ve made plans.”
Mi Yu did not try to stop her. She merely waved her off, cigarette smoke curling around her. After saying goodbye, Mu Wan stepped out of the wardrobe.
Outside the studio lot, Liu Qianxiu was already waiting for her in the car.
She ran over, a little damp with mist, and climbed into the passenger seat.
She had been shooting all day, but there was no sign of exhaustion on her face. Buckling her seat belt, she said, “Let’s go home first. I need to change.”
Liu Qianxiu agreed and started the car.
As they drove, Mu Wan turned to look at him. “How did you have time to come pick me up today?”
Usually, with his schedule, it was not easy.
Liu Qianxiu kept his eyes on the road. “I wanted to spend a little more time with you.”
Mu Wan laughed softly. The heat she had picked up while running over seemed to settle a little.
Turning to look out the window, she said, “You’re worried I’m nervous.”
She had indeed looked pretty nervous that morning.
At a red light, Liu Qianxiu turned to glance at her. “Are you nervous now?”
Mu Wan shook her head honestly. “No. They’re all people who are very good to you, so they should be easy to get along with.”
It was something she had figured out on her own over the course of the day.
Socially speaking, an eighteenth-tier actress like her really was not a match for the head of the Liu family. But in the Liu family, the power of decision rested entirely with Liu Qianxiu. If he said he liked her and wanted to be with her, then no one else really had the standing to object.
And as for the Mei family, while Liu Qianxiu called Old Madam Mei his grandmother, he was not truly a Mei in the sense of being ruled by them. Whatever he chose to do was still his own choice.
Once she thought it through that way, there was really nothing left to be nervous about.
As long as she behaved well at the Mei house, had manners, and spoke sensibly, everything else would be handled by Liu Qianxiu.
The more she thought about it, the more she admired her man.
After going home to change and put on fresh makeup, Liu Qianxiu drove her to the Mei residence.
The Mei family had been in the department store business for the last century. Now they run luxury shopping centers. Mei malls could be found in Xiacheng and across the country—high-end, grand, and unmistakably theirs.
The Mei residence was in North Xiacheng, built on Mei Mountain. The entire mountainside belonged to the family. Besides the main residence, the estate included other structures, such as an amusement park and a ski resort.
Compared to the Liu family, the Meis valued closeness and affection among relatives far more. Their home carried a genuinely warm family atmosphere.
The exterior of the Mei residence was Gothic, surrounded by gardens, while the interior complex followed a Republican-era style—dignified and elegant. Many of the furnishings were antiques, so everything looked far finer and more authentic than the sets in the Republican dramas Mu Wan had filmed.
The Mei family itself was not very large. There was Old Madam Mei, Liu Qianxiu’s grandmother. Then his uncle and aunt, Mei Zhizhi’s family, and Mei Yaozhi. The Mei family business was primarily run now by Mei Yaozhi’s father, with Mei Zhizhi helping, while Mei Yaozhi himself floated around like an idle immortal.
When they arrived, Mei Yaozhi was already waiting at the entrance with his elder brother and sister-in-law.
“They’re here,” Mei Yaozhi said to Mei Zhizhi.
Mei Zhizhi was thirty-six, several years older than Liu Qianxiu. Liu Qianxiu got out of the car with Mu Wan, greeted his brother and sister-in-law, and let Mei Yaozhi lead them inside.
The interior of the Mei house was all polished old-world elegance. The furnishings were full of antiques. Compared to the sets Mu Wan had seen while filming, this place had the refinement those sets could only imitate.
There was nothing stiff or performative about the family atmosphere, nothing like the oppressive formality shown in television dramas.
Old Madam Mei was warm and kind, taking Mu Wan’s hand and talking to her. Mu Wan felt a little like a new bride—somewhat shy, somewhat awkward, but more than anything, happy.
After dinner, Mei Yaozhi brought out a bottle of red wine.
“A friend brought this back from a vineyard in France. Try it.”
At his words, the household staff poured wine. Everyone raised their glasses, clinked them together, and fell into easy conversation while they drank.
“I heard from Yaozhi that you’re going to Austria next week,” Mei Zhizhi said.
“Yes,” Liu Qianxiu replied after a sip. “There have been several cases involving counterfeit pieces at auctions. I’m going back to deal with it.”
“Take Yaozhi with you,” Father Mei said at once.
“No need,” Liu Qianxiu said lightly, smiling faintly. “I can handle it myself.”
“Your uncle still thinks of you as a child,” Old Madam Mei said with gentle authority. “Always wanting to help from behind. But our Qianxiu is already head of the Liu family. He’s fully capable of handling things.”
Then she turned to Mu Wan and asked, “What about you, Wanwan?”
The old woman’s tone was so affectionate that warmth rose in Mu Wan’s chest. She smiled back. “I’ll stay in the country. I still have work.”
Her profession had already come up at the dinner table earlier, and the Mei family had shown no contempt for it at all. On the contrary, they respected the fact that she had work of her own.
“Well, work comes first,” Old Madam Mei said kindly. Then she added, “Since Qianxiu is going to Austria, won’t it be lonely eating alone at home? Why not stay here at the Mei house? With the household staff taking care of things, it’ll make life easier while you work.”
Mu Wan froze for a second. Then she glanced at Liu Qianxiu and laughed a little awkwardly.
Liu Qianxiu looked at Old Madam Mei and gently declined. “Forget it, Grandma. There are cats at home to look after.”
“Then at least come over for meals when you have time. I get bored by myself too.” Old Madam Mei sounded a little regretful. Then she asked, “Do you know how to play mahjong?”
Mu Wan smiled and nodded. “A little.”
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