Softening Her Heart
Their plans for dual cultivation never came to fruition.
Old Madam Mei had learned from Mei Yaozhi that Liu Qianxiu had returned to China. She immediately called and told him to bring Mu Wan to the Mei residence for dinner.
Standing beside the car, Mu Wan clasped her hands behind her back and shook her head.
“I’m not going.”
She was serious about breaking up with him. They were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, so she could hardly accompany him to visit his family.
Liu Qianxiu lowered his eyes toward her. His lips pressed together slightly.
After a moment, he said quietly, “Grandma specifically asked me to bring you. Whether you’re my girlfriend or not, the affection between you and Grandma hasn’t changed.”
That was true.
During Liu Qianxiu’s absence, Old Madam Mei had treated her with tremendous kindness.
Remembering how much the Mei family had suffered over the past few weeks, Mu Wan looked up at Liu Qianxiu and glared.
“You haven’t heard the last of this.”
With that, she marched toward the car, opened the door, and climbed inside. Even while fuming, she remembered to fasten her seat belt.
Liu Qianxiu could almost feel her anger through the windshield.
He was the reason she was angry.
His eyes lowered slightly, concealing whatever lay in their depths. Then he turned, opened the driver’s door, and got in.
Liu Qianxiu’s return had brought the Mei residence back to life.
The gloom of the previous days had finally lifted, and Old Madam Mei looked much healthier too.
She pulled Mu Wan onto the sofa beside her, both delighted and furious.
She spent a long-time scolding Liu Qianxiu before finally declaring, “You nearly worried me to death!”
“Mom, he’s home now. Don’t be angry anymore.”
Aunt Mei sighed.
“Qianxiu had his reasons for keeping everything secret. Didn’t you say yourself that he’s already the head of the Liu family and knows how to handle his affairs?”
She looked toward Liu Qianxiu, who stood nearby holding a cup of tea.
He lowered his eyes.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you.”
“Hiding it from us is one thing.”
Old Madam Mei tightened her hold on Mu Wan’s hand. Her hand was warmer than it had been a few days earlier.
“But you shouldn’t have hidden it from Wanwan.”
She frowned at Liu Qianxiu.
“You may be the head of the Liu family, but you’re also Wanwan’s family. You need to understand what comes first.”
“Your home with Wanwan comes first. The Liu family comes second.”
Today, her anger was on Mu Wan’s behalf.
For the first time in her life, Mu Wan had someone standing up for her.
She knew everyone was far more relieved that Liu Qianxiu had returned than angry about his deception. She had worried that continuing to be upset with him might seem unreasonable.
But Old Madam Mei did not think so.
Not only did she support Mu Wan, she was angry alongside her.
A current of warmth loosened some of the tightness in Mu Wan’s chest.
She looked up at Liu Qianxiu.
He met her gaze.
Their eyes held for a moment.
Old Madam Mei accepted the tea and forgave her grandson.
Mu Wan, however, turned her face away.
She was not ready to forgive him yet.
The Mei household soon returned to its usual warmth.
After dinner came their customary mahjong game. As everyone played, they discussed what had happened within the Liu family.
Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan had both been taken into custody, and their assets had been frozen.
Acting under instructions, the Liu Group’s lawyers had not become involved in their cases.
Shen Chunqi had sought help from the Shen family, but the Shen's refused.
For one thing, the Shen Group was struggling to protect itself. It no longer dared offend the Liu family and could only keep its head down.
For another, Liu Fengmian’s affair with Mu Qing had caused considerable damage to the Shen family.
Shen Cheng had personally persuaded his father to refuse Shen Chunqi’s request.
With that, stability returned to the Liu family.
Liu Qianxiu had finally brought some measure of justice to his mother, and his position as family head was more secure than ever.
During mahjong, Mei Yaozhi opened another bottle of wine.
Mu Wan drank very little, but she noticed Liu Qianxiu drinking quite a bit.
He rarely drank, so she had no idea how well he handled alcohol.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced toward him.
He sat on a nearby sofa, his expression as cool and composed as ever. His pale skin showed no trace of a flush.
He probably isn’t drunk.
Mu Wan looked away and continued playing.
Since both of them had been drinking, they decided to stay overnight at the Mei residence.
They were given the same room as before.
Mu Wan had barely stepped inside when Liu Qianxiu followed her.
The door closed.
Before she could turn on the lights, his arms encircled her waist and pressed her against the door.
The clean fragrance of wine accompanied his heated kisses. The faint intoxication seemed to spread through her entire body.
His kisses were less controlled than usual, carrying a raw desire.
At first, Mu Wan was caught off guard. Gradually, he guided her into responding. With her back against the door, her body began to grow hot.
“You’re drunk.”
The room was filled with darkness. Mu Wan spoke between breaths as she felt his lips against hers.
“Mm.”
Liu Qianxiu caught her lower lip between his teeth.
Mu Wan let out a soft sound.
His kisses moved toward her ear. Warm breath carrying the scent of wine brushed her skin.
“I’m sorry.”
The apology seemed instinctive.
His voice was hoarse and faintly trembling.
Mu Wan was surrounded by his warmth, but a small part of her reason remained intact.
She answered without mercy.
“You should be.”
Liu Qianxiu kissed her forehead and sighed softly.
“I know. I should have told you from the beginning.”
“You don’t have to act vulnerable with me.”
Mu Wan’s expression remained cold, though in the darkness neither could see the other’s face.
Her words came in broken phrases, with a faint kitten-like whimper beneath them.
“You... you won’t soften me up this way.”
The man kissing her paused.
For an instant, he seemed to move away.
His familiar warmth disappeared.
Panic rose inside Mu Wan.
She turned to switch on the light.
But before her fingers reached the switch, Liu Qianxiu caught her from behind and lifted her.
“Ah!”
Mu Wan cried out and kicked her legs.
A moment later, he placed her on the bed.
Her body sank into the soft mattress.
The curtains had not been drawn, allowing cool moonlight to spill across the room.
Mu Wan saw Liu Qianxiu brace one hand beside her.
He looked down.
His long, well-proportioned fingers began undoing the buttons of his shirt, one after another.
Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
“What about this?”
His kiss was like a torch, gradually setting her alight.
“N-no...”
Mu Wan’s voice trembled.
“This can only soften my body.”
“Then I’ll soften your body first.”
Liu Qianxiu’s dark eyes deepened.
He kissed the corner of her mouth, then her jaw.
Between lingering kisses, he murmured,
“From the inside out. Little by little.”
Mu Wan sank into his tenderness.
Mu Wan’s body was easily softened.
Her heart was another matter.
She and Liu Qianxiu continued exactly as they had agreed.
They were Daoist partners who practiced dual cultivation without discussing feelings.
Mu Wan kept filming according to her schedule. At the end of each workday, Liu Qianxiu came to pick her up.
Although the Liu family crisis had been resolved, he had not immediately returned to work at Tang’er Hospital.
He was still overseeing the reorganization of the Liu Auction Group’s management.
Meanwhile, the cosmetics advertisement Li Nan had mentioned was officially scheduled.
Mu Wan would leave for France on Sunday.
The shoot would last a week and take place at a vineyard estate in a small French town.
Li Nan had already arranged her visa.
After finishing the call, Mu Wan put away her phone and went to remove her makeup.
She had finished filming unusually early today.
Once she changed out of costume, she called Liu Qianxiu.
— To be continued in Part 2 —
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