I’ll Protect You for a Lifetime
It began raining that afternoon.
The autumn rain continued steadily until after dark.
After dinner, Mu Wan opened all the windows.
She sat on the carpet beside the low table.
The autumn breeze entered the room, carrying coolness and the damp fragrance of rain.
Liu Qianxiu sat upright on the other side of the table.
Beneath the soft lamp, he wore a linen-colored shirt.
With the misty rain outside, he looked like a cultivator sitting alone on some distant mountain peak.
Detached from the world.
Almost ethereal.
Mu Wan could be distracted by his appearance and temperament anywhere, at any time.
Without realizing it, she lay across the low table and began staring at him again.
When Liu Qianxiu eventually met her gaze, her eyes were bright.
The corners of her lips were slightly raised.
She looked happy and completely content.
He put down his book.
“What is it?”
Mu Wan smiled.
She sat upright and propped her chin between both hands.
“I was thinking that whether I have a boy or a girl, as long as the baby looks like you, they'll be beautiful.”
The corner of Liu Qianxiu's mouth lifted.
His gaze moved over her features.
“They'll be beautiful if they look like you too.”
“That's true.”
Mu Wan accepted the compliment shamelessly, smiling.
The night breeze continued drifting into the living room, carrying the cool, sweet dampness of the rain.
Liu Qianxiu reached over and stroked her hair.
Then he lowered his eyes and returned to his book.
Mu Wan caught his hand.
She placed her cheek into his palm.
“Liu Qianxiu.”
His palm was dry and cool.
She rested her face against it.
“Mm?”
“Do you prefer boys or girls?” Mu Wan asked.
Although a child belonged equally to both parents regardless of sex, she supposed most people had some preference.
Some liked sweet, sensible daughters.
Others liked mischievous, lively sons.
When Lin Wei asked her earlier, Mu Wan realized she had never discussed it with Liu Qianxiu.
The fingers against her cheek moved gently.
He pinched her face twice.
“Either is fine.”
His tone was calm.
“Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll make sure they grow up safe and healthy.”
Safe and healthy.
In the end, that was probably every parent's most fundamental wish for their child.
And Liu Qianxiu certainly had the ability to protect them.
Mu Wan rubbed her cheek against his palm twice.
Then she smiled.
“What about me?”
The man raised his eyes.
His dark gaze rested warmly on her.
“You belong only to me.”
His voice was quiet.
“I'll protect you for the rest of your life. I'll make sure your life is safe, peaceful, and exactly as you wish.”
The engagement banquet was held at the Liu residence.
The Liu estate was built like a traditional Chinese garden and was no smaller than a small park.
Although the architecture leaned heavily toward traditional Chinese design, the engagement banquet itself followed a Western style.
It was held in the rear garden.
Dining tables and a champagne tower had been arranged across the lawn.
The night air was cool.
Stars filled the black sky.
Warm lights illuminated the garden.
There were not many guests.
Most were close friends and relatives.
Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu did not need to personally entertain everyone, and the atmosphere naturally became lively on its own.
Mu Wan liked this comfortable kind of celebration.
Everyone offered congratulations and blessings.
She happily accepted each one.
The rear garden connected to a traditional pavilion.
After greeting everyone outside, Mu Wan went upstairs.
The second floor was not empty.
Xu Xingkong was sitting there.
Beside her sat another tall, slender woman.
The two seemed to know each other and were chatting.
“Mu Wan.”
Xu Xingkong had become somewhat tired, so Huai Jing had brought her upstairs to rest.
When she saw Mu Wan, she smiled and called out to her.
“Xingkong.”
Mu Wan smiled in response and nodded politely to the woman beside her.
Mu Wan could roughly guess who she was.
She was probably Su Qiuzi, the wife of He Yu, one of Xia City's Four Young Masters.
Liu Qianxiu was familiar with He Yu and the others, but this was Mu Wan's first time meeting Su Qiuzi.
Apparently, Su Qiuzi rarely accompanied He Yu to events like this.
Xu Xingkong was elegant and gentle.
Su Qiuzi possessed a clear, almost crystalline grace.
It was not that she seemed cold.
Rather, there was something light and slightly detached about her.
“Hello, my name is Su Qiuzi.”
She smiled.
Her brows and eyes were beautiful, and even her voice was clear and pleasant.
“I'm Mu Wan.”
Mu Wan smiled back.
“Your voice is beautiful.”
“Qiuzi works as a broadcaster,” Xu Xingkong said, familiar with both of them and naturally making the introductions.
“Wanwan is an actress.”
After that, the two could be considered acquainted.
Gradually, the three women began chatting.
Interestingly, they rarely spoke about their husbands.
All three had careers of their own, so their conversation naturally revolved around work and everyday life.
They were independent women with their own thoughts and interests.
Only later did the conversation gradually shift toward pregnancy.
Xu Xingkong shared some of her experiences.
Mu Wan listened carefully.
Su Qiuzi was not excluded either.
She occasionally asked a few questions.
Of the three women, Su Qiuzi had been married to He Yu the longest.
Yet the two of them apparently had no plans to have children.
Even the questions she asked were somewhat unusual, giving Mu Wan the vague impression that perhaps Su Qiuzi did not intend to have He Yu's child at all.
But whether or not someone wanted children was entirely a personal decision.
There was nothing wrong with either choice.
The three women were still chatting when footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Liu Qianxiu appeared first.
Behind him were Huai Jing and He Yu.
“Finished?” Mu Wan asked.
The night had grown cooler.
Liu Qianxiu carried a shawl in his hand.
He draped it over her shoulders.
“Mm. Yaozhi is seeing the guests out.”
“Then I should go downstairs,” Mu Wan said.
“No need.”
Liu Qianxiu placed a hand on her shoulder.
He lowered his eyes toward her.
“Yaozhi can handle the guests. I'll take you to rest.”
Since there was nothing she needed to worry about, Mu Wan happily decided not to worry.
She said goodbye to Xu Xingkong and the others.
Xu Xingkong had been pregnant for several months now, and moving around with her larger belly was inconvenient.
Huai Jing supported her as they went downstairs first.
Behind them, He Yu and Su Qiuzi also began descending.
The Four Young Masters of Xia City shared many similarities.
All came from prestigious old families.
All were successors to their clans.
Their social standing was extraordinary.
Even their appearances and physiques were exceptional.
But their temperaments were entirely different.
Liu Qianxiu possessed a cool, almost immortal air—detached and solitary.
Huai Jing was refined and distant, with the commanding presence of an elite businessman.
He Yu, meanwhile, was gentle and elegant.
Like polished jade.
Warm and smooth.
He walked ahead of Su Qiuzi.
“Careful.”
Despite his warning, Su Qiuzi still missed a step.
Her body pitched forward.
He Yu caught her securely.
The moment their bodies touched, Su Qiuzi's face turned slightly red.
She quickly straightened.
“Sorry.”
They separated.
Su Qiuzi lowered her head and carefully watched the steps as she continued downward.
He Yu looked at her.
A trace of helplessness appeared across his gentle features.
With his long legs, he caught up in only a few steps.
Then he took her hand.
Su Qiuzi instinctively tried to pull away.
But his palm was warm and firm.
He held on.
“Hold my hand.”
Her movement stopped.
After a moment, she answered softly,
“All right.”
They continued ahead.
Mu Wan had noticed some of the interaction from behind, but she quickly looked away.
She vaguely felt that the relationship between He Yu and Su Qiuzi did not quite resemble that of an ordinary married couple.
He Yu was clearly the more active one.
Su Qiuzi seemed hesitant and restrained.
Yet He Yu was both gentle and quietly domineering, while Su Qiuzi seemed to yield to him without protest.
Mu Wan did not investigate further.
Whatever happened between another married couple was theirs to resolve.
Outsiders had no place interfering.
And even less reason to watch.
Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu stayed overnight at the Liu residence.
The interior of the estate was also heavily influenced by traditional aesthetics.
Considering that Liu Qianxiu's own apartment was filled with antiques and traditional objects, the Liu residence was probably similar throughout.
After showering, Mu Wan climbed into bed.
Now that the engagement banquet was finished, she finally felt relieved.
She was already drifting toward sleep when Liu Qianxiu finished showering and got into bed behind her.
The moment he lay down, he naturally wrapped his arms around her.
The environment was unfamiliar.
But with Liu Qianxiu beside her, Mu Wan found the place strangely comforting.
She turned around and rubbed against his chest.
“Finally finished.”
She was not truly physically exhausted.
She simply had trouble relaxing when there were unfinished tasks.
Now that the engagement was over, she could finally let go.
Liu Qianxiu held her.
He brushed her hair behind her ear, exposing a small, delicate ear.
Her skin was fair.
He lightly pinched it.
Almost immediately, it turned pale pink.
“Not yet,” Liu Qianxiu said.
“Mm?”
Her ear felt itchy.
Mu Wan rubbed her earlobe and looked at him.
“What else is there?”
He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.
“Tomorrow I'm taking you to see your wedding dress.”
The engagement was over.
Now they had to prepare for the wedding.
The previous week, Liu Qianxiu had commissioned a designer to create a wedding dress according to Mu Wan's preferences.
Wedding dresses were complicated and usually required considerable time to make by hand.
But the Liu family had arranged for the work to be expedited.
Tomorrow, Liu Qianxiu would take Mu Wan to see it.
If she disliked it, there would still be time to make another.
Mu Wan returned his kiss.
“Is it pretty?”
“Mm.”
Liu Qianxiu answered,
“It will naturally be beautiful when you're wearing it.”
Mu Wan laughed.
She wrapped both arms around his neck.
Her dark eyes stared up at him, her voice sweet and husky.
“I'm prettier without it.”
The lights in the room were still on.
Every movement and expression she made was clearly visible to Liu Qianxiu.
After speaking, she unconsciously ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip.
The corners of her eyes curved downward.
She looked like a little cat swishing its tail.
Liu Qianxiu kissed her.
This kiss was anything but refined.
There was no trace of his usual restraint or ascetic calm.
Mu Wan laughed and kissed him back.
Gradually, her breathing became disordered.
He continued kissing her, slowly drawing her open beneath him.
Desire surged through his dark eyes.
“Let me see how beautiful you are without it first.”
His voice was low.
“Every inch. I won't miss a single part of you.”
Mu Wan inhaled sharply and gripped his back.
— End of Chapter 56 —
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