Incurable Chapter 58 Part 2
The rain fell for half the day, dispersing the lingering mist. Mu Wan stayed in her room reading and napping, while Liu Qianxiu engaged in his spiritual practice. Around one o’clock in the afternoon, after she awoke from her nap, Liu Qianxiu pushed open the door and entered.
Liu Qianxiu had changed into a new set of Taoist robes. His posture was straight and tall, his aura pure and cool, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly air. Seeing him, she set down the book in her hands, opened her arms, and smiled.
Understanding her gesture, he walked over, lifted her off the bed, and kissed her lips.
“Get ready. We’re going fishing.”
The fishing spot was at the Qingyuan River behind the mountain. Mu Wan propped herself up, looked down at him, and asked, “Aren’t you going to meditate?”
“Mhm.” Liu Qianxiu placed her back on the bed and fetched her shoes.
“This doesn’t seem right,” Mu Wan murmured, gazing out the window at the silent main hall. “Weren’t you here for seclusion? What if Master disapproves when you leave?”
He sat on the bedside, listening to her chatter. Only after she finished did he ask, “Who said I came for seclusion?”
Mu Wan froze.
While she was lost in thought, Liu Qianxiu slipped her other shoe on. He leaned down, gently hooked her nose with his finger—an intimate, doting gesture.
“I came to play with you.”
His face was inches away, clear and handsome. A little flower bloomed in Mu Wan’s heart, its petals sweet and fragrant. She stood up, her excitement bubbling over. “Then let’s go.”
They grabbed their fishing gear and followed the back mountain path toward the Qingyuan River. The grass on either side of the trail was rain-soaked, leaving their legs damp with each step.
Mu Wan adored the back mountain for its vast bamboo groves—the leaves were a vibrant green, and the air carried the faint, refreshing scent of bamboo. She followed Liu Qianxiu, admiring his Taoist robe as it fluttered with each step. He exuded an aura of both chivalry and Taoist grace, utterly captivating.
Though they came to catch fish, it was really just an excuse to play. Mu Wan slipped off her shoes and let Liu Qianxiu lead her onto the boat. Once they reached the river’s center, Liu Qianxiu cast the net, and the two of them lay back on the boat.
After a half-day of rain, the sky had cleared. Beneath the blue heavens, large, fluffy white clouds drifted like tangled masses of cotton candy.
The fishing net descended into the river. The boat drifted motionless in the center of the calm, crystal-clear waters, like a painting.
Mu Wan felt completely at ease. Lying against Liu Qianxiu, she gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, breathing in the fresh air after the autumn rain. The river murmured, the small boat rocked gently. Time and the world seemed to stand still.
Resting her head on Liu Qianxiu’s chest, she watched him read a book. The pages carried the scent of incense from the main hall, fresh and natural. Mu Wan rolled over, and Liu Qianxiu looked up at her. Her eyes were fixed on the book cover—another ancient text, written in classical Chinese, with sparse lines of text. Within its pages lay profound, inexplicable wisdom.
“Did you bring your homework here?” Mu Wan asked with a smile.
He set the book aside, smiling as he gently pinched her earlobe. “It’s a habit.”
It truly was a habit. He was quiet most of the time, and when he was quiet, he read. The book lay to one side, pages fluttering in the breeze. Mu Wan scanned a few lines.
The characters were traditional Chinese. She could recognize about eighty to ninety percent of them, but the meaning within? She didn’t understand. In front of Liu Qianxiu and the others, she was practically illiterate.
“If you keep reading like this, how many books will it take?” Mu Wan mused. “Master Xuan Qingzi must have finished reading them all by now, right?”
“No,” Liu Qianxiu denied, his eyes veiled in mist. He tucked her jet-black hair behind her ear and said, “Each book offers different insights when read at different times. Daoist cultivation emphasizes enlightenment, not quantity. Master has pursued enlightenment for nearly eighty years, yet the books remain the same.”
Muwan didn’t fully grasp his explanation, but she caught the key point. Her eyes widened as she asked, “Master has pursued enlightenment for nearly eighty years... How old is he this year?”
“Eighty-two,” Liu Qianxiu replied.
In the entertainment industry, celebrities place utmost importance on maintaining their appearance, yet no one can defy the passage of time. Even those who seem to age slowly over decades cannot hide their signs of aging once they reach eighty.
Xuan Qingzi appeared only sixty, yet was actually eighty-two. What kind of immortal was this?
Mu Wan studied Liu Qianxiu’s features closely. He was six or seven years older than her, yet in reality, he looked much like men her own age.
Mu Wan raised her hand and brushed his cheek. “Will you stay this young forever?”
A soft sigh escaped his throat as Liu Qianxiu clasped her hand.
“My future is spent entirely with you.” He kissed her fingertips, a faint smile touching his lips. “See for yourself.”
His kisses made her fingers tingle, and his words stirred something deep within her. Mu Wan laughed, meeting his dark eyes. She shifted, wanting to climb up to his level. The moment she moved, he caught her waist and pulled her close.
His future was spent with her. How long would that future last?
Mu Wan cupped his cheeks with both hands, leaning down to kiss him. Their soft lips entwined, a gentle breeze unable to dispel their tenderness. She kissed him lightly, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
“Liu Qianxiu,” she murmured, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you have pre-wedding jitters? Is that why you brought me to this Taoist temple to meditate and clear my mind?”
His fingers tangled in her hair as he gazed directly into her eyes, his expression heavy with tenderness and adoration.
“Afraid of what?”
Afraid... She didn’t know what she was afraid of either.
She licked her lips and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Her voice was soft and sweet. Her hair fell over her ears, a slant of sunlight filtering through the dark strands beside her ear, illuminating her cheek with a soft, delicate glow.
“Mhm.” Liu Qianxiu nodded, his smile breaking through like sunlight piercing a valley.
“I fear you won’t marry me.”
Mu Wan rested her head against his chest. His words vibrated against her skin as she listened to his heartbeat, and she smiled.
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