Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 383

~ PROSPEROUS PREPARATION ~ 

In the Capital, the news of the Eldest Madam’s purchase of the murderer made the people boil with excitement. It was a pity that there was no conclusive evidence, so it was impossible to be convicted because of the thief’s confession, which made many people wring their wrists. The news of the opening of Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo also spread throughout the City. Who knew how many people are looking forward to it.

Knowing that the Eldest Madam wouldn’t be questioned this time, Mu Yunyao didn’t continue to pay attention to her and focused all of her energy on Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo.

In the East Courtyard, Eldest Madam watched Su Yuyi finished her medicine and waved her maid away. “Yuyi, how’s the training for the girl that your big brother found before?”

Su Yuyi looked extremely impatient. “Mother, look at me. I am in pain now. Where can I still have the heart to teach her?”

The Eldest Madam creased her eyebrows. “I know you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, but your reputation is more important. Time has been delayed long enough. The person I sent to investigate the Moon Palace Fairy couldn’t find any trace of her. Thus, we can only to figure it out ourselves.”

“Is it important to think of a way or not? Right now, Mu Yunyao is in the limelight.Where would anyone pay attention to me?”

“Yuyi, how can you think like that? If this matter is not resolved clearly, people will bring up this matter every time during Mid-Autumn Festival in the future. No matter what identity you become in the future, this matter will accompany you for the rest of your life. Do you want to be like this forever?”

Su Yu Yi bit her lips and reluctantly nodded: “I’ve already taught that girl for two days. It’s more or less done. I just need to correct some details.”

“Then, you should properly teach her in these two days. In another two days, I will arrange for her to appear and completely sever your relationship with that Moon Palace Fairy.”

Su Yuyi raised her head to look at the tired Eldest Madam, with hesitation in her eyes: “Mother, I heard from a servant that right now, everyone in the Capital is spreading bad news about you. They even said that our Su family has taken a fancy to Mu Yunyao’s property. We recognize her as her relatives not to take her back, but we want to murder her for silver...”

“Don’t listen to their nonsense!” The Eldest Madam coldly snorted. Seeing Su Yuyi’s unsightly face, she slightly eased her tone and said, “Yuyi, I will take care of this matter. You don’t have to worry. Rumors have always been about catching the wind and the shadows.but when it comes to things that have never been seen, it seems very real.”

Su Yuyi nodded his head, “I also heard that Grandmother wants to help Mu Yunyao and Su You with their coming of age ceremony ....”

The Eldest Madam sat on the bedside and spoke sincerely, “Yuyi, I know that you are very proud and do not like Mu Yunyao. However, the situation now is that she is stronger than us. Thus, we can’t offend her and can only retreat for the time being. It’s just a coming age banquet. When you fly to the branches in the future, what kind of banquet can’t you do?”

“Mother, if I don’t get rid of Mu Yunyao, I won’t have another chance to get ahead again. I’ve been having nightmares these past few days. In my dreams, I’ve been repeatedly killed by Mu Yunyao, and she was the one who specifically killed me. Since she came to the Su family residence, our Su family has got bad luck another after another. Nothing is going well, and I …. I’m afraid that Idon’t have the slightest reputation in the Capital now.”

The Eldest Madam clenched her teeth. “Don’t worry, Mu Yunyao won’t be complacent for too long. Mother will definitely help you get rid of her, even if I don’t do anything, your grandmother will....”

Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo had almost fully renovated, but Mu Yunyao had become exceptionally busy right now. Some of the landscapes in Bu Xian Luo are not well repaired, so needed to be rearranged and reorganized. There were also quite a few areas that needed to be revised in order to make Niyun booklets available at Ni Yun Fang.

Previously in Jingling City, the models in the Niyun booklet were mostly based on the madams of the different residences. If there are references, they could be simplified in a useful way. However, it could not be done in the Capital. After all, there were many noble people here, and they made taboos if they are inappropriate. Therefore, the beauty portrait on Niyun’s booklet needs to be drawn out of thin air, and some clothing details also needed to be matched with the style of the Capital.

Fortunately, all the six apprentices that Mu Yunyao taught before followed over. In addition, there are the embroidery ladies who had been selected from various places. Although they were a little flustered, the results were rather impressive. However, because there are too many Niyun booklets to make, Mu Yunyao can’t do it herself. Thus, she can only make a few copies and put them in Bu Xoan Luo for the ladies who come to buy clothes to look through.

Mu Yunyao was flipping through a newly embroidered Niyun booklet. The apprentices and embroidery ladies at the side looked at her nervously, but seeing that she didn’t nod her head after a long time, their hearts involuntarily rose to their throats. “Miss, are there any needs to be modified in the booklet?”

Mu Yunyao raised her head and looked at their nervous expressions. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Not bad. I can’t find anything that needs to be modified.”

Everyone immediately cheered, and their faces were full of joy. They had already started creating this Niyun booklet a long time ago, and after revising it a few times, they were finally able to satisfy the young miss.

Mu Yunyao also laughed along. “It’s been hard on you all these days. In a while, everyone will go collect fifty taels of silver. In the next few days, it’ll be even more difficult. Let’s work together to make niyun workshop prosperous. I will definitely not treat you poorly.”

“Yes, please rest assured, Miss. We will do our best.”

“Hmm, how are the preparations for Cai Yi and the others?”

“They were practicing in the backyard. We secretly sneaked a peek, and it really deserves to be taught by the young miss herself. She’s so beautiful that it’s hard for people look away.”

“After hearing what you have to say, Im sure that this opening must be prosperous, and we will make a name for ourselves.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Yu Heng, who was in Yu Wang’s residence, reported on the movement in Ni Yun Fang. “Master, Miss Mu has had a lot of things prepared for Ni Yun Fang. Should we also prepare Bu Xian Luo?”

Yue Wang put down his brush and looked up at him. “Do you know how to prepare?”

“Subordinate… This subordinate is just a rough people, so how would I know to do that?”

“Since you don’t understand, then just quietly stand to the side. Don’t disturb me here.”

Yu Heng was still somewhat unwilling to give up. “Master, you’ve been writing for half a day. Have you been thinking of a way to make Bu Xian Luo go famous when it’s open for business?”

Yue Wang raised his head and looked at Yu Heng, his eyes filled with coldness.

Yu Heng couldn’t help but shrink his head back and turn around to see Eunuch Cheng coming in with tea. He couldn’t help but brighten his eyes as he gave him a meaningful glance.

Eunuch Cheng snorted coldly. This Yu Heng is really elm-headed. Didn’t he see that Wang Ye didn’t want to be disturbed? But, he was still noisy here, “Wang Ye, take a break and have a cup of tea. Please, have a taste of this old servant’s skills in brewing tea. This tea is the best batch Old Qin has picked for us. It is said that it has the effect of concentrating and calming our breathing. This old servant also heard that Miss Mu has been busy preparing for the opening of Ni Yun Fang for the past two days. She has been busy for quite some time already, so why don’t you personally send some tea leaves over to her?”

Yue Wang stopped writing and remembered to dry the ink on the letter before carefully putting it into the envelope.

When Yu Heng looked at the letterhead, his eyes couldn’t help but widen. It was as if he was surprised to the core, “Master, why is this envelope so fancy?”

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Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 382

~ VIPER LADY’S NICKNAME ~ 

“Miss Mu, I have something that I want to ask you. I wonder if you could allow me to speak with you?” Shen Binghuai looked towards Mu Yunyao.

Mu Yunyao slightly nodded. “Then may Lord Shen come to the pavilion outside and take a seat.”

Seeing Mu Yunyao and Shen Binghuai walked out, Su Wenyuan couldn’t help but look at the Eldest Madam and ask in a low voice, “How much do you know about the matter with Xun Wu?”

The Eldest Madam quickly shook her head and said, “Back to Old Master, I really don’t know how Xun Wu died.”

“Then what about Xun Wu buying those bastards?”

“This …” The Eldest Madam lowered her head and pursed her lips in silence.

Looking at her expression, Su Wenyuan’s anger rose. If it wasn’t for the presence of an outsider, he really wanted to pull the Eldest Madam up and ask her about this matter. Was this person stupid? She wanted to kill Mu Yunyao, but she bought a few hoodlums. Could she believe those hoodlums? Once the matter is revealed, they will be questioned in two or three sentences, and he has to explain it. Then, where would be the Su family’s face? Should he, the Minister of the Public Service, be treated as such?

The Eldest Madam didn’t dare say anything. At that time, she had underestimated Mu Yunyao and didn’t put her in her eyes. She felt that if she were to slightly use her abilities, wouldn’t dealing with her be an easy task? Who would have thought that the result would be her being suppressed to the point that she couldn’t even lift her head? Furthermore, in order to prevent the matter from being exposed, she secretly gave orders to Xun Wu to invite those people to have a drink after this matter is over and do some tricks in the wine.

In this way, it was guaranteed that no one would notice, and she even thought of how to silence Xun Wu, but the plan did not change in time, so Mu Yunyao was completely fine. Instead, it involved her, so she could only bite the bullet and not admit it!

Su Wenyuan coldly looked at the Eldest Madam and said, “In the next few days, you will peacefully stay at home to take care of Yuyi. You don’t need to worry about anything else. Don’t meddle in Qingwu’s matters. Mother and I will take care of it.”

“Old Master, you are the head of the family, and I am the head of the household. However, the authority of the household fell into the hands of Madam Qi of the Second Branch. How can it be a good sign? No matter what, they are unreasonable and biased. What's more, Qi dares to treat Yuyi harshly in just a few days. When we come back, Yu Yi was burnt and confused. If you wait a few days more, everyone might be killed. If the authority of the household were in my hands, I would be more at ease.”

Su Wenyuan coldly snorted. “Take care of yourself first.” At this time, she was still trying to gain power. She really had no idea what was going on! With that, he turned and left.

The Eldest Madam gritted her teeth in hatred, and her gaze fell on Mu Yunyao, who was in the pavilion outside. She wished she could cut off a piece of meat from her body, but after a while, she took a deep breath and retracted her gaze. At present, she should be calm and slow. She had suffered a great loss because she was too impatient before. Thus, she must not repeat the same mistake again in the future.

Within the pavilion, Shen Binghuai thought for a moment before speaking, “Miss Mu, I have investigated your case for a long time, but in the end, I was unable to find any useful clues.”

Mu Yunyao slightly paused for a moment, then abruptly broke into a smile, “I believe Lord Shen must have done his best. Yunyao, thank you very much, Lord.”

Looking at Mu Yunyao’s smiling face, Shen Binghuai was astonished in his heart. “Does Miss Mu not mind what happened before?”

Mu Yunyao lowered her eyes slightly. The smile on her face had an additional bitterness to it: “How could I not mind? But since Lord Shen couldn’t investigate anything, it would be really troublesome to uncover the truth. Since that’s the case, besides opening my eyes a bit, I don’t have any better methods.”

Shen Binghuai shook his head, “This official hates evil, but there are many things that are beyond the reach of me. Shuntian Manor receives many cases, big and small, every day. Many of them are piled up like hills. You can tell what happened at a glance, but I can’t close the case because of the lack of evidence. If the case cannot be settled, then it is because I am incapable.”

“Lord Shen, please do not say that. The citizens of the Capital all call you Shen Qingtian, and it is enough to see what your doing. For you to explain this matter to me in private, Yunyao is extremely grateful.” Mu Yunyao smiled as she said, “Actually, it’s better if we don’t find out about it this way. In the end, I have to be considerate of our bloodline and kinship.”

“Miss Mu is a kind-hearted person. It is only natural that you would think this way. I still have other things to do, so I will take my leave first.” Based on his position, he shouldn’t have said all this to Mu Yunyao alone. However, this girl was truly worthy of respect and pity, and he’s got a lot of work to do!

Mu Yunyao curtsied and saluted respectfully. “I’ll be sending you off, Lord Shen.”

When they returned to Jiyue Pavilion, Mu Yunyao immediately called for Jin Lan. “You go out of the residence and tell Liu Liang to let him start his move.”

The Eldest Madam originally thought that there wouldn’t be much to do after Shen Binghuai’s inquiry. But unexpectedly, in just two short days, the Su family has pushed was pushed to the limelight once again.

A thief was caught in the prison of Shuntian Manor for stealing. When he was interrogated, he suddenly mentioned that they had seen the Su family residence’s Xun Wu and also overheard the matter of Xun Wu buying a hooligan to make trouble with Mu Yunyao. He described the situation in great detail and even explained that the man who went to trouble with Old Mama Wang’s son, Wang Zhu, several times was also a hooligan bought by Xun Wu.

As for the Su family’s residence match card that appeared in Wang Zhu’s hand, he stole it when Xun Wu didn’t notice. Initially, he thought it was something valuable. But after stealing it, he realized it was only an ordinary match card. He was furious for a moment, so he threw the match card into Wang Zhu’s house, and then … the scene of Wang Zhu coming to the Shuntian Manor to file a complaint with the matching card in his hand happened.

Shen Binghuai also did not expect that things would turn out this way. After interrogating that thief in the middle of the night, he brought his men to the Su family residence once again.

The Eldest Madam would rather die than admit that she had ordered Xun Wu to do something. Since Shen Binghuai had no other choice, he could only make a move from another person’s side.

Yun Chun, Jin Lan, and Jin Qiao were also called over to ask a few questions. Mu Yunyao had already warned them earlier, so there weren’t any mistakes.

The case was not over yet, but the people already knew the answer.

The Eldest Madam’s reputation as a virtuous person had spread far and wide, but now, she has become notorious. The commoners didn’t dare to discuss the Su family’s Madam openly, so they used Viper Lady instead as a nickname. Within a few days, almost all of the officials and madams knew that the virtuous Madam Meng had the nickname of Viper Lady.

“That Viper Lady is not ordinary. On the surface, she is generous and magnanimous. However, she secretly dares to hire people for murder. Furthermore, she coveted the eighty thousand taels of silver. If it weren’t for Lord Shen’s eyes, wouldn’t she be greedy for two hundred thousand taels of silver!”

“Who is still concerned about the money? Someone has already explained that Viper Lady wants to kill them to keep their mouths shut. Don’t you think that the deaths of those bastards in Baohua Temple are strange?”

“More than a dozen people fell off the cliff at the same time and died in the same place. How could there not be something fishy?”

“It’s a pity that there is no conclusive evidence to bring this Viper Lady to justice. A few days ago, I saw Lord Shen on the street, and his hair almost turned white.”

“Lord Shen is in a tough spot.”

“The most pitiful one is still that Young Miss Biao. She almost lost her life, and her silver was taken away by greed. Her family only values her inheritance … Sigh, she is still deep in a pit of fire. Who knows when someone might secretly lay his hands on her again!”

“That’s right, what a pity. Such a kind-hearted young lady, what a pity.”

“There’s one more thing that you probably don’t know. Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo are about to open, and the good days of our people in the Capital are about to come!”

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Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 381

~ SHEN BINGHUAI REQUIRED ~ 

Mu Yunyao understood the Second Madam’s feelings. After all, Su You had been sick for such a long time, and she had finally recovered her health now. In addition, she had taken over the responsibility of being the housekeeper, so she was in high spirits. If she isn’t, people will inevitably see some hints. The Old Madam has lived in the Su family for many years and has a clear grasp of the whole house. If it was as Second Madam had guessed earlier, and if she was really the one who hurt Su You secretly, then she would definitely have discovered it at the very first moment.

“Since Grandmother has decided that I and Su You’s coming of age ceremony will be held together, we might as well do it according to her arrangement. There is still more than half a month to make good preparations. It should be in time.”

“Yunyao, tell me. Do you think it is her … … who want to do something to You’er at coming of age ceremony, and then blame it on you?” When she thought of this possibility, Second Madam felt a chill run down her spine. Just thinking of this possibility made her heart feel as if it was about to split apart.

Mu Yunyao’s eyes sank. Su You had most likely died around her birthday in her previous life due to severe illness. However, since Su You’s death, the Meng family and the Su family’s relationship had become closer and closer. The Meng family has also been a great help on the Third Prince’s side. Thinking about it now, it might even be true that the Old Madame did something to Su You and used Su You’s death to completely tied up the Meng family.

However, since she had returned to the Su family residence, she had dealt a few blows to the Meng family. So right now, the Meng family should be thinking about how to stabilize their position in the Imperial Court and redeem their image in the Emperor’s heart. Since they didn’t have time to pay attention to her little coming of age ceremony, and then it was the Old Madame who might use Su You to frame her.

“We have not come to a conclusion yet, Second Aunt. Don’t be anxious first. It could be that we are overthinking things.”

The Second Madam shook her head. “It is better to believe it than not. It is always right to be on guard and take precautions. If something happens, I will regret it.”

“Then I will carefully help Elder Sister Su You recuperate her body during this period of time. Second Aunt, you should be more concerned about the things that should be prepared in the ceremony. If everything really turns out as Second Aunt guessed, then we might as well make do something about it.”

“Yunyao, what do you want to do? As long as you don’t let Su You be in danger, I’ll definitely cooperate with you!”

“I still need to think about it carefully. When the time comes, I’ll discuss it in detail with Second Aunt.”

“Alright.”

Su You had already chosen some of the leather and walked over, “Little Sister Yunyao, this time you’ve suffered a loss. I’ve picked a few!”

“It doesn’t matter. Since Second Aunt has the authority of the household, she can help me out in the future.”

Su You stuck out her tongue, looking playful and cute. “I knew you were the smartest.”

The Second Madam’s smile was somewhat forced and only returned to normal after a long while.

After sending off the Second Madam, Su Qing couldn’t help but worriedly ask, “Yao’er, as the saying goes, a tiger doesn’t devour its children. Could it be that the Old Madam will really kill Su You?”

Mu Yunyao shook her head, “I’m not sure either. We’re also connected to the Old Madam by blood. But isn’t she aslo doesn’t have a shred of mercy towards us?”

Su Qing sighed, “That’s true. In the eyes of the Su family, there has never been any kinship.”

It was noon. Just as Mu Yunyao wanted to take a rest, she heard waves of noise coming from outside. She couldn’t help but frown and stand up, “Jin Lan, what’s going on outside?”

Jin Lan walked in quickly with a trace of excitement on her face. “Miss, Lord Shen, from Shuntian Manor has arrived. He said that he has something to ask the Eldest Madam.”

Yue Wang had told her beforehand that the fact that Eldest Madam had bought a hooligan in the Capital was to cause trouble for her. He also told her that it would soon be revealed. Who knew that right after returning to the Capital, Lord Shen would come to the residence.

Mu Yunyao stood up and put on her clothes. “This matter has something to do with me. Let’s go and take a look at the liveliness.”

When Mu Yunyao arrived at the East Courtyard, the Eldest Madam, who had heard the news, hurried over. When she saw Mu Yunyao, her expression immediately turned unfriendly. “What are you doing here?”

“Greetings, Eldest Aunt. When I heard that Lord Shen had come, I came to inquire about the progress of the investigation on the death of Old Mama Liu and Old Mama Wang. After all, I had had my people beat them up ten times back then, and I always felt uneasy.”

The Eldest Madam’s smile was not her usual smile as she coldly glanced at Mu Yunyao before went straight into the main hall.

Shen Binghuai required in an expressly direct tone, “I take the liberty to come to the residence to disturb you today because I have something that I would like to ask you, Madam Meng.”

“Please speak, Lord Shen. I will definitely speak without reserve.”

“Alright, Do Madam Meng know a servant named Xun Wu?”

Yes, he’s a servant of the East Courtyard. A while ago, I sent him out to check on the grain harvest. It is quite strange to say. However, it’s been quite a while, and I haven’t heard back from him. Because it’s been quite a hectic time in the house, so I haven’t bothered to ask.”

Shen Binghuai sized up the Eldest Madam’s expression, “According to my investigation, Xun Wu is dead.”

The Eldest Madam’s eyes slightly widened, her expression extremely shocked. “Dead? How is that possible? Has Lord Shen investigated the cause of his death? A perfectly good person has disappeared just like that. We must investigate it thoroughly.”

“The cause of death is under investigation, and it will take some time. However, Xun Wu has a brother named Xun San. He has told me a few things, which are related to Madam Meng.”

The Eldest Madam frowned, “It has something to do with me? I don’t even know anything about Xun San. Wwhat does it have to do with me?”

“According to Xun San’s confession, Xun Wu was not sent out by Madam to investigate the harvest. But Instead, he had spend two taels of silver to buy some hooligans to abduct and persecute Miss Mu on her way to Baohua Temple.”

The Eldest Madam quickly shook her head. “How is that possible? Although Yunyao misunderstood me, I still treat her as my own niece.”

Mu Yunyao sneered in her heart. The Eldest Madam had even thoughts of tearing her life apart, and yet she’s still kissing her niece. Shouldn’t she be afraid of being laughed at by others when she said it?

Shen Binghuai frowned, apparently remembering where the Eldest Madam asked the guards to kill Mu Yunyao. If he hadn’t come in time, maybe something would have happened to Su Qing and Mu Yunyao. The Eldest Madam’s words could not be trusted, but now there was no conclusive evidence, and it was just a routine inquiry. Even if he did not believe it, he couldn’t question her either.

“Does that mean Madam Meng doesn’t know what Xun Wu is doing?”

“Lord Shen, although I said that Xun Wu was a servant of the residence, but he took the matching cards and went out. As for what exactly he did, I don’t know. I cannot send people to keep an eye on him at all times. After all, he is still a living person. I can only say that I sent him out to check the harvest. Furthermore, I heard what Lord Shen said just now that Xun Wu had bought a few hooligans to find trouble with Yunyao on the way. However, when Yun Yao went to Baohua Temple, the journey was smooth and without any problems? Is there some of misunderstanding? ”

Shen Binghuai nodded his head, “I understand. I will go back and thoroughly investigate the case. Thank you for your help today, Madam Meng.”

“Lord Shen is too courteous.”

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Incurable Chapter 35 Part 1

Chapter 35 (1/2)

Liu Qianxiu brought Mu Wan’s suitcase back with him, and Mu Wan brought him home with her.

The apartment had only been lived in for a day since she last returned, but it was already a little messy. This was not Liu Qianxiu’s first time here, yet it was the first time Mu Wan had felt a little self-conscious about it.

After setting the luggage down, Liu Qianxiu glanced at the clock. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms.

“Have you had dinner yet?” he asked.

The living room was warm and faintly humid. The restlessness that had begun outside had not fully left her yet. Mu Wan came back to herself, looked at the tall, lean figure before her, and shook her head.

“No.”

Liu Qianxiu went into the kitchen.

Mu Wan rarely cooked at home. In summer, the weather was too hot, and everything Wu Ma had bought that morning had already been used up, so the kitchen was completely bare.

When Liu Qianxiu came back out, he lifted his eyes to her and said, “Let’s go to the supermarket.”

Mu Wan knew perfectly well he meant for ingredients.

Even so, looking at him, her thoughts still drifted in other directions.

“All right. It’s not far. Let’s walk.”

She pulled her mind back, her face warm, and went over to take Liu Qianxiu’s hand as he opened the door.

His palm was dry and cool. As soon as Mu Wan’s fingers threaded through his, he clasped them firmly, their hands locking together.

One in front of the other, they went downstairs. Their footsteps echoed through the empty stairwell. Mu Wan’s heart felt full to overflowing.

As soon as they stepped out of the building, two stray cats darted out from beneath the trees in the community shade. Mu Wan immediately thought of her own cats.

“Did you go pick up Zhou Yi and the others yet?” she asked, beckoning softly at the strays.

The cats were not affectionate. They ignored Mu Wan and slipped straight into the bushes again.

“No,” Liu Qianxiu said lightly. “I came to pick you up first.”

Mu Wan tilted her head to look at him. He turned and met her gaze.

Something in her chest stirred. She smiled, her eyes curving bright.

“That makes sense. I’m a cat too.”

Then, thinking of how alone she had always been, she added, “A stray cat.”

“No,” Liu Qianxiu said.

Mu Wan looked at him, one brow lifting.

His eyes were deep and still.

“You’re my cat.”

Her heart jumped.

When someone who was usually sparing with words said something like that, it was always more devastating.

Heat spread across her cheeks, then to her ears. Mu Wan leaned close to his ear and bit the word out in a whisper.

“Meow.”

The man’s expression stilled for the briefest second. He turned to look at her, but Mu Wan had already drawn back.

By now, they had left the alley and reached the community entrance. There were people everywhere, wrapping the softness of that moment inside the noise of ordinary life.

Mu Wan pretended nothing had happened and walked forward with a light hum under her breath, but she could clearly feel his grip on her hand tighten.

And warm.

Night had fallen by the time they reached the road. There was no moon, no stars, only a sky blanketed in soft black cloud. Even the dark above seemed plush and heavy, like velvet.

Though Jiayuan Community was old, the nearby infrastructure was excellent. Just across the intersection stood a large chain supermarket.

At a little past six, it was neither empty nor crowded. Mu Wan followed Liu Qianxiu to the vegetable section and, as usual, began naming dishes while he chose the ingredients.

After that, the two of them lined up at the checkout.

Liu Qianxiu stood at the cart while Mu Wan waited behind him. There were only two or three people ahead of them. Naturally, her gaze drifted toward the small shelf beside the register.

On it were rows of small boxed items, all lined up neatly.

Strawberry-flavored. Mint-flavored.

Some of them looked ordinary.

Some of them very much did not.

The brand was famous enough that, even though Mu Wan had never used it herself, she recognized it. Her gaze lingered there, her eyes moving as though she were choosing—or hesitating.

This was something they definitely needed to buy.

In fact, this trip to the supermarket was primarily for this.

Mu Wan’s heart thudded.

Behind her, two girls were discussing which chocolate to grab after they got closer to the shelf. While talking about chocolate, they also noticed the man standing beside it.

“That man is so tall. His back alone looks incredible. I wonder what his face looks like.”

“As long as a guy’s tall enough, he can’t really be ugly. Anyway, ugly-handsome is in now.”

“It’d be nice if he turned around.”

“What for? If he’s handsome, are you going to chase him? Men like that definitely already have girlfriends.”

“Not necessarily. Maybe he slipped through the net. I could still ask for his WeChat.”

They were not speaking loudly, but not quietly either.

Liu Qianxiu could not hear them.

Mu Wan could.

She was just about to turn when both girls lifted their heads and stared past her shoulder, their eyes going wide.

“What flavor?”

Liu Qianxiu asked Mu Wan.

“Huh?” Mu Wan looked toward the shelf, assuming he meant the chocolate. “Matcha.”

His eyes lowered, patient and composed.

“There isn’t any.”

Only then did Mu Wan drag her attention away from the chocolate and look up into his black-and-white-clear eyes.

She understood.

Liu Qianxiu’s expression was perfectly calm, as if he had asked the most ordinary question in the world. Mu Wan, on the other hand, felt her face burn.

Steeling herself, she looked up at the shelf. At last, her eyes landed on a red box. She pointed at it and said, “Strawberry.”

Without changing expression, Liu Qianxiu reached out, selected it, and placed it in the cart.

The customer ahead of them finished paying. Liu Qianxiu took Mu Wan’s hand again and guided the cart forward.

The two girls behind them did not say another word.

After paying, Liu Qianxiu carried the groceries in one hand and held Mu Wan’s hand with the other as they crossed the road and headed home.

When they had entered the supermarket, the sky had still been dimly lit.

Now it was fully dark.

Streetlamps glowed in neat rows. Mu Wan walked along the edge of the curb, still a head shorter than Liu Qianxiu even on the raised pavement.

The scene felt so quietly warm that it tugged at something buried in her.

“When I was little, after cram school, my mom used to pick me up and hold my hand like this,” Mu Wan said. “I was shorter than her too. Back then I used to think that when I grew taller than her, I’d be the one to hold her hand.”

Her voice softened.

“But I never got the chance. She died before I could grow taller.”

Her mother had died the year Mu Wan finished elementary school. She had only been twelve. Back then, whatever expectation she had once had for warmth in the world had gone out completely.

But now things were different.

With Liu Qianxiu, her world had lit up again.

He kept walking, his hand wrapped around hers. His fingers were long and strong. Even if Mu Wan lost her balance entirely and fell, she felt certain he would hold her upright.

Since they had gotten together, they had never really talked about parents or family.

After speaking, Mu Wan tilted her head and looked at him.

“What about your parents?”

“They passed away,” Liu Qianxiu said, as lightly as if he were mentioning the weather.

The moment the words left him, Mu Wan’s expression changed. Her foot slipped. Her whole body pitched sideways.

Liu Qianxiu turned at once, and she fell straight into his arms instead.

Mu Wan was not sure whether she was startled by nearly falling or by what he had said. Her heart pounded hard and fast. She looked up at him.

On the ground, their shadows tangled together beneath the streetlights, long and calm.

He held her.

Her eyes were full of the helplessness of someone who had said the wrong thing.

Liu Qianxiu’s gaze shifted slightly. He lowered his head and kissed her once on the lips.

The instant their mouths touched, the light in her eyes softened into something almost liquid.

“We don’t have the closest blood relatives anymore,” she said with a smile, her cheeks slowly flushing again. “But that’s okay.”

Then, burying her face in his chest, she added,

“I can give you one.”

The man’s embrace carried a faint sandalwood scent, cool and clean.

While Mu Wan was inwardly cursing herself for becoming more shameless by the day, she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.

Then she heard him laugh softly and say one simple word.

“All right.”

By the time they got home, the night air had turned close again.

The supermarket was not far, but the walk back still left a trace of heat clinging to them. As soon as they stepped inside, Mu Wan went off to shower first. When she came out, Liu Qianxiu went in.

The air conditioner in the living room was running. Cool air flowed softly across the room.

Mu Wan sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking out at the dark night beyond the windows while listening to the sound of water striking the bathroom floor. Her thoughts drifted farther and farther away.

Then the water stopped.

Mu Wan’s body tightened.

Several beats later, the bathroom door opened. Mu Wan’s eyes moved, and she turned to look.

Liu Qianxiu stood in the doorway, his hair only half-dry. He was wearing trousers, but the shirt was still undone, leaving the strong, clean lines of his upper body exposed.

He looked back at her.

The moment he noticed her gaze drifting lower, his expression remained perfectly calm, and he simply finished putting on his shirt.

The room had already cooled under the air conditioning.

Mu Wan, however, felt hotter and hotter.

Lin Wei had once said that men were creatures ruled by the lower half of their bodies.

So what exactly was wrong with the one in front of her?

Even if he was a Taoist, there was no logical reason to come out of the bathroom dressed only halfway.

Mu Wan’s red lips parted slightly. For the first time, she felt that perhaps she had been too passive all along.

Heat rose sharply through her body.

She stood and walked straight toward him.

Fresh from the bath, she was all cool skin and damp fragrance. She moved like a young leopard, gaze steady and proud, a flush at the corners of her eyes. Rising on her toes, she leaned in to kiss him.

Liu Qianxiu slid an arm around her shoulders, his gaze deepening.

“Shouldn’t we eat first?”

Mu Wan had already forgotten what modesty was. She shook her head and asked, “Why not eat me first?”

For the first time, he answered her in kind.

“I’m afraid that by the time I’m done, you won’t have any strength left to eat.”

Coming from someone like him, the line was almost more dangerous precisely because he said it so evenly.

Mu Wan nearly melted where she stood.

She draped herself against him like water, soft and shameless and warm.

“I’m stronger than you think,” she murmured.

Liu Qianxiu looked at her for a long moment, then set one hand lightly against her waist and pressed his fingers just beneath her ribs.

Mu Wan shivered and closed her eyes.

“You still need to eat first,” he said. “An empty stomach isn’t good for you.”

Doctors really were troublesome.

Mu Wan’s momentum faltered. The surge of courage she had gathered thinned out all at once.

Liu Qianxiu went into the kitchen and cooked with the ingredients they had bought.

After dinner, Mu Wan got a call from Li Nan.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 35 Part 1

Incurable Chapter 35 Part 2

Chapter 35 (2/2)

Her brows knitted immediately. Fearing something had gone wrong with the role she had just secured, she took her phone and stepped out onto the bedroom balcony to answer.

“Hello, boss. Did something happen with Thousand Threads of Snow?”

Li Nan clearly had not expected that to be her opening line. But given everything that had happened to her this week, it was not surprising she would worry that way.

He laughed.

“No. I’m calling to ask if there are any other productions you’ve been wanting to do lately. The company can go talk to them.”

Since signing with the company, Mu Wan had never been treated like this before. Partly because she did not have the status for it, and partly because she had never been picky. As long as the role was decent enough, she would take it.

After this week—and likely the next as well—being hollowed out of work, the company had finally started to take things seriously.

Mu Wan stood barefoot on the balcony, the evening air pressing warm against her skin.

“I’ll just follow the company’s arrangements,” she said.

Li Nan sounded dissatisfied.

“Even if you play supporting roles, you still need your own path. Before this, you took roles too randomly. That’s why once those productions cut your scenes, there was no clear line for what to pursue next.”

On the surface, he was talking about the company’s strategy.

But, on closer inspection, he was also taking her preferences into account.

It was a win-win arrangement.

Mu Wan did not pretend to be shy about it any longer. She named several projects she had once wanted to audition for.

“All right. I’ll go talk tomorrow,” Li Nan said.

Mu Wan smiled.

“Thank you, boss.”

“I’m only doing my job as your agent,” Li Nan replied coolly.

Then, as though reflecting on himself, he added, “I have too many artists under me. There are bound to be times I can’t look after everyone properly. Don’t take it personally. Honestly, with your conditions, you could be playing lead roles.”

The earlier part of the conversation had been normal enough.

That last sentence, however, left Mu Wan a little confused.

She did not quite understand and asked, “What conditions?”

Li Nan did not answer.

He hung up.

The call had lasted nearly fifteen minutes. Mu Wan listened to the busy tone for a moment, still puzzled, but she did not dwell on it.

The bedroom lights were off. Light from the living room spilled across the doorway and reflected in the glass of the balcony doors.

A figure became clear there.

Mu Wan’s fingers tightened.

Liu Qianxiu had come over.

He leaned against her from behind, bringing with him a trace of coolness. It seemed he had gone to rinse off again.

Mu Wan’s shoulders softened under the contact. Feeling the solid warmth of his body close to hers, she said, “You told me it wasn’t good for my stomach to skip dinner, but you just ate and already took another shower, and that’s not—”

Her voice cut off.

His lips had come down against her ear.

His breath touched her skin, warm and dangerous. Mu Wan’s eyes widened slightly, her heartbeat pausing and then surging.

“That doesn’t matter for me,” he said.

The next second, her body lifted.

He picked her up in his arms. Her arms instinctively went around his neck, and he carried her to the bed.

Wind moved outside. Shadows shifted inside. The room turned quiet and tender and heavy with anticipation.

Afterward—much later—Mu Wan had no strength left to move. It felt as though he had taken her apart and put her back together piece by piece.

Her body lay limp in the circle of his arms. One forearm rested over her eyes, too tired even to raise them. Her voice was hoarse.

“Are you sure… this was really your first time?”

“Mm.”

A faint sound escaped through her nose. She rolled over in his arms like an indignant cat and mumbled sleepily,

“Doctors really do… know everything.”

That night, she slept without dreaming.

It had rained heavily during the night, but by morning the rain had stopped. The sky was still a dim grey haze.

At exactly six, Liu Qianxiu woke.

Mu Wan, exhausted from the night before, was still fast asleep.

He dressed quietly and got out of bed, moving into the living room.

Mu Wan’s living room did not have much furniture either, though it did have a sofa and a marble table. Even so, it still lacked the warmth of a regularly lived-in home.

He stood there a moment, then turned and went into the bathroom.

After rinsing off quickly and dressing again, he came out. One hand had just lifted toward the buttons of his shirt when his phone vibrated.

Lowering his eyes to the screen, Liu Qianxiu also heard a cat meowing outside the window.

He stepped to the bedroom window and answered the call.

It was from Liu Qingyuan.

A few days ago, Liu Qianxiu had abruptly arranged for the finance department to invest in a television drama. The Liu family business dealt in antique auctions and had nothing whatsoever to do with the entertainment industry. More than that, the project he had chosen had directly squeezed out an investment from Shen Entertainment.

That alone would have been enough.

But early that morning, Finance had sent another report: Liu Qianxiu had ordered investments into several more productions. Films. Television dramas. Even obscure web dramas no one had heard of.

There had been no planning, no discussion, no consultation with either Liu Qingyuan or his father.

And in practical terms, they were the ones who had been running Liu Corporation.

What Liu Qianxiu was doing was not just damaging the company’s interests and, by extension, theirs.

It was also a very clear form of disregard.

Liu Qingyuan kept his anger tightly contained. At first, he used the board of directors as a shield, but when he had said his piece, his tone sharpened.

“For all these years, it’s been Father and me keeping Liu Corporation where it is now. Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t care about it? Then why are you now—”

“I simply never wanted to manage it,” Liu Qianxiu cut in. “That doesn’t mean I can’t.”

One arm rested on the window ledge, drawing the lines of his waist and abdomen taut beneath the cloth. His voice was low, calm, and final.

“I am the head of the Liu family. Everything the Liu family has is mine. What I choose to do with it is not something you’re in any position to criticize.”

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 35 Part 2

Intense Love Chapter 112

~ VILLAGE GIRL ~

Zhou Shiyun looked back, but the woman had already entered the room. “I don’t know. Let’s go.”

Su Jinbei curled her lips and smiled, “Although both of you are brothers, I can see that your brother has a higher level of awareness.”

Zhou Shiyun glanced sideways at her, “What kind of awareness.”

“Women’s awareness.”

After saying that, Su Jinbei noticed the person beside her had a gloomy look. Su Jinbei coughed and hurriedly changed the topic, “Out of the blue, the Eldest Brother standing in front of me made me a little uncomfortable. Zhou Shiyun, Eldest Brother, is almost as tall as you...”

Zhou Shiyun said gracefully, “I’m back in my room. I’m very sleepy.”

Su Jinbei nodded her head and kept up with him.

Su Jinbei only woke up at noon the next day. When she woke up, she found it was earlier than the lunchtime stipulated by the Zhou family. She suddenly jumped out of bed.

“Where are my clothes?!”

“On the ground. How can you be so careless and throw your clothes straight away.”

Suddenly, a voice was in the room, and Su Jinbei was frightened. She looked around and saw a person sitting on the small sofa. “What are you doing here?”

Shao Suying said sullenly, “I also arrived last night, but you were already asleep when I arrived.”

“I was asking why you are in my room.”

“Wait for you to get up, but who knows you are so slow?” Shao Suying stood up, “But you can rest assured, Second Brother has announced not to let anyone wake you up.”

“...”

“Lunch is about to start if you don’t get up soon.”

After Su Jinbei finished washing up, she changed into the new clothes sent by his family last week.

The two of them walked towards the dining room, and Shao Suying grumbled as she walked, “What’s the matter with Eldest Brother? He pretended to be sick, and it was scary. It’s a good thing that I came all the way back. How old is he? Oh, my God.”

“Huh? You know that he faked his illness?”

“Oh.” Shao Suying laughed, “When I arrived yesterday, they didn’t let me go to see him in the room. Then, guess what, a woman came out from inside, and then Eldest Brother followed her. Somehow, Jiang Yan had already admitted that Eldest Brother was pretending to be sick and deceiving a woman. I tell you, Grandma and others don’t even know and think he is really sick. Don’t you think Eldest Brother is too childish?”

Su Jingbei chuckled lightly, “The hero is sad for the beauty. Afterward, where did the woman go?”

“She...”

“Shao Suying.”

“Here!” Shao Suying turned around and looked stiff when she saw the two behind her, “Ah...Eldest Brother, you are here? Ah, Second Brother is here too. Ha ha ha ha, what a coincidence.”

“It’s a coincidence.” Zhou Zhengxian walked over and looked at Shao Suying with a deep eye. “I heard that Aunt wants you to study abroad. Indeed, she is quite farsighted.”

Shao Suying blinked and sighed in her heart. She knew that she couldn’t speak ill of him behind her!

“There is no foresight. It’s also quite good in China. Don’t you think so, Second Brother?” Shao Suying kept blinking at Zhou Shiyun, hoping he could help her speak, but later found that Zhou Shixuan’s eyes were on Su Jinbei and didn’t look at her.

There was no way, so Shao Suying had to pull Su Jingbei’s sleeves, “Hey, Don’t you just say that you are hungry? Let’s go and have lunch.”

Su Jingbei, “Did I say...”

“Yes!”

After eating, Su Jinbei and Zhou Shiyun took Wutong for a walk.

Her mobile phone rang, so Su Jinbei put Wutong in Zhou Shiyun’s arms and looked at the screen. It was Xue Ying, “Hello, Ah Ying.”

“Jinbei, when did you go to the mountain area? What are you dressing up for? Ah, the village girl?”

Su Jinbei was stunned, “How do you know.”

“The whole network is full of photos of your village girl. How do I not know?”

Su Jinbei took a deep breath and said, “The whole network... the village girl’s photo!”

“Yes, the Internet also said whether you are back to your hometown, puff... I’m laughing to death. When was your home in the mountain area?”

“Wait, let me see first. I hang up!!”

Su Jingbei hung up the phone with a look of horror. The village girl’s photo is a stain for an artist like her, who must appear in the best state in public!

Zhou Shiyun glanced at her suspiciously, “What’s wrong with you.”

“Zhou Shiyun...Didn’t you say that the technology is backward there? Who’s taking pictures of me? And posting them on the Internet!” She would never change her clothes if she knew it would be like this.

Zhou Shiyun, “...”

Su Jinbei opened her Weibo account with trembling hands. Sure enough, she went on the hot search again.

#Su Jinbei from the village#

It doesn’t matter who sent the photo first. Su Jinbei looked at Weibo and watched the fans working hard to help her promote the village girl photos, and she felt like she was dying.

She doesn’t want to be playful if she had known it earlier. She must take out Liu Tingting’s best clothes and wear them. Now, she is wholly ruined.

“Which bastard...” Su Jinbei sobbed and threw herself on Zhou Shiyun and...Wu Tong, yes, it was really crying. Su Jinbei, who hadn’t done it several times a year, was ready to burst into tears.

Zhou Shiyun slightly twitched at the corners of his mouth and looked at the mobile phone in her hand.

In the photo, Su Jinbei’s hairstyle and clothes are shabby and rustic. Her movements ... well, her posture of sitting directly on the stone is a bit inelegant, a thousand miles away from the image she usually gives to the public.

Zhou Shiyun’s eyes gradually smiled, “It’s okay. It’s not ugly.”

“Really?”

Zhou Shiyun nodded sincerely.

Su Jinbei wiped her tears and slammed the phone in front of Wutong’s eyes, “If I’m a beauty, let out one shout, but ten shouts if I’m ugly.”

Wutong, “Meow?”

Su Jinbei deeply breathed, “I believe you two, just this once!”

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Continue reading Intense Love Chapter 112

Incurable Chapter 34 Part 2

Chapter 34 (2/2)

Barefoot on the cool marble floor, Mu Wan did not think about it any further. She took out her phone and called Liu Qianxiu.

Her excited voice carried all the way to the quiet Taoist temple.

“Liu Qianxiu, I got the empress role!”

The hand holding the brush paused.

In the main hall of Qingyuan Temple, the scent of ink mingled with sandalwood. Liu Qianxiu set the brush down, and a faint smile surfaced in his clear, calm eyes.

“Mm.”

“Can you come back a little earlier today? If you were in front of me right now, I could hug you, kiss you, and tell you all about it properly.”

Her voice dropped softer toward the end.

“All right,” Liu Qianxiu said.

She chattered happily for a while after that, talking about nothing in particular, until Aunt Wu called her to breakfast and she finally hung up.

After ending the call, Liu Qianxiu picked up the brush again.

Across from him, Qingchan was also holding a brush, practising characters on white paper. There was a streak of ink on his face, leaving one patch of his porcelain-like cheek smudged black like a little kitten.

“Was that Sister Mu Wan?” the child asked, looking at the slight lift at the corner of Liu Qianxiu’s lips.

Liu Qianxiu lifted his gaze. His expression had already smoothed back into calm.

“Yes.”

“Why does she cling to you when she’s happy too?” Qingchan asked, puzzled. Then, still not understanding the mystery, he lowered his head and went back to writing.

Watching the child’s crooked characters, Liu Qianxiu asked quietly, “Did Shifu say when he’d be back?”

“Does Junior Brother Qianxiu want to leave already?” Qingchan looked up, visibly surprised. “Before, you were always reluctant to go. You said this place held the Tao in your heart.”

The Tao in his heart was still here.

The person in his heart was not.

After receiving Li Nan’s call, Mu Wan reread Thousand Threads of Snow from beginning to end at home.

At three that afternoon, she took a taxi to Runze Tower.

The moment she stepped into the audition room, the director seated at the centre looked up, saw her, and smiled.

“We’ve met before.”

“We have, Director Li,” Mu Wan replied with a smile.

Everyone else in the room could tell at once that Director Li was already favourably inclined toward her. After he said, “Begin,” Mu Wan chose a scene and started acting.

Before she had graduated, she had not yet signed with a company and had needed to earn enough to eat. Back then, she had auditioned countless times. Mu Wan’s acting had never been the problem. Even in the smallest supporting role, she could still fully inhabit a scene.

By the time the audition clip ended, Director Li’s smile had grown even broader.

Just like that, the role was hers.

In Thousand Threads of Snow, the empress did not play a major role, but she was closely tied to the main plot, making it difficult to cut her scenes. Once the casting was confirmed, Mu Wan even went to the company afterward and signed the contract together with Li Nan.

Only after all of that was done did she finally let herself feel relieved—and happy.

She called a cab and headed home.

On the ride back, Mu Wan called Liu Qianxiu again. He only told her that Master Xuanqing still had not returned to the temple and likely would not be back that night.

The happiness she had been wrapped in seemed to dim beneath a thin veil.

Looking out at the western sun sinking lower in the sky, Mu Wan ended the call.

By the time she reached Jiayuan Community, it was already six in the evening. The sun had not yet fully set. The sky had only just begun to darken at the edges.

With dinnertime approaching and the workday ending, the snack vendors outside the community had begun setting up their stalls.

Thinking about it carefully, ever since the cats had gone to Liu Qianxiu’s home, Mu Wan had barely eaten from the roadside vendors at all.

Aunt Wu’s cooking from that morning had only been enough to carry her through lunch. After spending the whole afternoon running around, she was hungry. Mu Wan stopped by a few stalls, but the heavy oil and salt no longer stirred the appetite they once would have.

Liu Qianxiu really had spoiled her palate.

In the end, she bought nothing and headed home instead.

It had rained all day again. The edges of the paving stones in the community had lifted, and any careless step would send water splashing up. Mu Wan knew the road well. She walked along the wall, passed out of the little lane, and headed toward the building where she lived.

The old residential blocks stood tall, completely blocking out the sunset. The air carried the smell of wet soil and leaves, mixed with the dense, earthy presence of ordinary life.

Then, as Mu Wan reached the building, something cool and clean cut straight through that atmosphere.

She stopped.

The man had already changed out of his Taoist robes. He wore a linen shirt and trousers, standing tall and lean, solitary and removed from the world. He had been looking up toward the third floor, but when he heard footsteps, he turned and looked over.

The pale calm of his features deepened the moment he saw the woman standing there.

Mu Wan’s heart stumbled once, then began pounding wildly.

She came back to herself, her beautiful eyes lighting at once, and ran straight to him.

“Liu Qianxiu, you’re back.”

She smiled so brightly that it was like clouds parting to let all the light through.

“Mm.”

Turning toward her fully, Liu Qianxiu lowered his eyes and gave a quiet response.

“Didn’t you say your master hadn’t returned—” Mu Wan began, then her eyes brightened all over again. “Were you trying to surprise me?”

She never got to finish.

His hands came up to cup her face. Her chin tipped upward, her heart jumping sharply—and then his kiss fell to her lips.

The softness and warmth of his mouth sent a shiver through her. Mu Wan’s eyes widened, lashes trembling. He seemed to have buried all of his longing into that one kiss. In no time, Mu Wan’s eyes slid shut, and her arms rose to wrap around his shoulders.

By the time he drew back, her heart was in an uproar.

Sunlight filtered through the camphor leaves in front of the building and scattered in fragments across her blurred gaze. Mu Wan looked at Liu Qianxiu, who was breathing faintly and trembling a little.

“This is the surprise,” he said, his voice low, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

Mu Wan’s body felt almost too weak to support itself. She clung to him, her fingertips burning.

“Liu Qianxiu… will you stay at my place tonight?”

He looked down at her.

All the blood in her body seemed to rush straight into her face. Her cheeks burned. She made a small, soft sound, then licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. Lowering her head and then lifting it again, she said, “My bed… my bed is pretty soft.”

A breeze moved between them, carrying with it the ordinary smell of the neighborhood she had noticed only moments ago.

He looked at her quietly, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Mu Wan felt as if she might drown in his eyes.

She held her breath and waited for his answer, equal parts patient and desperate.

“All right,” he said.

He agreed.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 34 Part 2

Incurable Chapter 34 Part 1

Chapter 34 (1/2)

When Mu Wan returned to the private room, it was still just as lively as before. Nearly everyone at the table, whether by their gaze or the angle of their bodies, was oriented toward Shen Cheng and Mu Qing.

Mu Wan went back to her seat and said quietly to Mi Yu, who was checking her phone, “Sister Yu, I’m heading out first.”

The screen Mi Yu had been looking at showed Tang Qin’s Weibo page. She put her phone away, glanced at Mu Wan, then leaned back against her chair and took a sip from the stemmed glass in her hand.

Her eyes moved once around the room, passing over Mu Qing and Shen Cheng, before she nodded.

“All right. Go ahead.”

Mi Yu was one of the main cast, so she had to stay until the dinner broke up. But Mu Wan was only a minor supporting actress. No one would notice whether she stayed or left.

After thanking Mi Yu, she got up and walked out.

Beside her, Shen Cheng handed Mu Qing a glass of water. Mu Qing lowered her eyes and took a sip. As she did, her gaze flicked toward the door just in time to catch the graceful outline of the woman’s back disappearing beyond it.

The corner of Mu Qing’s mouth curved. Turning to Shen Cheng, she said softly, “Thank you.”

After leaving the Qinghu Business Club, Mu Wan took a cab home.

She had left on Thursday. It was only Saturday now. Just two days, yet a layer of stale dampness had already settled inside the apartment. It smelled nothing like the sandalwood calm of the Taoist temple.

Once home, Mu Wan opened the windows first to air out the place.

The wind in Xiacheng was not as cool as the wind at the temple. Even after the rain, it still carried a sticky heat. After a full day of running around, she was sweaty all over. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower.

Water from the showerhead hit the floor in a steady rhythm. After washing her hair and tying it up, Mu Wan stood beneath the spray and let the water run over her.

She had left the temple in too much of a hurry today and had not brought her suitcase. Tomorrow, she would tell Liu Qianxiu to help bring it back for her.

At the thought, she tilted her neck slightly. Water pooled for a moment in the hollow of her shoulder before sliding away in a clear, crisp line.

She wondered what time he would return tomorrow.

After showering, Mu Wan changed into her nightclothes, shut the windows, dried her hair, and climbed into bed.

The bedroom lights were off. Only the glow from distant buildings reached in through the curtains. The room was so quiet it felt lonely.

Mu Wan turned over once. She could not fall asleep.

She missed Liu Qianxiu terribly.

If she had known sooner that Mu Qing would interfere with this production as well, she would have stayed at the temple. Even if all she did there was sit beside Liu Qianxiu while he read, it would still have been better than this—being alone in an empty room.

Thinking back over everything that had happened tonight, Mu Wan lifted one arm over her head and slowly gathered her thoughts.

Mu Qing had blocked every road in front of her. She was clearly just waiting for Mu Wan to go beg her, so she could feed her own vanity with it.

Mu Wan was not afraid to endure hardship. But Aunt Wu’s implication had been obvious—Mu Qing would likely marry Shen Cheng in the future. Mu Wan, on the other hand, only knew how to make a living by acting. She had no real foundation in anything else, and nothing else would pay as well or come as naturally.

Being caught by the throat like this, handled and squeezed back and forth at someone else’s will, was suffocating.

Still, Mu Wan was not without options.

If she truly could not hold out any longer, then at worst, she would drag everyone down with her. Mu Qing was still too young. She only knew how to satisfy her immediate sense of triumph. Her mother, Yan Mei, had most likely warned her long ago not to provoke Mu Wan at all.

If Mu Wan was pushed far enough, she could expose Mu Qing’s real background. That would cost the Mu family the face they had spent half a lifetime preserving. It might even affect Mu Qing’s chances of marrying into the Shen family.

Of course, that would also drag her own mother’s name into it.

But Mu Wan had always been practical.

Her mother was already gone.

She still had to keep living.

After a full, exhausting day, she lay there thinking for a while before drifting into a hazy sleep.

The next morning, Mu Wan was woken by Aunt Wu knocking at the door.

She climbed out of bed and went to answer it. Aunt Wu came in carrying ingredients for breakfast.

Seeing Mu Wan’s sleepy face, Aunt Wu smiled. “Just got up?”

Still not fully awake, Mu Wan nodded, stepped aside to let her in, then followed her into the kitchen.

Aunt Wu began neatly sorting the ingredients in her hand. Mu Wan leaned against the counter and asked, “Have you not been busy lately?”

Usually, Aunt Wu only came to see her about once a month. Even with her mother’s death anniversary approaching, this was still unusually frequent. The Mu family never liked her much. If Aunt Wu came too often, Mu Wan worried they would blame the old woman for it.

“I’m not busy,” Aunt Wu said. “Mu Qing is away filming, and only Master and Madam are at home.”

Then she glanced over and asked, “What do you want for breakfast?”

Mu Wan looked at the ingredients for a moment, pressed her lips together, and said, “Plain noodle soup.”

Aunt Wu’s eyes paused on her, faintly surprised.

“You never used to like noodles much. This is the second time you’ve asked for plain noodle soup lately.”

In the past, Mu Wan rarely requested specific dishes. Aunt Wu simply cooked whatever she wanted, and Mu Wan ate it. Home-cooked food, even the plainest congee and side dishes, was healthier and tastier than anything outside.

Why had she suddenly started naming dishes now?

Because someone had spoiled her.

With her relationship with Liu Qianxiu as it was now, Mu Wan found herself looking back on all the small moments from before they had officially gotten together. From the beginning, he really had treated her differently.

Sometimes she wanted to ask him when he had started liking her.

But it also felt a little too sentimental.

No matter when it had begun, what mattered was that they were together now.

As she thought of that, her eyes slowly brightened, a smile gathering naturally at their corners.

Aunt Wu watched her eagerly. Mu Wan collected herself, pulled back the smile a little, and said, “My boyfriend made it for me once. Now I’m hooked.”

“Boyfriend?” Aunt Wu seized instantly on the keyword, her whole face lighting up.

“Mm.” Mu Wan nodded with a smile.

Even though Aunt Wu looked delighted, there was no real surprise in her expression. One of Mu Wan’s brows lifted.

“You already guessed?”

“Not exactly guessed.” Aunt Wu stood there smiling broadly. “I overheard Mu Qing talking with Madam. They said you might have a boyfriend now.”

Mu Wan poured herself a glass of water and took a sip, her expression unchanged.

“Oh. They really are so concerned about me.”

“Concerned, my foot,” Aunt Wu said bluntly. “They’re just afraid you might find a man better than Mu Qing’s and come back to outshine them. Their vanity is outrageous.”

A smile tugged at Mu Wan’s mouth.

“He really is better than Shen Cheng.”

Aunt Wu’s eyes widened as if she had just been gifted the ultimate cheat code in a game.

“Really? Which young master’s family is he from?”

“I mean he’s a better person,” Mu Wan corrected her. “And he treats me well. Didn’t you say from the beginning that all I needed was someone willing to eat meals with me?”

“Well, that’s true, but…” Aunt Wu muttered.

It was true, but she still wanted Mu Wan to find someone from an even better family than Shen Cheng’s, so that no one in the Mu family would ever dare bully her again.

“What does he do?” Aunt Wu asked, reluctantly letting go of the fantasy.

“He’s a surgeon,” Mu Wan said.

She did not mention the Taoist cultivation part. Ordinary people did not really understand Taoists. Most of them simply lumped Taoists together with monks. In truth, Taoists were far freer—they could marry, fall in love, live like any other person.

“That’s not bad.” Aunt Wu felt a little relieved. Being a doctor is a good profession. At the very least, they would not have to worry about food or clothing in the future, and life would be comfortable.

But after that relief came a flicker of dissatisfaction. Aunt Wu looked Mu Wan up and down and asked unwillingly, “Just a doctor?”

The old woman stood there as if she were digging for treasure, her eyes bright with hope.

Mu Wan set down her cup, smiled, and kindly shattered that hope.

“Yes. Just a doctor.”

Aunt Wu turned back to cooking.

Mu Wan smiled and was just about to go take another rinse when her phone rang in the bedroom. Thinking it might be Liu Qianxiu, she hurried in to get it.

Instead, the screen showed Li Nan’s name.

She accepted the call.

“Hello, boss.”

“This afternoon at four. Go audition at Runze Tower, Room 1306.”

So the company had not given up on her after all. They were already trying to find her auditions.

Standing in the bedroom doorway, Mu Wan looked out at the heavy, overcast sky and felt a strange weariness.

She had no problem with auditions. But even if she won a part, it might still be snatched away afterwards. As long as her conflict with Mu Qing remained unresolved, she probably would not be working much anytime soon.

“Boss…” Mu Wan began, intending to explain.

But Li Nan laughed before she could continue.

“It’s for the empress role in Thousand Threads of Snow. Wasn’t that one you wanted from the start? You don’t need to worry about the audition. It’s basically just for the director to look you over in person. The contract has already been sent.”

After Li Nan said that, there was silence on the line.

“Mu Wan?”

“Got it,” she replied at last, finally snapping back.

“All right. Prepare well. They start shooting next week. The character has a strong setup. If you do this role well, you won’t have to worry about finding work afterward.”

He hung up.

At the very moment when she had felt trapped with nowhere left to go, Li Nan’s call had suddenly opened everything up again.

This absolutely could not have been Mu Qing’s doing.

If it were Mu Qing, she would never have let Mu Wan get a role with such a strong character setup.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 34 Part 1

Intense Love Chapter 111

~ DESPERATE TRICK ~ 

“Suying had told me everything. Are you going to keep it from me?” Zhou Shiyun said with dissatisfaction, “I will return to Beijing now. You should take good care of Eldest Brother first.”

“No need, Second Young Master... This matter... “Jiang Yan stopped talking. He should have clarified it, but he remembered Zhou Zhengxian’s statement, “Don’t disclose the real situation to anyone. Otherwise, you will deal with the family law.” After that, he forced himself to swallow the words abruptly.

Forget about it. The Second Young Master hasn’t returned to Beijing for a long time. The Old Madam and the Eldest Young Master miss him and want to see him, so they let him come home.

“The Second Young Master, then you... come back.”

“Okay, I’ll hang up first.” Zhou Shiyun pressed off his mobile phone.

Seeing him hang up, Su Jinbei quickly asked, “What’s the situation now.”

Zhou Shiyun frowned, “Eldest Brother always hides his physical condition. Let’s talk about it when we get back.”

“Well, I have already bought the fastest ticket. Let’s go quickly.”

Zhou Shiyun nodded as he looked at her and said, “I’m sorry. I asked you to run around with me.”

“Eldest Brother helped me a lot, and I am also very concerned about him.” Su Jinbei pulled Zhou Shiyun to walk forward, “Hurry up, or we will miss the plane later.”

Zhou Shiyun pursed his lips and quickened his pace.

It was already dawn when they arrived in Beijing. The two didn’t call anyone to pick them up, so they took a taxi to the Zhou family’s mansion.

“Second Young Master, Miss Su.” Seeing the two of them, the servant of the Zhou family greeted them quickly.

Zhou Shiyun didn’t stop his steps and hurried forward. Su Jinbei put Wutong down and asked the servants to look after it.

The steward of the Zhou family just came to face him. When he saw Zhou Shiyun, his face was surprised, “The Second Young Master, why are you coming in the middle of the night...”

“Where is Eldest Brother.”

“In his room.”

“What’s his situation now.”

The steward hurriedly said, “The Eldest Young Master woke up once, and the Old Madam has been to see him.”

“What about now?”

“The Eldest Young Master’s room is not allowed to enter. He said that he would wait for Miss Lin to come.”

“Miss Lin.” Zhou Shiyun was taken aback.

“Yes. The Eldest Young Master only said that let Miss Lin pass when she came.”

Zhou Shiyun didn’t ask much. They just nodded and walked forward.

After a while, they all stopped in front of Zhou Zhengxian’s room. At this time, Jiang Yan was the only one standing in front of Zhou Zhengxian’s room.

“Open the door.”

Jiang Yan glanced at the steward and said, “You go down first.”

“Yes.”

Only Zhou Shiyun and Su Jinbei were left in front of the door. Jiang Yan turned around and knocked on the door, “Eldest Young Master, it’s the Second Young Master...”

There was a long silence inside. After a long time, the door finally opened.

Zhou Zhengxian stood behind the door, “Why are you back?”

Zhou Shiyun and Su Jinbei were stunned when they looked at Zhou Zhengxian, “Aren’t you...”

Zhou Zhengxian, “Come in.”

Su Jinbei and Zhou Shiyun looked at each other and went in.

“Sit down.” Zhou Zhengxian picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip with a plain expression.

Su Jinbei looked stunned. What? Isn’t Zhou Zhengxian seriously ill? Not only is he not sick, but he is in better condition than when she saw him. He was in a wheelchair before...

“Are you all right? “Su Jinbei couldn’t help asking.

“En, I am all right.” Zhou Zhengxian said, “Who told you, and why you came back suddenly?”

“Suying said you were seriously ill. Her family thought so, too.” Zhou Shiyun frowned, “But you...”

“I thought you were still in Guizhou, so I didn’t especially inform you.” Zhou Zhengxian looked at him, “I have my own consideration of this matter. Just pretend you don’t know when you go out later.”

“...”

“It just happens that you haven’t been back for a long time, so you should go home and see grandma.” Zhou Zhengxian said, “You go and rest first. We will talk about it tomorrow.”

Zhou Shiyun looked speechless, “Brother, you are scaring people.”

Zhou Zhengxian raised his brows and said calmly, “How do you know?”

“...”

At this moment, Jiang Yan opened the door and came in. “Eldest Young Master, the steward said Miss Lin is here!”

Zhou Zhengxian groaned, turned his head, and said to the two people in his room, “You go out first.”

Su Jinbei blinked. If she saw it correctly, Zhou Zhengxian smiled when he heard Miss Lin’s name. It’s not the usual gentle smile, but...the smile of a wicked scheme?

Su Jinbei, who was full of doubts, was taken out by Zhou Shiyun and waited for Mis Lin in the hallway. She seemed to have realized this when she met Miss Lin.

The head of the Zhou family is not playing a desperate trick, right?

Su Jinbei and the woman who came towards her looked at each other. She had neat, short hair, a slender figure, and an outstanding appearance. However, she gives the impression of a lonely person. She was a woman with a very individual character...

When Su Jinbei thought about it, they had already brushed past each other, but she didn’t miss a hint of anxiety in the woman’s eyes. She seemed very worried about Zhou Zhengxian.

“Zhou Shiyun, your elder brother... is he chasing a girl?”

Zhou Shiyun paused, “...How is it possible.”

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Continue reading Intense Love Chapter 111

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 380

~ SU YOU IS GETTING BETTER ~ 

Not long after Mu Yunyao returned to Jiyue Pavilion, she saw Su You walk in.

Compared to before, Su You’s body seemed weak and fragile, but her spirit was much better, especially her pair of eyes, which were especially bright and full of spirit.

Mu Yunyao came over with a smile, “Greetings, Elder Sister Su You.”

Su You’s face reddened, and she looked a little embarrassed: “Little Sister Yunyao, don’t be so polite, I … … I’m here to visit you. Why do you look so much thinner than before? Do you not eat on the hunting ground?”

Mu Yunyao brought her into the room. “It’s nothing. I will be fine after a two-day rest. Is everything going well for Elder Sister Su You?”

“I… I’m fine. Did you miss me at the hunting ground?” After Su You asked this question, she couldn’t help but twist her fingers and look nervously at Mu Yunyao.

Mu Yunyao was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “That’s right, I often think of Elder Sister Su You. How did Elder Sister know?”

“No wonder I kept sneezing these past two days. Mother said that someone must miss me and think about me. It’s just that you were so bored and thinking about me all day.” Hearing Mu Yunyao’s answer, Su You’s eyes lit up, and her expression became even more gorgeous.

Mu Yunyao felt that she was extremely adorable with this kind of awkward personality, “How come I didn’t sneeze on the hunting grounds? Could it be that Elder Sister Su You didn’t think of me?”

“I… I naturally also thought about you. Maybe I didn’t think about you as strongly as you think about mer.” The look in Su You’s eyes became brighter, making people want to protect her carefully.

Mu Yunyao’s eyes couldn’t help but curve as she pulled Su You’s hand to carefully check her pulse. “How do you feel these past two days?”

“It’s pretty good.” Su You pursed her lips and smiled, a slight dimple appearing on her cheek.

Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but stretch out her finger and poke at the dimple on Su You’s cheek. Looking at her wide-eyed and dazed appearance, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “You have to eat more. Boost your white and fat body, so this dimple will feel even better when I poke at the dimple.”

Su You covered her face with her hands, her face flushed red. She glared at Mu Yunyao with puffed-up cheeks, “You … You …” She didn’t say anything for a long time.

“Hm, this time when I went to the hunting grounds, I got some pretty good leather for you. You go ahead and pick them. I’ll get the embroidery woman from Ni Yun Fang to cut some of your clothes.”

“Do you want to bribe me with a few pieces of leather?” Su You was still sulky and fuming, but after she finished speaking, as she was afraid that Mu Yunyao would really be angry and ignore hir, she raised her eyes to observe her expression.

“Then how do you want to mer bribe you so that you won’t be angry?”

I heard from my mother that October fifteenth is your birthday and the day you are coming of age. How about I help you hold your hairpin on the day of the ceremony? When I reach the coming of age ceremony, it just happened that I get sick and feeling unwell. Therefore, we couldn’t hold a banquet, and only my mother helped me comb my hair. Now, I had finally caught up with your coming of age ceremony, so I want to follow the liveliness and excitement.”

The Second Madam and Su Qing walked in hand. When they heard this, they couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m afraid that won’t do!”

The Second Madam came forward and pulled her to sit down, “I just came from your grandmother’s place, and your grandmother said that Yunyao’s coming of age ceremony should be greatly organized. Your health has improved a little over the past two days. Thus, you can make up your coming of age ceremony with Yunyao. Anyway, you are just little older than Yao’er. The two sisters do it together, which is also seems particularly lively.”

“Really?” Su You’s eyes lit up, her face was full of joy, “That’s great. Little Sister Yunyao, did you hear that? We can have coming of age ceremony together.”

Seeing Su You’s happiness, the Second Madam’s smile became even more genuine: “The coming of age ceremony rules are very complicated. Just a whole set of etiquette will take about two hours. So, you must obediently drink the medicine on time and take care of your body well these two days. Don't be unable to hold on at that time and disturb your Little Sister Yunyao.”

“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll definitely be very obedient in the next two days.” Her body had gotten better, and Su You’s personality was more lively than before. She had been acting like an idiot in front of Second Madam all day long, causing the West Courtyard to be full of cheers and laughter.

“Since we have decided to make the coming of age ceremony big event, we should start preparing for it now. The residence needs to be set up, the clothes to be worn that day, the hairpin, the clasp, and the hair crown be worn must be arranged the best. The guest of honor must be invited in advance, and we have to be very cautious about choosing the guest of honor. Is there anyone in Yunyao’s heart? ”

“I’ve only just arrived in the Capital, so I don’t know many people. I can’t think of anyone suitable, so I’ll have to trouble Second Aunt to put in more effort.”

“That’s alright. You don’t need to worry. I’ll definitely make sure everything is handled thoroughly.”

Mu Yunyao looked at Jin Lan at the side. “Have you taken out the leather I brought from the hunting grounds?”

“Miss, they’re all in the room downstairs.”

Mu Yunyao looked at Su You, “Elder Sister Su You, quickly go down and pick one, or else I will put away and won’t give it to you anymore.”

“Since you’re so stingy, I’ll definitely pick a few more so that your heart will ache for them.” Su You stood up and said. “Jin Lan, quickly take me down to have a look.”

The Second Madam’s heart moved, she raised her head to look at Su You: “Your Little Sister Yunyao has a good family background. If you don’t choose carefully, she will feel bad.”

“Don’t worry, Mother. I will definitely choose the best ones.”

When Jin Lan took Su You and left, the Second Madam Mu looked at Mu Yunyao with a slightly sunken expression. “You intentionally wanted to let You’er go. Do you have something to say to me?”

Mu Yunyao slightly nodded her head, “Second Aunt, what do you think about grandmother meant by arrangemen like this?”

The Second Madam was stunned for a moment. After hearing this news, she was only happy and didn’t think about it too much. But now that Mu Yunyao had reminded her, she also felt that the matter had been brought up too suddenly, “I didn’t exactly guess what she meant. I was originally only thinking of making Su You content and happy....”

“Second Aunt, how did Grandmother know that Elder Sister Su You’s health was better?”

The Second Madam’s heart tightened, and her face paled. “This … Perhaps she has heard of some news. After all, everyone in residence has eyes.”

“Second Aunt has already guessed why Elder Sister Su You’s body became like this, but now she’s no longer take more precautions. Could it be that you wants to waste all your previous efforts?” Mu Yunyao frowned, and her tone carried a sense of coldness.

The Second Madam hurriedly grabbed Mu Yunyao’s hand with a face full of anxiety. “Yunyao, you have to help me think of a way. I’ve really gotten a bit carried away these past few days. I want to suppress the main house in case something goes wrong, and there will be some omissions in prevention....”

Mu Yunyao’s tone softened, “I know that Second Aunt is happy that Elder Sister Su You’s body has improved, but you have to be on guard against people. If you don’t take precautions, will Elder Sister’s body be able to withstand the torment?”

“Yunyao, listening to you talk like this, my heart filled with anxiety, so what should I do?”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 380