Chapter 8 (1/2)
Part 1: A Bouquet in the Rain and the Question of Pain
The sky had only been clear for two days before the rain returned.
The plum rain season of June and July brought endless drizzle. Fine threads of rain covered the entire sky in a hazy veil, and the heavy dark clouds made the world feel slightly suffocating.
Splash.
Mu Wan fell forward onto the ground.
Mud scattered everywhere.
She gritted her teeth, letting out a low hiss of pain, then quickly pushed herself back up.
“Cut!”
The director called out.
The scene was finished.
The costume Mu Wan wore was already impossible to recognize.
It was soaked through, covered completely in muddy water. When she had fallen just now, the mud had splashed onto half of her face.
Only a small portion of her delicate skin remained clean, revealing dark, bright eyes beneath damp strands of hair.
After thanking the assistant director, Mu Wan finished her scenes for the day.
Dragging her muddy costume behind her, she returned to the resting area and changed.
There was nowhere to shower at the film location, so she went to the bathroom to wash her face.
Just as she finished and reached for a tissue, someone beside her handed one over.
Mu Wan glanced sideways.
Seeing who it was, she smiled and accepted it.
Gao Mei watched as Mu Wan wiped her face.
There was a faint red mark across her fair skin. It was probably caused by the dirty mud irritating her skin.
Her small eyes narrowed with worry and frustration.
“Mi Yu is really too much.”
“She’s in a bad mood, so why does she have to make everyone else suffer?”
Gao Mei had met Mu Wan during her first drama after graduation.
Like Mu Wan, she was also a professional supporting actress.
The difference was that Mu Wan usually played beautiful supporting roles, while Gao Mei was responsible for comic relief.
She was slightly chubby, with a round face and smiling eyes that almost disappeared when she laughed.
She looked like a cute little snowball.
The two often met on different sets and would occasionally have meals together after filming.
The scene Mu Wan had just filmed was with Mi Yu.
During filming, Mu Wan could clearly tell that Mi Yu was in a bad mood.
The scene had been retaken four times.
And every single time, it was because of Mi Yu.
Mu Wan had fallen into the mud four times because of her mistakes.
“What happened to her?”
Mu Wan dried her hands and applied some ointment to her irritated skin.
The medicine felt cool, leaving behind a faint mint scent.
Mu Wan and Mi Yu were from the same company.
They had worked together several times.
But Mu Wan had never been someone who liked digging into other people’s private matters.
“She got replaced.”
Gao Mei crossed her arms and leaned against the bathroom counter.
“She was originally chosen as the female lead for Director Zhang Chengze’s previous drama.”
“But then the Shen family invested in the production and sent over a new actress.”
“So Mi Yu became the second female lead.”
Mu Wan remembered that drama.
At the time, she had attended the dinner gathering to help Mi Yu with business contacts.
That was also the night she had sneaked out of the hospital and been caught by Liu Qianxiu.
Back then, Shen Entertainment had withdrawn its investment.
Director Zhang had even complained that the Shen family only had influence because they relied on the Liu family.
Mi Yu had been unwilling to accept the role because of that.
Now Shen Entertainment had invested again.
And when they sent a new actress to take the female lead position, Director Zhang immediately agreed.
Even though Mi Yu accepted the role as the second female lead, it was obvious she was unhappy.
The entertainment industry was always like this.
Money spoke louder than talent.
Mu Wan organized her things and calmly said:
“With Shen Entertainment investing, being the second female lead isn’t bad.”
Gao Mei nodded.
Then, seeing that Mu Wan was ready to leave, she asked:
“You’re leaving now?”
“Wait for me. Let’s get barbecue tonight.”
“I have somewhere to go.”
Mu Wan picked up her bag.
“My cat is still hospitalized. I need to check on her.”
She planned to visit Zhong Fen at the pet hospital first.
Then she would go to Liu Qianxiu’s apartment to see Datou and Ertong.
After saying that, Mu Wan suddenly became eager to leave.
But halfway to the door, she stopped.
She turned around and asked:
“Someone helped me with something.”
“He also invited me to dinner.”
“I want to give him a gift. What should I buy?”
Gao Mei looked at her curiously.
“What kind of help?”
“A friend?”
“He helped me take care of kittens.”
Mu Wan thought for a moment.
“But he isn’t really a friend.”
“We’ve only met twice.”
Since taking care of kittens sounded like a simple favor, Gao Mei didn’t think of anything complicated.
She immediately suggested:
“Buy flowers.”
“They’re fresh and beautiful.”
Then she suddenly noticed something.
“Wait.”
“Why is your leg injured?”
Mu Wan’s knee had a small scrape.
A little blood seeped from the wound, standing out against her pale skin.
The injury felt slightly itchy.
Mu Wan lowered her head and glanced at it.
She didn’t care much.
“I probably hit it while filming.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“I’m leaving first.”
After leaving the studio, Mu Wan went directly to the pet hospital.
After one day of treatment, Zhong Fen was already much more energetic.
The veterinarian told her that the kitten could be discharged the next day.
As Mu Wan walked out of the examination room, the veterinarian smiled and asked:
“Your boyfriend didn’t come with you today?”
It seemed that not only the neighbor had misunderstood her relationship with Liu Qianxiu.
Even the veterinarian thought the same.
Mu Wan turned around and smiled.
“We look that compatible?”
“Yes.”
The veterinarian answered instinctively.
“You two really look good together.”
After saying that, he realized something was wrong.
If they were really a couple, Mu Wan probably wouldn’t have asked that question.
He quickly apologized.
“Ah… sorry.”
“I misunderstood.”
After Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu had left the night before, the hospital staff had also talked about them.
A refined man.
A beautiful woman.
Standing together, they really did attract attention.
Mu Wan smiled and walked out.
She didn’t go far.
Nearby, she stopped at a flower shop and bought a bouquet.
The flowers were arranged in deep indigo tones.
Roses, lilies, and orchids were layered together, with two bird-of-paradise flowers placed in the center.
Elegant.
Bright.
Holding the bouquet, Mu Wan called a taxi.
The moment she got in, the driver glanced back and smiled.
“Such a beautiful bouquet.”
“Your boyfriend gave it to you?”
“No.”
Mu Wan held the flowers carefully.
The fragrance filled her arms.
She looked up, her eyes bright.
“I’m giving them to my boyfriend.”
The driver laughed.
“That’s nice.”
He admired the sweet romance of young couples, then looked at the small face hidden behind the flowers.
“Where does your boyfriend live?”
Playing along with the joke, Mu Wan gave him the address.
When the driver heard “Nanfeng Apartments,” he turned off the empty-car sign.
“Miss, let’s take Yun Road.”
“I just came from Zhongshan Road, and the traffic there is terrible.”
It was already after six in the evening.
Rush hour.
The rain had stopped, but the sky remained dark and heavy, as if another storm was waiting.
Going to Nanfeng Apartments through Yun Road would take a longer route.
Mu Wan looked outside at the gloomy sky.
“Why is Zhongshan Road blocked?”
“Wasn’t that road usually easy to pass?”
The driver explained:
“Today is the third anniversary memorial of the previous Liu family head.”
“The Liu family cemetery is located near the central road.”
“The entire road is full of luxury cars.”
“They even sent traffic officers there to manage the road.”
The driver still remembered the scene.
It looked almost like something from a movie.
Rows of luxury vehicles moved slowly along the road.
At the center was one particularly protected car.
The black vehicles shone beneath the rain clouds.
They looked solemn and untouchable.
Those were the Liu family’s assets.
And they represented only a fraction of their influence.
The current Liu family head sat in the center of that formation, surrounded by protection.
For ordinary people, families like that seemed unreachable.
A world completely different from theirs.
At the filming site, Gao Mei had shown Mu Wan the news online.
The Liu family’s third-year memorial had caused road restrictions throughout the afternoon.
It had ended around three.
Yet traffic was still not completely cleared.
True aristocratic families were like endless depths.
Their influence extended far beyond what ordinary people could see.
“Alright.”
Mu Wan agreed.
“We’ll take Yun Road.”
She took out her phone and called Liu Qianxiu.
Meanwhile, at the Liu family residence...
The rain had started again.
The wooden windows were wide open.
Inside the courtyard, green bamboo and trees stood lush beneath the rain.
A pond full of blooming lotus flowers reflected the gray sky.
Raindrops gathered on lotus leaves before sliding down.
Each drop fell into the water with a soft ripple.
In the main hall, Liu Qingyuan sat to one side.
He looked toward the man seated in the main position.
Liu Qianxiu was quiet and composed.
Cold elegance surrounded him.
His profile against the wooden window looked like a perfectly cut shadow.
“Qianxiu.”
Liu Qingyuan smiled politely.
“Why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”
Liu Qingyuan was only a few months older than Liu Qianxiu.
But compared with him, he appeared much more mature.
His features were handsome.
His clothes were neat.
His entire presence carried the image of a capable businessman.
Yet the two men were completely different.
Liu Qianxiu was distant and refined.
Liu Qingyuan was gentle on the surface, but his ambition was impossible to hide.
Although Liu Qianxiu was younger, he was the current head of the Liu family.
That was why Liu Qingyuan always spoke with restraint and respect.
Liu Qianxiu did not answer.
His gaze remained outside the window.
A drop of rain slid slowly from a lotus leaf before falling into the pond.
“You spend all your time at the hospital.”
A deep voice came from the other side of the hall.
“If it wasn’t for your grandfather’s memorial, would you even return home?”
The speaker was Liu Fengmian.
Although he was already over sixty, he still carried the appearance of someone much younger.
His black clothing, straight posture, and refined features still reflected the elegance he once had.
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Qingyuan stood up.
He poured tea for his father.
“Qianxiu has his own responsibilities.”
“And Uncle Cai is helping as well.”
Cai Qingliang was the Liu family’s chief secretary.
He handled reports from around the world and delivered them to the family head.
Liu Fengmian coughed lightly.
Liu Qianxiu finally looked over.
“Are you sick?”
Liu Fengmian’s expression shifted slightly.
He glanced at Liu Qingyuan before taking a sip of tea.
“Just tired recently.”
“He insists on handling everything himself.”
Liu Qingyuan smiled.
“He’s getting older. Some things should be handed to me.”
“Bring Aunt Shen back.”
Liu Qianxiu finally withdrew his gaze from the window.
“The house should have someone taking care of you.”
Both father and son froze slightly.
“If I wanted to harm her…”
Liu Qianxiu’s eyes remained calm.
“It wouldn’t matter where she hid.”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
At that moment, his phone vibrated.
He lowered his gaze.
The screen illuminated his unreadable eyes.
Liu Qianxiu stood.
He wore a black suit today.
His figure was tall and straight.
When he rose, both Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan looked up.
Without saying anything else, he walked toward the door.
“Not staying for dinner?”
Liu Qingyuan asked.
The only answer was the man’s disappearing figure.
After Liu Qianxiu left, the tense atmosphere in the hall immediately loosened.
Liu Qingyuan looked toward the door.
His eyes were filled with unwillingness and resentment.
“Are we really bringing Mother back?”
Liu Fengmian returned to his seat.
He took a sip of tea.
“Bring her back.”
“Otherwise, he will think we are afraid of him.”
[End of Part 1]
Mu Wan only wanted to give someone a simple thank-you gift.
A bouquet of flowers.
A short visit.
Nothing more.
But when she stepped into Liu Qianxiu’s world, she had no idea that behind the quiet apartment and the gentle man who cared for stray cats…
there was a family powerful enough to shake the entire city.