"How did Nanyu and Linyuan meet?" Qu Jiaran asked curiously. "I thought that taciturn guy always stayed in the temple and didn't socialize with others at all."
In response to Qu Jiaran's question, Nanyu thought for a moment before answering, "My fiancé, Shen Yanche, is Tan Xiansheng's nephew. When we were engaged, we chatted briefly, and he introduced me here."
With just these two sentences, Nanyu completely distanced herself from Tan Linyuan.
"So you're engaged," Qu Jiaran paused slightly, then smiled brightly at her. "When you hold your wedding, remember to invite me to your wedding banquet!"
Qu Jiaran was an extremely enthusiastic person. Before leaving, she insisted on adding Nanyu's WeChat and said they should keep in touch often. Only then did she reluctantly leave.
Without Qu Jiaran's crisp voice, the living room became much quieter.
The bustling atmosphere finally faded away, and Nanyu heaved a sigh of relief. She wheeled Niannian back to the room for a class.
During the class, Nanyu learned from Niannian that Qu Jiaran was the eldest daughter of the Qu family. Due to her frail fate, she had been frequently ill and hospitalized.
The Qu family doted on their only daughter. The adults in the family were so worried that they sought medical advice everywhere. Finally, they turned to Tan Linyuan.
At that time, Tan Linyuan chanted scriptures and prayed for Qu Jiaran for a whole month. Only then did her health start to improve. Now she rarely gets sick, and her personality has become much more lively and outgoing.
Therefore, the Qu family regarded Tan Linyuan as the savior of Qu Jiaran. They often invited Tan Linyuan to their home as a guest and even donated money to renovate Changuang Temple.
No wonder Qu Jiaran called Linyuan so naturally.
For a moment, a rather vulgar thought flashed through Nanyu's mind: Could it be that Tan Linyuan's way of helping Qu Jiaran was also the Yin - Yang adjustment method in bed?
When the class was almost over and Nanyu was saying goodbye to Niannian, Niannian suddenly tugged at the corner of her clothes.
"Nanyu, do you like Teacher Qu?"
Nanyu was puzzled. "Why do you suddenly ask this, Niannian?"
Children can't hide their thoughts. All their feelings were written on their faces. "Mom really likes Teacher Qu, and Uncle also said that Teacher Qu teaches very well. But... I'm always a bit afraid of her."
Nanyu was stunned for a moment and fixed her gaze on Niannian's hesitant eyes.
...
Nanyu didn't have the habit of checking her phone while working. It was not until she finished the class for Niannian and was on her way home by car that she took out her phone.
The moment she opened WeChat and saw so many red reminder messages, she almost thought something serious had happened. However, all the messages were from the same person.
[Nanyu, this is Qu Jiaran.]
[Why don't you post on Moments? Don't you have the habit of recording your life?]
[You're so beautiful. I really want to be good friends with you.]
[... ]
Looking at the series of messages sent by the other person, Nanyu felt a headache coming on.
She didn't like such an overly enthusiastic person. She felt annoyed and couldn't handle it. But she also knew that the other person meant no harm. It was just that she simply didn't like this kind of personality.
It would be impolite not to reply. After thinking for a while, she replied in her usual way: [I don't like making friends.]
Unexpectedly, the other person replied almost instantly.
[That's great! I can be Nanyu's first friend!]
[Since we're friends, we should go shopping together!]
[Nanyu, are you free tomorrow? How about going shopping? I'll pay for everything!]
Nanyu: ...
What she meant by that message was to imply to Qu Jiaran that she didn't need to make friends with anyone, but obviously the other person didn't understand.
She had to think of an excuse to decline: [I'm not available tomorrow. I have to go to the temple to pray for the Shen family.]
Surely Qu Jiaran wouldn't pester her anymore?
But she underestimated the other person's tolerance.
[Is it Changuang Temple? That's wonderful! I'm also going to Changuang Temple to play with Linyuan tomorrow. We can go together!]
Nanyu frowned. Her patience was running out. [But I don't like going with others.]
The other person fell silent.
Just as Nanyu heaved a sigh of relief, another message came from the other person.
[Does Nanyu dislike me? Aren't we friends? Or did I misunderstand your meaning before?]
Nanyu: ...
Nanyu was extremely annoyed.
Finally, under this moral coercion, she was forced to accept Qu Jiaran's invitation.
It wasn't Sunday tomorrow, and she didn't need to go to Changuang Temple at all. But now, because of the lie she told casually, she had to go.
Sure enough, the old saying was right. One shouldn't tell lies casually, otherwise, one would have to tell another lie to cover it up.
Nanyu thought all night but couldn't think of another reason to decline Qu Jiaran. Reluctantly, she got up, simply washed up, and went to Changuang Temple.
When she arrived at the entrance of Changuang Temple, Nanyu saw Qu Jiaran at a glance.
It wasn't for any other reason. She was just dressed so flamboyantly that she seemed to glow where she stood, really attracting people's attention.
In contrast, Nanyu, with her natural face, seemed a bit unnoticed.
Even though Nanyu tried to be as low - key as possible, Qu Jiaran still spotted her in the crowd at a glance. Her eyes immediately sparkled, and she walked over to hold Nanyu's arm. "Nanyu, you really came!"
Nanyu sensed something was wrong. "I could actually not come, right?"
"Of course not," Qu Jiaran stuck out her tongue and said playfully. "I thought your excuse of praying for the Shen family was just to decline my invitation to go shopping."
In fact, it was just an excuse, Nanyu thought to herself.
But it was too late to back out now. Qu Jiaran pulled her into the temple with a big smile. "It's Wednesday today. Linyuan doesn't have to do the morning class. We can just go and find him."
Nanyu felt a pang of unease and said vaguely, "I'm not familiar with Tan Xiansheng. You can go find him by yourself. I still have to burn incense and worship the Buddha according to the rules."
She didn't want to see Tan Linyuan at all.
A look of disappointment flashed across Qu Jiaran's face. "Okay, then I'll go by myself. Nanyu, don't leave after you're done. Remember to wait for me at the temple entrance."
Nanyu nodded in agreement on the surface. Watching Qu Jiaran walking towards the backyard of Changuang Temple, she immediately turned around and was about to leave without hesitation.
However, just as she reached the temple entrance, a strong bodyguard in a black suit blocked her way. He seemed to be Qu Jiaran's man.
The man stood in front of her expressionlessly. "Miss Nanyu, my young lady said that if you come out first, please wait for her in the car."
Nanyu: "..."
Nanyu was forced to go back into the temple.
Wednesday was a weekday, and there were few pilgrims in Changuang Temple. It was much quieter than on weekends.
Nanyu was just strolling around in the temple when the little monk she met last time walked towards her. "Benefactor, Brother Tan is in the backyard."
Nanyu pursed her lips and waved her hand. "I'm not here to find him today."
She wasn't going there. She might even disrupt the "Yin and Yang united" good thing between Qu Jiaran and Tan Linyuan.
Just then, Qu Jiaran called her.
Nanyu didn't want to answer.
"Nanyu! Come and save me quickly!" Qu Jiaran's anxious cry for help came from the phone.