Nan Yu didn't ask Qu Jiaran why she said so, nor did she ask if Tan Linyuan would come back, because she simply didn't care.
But Qu Jiaran still told her, "Linyuan is as stubborn as you. He said he wouldn't come when I called, but he must be on his way here by now."
"How do you know?" Nan Yu asked casually.
Qu Jiaran winked at her playfully. "Because Nan Yu is a lucky star and will surely bring me good luck."
After saying that, she pulled Nan Yu towards the swimming pool, while tenderly reminding her, "You're on your period. Don't go swimming with us."
"There'll be a barbecue grill by the pool later. I've also invited a band. You can order any song you like, and they'll sing it for you."
Qu Jiaran clasped her hands together. "You must have a great time today."
Shen Yanche stood not far away. Watching Nan Yu being so warmly and thoughtfully received by Qu Jiaran, he couldn't help feeling happy.
It seemed that Nan Yu was still of some use.
...
As expected, Qu Jiaran had invited many guests. Soon, the poolside was filled with people.
Some had already taken off their suits and coats, changed into sexy swimsuits and trunks, and jumped into the pool.
Colored lights and ribbons had been pre - arranged on the racks on both sides. There were also ceremonial banners and birthday decorations.
Qu Jiaran had changed into the bikini she had prepared in advance. The bold black - and - red color scheme featured a shiny golden crown in the middle of her chest.
This bikini made her curves extremely sexy and full, highly alluring.
There were screams and whistles all around.
She was, of course, the center of attention. Smiling, she walked past each of her friends. One by one, they gave her presents and wished her a happy 25th birthday.
Looking at this lively birthday party, Nan Yu remembered her own birthday.
The late - night convenience store, beer, strange men.
And that night when she made the most absurd decision of her life.
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but smile.
If nothing had gone wrong with the Nan family, perhaps her birthday party would have been just as lively, though not by a pool, but the atmosphere would have been similar.
But there were no ifs.
The band Qu Jiaran mentioned also arrived on time.
It was a well - known rock band in Jiangcheng. Their album lyrics were light - hearted, and the melodies were energetic, easily igniting the atmosphere of the whole party.
Nan Yu casually found a table and sat down, propping her chin up and watching the female lead singer of the band.
The female lead singer looked in her early twenties. She had short, neat hair and a distinctive smoky voice. She was wearing pirated designer sneakers, and her pants had several holes.
Nan Yu could tell that this girl's financial condition was average.
But she sang every song of the band with passion, stepping on every drumbeat, freely and wildly expressing her loyalty to music under this open - air pool.
What about her?
She remembered the scene of being forced to sit in front of the piano to amuse others.
...
The band sang song after song. Although Nan Yu's ears were listening, she was actually absent - minded.
The sky was gradually getting darker. She was thinking about how to get down the mountain.
The fastest way would surely be to take Qu Jiaran's helicopter - but this thought was quickly pushed away as soon as it came to her mind.
She knew that with Qu Jiaran's personality, if she asked, Qu Jiaran would surely agree.
But she didn't want to owe anyone a favor.
Nan Yu didn't know or was not familiar with the other guests. She could only look for Shen Yanche, who had brought her up the mountain.
Nan Yu stood up, walked through the sea of unfamiliar faces, trying to find Shen Yanche.
After looking for a while, she finally saw him.
Shen Yanche was holding his phone. It was not clear who was on the other end of the line, but it seemed that the person was angry with him.
His face was impatient. He kept saying things like "I'll come to you later", "Be good", and "It'll be over soon".
Nan Yu guessed something. She stood still and didn't go closer to hear the whole conversation.
Finally, Shen Yanche managed to calm the person on the phone down. He put away his phone and turned around, only to see Nan Yu standing a few meters away.
Shen Yanche walked up to her. "Yuyu, did you have a good time today?"
Nan Yu said simply and directly, "When are we going down the mountain?"
"We have to wait until Miss Qu's birthday party is over."
After saying that, Shen Yanche glanced at his watch. "Yuyu, but I have an urgent matter to attend to now and need to go down the mountain."
Nan Yu didn't care who he was going to see or what he was going to do. "Great. Then take me with you. I want to go to Ling..."
"Yuyu, you can't leave now."
Shen Yanche interrupted her. He said seriously, "Doesn't Qu Jiaran regard you as her best friend? If you leave now, she'll surely be sad."
Nan Yu looked back at the woman in the middle of the pool.
Obviously, the woman in the pool was having a great time and didn't care about her at all.
Shen Yanche continued, "Our Shen family has a project to discuss with the Qu family next week. If possible, you'd better bring this up with Miss Qu on your own initiative."
Nan Yu's heart sank.
"She regards you as a good friend. She surely won't refuse."
After saying that, Shen Yanche left without hesitation, leaving her alone.
Nan Yu went back to the table where she had been sitting, but someone else was already sitting there resting.
She had no choice but to walk to the lawn on the other side of the pool. She sat down with a bottle of water in her hand, silently watching the liveliness on the other side of the pool, and slowly raised the bottle.
Just here, let's toast to her parents.
Her eyes were in a daze. Just as she was about to raise the bottle halfway, it was snatched away.
"You even unscrewed the cap for Uncle in advance."
...
Tan Linyuan arrived late. The pool party had already started for a while.
He really hadn't planned to come, but Qu Jiaran had cried, made a fuss, and threatened to do something extreme on the phone. Then the Qu family's parents had come to plead with him, so he had no choice but to agree to show up.
Before he even reached the pool, he saw the figure sitting on the lawn.
Nan Yu raised her face. Her gaze traveled from his long legs, up to his chest, then to his Adam's apple, and finally landed on his face. "Just arrived?"
"Yeah." Tan Linyuan replied. He took the water she had been holding and sat down on the grass too. "I just finished an entertainment event."
Occasionally, there would be internal troublemakers in the chamber of commerce. He had to step in from time to time to maintain order and stabilize the other members.
Nan Yu nodded, thinking that explained it.
He wasn't wearing the loose robe anymore. Instead, he was in a formal shirt, looking less ethereal and more serious and rigid.
"Uncle is here for Qu Jiaran's birthday. Why are you sitting here with me now?" Nan Yu pointed at the center of attention in the pool. "She's been waiting for you all night. Hurry up and go over."
Tan Linyuan turned to look at her.
Nan Yu was obviously dressed up today, very different from her usual casual style. It seemed as if she had prepared herself specially to meet someone.