Nan Yu guessed what Shen Yanche was going to say next.
She didn't show much of an opinion. Instead, she calmly explained, "I have a violin partner. If I were to suddenly miss the performance now, it would also affect her."
Shen Yanche thought she was just worried about the performance. So he said, "Who's your partner? I'll go talk to her and see if she can perform solo."
Nan Yu replied casually, "It's Qu Jiaran."
As soon as Qu Jiaran's name came out, Shen Yanche was instantly stunned. Hesitation and thought were clearly written on his face.
Nan Yu looked up at the IV drip and found that the liquid was almost gone.
Finally, she didn't have to be confined to this bed and forced to talk to Shen Yanche about topics she didn't want to hear.
After thinking for a while, Shen Yanche smiled and changed his tune. "Yuyu, I've thought about it. Since it's a public welfare event organized by the government, if you're really interested, it's okay to perform once."
"I think doing what you like will make you happier." After saying that, he also noticed the IV drip. "I'll go call the nurse to remove the needle for you."
Seeing Shen Yanche about to leave, Nan Yu suddenly called out, "Shen Yanche."
Shen Yanche stopped in his tracks and still spoke to her gently, "Yuyu, what's wrong?"
At that moment, Nan Yu felt extremely exhausted.
She finally said to Shen Yanche what she had always wanted to say but hadn't. "Shen Yanche, I've never understood."
"You don't like me at all. You don't even respect my hobbies and career. Why do you have to marry me?"
Playing the piano was her proud and beloved career, but in the eyes of the Shen family, it seemed like something to be ashamed of.
This made her feel extremely tortured.
She continued, word by word, "Now that the Nan family has encountered an accident, I really have nowhere to go. So I'm very grateful for your help. But why do you sacrifice your marriage to be with someone you don't like?"
He could have repaid in other ways, but he chose marriage.
A marriage without any emotional foundation but one that they had to spend a lifetime together in.
Shen Yanche could easily find a girl from a well - matched family or the one he fancied. Why did he place the bet of marriage on her?
Speaking of this, Nan Yu suddenly thought of Qu Jiaran's confession to Tan Linyuan just now.
Tan Linyuan was the same. Facing a woman he clearly had no feelings for, he could still "not reject" her advances.
In the adult world, "not rejecting" means "I'm willing".
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She couldn't tell if it was because Shen Yanche had stopped her from playing the piano or because of Tan Linyuan's casual attitude towards feelings. Anyway, she was extremely irritable.
At this moment, she really had the urge to call off the engagement.
Before she could speak again, Shen Yanche explained to her first. "Yuyu, I was wrong just now. I apologize to you. I was too restrictive of you and forgot that you've liked playing the piano since childhood."
To prove himself, he even expressed his feelings to Nan Yu. "Yuyu, when our two families often got together when we were kids, I liked you. But because our parents were busy, we didn't have many chances to see each other."
"As we grew up, that innocent childhood affection may have faded a bit. But when I heard about the accident in the Nan family, the first thing I worried about was still you."
"I felt really heart - broken seeing you unhappy." His voice dropped. "So I want to take care of you. It doesn't matter if we don't have feelings now. We can take it slow."
Speaking of this, he then followed Nan Yu's mood and asked softly, "Yuyu, give us a chance to cultivate feelings for each other and give me a chance to take care of you, okay?"
Nan Yu drooped her eyelids, listening to these words that were like a confession.
She wondered if Tan Linyuan had felt the same way as her when he heard Qu Jiaran's confession, feeling completely unruffled and even a bit like laughing.
Nan Yu was silent for a long time.
She knew that it was meaningless to resist further. Even if she impulsively said she wanted to call off the engagement, the Shen family might not agree.
Her silence was an answer in Shen Yanche's eyes.
He smiled slightly. "I'll go call the nurse over. Otherwise, air will be infused soon."
...
After the IV drip was finished, Shen Yanche said he would take Nan Yu home, and she didn't refuse.
She had been tired enough from morning till night today. Now that there was a free ride, of course she would take it.
Moreover, she had lost her temper with Shen Yanche today. She had to give both of them a way out.
On the way back, Shen Yanche casually mentioned the public welfare performance again. "By the way, Yuyu, when is your performance with Miss Qu?"
Nan Yu's voice was cold. "Don't worry. I won't break the promise and give up the performance just because of what happened today."
Surprise showed on Shen Yanche's face.
His surprise was because Nan Yu had guessed his mind. He was indeed worried that Nan Yu would really give up the performance in a fit of anger as he had previously suggested.
"Also, I won't fall out with Qu Jiaran," she paused and then said, "But let me make it clear first. I can't beg her for help. Sorry."
Nan Yu suddenly realized that her mindset had changed.
Before today, she had never lifted the veil of the lack of feelings between her and Shen Yanche. They had always gotten along in a polite way.
Now, her attitude towards him was more like that towards a business partner.
Neutral and keeping a distance.
Shen Yanche didn't mind her tone. He gently shook his head. "No, I was thinking that you're usually alone. Now that you can make a kind - hearted friend like Miss Qu, it's a good thing for you."
Nan Yu was tired of hearing such words.
The car had arrived downstairs of the apartment. Nan Yu pursed her lips. "I'll go back first."
Shen Yanche didn't say anything else. He just told her to go back and rest early and remember to take her medicine on time.
Only then did Nan Yu remember that even her medicine had been fetched by Tan Linyuan.
The moment she took off her shoes at the entrance of the apartment, she was so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open. But after she washed up and lay in bed, her mind was extremely clear.
Before Qu Jiaran bombarded her with phone calls, she sent a message first, saying that she had arrived home and was going to sleep.
Qu Jiaran was as enthusiastic as ever, telling her to drink more water, cover the quilt well, and not to catch a cold again.
Nan Yu felt a bit guilty about Qu Jiaran's concern.
After all, she had slept with the man Qu Jiaran liked.
Just because of this, she couldn't really treat Qu Jiaran as a friend.
Thinking of this, Nan Yu began to ponder over Tan Linyuan's words and deeds today.
Although he said he was very honest about his attitude towards feelings, looking like a saint who was intolerant of sand; he still casually agreed to Qu Jiaran's pursuit.
Wasn't this self - contradictory?