Facing Zhou Yu's invitation, Nan Yu refused straightforwardly, "I have an appointment tonight. Let's do it next time."
"Is it... the elder who came to pick you up last time?" Zhou Yu sensed something and asked hesitantly.
He was completely sure that the man's look at him that day was full of strong hostility and coldness.
It was the kind of tension only men could detect.
Nan Yu paused and didn't deny it. "Sort of."
She didn't know how to explain her relationship with Tan Linyuan to Zhou Yu. In fact, she didn't know how to tell others about their relationship either.
Fortunately, Zhou Yu highly respected others' private lives and wouldn't dig deep into her past.
But this time was different. Zhou Yu glanced at Nan Yu. "There are some things I think you should be clear about."
Nan Yu looked at him.
Zhou Yu wasn't used to talking about others' private affairs, but for Nan Yu's sake, he still said, "Although my hometown is in Jiangcheng, my parents' businesses are all overseas, so I know something about things overseas."
Nan Yu nodded.
"Your senior has a very special identity, not just in Jiangcheng. Do you understand what I mean?"
Nan Yu seemed to understand but also seemed not to.
Did he mean that Tan Linyuan also had his own influence and connections overseas?
Nan Yu suddenly remembered Miss Ricia and her husband, who also had a close relationship with Tan Linyuan.
Zhou Yu wasn't the type to gossip behind others' backs. He couldn't go on after saying this. "He's very complicated... Anyway, you should be more careful."
Nan Yu knew Zhou Yu was concerned about her. She gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, senior. I'm not a kid anymore."
Seeing her relaxed, Zhou Yu shook his head and didn't continue the topic. "Since you've declined my invitation, I can only wish you a happy birthday and a great evening."
Nan Yu accepted it generously. Zhou Yu also gave her an early leave because it was her birthday.
On the way back, Nan Yu carried the bag with the record album in her hand, feeling a bit uneasy.
It was the first time someone other than her parents had prepared a birthday for her, even if it was just a cake.
Because of this sense of ritual, she even got off the bus halfway and went to a store to buy a bottle of sherry.
When she walked out of the store, she looked up at the sky. Only the afterglow of the evening sunset remained, and the clouds on the horizon were dyed a light rose - pink.
When she got home, Tan Linyuan had already returned as expected.
As soon as she entered the door, she was attracted by the cake box tied with a champagne - colored ribbon on the dining table. When she walked over, it was a white cake with a light - green tint.
The cake was decorated with jasmine patterns, and tableware and candles were already set on the table.
He had really prepared her birthday carefully.
Dressed in white clothes and black pants, with one hand in his pocket, Tan Linyuan watched her. "You're back quite early today."
Nan Yu put the handbag on the table. "Zhou Yu said I could come back early for my birthday."
Tan Linyuan also noticed the bag and raised his eyebrows. "What did you buy?"
"I bought a bottle of wine."
Nan Yu put the sherry on the table, then realized he was asking about the things in the bag. "It's a birthday gift from Zhou Yu, a record."
She really liked Zhou Yu's gift. She carefully took out the record and showed it to Tan Linyuan. "This record is very hard to find. It's out of print on the market, and collectors usually don't sell it easily."
"Remember the last time I took you to my bedroom? There were many albums in the original cabinet. There should have been this one too."
Tan Linyuan didn't say a word for a while.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Nan Yu continued on her own. "Oh yes, he originally invited me to dinner, but I declined."
Tan Linyuan glanced at her but didn't say a word. His usually calm face showed no expression.
Nan Yu smiled and made a motion of zipping her lips. "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."
Since that day when Tan Linyuan lost control and took from her, torturing her like a madman, she had subconsciously regarded Zhou Yu as a red line between the two of them.
Although she didn't know why she did this.
Maybe because it was her birthday today, she boldly stepped closer. While Tan Linyuan was putting candles on the cake, she suddenly asked, "Uncle Tan, why don't you like Zhou Yu?"
The person putting the candles didn't stop and replied calmly, "I don't dislike anyone."
"I'll rephrase my question." Nan Yu cleared her throat. "Uncle Tan, why don't you like me getting too close to Zhou Yu?"
The moment she asked, she noticed her heart was beating very fast.
After Tan Linyuan finished putting the candles on the cake, he straightened up. His gaze slightly narrowed and landed in her eyes.
His expression didn't change at all. The white shirt made his facial features look even more refined. "It's not that I dislike it. It's that you can't."
Can't?
Tan Linyuan looked down at her. His eyes were very dark, as unfathomable as the moon hidden in the clouds.
He said lightly, "You can only belong to me."
Nan Yu's expression froze for a moment. Her heart beat so fast that she almost had tinnitus.
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask something else, but Tan Linyuan continued, "I've said that I'll be honest and dedicated enough to my partner."
There was no emotion in his tone. "All of this is based on the premise that the other person should do the same."
Nan Yu remembered.
Tan Linyuan had said before that sexual partners were also considered partners.
Since the two of them still maintained their previous bed - partner relationship, their attitudes towards the opposite sex should also be completely open and transparent.
Just like his attitude towards Qu Jiaran, he had told her everything and explained it clearly.
"You can be with Zhou Yu if you want, but you must inform me first."
His words were cold, as if he was reading a certain regulation.
A special regulation they had to abide by.
Nan Yu's mood sank to the bottom.
So that's what he meant by "belong only to me".
As a bed partner, of course she could only belong to him.
Men all had this bad habit of being possessive of the women they had a relationship with, even if this feeling couldn't be called much.
So that's why he used the word "belong". In essence, he regarded her as a toy, a pet, or a doll.
Buying back Ye Nanwan for her, celebrating her birthday, and wanting to see her happy were purely for his own convenience.
When people raise a cat, they'll also open a can from time to time to enjoy the pleasure of being worshipped by a subordinate.
It was hard to say if Tan Linyuan had such a psychology.
"Do you want to blow out the candles?" Tan Linyuan held a lighter, ready to light all the candles on the cake.
Nan Yu couldn't control her annoyance and replied casually, "Light them, light them."
Tan Linyuan paused. He sensed the emotion in her words and glanced at her face.
Her expression seemed more depressed and annoyed than before.
Anyway, she wasn't as happy as before.