Before Nan Yu could ask, Tan Linyuan said casually, "It hasn't reached that point yet. There's no need to worry prematurely."
Nan Yu looked at him and softly asked, "What if it does reach that point?"
"Even if it does, there won't be much change from now." He curled his lips indifferently. There was no ripple in his eyes, and he was so calm as if he didn't care about anything.
Right. As long as he didn't want to, nothing could bind him.
Not to mention a marriage certificate.
Nan Yu leaned against the wheelchair. She felt the lights in the lounge were a bit too glaring.
She knew something was wrong.
Finally, at that moment, Nan Yu understood the problem between them.
From the very beginning, their relationship had been wrong and sordid. So, this path was doomed to lead to the wrong outcome.
Only good causes can yield good results.
...
Another week passed. Finally, Qu Jiaran was allowed to visit Nan Yu at Tan Linyuan's villa.
As soon as they met, Qu Jiaran gave Nan Yu a big hug. "Yu Yu! I missed you so much!"
Nan Yu almost lost her balance. Fortunately, Qu Jiaran quickly let go of her.
"Is your ankle better? Linyuan said it would take you a month to recover and told me not to bother you."
Qu Jiaran happily took Nan Yu's hand. "I've been looking forward to seeing you for a whole month. I'm so glad I can finally come."
"Linyuan is so strict. He even wouldn't let me call you, saying you needed to rest well."
Nan Yu had been thinking these days that it was rare for Qu Jiaran to be so quiet. It turned out that Tan Linyuan had been helping her decline Qu Jiaran's visits.
This time, Qu Jiaran brought Nan Yu a lot of tonics. She said that it took a hundred days to recover from injuries to muscles and bones and she needed to take good care of herself.
"Yu Yu, I'm here this time specifically to apologize to you." Qu Jiaran looked apologetic. "Give me a chance. I'll make it up to you!"
Nan Yu shook her head. "It's not your fault. I was just too careless."
"Yu Yu... You're always so gentle." Qu Jiaran showed a hurt and helpless expression. "The nicer you are, the more guilty I feel."
Nan Yu just thought it was troublesome.
But Qu Jiaran insisted on making up for her mistake. She said she would take Nan Yu to a concert.
In fact, Nan Yu's foot could walk normally already, but she didn't want to accept the invitation, so she lied, "My foot still can't bear walking for too long. I'd better rest at home."
Qu Jiaran looked down at Nan Yu's ankle. After thinking for a few minutes, she came up with a new suggestion. "In that case, how about going to my place?"
Once she had this idea, Qu Jiaran got excited. "It'll be the first time a friend comes to my home. I'm so looking forward to it!"
... Nan Yu wanted to say that she hadn't agreed yet.
It was meaningless to refuse. Qu Jiaran could always find other ways to achieve her goal.
"Linyuan is also a guest at my home now. You can go back together after dinner tonight."
Qu Jiaran even made a very reasonable plan for her.
But Nan Yu didn't listen.
Her attention was caught by Qu Jiaran's previous words.
Tan Linyuan was a guest at the Qu family's home.
What kind of relationship did they have that he could visit their home so frequently?
If it was for business, they wouldn't meet at home.
So, it must be a personal matter.
...
In Qu Jiaran's car, Nan Yu was a bit distracted all the way.
The car stopped in front of a green forest. Sitting in the car, Nan Yu saw Tan Linyuan's G - class.
Qu Jiaran affectionately took Nan Yu's hand and entered the gate under the escort of bodyguards.
The living room was empty. The maid brought her slippers. While changing her shoes, Nan Yu casually asked, "Why haven't I seen Uncle Tan?"
"He's chatting with my dad in the study." Qu Jiaran said nonchalantly in a familiar tone. "They can always chat for a long time and won't come out until evening."
Nan Yu thought that their families had such a close relationship.
Now, thinking about Liang Yi's joke that day, it wasn't unfounded.
A relationship based on mutual interests was the most stable.
As for a marriage alliance, it was just a means to strengthen the relationship.
Wasn't such a marriage a kind of rope?
"Yu Yu?" Qu Jiaran saw Nan Yu was in a daze and called her. "I'll take you somewhere."
Nan Yu nodded and followed.
Qu Jiaran invited her into her study. As soon as she entered, she saw a large glass display cabinet.
There were all kinds of animal and plant specimens in the display cabinet, with more insects.
"Collecting specimens is one of my hobbies." Qu Jiaran introduced to Nan Yu with a smile.
Nan Yu listened silently and leaned over to take a closer look at the exhibits in the display cabinet.
There were butterflies, animal viscera, and various colorful insects.
They were all well - preserved and sealed in the display cabinet in a very vivid state.
"Are they beautiful?" Qu Jiaran was very proud. "These were air - shipped from all over the country. It took me a lot of effort."
Nan Yu nodded. "They're really beautiful. They look alive."
"Of course." Qu Jiaran winked at her. "Each specimen here was made when they were still alive."
Nan Yu was stunned. She withdrew her gaze from the specimens and looked at Qu Jiaran.
Qu Jiaran still smiled and tilted her head to explain. "If they're dead, it'll be very troublesome to make specimens. Their bodies will harden, and the result will be very dull."
Speaking of this, she even sounded a bit regretful. "Some specimens died before they could reach their destination."
"But only when they're alive will they struggle desperately to survive and show their most vibrant side. This moment should be preserved forever."
She said it so casually, but Nan Yu was terrified.
"Isn't it interesting to watch them try their best to survive but have to accept the fate of death helplessly?"
Qu Jiaran stepped closer to Nan Yu and suddenly grabbed her arm.
Her sudden move made Nan Yu's heart skip a beat, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
"Life is so fragile." Qu Jiaran suddenly concluded. "And it's so easy to be manipulated. Struggle is futile."
It was hard to tell whether this feeling was about the specimens or about people.
...
After coming out of Qu Jiaran's study, Nan Yu went to the bathroom to wash her face.
As soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was full of the animal and plant specimens in Qu Jiaran's room.
She stayed silent in the bathroom for a while. After adjusting her emotions, she went out.
At this moment, Tan Linyuan just walked out of another room.
Nan Yu was slightly stunned and stood at the bathroom door.
Tan Linyuan had just answered a phone call. He didn't notice Nan Yu at first and was concentrating on what was said on the other end of the phone.
His face was cold at the moment. His features were so perfect that he seemed to be out of this world, looking very distant.
It was this face that always made her heart race.