After the meal, the snow outside grew heavier.
Nanyu saw frost flowers forming on the glass. It was as if snowballs were falling outside, making a faint rustling sound when they hit the window.
She shifted her gaze back and saw Tan Linyuan sitting across from her.
His expression remained calm throughout, as cold as the wind and snow outside.
"Let's go," Tan Linyuan said when he saw that she had almost finished eating, prompting her that it was time to leave.
Nanyu snapped back to reality. She called the waiter to pay the bill, but the waiter said it had already been settled.
"I said I'd treat you," Nanyu frowned slightly, with a hint of displeasure in her tone.
"It's fate that we met here," Tan Linyuan said calmly. "You were so engrossed in the snow scene that I didn't want the waiter to interrupt, so I paid first."
Hearing this, Nanyu didn't argue with him about who should treat. She just nodded slightly and got up to leave.
The snow outside was so heavy that it could blind a person.
Originally, Nanyu planned to say goodbye to Tan Linyuan at the restaurant entrance. But unexpectedly, the snow was so heavy and the road was covered with a layer of snow.
In such bad weather, taxis were hardly to be seen.
Helplessly, she had to get into Tan Linyuan's car and ask him to give her a ride.
Nanyu sat in the passenger seat and told Tan Linyuan the address of the hotel.
The hotel was booked in advance by Sister Min. It was located near a bustling commercial area with convenient transportation. It was only a fifteen - minute drive from the restaurant where they had dinner.
But it took Tan Linyuan nearly half an hour to cover this short distance.
Nanyu could sense the slow speed of the car because she noticed that the pedestrians with umbrellas outside were walking faster than the car.
She was puzzled and immediately turned to ask, "Why are you driving so slowly?"
Tan Linyuan glanced at her from the side and said, "The snow on the road is too thick. The wheels are prone to skidding."
"Oh," Nanyu immediately understood and stopped urging him. "Drive slowly. Safety first."
The corners of Tan Linyuan's calm lips curved slightly.
The sound of snow particles falling on the car roof made the night seem even more tranquil.
Nanyu tilted her head and stared at the street view outside the window.
Through the fog on the car window, the sign - lights of the shops that were still open on both sides of the road were on, but the words on them were not very clear. There was only a faint halo around them.
As she watched, Nanyu's mind began to wander.
The heater in the car was turned up high. Tan Linyuan seemed still afraid it wasn't warm enough. He had just adjusted it higher and checked the temperature.
The warmth was rising, making her bones feel soft, as if she had been thrown into a soft cotton ball.
She felt a bit dazed, as if she were in a dream.
Even if it wasn't a dream, she was almost on the verge of falling asleep.
Tan Linyuan was always considerate. He was as meticulous as an elder and as perfect as a lover.
Occasionally, she felt that he was really into her.
But Nanyu knew clearly that it was because she was being willfully blind and ignoring some details.
But she couldn't be a muddle - headed person for a lifetime.
Afraid of being lulled to sleep by the warmth, Nanyu actively started chatting with Tan Linyuan. "There was a very special plot in the movie we watched today."
The car was driving slowly, so Tan Linyuan had enough attention to spare for chatting with her. "Can you tell me?"
After all, it was an unpublished version.
Nanyu was stunned for a moment, admiring his caution. "I really shouldn't reveal it... but as long as you don't tell anyone else, it's okay."
"You can rest assured," Tan Linyuan nodded and said with a smile. "I don't want to affect our musician's career."
Nanyu bit her lip.
She just wanted to find a topic to chat, but his tone made her cheeks flush for no reason.
It must be the dry air in the north.
Tan Linyuan asked her, "So, tell me. What's the special plot?"
"In the movie, the male and female leads met again after many years of breaking up. It was on the day of the first snow," Nanyu glanced out of the window. "It was probably as heavy as this snow."
"And then?" Tan Linyuan held the steering wheel and patiently asked for the follow - up.
"Then the female lead recognized the male lead in the restaurant. She said to the male lead, 'On the day of the first snow, all requests will...'"
Her narration was interrupted by the ringing of a phone.
Nanyu stopped speaking.
Tan Linyuan took out his phone, checked the caller ID, answered it, and turned on the speakerphone directly.
Qu Jiaran's expectant voice came out. "Linyuan, have you and Yuyu finished dinner?"
"We're about to take her back to the hotel."
Qu Jiaran murmured, "I just checked the weather in Beicheng. There will be a heavy snowstorm there tonight. You two should be careful."
After she finished speaking, she added warningly, "Especially you, Linyuan. You must take good care of Yuyu, or I won't let you off easily!"
Anyway, it was a rather pointless conversation.
Tan Linyuan's attitude towards Qu Jiaran remained the same as before, neither too close nor too distant. His tone was no different from how he treated others.
If she didn't know the inside story, Nanyu would never have thought that these two were engaged.
It was truly a contractual marriage.
But in any case, the fact that they were about to get married was undeniable.
This phone call made her suppress the sudden thought that had arisen because of the atmosphere. She repeatedly reminded herself to stay at a safe distance.
After hanging up the phone, Tan Linyuan still remembered the unfinished topic. "You just said, all requests will what?"
Nanyu was stunned for a moment and shook her head. "...I forgot."
For some reason, she seemed to have lost all desire to share.
There was already a vast gulf between them.
Now, there was Qu Jiaran in between.
---
Originally, her business trip was supposed to last for three days. But due to the sudden heavy snowstorm in Beicheng, the plane couldn't take off on time, so the flight had to be rescheduled to the fifth day.
On the third day, Tan Linyuan called to ask if she wanted to drive back with him. She said she had already rescheduled her flight.
Tan Linyuan said, "I'll take you to the airport then."
Nanyu answered firmly, "No need. I'll take the airport shuttle bus. It's very convenient."
Before Tan Linyuan could say anything else, Nanyu quickly added, "Uncle Tan must have other things to do. I don't want to bother you."
At this point, Tan Linyuan couldn't fail to notice her estrangement and avoidance.
So he didn't insist anymore. He just said calmly for her to be careful and then hung up the phone.
He felt a bit annoyed.
He didn't know where this annoyance came from, but he was sure it was because of Nanyu.
On his way back, he saw someone selling flowers by the road.
The snow on both sides of the road hadn't completely melted, and the eustomas on the stall were very eye - catching.
He slowed down the car. The flower - selling girl was quick - witted and immediately came over and asked, "Sir, do you want to buy a bunch of eustomas?"
"How much is a bunch?"
"Fifty yuan."
He took out a bill from his wallet. The girl then said, "Sir, buy another bunch. I'll sell you two bunches for seventy yuan."
She clearly saw that he was wealthy and didn't mind the money, so she wanted to take advantage and sell him another bunch to make more money.
"Are you buying them for a girl or a friend?"
Tan Linyuan didn't answer.
The girl just guessed the answer. "Girls always like more flowers. The more you buy, the happier the girl will be."
"Buy two bunches, sir."
Looking at the girl's eager and pleading face, Tan Linyuan suddenly understood where his emotions came from -
It turned out that he wanted too much.
It was his greed.