After dinner, the number of people remaining in the ancestral mansion decreased. Some collateral relatives had gone back to rest, leaving only the members of the Shen family.
Shen Yanche told Nan Yu that according to the rules, they still had to continue keeping vigil in the mourning hall until midnight.
Since it was the night before the burial, Tan Linyuan, the esteemed guest specially invited by the Shen family, also had to be present to keep vigil and chant scriptures for the deceased.
Only then did Nan Yu understand why Tan Linyuan had been absent from the mourning hall in the afternoon.
The real show was at night, and he was indispensable. The afternoon time was specifically set aside for him to rest well.
When Tan Linyuan showed up, Nan Yu noticed that he had changed into another black robe. His eyebrows exuded a cold and detached aura.
She didn't know if this was the necessary attire for the night - time vigil and the religious ceremony, but his image made him seem even more cold and heartless.
This "heartlessness" didn't mean that he was ungrateful. Instead, it meant he was truly emotionless.
He was not affected by anything external, and no one or thing could stir his emotions.
He was above worldly joys and sorrows.
He was a true symbol of enlightenment.
Just standing there, he was enough to make people feel the Buddha - nature in him.
"Let's start." Tan Linyuan uttered three words, gesturing for the monks to sit cross - legged.
His voice was deep. In the silent Shen family ancestral hall at this moment, it sounded even lonelier and more detached.
Incense was burning in the mourning hall. The relatives of Old Mr. Shen were sobbing non - stop, and several brazier fires were blazing.
The whole mourning hall was filled with a heavy atmosphere.
Nan Yu specifically checked the time. There were still three hours until the end of the religious ceremony.
However, she didn't mind. In fact, she even felt that staying here was better than going back to her room.
After all, she had only managed to avoid the "drugging" for now. She had no idea whether Shen Yanche had any subsequent plans.
On the surface, she seemed calm, but inside, she was on high alert.
Today would surely be a sleepless night.
In the chanting of the monks, Nan Yu inexplicably began to feel her head getting heavy, and her vision gradually blurred.
She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.
Maybe she was just too sleepy.
After a while, Nan Yu sensed something was wrong.
She felt her body starting to heat up. At first, she thought it was because she had caught a cold from the rain, but the heat became more and more intense, making her feel uncomfortable.
Sweat had oozed out on her neck. When she reached out to touch it, her hair in that area was already wet.
"Yuyu, your face is so red." Shen Yanche turned to look at her. When he noticed her strange complexion, a glint of joy flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by feigned concern. "Did you catch a cold from the rain today?"
She had been in the car when it was raining, and the rain had stopped when she went for a walk in the afternoon. Where could she have gotten wet?
Nan Yu was too lazy to argue with him. She just took two steps away from the brazier. "No, maybe it's the heat from the fire."
"Oh." Seeing her calm demeanor, Shen Yanche thought the drug hadn't taken full effect yet. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and stepped back with her.
Nan Yu straightened her back and dug her fingernails into her palm one by one to keep herself awake.
Another ten - odd minutes passed.
Nan Yu's head began to throb and swell painfully. She repeatedly wanted to reach out and undo the buttons, but she managed to suppress the urge with her rationality.
Although she seemed no different from usual on the surface, Nan Yu could clearly sense the changes in her body and her increasingly irritable mood.
At the same time, she despairingly realized that she had been drugged.
Could it not be the problem with the porridge?
But she hadn't touched anything else all day except that bowl of porridge.
Could it be the tissue, or something she had accidentally touched without noticing?
The drug was taking effect more and more severely. She felt parched and was eager to drink ice water.
"I want to drink ice water." Nan Yu couldn't control herself and blurted out what was on her mind. It was even difficult for her to say one more word. "… Give me some."
Shen Yanche was feeling drowsy. Hearing this, he almost instantly perked up. He turned his head in surprise. "Yuyu, what did you say?"
"Water. I need water." The heat in her body had begun to overwhelm her rationality. It was as if a tide was surging inside her, almost swallowing her whole.
Was it still raining outside? Instinctively, she wanted to rush out and get soaked in the rain to cool herself down.
But she also clearly knew that a shower wouldn't solve the problem.
The increasingly intense desire in her heart was fighting against the last bit of rationality. She was so anxious that she almost cried. Her legs were weak, and she could hardly stand upright.
What went wrong?
When did she eat something wrong?
Now, no matter how hard Nan Yu tried to pretend to be calm, Shen Yanche had already noticed something amiss.
He tentatively reached out to support her arm. When he felt her alarmingly hot body temperature, the joy in his expression was obvious. "Yuyu, are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm not." Because of his somewhat eager inquiry, Nan Yu regained a bit of clarity in her mind. "Don't touch me."
Saying that, she tried to shake him off.
Her arms were completely powerless. What was supposed to be a forceful movement turned into a weak push.
In the man's eyes, such behavior was like a half - hearted invitation.
With wet hair and fragrant sweat, her face was as red as a peach blossom. Her breathing became involuntarily rapid, and her eyes were so blurred that she couldn't focus at all.
Seeing Nan Yu like this, Shen Yanche couldn't control himself and swallowed hard. The eagerness in his eyes grew stronger.
"Yuyu, you have a fever." Shen Yanche completely ignored her resistance and got closer to her. His right hand naturally rested on her waist. "I'll take you back to your room."
If it weren't for the fact that they were in the mourning hall, Shen Yanche would even have wanted to carry her in his arms directly.
He couldn't wait for another second!
At this moment, Nan Yu only felt dizzy and her vision was going black. If it weren't for Shen Yanche's support, she would definitely have fallen to the ground the next second.
She was dizzy and her limbs were weak, but her mind was still clear.
Her brain couldn't think properly, but there was one thought that was very firm:
She couldn't be taken away by Shen Yanche!
Nan Yu took deep breaths and rubbed her eyes hard. Each deep breath was a scorching breath.
She couldn't see clearly. She couldn't see anything clearly.
In her hazy vision, she tried hard to make out the thin and straight back at the front of the crowded people.
Tan Linyuan.
Please look at me.
As if a surge of strength erupted from her body, Nan Yu pushed Shen Yanche away forcefully.
But the next second, without support, she fell directly to the ground.
The noise of her fall was so loud that even the wailing female relatives stopped their cries and looked over.
The pain made Nan Yu sober up a bit, but then the heat and the tide returned. She curled up in pain and felt like vomiting.
Her mind could no longer think. She could only vaguely hear Shen Yanche's voice:
"Sorry, everyone. My girlfriend is not feeling well. She may have a fever. I'll take her back now."
Then, she felt herself being lifted from the ground. She thought it was Shen Yanche.
Fear made her suddenly open her eyes -
It was a pair of cold and thin eyes.
Nan Yu smelled the incense on him. It was stronger than before, making her head even more dizzy and confused.
"Tan Linyuan..."