Tan Linyuan closed his eyes briefly, looking a bit helpless. "… Do as you like."
"If you don't deny it, I'll take it as a yes."
At first, Nan Yu disliked his way of speaking. He always seemed nonchalant about everything.
But now she had started to understand the meaning behind his words.
It wasn't that he was lazy to answer sometimes. More often than not, it was his helpless response when his true feelings were exposed.
Just like now.
He had been hit right in the heart but didn't want to admit it, so he shifted the responsibility onto her.
In this regard, he seemed like a proud big cat.
Always saying one thing but meaning another.
The secret that had been hidden for so long was now revealed by Nan Yu.
Tan Linyuan felt an indescribable sense of defeat.
And a feeling of helplessness.
Nan Yu didn't seem to care. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Since you don't want to talk much, let's play the 'Yes or No' game. I'll ask you questions, and you just need to answer 'Yes' or 'No'."
She didn't even give Tan Linyuan a chance to refuse.
After drinking, her courage seemed to have been magnified infinitely. Her eyes held no restraint, only boldness.
Tan Linyuan could easily imagine that if they were at a dinner table, Nan Yu might even challenge him to a game of finger-guessing or dice-rolling.
"Okay or not?" Seeing that he didn't respond, Nan Yu's eyes sparkled, like a blatant provocation. "Scared to play?"
Although it seemed like a provocation, in Tan Linyuan's eyes, it was more like a coquettish plea.
Tan Linyuan glanced at her. The hand that had been on the steering wheel moved to his forehead, which was his way of acquiescence.
Nan Yu smiled. After carefully choosing her words, she threw out the first question like a bomb. "Have you ever been intimate with Qu Jiaran? Kissing counts too."
Tan Linyuan's eyes darkened, clearly displeased. "Of course not. Why are you asking this…"
"You're breaking the rules!" Nan Yu interrupted with a laugh. "In this game, you can only answer 'Yes' or 'No'. Don't ask me questions, and don't say anything else."
Tan Linyuan: "…"
He thought he must be out of his mind to play the 'Yes or No' game with a drunkard at night.
But the feeling wasn't too bad.
In fact, he was quite curious about what other questions she would ask.
The answer to the first question satisfied Nan Yu. So she nodded and asked the second one. "Have you ever liked Qu Jiaran? Even in the past."
"Is there a difference between this and the previous question?" Tan Linyuan looked at her. Seeing that she was about to pout, he quickly said, "Okay, okay, I broke the rules again. No, not even in the past."
"Now for the third question." Nan Yu blinked her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering. "So far, have you ever made any promises to Qu Jiaran? Like having a child or maintaining the marital relationship for a while?"
"… I did before, but not now." Tan Linyuan answered calmly.
"Why not now?"
"You said I just need to answer 'Yes' or 'No'." Tan Linyuan used her words to refute her.
"…"
Nan Yu was a bit annoyed. Although she was very curious about the answer, she still chose to follow the rules of the game.
"Is there any connection between the sudden death of Grandpa Shen and you?"
This was what Nan Yu cared about the most.
Grandpa Shen's death was so sudden that even Shen Yanche, his eldest grandson, didn't know about it. So how did Tan Linyuan know?
He came so timely, as if he had predicted it in advance.
Tan Linyuan thought her questions were boring, but he still answered patiently. "… Of course not."
"First of all, I'm not a real god. I can't predict people's deaths in advance. Moreover, I won't kill him just for my own benefit."
"The old man had been in the intensive care unit for a few days. He was going to pass away soon. The funeral and burial were arranged in advance. It just depended on when he took his last breath."
Hearing this answer, Nan Yu felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
It was like she had been expecting answer A, but the answer was B. Although it didn't affect the final result, it still made her feel a bit empty.
"So, it was just a coincidence that you could help me."
Tan Linyuan said indifferently, "It was indeed a coincidence."
No one had expected that Grandpa Shen would pass away that day, and it just so happened that Shen Yanche was going to take Nan Yu back that day.
"Are you sure you weren't originally going to the Shen family?" Nan Yu still didn't quite believe it and wanted to hear a different answer.
Her eyes were bright, looking at him expectantly.
"… I was actually going that day too." He was too lazy to tell her that he had already broken the rules of the game. "Even if it wasn't for the funeral."
Nan Yu felt her ears burning.
She felt that she was getting closer to the answer, but she still asked, "Then why were you going? Was it for me?"
Tan Linyuan sighed. Looking at her with a mixture of helplessness and amusement in his eyes, he said, "Yes. Are you satisfied?"
Nan Yu was in a great mood.
Finally, she threw out the ultimate question, the one that started the conversation. "Do you have feelings for me now?"
Tan Linyuan's expression remained unchanged. For this question, he chose to remain silent.
This was a question he would never answer himself.
Not getting an answer from him, Nan Yu leaned closer to look at him, into his deep eyes.
She had never seen such an expression on him. Although he was as calm as usual, there was a hidden wave in his eyes.
The answer was obvious.
Nan Yu smiled, sat up straight, and said, "I know."
After saying this, she looked at the time. "It's getting late. Uncle Tan should take me back."
There was no change in her tone. Tan Linyuan thought she was angry. After a pause, he said, "I'm not refusing to answer. I just…"
Before he could finish, the girl beside him leaned over and kissed him, cutting off his words.
Just like what he had done to her before.
To be honest, this second kiss further confirmed Tan Linyuan's feeling: it was full of the smell of alcohol, which made him a bit repulsed. But it didn't mean he resisted her. On the contrary, he quite enjoyed it.
So, he just froze for a moment at first, and then accepted her, returning a more passionate kiss.
Some words couldn't be spoken.
Then actions were the best expression.
It was hard to describe, but the words he had been interrupted from saying seemed to have all reached her ears.
She understood what he wanted to say.
After they sat back properly, the car fell into temporary silence.
After taking a deep breath, Nan Yu turned to look at Tan Linyuan and said seriously, "You don't need to say anything. I already know very well in my heart."
"If it's something that can't be spoken, then don't say it. I respect you."
Love doesn't have to be spoken to count.
Those complex emotions will show in one's eyes.