Nan Yu thought she had misheard.
But the man was clearly standing beside her, and that cold voice had indeed come from his mouth.
Shen Suhai stared fixedly at Tan Linyuan, as if trying to detect some flaw on his face.
However, the other man remained completely unfazed.
Only then did Shen Suhai show a satisfied smile. "Not bad, Linyuan. You're a sensible lad."
Nan Yu looked up blankly and stubbornly at Tan Linyuan.
She clenched her palms so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms, leaving one mark after another. Her voice was weak as she opened her mouth. "Tan..."
Before she could finish, his large hand covered hers.
His palm was dry and cold, without a trace of warmth. For a moment, Nan Yu wondered if he was really a living person.
If he was human, how could his body temperature be so low?
But if he wasn't human, why was he holding her hand so tightly?
"It's my business in the first place. There's no question of interfering."
Nan Yu felt the tail ring pressing tightly against her little finger.
He was showing her with his actions that he was there for her.
The smile on Shen Suhai's face froze. Staring at their clasped hands, his expression became as complex as a palette. "You... the two of you..."
Before his trembling words could be finished, there suddenly came the roar of a car approaching from afar.
A very eye - catching yellow sports car drove up ostentatiously and came to a steady stop.
The wheels made a huge screeching sound against the ground, so sharp that it made people frown.
The car door opened, and a dainty woman got out, still wearing a pair of sunglasses.
"Hello, everyone. Good evening," the woman said as she took off her sunglasses. Nan Yu almost fainted on the spot.
It was really a lively night. All kinds of strange characters had come.
Qu Jiaran took off her sunglasses in an exaggerated manner, revealing her face. "It's so lively. Don't you all sleep at night?"
Seeing Qu Jiaran walking towards them, Nan Yu immediately tried to shake off Tan Linyuan's hand, but unexpectedly, he held it even tighter.
Nan Yu: …
One after another, they were all crazy!
Seeing that it was Qu Jiaran, Shen Suhai composed himself a bit and said seriously, "Miss Qu, we'd like to have a talk with Nan Yu."
"Sure, talk right here," Qu Jiaran crossed her arms and stood directly in front of Nan Yu. "Hurry up and finish so that Yuyu can go back and rest."
Nan Yu realized that Qu Jiaran had come to help her?
Shen Suhai was taken aback and looked embarrassed. "... Miss Qu, it's not very appropriate to talk outside."
"Then is it appropriate to harass my good sister in the middle of the night?"
Qu Jiaran's words were half - smiling, but clearly a reproach. She emphasized her tone. "Or is it appropriate for Uncle Shen to kidnap her?"
Shen Suhai frowned for a moment but then forced a smile. "Of course not. We just wanted to invite her back to the Shen family to have a good chat."
"Then, does Yuyu want to go with them?" Qu Jiaran turned around and asked seriously.
Nan Yu shook her head.
Qu Jiaran immediately said, "Uncle Shen, can't you see? Yuyu doesn't want to go with you."
Shen Suhai: "Miss Qu, please don't make things difficult for our Shen family."
Qu Jiaran sneered. "I think you're trying to make things difficult for our Qu family!"
She put her hands on her hips, and her tone suddenly turned cold and fierce. "I don't care. Whoever dares to take Yuyu away today is declaring war on the Qu family!"
As soon as she said this, no one dared to say a word.
It was so quiet that only the sound of the wind and their breathing could be heard.
Shen Suhai's face turned extremely ugly.
The power of the Qu family didn't lie in their vast wealth but in their ability to manipulate situations at will.
Going against the Qu family was like seeking one's own doom.
That's why the eldest daughter of the Qu family was especially not to be offended.
After dropping these words, Qu Jiaran turned around with a smile and hooked Nan Yu's other arm, getting intimate with her. "My good friend can do whatever she wants."
"Yuyu, what do you want to do now?"
Nan Yu thought for two seconds. "I want these people to leave. I'm going back to sleep now."
This was her most genuine thought.
After working all afternoon, she was so tired that her eyelids could hardly stay open.
All she wanted now was to take a bath and have a good sleep.
Qu Jiaran nodded and said with a smile, "I'll make these people leave. Okay?"
Nan Yu didn't answer.
Qu Jiaran looked up at the stunned crowd and said impatiently, "Didn't you hear? Hurry up and leave!"
Shen Suhai gritted his teeth in anger. "Miss Qu, please don't interfere in our Shen family's private affairs..."
"Nan Yu's surname is Nan. What does she have to do with the Shen family?" Qu Jiaran asked seriously.
Shen Suhai was speechless.
Yes, the marriage certificate hadn't been obtained, her name hadn't been engraved on the family stele, and the only engagement was on the verge of collapse because of his son's infidelity.
All in all, Nan Yu could be said to have nothing to do with the Shen family.
There was no way it could be considered a private matter of the Shen family.
"I'll give you one minute. Leave my sight immediately," Qu Jiaran's face turned cold. "Old man Shen, I'm giving you some face because of your age."
"But if you keep lingering here, it will be considered trespassing and occupying personal space under the law. The Qu family has the right to use public power to ask you to leave!"
As soon as she finished her last sentence, a team of uniformed security guards stepped forward in unison and stood in a straight line, waiting behind Qu Jiaran.
She had clearly come well - prepared.
Seeing this, Shen Suhai knew in his heart that with the security personnel already on the scene, if they continued to argue, the Shen family had no chance of winning.
He was so angry that his eyes almost burst into flames. His hand holding the walking stick trembled, and he could hardly stand steadily.
He never thought that a mere Nan Yu would be so difficult to deal with!
"Master Shen, why don't we just..." Before his confidant could finish his whispered words, Shen Suhai raised his walking stick and struck. "You useless fool!"
Of course, he didn't dare to scold Qu Jiaran directly. He just kept shouting "useless fool" over and over again. He was out of breath, and he looked like he was about to faint.
Tan Linyuan spoke in a calm tone. Throughout this farce, he hadn't shown much emotion. "Uncle Shen, since you're getting old, you'd better rest early and take care of your health."
"You!" Shen Suhai was so angry that his legs went weak, and his chest heaved violently. "Help me back to the car!"
Everyone rushed to help Shen Suhai and sent him into the car.
Someone was even shouting in surprise, "Blood - pressure pills! Hurry and find the blood - pressure pills!"
It was obvious that Shen Suhai had been extremely angry this time.
...
One minute later, Ye Nanwan returned to its previous tranquility, and the street became quiet again.
Looking at the change, Nan Yu felt a sense of daze.
This night had been truly spectacular.
Only later did she realize that her temples were throbbing with pain. She raised her hand to rub them. Somehow, Tan Linyuan had already let go of her hand.