The two of them couldn't stand outside all night after all.
After the tender moment, Nan Yu wriggled out of his embrace and glanced at the time awkwardly. "It's getting late."
Tan Linyuan didn't show any special reaction. He just folded his arms across his chest and looked at her.
Nan Yu asked, "Where have you been staying these days?"
"At a hotel."
Nan Yu gave a soft "oh" and said, "Then you'd better go back and rest quickly."
This was an obvious hint for him to leave.
Tan Linyuan gave her a sidelong glance, then turned around and opened the car door.
His back looked so lonely.
Nan Yu closed her eyes tightly, suppressing the urge to ask him to stay overnight.
Their relationship had just thawed, and they still needed some time to ease into it.
Nan Yu stood by the roadside, planning to wait until his car drove away before going back.
Two minutes later,
The man got out of the car again.
He was holding a beer can in his hand and said casually, "I just had a drink, so I can't drive."
After saying that, he casually threw the can into the trash can.
Nan Yu was utterly confused.
Tan Linyuan walked up to her and raised his eyebrows at her.
Nan Yu was still puzzled until he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Are you going to drive me back to the hotel or let me stay here overnight?"
Saying "stay overnight" was actually being too polite.
This was the house he had bought in the first place.
Suddenly being so close, Nan Yu could smell the alcohol on his breath and realized that he had just drunk on purpose.
... The same old trick!
It wasn't a problem to let him stay overnight, but it was already very late. It would be troublesome for Aunt Li to prepare a room for him on such short notice.
Although Aunt Li was now the nanny hired by Nan Yu, she still treated her as an elder and didn't want to bother her so late at night.
After some weighing, she turned her hand over with her palm facing up.
"Give me the keys."
Nan Yu decided to drive him back to the hotel.
Seeing that she had made her decision, Tan Linyuan didn't waste any time. He handed her the keys and got into the passenger seat.
Looking at the familiar car logo on the steering wheel, Nan Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly: He was truly a nostalgic man.
Although Nan Yu had got her driver's license a long time ago, she didn't drive very often.
It was night now, and she held the steering wheel with full concentration, not daring to drive too fast.
Seeing her cautious look, Tan Linyuan felt a bit regretful.
He should have driven. At least she wouldn't be so nervous.
Nan Yu could sense that the man beside her was looking at her as she held the steering wheel.
The car was filled with his unique woody sandalwood scent, which was quiet and reassuring.
She remembered the calming incense that Tan Linyuan had lit when she had trouble sleeping before.
"Where did you buy that calming incense?" Nan Yu held her breath and tried to break the silence. "I want to buy some and put it at home."
The man beside her replied in a lazy tone, "I made it myself."
"Made it yourself?"
"Have you been having trouble sleeping recently?" Tan Linyuan asked her.
Nan Yu shook her head. "It's Qu Jiaran. Her sleep has become very light since she had the baby."
"Oh, I won't give it to her," Tan Linyuan said indifferently. "Let her figure it out on her own."
He still remembered how Qu Jiaran had taken advantage of his misfortune.
Nan Yu couldn't help but laugh. " ... Why are you so petty with her?"
Tan Linyuan didn't say a word.
He couldn't tell her that Qu Jiaran had been extremely sarcastic and had provoked him at her wedding with Zhou Yu, could he?
He finally got to be alone with Nan Yu, and he didn't want to ruin the atmosphere by talking about other people.
The navigation was set to the hotel where Tan Linyuan was staying, which wasn't far from the villa.
Nan Yu could guess that he had chosen this hotel so that he could visit her easily.
The car stopped in front of the hotel. Nan Yu let go of the steering wheel. "We're here."
She had somehow become his driver.
"I'll drive the car tonight. Just send someone to pick it up during the day."
Tan Linyuan stared at her. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Are you sleeping with the baby now?"
" ... Yes."
Tan Linyuan said calmly, "If you go back now, won't it disturb the baby's sleep? Aunt Li should be asleep too."
Nan Yu's ears immediately turned red.
She turned her head awkwardly. "It's okay. I'll be quiet ..."
Tan Linyuan's eyes were deep. "Do I need to make myself clearer?"
Nan Yu felt her heart beating faster. " ... Go ahead."
"If I can't keep you here under these circumstances, I'll have to knock you out and take you away."
He leaned over, put his arm around her shoulder tightly, and kissed her directly.
The previous kiss had been just a fleeting touch for him.
But now, he finally got to kiss her deeply.
He kissed her fiercely and passionately, gasping for breath as he said hoarsely, "Stay for me."
Nan Yu felt like her heart was about to burst.
It seemed that they had both been longing for this kiss for a long time.
...
In a daze, Nan Yu followed Tan Linyuan into the hotel elevator.
Her cheeks were flushed. Even though there were only the two of them in the elevator, she didn't dare to look up.
The elevator was quiet, except for the man's soft chuckle.
Their hands were clasped tightly together.
Nan Yu tightened her fingers and suddenly remembered something. She quickly lowered her head to look at Tan Linyuan's hand -
There was nothing on his finger.
Nan Yu's mood suddenly cooled down, replaced by a sense of disappointment.
He had taken off the ring she had given him.
She tried to comfort herself, thinking that it might not be appropriate to wear the ring while meditating in the temple, but she still felt a bit sad inside.
She still remembered how decisive and determined he had been when she had tearfully asked him to return the ring.
Nan Yu felt it was unfair.
To assert her own sovereignty, Nan Yu quietly took off the Buddhist beads on her wrist and stuffed them into her pocket.
Little did she know that Tan Linyuan had already noticed all the changes in her mood.
He didn't give any explanation. He just curled his lips into a deeper smile.
She was still the same as before. Even though she was jealous and angry, she always kept it to herself.
Nan Yu thought that she must ask him about the whereabouts of the ring later.
It was the token of love she had given him.
--
In the hotel room.
As soon as the door was locked, Tan Linyuan grabbed her arm and pulled her close, his hands firmly around her waist.
Nan Yu quickly said, "I have something to ask ..."
"Ask after," Tan Linyuan said hoarsely, barely able to contain his desire.
Nan Yu grabbed Tan Linyuan's fingers tightly, her breathing becoming rapid. "Tan Linyuan ..."
The air instantly became hot.
Tan Linyuan didn't even have time to turn on the light. He carried her to the bed in the darkness and then leaned over her.
The familiar scent enveloped her again.
It turned out that her body had betrayed her long before her mind.
She and he had both been craving each other for so long.
Tan Linyuan kissed her eyes gently and coaxed her in a low voice, "Be good, Yu Yu. Lift up."
Unlike before, under the intense sensory stimulation, she vaguely felt something on her back, hitting her back one after another.
It was cold, like the touch of a pendant.
But she didn't remember that he had the habit of wearing a necklace. Could it be ... the Buddhist beads?
Her sense of taboo became even stronger.
...
The first time ended quickly. Maybe it was because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and neither of them was fully satisfied.
The lingering desire still remained in her body. She rolled over and straddled Tan Linyuan.
Tan Linyuan thought she wanted to continue.
But Nan Yu was just groping in the darkness until she found the object that had been hitting her back.
"Can I turn on the light?" Her voice was a bit hoarse.
Tan Linyuan let out a soft laugh.
The light came on, and Nan Yu finally saw what it was -
It was the ring she had given him, threaded on a string and turned into a necklace.