Early the next morning, Nan Yu woke up feeling hot.
Since she had just had a fever the previous night, Tan Linyuan didn't turn on the air - conditioner all night for fear that she might catch a cold again.
In the early summer of Jingbei, the morning sun already had some warmth.
The sun shone through the light - blue curtains, casting shadows on the floor.
She only moved slightly, and Tan Linyuan woke up immediately.
First, he instinctively tightened his arm. Looking down at her sleepy face, he let out a slight sigh of relief. "Are you awake?"
His voice was a bit hoarse, the drowsiness of just waking up.
Although it was an extremely subtle movement, Nan Yu still noticed it.
"You seem really nervous."
"Yeah." Tan Linyuan responded and pulled her closer into his arms. "I thought I was dreaming."
The real touch made him sure that this was not a fantasy dream but reality.
During the months of his seclusion, he was far from being pure - hearted.
In countless dreams, he repeatedly relived every bit of his time with her.
In his dreams, they made love passionately.
He remembered how she was sweating profusely, with a blushing face, gasping and moaning softly in his arms.
But when he opened his eyes, his arms were empty.
From today on, it would no longer be just a fleeting dream.
Tan Linyuan finally realized an extremely embarrassing fact: he was by no means a chosen one for the Buddhist path, because he simply couldn't be free from desires.
On the contrary, he was a representative of strong desires.
But he was also clear - headed and rational enough. Even though last night hadn't satisfied him completely, he knew the principle of "taking it slow".
If he hurt her in one night, it might be difficult for him to even hold her to sleep in the days and nights to come.
This little girl had no other special skills but was extremely good at holding grudges and sulking.
"Time to get up."
Tan Linyuan lowered his eyes and pressed her face into his chest. "Let me hold you for a while longer."
So Nan Yu had no choice but to let him hold her for a while more.
The tranquility of the early morning was extremely precious.
After a while, Nan Yu asked, "Shall we go back and see Little Chestnut?"
From the moment they reunited until now, it seemed that Tan Linyuan hadn't really met Little Chestnut properly.
"Little Chestnut?"
"It's the baby's nickname."
"He's so cute. Did you come up with it?"
"No... Qu Jiaran did. She said it matched well with her daughter's nickname, Little Bamboo Shoot."
"No wonder it sounds so mediocre." Tan Linyuan nodded.
Nan Yu: …
Wasn't he just saying that it was cute?
Tan Linyuan had his own reasoning. He said that being cute and being mediocre were not contradictory.
"What's his given name?" Tan Linyuan kissed her forehead. "The given name of our son."
"His name is..." Nan Yu stopped halfway, feeling a bit embarrassed.
She didn't want to tell Tan Linyuan that she had casually named the child "Nan Qiang" (which means hitting one's head against a wall).
He had just criticized Qu Jiaran, and now he would surely laugh at her for giving the child such a mediocre name.
"I haven't decided yet." Nan Yu changed her words at the last moment. "We haven't registered his household yet, so we're still thinking about it."
Tan Linyuan said, "Let the child take your surname."
Nan Yu looked up at him. "Why not take yours?
He's your son. According to convention, he should take his father's surname.
"My surname is not good. I'm afraid that the sins associated with it will be passed on to him." Tan Linyuan answered straightforwardly. "Moreover, the 'Tan' family has already perished. There's no need for him to bear the Tan family's surname anymore."
He considered himself sinful and degenerate. So was his surname.
Seeing his determination, Nan Yu didn't argue anymore. She just said, "Since he's taking my surname, you can name him. This way, it's fair."
Tan Linyuan thought for a while.
"Taking the surname Nan and the given name 'Xian'. Do you think it sounds nice?"
Nan Xian.
Nan Yu repeated it twice in her mouth and secretly thought in her heart that it sounded much nicer than Nan Qiang.
"Does it have any special meaning?"
Tan Linyuan looked into her eyes and said casually, "One may stand by a pond longing for fish, but it's better to go home and make a net."
This was the state he desired most.
He was neither a god nor a Buddha. He didn't need to be held in high esteem. Instead, he just wanted to be an ordinary person.
Going home and making a net was also a kind of plain happiness.
It was the life he wanted to have with her.
...
The two lingered in bed for quite a while. Somehow, one of their kisses ignited the fire, and they made love again.
In bed, his lower abdomen pressed against the skin of her lower back. He asked in a low voice, "In these past few months, have you ever wanted me to fuck you?"
At this moment, how could she make a sound?
Physiological tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't utter a single word.
But someone had a perverse interest and stopped. He insisted on hearing the words "fuck me" before he was satisfied and pressed deep inside her again.
...
It wasn't until afternoon that the two finally managed to leave the hotel.
They drove back to the small western - style building.
On the way, Nan Yu repeatedly gave instructions and taught Tan Linyuan carefully how to hold a baby properly.
Tan Linyuan raised his eyebrows. "Any other things I need to pay attention to?"
"Little Chestnut is shy around strangers." Nan Yu reminded him especially. "He may cry when you hold him. Don't be too nervous. It's normal."
Tan Linyuan nodded, indicating that he had understood.
When they entered the house, Aunt Li opened the door for them. There was a gentle smile on her face. "Miss Nan, you've brought your husband back?"
Aunt Li regarded Nan Yu as a family member, so she naturally addressed Tan Linyuan as "husband".
Hearing this address, Nan Yu blushed.
Tan Linyuan laughed and said that they were already husband and wife, so there was no need to be shy.
When they went upstairs, Nan Yu began to gloat secretly in her heart.
She had already imagined in her mind the scene of Tan Linyuan being all thumbs.
By then, she would surely make him beg for her help!
However—
When Tan Linyuan picked up Little Chestnut, Little Chestnut didn't cry at all. Instead, he opened his big eyes and smiled at him.
Tan Linyuan showed no impatience. While holding the baby, he gently rocked him, making Little Chestnut giggle in his arms.
Nan Yu felt a chill in her heart.
She comforted herself that maybe because Tan Linyuan had spent a long time in the temple, he had a kind of Buddhist affinity, which was why Little Chestnut was so close to him.
Aunt Li was watching from the side. She had been worried that these two young people might not know how to take care of the baby, but now it seemed that her worry was unnecessary.
She said with a smile, "After all, he's his own son. The husband and the child are really close. They took a fancy to each other at first sight."
Looking at Little Chestnut's face, Tan Linyuan had an indescribable feeling in his heart.
Maybe because he had known about the child's existence for a long time, he wasn't very surprised.
Instead, he felt a sense of relief.
That prophecy had finally turned out to be wrong once.
"Can he talk yet?" Tan Linyuan touched Little Chestnut's forehead. "Little Chestnut, call Dad."
Nan Yu thought it was funny. "Little Chestnut is only four months old, and he was a premature baby. His brain developed a bit slower than others. He can't even call Mom yet..."
Before she could finish her sentence.
"Pa—pa." Little Chestnut opened and closed his mouth, making an inaccurate sound.
Tan Linyuan looked up and glanced at her casually. "It seems he can call Dad."
Nan Yu: …
Her heart felt even colder now.