He scooped a ladle of water and put it into the kettle to boil, then turned back to look at Tiantian carefully.
They were wearing matching couple outfits today.
He was also wearing a white t-shirt, black capri pants, and white sneakers.
His hair was short and neat, and his features were gentle and serene.
When he stared at someone, his peach blossom eyes were as captivating as could be.
Tiantian couldn't take it for more than two seconds and awkwardly averted her gaze.
She couldn't help but question herself, what was happening?
Just a few days ago, she found fault with everything about him, hated him, and didn't want to talk to him at all. How come, as soon as they left Nancheng, his charm returned?
Could it be that she was this pathetic, didn't want to be independent, and wanted to become the next Zeng Hui, relying on him whenever she saw him?
No.
Ge'er and Shang Jincheng's mother were still immersed in the pain of losing a loved one, unable to extricate themselves. She didn't deserve happiness.
She couldn't forget everything just because she changed locations, she couldn't.
She tried hard to suppress the urge to get closer to Chen Dongyang.
"I'll wait outside. Call me when it's ready."
She went outside and sat on a small stool, lost in thought. Chen Dongyang boiled two kettles of water alone in the house, diluted it to a warm temperature, carried it to a shed in the yard, locked the door, and came to call her.
"Luckily, the weather has been hot lately, so it's not cold to wash outdoors. You can wash in that corner. I'll watch for you."
They had been an open and honest couple, and there was nothing he couldn't know.
Tiantian didn't act coy either. She took her clothes and went.
Chen Dongyang stood with his back to her at the main entrance. After a splash and gurgle, Tiantian changed into a different dress and called him from afar.
"Chen Dongyang."
Chen Dongyang turned around and looked at Tiantian, who had washed herself clean, her long hair cascading down like a fairy. He felt a sense of satisfaction of having found what was lost.
"Finished? What's up?"
Tiantian asked him, "Where did you get this water? What will you use after I'm done? What about washing clothes?"
Chen Dongyang said, "I've inquired about everything. There's a pool about two kilometers from here. People in town go there to wash their clothes. Leave it, I'll take it to wash for you tomorrow."
How could that be?
If a grown man openly carried a girl's clothes out to wash, who knew if people would laugh.
Tiantian felt embarrassed.
"Besides that place, is there nowhere else to wash?"
"Yes. Some families have running water. But water is charged by the ton, which is quite expensive, so they don't wash at home. I bought my water from the innkeeper for five yuan a bucket. If you don't want to wash in the river, we can go to his place and negotiate the price."
Although the sun had set, the moon had risen again.
This was the good thing about being far from the hustle and bustle; at night, the moon was especially bright, and the sky was filled with countless stars.
Tiantian felt she might have insomnia tonight and couldn't sleep if she went back so early.
"Why don't you take me to the pool to have a look? It'll be like familiarizing myself with the road, and I can go by myself later."
Whatever she wanted to do, as long as she was willing, as long as she was willing to let go of her past troubles and love life again, Chen Dongyang was willing to accompany her.
"Okay, then I'll take the clothes with me. I'll take a bath in the river. But we can't drive there, the road is bad, we have to walk."
Walking was fine.
Chen Dongyang quickly ran into the house, grabbed a set of clean clothes, put them in a plastic bag, and then into the bucket. He filled the bucket with water.
Carrying the bucket in one hand and holding Tiantian's hand in the other, they went out.
There were few trees in the small town, and the night wind blew directly on people, feeling very comfortable.
It felt like they had returned to how they were when they first met.
Although Tiantian didn't pull her hand away from his, she didn't respond either.
They had a subtle, unspoken, hazy sense of ambiguity.
Neither of them spoke, just walked silently.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they saw a shimmering body of water.
Chen Dongyang carefully led Tiantian down the dirt slope.
By the side of the pool, because people had been washing clothes there for years, several smooth, large stones were placed.
Chen Dongyang arranged for her to sit by one of the most securely placed stones and slowly entered the water with her clothes on.
"Do you know how to wash? Shall I do it?"
Tiantian hadn't washed clothes by hand before, but she wasn't stupid.
If she couldn't wash it well, couldn't she wash it without ruining it?
"I can. You wash yours."
Chen Dongyang didn't go far. In the water in front of her, he gently moved his arms, watching her rub slowly.
Tiantian finally finished rubbing her clothes, wrung them out, put them in the bucket, and looked at him.
"You're not planning to wash like this, are you?"
This was the most playful thing she had said to him today, and Chen Dongyang smiled.
"What? Do you want to wash my clothes for me?"
Tiantian didn't refuse: "I'll wash yours for you too."
Chen Dongyang didn't act coy either. He fiddled with his clothes in the water for a while and handed them to her.
Although they were intimate enough, and during that period, they had seen everything they shouldn't have seen, Tiantian felt quite embarrassed washing his personal clothes for the first time.
Especially since Chen Dongyang kept staring at her.
Tiantian had nowhere to hide from his gaze, so she scooped up some water and splashed it at him.
"Can't you go further away? Why are you staring at me?"
Chen Dongyang, splashed with water, didn't get angry. He smiled and swam a little further away.
"I haven't seen you for two days, and I miss you terribly. I'm happy looking at you, and I don't want to look away. If you don't want me to look, then I won't."
While he had his back turned, Tiantian hurriedly washed his personal clothes, then soaked her legs in the water and played leisurely.
They dawdled for more than two hours before returning.
The clothes were hung in Chen Dongyang's yard, and Chen Dongyang escorted her back to the inn.
"I'll take you to school tomorrow morning."
Tiantian really couldn't bear to see him working for her every day, so she told him the truth.
"I wasn't joking when I said I wanted to break up with you, nor was I trying to deliberately string you along and make you feel guilty. Please don't treat me like this anymore."
"I'm an adult now, I can take care of myself."
"The conditions here are too poor and not suitable for your work. You should go back tomorrow. I promise you, I won't overthink things, and I will live and work well. Is that not enough?"
No matter what she said, Chen Dongyang remained unmoved.
"If you don't want me to send you, then I won't. Why are you saying all this?"
"You do your thing, I do mine. I don't bother you, so why do you care where I am?"
Tiantian: "..."
"Then I won't send you. I'll bring your clothes to you tomorrow when they're dry, alright?"
"..."
At the hotel entrance, he wanted to accompany her inside. Tiantian was afraid he wouldn't leave if he went in and would pester her to make something happen.
Shang Jincheng's remains were not yet cold, so she sternly refused.
"No need. It's only a few steps, I won't get lost."
Chen Dongyang wasn't as lewd as she thought; he was simply concerned for her safety.
"I'll escort you to the door and watch you lock it before I leave."
"..."
Chen Dongyang was starting to doubt himself: "Did I act very lecherous in front of you before? That's why you're so wary of me?"