Haidilao was too crowded, and I was too lazy to wait.
Chen Dongyang felt that all hot pot tasted the same, so he chose a place with a very ordinary decoration.
Tiantian sat next to Douya, and Chen Dongyang sat alone opposite them.
After ordering the soup base and side dishes, Chen Dongyang asked the waiter to bring Tiantian a large bottle of orange juice.
They ordered a mild spicy soup base. Chen Dongyang somehow knew Tiantian couldn't eat spicy food, because after a few bites, she started drinking orange juice frantically.
However, there was a saying that held true: spicy food whetted the appetite.
She thought she wouldn't be able to eat, but the more she ate, the more she wanted to. By the end, they were all sweating a little.
Seeing that Tiantian's mood had completely improved, Chen Dongyang asked Douya to go and get a few more dipping sauces.
After Douya left, he started talking to Tiantian.
"What are you planning to do for the semi-finals?"
Tiantian had actually guessed what he wanted to say when he sent Douya away, but she hadn't figured out how to respond yet.
She told him the truth, "If it doesn't work out, let my brother send me."
"So, you are definitely going to participate in the competition?"
"Nonsense. I worked so hard on my designs. I finally made it to the semi-finals, why wouldn't I see it through? Besides, I don't have anything else to do lately."
Tiantian suddenly looked up, "What do you mean by asking this? Don't you want me to participate?"
Chen Dongyang certainly didn't mean that. He didn't lack this one opponent.
He took a sip of water and said, "Since you must go, I must go too. You've been hiding it from your brother for so long, why reveal it at the last moment? Let's go together."
Tiantian refused without thinking,
"No."
Chen Dongyang seemed disappointed, "Why?"
Tiantian said, "My leg is inconvenient, and I don't want too much jostling. Let my brother send someone to take me."
"I can take you too."
Tiantian gave him a sarcastic look and smiled, saying nothing more.
But Chen Dongyang understood her meaning.
They fell into silence. After a pause, he said, "If Doubao has problems again in the future, you're not going to help anymore, are you?"
They were talking about the two of them, why bring up Doubao?
Tiantian looked at him speechlessly. Chen Dongyang explained,
"Since you said everyone is friends, and you would help Doubao if he had problems in the future, why bother arguing with his mother?"
"I told you, she's just that kind of person. Thoughtless. You're so smart, why bother arguing with a fool?"
"Is she foolish?"
Tiantian was about to say that she wasn't foolish at all when Douya returned.
She swallowed the rest of her words.
Perhaps everyone was full, or perhaps they had other things on their minds. For the rest of the meal, only Douya ate with great enthusiasm.
After dinner, Chen Dongyang first sent Douya back.
Tiantian had prepared herself to argue with him alone. However, from the moment they got into the car, Chen Dongyang hadn't said a word to her.
And it seemed like he didn't want to talk to her.
That was fine, neither of them needed to talk to each other.
They drove in silence all the way to outside Tiantian's residential complex. The security guard already knew Chen Dongyang and let them pass directly.
He drove the car to the building, first getting the wheelchair out, then opening the car door.
Just as Tiantian was about to push herself out of the car with her arms, he stepped forward and hugged her without a word.
Just like before, he carried her out and gently placed her in the wheelchair.
Then, with one hand closing the car door and the other holding the wheelchair, he said,
"I'll take you upstairs."
Tiantian hadn't expected him to be waiting for her here. Her heart fluttered with both panic and sweetness, and she didn't know what to say, so she just lowered her head and let him do as he pleased.
Chen Dongyang skillfully took her into her home, closed the door, and crouched in front of her.
"If her words upset you that day, I apologize. I'm sorry, it was all my fault for handling it poorly."
"I know I have no right to say anything else to you, but I sincerely want to help you. Let's go to the semi-finals together."
"If you don't want to see me, I promise I won't bother you again after the semi-finals. I'll stay away from you forever, okay?"
"Just consider it one last time. Let me do something for you, okay?"
He was still wearing a black t-shirt that day, his arms exposed.
Veins bulged, muscles flexed, coupled with his excessively sharp features and his gentle, affectionate tone, it was hard not to be smitten.
Tiantian felt his request was excessive.
She knew that further development between them would be detrimental to both of them, and moreover, he had no intention of anything happening and was always prepared to leave. Yet, under the guise of acting for her own good, he still wanted to entangle with her.
Her rationality told her that Chen Dongyang's behavior was scummy and she needed to stay away.
But Tiantian couldn't bring herself to say it.
Deep down, she actually had the same longing as him.
When she saw the list of semi-finalists today, she had even started looking forward to Chen Dongyang actively seeking her out.
This was destined to be a relationship that would attract criticism, but Tiantian eventually nodded.
As she nodded, she also prepared herself mentally.
If she was scolded by Wushuang or Huihui later, she would accept it.
As Tiantian had anticipated, the day of departure finally arrived.
She hid it from Wushuang, saying that Jiang Jingyu had sent someone to take her. After packing her luggage, she got into Chen Dongyang's van.
Although it was just a very old Wuling Hongguang, Tiantian felt as if she possessed the whole world.
The sky turned blue again, the air became sweet, and the clouds turned gentle.
Sitting in the passenger seat, she couldn't suppress her smile.
Chen Dongyang was the same as her.
He glanced at her from time to time, his eyes and brows filled with smiles.
They drove onto the highway together. Even when there was a car accident ahead and a major traffic jam, they didn't rush.
They talked about each other's design concepts, the recent weather, the brands of cars ahead, and the history of the road section they were on.
They wished they could make up for all the words they hadn't spoken in the past week.
After being stuck in traffic for over two hours, they had only covered seventy kilometers when it was noon.
Chen Dongyang was worried that Tiantian would be hungry and also needed to use the restroom, so he drove to a service area.
He took out the wheelchair and helped her sit down, "Do you need to go to the restroom?"
Tiantian was worried about the inconvenience, "No, I didn't drink water this morning, so I'm not in a hurry."
"That won't do. You should go when you need to, and you should still drink water. Don't worry, we can just stop at another service area if needed."
"That will take too much time."
Chen Dongyang smiled, "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you meeting someone?"
Tiantian rolled her eyes at him, "You know it's inconvenient for me to go to the restroom."
"It's alright, I'll find someone to help you."
Saying that, he pushed her towards the restroom entrance and, seeing a beautiful woman come out, he approached her proactively.
"Excuse me, can I bother you for two minutes?"
The beautiful woman's gaze met his, and she seemed pleasantly surprised, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"This is my friend. She injured her leg and finds it inconvenient to use the restroom. Could you please help her?"
The beautiful woman pushed Tiantian inside and, while helping her, couldn't help but sigh.
"Your boyfriend is so good to you, handsome and considerate. You two are so well-matched, I'm so envious."
Tiantian: "..."
"Does he have any brothers or cousins? Even distant cousins are fine. He's so handsome, his brothers must be good-looking too. Can you introduce me?"