She made an excuse, saying they were collaborating on a project and she needed to pick up some clothes before another business trip, so Chen Dongyang offered her a ride.
"Why did you come back early? And why have you packed your bags? Are you moving out?"
Chen Dongyang, fearing they wouldn't be able to talk comfortably, suggested they wait outside and left first.
Wu Shuang listlessly told Tiantian that she was moving back to her own place.
"Your foot is better now, and I can't live here forever."
"Why are you moving back to your own place? Didn't he say he was going to rent a place for you?"
Wu Shuang replied weakly, "My current lease isn't up yet, and I'm too lazy to move back and forth."
Tiantian sensed something was wrong with her and pressed, "Is that really why? Afraid of the hassle? I feel like something's up, and you can't even tell me?"
Wu Shuang met her gaze, and after a few seconds, she broke down, her eyes welling up. She leaned her head on Tiantian's shoulder.
"There is something, but I don't know how to tell you... Tiantian, please don't scold me, okay?"
Tiantian would never scold her.
Unless she committed a crime.
But Wu Shuang wouldn't do that.
"That guy lied to me. He's not single at all."
Tiantian was surprised. No wonder she felt something was off the first time she met him; her intuition was never wrong.
Wu Shuang continued dejectedly, "Every time we stayed together at night, he would go to the bathroom for a long time."
"I initially thought it was normal to play on my phone while in the bathroom, and I didn't think much of it. But that day, he stayed in there for so long that I got curious about what he was doing. I went to eavesdrop and heard him on the phone inside, speaking in a hushed, furtive tone."
"But I had no proof, and he wouldn't tell the truth. It wasn't until the day before yesterday, when a woman called him and I answered, that he admitted he was already married."
"But he also said that even though he'd been married for over three years, they had no feelings for each other, lived separately, and had no children. Because of me, he'd been trying to get a divorce recently, and their calls were about discussing it."
Tiantian blurted out, "You believed him? You believed such obvious nonsense?"
Wu Shuang was clearly half-believing, half-doubting, her head resting on the sofa as she stared blankly at the ceiling.
"I'm so conflicted. Part of me tells myself not to believe this kind of talk, but I can't help but make excuses for him. After all, he's my first love, and I'm not getting any younger. I've already quietly planned our future in my heart..."
Tiantian understood her feelings. It was like her situation with Chen Dongyang; they knew there were many problems, but they just couldn't let go.
After watching Wu Shuang for a while, she tried to offer some advice.
"No matter what, you should wait until you get the divorce certificate before continuing. Why don't you just give him the cold shoulder and see what he does? Otherwise, people will think you're the third party who interfered."
Wu Shuang fell silent again. "I don't know what to do anymore. I feel so miserable. I didn't even go to work this afternoon. He told me to come back and rest, and it wouldn't count as being absent."
"Sigh, you haven't been through this before, so it's no use talking to you about it. I have a terrible headache. I'm going to go back and sleep for a while, and I'll think about it when I'm rested."
After saying that, Wu Shuang's expression shifted to one of shrewdness.
"I've noticed you and Chen Dongyang have been getting very close lately. Isn't that woman keeping a very close eye on him? She has such a strong hostility towards you, and you still dare?"
"Outside of work, I suggest you keep some distance from him. With your status, you can't afford to get entangled with people like her."
People are like this; they're incredibly calm when giving advice to others, but when it comes to themselves, they become confused.
Tiantian replied vaguely, "I know. Do you need me to drive you back?"
"No, I've already booked a ride-sharing car. It'll be here soon. I'll be going now. Let's chat again another day."
After Wu Shuang left, Tiantian felt even more dejected.
Love was supposed to be a simple, ordinary thing, like the countless affectionate couples seen everywhere on the street. Why was it so difficult for them?
In the evening, Chen Dongyang was writing his manuscript, and Tiantian sat beside him drawing. They would glance at each other from time to time, their silent companionship offering some comfort.
The next day, Chen Dongyang sent his finished manuscript to the old man for review. The old man was very satisfied and asked him to accompany him to the factory the following day to select a venue.
Tiantian, as his assistant, went with Chen Dongyang.
After much consideration, they chose a long-disused warehouse that could be renovated and rebuilt, which wouldn't be a very large undertaking.
Old Master Kang's eldest son, seeing that the old man wasn't spending much and could also promote corporate culture, was very supportive, and the project officially commenced.
The design of the venue didn't need to be too unique, so as not to appear too out of place when displayed in the factory.
Chen Dongyang made slight modifications to his previous discarded drafts and submitted them for the old man's review. They met the old man's expectations, and the construction team moved in.
Chen Dongyang had his own people, so he directly transferred a team from Boss Huang and Dou Ya to the site.
During these busy days, Zeng Hui would send him WeChat messages daily, mostly sharing short videos of Dou Bao's daily life.
Chen Dongyang would reply to her diligently, and their interactions remained smooth.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
Meng Kai called Chen Dongyang to invite him to his wedding.
Their wedding would be held in two locations, starting at Zhang Wei's home. However, Zhang Wei's parents still lived in their rural hometown, and he wasn't sure if Chen Dongyang would be willing to go.
As Zhang Wei's friend, Tiantian would definitely attend her wedding, so Chen Dongyang would have to go as well.
Meng Kai was very happy. He didn't have many true friends in the workplace, but he had made two good friends outside of it.
On Friday evening, the four of them drove together towards the countryside to ensure they wouldn't get lost.
Tiantian, having never been to the countryside in her life, was very excited on the way.
Upon arrival, seeing the lotus ponds, the hills, and the wildflowers covering the mountainside, her mood improved even further.
She and Zhang Wei were responsible for having a good time, while Meng Kai and Chen Dongyang were in charge of the work.
Weddings in the countryside were held at home. A simple red carpet was laid on the cement ground, with over a dozen large wooden round tables and red plastic stools. A rain canopy was set up in the yard, and the venue was basically ready.
Most of the young people in the countryside had gone out to work, so there weren't many laborers available to help. The work basically fell on the shoulders of the two of them.
Seeing her boyfriend sweating profusely from exhaustion, both Tiantian and Zhang Wei felt very sorry for him.
However, this wasn't what made them feel the most sorry.
There was a custom in the countryside that unmarried couples, whether boyfriend-girlfriend or husband-wife, couldn't stay together at night if they weren't related.
Zhang Wei's house only had three single-story rooms. Besides the central hall, there were only two bedrooms on either side.
She and Tiantian shared one room, her parents occupied another, and Chen Dongyang, Meng Kai, and other helpers had to sleep on the floor.
Lying next to Tiantian, Zhang Wei couldn't stop apologizing.
"My family is too poor, I'm so sorry. Chen Dongyang traveled so far to give a gift, and now he has to work and sleep on the floor. You won't blame me, will you?"