She must be missing him too.
She must not be able to sleep either.
She must not be able to eat either.
She must really want to call him.
She must not really want to break up, and is probably sitting with Wushuang right now, talking about him.
The more Chen Dongyang thought about her, the more he missed her, to the point of a headache. He really, really wanted to call her, even if it was just to listen to her breathing.
But he couldn't.
As long as Zeng Hui's situation wasn't resolved, she couldn't risk harming Tian Tian again.
What he needed to do now was to sleep quickly, not let his body collapse, and then take Zeng Hui back to Nancheng, find a good job for her, and help her come alive again as soon as possible.
Perhaps driven by his extreme longing for Tian Tian, Chen Dongyang actually fell asleep that night.
Although his sleep quality was very poor and he kept dreaming, he had at least rested.
The next day, Zeng's mother had prepared breakfast, and Zeng's father drove his taxi, which he used for his business, to pick up the whole family after breakfast and take them back to the county town to stay for a couple of days.
"After your brother went to college, I went out to work during the day, and your mother felt bored staying home alone. She missed you terribly and insisted on moving back. It was too much trouble for my brother and me to come back and forth to the village every time."
"Now that you're finally back, she's relieved. We won't have to run to the village anymore. Huihui, look how thin you are. Rest well at home for a few days, let your mother cook you more good food to recuperate. Don't rush about work, wait until you're feeling better."
Zeng Hui didn't reply, stealing a glance at Chen Dongyang.
He kept his eyes down, mechanically putting food into his mouth, his emotions unreadable.
After breakfast, the family got into the car and returned to the county town. Chen Dongyang sat numbly in the clean room, listening to Zeng Hui talk more intimately with her parents. He could no longer suppress his desire to leave.
The job at the design institute was bought for him with a large sum of money by Tian Tian.
He had accepted Tian Tian's kindness before to pay for Dou Bao's medical treatment and surgery.
But now that Dou Bao was gone and the financial pressure was gone, he didn't want to stay at the design institute anymore.
He was inherently restless and not suited for academia, nor for sitting quietly in an office all day.
He had many unconventional ideas in his mind that he longed to realize.
He was now extremely eager for success, to prove himself to Tian Tian, and to repay her.
This long period of rest was torture for him.
Fortunately, Zeng Hui noticed his anxiety. During lunch, she discussed with her mother that they would leave after the meal.
Zeng's mother was taken aback, "Why the rush? Didn't you say you were going to rest at home for a while until you felt better? What are you planning to do?"
Zeng Hui spoke up for Chen Dongyang.
"Dou Bao's matter happened suddenly, and he left without asking for leave from the company. He's afraid that if he delays too long, his superiors will have opinions. It's not easy to find such a good job."
Zeng's mother didn't understand, "Oh, doesn't everyone have major life events like birth and death in their families? Are they not even allowing a few days off for such things?"
"It's not that they won't allow it. The problem is that the matter is already settled. What's the point of being idle at home every day?"
Indeed.
It was meaningless for both of them to be idle at home every day without working.
Zeng's mother said, "Then you go back to work first, and you stay home and rest for a few days. Look how thin you are. I'm really worried if you leave like this."
How could Zeng Hui let Chen Dongyang leave alone?
She would rather sacrifice her time with her mother than be separated from him.
"I haven't worked in a long time either. When Dou Bao was sick, he was the only one earning money, working all year round without rest. Now it's my turn to go out to work and help him alleviate some of the pressure."
"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. I know how to take care of myself. I'll visit you often when I have time off. Please let us leave now. We're both people who can't sit still. Sitting at home doing nothing like this is truly torture."
Her mother couldn't resist her pleading and finally agreed to let them go.
But before they left, she took out the household registration book.
"You said back then that you wanted to have the child and asked me for the household registration book when you returned. I didn't give it to you, and I regretted it afterwards. I won't say anything now. As long as you and Xiao Chen are happy, Mom will support anything."
"You're almost 30 now. It's not a solution for you two to keep drifting around like this. Get your marriage certificate before you leave. Seeing you finally settled down, we can rest assured no matter how long we don't see you."
Chen Dongyang never expected Zeng's mother to say something like this.
Putting aside the fact that he could never marry Zeng Hui, even if he could, Dou Bao had only passed away two days ago, and she was already urging her daughter to get married?
Although she loved her daughter dearly, this was too much.
"Auntie, we came back to settle Dou Bao, not to get a marriage certificate. How can we celebrate a happy occasion and mourn at the same time?"
Seeing his righteous words, Zeng's mother realized she had been out of line and quickly gave an embarrassed smile.
"I didn't mean that. I just thought since you're back for a visit and your father and I can't go to Nancheng, we'd be at ease if we could see her settled down."
"Alright, alright. I didn't say that correctly. We really can't combine the two. Then take the book. See when it's convenient for you two, and go get the certificate. Call Mom to let me know. I won't worry about you anymore."
Finally leaving the Zeng family, on the way back, Zeng Hui observed Chen Dongyang's expression. Seeing his face ashen and unwilling to speak, she tentatively asked.
What were his plans after they returned? Chen Dongyang looked at the scenery outside the window and paused for a moment.
"I plan to resign."
"Resign?"
"Yes, go back to Nancheng. The job at the design institute isn't suitable for me. And Tongcheng doesn't have good employment opportunities. After returning to Nancheng, you can also find a good job."
Zeng Hui stared at his profile for a few more seconds and said honestly.
"I've never truly entered the workforce after getting my diploma. Now that I'm older, I'm still a novice, and I'm a bit scared."
Chen Dongyang comforted her.
"Don't worry, look slowly. Only go when you find something you're satisfied with. I won't pressure you."
With his words, Zeng Hui felt reassured.
To be honest, Zeng Hui had been quite worried these past two days.
She was afraid that without Dou Bao as a connection, Chen Dongyang would eagerly ditch her.
But as it seemed, he hadn't had any intimate contact with anyone in private, and he had barely touched his phone these past two days.
He was also gentle and considerate towards her.
Sometimes she really blamed herself for being too sensitive.
Thinking this, Zeng Hui rested her head on his shoulder again, holding his arm.
"Although life has been hard on me, I have you. As long as you're there to support me, I'll always be at peace. Thank you, Dongyang."