The sight melted Tian Tian’s heart. She squatted down to hug him, then held the small toy out to him.
“I bought you a toy, see what this is.”
“Dinosaur~”
“And this one.”
“Little car~”
“And this one too.”
“Wow, lollipop~”
“Do you like it?”
“I like it~”
“Do you want to thank sister?”
“Thank you, sister~”
The little fellow’s words were so sweet, and he was so cute. Tian Tian was utterly fond of him, stretching her face towards him.
“Then do you want to kiss sister?”
*Slurp*, Dou Bao kissed her on the cheek, making Tian Tian giggle uncontrollably.
“You smell so good!”
When she first met her, she was an arrogant and picky young lady. After further contact, she found that she was actually quite compassionate and human, but still carried a certain noble distance.
Seeing her today, she seemed to have transformed into a girl next door.
Chen Dongyang’s gaze was unconsciously drawn to the two of them, and he smiled along with them.
Hui Hui, who was cooking in the kitchen, heard the voices and ran out with a spatula.
“Miss Jiang is here, welcome, welcome. I’m cooking, it’ll be ready soon, we can eat shortly. Please sit down first.”
“Dou Bao, come down quickly, don’t tire Auntie.”
Dou Bao excitedly held up two small toys to show his mother.
“Mom, dinosaur~ Sister bought it~”
Hui Hui said sheepishly, “Oh my, you didn’t have to buy so many things. You’re spending too much.”
At this moment, Tian Tian felt that Hui Hui and Chen Dongyang were quite complementary.
Although she was young and poor, she was very worldly.
Chen Dongyang was a man of skill, fierce and taciturn.
One managed the outside, the other the inside; a very traditional Chinese couple pairing.
“We’re friends, why be so formal? I also like Dou Bao, that’s why I wanted to see him. You go ahead and get busy, don’t mind me.”
As a mother, she was naturally happy that someone else liked her son.
Hui Hui smiled with great delight, “Okay, okay, then I’ll get back to it. Please sit, Dongyang, pour Miss Jiang some water.”
Chen Dongyang poured her a glass of plain water and placed it in the center of the coffee table to prevent Dou Bao from bumping into it.
Then he extended his hands to Dou Bao, “Chen Daddy will hold you, let sister rest.”
Dou Bao flapped his feet and landed on the ground, “Little car, little car~ Chen Daddy, play with me with the little car.”
Chen Dongyang squatted down and began playing with the little car with him.
This was Tian Tian’s first time in this humble home, and she couldn’t help but look around.
The rented house was always very simple. The walls were only plastered, and a green fan hung from the ceiling in the center of the living room. There was a set of outdated leather sofas, a coffee table, and two small low stools.
The rest were even simpler small pieces of furniture, all revealing the hardship of their life.
But fortunately, Hui Hui was virtuous and kept everything neat and spotless, so it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Tian Tian sat down on the sofa. Seeing Chen Dongyang affectionately playing with Dou Bao, she felt idle and made small talk.
“Is Dou Ya home from work? Is he coming?”
Chen Dongyang looked up at her, “He heard you invited him and agreed immediately, so he should be here soon. That cup of water is yours.”
Tian Tian picked up the teacup and held it in her hands to warm them.
It was already the third month of the lunar calendar, and it was still so cold in Nancheng. Dou Bao’s clothes were a bit small, and a large section of his waist was exposed when he squatted down to play.
After a period of wandering thoughts, Chen Dongyang picked up Dou Ya, took off his shoes, and placed him on the sofa.
Dou Bao sat in the middle, with the two of them sitting on either side. Dou Bao rolled the little car back and forth on Tian Tian’s lap.
Looking at his small, cute hands, Tian Tian suddenly felt that she was indeed getting older and perhaps it was time to find someone to date seriously and have a child.
Freedom and loneliness always coexisted.
She lacked neither money nor freedom, but she was slowly beginning to experience loneliness.
A life accompanied by a lover and children, like this, should be the ultimate destination for every woman.
“Why does he call you Chen Daddy?”
After a pause, she suddenly asked this question on impulse, but regretted it as soon as she spoke.
“I didn’t mean anything by it, I just…”
Chen Dongyang knew she didn’t mean anything by it and explained indifferently.
“His father passed away before he was born. Perhaps it’s human nature, but babies start calling for parents within a few months. It felt awkward for him to call me Daddy directly, so he calls me Chen Daddy.”
Tian Tian coughed, “I’m sorry…”
Chen Dongyang remained indifferent, “It’s fine.”
Without Hui Hui present, the atmosphere between them felt somewhat strange.
Fortunately, Dou Ya arrived in time.
Seeing Tian Tian, he became excited like a big傻子.
Tian Tian also felt a sense of familiarity seeing him.
The two greeted each other enthusiastically. Seeing her smile so happily at Dou Ya, Chen Dongyang couldn’t help but scratch his nose.
He felt as if he would never be able to interact with women very comfortably.
Dou Ya pulled a small stool and sat in front of Tian Tian, enthusiastically talking about the renovation progress at Wushuang’s house.
The two chatted happily, with Tian Tian saying this and Dou Ya saying that.
Before long, Hui Hui brought several dishes to the table.
“Dou Ya is here too? What a coincidence, the dishes are ready, let’s all eat.”
Both Dou Ya and Hui Hui were good conversationalists, and with them around, the meal had a decent atmosphere.
They were all home-style dishes, but they ate quite happily. After more than an hour, the meal ended.
Although it was still early, Tian Tian said she had to leave.
Her intentions had been conveyed, and it was enough; she couldn’t overstay her welcome.
Hui Hui didn’t try to keep her, as Dou Bao needed to sleep, and she was already walking back and forth in the room, coaxing him to sleep while holding him.
Dou Ya was going to clear the dishes and wash them. Chen Dongyang said, “Then I’ll escort you downstairs.”
After saying their goodbyes, the two of them went downstairs.
As they walked towards the car, Tian Tian let out a sigh of relief.
Chen Dongyang saw her gesture clearly and felt quite sorry for her.
He had helped, yet he was also adding extra social burden to her.
“What have you been busy with lately?”
With a person’s distance between them, Chen Dongyang suddenly spoke.
Tian Tian glanced at him. Night had fallen, and the streetlights cast a warm yellow glow, making his features appear even more handsome in the soft light.
She averted her gaze, “Drawing design drafts, what else can I do? There’s a competition for emerging designers in the industry. This is the second year, do you know about it?”
Speaking of his professional field, Chen Dongyang nodded.
“Did you sign up?”
Tian Tian said yes, “Did you sign up too?”
Chen Dongyang also nodded.
After all, winning an award in this competition would not only bring a generous bonus but also significantly enhance one’s resume. Any designer with a bit of ambition would likely participate.
“Another competitor.”
Tian Tian said with a smile, making a joke.
“You seem very busy, do you still have time to participate in the competition?”
Chen Dongyang answered truthfully, “I need money. I have to make a living.”
Tian Tian was speechless and paused again.
“With such a heavy workload, where do you get so much inspiration? Do you have the designs for the competition ready?”