The cashier scanned his phone with a beep, and the payment was successful.
Tian Tian felt even more embarrassed.
Over a thousand yuan was not enough for her to buy a pair of shoes, but heaven knew what it meant to Chen Dongyang.
However, she didn't want to appear too concerned about his balance, fearing it might hurt his pride.
So, as Chen Dongyang pushed her out, she teased him.
"You've spent too much. The last person who paid for me like this was my dad and my brother. Mr. Chen, how old are you?"
Her emotional intelligence was high, successfully diffusing the awkward moment.
Chen Dongyang played along, "Older than you."
"You don't even know my age, but you know you're older?"
"No need to say. I can tell by looking at your face."
Tian Tian turned back and smiled at him, "Are you saying your wrinkles are more than mine? Men don't take care of themselves, there's no comparison. Honestly, how old are you?"
Chen Dongyang chuckled, "Twenty-eight, am I older than you?"
Tian Tian was a bit surprised.
He looked quite young, and she had always assumed they were the same age, or that she was younger.
She hadn't expected him to be two years older than Zhan Jingrui and Jiang Jingyu.
Chen Dongyang saw her surprised expression and chuckled again, naturally ruffling her hair.
"Call me Ge."
It felt as if the distance between them had suddenly closed.
Tian Tian couldn't help but smile too, imitating Dou Ya's tone and calling him Brother Chen.
In the following days, Chen Dongyang was busier than usual.
He would return on time to cook for her. Sometimes, when he was stewing pork ribs or fish soup, he would leave the pot simmering on the stove when he went out, calling to remind Tian Tian to watch the heat and be careful not to scald herself when checking.
They weren't a couple, yet they lived their days like an old married couple.
Tian Tian's emotions stabilized considerably. While checking the chicken soup simmering in the clay pot one day, she suddenly had an inspiration and a design idea.
She buried herself in work for the next few days, successfully drawing the blueprints she wanted.
The competition deadline was fast approaching. Both she and Chen Dongyang submitted their entries, quietly awaiting the judges' review.
Eight days later, Chen Dongyang took Tian Tian to the hospital for a follow-up appointment, and her stitches were removed.
The doctor said she was recovering well, but it would take a hundred days for her bones and muscles to fully heal. She still had a long recovery process ahead and needed to avoid exertion and remain vigilant.
As usual, Chen Dongyang pushed her in a wheelchair in and out of places.
She thought she could smoothly keep it from Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nan Fang, but unexpectedly, Jiang Nan Fang called that day, wanting to visit.
"Tian Tian, are you home? I made your favorite food today. You've been busy lately, participating in the competition, so your dad and I didn't want to bother you. But now that the entries are submitted, you should relax.
"Eat something you like to nourish your body. Your dad and I will come over and stay with you for a night. You won't mind, will you?"
Tian Tian was terrified.
It wasn't that she didn't welcome them, but her current condition made it impossible.
If her parents saw that she had cut her tendons, they might have a heart attack.
She had already been through so much; she couldn't let it all go to waste.
So, she pretended to have a bad signal, hung up on Jiang Nan Fang mid-conversation, and immediately called Chen Dongyang.
"What should I do? My parents want to visit me and are already on their way. They can't see me like this, please help me think of a solution."
Chen Dongyang was on his way home from work and asked, "How long will they take to arrive?"
Tian Tian replied, "It will take at least an hour from their house to here, but I don't know where they are now. Where are you?"
"I'm ten minutes away. It should be enough time. How about I pick you up?"
"Pick me up, but where will we go?"
"I'm driving. We can talk more when we meet."
Chen Dongyang hung up and rushed back to the neighborhood.
He drove back at full speed and saw Tian Tian sitting in the wheelchair with a panicked expression. He asked,
"Do they know your apartment password?"
"Yes."
"Have they been here before when you weren't around?"
"Yes."
"Then I need to pack up everything in the second bedroom. And your medicine. Pack it up. Let's go quickly."
The two of them acted like they were in a battle, dividing their tasks to pack away all suspicious items. Jiang Nan Fang sent another WeChat message.
"What's going on, Tian Tian? Why did you hang up the phone? Are you busy? Why do you always work overtime? Are you still at the company?"
Tian Tian was extremely flustered. She asked Chen Dongyang if he had finished packing. Chen Dongyang checked everything thoroughly. All good. As they left, she replied to Jiang Nan Fang via text.
"Not working overtime. I'm with Wushuang. She just finished a project, and we agreed to have dinner and relax together. Mommy, you and Daddy don't need to bring me food anymore, we're already eating."
Jiang Nan Fang felt something was amiss.
Her reply speed was strange.
"Really? I haven't seen Wushuang in a while either, let's video call so I can chat with her too."
"And the food, I've already prepared it. It's no fun just taking it back. Send me Wushuang's address, and we'll go to her place to give you the food. Don't worry, we won't disturb you, we'll just say hello and leave."
Jiang Nan Fang was extremely meticulous, fearing her daughter might be deceived by some bad person behind their backs.
Tian Tian could only reply, "Okay, then bring it over. Since you're bringing it, let's not video call. Wushuang already feels distant from you, and she'll be even more uncomfortable facing the camera."
After replying to Jiang Nan Fang, she immediately called Wushuang.
"Are you home? I'm coming to your place. My parents are doing a surprise inspection, and there are some things I can't tell them, so I told them I'm with you and staying at your place tonight. You absolutely cannot let me down at this crucial moment!"
Thank goodness, Wushuang was home.
The two of them rushed to the downstairs of her apartment, and Chen Dongyang carried her upstairs.
Wushuang also rented an apartment in an old residential building, which had no elevator.
Knowing Tian Tian was coming, she stood at the door waiting.
Seeing Chen Dongyang carry her up, her eyes nearly popped out.
"What's going on? You, you guys..."
"Let's go inside and talk."
Chen Dongyang placed Tian Tian on the sofa, then ran downstairs without a word, brought up the wheelchair, folded it, and hid it in the bathroom.
He had been running back and forth for so long without taking a breath, and he was covered in a light sweat. Before Tian Tian could thank him, he quickly walked out as if to avoid suspicion.
"You guys get ready. I'll leave now. Call me if anything happens. I'm not far away anyway."
His tall figure disappeared at the stairwell in an instant. A moment later, the sound of a van starting could be heard from downstairs.
Tian Tian looked at Wushuang with an embarrassed expression, raising her hands.
"It's nothing between him and me, I swear to you. My leg is just injured, and he happened to be there, and he kindly helped."