For many days, Tian Tian was listless and did not even attend Shang Jin Cheng's funeral.
Although Chen Dong Yang stayed with her every day, a kind of intimate companionship she had always longed for without any barriers, her feelings for him were no longer the same as before.
When she couldn't sleep, she often reflected on herself, questioning if this relationship was truly necessary.
From the very beginning, this relationship had been fraught with difficulties and was something to be hidden. In the end, it even involved a life.
To be precise, it involved several lives.
"I did not kill伯仁, yet伯仁 died because of me."
From this point on, could the two of them possibly pretend as if nothing had happened and continue?
Tian Tian knew that this state of hers was not good, causing worry and disrespecting Shang Jin Cheng's sacrifice.
But she couldn't control it.
When feelings for someone change, they change. When you can no longer love, you can no longer love; it cannot be forced.
In the past, when Chen Dong Yang smiled at her, even the slightest subtle gesture would make her bubble with happiness.
But now, not only did she have no feelings, she even began to feel disgusted.
Why did he have to be so cautious, so obsequious?
Were the rest of their lives destined to be spent in such awkwardness and pretense?
After questioning herself for half a month, when Chen Dong Yang once again offered her food, Tian Tian couldn't hold back.
"Don't you have work to do? Don't you have your own things to be busy with? Is it meaningful to guard me like this every day?"
"I'm a useless person, and if you turn away, I won't be able to live. Is that the impression I'm giving you right now?"
To be honest, Chen Dong Yang was indeed very cautious.
Ever since Shang Jin Cheng's incident, he felt like he was walking on thin ice every time he faced Tian Tian. He didn't know what to say or how to act.
It seemed that whatever he said or did wasn't to her liking.
He knew that Tian Tian was simply overcome with guilt and was battling herself, not him, and needed time to recover.
So, he had been patient.
However, Tian Tian's words today still couldn't help but hurt him.
"Tian Tian, what do you mean by that?"
"You're an intelligent person, Chen Dong Yang. Why ask such a foolish question?"
The current Tian Tian was like a porcupine; she wouldn't feel at ease unless she pricked Chen Dong Yang a few times.
"I don't like you anymore. I even detest the current you. Can you stop lingering in front of me? Go away, I don't want to see you."
Having finally reached this point, Chen Dong Yang knew he would never find anyone more suitable for him than Tian Tian.
She was just temporarily losing control of her emotions; he couldn't take her angry words to heart.
He wanted to embrace Tian Tian and calm her down, but Tian Tian resolutely dodged him.
"I'm not joking. Really. We can't continue this anymore."
"Every time I see you, I'll think of Zeng Hui, think of that day's events, think of the tragically deceased Shang Jin Cheng. How can you expect me to pretend as if nothing happened?"
"I think I'll probably never fall in love with anyone again in my life, especially you. So, please leave. I originally wanted to speak nicely and part on good terms, but I really can't. Forgive me, just consider me a slut, Chen Dong Yang, leave."
After speaking, without waiting for Chen Dong Yang to retort, she returned to her room and locked the door.
Chen Dong Yang waited in the living room all night, but she didn't come out. The next day, she still refused to communicate with him.
Unable to do anything, he had to seek help from Chen Jiao Jiao.
Recently, Tian Tian and Ge Er's affairs had also been giving Jiang Nan Fang a headache. Coupled with her fifth child, Zhan Jing Chen being in his rebellious phase, her life felt like a constant struggle.
Yesterday, Jiang Jing Chen had defied her again over a trivial matter, and Jiang Nan Fang was utterly exhausted. Today, she came to chat with Chen Jiao Jiao to relieve her stress.
As they were both lying in bed doing their skincare, they received Chen Dong Yang's call.
Chen Jiao Jiao exchanged a look with Jiang Nan Fang and told him to come to her.
After hanging up, Chen Jiao Jiao asked Jiang Nan Fang what to do.
"It's not a solution for Tian Tian to continue like this. She's always been sensitive, too pure and kind, and now she's carrying such a heavy burden. I'm really afraid she'll become depressed over time."
Speaking of this, Jiang Nan Fang became annoyed.
The children were all grown up and didn't pay her much heed.
Even when something happened, their first instinct was to hide it from their parents.
After each child started dating, any significant events that occurred were already set in stone, and she would only find out from others.
She felt a sense of failure in this regard.
The children of the Zhan family were all passionate lovers; they wouldn't stop until their love affairs caused them great pain, yet she was powerless.
"If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have had so many children. They're all troublemakers, so annoying."
"What's the use of saying such angry words now?" Chen Jiao Jiao did not try to comfort her.
"They're almost thirty years old; we can't put them back. Let's talk about reality. What's your plan?"
Jiang Nan Fang closed her eyes and sighed, "I'm out of ideas, otherwise I wouldn't have come to find you?"
Chen Jiao Jiao assumed an air of indifference, speaking as if it didn't concern her.
"If you ask me, you've overprotected Tian Tian and Ge Er. You always wanted them to have a simple life, to live smoothly. As a result, your protection was excessive, making them fragile; they can't handle minor setbacks."
"Actually, you should have let go earlier. Just like us back then, our parents threw us into society to be tempered. We endured all sorts of hardships, saw through human nature, and our acceptance capacity grew. We wouldn't be acting like this over a relationship."
Jiang Nan Fang retorted, "You're getting old and your memory is failing; you've forgotten how dramatic you were back then."
"..."
"Aren't you also saying this in hindsight? They're almost thirty years old; I can't start over. Tell me something realistic, do you have any good suggestions?"
Chen Jiao Jiao had none either.
"She doesn't even want Chen Dong Yang now; what good suggestions can I have? How about I introduce you to a psychologist?"
Jiang Nan Fang was so angry she wanted to hit Chen Jiao Jiao a few times, "Forget it, if she were willing to obediently see a psychologist, she wouldn't be causing so much trouble."
These children of Zhan Bei Jue, when they excel, they are exceptional, but when they are stubborn, they are incredibly stubborn. Once they've made up their minds, not even eight horses can pull them back.
As their mother, she was also helpless.
Chen Jiao Jiao also closed her eyes and sighed, thinking for a while longer.
"How about letting her go out to travel and relax? Staying home all the time only makes her sadder and leads her to get stuck in a rut. I can recommend some good places for you."
Jiang Nan Fang shot back, "Why don't you recommend them to her directly? Why go through me? Perhaps it would be more effective if you told her."
Chen Jiao Jiao didn't want to.
She was accustomed to being straightforward and wasn't good at comforting people.
Especially if they didn't listen after being told once, or twice, she would get so angry that she'd want to cut off ties.
"Let me tell you, if you really want to help her this time, have her go to impoverished places. Let her witness more of the hardships in the world, and then she'll have a proper appreciation for her own happy life and won't be so overly sensitive."
"I think the reason she's like this now is because her life is too comfortable, too happy, and she doesn't know how to cherish it..."