While Tian Tian desperately longed for him to come find her and keep him firmly by her side, she also despised herself for being like a manipulative mistress vying for attention.
At this point, all she knew was that she felt miserable, and besides that, she had no idea what to do.
Chen Dongyang asked twice. Seeing her only cry without answering, he turned and ran out of the restaurant.
Meng Kai and Zhang Wei, seeing him like this, thought something had happened to Tian Tian and also rushed out.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Tian Tian?"
Only then did Tian Tian realize they were still together, which made her despise herself even more for being so embarrassed.
"I, I..."
Chen Dongyang said, "Don't cry. Are you at home? Wait, I'm coming to find you now."
He dashed to the roadside and hailed a taxi. Meng Kai gave him his car keys, "Take my car!"
Chen Dongyang didn't stand on ceremony, took the keys, said thank you, and continued to comfort her as he ran.
"Good girl, don't cry, wait at home, I'm coming to find you now. Don't hang up. Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Tell me slowly."
Tian Tian felt a little better and could gradually breathe again, because she was about to see Chen Dongyang.
However, it was so late. If he drove for several hours to get here, what would Zeng Hui do when she looked for him?
"I miss you, I miss you like crazy, my heart is breaking from missing you. I know I shouldn't bother you, I know doing this is despicable and will be scorned by others, but I can't help it."
"Don't come over yet. Chen Dongyang, once you take this step, I will never let go again. If you choose me, you will inevitably let down Zeng Hui and their son. I won't force you. Think it through first."
Chen Dongyang's heart pounded, and a strong impulse swirled in his mind.
Hearing Tian Tian say she missed him so much she was going crazy and her heart was breaking.
Hadn't he felt the same way?
Just now, during dinner, seeing Meng Kai and Zhang Wei being affectionate across from them, all his memories with Tian Tian surfaced. He had been distracted throughout the entire meal.
Hadn't he also wanted to see her immediately?
"Can we discuss this when we meet? I just want to see you as soon as possible. Tell me something else first, okay?"
Tian Tian also feared that discussing these unhappy things would affect his mood and cause him to have an accident while driving, so she told him everything about the game from beginning to end.
From when she went to find her old classmate, to the advertising placement, to its current operation, and its initial results, she told him every detail.
Listening to her sweet and soft voice, Chen Dongyang wished he had wings to fly to her.
Finally, just before his phone battery was about to die, Chen Dongyang exited the highway.
"Tian Tian, I'm off the highway, my phone will be turned off soon. I'll hang up first so I can pay. You wait for me at home, obediently. I'll be there soon, okay?"
Tian Tian said okay, and they hung up.
Chen Dongyang used the last bit of power on his phone to pay the toll and drove out of the toll station.
Just as he was about to accelerate, a familiar Bentley and a slender figure on the roadside caught his eye.
In the night illuminated by the lights, Tian Tian, wearing a white dress and with her long hair loose, was gazing intently in the direction of the exit, standing by the roadside waiting for him.
She had run out of her house.
To see him sooner, she must have waited at the highway exit for a long time.
Chen Dongyang felt like he was going crazy. He pulled the car over in a few seconds, pushed open the door, and ran towards her.
"Tian Tian!"
Tian Tian thought he would be driving his Wuling Hongguang, and was staring at the toll booth.
Hearing the voice, she turned her head, saw Chen Dongyang approaching, and immediately opened her arms and ran towards him.
Chen Dongyang, worried about her feet, shouted to her as he ran.
"Stand still, I'm coming to you. Be careful of your feet!"
He rushed to her in a few steps.
The force with which they ran towards each other was so great that they almost knocked each other over. They embraced tightly, so tightly that it felt like they wanted to merge into each other's bones and flesh to be satisfied.
Chen Dongyang buried his face in Tian Tian's neck, greedily inhaling her unique scent.
Tian Tian lay on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. They were both so excited and happy that they couldn't speak for a long time.
It wasn't until other cars came down from the highway and, with a mischievous intent, flashed their headlights at them, that Chen Dongyang finally let her go.
"Let's get out of here first."
He took Tian Tian's hand and got into Meng Kai's car.
It was already past one in the morning. Chen Dongyang didn't want to drive too far and waste time, so he found a nearby hotel and took Tian Tian's hand to get a room.
Upon entering, he inserted the card into the slot, and the lights turned on.
He turned and stared at Tian Tian. After a few seconds, just as Tian Tian was about to call his name, he pushed her against the wall.
They were like two dying people who had finally found food, madly drawing nourishment from each other's mouths.
Tian Tian felt she had never craved anyone so much. Even though he was right in front of her, in her hands, she still felt a bittersweet longing and dissatisfaction.
This feeling, she suspected, would be hard to forget even in her next life.
After an unknown amount of time, when their mouths were almost numb, Chen Dongyang finally let her go.
He cupped Tian Tian's face, and their eyes met. After a few seconds, he said with heartache.
"You've lost weight again. Haven't you been eating properly lately? Why are you so disobedient?"
Tian Tian also felt heartache for him. "Aren't you the same?"
Chen Dongyang pulled her into his embrace again, hugging her tightly.
"I miss you too, I miss you so much it's driving me crazy, I think of you every moment."
"Sometimes I really want to call you, to hear your voice, but I don't dare. I'm afraid of bothering you."
"Tian Tian, if it's possible, can we not separate? Give me some time, I will handle Zeng Hui and their son, I don't want to be separated from you anymore."
"Even if my sister and your parents curse me as a scumbag when they find out, and all your family looks down on me, I won't care. It's too hard not seeing you. Too hard, too hard."
After murmuring to himself for a while, seeing that Tian Tian hadn't spoken, he created some distance between them and looked into her eyes.
"Isn't this too selfish of me? I'm sorry, just consider it a moment of impulse. If you're not willing, then consider I never said it."
Tian Tian saw that he was as conflicted and incoherent as she was, and that he was being so cautious. She knew his feelings were very complicated. With heartache, she tiptoed and cupped his chin.
"How could I think you're selfish? You don't know how much I love hearing these words."
"I also really want to call you, I want to spend every moment with you. Chen Dongyang, I probably can't live without you in this lifetime."
"I'm so happy to hear you say this. I don't care if you can break ties with Zeng Hui and their son, nor do I care what my family thinks. I just want to be with you now."
"Let's not worry about those things anymore, okay? Let's never suppress ourselves again. If we want to chat, let's chat. If we want to talk, let's talk. If we want to meet, let's meet. Even if we can't get married, if we can maintain this relationship forever, I have no regrets."