She made an excuse, saying the two of them were working on a project together and she needed to pick up some clothes before continuing her business trip, so Chen Dongyang offered her a ride.
"Why did you come back early too? And why did you pack your luggage as if you were moving out?"
Fearing it would be inconvenient for them to talk, Chen Dongyang suggested they wait outside and left first.
Wu Shuang listlessly told Tiantian that she was, and that she was moving back to her own apartment.
"Your foot has healed, and it's not practical for me to live here every day."
"Why are you moving back to your own apartment? Didn't he say he would rent a place for you?"
Wu Shuang said weakly, "My rent there hasn't expired yet, and I can't be bothered with the hassle of moving back and forth."
Tiantian felt her mood was off and pressed further, "Is that really the reason? Afraid of the hassle? Why do I feel like something's wrong, something you can't even tell me?"
Wu Shuang met her gaze, and after a few seconds, broke down, her eyes welling up as she leaned her head on Tiantian's shoulder.
"There is indeed something, but I don't know how to tell you... Tiantian, please don't scold me, okay?"
Tiantian certainly wouldn't scold her.
Unless she had committed a crime.
But Wu Shuang wouldn't do that.
"That guy lied to me. He's not single at all."
Tiantian was surprised. No wonder she felt something was off the first time she met him; her intuition was never wrong.
Wu Shuang continued dejectedly, "Every time we stayed together at night before, he would spend a long time in the bathroom."
"I originally thought it was normal to play on my phone while in the bathroom and didn't think much of it. But that day, he stayed in there for too long. I was curious what he was doing, so I eavesdropped. Then I heard him on the phone inside, his voice very low and furtive."
"But I had no proof, and he wouldn't tell the truth. Until the day before yesterday, when a woman called him and I answered, he finally admitted that he was already married."
"But he also said that although he'd been married for over three years, there was no affection between them, they had been living separately, and they didn't have any children. Because of me, he was recently pursuing a divorce, and their phone calls were about discussing this."
Tiantian blurted out, "You believed him? You actually believed such obvious nonsense?"
Wu Shuang was clearly half-believing, half-doubting, her head resting on the sofa, her gaze empty as she stared at the ceiling.
"I'm so conflicted. On one hand, I tell myself not to believe such things, but on the other hand, I can't help but make excuses for him. After all, he's my first love, and I'm not young anymore. I've already quietly planned our future in my heart..."
Tiantian understood her feelings, just like her own situation with Chen Dongyang. They knew there were many problems, but they just couldn't let go.
After watching Wu Shuang for a while, she tried to offer advice.
"No matter what, you should wait until you get the divorce certificate before continuing. Otherwise, why don't you keep him at arm's length for now and see what he does? If word gets out, people will think you're the third party interfering."
Wu Shuang fell silent again. "I don't know what to do anymore. It hurts so much. I didn't even go to work this afternoon. He told me to come back and rest, and it wouldn't count as taking leave."
"Sigh, you haven't experienced something like this before, so talking to you is also useless. It's giving me a headache. I'm going back to sleep for a while, and I'll think about it after I've rested."
After saying that, Wu Shuang's expression shifted to one of shrewdness.
"I've noticed you've been getting very close to Chen Dongyang lately. Isn't that woman watching him very closely? Are you still daring to approach him with her hostility towards you so strong?"
"Outside of work, I suggest you maintain some distance from him. With your status, you can't afford to get entangled with people like her."
People are all like this; when giving advice to others, they are incredibly calm, but when it comes to themselves, they become muddled.
Tiantian vaguely replied, "I know. Do you need me to drive you back?"
"No, I've already called for a ride-sharing car. It will be here soon. I'll be going now. Let's talk again another day."
After seeing Wu Shuang off, Tiantian felt even more dejected.
Love should be a very ordinary thing, like seeing affectionate couples everywhere on the street. Why was it so difficult for them?
In the evening, Chen Dongyang was writing a draft, and Tiantian sat beside him drawing, the two of them occasionally looking at each other, keeping each other company in silence, finding some solace in their hearts.
The next day, Chen Dongyang sent his completed draft to the old gentleman for review. The old gentleman was very pleased and asked him to accompany him to the factory to select a venue the day after.
Tiantian, as his assistant, went with Chen Dongyang.
After much consideration, everyone selected a warehouse that had been used for a long time, which could be demolished and rebuilt. It wasn't a very large workload.
Mr. Kang's eldest son saw that the cost incurred by the old gentleman was not high and that it could also promote corporate culture. He was very supportive, and the project officially commenced.
The design of the venue didn't need to be too unique, so as not to appear too out of place when displayed in the factory.
Chen Dongyang slightly modified a previous discarded draft and submitted it for the old gentleman's review. It met the old gentleman's expectations, and the construction team moved in.
Chen Dongyang had his own people, directly transferring a team from Boss Huang and Douya and his group over.
During these busy few days, Zeng Hui would send him WeChat messages every day, mostly showing him short videos of Doubao's life.
Chen Dongyang would reply to her diligently, and the two of them maintained a good rapport.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
Meng Kai called Chen Dongyang to invite him to a wedding.
Their wedding was to be held in two locations. They would go to Zhang Wei's home first, but Zhang Wei's parents were still living in their rural hometown, and they didn't know if he was willing to go.
As Zhang Wei's friend, Tiantian would definitely attend her wedding, and Chen Dongyang would certainly have to go.
Meng Kai was very happy. He didn't have many true friends in the workplace, but he had made two congenial companions outside of work.
On Friday evening, the four of them drove together towards the countryside, so they wouldn't get lost.
Tiantian, having never been to the countryside in her life, was very excited along the way.
Upon arriving and seeing the surrounding lotus ponds, hills, and wild flowers covering the mountainsides, her mood improved even further.
She and Zhang Wei were responsible for looking beautiful and having fun, while Meng Kai and Chen Dongyang were responsible for the work.
Rural wedding banquets are held at home. A simple red carpet is laid on the cement ground, over a dozen wooden round tables are set up, and red plastic stools are placed. A canopy is erected in the yard, and the venue is basically set up.
Most of the young people in the countryside have gone to work elsewhere, so there aren't many available laborers to help. The work is basically done by the two of them.
Seeing her boyfriend sweating profusely from exertion, both Tiantian and Zhang Wei felt very heartbroken.
However, this was not the most heartbreaking part for them.
There's a saying in the countryside that people who are not family, whether they are boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife, cannot stay together at night.
Zhang Wei's home had only three single-story rooms. Excluding the central hall, there were only two bedrooms on either side.
She and Tiantian shared one room, her parents occupied another, and Chen Dongyang, Meng Kai, and other helpers had to sleep on the floor.
Lying together, Zhang Wei couldn't stop apologizing to Tiantian.
"My family is too poor. I'm really sorry. Chen Dongyang came all this way to give a gift, do the work, and sleep on the floor. You won't blame me, will you?"