Although receiving this call was a pleasant surprise, Chen Dongyang was no fool.
He knew his design skills ranked within the industry, understood the caliber of his current creative concept, and was aware of the qualifications and salary expectations for a chief designer at a design institute.
He didn't deny having a chance to win first place, but with his work experience and education, being offered a position at the design institute with such a high salary, especially with special consideration, was definitely not a simple matter.
Therefore, after the person in charge finished speaking, his first thought was that someone was helping him from behind the scenes.
The only people who knew his predicament clearly and had the power to help him were Chen Jiaojiao and Tiantian.
Chen Jiaojiao wasn't aware he was participating in the design competition, so it was easy to guess that Tiantian had arranged this.
Chen Dongyang didn't immediately reply. He hung up the phone, stared at Tiantian's WeChat for a long time, then got out of bed.
He had slept through the entire night, and it was already dawn.
He went to the outer room and found Huihui taking care of Doubao.
Doubao had woken up. Although he didn't look well, Chen Dongyang was happy to see his eyes open.
Seeing him, Doubao was also happy. He struggled to reach out his hands to him and called out "Chen Papa."
Chen Dongyang walked over, hugged him, and patted his head. "Good Doubao. Did you miss Chen Papa these past two days?"
"I missed you."
"Chen Papa missed you too. We won't be apart anymore, and I won't let you miss me again, okay?"
"Okay."
"Eat your food obediently, listen to your mother. Chen Papa is going out to handle some business and will be back soon."
Seeing him about to leave as soon as he woke up, Zeng Hui quickly asked him where he was going.
"Someone called to discuss business. I'm going to talk about it. I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
He drove to the outside of Tiantian's residential complex and then called her.
He wasn't sure if Tiantian would answer, but luckily, she did.
Tiantian was quite surprised. They had agreed not to contact each other, so why was he calling so soon?
Fearing something was wrong, she couldn't bear not to answer.
Chen Dongyang got straight to the point. "I'm outside your complex. Come out and meet me."
Her heart fluttered with a bit of joy, but Tiantian suppressed it. "Is something wrong? Didn't we agree not to contact each other anymore?"
"There is. I'll wait for you."
After saying that, Chen Dongyang hung up the phone.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Tiantian slowly walked out of the complex.
Seeing his car, she directly opened the passenger door and got in.
They hadn't seen each other for two days, and now, seeing each other again, it seemed as if they had both lost weight.
An indescribable sadness welled up in their hearts, but neither dared to show it.
Chen Dongyang averted his gaze and looked ahead.
"How much did you spend?"
"What?"
"Arranging for me to join the design institute and giving me such a high annual salary. Don't tell me it wasn't you."
Tiantian thought someone had betrayed her and frowned, pondering where the problem might have arisen. Chen Dongyang continued,
"Only you have the heart and the ability to arrange this for me... Why did you do this?"
Since he had already guessed, there was no point in hiding it any longer.
Tiantian also looked ahead and said, "For no reason other than believing in you. I thought you had the ability, and if you were given a good platform, you could turn things around and showcase your talent."
"After all, you are my first love. I didn't want the memory to be of a relationship with an incompetent man. I just hoped your reputation would match, and you wouldn't embarrass me. That's all."
On his way, Chen Dongyang had thought of many things and imagined many excuses Tiantian might give. He hadn't expected her to say this.
He couldn't refuse.
After a pause, he nodded.
"You're right. A man with no reputation indeed doesn't deserve to be your first love. I will seize this opportunity. Thank you for helping me again."
"But I can't let you help me for nothing. I've organized the overall creative ideas and copyrights for the game I developed and sent them all to your email. Although I don't know what its future will be, it's still a labor of my heart. Consider it interest. Please take it."
Tiantian didn't want his game; she wasn't lacking money.
"Chen Dongyang, I know you have a strong sense of pride, but you don't need to be so stubborn. If you achieve success, that will be the best repayment to me. I don't need anything from you."
Chen Dongyang said, "You know, with my current abilities, I can't get it launched, and no good company is willing to sign it. It's just trash in my hands, and its value will only depreciate over time."
"Just consider it helping me fulfill a wish. If you can revitalize it, it won't be in vain for all the overtime I've put in."
He was quite persuasive, leaving Tiantian with no room to refuse.
After a moment, she also nodded in agreement.
"Okay. Are you done talking?"
Chen Dongyang wasn't finished.
He had so many more things he wanted to say to Tiantian, wanted to ask if she had been eating and sleeping well recently, but he had no right.
"I'm done."
"Then delete my phone number and WeChat."
Tiantian pushed open the door and got out of the car.
Less than two hours after Chen Dongyang left her complex, Tiantian received the files he sent to her email.
She stared at the files again and again, and the afternoon passed unconsciously. Wushuang returned.
She had been in a state of infatuation lately, looking radiant every day.
Knowing Tiantian was returning today, she rushed back from work, ran up to her for a hug, and chattered about her recent romantic progress with her director.
"Don't laugh at me, but I slept with him. Isn't that fast?"
"Actually, I didn't expect it to happen so soon. Tiantian, do you think I'm pathetic?"
In the past, Tiantian might have thought so.
But now, having done the same with Chen Dongyang, she had no right to judge anyone.
"No, as long as you feel happy. Whatever you do is right."
"That's great. Hearing you say that makes me feel much better, otherwise, I'd feel so pathetic. Darling, why do you look thinner after only a few days? Is the competition pressure immense? What do you want to eat tonight? I'll cook a big meal to reward you."
Tiantian didn't want to eat anything; she just wanted to chat with Wushuang. She pulled her to sit on the sofa.
"How was it after you slept together? Did he promise you anything? When do you plan to let your family know?"
Wushuang's smile faded slightly as she looked at Tiantian and said,
"We only met not long ago, and I haven't planned to let my family know yet. Let's see how things go."
"The day after we slept together, he offered to rent a better apartment for me, but I felt like if I accepted it, it would seem like I was after his money, so I refused. Do you think I'm too foolish?"
Tiantian said, "If you are dating with the intention of marriage, his money will eventually be yours. Didn't he ask you to move in with him?"
Wushuang shook her head. "Speaking of which, I'm also a bit uncertain. I was planning to talk to you about it. He said he's against marriage."
Tiantian was a little surprised.
Wushuang was an only child, and her parents were from a small town with very traditional views.