He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and held it in his hand, zipping up his padded jacket.
Perhaps it was because the jacket was black with a stand-up collar that framed his sharp jawline, leaving only his nose and eyes exposed, that he appeared more rugged and spirited.
But good looks didn't equate to good conversation.
"Sure. Whatever you want. I'm heading to the electronics wholesale street on Baili West Road. I'll go on ahead."
With that, he turned the key on his electric scooter and, like a slippery snake, weaved and wobbled a few times, overtaking her. With a flick of his wrist, he sped off, his figure a blur of casual grace.
Watching his tall, thin back on the electric scooter, his hair whipped by the wind, Tian Tian shook her head.
It was right not to be in a relationship; it was right not to fall for men. Mom and Dad were right!
Even her two older brothers were no good, which proved that there were no good men in this world.
The more handsome a man, the more dangerous.
Cherish life, stay away from men. Amitabha.
Fortunately, she was smart enough to remember what he had said. Back in her car, she set up the navigation and drove after him.
The journey was stop-and-go, taking half an hour to reach the wholesale market, which was teeming with people.
Five-seater pickups, seven-seater minivans, electric scooters, motorcycles, old and young, men and women, from the south, from the north. Various accented vendors and wholesalers were gathered on this street.
The air buzzed with the din of voices, a bustling throng.
Did she have Chen Dongyang's contact information? She couldn't find him; how could she contact him?
Tian Tian wandered through the crowd for a while, knowing she wouldn't find him. She casually asked a few shops about the market prices of materials, then estimated the dimensions that Wushuang's home would likely require and gauged the price. She then returned to her car to wait.
Her car was parked in front of a shop. The owner initially objected to her parking there, but upon seeing a luxury car and a beautiful woman emerge, he didn't say much more.
However, Tian Tian knew the rules and, fearing she might affect their business, felt embarrassed. She went into his small convenience store and bought something.
There wasn't anything she particularly wanted to eat. Seeing the chewing gum by the counter, she felt a slight craving and picked up two packs.
Opening one pack, she sat in her car, rolled down the window, and waited leisurely.
A few minutes later, she indeed saw him.
Chen Dongyang emerged from the crowd, weaving nimbly on that old electric scooter.
For some reason, when he had sped off earlier, leaving her behind, she had felt provoked.
Now, having successfully caught up and cornered him again, Tian Tian felt a sense of triumphant satisfaction.
She quickly started her car, honked at him as she drove forward.
Chen Dongyang's attention was drawn. He turned to look, his eyes first falling upon her car.
Tian Tian had been quite low-key, driving the oldest Bentley her family owned.
She heard that Jiang Nan Fang had started driving it when she was in middle school, and it was now nearly ten years old.
But in this environment, it still stood out distinctively.
With her attire, the confidence cultivated since childhood, driving such a car, and her perpetually assertive demeanor, she gave the impression of a spoiled, arrogant young lady seeking to flaunt her wealth.
Chen Dongyang glanced at her and sneered inwardly.
Ever since entering the renovation industry, he had truly encountered all sorts of peculiar people. Women, whether older or younger, all wanted to show off their superiority in front of them. Were renovation workers really that inferior? He was speechless.
He didn't understand the purpose of Tian Tian honking at him. He gave a quick glance, then turned his head back and sped away on his electric scooter.
Tian Tian didn't use her navigation, leisurely following him back to the residential compound.
They parked their vehicles one after another. Chen Dongyang hung the items he'd bought on himself and headed upstairs.
Tian Tian followed, asking him how much he had bought and how much it cost.
Chen Dongyang thought to himself: "The little bit I saved isn't enough for you to pay for two trips of gas." But he didn't say it aloud.
He handed her the shopping list with a blank expression.
Tian Tian took it and looked. It was about the same as her own calculations. She then tucked it back into his pocket.
They stopped talking and walked upstairs in silence.
Chen Dongyang casually tossed the wires onto the ground, called out to Douya, put on his gloves and mask, and together they began marking the wall and preparing to channel electricity.
They didn't need to supervise the trench digging themselves; he was confident that they wouldn't be foolish enough to mess that up.
After standing for a few minutes, she told Douya she would be back tomorrow and went downstairs.
Back in her car, while waiting for the heater to warm up, she sent Wushuang a WeChat message, asking how her packing was going.
After waiting for a while, Wushuang hadn't replied. Just then, she saw someone rush down the hallway again.
A tall figure, with hurried steps – wasn't it Chen Dongyang?
He had only been working for a few minutes, so why was he coming down again?
As she wondered, he got back on that old electric scooter and rode off outside with a casual air.
So unreliable, so inconsiderate, did he need to be watched constantly to do any work?
He actually left his job right after the client did!
Tian Tian cursed inwardly: "Fine. You can drag your feet. When I come back tomorrow and find the progress is lacking, I won't assign this unprofitable job to you anymore. Prepare for contract termination."
She started her car and also left the compound.
Wushuang replied to her WeChat, saying she had already packed at home and asked how things were on Tian Tian's end.
Tian Tian said she had finished supervising and there was nothing else to do. "How about we still go shopping as planned? I'll come find you now."
Wushuang agreed. Tian Tian tossed her phone back and continued driving. As she stopped at a traffic light ahead, she saw Chen Dongyang's electric scooter parked on the sidewalk ahead of her, having arrived a few moments before her.
He was like a persistent shadow.
She actually saw him even here.
Tian Tian turned left, and to her surprise, Chen Dongyang also turned left.
She had intended to speed past him to find Wushuang, but as she drove, curiosity got the better of her.
She wanted to see what this guy was rushing off to do.
She slowed down her car and followed him leisurely behind.
After two blocks, the electric scooter stopped, and a woman, holding a child and looking anxious, rushed out from the roadside.
Chen Dongyang remained seated on the scooter but, judging by his expression and the woman's rapid speech, they were undoubtedly discussing the child.
After a few exchanges, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around the child. He then had the woman get on the electric scooter.
Turning the vehicle around, he headed back in the direction they had come from, carrying her.
Judging by their interaction, they seemed quite familiar, and his urgency suggested to Tian Tian's mind that he was married and this was his child.
But then she thought again, he looked quite young; he probably wasn't a father this early.
No, no, she shouldn't think that.
Weren't Jiang Jingyu and Zhan Jingrui both young? And they were already married and had children.
Wushuang, oh Wushuang, you have a good eye.
For your first crush in life, you actually fell for a man like this.
One more block ahead, and the residential compound was where Wushuang rented her place.
Tian Tian went upstairs and told Wushuang what she had seen. Wushuang was indeed very disappointed.
"Ah, really?"