This year, she was full of confidence, determined to bring back an ideal ranking to show off to her family.
Several designers from the company had registered. It wasn't just about the substantial prize money; it was also a chance to add a beautiful highlight to their resumes, making it easier to negotiate raises or find new jobs later.
Everyone was giving it their all, and Tian Tian dared not slacken.
However, after working in this industry for a long time, creativity would inevitably run out.
Designs tended to be similar, with little variation.
She desperately needed inspiration to break through and produce something truly novel to impress the judges' retinas.
When girls feel stressed, they often want to indulge in good food or go shopping.
After work, she invited Wu Shuang out, but Wu Shuang happened to have plans.
"We took on a big order at the start of the year. If we handle this well, we won't have to worry about our KPI for the entire month. So, the director is very happy."
"Today, he's treating the entire department to dinner to boost morale. It's a rare opportunity for everyone to take advantage of him, and we're even planning to go to KTV tonight. Sorry, Tian Tian, I can't accompany you today."
In the workplace, maintaining good interpersonal relationships was crucial, so Tian Tian naturally didn't blame her.
She just felt a bit disappointed.
She had always been selective about her friends, so she didn't have many.
Apart from her family members, Wu Shuang was the closest.
Before, when they lived in the same place, Ge'er could accompany her. Now that she had chosen an apartment in Palm Bay, closer to headquarters, they were further apart, and headquarters also had a lot of work.
Tian Tian knew she was busy too, so she decided to go to the movies by herself.
But she didn't want to drive.
It seemed that most young people in the city were crammed onto the subway, with the daily news filled with amusing and embarrassing incidents happening on the trains.
She had never ridden it before and wanted to experience it.
After studying how to take the subway and its routes, she put on her headphones, connected to Bluetooth, and boarded the subway to Wanda Plaza.
Just as the news reported, it was indeed crowded.
Not only were there no seats, but there wasn't even a place to stand.
People were shoulder to shoulder, bodies pressed together. Tian Tian had to exert herself to maintain her position.
Her shoes were stepped on countless times, and she could barely hold onto her bag.
As soon as she got on, she regretted it, thinking that this one experience was enough and that such a life was not worth living.
Just as she was contemplating this, a Bluetooth connection successful notification suddenly sounded from her headphones.
Immediately after, her playlist was replaced, and a very soothing and melodious English song filled her ears.
Her first reaction was that someone nearby had the same phone and headphones, and hers had automatically connected to their playlist.
How impolite!
She wanted to reach up and change it, but the people around her were too crowded.
The person beside her had a bag, and if she let go, she would lose her balance.
There was no other option but to bear with it, close her eyes, and listen to the music peacefully.
As she listened, her nerves actually relaxed.
It felt like doing yoga, with a vast blue sea and a gentle breeze in front of her.
After quietly finishing one song, the music suddenly switched again.
A lively folk song played, conjuring images of horses galloping on a prairie, and people dancing joyfully around her.
She transitioned seamlessly from calm to lively and couldn't help but wonder who it was. Their taste in music was so good; the songs were both obscure and pleasant.
Tian Tian became curious about the phone's owner.
She wanted to turn her head and see who around her might be the owner.
As she turned her head halfway, she saw a familiar face, Chen Dongyang.
He was standing about three people away from her, equally crowded.
However, with his long arms, he could easily brace himself against the carriage ceiling, standing like a statue, firmly in place.
He didn't see Tian Tian and was staring down, lost in thought.
Remembering what happened that night, Tian Tian also felt a bit awkward and quickly turned her face away, pretending not to see him.
They stood like that, passing one stop after another, until her destination arrived.
The crowd surged, and Tian Tian followed everyone off the train.
As they walked, someone in front stumbled.
A commotion erupted in the crowd, and people behind kept pushing. Soon, like a stack of falling dominoes, they went down one after another.
Tian Tian was in the middle of the crowd. The immense inertia pushed her forward, and the people behind pressed against her. She too was about to fall forward.
At the critical moment, someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
With a forceful pull, one of her shoes was stepped on, but she was pulled out of the throng.
Those hands were so strong; they pulled Tian Tian, causing her pain.
Tian Tian grimaced and looked up, only to see those familiar eyes again.
"Chen..."
Another wave of people pushed from behind, wanting to get off.
Chen Dongyang, as if afraid she would be pushed, put an arm around her back and drew her closer to him, spinning her around.
Tian Tian felt as if she had been pulled into his embrace, settling into the small world he had created.
Chen Dongyang's Adam's apple was directly in front of her eyes. "Wait for them to pass before getting off. If you fall, you'll be trampled."
His pleasant voice above her, the warm temperature against her chest before her eyes, Tian Tian's face couldn't help but flush.
"My, my shoe..."
"I saw it, don't worry. You get off first, and I'll help you pick it up."
As the congestion eased, people rushed off in a swarm, and the carriage finally became less crowded.
Chen Dongyang released her. Tian Tian saw her shoe under the feet of many standing people.
She felt embarrassed to ask Chen Dongyang to pick it up and was about to go over herself when Chen Dongyang reminded her.
"The doors are closing soon, get off quickly."
She had no choice but to run off.
The moment she stepped off, the doors indeed began to close slowly.
My shoe!
Tian Tian urgently shouted into the train, "Chen Dongyang, hurry! The doors are closing, you won't be able to get off!"
Chen Dongyang bent down to pick up her shoe. When he looked up, he found the doors had already closed, leaving only a narrow gap.
With no time to get out, he could only yell at Tian Tian through the gap.
"Stay right where you are, don't move. Wait for me, I'll come back to find you."
Then, with a bang, the doors closed, and the train sped past her.
What a mess this had turned into. She should have known better than to take the subway.
Tian Tian looked down at her feet and noticed many people staring at her. Embarrassed, she hopped on one foot to a nearby corner and leaned against the wall, squatting down.
She and Chen Dongyang hadn't exchanged contact information, and she didn't know how he would return or how to contact him once the subway left.
Frustrated, she was scrolling through her phone, about to complain to Wu Shuang, when a message notification popped up on WeChat.
It was a friend request.
She tapped it open, and the remark was Chen Dongyang.
How did he get her WeChat ID?
Tian Tian quickly clicked to accept, and soon, Chen Dongyang sent her a voice message.
"I got your WeChat from Douya. Are you still there?"
Oh, they had a mutual friend, Douya. Thank goodness.
"Yes, I am. How long will I have to wait for you?"
"At most half an hour. I'll go to the next station and walk back. Find a place to sit down first."
Go to the next station and walk back?
Tian Tian felt it was quite troublesome for him, but there was nothing she could do at this point.