It was with the thought that Valentine's Day was approaching that movies released during the Valentine's Day slot should be of decent quality.
Who would have thought that the entertainment industry in recent years had become increasingly shoddy.
Tian Tian, suppressing her discomfort, sat for half an hour, but in the end found it bland and tasteless, a waste of time, and left early.
Little did she know that today was just that unlucky, she forgot to check the almanac before leaving.
Disheartened, she came down from the upstairs, and when she reached the mall entrance, it was drizzling.
Even though spring rain is as precious as oil, nourishing things silently, Tian Tian didn't bring an umbrella, and having watched a bad movie alone for half an hour, she couldn't appreciate it at all.
The mall entrance was crowded with people waiting for the rain to stop.
It's strange, isn't it? Nowadays, even going to the mall requires competition.
Single people were few and far between; most were middle-aged couples, young families of three or four, or young couples.
She stood alone in the crowd, watching those on either side being affectionate and incredibly warm, which only made her feel more stifled.
Gritting her teeth, she decided to just dash out. It would be like a romantic adventure, to walk in the spring rain and hail a taxi by the roadside.
There was a rather large plaza at the mall entrance, so it was quite a distance to the road.
Lifting the hem of her skirt and holding her bag, she plunged into it.
As fate would have it, the cement ground, soaked by the rain, was slick and shiny. Her expensive cashmere-soled leather shoes felt incredibly smooth on it.
She hadn't gone five steps before her feet slipped, and before she could react, she fell flat on her face with a thud.
Since she was six years old, her life had been well taken care of, and she had never been in such an embarrassing situation, let alone fallen.
Today was arguably the worst day in her twenty-six years of life.
Without even turning around, she could hear a burst of laughter from behind her. Tian Tian was so embarrassed she wanted to punch a hole in the ground and disappear.
Her clothes were all wet, cold, and dirty. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, and she fought back tears as she got up from the ground, keeping her head down and continuing to walk forward.
Who knew that just a few steps out, an umbrella was suddenly held over her head.
Looking up in surprise, she saw Chen Dongyang again.
He still had his laptop bag slung over his shoulder, holding a black umbrella, looking at her with a hint of concern.
"Are you alright?"
It was better not to run into acquaintances, but running into one made her feel even more embarrassed.
Tian Tian looked down at her skirt, the mud and water clinging to the upper part, and felt no gratitude for his sudden appearance.
"Why haven't you left yet?"
Chen Dongyang explained, "I just finished talking with a client. I saw it was raining, so I went in and bought an umbrella. Who knew that as soon as I came out, I saw you... Are you hurt?"
He saw her fall?
Tian Tian was so angry she almost gnashed her teeth, "No, I'm not made of paper."
"It's so cold, and you're wearing such thin clothes."
As Chen Dongyang spoke, he handed her a small pack of tissues, indicating that there was water on her hair as well, "Wipe it."
Tian Tian didn't thank him. She walked along, wiping the water from her hair, and the two of them had already reached the roadside.
There were many passing vehicles, but even more people waiting for taxis.
Miss Qian Jin used to be chauffeured everywhere and had never used a ride-hailing app. She only knew such a thing existed, and this was the first time she was trying to figure it out.
"Do you know how to hail a taxi online?"
Chen Dongyang looked at her fair and tender hands, her expensive latest model phone, her rosy cheeks, and her big, watery eyes, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Why wouldn't a princess stay in her castle? Why must she experience the hardships of common folk?
"Don't bother hailing one, I've already done it. Let's share a ride."
"Share a ride? What do you mean?"
She didn't even know what sharing a ride was; she was truly a rich young lady.
"Sharing a ride means... never mind. I'll get you home safely."
The two stood by the roadside like other couples. After a few minutes, a white car with its hazard lights flashing approached.
Chen Dongyang confirmed the license plate number with his phone; it was his car. He gently pushed Tian Tian's back.
"Let's go, get in."
They sat in the back. Chen Dongyang closed the umbrella. The driver asked where they were going, and he asked Tian Tian first.
"I'll take you first. Tell me the address."
Tian Tian gave an address, and as expected, it was a high-end affluent area.
The driver started the car.
Since they weren't familiar with each other, there wasn't much to talk about. After a period of awkward silence, Chen Dongyang placed his laptop bag on his lap and took out his laptop.
"The client had a few suggestions. While I have inspiration now, I'll revise it."
He was explaining his actions to Tian Tian.
But in Tian Tian's eyes, it was unnecessary.
Do whatever you want, what does it have to do with me?
Chen Dongyang was diligently sketching beside her, while she listlessly stared at the scenery outside the window.
After an unknown amount of time, her phone in her bag vibrated. She looked at it and saw an incoming video call from Jiang Nan Fang.
She didn't want to answer.
Not to mention that she hadn't returned home yet, and Jiang Nan Fang would worry. Moreover, there was a stranger sitting beside her, and she herself was dirty.
But her parents were really insistent. After calling once and seeing she didn't answer, Zhan Bei Jue called again.
Tian Tian, fearing something was wrong, had no choice but to answer, holding the screen only towards herself.
"Daddy, what's wrong?"
Zhan Bei Jue was embracing Jiang Nan Fang, and both their heads were pressed close to the camera.
"You worked overtime so late yesterday, and your Daddy and I were worried about you staying out by yourself, not eating properly after work, and not sleeping on time. So today we specifically made your favorite meal to bring to you, why aren't you home?"
Jiang Nan Fang said, "We've been waiting for over half an hour, and you're still at the company?"
So that was it.
Tian Tian said, "I'm not at the company, I'm on my way back. Aren't I in the car?"
"Why do you always get off work so late? Is the company busy, or are you hitting a bottleneck at work? Mommy told you, no matter what you encounter..."
Tian Tian didn't want the people around her to overhear too much of her private life, so she interrupted Jiang Nan Fang.
"Okay, okay, I know. I'll get off work on time tomorrow and come home right away. I have to go now."
Just as she was about to hang up, Jiang Nan Fang stopped her.
"Don't hang up yet. Don't you drive yourself to and from work? Why isn't this your car? Who's driving it? Who are you with?"
Tian Tian knew she couldn't hide it from her, but she didn't want to reveal too much. So she swung the camera towards Chen Dongyang's laptop screen.
"With a colleague. There are some details in a picture that need to be changed, and we're discussing it. This is his car, and we'll be there very soon. I'll call you back when I get home."
Seeing her precious daughter still working so late, and with a colleague beside her, Jiang Nan Fang couldn't say any more.
She could only give a few more instructions, reminding her to eat properly when she got home, and then left with Zhan Bei Jue.
After all, there were two younger ones at home to take care of.
After hanging up, Tian Tian breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to apologize for the impolite act of pointing the camera at his computer, Chen Dongyang's phone rang again.
The two exchanged a glance. He answered the call, and Tian Tian turned her head towards the window.