Chapter 19 — Anonymous Drawing

At the stage of constructing the foundation and rough structure, the process requires the investor representative and the chief architect to periodically inspect the site together every two weeks, comparing the actual progress with the design drawings. The first inspection took place on a Saturday morning at the end of June, when the construction site was still littered with concrete piles and piles of sand that had not yet been leveled.

Dieu Linh arrived first, wearing a hard hat, holding a foundation plan in hand, observing the construction team pouring concrete for one of the last foundation pillars. Khoi Nguyen arrived a few minutes later, also in full protective gear, walking up to her, both looking out at the land that was gradually taking shape.

"It looks much more real than on the drawing," Khoi Nguyen said, his voice undisguisedly emotional.

"Yes," Dieu Linh replied, her eyes still watching the construction site. "Every time I come here, I remember when I was little, the kids in the neighborhood used to come here to play soccer. This place is full of weeds and trash. No one thought that one day it would become such a project."

The two walked along the construction site, checking each item according to the list, exchanging tasks more naturally than in previous official meetings, perhaps because of the open space of the construction site, or perhaps because time had gradually eroded the layer of defense they had built around themselves.

"Here," Dieu Linh paused, pointing to an area of unfinished foundation, "I adjusted the depth of bored piles compared to the original drawing, because the geological survey results showed that the weak soil layer here was nearly one and a half meters thicker than expected. The construction team reported to me last week, I have already sent the adjusted drawing to the project manager."

"I saw that report," Khoi Nguyen nodded, opened the file he brought with him, and flipped to the relevant page. "The costs incurred are not significant, I have already approved it in the contingency budget. You handled this situation quickly and reasonably, without affecting the overall progress."

"Thank you." Dieu Linh nodded slightly, then continued to lead him through the area where the underground drainage system was being installed, explaining in detail how to arrange the pipes to avoid flooding during the rainy season - an issue she was especially concerned about after field surveys showed that this riverside area had been slightly flooded several times in the past.

Near the end of the inspection, the two stopped at the area where the central skylight was expected to be located, where the construction team was erecting the first steel frame for this special structure.

"This will be the place where the light shines most beautifully in the afternoon," Dieu Linh said, looking up at the steel frame that was gradually taking shape, her voice filled with the pride of someone watching her brainchild gradually become a reality. "I calculated the angle of the glass roof so that at about four o'clock in the afternoon, the sunlight would shine straight down on the children's reading area on the second floor, warm enough but not too bright."

"You think of even such small details," Khoi Nguyen said, his voice filled with sincere admiration. "That's what I've always admired about you, ever since high school. You don't just draw architecture, you draw life experiences for the people who will use it."

Dieu Linh blushed slightly at the unexpected compliment, trying to hide it by bending down to write something down in her notebook, but the corner of her lips couldn't hide a fleeting smile.

In the middle of the inspection, when stopping to rest in the shade of an ancient almond tree left over from the old land - the only tree that Dieu Linh insisted on keeping in the drawing, moving the location of the courtyard so as not to have to cut it down - Khoi Nguyen suddenly spoke up, his serious voice completely different from the usual work atmosphere.

"Dieu Linh, can I ask you something? It's not related to work."

She looked at him, hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Okay."

"I've always wondered," he said, his voice slow, choosing his words carefully. "If that day, I had proactively told you the truth sooner, in my own way, instead of letting everything come out so suddenly, would things have been different?"

Dieu Linh was silent for a long time, looking out at the construction site gradually taking shape ahead, thinking carefully before answering.

"I don't know," she said finally, her voice sincere. "Maybe it'll be a little less painful, because at least I won't have to deal with the feeling of having everyone around me see the truth at the same time as me, like a public farce in the schoolyard. But I think, no matter how you say it, the feeling of being deceived — or rather, the feeling of giving kindness to someone who doesn't need it — will still be there, just the degree may be different."

"I have never not needed your kindness," Khoi Nguyen said, his voice urgent. "That's what I want you to understand, even though it's been eight years. My family is rich, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't need a true friend, don't need to feel like I'm treated like a normal person, not like the son of a big corporation."

"I understand that," Dieu Linh said, her voice softening a bit. "Later, when I was mature enough to look back, I realized that my anger that day partly came from the fact that I felt belittled and deceived. But another part, perhaps bigger than I ever admitted, came from my own inferiority complex - the inferiority complex about being poor, about always having to prove my worth by helping others. When I learned that he didn't need help, I felt like part of the value I assigned to myself suddenly collapsed."

This was the first time Dieu Linh had said this thought out loud, even to herself, and she felt a strange sense of relief when she finally named the complicated emotions she had been carrying for eight years.

"Thank you for saying that," Khoi Nguyen said, his voice low and filled with emotion. "But I still want to say, no matter what the reason for your hurt is, I'm still at fault for not having the courage to tell the truth sooner, so you don't have to carry that burden alone for so many years."

"Maybe we both have some responsibility for that," Dieu Linh said, for the first time admitting a more balanced perspective on the past. "You were at fault for choosing to stay silent for so long. But I was also at fault, for letting my anger and guilt dictate the entire way I saw you, without giving you a chance to fully explain, even later when I was mature enough to listen."

The two stood silently together under the shade of the almond tree, no one said anything for a few minutes, just letting the words they had just said settle in the space of the construction site filled with the bustling sound of construction machinery. It wasn't a complete reconciliation, they both understood that, but for the first time in eight years, they both truly looked at the past without having to get defensive or defensive.

"Can we continue to inspect the construction site?" Dieu Linh spoke finally, breaking the silence, her voice had returned to professionalism, but her eyes, when looking at Khoi Nguyen, carried a gentleness that he had never seen since the day he left Cay Gon alley.

"Okay," Khoi Nguyen replied, smiling slightly, feeling a small but certain ray of hope rising in his heart, different from the despair he had carried with him for many years. The two continued to walk along the construction site, no longer two strangers trying to keep their distance, but two people who were gradually learning to trust each other again, step by step, cautious but sincere.

When the inspection ended near noon, both of their stomachs growled with hunger, Khoi Nguyen suggested stopping by the familiar bun rieu restaurant near the old Cay Gon alley - the restaurant is still in operation for many years, even though the owner has changed from his mother's generation to his daughter's. Dieu Linh hesitated a bit before agreeing. They both sat down at the familiar low plastic table and ordered two hot bowls of vermicelli.

In the middle of eating, a car parked in front of the restaurant, and Ha Y Nhi, in a neat business suit, got out, seemingly casually passing by the construction site to check the progress of material supply from her family company. Recognizing Khoi Nguyen, she waved goodbye, then walked closer, her curious eyes glanced at Dieu Linh.

"Mr. Nguyen, what a coincidence," Ha Y Nhi smiled, her voice naturally friendly. "This must be the chief architect of the Old Ben project, right? I heard about your reputation through an article in an architectural magazine, very impressive."

"This is Dieu Linh," Khoi Nguyen introduced, his voice a little embarrassed. "Dieu Linh, this is Ms. Ha Y Nhi, representative of the company supplying materials for the project."

"Nice to meet you," Dieu Linh replied, shaking Ha Y Nhi's hand, observing the open attitude, without any jealousy or scrutiny in the eyes of the woman in front of her, completely different from what she had imagined about a "rich girl" in her head for many years.

"Well, I won't bother you two at lunch anymore," Ha Y Nhi smiled, glanced at both of them with the observant eyes of a sharp woman, then turned away and waved goodbye. "May the project go well."

After she left, Dieu Linh glanced at Khoi Nguyen, a little curious. "Close colleagues?"

"It's just a business partnership between two families," Khoi Nguyen replied, his voice calm, without any intention of hiding anything. "She's straightforward and easy to work with."

Dieu Linh nodded, did not ask further, but silently noted in her heart that this was the first time in eight years that she could hear such an answer from Khoi Nguyen without feeling doubtful or insecure, simply trusting what he had just said.