Chapter 1 — Broken Pearls Are Hard to Heal

I couldn't help but look one more time. At that moment, Quy Hanh suddenly stood up. Perhaps because he found the afternoon light too dazzling, he conveniently moved the mountain vase next to him half a meter up, cleverly obscuring the painting. I immediately withdrew my gaze and looked down at my toes. Perhaps the person in the painting is the wife of the current district governor. Quy Hanh must have loved her very much, so he hung her back in his study to keep her company every day. That's good too. Finally, there was a person of noble birth by his side, advising him to stop climbing walls and running less to dangerous docks. There's no need to be like before, always letting me follow behind, worrying while helping him hide the people in the house.
“If you don't have any more instructions, I will ask permission to leave.”
“Tong Van Am.”
He called my name in a low voice. My steps stopped and I slowly turned around. Quy Hanh lowered his head to look at the rattan brocade in his hand.
“Do you really like serving others now?”
I was stunned.
“What do you mean sir?”
He raised his eyes, the corners of his lips curled up into a faint, almost invisible smile.
“First it was at the Quy family, then it was at the Tham family.”
“And now…”
He gently lifted the brocade in his hand.
“Even this mandarin's wife, you quickly remember?”
My face immediately turned pale and I quickly waved my hand.
“You misunderstood, the people simply came to thank you.”
“Plain?”
Quy Hanh suddenly laughed softly, then stood up and walked towards me. I was forced to take a few steps back, until my back touched the cold hard edge of the table behind me. He still didn't stop. He approached me, his hands resting on the table behind me, his tall body covering me tightly.
“Tong Van Am.”
He bent down, his nose just less than an inch away from me, his hot breath blowing strongly on my lips.
"The man you spent all your time choosing back then, but now he doesn't even have the courage to stand up for her in public? Leaving her alone to wander around outside, is that the peaceful life she always wanted?"
He moved a little closer. So close that I can see myself reflected in his eyes, as if trapped there, unable to escape.
“It seems like her eyes for people are just that.”
I tighten my sleeves. Over the years, people have scolded me for being stubborn, scolded me for being stubborn, scolded me for being a comet. We grit our teeth and endure. But why, after meeting again, did Quy Hanh use that noble and noble tone, each word cutting into my heart like a knife? Self-pity rose like a fierce wave. I looked straight into his eyes, my voice extremely determined.
"Your kindness, I will take this with my heart. But please don't talk about him."
Quy Hanh's pupils suddenly shrank. The back of his hand resting on the table surface was covered with blue veins, his jaw was also tight.
“Tong Van Am, because of him, you dare to argue with me?”
Quy Hanh glared at me, as if he wished he could drag me out to fight a few more times. But in the end, he just grabbed the rattan brocade and threw it back into my arms. The brocade fell hard on my arm. He withdrew his hand very quickly, as if I were something dirty, just touching it made me feel disgusting.
"This judge judges, there is no need for a woman's cloth to please him."
He turned around, cold voice.
"Since you've remarried, you should avoid coming to see this mandarin in the future, lest your husband, whom you consider a treasure, misunderstand you."
I hugged the wrinkled rattan brocade tightly in my arms, bowed my head in response, and then hurriedly left. When I stepped out of the district, I don't know when it started pouring cold rain outside. I tried to hold it in for a long time, but my tears still mixed with the rainwater falling in chains. I always thought that that year Quy Hanh gave me the letter of separation because he was kind. Later, I thought he had someone in his heart. So when I left, I didn't wait for him to return as promised. But now it seems...he really hates me. … Early the next morning, we still opened the fabric store as usual. The door that was covered in dirt last night has been cleaned, leaving only a few faint marks on the corner of the door. I had just finished hanging the last piece of rattan brocade on the rack. When I turned around, I saw a guest wearing a moon-white long dress standing with his back to me, bowing his head to look at the fabric on the shelf. I quickly smiled and walked over.
“What kind do you want to see objectively?”
That person did not turn his head, just gently stroked a white cloud brocade with his hand. After a moment, he let out a cold, weak laugh.
“I just want to see what kind of fabric can be woven to the point where people's hearts become wild.”
My heart suddenly jumped. He slowly turned around. Four eyes looked at each other. The smile on my lips immediately stiffened.
“Your Excellency.”
He slightly raised his eyebrows.
"It seems that Mrs. Tham's memory is not very good. Didn't you just call me objective?"
I quickly bowed my head.
“A clumsy-eyed woman.”
“Then just pretend you haven't noticed yet and continue with your business.”
He spoke very casually, as if he really only came to buy fabric. I had to obey him.
“Do you objectively like any color?”
Quy Hanh coldly glanced at the shelves.
"Are not."
He conveniently picked up one.
“The colors are too rustic.”
After saying that, he threw it down and picked up another one.
“The pattern is also outdated.”
Finally, he decisively put the whole cloth back in its original place and snorted coldly.
"Even the needle and thread are ordinary. Tham Ky Bo Trang is truly famous and insignificant."
I pursed my lips, trying to suppress my anger.
“If you don't like it objectively, I'll get another one for you to see.”
Only then did Quy Hanh look straight at me.
“I don't like it.”
He paused, his eyes becoming deep.
“But there will also be blind people who like it, right?”