Chapter 4 — Conflicting Fate

Just as he turned into the stairs, Giang Chi Hoai's deep voice came from behind.

“Hua Thuc Chu, do you think Tham Vong Tan is better than me?”

I angrily shouted back:

“He is more durable than me.”

After speaking, I ignored Giang Chi Hoai's dark expression and rushed downstairs. And then— I saw Tham Vong Tan standing right on the stairs. The fierce atmosphere just now evaporated. Damn… Didn't he hear everything? Tham Vong Tan glanced at me and said faintly:

“Get in the car.”

Completely different from last night's gentle appearance when comforting me. I timidly followed him, approached the car, and gently pulled his jacket. He stopped walking and tilted his head to look at me.

“What's wrong?”

“I didn't mean it that way just now.”

“Huh?”

I mumbled:

“I just wanted to annoy him…”

“I don't mind.”

Remembering what happened last night, my face immediately turned red. Even though we haven't reached the final step, more or less... it seems like we have a certain understanding. It cannot be considered... a complete lie. On the contrary, Tham Vong Tan remained calm as if nothing happened and continued to handle the work. Public and private are clear and distinct. I secretly glanced at him, then sent a text message to my best friend.

“Tell me, what happens to the type of person who, after kissing, doesn't want to take responsibility?”

“Be cold, keep your distance, avoid mentioning it.”

My friend cautiously asked:

“Did Tham Vong Tan kiss you?”

“Um…”

“Haven't taken any further steps yet?”

"Before I could, the secretary called me away..."

My friend thought for a moment, then suggested:

"Or should we try again? Doing something the first time is embarrassing, but next time you'll get used to it."

I was still deep in my own thoughts, when suddenly I was startled by Tham Vong Tan's words.

“The schedule has changed, do you want to have dinner with me tonight?”

I stopped and looked at him a little nervously.

“Oh… Okay.”

“I'll come pick you up after work.”

9

Dinner is a social party in the business world. Held at a quiet and luxurious private restaurant. About seven or eight people, all in the industry. Allowing relatives to accompany you. Unexpectedly, Giang Chi Hoai and Lam San were also present. As soon as they saw Tham Vong Tan enter, everyone immediately stood up and greeted warmly.

“General Manager Tham, finally let us meet the mysterious fiancee.”

Only Giang Chi Hoai still sat still, coldly watching me walk in with Tham Vong Tan. Next to him, Lam San was no better, his face full of unsightly looks. The two men's eyes met in midair. It was only fleeting, but I could feel sparks flying. Immediately after that, the corner of Tham Vong Tan's lips curled up and calmly said:

"That's right, I pursued it for a long time and finally got what I wanted."

The group immediately stirred.

"Wow, no wonder I haven't seen you with anyone for so many years, it turns out you already have someone in your heart!"

He calmly replied:

“Yes, I've liked it since I was in school.”

His tone was so straightforward, he didn't even blink when he said it. As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled my hand and sat down right across from Giang Chi Hoai. Giang Chi Hoai laughed coldly.

"So why weren't you two together when you were in school? Is it because people don't like you?"

This provocative statement sets the mood suddenly became tense. Everyone was silent, waiting to see how I would react. I shyly scratched my head.

“When I was in school, I had some problems with my eyes, my eyesight wasn't very good…”

“Ah, are you going to get eye treatment?”

Everyone immediately nodded.

“The eyes and nose are very important, you really need to find a good doctor to treat it.”

Tham Vong Tan burst out laughing. As for Giang Chi Hoai, his face darkened. Very quickly, the story turned to the topic of work. Many people raised their glasses and invited Tham Vong Tan to drink. But hardly anyone could make him drink a drop. Until a small boss, while toasting, accidentally said:

“Wish you two hundreds of years of happiness.”

Tham Vong Tan suddenly raised his glass.

“Thank you.”

In an instant, everyone seemed to have their wisdom opened up, and the social conversation at the end was accompanied by a blessing. Tham Vong Tan does not refuse any glass of wine. Seeing him drinking more and more, I secretly pulled his sleeve.

“Hey, drink less.”

He looked down at me, his eyes attentive. Staring so much that it made me a little embarrassed. Only later did he say:

“Sorry, I won't drink anymore tonight, my family is unhappy.”

Laughter echoed throughout the party table, the atmosphere became more and more exciting. It seemed that Tham Vong Tan was in a pretty good mood, he bowed his head and started peeling shrimp for me. Those beautiful hands were covered in red orange sauce. With just a few simple movements, a completely peeled shrimp fits into my bowl.

“There's so much, I can't eat it all.”

“Um.”

He didn't say anything more. I took a wet towel and carefully wiped his hands. He's been drinking too much. His eyes, which were once clear, now seem to be covered with a layer of mist. The hand holding me, motionless, as if absent-mindedly thinking about something. Suddenly, Lam San spoke up.

“Hey, Tieu Sister and I are both classmates.”

“Really?”

Everyone's attention immediately turned to me. Obviously, everyone is very curious about our past. Lam San smiled and said:

"Tieu Sister is very pretty, when she was in school, there were always men around her."

"Good relationships, joining the student union, teachers also like her very much. Any documents, any extracurricular activities, are given priority to her."

“She is excellent.”

The last sentence clearly carries a sarcastic meaning. Especially when Tham Vong Tan did not object, causing the crowd to unconsciously form a default thought.

"Miss Hua is so beautiful, it's normal."

Some people raised their glasses, laughed and talked.

“Are you working at General Manager Tham's company now?”

The smile on my face faded.

“No.”

“So where are you working?”

I looked straight at Lam San and smiled slightly.

“Rongxing, product research and development department.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole party table suddenly fell silent. Lam San's face immediately changed.

“You mean… a company listed on the US stock exchange? That company that specializes in robots?”

“Um.”

“Their arm control system is very powerful.”

At the banquet table, there was no shortage of knowledgeable people, immediately discussing heatedly. Lam San tried to force a smile.

"Tieu Sister, if I remember correctly, your major is not this field, right?"

I curled my lips and smiled slightly.

"That's right, in college I studied a double degree, then took a master's degree in the wrong major. Maybe you don't know."

The surrounding businessmen began to open their eyes.

“Oh my god, at first I I thought Miss Hua only relied on her beauty, but her strength turned out to be so strong!”

“That's right, after all, the teachers put all their resources into training. If she has no potential, why are they supporting her?”

Lam San tried to stay calm, but his face was stiff. A businessman waved his hand, smiled and said:

“Miss Lam, you don't know yet. Rongxing doesn't care how many practical activities she has participated in. What they care about is research results. Without a brain, no one can do it. What's more, if she doesn't have the ability, why does the school prioritize her? Of course because she deserves it!”

The statement was just a courtesy, but unintentionally touched Lam San's pain. Her face darkened and she didn't say another word. In the second half of the party, the topic of the story suddenly turned into a product introduction of Rongxing. By the time it finished, it was almost ten o'clock at night. Just out the door, I heard Giang Chi Hoai calling me from behind.

“Hua Thuc So, your company…”

I immediately understood what he meant, frowned slightly, and deliberately said:

“Sorry, our company also has criteria for choosing customers.”

“For those who want their entire family to lose their lives for just twenty thousand, we will not cooperate.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Tham Vong Tan burst out laughing. I pulled his hand, without looking back, and left.