Chapter 20 — Contract of the Heart

Ms. Xuân was discharged from the hospital after three days of observation, her health had stabilized, although the doctor carefully advised her to rest more and avoid overwork in the future. The whole family, including Aunt Hạnh and uncle Tuan, had a meeting and decided to reduce the scale of the celebration of life party, only inviting close relatives instead of organizing it as planned, and at the same time hiring a professional catering team so that she did not have to bother preparing.

"You don't have to carry everything on yourself anymore, grandma," Thảo Nguyên said as she helped her rearrange the furniture in her room after returning home. "Your health is more important than a lavish party."

"I know, I know," Ms. Xuân smiled, even though she was still a bit awkward because she had to give up the meticulous plans she had carefully prepared. "It's just that she wants everything to be perfect, so there's nothing to regret."

"Any party with a healthy, happy grandmother sitting among her children and grandchildren is the most perfect," Thảo Nguyên said, holding her hand, her voice sincere.

Aunt Hạnh, who took on most of the work of rearranging the scale of the party, stopped by the house every afternoon to discuss details with Mrs. Xuân. Mr. Tuan also stepped in to help, taking care of contacting the party catering service team and rearranging the guest list so that it was more compact but still included the closest people. The whole family gathered to discuss every night, the cozy atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle of the original plan.

"Only invite close relatives and a few of my close friends," Aunt Hạnh decided, crossing off a series of names from the long list that Mrs. Xuân had previously drawn up. "As for the health care meeting with the neighbors, I can invite you separately on another occasion. You don't need to put it all in one day."

"Yes, you guys decide, I'll listen to you all," Mrs. Xuân nodded, somewhat obediently rarely seen after her recent illness, making the whole family couldn't help but laugh at her sudden change in attitude.

During her convalescence, Việt Anh visited her family more regularly, not according to any contract scenario, but completely voluntarily, bringing fruit, books and newspapers, and once even brought a small chess set to play with Mrs. Xuân to entertain herself while recuperating. Diệu Anh also stopped by once, bringing a basket of fresh fruit and sincere wishes for health. Her attitude was so natural and comfortable that no one could guess the emotional turmoil she had experienced just a few weeks before.

"Thank you for visiting me," Mrs. Xuân said, holding Diệu Anh's hand respectfully. "Are you Việt Anh's friend?"

"Yes, Việt Anh and I studied together since childhood," Diệu Anh replied, smiling. "Hearing that you're tired, everyone in the club and I are worried."

Thảo Nguyên stood and observed that scene, her heart filled with gratitude for the maturity and generosity of Diệu Anh, who chose to overcome her own sadness to continue to be a good friend to both of them. Mrs. Xuân, even though she did not know about the recent turmoil between the two, still clearly realized that there was something warmer in the way the two treated each other, different from the fleeting awkwardness that she had secretly noticed a few weeks earlier.

"Have you two made up?" She asked directly one afternoon, when she saw Thảo Nguyên and Việt Anh cleaning up the chess board after the game, their hands gently touching each other naturally, without any awkwardness like the previous days.

"You realize there's something wrong with us?" Thảo Nguyên asked again, a bit surprised.

"You're old but your eyes are still very sharp," Mrs. Xuân smiled, her eyes kindly looking at them both. "It's strange to love each other without turbulence. The important thing is to know how to overcome it together and not give up halfway."

Her words made Thảo Nguyên and Việt Anh look at each other and smile, an understanding quietly exchanged between the two without the need for further explanation.

That evening, after seeing Việt Anh leave, Thảo Nguyên sat alone in the room, looking out the window where the moonlight was illuminating the small yard. She thought about what she had experienced during nearly three short months — from the spontaneous lie, to the carefully signed contract, to the recent crisis when the line between fear and sincere love almost pushed them both apart.

She opened her phone and texted Việt Anh: "Thank you for the past few days. I think we have learned a lot about each other, and about ourselves, through everything that has happened."

"Me too," Việt Anh answered immediately. "I think I still have a lot of unresolved fears, but I don't want to let them stop me anymore. We still have two big issues to face — the secret about my grandparents, and the truth about our original deal. I think it's time to consider talking it all out, before the birthday party."

Thảo Nguyên read the message and felt a mixture of anxiety and relief. She knew he was right — the longer he delayed, the greater the risk of the secret being exposed at the wrong time, in the wrong way. But facing the truth, especially the truth about the original lie that started it all, was still a prospect that scared her as much as the fear of losing her grandmother.

She remembered the image of her grandmother lying motionless on the kitchen floor, and wondered whether the shock of learning the truth about the contract, combined with the shock of her old love affair with Việt Anh's grandfather, would have any effect on her already fragile health. That thought made her even more hesitant, even though deep down, she knew that keeping it a secret forever was not a sustainable option, especially when both families risked meeting each other directly at the upcoming party.

"You're right," she texted back. "But I need time to think of the right way to say it, so that she doesn't feel deceived, but understands that even though it started with a lie, the current feelings between us are completely real. Maybe we should also consider telling your parents in advance, so no one is surprised in the middle of the party."

"We will find a way together," Việt Anh texted, "the same way we have overcome everything together so far."

"So let's meet tomorrow to discuss specific plans," she texted back. "The old tea shop, like always. Bring a picture of your grandfather too, maybe I'll need it."

"Okay," Việt Anh replied, then added a short line that warmed her heart: "Thank you for not giving up on me. No matter what the outcome is, I want to face it with you, not alone like I was used to doing before."

Thảo Nguyên read that message many times before putting down the phone, a small smile appeared on her lips. She remembered the entire journey that had passed - from the embarrassed afternoon of lying in front of her grandmother, to the formal contract signing at the tea shop, to the essay writing lessons that gradually became an excuse for the two of them to get to know each other more deeply, and even the recent turbulence that tested the young love between them. Each journey, no matter how difficult, had contributed to building a stronger foundation for what lay ahead.

Thảo Nguyên smiled at the text message, put down the phone, her heart filled with a feeling of both anxiety and confidence. There's still a difficult road ahead — the celebration of life was approaching, family secrets had yet to be fully revealed, and the truth about the original deal still hangs like a time bomb. But for the first time since it all started, she felt like she no longer had to face it all alone.

She stood up, walked to the window, looked out at the small yard where the moonlight was still spreading a thin silver layer on the potted plants she planted, the basil and laksa bushes she tended every morning before going to the market. In the distance, the chirping sounds of insects mixed with the sparse sounds of traffic on the street, a simple peace that she suddenly realized she had taken for granted, until she almost lost it just a few days ago. She silently promised herself that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she would face it with honesty and courage, so that she would no longer had to live in fear of being discovered, and so that the feelings between her and Việt Anh, as well as the strange connection between their two families, would be received in the light of truth, not in the darkness of lies, even though at first it was just a harmless lie.