Chapter 11 — Dear Wife, Do You Remember Me?

"Phuong Tinh's family has resources and connections, and can help her."

“What can you give him?”

I picked up my cup of tea and took a sip. Then put it down.

“Uncle, you are right.”

“I really can't give him resources and humanity.”

Her expression seemed to soften a bit.

“But you asked the wrong person.”

Her face tightened again.

“You should ask him.”

“What he needs are resources, or something else.”

“This is not his problem alone ——”

"It's his problem alone, sir."

I looked straight at her.

“Uncle, I respect you very much. But marriage is not a business deal.”

“The uncle chose for him, he doesn't need it.”

“The uncle stopped him, but he couldn't let go.”

“This is not your problem, nor is it your problem.”

“It's his choice.”

“Uncle may not like you.”

“But you can't decide for him.”

The office was quiet for a long time. Chu Dien walked over and stood next to me.

“Mom, I already told you.”

“I will not give in on this.”

“You ——”

"The story of Phuong Tinh, what she did herself, you must know better than anyone else."

“Looking up other people's records, looking at other people's home addresses, going to the company and pretending to be president."

“Is this the daughter-in-law you want?”

His mother's face turned red.

“That's because she doesn't understand ——”

“She is twenty-eight years old.”

“Not a kid anymore.”

“I choose To Niem.”

“It's not because of something I said when I was a kid.”

"It's because over the past month, she's the only person who looks at me differently because of my status."

“She once rejected me. She pushed me away. She used to set clear boundaries with me.”

“But when she needed to help her child, she was more alert than anyone else.”

"If you don't choose someone like that, then who will you choose?"

His mother placed the teacup firmly on the table. Her hands trembled. Stand up, carry your bag, don't look back and walk straight. The door slammed shut. Loud noise. There were only two of us left in the room. Chu Dien turned to look at me.

“Are you okay?”

“I'm okay.”

“Don't take what my mother said to heart.”

"I don't take it to heart."

He stared at me for a long moment.

“To Niem.”

“Yes.”

“The words you said just now.”

“What?”

"You said marriage is not a business matter. You said she can't decide for you."

“Yes.”

“So what about your own decision?”

I looked up at him. His eyes are very bright. Just like the bright light in his eyes when he took me on his bike to buy ice cream when I was a kid.

“You still owe me an answer, right?”

“Yes.”

“So now I answer you.”

I took a deep breath.

“Chu Dien, you are not a six-year-old child anymore.”

“Now, every word you say counts.”

He held his breath. The sunlight outside the window shined in and landed on his shoulders. I said it. But that statement will be told later. 12

“I agree.”

Three short words. When it came out of my mouth, it was softer than I expected. But the weight is extremely great. Chu Dien was stunned for a full three seconds. Then he laughed. It's not the kind of smile with profound hidden meanings from before. Not a teasing laugh. Not a forced smile trying to show relief. It was the kind of laughter that welled up from the bottom of my heart, making my eye sockets red.

“I'll say it again see."

“Don't say. Just once.”

He reached out and pulled me back. Hug tightly. The arms were clasped very tightly. His chin rested on the top of my head. The sound of my heart beating passed through my shirt. Yours. Mine. Cannot differentiate.

“Nineteen years.” His warm voice resonated in my hair.

“Do you know how I lived these past nineteen years?”

“Don't know.”

“The day we moved house, I sat in the backseat crying the whole way.”

“My mother thought I missed my old house.”

“But the person I can't bear to leave behind is you.”