Chapter 1 — Easy Goodbye, New Meeting Again?

Tran Van Tu is washing dishes in the kitchen, WeChat on his computer has not yet logged out. I happened to glance over and saw a new message that had just popped up. Luong Kieu: 【Is she angry today?】 Two seconds later, Tran Van Tu replied: 【Not for now.】 Luong Kieu: 【Only one more day, I'm sure of your 500 yuan.】 I was stunned, quickly scrolled to see the chat history. Now I know that recently Tran Van Tu and Luong Kieu had a bet. Bet on whether or not within three days I will get angry and argue again. If I'm angry, Luong Kieu wins. If I'm not angry, Tran Van Tu wins. Scrolling further up, every time Tran Van Tu and I argued, he always found Luong Kieu to complain. 【She's angry again, like every day, acting like she's a big lady.】 【She said she's been with me since she was 17, so what? It was because she held on to herself, it wasn't because I forced her.】 【She still controls her emotions well, knowing that back then, she and I were a couple haha.】 Looking at those text messages, my eyes were blurred with tears. Tran Van Tu, my first love, from 17 years old to 26 years old, a complete 9 years. Luong Kieu, my college classmate, is also my best friend. I used to think someone loved me, someone understood me. But it turns out, in their eyes, my heartache and self-pity were only worth 500 yuan. How to handle a rotten relationship? I think, the only way is to kick it away. 1 In the kitchen, there was a "chong" sound. Tran Van Tu's voice echoed:

“Nien Niem, come over here and give me a hand.”

Before I could move, Luong Kieu jumped up from the sofa, stomped on her slippers and ran into the kitchen.

“What's that sound, Tran Van Tu, you didn't break the plate, did you?”

Tran Van Tu laughed and scolded: "Stop being so mean, it's just a little slip." Luong Kieu snorted lightly, "Luckily it didn't break, otherwise Niem Niem would *be* angry again." The word "again" was deliberately prolonged by her voice. Hearing that, Tran Van Tu also burst into laughter. I heard them laughing, their faces turned pale. Tran Van Tu smiled and said: "Okay, don't stand there anymore, help me quickly." Luong Kieu was pleased: "Call dad and help." Tran Van Tu intimately ruffled her hair: "Can't you tell the difference between big and small?" Luong Kieu smiled and pretended to sigh:

"I'm really jealous of Niem Niem, staying at home every day and not having to do anything, having a boyfriend who takes care of me tooth and nail."

Tran Van Tu corrected: "I'm about to become her husband." Luong Kieu asked again: "After you two get married, will I still be able to come and eat? Will you two serve me together?" Obviously the kitchen and living room are not far apart, but it's like they're standing in another world. That world had jokes that only the two of them understood, an innocuous intimacy, and a chemistry that left me out. And I stood rooted to the spot, just like an outsider suddenly barging into their lives. I wiped my tears, took out my phone, and took pictures of each of their messages. I stood up and said: "I'm going home." The sound of water running in the kitchen is too loud. Luong Kieu was grabbing the rag from Tran Van Tu's hand, the two of them bumped into each other, the laughter overwhelmed my voice. I took my phone and keys, changed my shoes and headed out the door. In the kitchen, Luong Kieu's laughter was heard again. She said: "Tran Van Tu, your hands are full of water, don't touch it." I!" Then shouted loudly: “Nim Niem! Help me! Your fiance bullied your best friend!” I didn't answer and quietly closed the door. On the way home, I leaned my head against the back of the chair without saying a word. The neon lights outside the taxi window passed by, each light like a tide receding backwards. My eyes stung, but I couldn't shed a single tear. It turns out that when a person is extremely sad, he cannot cry anymore. My house is in an old dormitory, without an elevator. In the past, every time Tran Van Tu brought me home, he would take me right to the door and help me carry heavy items upstairs. At that time, the neighbor girls often teased: "Nim Niem is lucky to find a boyfriend who knows how to pamper her." I also thought I was lucky. When I was 18 years old, he waited for me outside the school gate after self-study at night, bringing me hot roasted sweet potatoes. When I was 20 years old, my menstrual cramps were so bad that I couldn't get out of bed. He took leave from work and ran across half the city to buy medicine for me. When I was 22 years old, I was scolded and cried by my boss while I was interning. He sat downstairs in the company and hugged me and said: "Don't be afraid, the sky will fall and I will help you." Those good things are real. But the disdain and arrogance later on are also real. What makes people suffer the most is not discovering that the other person has never loved them. It's finding out that someone once loved you, but then little by little pushed you out of their heart. When I got home, my mother was sitting in the living room choosing clothes to wear tomorrow. She saw me coming home alone and was a bit surprised.

“Where is the Literature? Didn't we tell you to review the engagement party process tonight?”

I put my bag down on the table, my voice hoarse and unlike myself.

“Mom, no more engagement.”

2 The coat hanger in my mother's hand fell onto the sofa.

“Why aren't you engaged anymore?”

My father poked his head out from the kitchen: “Are you two arguing? It's normal for children to quarrel. We'll meet tomorrow, so don't be upset."

“It's not like I'm sulking.”

I took out my phone, opened the photo album containing the chat history and pushed it in front of my parents.

“I don't want to marry him anymore.”

The living room suddenly fell silent. My mother didn't understand anything at first. She pushed back her glasses, leaned closer to the screen, and read line by line. Then her eye sockets gradually turned red. My father's face darkened as he read those chats from beginning to end. Dad was very gentle and always liked Tran Van Tu. He often said: "Tu is trustworthy, Niem Niem is cowardly, having him take care of his parents is also reassuring." But at this moment, he stared at the screen, not saying a word for a long time. In the end, he just asked me one question: "After all these years, has he still gone out and talked about you like this?" My mother couldn't bear it anymore, she stood up and went to get the phone.

“I have to call his mother right now!”

“There is no way to bully people like that!”

My father held her back, "Let's meet tomorrow and talk frankly." My mother gritted her teeth: "What else should I eat or drink?" What is there to discuss about that type of house?” Dad looked at me.

“Nien Niem, do you want to go tomorrow?”

I was silent for a long time.

“Yes.”

“Engagement is a matter between two families, cancellation should also be discussed clearly.”

My mother burst into tears and walked over to hug me tightly. That night, Tran Van Tu sent me many messages. 【Are you home yet?】 Seeing that I didn't answer, he asked again: 【Honey, Are you angry?】 【What happened again this time?】 Ten minutes later, another news. 【Don't be angry anymore, tomorrow both parents will be present, don't let the adults see.】 Luong Kieu also texted me. 【Nim Niem, why are you quietly walking home alone?】 【Is it because you're about to get engaged that you're nervous?】 【Don't worry! In the future, if Tran Van Tu doesn't treat you well, I'll beat him for you!】 I didn't reply to any of their messages. The next morning, Tran Van Tu texted me. 【I'm here, please go downstairs.】