Chapter 22 — Fake Kisses with My Ex's Best Friend

Three weeks after the turbulent Gala night, the atmosphere at Hưng Thịnh Creative gradually returned to normal. Talks about the "love drama" of Khả Tâm and Bách Nhân also subsided, giving way to a quiet but much more certain recognition: they were a real couple who had overcome together one of the most difficult challenges a relationship could face.

Not all changes happen immediately. There are colleagues who once believed in malicious rumors and still feel a bit embarrassed when meeting Khả Tâm, not knowing whether to apologize or ignore it as if nothing had ever happened. But most of them, after hearing the full and honest version of the story, gradually changed their attitude, some even proactively apologized for having followed baseless gossip.

Đinh Việt Long is one of them. One morning, he shyly stopped by Khả Tâm's desk, holding a purchased cup of coffee, "Miss Tâm, I'm sorry for telling your story haphazardly before, even though I didn't know the beginning or the end. Consider this cup of coffee as my apology."

Khả Tâm smiled and accepted it, no longer holding any resentment. "Thank you, Mr. Long. It's over, I take it as a lesson to be more careful when listening and telling other people's stories."

Nhật Hạ, who has accompanied Khả Tâm since the first days of the "amnesia" plan, decided to organize a small gathering at her apartment, inviting the closest friends who have stood side by side throughout the past journey: Gia Kỳ, and of course, Khả Tâm and Bách Nhân.

"Today is to celebrate," Nhật Hạ announced, setting out a series of personally prepared dishes on the table, "Celebrate because finally, after so many ups and downs, the two of you have had a worthy ending."

"The word 'end' sounds a bit early, Ms. Hạ." Gia Kỳ smiled and poured water for everyone. "I think this is just the beginning."

"Well, the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of the whole story." Nhật Hạ corrected, holding up the glass of water." But no matter what it's called, today is still worth celebrating." The whole group laughed together, the cozy atmosphere was different from the tense atmosphere that had prevailed for many weeks before. Khả Tâm looked around the dinner table, feeling grateful to have friends willing to accompany her through the most difficult times, without judgment, without turning away, even though her original plan itself had many things that made others wary.

She remembered the nights when she called Nhật Hạ in the middle of the night, crying wordlessly, and Nhật Hạ, even though tired after a long day of work, still patiently listened and comforted her, never once showing discomfort or judging her friend's somewhat reckless decision. She also remembered Gia Kỳ's sincere, worried eyes every time she happened to see her alone, always trying to ask questions even though she was sometimes ridiculously clumsy. That friendship, for her, was no less precious than the love she had just found.

"Actually, when I first heard you tell me about your plan to ask Nhân to pretend to date you, I thought this was the craziest idea in the world," Nhật Hạ said, taking a sip of water, "But looking back now, I'm glad I supported you, even though I was equally worried at the time."

"And I already predicted this outcome from the beginning." Gia Kỳ chimed in, his voice full of pride, "I saw the way Mr. Nhân took care of Ms. Tâm from the first days, it didn't look like acting at all, I suspected there was something unusual for a long time." Bách Nhân laughed and shook his head, "But at that time you kept asking me directly if I was acting, which almost made me reveal everything." The whole group laughed, the tense memories now, when looking back, became funny stories to review together, a clear sign that the wound was gradually healing.

In the middle of the gathering, Lâm Bích Thủy suddenly texted Khả Tâm, asking about the situation and not forgetting to subtly mention a new project about to be implemented that she wanted to assign to both the Communications department and the Design team to coordinate implementation, with Khả Tâm and Bách Nhân playing key roles.

"Ms. Bích Thủy treats you two really well." Nhật Hạ commented when Khả Tâm read the message to the whole group, "After the recent noise, many other bosses must have tried to stay away from you two for fear of influence, but she still trusts you with important projects."

"She once told me," Khả Tâm recounted, "that she judges people by the way they face mistakes and difficulties, not by temporary rumors. I think, she is one of the first people who truly understands and believes in us after all."

"So with this new project, what are you two planning to do?" Gia Kỳ asked curiously, his eyes lit up with excitement. He was always enthusiastic about any of the company's creative projects.

"A communication campaign for a new product line of a major partner," Bách Nhân explained, "Ms. Bích Thủy wants to combine Tâm's content with his design images, creating a unified identity from idea to execution."

"Sounds reasonable, you two already have a good chemistry since the 'acting' thing." Nhật Hạ laughed teasingly, making the whole table burst into joyful laughter.

Khả Tâm lightly punched Nhật Hạ's shoulder. "If you say that again, I'll be angry."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Nhật Hạ raised her hands in surrender, but her eyes still shone with sincere joy for her friend's happiness.

That evening, as everyone gradually left, Gia Kỳ pulled Bách Nhân a little closer to the door, his voice rarely serious. "Mr. Nhân, I know that the recent drama has made you and Mr. Kiệt very distant. But I hope you don't let that make you numb to all other relationships. You deserve to have friends and love, and don't have to be so careful and guarded all the time." Bách Nhân nodded and patted his young colleague on the shoulder, "Thank you. Having friends like you and Hạ, I feel very lucky."

"What about Mr. Kiệt?" Gia Kỳ asked more, his voice more cautious, "Do you think one day, you two will be friends again?"

Bách Nhân was silent for a moment, looking out at the dark yard outside the window. "I don't know. Maybe it takes a very long time, and it takes him to really change, not only because he's afraid of the consequences but because he realizes his mistake from the bottom of his heart. But I don't completely close that door. Ten years of friendship, even though it's broken, still leaves something worth giving each other a chance, if he really deserves it."

On the way home, Khả Tâm and Bách Nhân walked slowly through the lit streets, hand in hand, no longer having to worry about the eyes of anyone around them.

"I feel so relieved," Khả Tâm said, looking up at the night sky sparkling with a few rare stars amidst the city lights, "It was as if a burden had been completely lifted."

"Because now I have nothing to hide anymore," Bách Nhân replied, squeezing her hand, "No more plans, no more acting, just the two of us, truly ourselves."

They stopped at a corner of a small park on the way home, sitting down on a familiar stone bench that they had visited several times in previous "plays". Tonight, there was no need to pay attention to how close they were to each other, no need to watch out for the eyes of passersby, they were simply two people in love, enjoying a rare moment of peace amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

"I think, tomorrow when I tell this story to my children and grandchildren, they probably won't believe it." Khả Tâm laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder, "It started with a fall down the stairs, a fake memory loss, then a revenge plan by going on a fake date with her ex's best friend."

"It sounds so wild." Bách Nhân smiled, putting his arm around her shoulder, "But I think, because everything started out so strange, when it became real, it was more precious than any other ordinary love story."

They sat there for a while longer, watching the city lights reflect on the small lake in the middle of the park, not saying another word, just enjoying the rare silence after a series of tumultuous days, feeling more clearly than ever that they had gone through the storm together to reach this peaceful shore.

Khả Tâm smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder as the two walked in the warm streetlight, her heart filled with a peace that she never dared to believe she could find again, just a few months ago, when she was crying alone in Gió Sông shop after discovering Thành Kiệt's betrayal. The road from that pain to this moment of peace was longer than she ever imagined, but every step, looking back now, was worth it.