Chapter 8 — Fake Lover Turns Out to Be Fiancee

A few days later, a heavy rain suddenly fell on the city in the evening, causing Gia Khue and Bach Dang to stay later than usual at the company headquarters because the roads were flooded and vehicles could not move. The two sat in Gia Khue's private office, the table lamp illuminating the rare quiet space between busy days.

"I guess I'll have to wait until the rain stops before I can go home." Gia Khue said, looking out the glass window where torrential raindrops hit, creating long, zigzag streaks of water.

"You just rest, I'll stay here and guard." Bach Dang replied, sitting in the corner of the room in a familiar alert posture.

"Come on, you should sit nearby too, standing watch all day is too tiring." Gia Khue patted the sofa opposite the desk, her voice a bit friendlier than the first days.

Bach Dang sat down, in a quiet space with only the sound of the rain falling outside, the two started chatting about all kinds of trivial things, from dishes Bach Dang had never tasted before going down the mountain, to half-joking stories about him learning how to use a smartphone in the first week.

In the middle of the story, Gia Khue unconsciously raised her hand to touch the jade pendant hanging around her neck, a habit she still did when she was deep in thought. Bach Dang, sitting opposite, his eyes accidentally glanced at that movement, suddenly stopped, his whole body stiffened as if he had just seen something unbelievable.

"What...what are you wearing?" He asked, his voice suddenly became strange, a little trembling that he couldn't hide.

Gia Khue was surprised by his unusual reaction and reflexively reached out to hold the pendant. "This is a souvenir my mother left behind before she passed away, a jade pendant shaped like half a bird. What's wrong?"

Bach Dang stood up and walked closer to Gia Khue at such a fast pace that she reflexively took a step back in surprise. But his eyes were no longer threatening, but filled with surprise mixed with an indescribable emotion.

"Can I see it?" He asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Gia Khue, although a little confused, still took off the necklace and showed it to him. Bach Dang picked up the piece of jade, tremblingly turned it over under the table lamp light, the neat lines of the bird's wings, the delicately carved patterns, all were strangely familiar.

Without saying another word, he quickly rummaged in his pocket and took out the piece of jade pendant that his master had given him before going down the mountain, something he had always carried with him all these days as a sacred warning.

Gia Khue saw the piece of jade in his hand, her eyes opened wide in disbelief. The two pieces of jade, one in Bach Dang's hand, the other she had just taken off her neck, had identical shapes and patterns, as if they were originally cut from the same intact block of jade.

"This is... how is it possible..." Gia Khue stammered, unable to finish the sentence because he was too surprised.

Bach Dang, his hands still shaking, slowly brought the two pieces of jade closer together. The jagged cut lines of the two pieces fit together perfectly without a millimeter of deviation, creating the complete image of a pair of lovebirds with their heads together, an ancient symbol of inseparable love between husband and wife.

The whole room was in absolute silence, only the sound of the rain falling outside the window and the pounding of both people's hearts. Gia Khue felt her head spin, a series of thoughts came at the same time, the disparate pieces of the past many days suddenly seemed to be rearranged into a complete but extremely unbelievable picture.

"Your letter, your master's wish, my father knows your master, and now..." She said, her voice trembling. "What does this mean, Bach Dang?"

Bach Dang was no less shocked, his hand still tightly holding the two pieces of jade that had been assembled together, his eyes looking at Gia Khue with a completely different change than usual, no longer the eyes of a bodyguard looking at the owner, but the eyes of a person who had just discovered a truth that shook his whole worldview.

"My master once said that this jade pendant is an important token. When I need it, I will automatically understand its meaning." He said, his voice choked. "I thought, maybe this is when I need to understand."

Gia Khue sat down on the chair, holding her head with both hands, trying to sort out all the chaotic thoughts in her head. If these two pieces of jade are truly a pair of wedding tokens, then it means that a long time ago, her family and Bach Dang's master had a deep connection, a promise that both young people sitting in this room were completely unaware of until the last moment.

"We have to ask your dad right away." Gia Khue stood up, her voice resolute, her hand still holding tightly the two pieces of jade that had been assembled. "This matter cannot be delayed any longer."

Bach Dang nodded, equally anxious, but at the same time another strange feeling was creeping into his heart, a feeling that he had never experienced before, when looking at the panicked but still resilient face of the girl in front of him, who now, according to all the signs that were appearing before his eyes, could be the fiancee that his master had secretly arranged for him twenty-five years ago.

"Miss Gia Khue, whatever the truth is," he said, his voice slow but sincere, "I'm glad I met you."

Gia Khue looked up at him, her face was still a bit shocked, but the corner of her lips had a slight smile, a smile mixed between confusion and an emotion that was hard to name. The rain outside still shows no signs of letting up, but inside both of them, a completely different storm is starting to form, signaling great changes about to come in their lives.

The two sat quietly for a long time, no one bothered to speak, only the sound of the rain falling outside the window and the sound of the clock on the wall ticking slowly. Gia Khue held back the two pieces of jade that had been assembled into the shape of a pair of lovebirds, her fingers lightly brushing the perfect seam. A feeling of both strange and familiar arose in her heart, as if she was touching a part of memory whose existence she had never known.

"I remember when I was little, I once asked my mother why I had this strange piece of jade, the shape looked like it was half cut." She said, her voice gradually softening, as if she were talking to herself rather than to Bach Dang. "Mom just laughed and said that when I grow up, I will understand. I thought it was an adult joke, but I didn't expect it to have such a great meaning."

Bach Dang sat down next to her, the distance between the two of them was a little closer than usual, but neither of them noticed, their minds were still busy with their own thoughts. "My master is the same. He always said that when it is necessary, I will automatically understand. I never thought that necessary time would come in such an unexpected way."

"Are you scared?" Gia Khue suddenly asked, his eyes looking straight at Bach Dang. "Afraid of having my whole life planned by someone before I was even born?"

Bach Dang thought for a moment, that question made him consider carefully before answering. "At first, I was a bit confused. But thinking back, if it weren't for that arrangement, I probably would never have had the chance to meet you, never had the chance to experience the past few days, even though there were many funny and sad stories. I think, the important thing is not who arranged the meeting, but after meeting, how we choose to treat each other."

That sincere answer made Gia Khue slightly stunned. Her hands, which were folding silk scarves wrapped in jade, suddenly stopped moving midway. For many years living in the calculating business world, she had become accustomed to the fact that every relationship must be measured by benefits, so familiar that when she heard every sentence, she automatically turned it over to find the hidden meaning. But the statement of the man sitting next to her right now had no backside to it, so simple that she had to sit still for a few more seconds to believe it was true.

"Well, I'm sitting here thinking about it but I can't get any results." She stood up, trying to regain her familiar composure even though her heart was still full of chaos, her hands neatly folded the two pieces of jade into a small silk scarf. "As soon as the rain stops, I'll go home and see my dad. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to tell."

Bach Dang stood up and followed, looking out the window where the rain had begun to fall, the streetlights shimmering on the wet road surface. He suddenly remembered what his master told him before going down the mountain, that he should not quickly lose faith in others, that the city under the mountain was not a place where everyone was sincere. Yet now, right in the middle of that city, he found a truth even more precious than what he had imagined when he was on the mountain.

"Miss Gia Khue," he said, his voice sincere. "No matter how complicated things get, I still want you to know, from now on, I will protect you with everything I have, not because of the promise of my master or your father, but because I want to."

Gia Khue looked up at him, a rare ray of warmth flashed in her eyes, then nodded slightly, not saying another word, but that silence contained more meaning than any answer could express. They both walked out of the office, preparing to face a conversation that would completely change the trajectory of their lives.