Chapter 4 — I Never Made It to Nam Thanh With You

Northwest University is merely a backup plan; there is no need to squander so much time on it.

We had already agreed: we would go to the Southern City together.

Agreed? From the very beginning, it was always him dictating the terms. My only duty was to nod in compliance.

It is getting late. I am heading home now.

Gu Yan Li offered to walk me home, but I refused. He stood beneath the trellis of vines, watching me go, his eyes clouded with clear confusion. In the past, whenever he took the initiative to escort me home, I would be filled with a lingering joy for days. Now, I did not want to take even half a step in his company. He must find this transition jarring. That is perfectly fine. He will simply have to grow accustomed to it in time.

The special assessment for Northwest University was scheduled for three days later, held in an online format. In addition to a personal introduction, I was required to submit the original manuscripts of my design entries, field study journals, and a declaration of independent authorship. The final line of the email read: Applicants must confirm whether the submitted work was completed independently and whether there exist any co-authors or shared intellectual property rights.

I stared at that line for a long time. The proposal for the Te Nguyet Villa had been my work alone. The Gu family had provided the venue, while the Lam family had covered a portion of the restoration costs. Gu Yan Li had occasionally accompanied me to the site once or twice. Yet, in the past, whenever others praised me for it, he would always interject with effortless familiarity: This is a project we worked on together.

I never countered him. I had thought that since we were destined to be husband and wife, there was no need to draw sharp lines between his and mine—it felt too cold and distant. In my previous life, when the Te Nguyet Villa project won the Youth Regeneration Project award, Gu Yan Li was listed as the lead creator. Tong Uan Ninh was credited as the visual planner. I stood at the very bottom of the list under the title: Project Coordinator. When I asked Gu Yan Li why, he simply said: We are husband and wife anyway; it makes no difference whose name is listed first.

Yet, when he stood on the podium to accept the award, he claimed the person he was most grateful to was Tong Uan Ninh. He did not mention me at all. It turned out that we were only husband and wife when it came to dividing the fruits of my labor. When it came time to enjoy the glory of his own achievements, I was merely a member of the logistics staff.

I checked the box on the declaration of independence: Completed independently by the applicant. I then compiled a list of award certificates, original drafts, and field notebooks. Most of the original documents were kept in the study at the Te Nguyet Villa. Early the next morning, I set out to retrieve them, but as soon as I stepped out of the door, my homeroom teacher called, insisting I come to school immediately. The school had received a nomination for the National Architectural Survey Summer Camp, and based on my competition scores and overall ranking, the spot belonged to me.

When I arrived at the office, Tong Uan Ninh was already there, her eyes rimmed with red. Gu Yan Li stood right beside her. Seeing me enter, the teacher seemed to sigh with relief.

Kien Nguyet is here. You likely already know the situation. The camp requires a finalized list by noon today. You are ranked first; all that is left is for you to sign.

A confirmation form lay on the desk, my name already printed on the first line. Tong Uan Ninh stared at the paper intently. I reached for the pen, but Gu Yan Li suddenly spoke up: Teacher, could we perhaps discuss this again?

The teacher frowned. Discuss what?

Kien Nguyet has already participated in many such activities and has even won national awards, he argued. For her, this summer camp is just gilding the lily. But Uan Ninh has never participated in an event of this caliber. The university she intends to apply to places great importance on practical experience, and missing this could impact her upcoming major selection process.

The teacher looked troubled. But the school makes its nominations based on academic ranking, she replied.