Chapter 5 — I Raised a General in the Central Highlands

30 “Um… yeah, what a coincidence.” I instinctively avoided his eyes, trying to find something else to pay attention to - then my eyes fell back on him. “So…” I carefully probed: “So… you were originally planning to go to Nam Thanh… to work?” My eyes scanned his neat suit: "This suit... is it a work uniform? Are you a driver?" Pausing for a moment, I added: "Or... bodyguard?" Luc Tram's throat suddenly choked. After a long silence, he forced out one word: "Yes." His facial expression... was a bit not very good. I glanced at the Maybach over there, then looked at his expensive suit: "Sure enough, being handsome is a big advantage. Not long after arriving in Nam Thanh, I already worked as a driver for the big boss, that's really good~" Hearing my praise, Luc Tram's expression softened a bit. "YES." At this moment, my head was operating at full capacity. My boss also drives a Maybach, his driver's background was thoroughly investigated. Although meeting Luc Tram here is a bit too coincidental, but... I'm sure he's not a bad person. Besides, there's no way to locate me so accurately. Sometimes, it's really just... a coincidence. Thinking that, the joy of meeting again began to prevail over the struggling reason. I pursed my lips, before I could think of what to say next, then Luc Tram spoke: "Are you free this afternoon?" “Not this afternoon, there is a meeting.” “So what time do you get off work?” “Not sure yet, maybe have to work overtime, probably around… nine o'clock at night.” “I'll wait for you.” His voice was very serious, then quickly added: "I mean... if I send my boss home on time, I will come and wait for you." "Okay." I nodded slightly: "Then... let me invite you to dinner tonight." 31 Eating late? Are you kidding — it makes more sense to eat him. As soon as he took Luc Tram home, the door had not yet been locked completely, clothes were scattered all over the floor. When Luc Tram once again "exploited" his incredible vitality, I couldn't help but get distracted... Had to change to a bigger bed. Need more certainty. Urgent. … I curled up in his arms. His chest was spacious and warm, his heartbeat was steady and powerful. He gently stroked my hair, so gentle it was unbelievable. The feeling of being completely possessed and embraced like this is truly captivating. I tried to get out of his arms, pretending to be indifferent and asked: "Luc Tram, how long have you been coming to Nam Thanh?" “A… more week.” “Finding a job that quickly?” I asked with a moderately worried voice: "Honestly, is your work... trustworthy?" "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "The job was introduced by a compatriot, I contacted you first." His voice sounded very natural, without any flaws: "People in our area who travel far away all help each other." He paused for a moment, then added: "My boss's name is Jason. He came to the building I work at that day to meet a friend, so... I happened to meet you again." Sounds reasonable. But in my heart, the string of caution has not yet been loosened. It's all... too coincidental. Actually, this afternoon while taking a coffee break at the company, I took the opportunity to call the old hotel. After going around for a while, I was able to connect with the enthusiastic young receptionist that day. I probed and asked about Luc Tram. "Luc Tram? Of course he's a good person! Everyone in our area doesn't know his family, everyone loves him very much!" The girl's voice suddenly stopped and became cautious: "Are... are you sister-in-law? You two are angry." each other?” Before I could answer, she quickly suggested: "If you don't feel secure, tell him to swear to Tieu Phong Tu!" Bao Anh said he would never dare to make you angry again!” … I silently looked at the man who had just caused my bed to almost collapse. Say… he swore face to face with the horse? Sorry, I'm afraid Tieu Phong Tu will laugh at me. 32 Thoughts swirled in my head. Swear? Swear to… a horse? How old am I to still believe such things? An oath, as light as the wind — what can it prove? But… “Luc Tram.” I sat up from his lap: "Swear." He was a bit stunned by this sudden request: "Swear?" “Swear to my Little Phong Tu.” Word by word, I said clearly: "I swear I'm not a bad person." Luc Tram looked at me for a few seconds, his eyes flashed with surprise, then turned into a helpless and gentle smile. He leaned closer and gently touched my forehead with his forehead: “Okay. I, Luc Tram, swear before the best brother in my life - Tieu Phong Tu." His eyes lit up: "I like Ha Tri Dao." I was stunned. I should have responded. But my throat felt clogged and I couldn't speak. The silence gradually lengthened, lengthened... Luc Tram withdrew his gaze, "Ha Tri Dao." He gently pinched my cheek, deliberately changing the subject: "I think... getting a certificate of no criminal record is probably more trustworthy than an oath." I blushed, extremely embarrassed: "What are you talking about! I just see… we’ve only met a few times—” “What about just a few times?” He interrupted, his hands tightened, pulling me into his arms: "You've 'bullied' me inside and out, and now you say 'we've only met a few times'?" He gently squeezed my chin, forcing me to look straight into his eyes: "Ha Tri Dao, it's late. You're clinging to me.” My heart felt like something was stabbing me. But I'm still speechless. I can only raise my head - Actively kiss him. 33 Once again, I was immersed in his arms. “My treasure.” Luc Tram gently kissed the top of my head: "Tonight... can I sleep here?" My body stiffened slightly, almost imperceptibly. Letting him stay means that the relationship between us... is sliding in a very different direction — more complicated, more ambiguous. “Um… let me call you a car.” It was already 1 am. Finally, Luc Tram left my house at 2 am. On the third day, I looked at the sunrise that was about to peek out the window, in my mind it was like there were two sides of gods and ghosts fighting each other. “…That's it.” I scratched my head angrily: "You... go sleep on the sofa." "Okay." He agreed too quickly. 34 When I woke up the next morning, I was not surprised to discover: The person who should have been sleeping on the sofa... was lying right next to me. One arm still blatantly hugged my waist. I pushed Luc Tram to wake up. He rubbed his eyes, pretending to be innocent: "Your sofa is too small, I fell to the ground in the middle of the night. I saw you sleeping soundly so... I didn't have the heart to wake you up." So, Luc Tram just blatantly took over my bed, as if it were a matter of course. Over the next few days, that situation... showed no signs of stopping. He always has a ton of reasons not to leave: • "I'm so tired today, I have to get up early to pick up my boss tomorrow." • “My water heater is broken, let me take a shower.” • “The shirt isn't dry yet, you can't wear it wet outside, right?” … I know you're making excuses. But it cannot be denied - from the moment Luc Tram appeared Currently, my house, my life, has had a lot of changes. The hallway light flickered — no longer flickering. The kitchen, which was just for show — started to smell like smoke and fire. The drying rack was broken on one side - he also fixed it immediately. “Steppe men, are they all as resourceful as you?” "It's not the steppe man. It's you." Luc Tram's boss lives a very disciplined life, so drivers like him also work surprisingly punctually - "8 in the morning, 8 at night". So I started living the life of my dreams: Waking up in the morning to the fragrant smell of breakfast, At night there is hot rice and soup waiting for me. There is also… a physical activity that can happen anytime, anywhere. 35 I work overtime and feel even more enthusiastic. The thing that makes me feel most secure is: Luc Tram has never interfered in my work. He just quietly brought me a cup of hot milk, then sat next to me, silently accompanying me through the long night. Unlike Chu Vu, he always blamed me for putting work above feelings. In his free time, Luc Tram often sits on the sofa and looks at his phone. I thought he was surfing short videos. But once I accidentally glanced at it, I discovered... he was reading a book? “Luc Tram, do you like reading books?” “Ha Tri Dao, I used to go to school.” … Still quite studious. One time I was struggling with a proposal and my hair was a mess. Luc Tram came closer, looked over and said: "You guys want the concept to be—pure water source, right? But that's a bit cliche." His finger pointed to the photo of a snow mountain on the slide and said very straightforwardly: "You only wrote how the micronutrients in water are good for health, but you didn't say clearly - what flavor does the first sip of melted snow water have? "You emphasized the fact that the water extraction location is difficult to access, but you didn't mention - the people living on that land, have depended on this water source for many generations." Finally, he concluded with an extremely simple but fatal sentence: "You guys are selling water, but it's like you've never actually had a sip of delicious water." I looked at him. Looking at the man I thought only knew how to herd cows and drive cars. For the first time, a feeling other than desire and dependence appeared in my heart. A quote from Chinese-born female comedian Ali Wong suddenly popped into my head: "Do you know if I had a wife, how successful I would be now?" If I also had a "wife"... I want Luc Tram to be that person.