Chapter 1 — Leaving Bui Phu, I opened a girls' school

The day I had a miscarriage, Bui Thua Ngoc was at the northern border. After the news was sent, three days later, he returned to Truong An. After returning, he seemed to have transformed into a different person. No more cold face. No more mentioning Ta Hoai Ninh in front of me. Wherever he went, whoever he met, whenever he returned to the palace, he would send his subordinates to report. If these things happened before, we would probably be happy. Not now. Really. That evening, I used the excuse of going to check out the store, took Thanh Hoa out, and turned halfway to the wine shop at Dong Market to meet Tan Oan. She got married late, but gave birth early, and now the child can run everywhere. That day she also brought her daughter along. The little girl sat next to her, holding the spoon to eat the soup herself, eating until her mouth was full. I looked a few more times. Tan Oan used a napkin to wipe his child's mouth and casually asked me a question. "Do you still want to have another child in the future?" I shook my head. "I don't want anymore." She raised her eyes and looked at me. I lifted the teacup, my fingers resting on the edge of the cup for a moment. "Bui Thua Ngoc and I are about to separate." As soon as I finished saying that, I raised my head and saw Bui Thua Ngoc standing at the door. His face doesn't look very good.01It's raining outside. He stood by the door, his body carrying moisture, his eyes kept on me. "Let's go back to the palace." I put down the tea cup, stood up, picked up my coat and followed him out. Along the way, no one said a word. Waiting for the carriage to pass through Chu Tuoc street, he spoke up. "I never thought about separation." I looked at the rain outside the carriage window and did not answer. He said again: "On the day of death, the words I said were just words in anger." Words in anger. Okay. Then we will go over the old debt with him that day. Last year, Truong An poured a big snowstorm. At first, he promised to stay in the palace with me to celebrate the New Year, but at dusk he changed his words, saying that the summons would be sent to the palace, and that he would have to leave the capital the next morning, and that he would have to go out to meet someone first tonight. I clung to him for a long time. He finally gave in and said he would have a meal with me outside before leaving. I believe. I even arrived at the restaurant early. As a result, as soon as we arrived at the door, we saw Bui Thua Ngoc and Ta Hoai Ninh getting out of the car. Two people, one in front, one in back. I stood there, not moving. Bui Thua Ngoc took two steps inside then turned to look at me. "Why don't you come in?" I asked him: "Why is she here?" Ta Hoai Ninh stood behind, the smile on his face faded a bit. Bui Thua Ngoc frowned slightly. "Later, she and I have to go to the palace together and have a meal together." I nodded. "Then you two can go your way." "I don't agree." His face turned a little colder. "Tham Tri Vi, it's just a meal." Again. It's just a meal, just a play, just a pair of earrings, just two days in the mansion, just a night of retirement. He's always like that. I wanted to listen to the show and waited for two months. It was very difficult to wait for the famous person to enter the capital. He even asked someone to get me the tickets. As a result, when I arrived at the theater, Ta Hoai Ninh sat next to him. I asked him: "Why is she here?" He said: "She also wants to hear." It's as simple as that. There's also a pair of pure gold earrings. On my birthday, he gave me a pair. The next day when I went to the banquet, I saw an identical pair on Ta Hoai Ninh's ears. I asked him. He answered very calmly. "Her eyes are good, I immediately ordered someone to make another pair." Ta Hoai Ninh still looked awkward, saying he wanted to take them off. Bui Thua Ngoc stopped. He said: "It's just a pair of earrings, Tri Vi won't care." Indeed, I won't care. I'll just never wear those earrings again. Two months ago, he and I arranged to go to a mansion outside the city

day. I stepped onto the carriage, and as soon as I opened the curtain, I saw Ta Hoai Ninh sitting inside. That time, I was too lazy to get angry, so I just asked him directly: "Why is she here?" Bui Thua Ngoc looked at me, the little patience on his face gradually disappeared. "I only came to stay for two days." After that, we kept arguing in front of the palace gate. Finally he said: "If you don't want to go, then go back." I still remember that day the wind in front of the palace gate was very strong, blowing so much that people's heads hurt. It also makes me a little more alert. Ta Hoai Ninh has never been a normal person in his heart. We have known each other since we were teenagers. Was engaged. Then it broke again. Been apart for many years. Such an old debt is inherently difficult to calculate. That day, standing in front of the pub's door, I still didn't give up hope. I said: "On the night of death, I just want to be with you, just the two of us." "Tell her to go." Bui Thua Ngoc looked at me for a moment. Then said: "It's just one night to get rid of the dead." "Don't be like that." I asked him: "What about her?" "Later we have meals with her, listen to plays with her, go out of the city and also have her. Later, when you and I go to bed together, will she also have to stand next to watch?" Bui Thua Ngoc's voice was low. "Tham Tri Vi." Ta Hoai Ninh's face turned white. Bui Thua Ngoc's face also completely cooled down. "Why are what you say now so hard to hear?" I did not give in. That day, I was really bored to the extreme. He stared at me, was silent for a moment, then threw out a sentence: "If she must be like that, why not separate." After saying that, he led Ta Hoai Ninh into the car and left. Don't turn around. Don't stop. Leaving only one sentence: "Calm down yourself."02I stood in front of the pub door for a long time. The cashier came out and asked if we needed to prepare the car. I said no need. Then turn around. There was ice on the stone steps, I couldn't stand steady, my whole body fell down. The pain in the lower abdomen is extremely intense. Things became a bit chaotic after that. Someone helped me up. Was taken to the medical clinic. Thanh Hoa cried non-stop. The midwife's hands were full of blood. There are also people who keep asking if there is anyone in the palace who can control it, so quickly invite them over. Who can I invite? Still only Bui Thua Ngoc. Besides him, there is no one else. Thanh Hoa time and again sent people to look for him. Could not find. The last time she came back, her face was pale and she told me that the people at the palace gate had stopped the messenger, saying that Master Bui was discussing something inside and no one was allowed to disturb him. At that time I was in so much pain that I didn't even have the strength to scold others. The last child still couldn't keep it. The next afternoon, a sentence came from Bui Thua Ngoc, asking why I was looking for him last night. What is up. This question is really good. At that time I was sitting by the window, the snow in the yard had melted half, water was dripping from the eaves. Thanh Hoa was so angry that his eyes turned red and asked me how to answer. I said: "Just say it's nothing." "You misspoke." Thanh Hoa was not pleased. I won't explain further. There's nothing worth saying. Say I fell. Said I bled a lot. Let's talk about the child that I didn't expect too much, but after all, it was in my body for a while, and just like that, it was no longer there. Having said that, how can it be? A few days later, the wine shop's people came to inquire, mentioning that the lady fell and was injured and was taken for treatment in the night of death, often encountering a servant next to Bui Thua Ngoc. Only then did he know about it. That evening, Bui Thua Ngoc returned to the palace. Very late. I was sitting under the lamp reading books when I heard hurried footsteps outside. As soon as the door opened, he was standing there, not even taking off his coat. He looked at me, his lips soft

moved. "Tri Vi." His next words came very slowly. "Sorry." I withdrew my eyes. "It's okay." It's really okay again. At least in that moment, I thought so.03After taking me back to the palace, Bui Thua Ngoc followed me all the way to the main courtyard. I took off my uniform and handed it to Thanh Hoa. When Thanh Hoa received it, we saw a faint lipstick stain on Bui Thua Ngoc's sleeve. Very pale. But I saw it. He followed my gaze and bowed his head once. Then explained: "Maybe I accidentally got caught in the palace." I turned around and went inside. He held me back. "I don't care." I nodded. "Yes." He still held on and didn't let go. I had to withdraw my arm. "I believe." After these words were said, he had nothing else to say. At night, after washing my face and combing my hair, I leaned on the couch and flipped through the books. He sat down on the other side, looked at me for a long time, then reached out to touch my hair. I immediately avoided it. His hand stopped. I casually found an excuse. "Don't touch it, your hair is still damp." He replied okay and withdrew his hand. Another moment passed. "These past few days I've been staying in the capital, not going far." I said yes. The book is turned to a page. He hasn't left yet. In the past, when Ta Hoai Ninh had just returned to the capital, I often liked to ask him where he went, who he met, and when he would return. After asking a lot of questions, one time he lost patience and answered directly: "If I really want to have something with her, what's the use of her asking clearly about these things?" Quite hurtful to others. But then I didn't cry. I just stood there, my mind blank for a moment. After that, don't ask anymore. Bui Thua Ngoc sat under the light and looked at me for a long time. I raised my eyes. "Is there anything else?" He seemed to be stopped by my words. He was silent for a moment then stood up to turn off the light. That night, I turned my back to him and lay down. Can't sleep. Maybe he didn't sleep either. The room was very quiet. It was so quiet that you could hear the wind shaking tree branches outside the window.04Early the next morning, I went to the Western market to check out the store. Bui Thua Ngoc stood waiting in front of the hospital door. "I'll take you there." I withdrew my hand and said lightly: "No need." "The people in the store don't know what's going on between you and me now, so it wouldn't be convenient to go together." He said: "Okay." I got in the car myself. Arriving at the Western market, a few gentlemen who manage the books in the store are comparing the books in the back yard. Seeing me come in, they immediately took back the books on the table. But we can still hear a few sentences. Talking about Bui Thua Ngoc. Also talking about Ta Hoai Ninh. No more than those words. It is said that when he was young, Lord Bui dared to go against even the wishes of his family members for the sake of the Ta family's young lady. After that, the Ta family broke up and he even chased after her. At that time, he didn't even care about official duties. It was also said that as soon as Ta Hoai Ninh returned to the capital, the Bui family villa was given to her to live in, and people were also placed next to him. I listened for a while, not saying anything. On the table there was an old painting, depicting a young prince standing by the wharf, extremely skinny, clutching an envelope in his hand. That person is Bui Thua Ngoc. Next to the painting, someone wrote a sentence: The story of the past years. After I finished looking at it, I threw the painting back on the table. We didn't know about such things before. Now that I know it, I'm not too surprised. When Bui Thua Ngoc and I were not yet married, we once rioted and wanted to break up. I said it first. The words were spoken in anger, but as soon as they fell to the ground, I regretted them. That day he only answered me one word: "Okay." Then he turned around and left. Don't coax me. Don't turn around.