Chapter 5 — Light Does Not Touch

15

Luc Chieu gasped, his body staggered and fell to the floor. The contract to buy the same grave that he had just thrown down was now lying right next to it. His eyes stopped on that piece of paper, then looked down at the signature line at the bottom. Contracts can be faked, but handwriting cannot. He looked at it stunned, his eyes gradually becoming empty. He was knocked down and lay there, but it seemed he had forgotten to stand up and protest. Trinh Hoai An, whose whole body reeked of alcohol, looked down, his cold eyes full of contempt. His eyes stopped on the wedding ring on Luc Chieu's ring finger, then laughed faintly:

“Just two months abroad and there is news of marriage.”

“If you plan to play the role of a lovesick man when you return home, you should take off your ring first.”

Luc Chieu's reaction became unusually slow. After a while, he lowered his head to look at the ring on his hand. It was as if this was the first time he had seen it. After a while, he frantically took it off and shook his head in dismay:

“It's not… it's not…”

Trinh Hoai An smiled coldly:

“Married the boss's daughter, easily became a branch manager, annual salary tens of millions.”

“This time returning to the country, is it to witness with your own eyes the disaster of Lam So?

“Are you disappointed to see her die?”

Luc Chieu put his hands on the ground and staggered to his feet. Slowly recovering, then gradually restoring his usual cold expression.

“I won't believe it. I'm not an idiot.”

He just doesn't want to accept it. Like three years ago, when he saw Trinh Hoai An and I walking out of the hotel. He doesn't believe it. He went crazy and insisted on reviewing the surveillance camera at the reception desk. He stared at the screen, watching over and over again the scene of me and Trinh Hoai An entering the room. Then it was like torturing myself, scrutinizing the time we left. He has watched it countless times. Until I confusedly explained:

“Boss Trinh and I just went into the room to discuss the contract.”

At that time, he took his hand off the computer mouse, leaving only his eyes filled with disappointment and disgust:

“Lam So, I won't believe it. I'm not an idiot.”

I understand him so well, just like he understands me so well. He knows that I just have a habit of hiding my hands in my pockets, bowing my head, and not daring to look directly at him when I'm worried or lying. I took advantage of that, making him finally believe in my betrayal. Like now, he was still repeating that sentence. Luc Chieu staggered to his feet, leaned on the wall, and walked out of the room. As he walked, he muttered:

“I won't believe it… I'm not an idiot…”

Behind, Trinh Hoai An coldly scolded:

“It's disgusting.”

It was almost noon, Luc Chieu's phone rang, displaying his assistant's number. The phone rang continuously, but he didn't pick up.

16

He seemed to be losing his sanity, neither picking up the phone nor getting into the elevator. Just quietly go straight to the emergency exit, follow the long stairs, step by step down from the fifth floor. My soul followed him, suddenly remembering the afternoon many years ago, the day he carried me down the mountain. At that time, the mountain road had long stairs and afternoon sunlight The sunset passed through the leaves, dyeing the entire sky a shiny golden color. At that time, it was such a long road, I thought it would never reach the end. But as long as it's a road, there will definitely be a stop. That memory is as clear as if it were yesterday. But I understand, an afternoon like that will never happen again. When leaving the bar, Luc Chieu's phone kept ringing, then turned into a text message. He took out his phone, and on the screen appeared the words:

“General Director Luc, do we need to continue postponing the meeting?”

He did not answer. Just turn off the phone and put the phone back in your pocket. The car was still parked on the side of the road, he got in and started it. I don't know where he's going. Until he saw him enter the address into the navigation system— It was the small cemetery southwest of the City, where he had gone last night.

17

Four hours passed. When he arrived, my brother and the police were both there. My brother gave the contract to buy that old grave together with the police. They also carefully reassembled the torn pieces of paper, finally confirming the truth. A grave that cannot bury two people. My brother went back to the old hospital where he used to work, borrowed money to buy another grave in this cemetery. After waking up from a coma for a year and discovering that I had disappeared, he began to feel mentally unstable. Now, when he was sure that I was dead, he seemed to truly calm down. He began to arrange everything, preparing to take me to another grave. Because you know clearly—other than you, there will be no one else to take care of my future. He talked to the police, explaining that he wanted to move my grave. Overnight, his face became very haggard and his face turned pale. Speaking of me, he still tried to stay calm, but his eyes were red.

“She would rather be buried together and also want to stay in this cemetery.

“Just because I told her, our mother is buried here.

“This idiot, believes everything.”

In fact, I've been dead for three years now, and I no longer feel the pain of my death. But when I see my brother suffering, I still can't help but feel sad. He said I was stupid, maybe because he thought... I truly believe that if I am buried with my relatives, we can meet again in the next life. But I really want to meet my mother. Because my brother said, mom loves me. The police recorded the entire incident. Then I gave the pen to my brother, telling him that if he signed, they would help him move the grave. But just as my brother was about to sign, a hand suddenly came down, knocking the pen away. Behind him, Luc Chieu's eyes were red and his voice was cold but firm:

"It's not her. It's not Lam So."

My brother turned his head to look at him. Seeing him appear again, he did not show any surprise. It was as if he had predicted that Luc Chieu would return. Or perhaps, he no longer cared about this person's appearance. The pen was knocked to the ground and rolled into the dust. My brother quietly sat down and picked it up. Then he stood up and faced Luc Chieu. My brother's voice was calm, but in that calmness he still couldn't hide the distance.

“Brother Luc, if you still think that Tieu So is at fault...

“Now that she is dead, it is considered death atonement.

“From now on, please don't bother her anymore.

“Leave her alone, okay?”

18

In the late autumn afternoon, the wind blew in gusts, making cold hissing sounds. Perhaps because the wind was too cold, Luc Chieu's face gradually became pale. He shook his head in dismay:

“I won't believe it. She always knows how to lie.”

My brother interrupted him, his voice calm:

“Then don't believe it.”

After discussing with the police, my brother contacted the funeral home and asked them to prepare for moving my grave. The police left, and he also quietly left the cemetery. The wind is getting stronger. Around his neck was wrapped a dark red scarf. He gently pulled it closer. That scarf I knitted myself when I was 17 years old. That year, the girls in the class started the trend of knitting scarves to give to the person they like. I also secretly knit one, before Christmas, and gave it to my brother. He teased me that the color was too ugly, I was a bit shy and replied in a low voice:

“Red is a lucky color.

“Wear it and you will always be safe.”

You are my only relative. What I want most is for you to live in peace. His mouth was so disparaging, but the next morning when he went to practice at the hospital, he still wore that scarf. I remember old things. Watching him walk out of the cemetery, in his hand holding the necklace I had brought to the grave. When he passed the trash can outside the cemetery, without hesitation, he threw the necklace into it. Then he reached out to touch the scarf, as if he had caressed my head before, and his voice was soft and gentle:

“Be good, you don't need to keep dirty things.”

He didn't say it. But in his heart, he never stopped hating Luc Chieu. His hand was placed on the towel and did not let go for a long time. The later it gets, the colder it becomes. Under the pale moonlight, I heard him sigh softly:

“If I had known that earlier, I should have let you wear this scarf yourself that year.”

I'm dead, my reactions are always slow. It was not until a long time later that I realized the hidden meaning in that statement. I covered my face with my hands, my throat choked, and I cried uncontrollably. Thinking back, I was lucky that I was already dead, he didn't see me cry. He always loved me the most and couldn't bear to see me cry. Suddenly, a series of rustling sounds rang out from behind. My brother's footsteps stopped, he turned his head to look. Right next to the trash can where he had just thrown the necklace, Luc Chieu, with a pale face and panicked eyes, was bending down to search through the trash. My brother looked at him quietly. A moment later, he calmly spoke:

“Three years ago, that night, Tieu So also searched for the same thing.”

One sentence caused Luc Chieu's movements to suddenly freeze.