Chapter 12 — Love Awakens After Leaving

Realize

Three weeks of joint investigation had changed the relationship between Bach Vu and Tuyet Nhi in a way that neither of them could deny, although no one dares to name it clearly. Work meetings gradually intermingle with small private moments — a question about the other person's health when they see the other person was overworked, a cup of hot tea prepared at the right time without being asked, a look of concern that lasted longer than necessary.

Bach Vu realized the change in himself most clearly one morning, when he woke up and the first thing that came to mind was not that day's work schedule, but the question of whether Tuyet Nhi had enough sleep after working late last night. He lay in bed for a while, questioning himself about this strange change, then laughed softly to himself when he realized that this was probably the first time in his adult life that he had woken up thinking about someone else before work.

His bedroom was located on the second floor of the main building, the large window looked straight out to the front garden, where the morning sunlight was filtering through the left, dyeing the whole space a gentle pale yellow color. He sat up, quickly put on a thin robe, walked out to the balcony, and took a breath of fresh morning air. From that position, he could see a small corner of the backyard in the distance, even though it was largely obscured by a row of ancient trees, and for some reason his eyes automatically stopped in that direction longer than usual, as if there was some invisible string pulling his attention towards that area, even though he himself had never thought to find out what existed behind those dense rows of trees.

He remembered every little moment over the past three weeks — the way Tuyet Nhi gently bit the tip of her pen when she was thinking intensely, the way she always remembered exactly what temperature he liked to drink his tea at, the way she patiently re-explained a complicated legal issue until he understood completely even though she herself was equally tired. Those details, which he had been familiar with for the past three years but had never really paid attention to, now suddenly became strangely special, as if he was looking at Tuyet Nhi with a completely new set of eyes.

There was one thing that bothered him the most — every time he accidentally touched her hand, even if it was just when holding a file together, he felt a strangely familiar feeling, as if that skin, that warmth, had touched his hand a long time ago, in a place and time that he couldn't remember clearly. That feeling was not like the normal vibration of a person developing new feelings, but more like a buried memory trying to rise to the surface of consciousness, just not strong enough to manifest into a specific image. He had tried searching his memory many times, but each time he only touched on a vague feeling that then disappeared, leaving behind a dull uneasiness that could not be named.

"Mr. Vu, you seem happy this morning." Duc Long commented when he saw Bach Vu enter the office with an unusual expression, no longer the constant tension like the previous weeks.

"Nothing, just sleeping better." Bach Vu replied, but there was still a slight smile at the corner of his lips that he didn't even recognize.

Duc Long looked at his friend for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, saying nothing more, just quietly placing on the table a new set of documents he had just collected from his connections in the lawyer world. "This document has some more information about the transaction history of the shell company we are monitoring. Please take a look and let me know your opinion."

That afternoon, while reviewing the list of companies related to suspicious investment funds with Tuyet Nhi, Bach Vu suddenly stopped writing and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Have you ever thought about what you would do if you weren't my assistant?" he asked, the question suddenly had nothing to do with the work at hand.

Tuyet Nhi looked up, a bit surprised by the question. "Why do you suddenly ask that?"

"Just curious." Bach Vu shrugged, but his eyes were still fixed on her, full of anticipation.

"I think no matter what I do, I will choose a job related to management and organization." Tuyet Nhi answered, trying to keep her answer objective. "But actually, I have never seriously thought about doing another job, because I find my current job very meaningful to me."

"What does it mean?" Bach Vu continued asking, his voice was gentle but heavy, making Tuyet Nhi feel like she was being pushed into a corner that she couldn't avoid.

Tuyet Nhi was silent for a moment, considering each word before responding. "I think, working with someone I trust, respect, and... care about, is the most meaningful thing in work."

That answer, even though she deliberately expressed it discreetly, still made the atmosphere between the two become somewhat tense for a brief moment. Bach Vu looked at her intently, his eyes as if trying to find something hidden behind that seemingly simple sentence.

"Tuyet Nhi." He called her name, his voice deeper than usual. "I want to ask you something, and I hope you answer honestly."

Tuyet Nhi's heart beat faster, she nodded, although in her heart she was both expecting and afraid of what he was about to ask. "Yes, just ask."

But at that moment, Bach Vu's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. It was a call from Mr. Chi Kien, announcing that the engagement ceremony needed to speed up preparations because the Tong family had just proposed to shorten the organization time. Bach Vu answered the phone, his face gradually became serious again, and the private moment just seemed to be washed away by the harsh reality that was waiting for them both.

After hanging up the phone, Bach Vu looked at Tuyet Nhi, his eyes carried a regret that was hard to hide. "We'll talk about this later, right now I need to urgently deal with what father just announced."

"Yes, please handle the urgent matter first." Tuyet Nhi replied, trying to keep her voice calm, even though in her heart she couldn't help but regret the unfinished question. She wondered, if that call hadn't happened at the right time, what Bach Vu would have asked her, and whether her answer could have changed anything in their already complicated relationship.

That evening, after finishing urgent work, Bach Vu sat alone in the office, looking out at the city lights up. He thought about the question he intended to ask Tuyet Nhi that afternoon — he intended to ask her, if the engagement with Van Khanh did not exist, would she be willing to accept his feelings or not. It was a bold question, far beyond the boundaries of work that he had never allowed himself to cross over the past three years, but now, sitting alone facing his true feelings, he realized he couldn't continue to deny them any longer.

He opened his phone, scrolled through the work messages exchanged with Tuyet Nhi over the past few weeks, re-reading each short but always thoughtful and dedicated line. In that moment, he suddenly realized a simple but powerful truth - he loved his assistant, perhaps for a long time, but he had never allowed himself to admit it, because of work pressure, because of family responsibilities, and because of a marriage that he did not want but was still forced to proceed with.

The problem now was no longer whether he had feelings for Tuyet Nhi or not, but what to do with those feelings, when the engagement was approaching day by day, and when the plot to usurp shares had not yet been completely clarified.

He stood up, walked to the window, looked out at the dark yard below, where the lights from the garden lamp posts formed small scattered halos of light. He thought of his father, of the pressure he was under to maintain stability for the entire corporation, of the honorable promise he had made to the Song family. If he publicly declares his feelings for Tuyet Nhi at this time, not only would the engagement be broken, but also the silent investigation plan would be at risk of being revealed before they could collect enough evidence. He tightened his grip on the window handrail, telling himself that he had to be more patient, that he had to wait for the right moment, even though with each passing day, having to hide his true feelings in front of Tuyet Nhi became a new torture that he had never had to face before.