Chapter 2 — Love Behind a Ring

I didn't have the strength to refuse, I could only continue to convince myself. Phuong Chap Duat is right. This can be considered a couple ring for a close friend. That's right, your best friend's couple ring. Couple rings for three people. Phuong Chat Duat and I wore our lover's couple rings. Phuong Nhu and I wear our best friend's couple rings. So what if we only consider Phuong Chap Duat and Phuong Nhu? Everything is really so wild. When the waiter brought the food, she saw me putting a ring on Phuong Nhu, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes. After that, she discreetly glanced at Phuong Chap Duat, who was resting his hand on his cheek, looking intently at me and Phuong Nhu. A look of anticipation appeared on her face. Look. Even outsiders felt it was unusual, but Phuong Chap Duat never realized it.

03

Let's eat together and watch fireworks together. The three-year anniversary passed just like that. On the way home, Phuong Nhu fell asleep. She was lying on my lap, curled up, her eyebrows furrowed, clearly uneasy. Phuong Chap Duat sat in the driver's seat, looking at me through the rearview mirror. Phuong Chap Duat rarely takes the initiative to speak, but this time his voice carried a clear reproach:

“This time I overdid it.”

“You know that Tieu Nhu easily believes it's true—”

“It's true.” I calmly interrupted him.

Phuong Chap Duat was suddenly stunned. His fingers gripping the steering wheel silently tightened.

“What is the reason?”

You asked, but I didn't want to answer. Instead, I ask:

“Phuong Chap Duat, actually I always have a question I want to ask you.”

“What question?” He frowned slightly.

"That year you pursued me because Phuong Nhu wanted us to be together, or simply because you liked me?"

Actually, I had never thought about this issue before. After the university entrance exam, my boyfriend and I chose different aspirations, so no one was willing to give in to the other. So one person goes north, one person goes south. Since then, we have no longer been in contact. But after all, it was a childhood love that lasted for many years and cannot be easily forgotten. To help me escape that gloomy time, Phuong Nhu sent Phuong Chat Duat's WeChat account to me. She also added a note: 【Height 1.90 m, 18 cm, 28 years old, eight-pack abs, knows how to make money, most importantly, extremely clean.】 But at that time, I didn't want to start a new love affair. So I pretended not to see. After that, Phuong Chat Duat often appeared in my life. He is neither arrogant nor impatient, knows how to advance and retreat. He can continue every topic I talk about, and can also tolerate my erratic moments. So one day, when Phuong Chat Duat said:

"Tran Uong, let's love each other."

I just naturally agreed. Before, I used to think that a person like Phuong Chap Duat would condescend to actively pursue me, so it must be because he likes me. But now I no longer think like that. Three years have passed. It seems like Phuong Chap Duat has never said a word that he loves me. He was silent for a long time, his fingers slowly stroking the steering wheel:

“Is that important?”

“Isn't it important?” I asked back.

The air between us was as tense as a piano string. But in the end, Phuong Chap Duat still chose to stay silent. Suddenly, me feel tired. I also don't want to continue dealing with this issue anymore. If you don't love, you don't love. People cannot live without love. The phone in his palm vibrated slightly. The instructor sent me flight information. Eight o'clock tomorrow night.

04

Phuong Chap Duat took Phuong Nhu back to his room. No surprise, he won't be back tonight. Whenever she gets drunk, Phuong Nhu often causes chaos. Without Phuong Chap Duat to watch over her, things could easily happen to her. One time, while I was sleeping, I suddenly felt a cold sensation in my neck. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Phuong Nhu holding a sharp fruit knife, placing it right next to my neck. I was startled and frightened. Phuong Chap Duat's face also immediately darkened. If it weren't for me, who slept quite lightly, perhaps the next day Phuong Chat Duat would have had to go claim my body. But then nothing happened. I also don't know if Phuong Nhu really wants to kill me or not. Because of this, many times I felt that Phuong Nhu actually did not like the fact that Phuong Chap Duat and I loved each other. But the contradiction is that she always tries to close the relationship between me and him. She was very afraid of us breaking up, afraid of me leaving the Phuong family. Phuong Chap Duat once took her to see a psychologist. The diagnosis showed that because she lacked a sense of security since childhood, she suffered from a severe anxiety disorder. Thanks to that, everything in the past has an explanation. For example, Phuong Nhu does not allow me to have another close friend. For example, if Phuong Nhu makes an appointment with me, I must cancel the appointment with someone else. Many times I got angry, but she just acted coy and said:

“Uong Uong, don't forget. When you fell into the water in middle school, no one saved you, I pulled you out.”

“Uong Uong, I owe you a life-saving grace.”

So I compromised again and continued to give in. If it weren't for these things, I might have thought:

"Maybe Phuong Nhu and Phuong Chat Duat really have a shady relationship."

But unfortunately, there's really nothing between them. So until now, the evil person is only me, the petty person is also only me. During the three years living at Phuong's house, Phuong Chap Duat gave me many things, but there weren't many things that could actually be carried around.