Chapter 2 — Manh Xuan Duong

5 Luc Dien in front of me - always cold, arrogant, indifferent to the end. I've never seen him lose his temper like today. In the hospital room, the strong smell of disinfectant spread throughout the air. Luc Dien squeezed my cold hand and took a deep breath: "Why... didn't you tell me sooner?" A good card... of course, must be left until the decisive moment to be released to be truly valuable. I lowered my eyes, the corners of my lips showing a slight sneer where he couldn't see. When I raised my head, there was only despair and pain in my eyes: "I'm afraid... I know Miss Chu is coming back, you belong to her. I originally planned to leave quietly with the baby after filming this movie..." "You want to break up with me?" I closed my eyes, tears flowing uncontrollably: "... Yes." “Who allowed you to make such a decision on your own?” Luc Dien suddenly burst out laughing, angry, reaching out to squeeze my chin: "Ta Tang, in this world... no one has ever dared to make a decision for Luc Dien." “Without my permission, don't leave me even half a step away.” 6 That night, it was rare for Luc Dien not to look for Chu Nguyet Dao. He stayed at the hospital, watching over me all night. The nurse injects painkillers. Under the effect of the medicine, I quickly fell asleep. Dreamily, I saw my brother in my dream again. When I was twelve years old, Uncle Ha's eyes turned red because he lost money and lost everything. Just because of a piece of gold jewelry my mother hid, the two of them rushed to fight and fought fiercely. During the scuffle, the two accidentally fell into the river. The house only left me and my brother. My mother and Uncle Ha have never registered their marriage. Legally, you and I have no relationship. In a house filled with white cloth, I quietly looked at my brother, waiting for him to open his mouth to chase me away. But he just raised his hand and gently stroked my head: "Tang Tang, why aren't you crying?" “There's nothing to cry about.” He sighed: "But no matter how many people look at you, you should look a little sad." I can't do it. How my mother treated me all these years, now that she's dead, I just feel relieved. Finally I asked him: "Are you going to chase me away?" “Why do you have to chase me?” He was stunned for a moment. Then, as if suddenly awakened, he squatted down and hugged me: "Tang Tang, you are my sister." Because I often don't have enough to eat, my body is skinny and small. When he held me in my arms, I felt light and weightless. He tightened his grip, hugging me a little tighter: "No matter what happens, I will not abandon you." After burying those two people, he took me back to that empty house. That night, the wind blew coldly, bringing with it bone-chilling chills. But my brother always held my hand tightly and did not let go. The night sky was sparse with stars, his palms... were so warm that they burned. 7 I used to think, those days... would last forever. Because of a miscarriage, I was in the hospital for a week. During that time, the video of me jumping into the lake over and over again was leaked without knowing who it was. Soon it caused an explosion on hot search. The poster also deliberately implied that this was forced by Chu Nguyet Dao. "Even though 'canary' doesn't sound good, but now that she's the official girlfriend, Chu Nguyet Dao is no different than a little girl, right?" “The weather has been almost below zero these days, filming like this is like asking for someone's life…” “That's right The rich lady is scary, doesn't dare to touch men, so she only knows how to vent her anger on women? In Luc Dien's office, Chu Nguyet Dao had a huge argument with him. She smiled coldly: “I just want to teach her a little. Is this kind of fake product from a remote countryside worthy of replacing me?" “Who can't pretend to be pitiful? Just one child, if it's lost then it's lost, does she still want me to pay for her life?" "Nguyet Dao, from childhood to adulthood, whatever you want, I will obey you." Luc Dien said faintly: "But there must be a limit to everything, don't be too arrogant." “Am I arrogant?” Chu Nguyet Dao seemed angered by that sentence. “Luc Dien, before I went abroad, what did you say? Do you remember?” “You said it was only two years, you can wait, you will wait forever for me!” Speaking of this, her eyes turned red: "It's only been two years—yet when I come back, there's something more nauseating like that next to you?!" “You're not sure how people scolded me online these past few days?” “Luc Dien, what do you think of me?” Tears fell from her eyes, her once beautiful and arrogant face now showed a rare look of confusion and weakness. For Luc Dien - who grew up with her since childhood - it was fatal. His initially cold expression gradually softened. A moment later, he walked in front of Chu Nguyet Dao and hugged her. “I love you.” His voice was hoarse. “Nguyet Dao, don't doubt my feelings for you.” “In this world, no one can replace you.” 8 I watched two people embracing each other through the surveillance screen, expressionless, turning off the phone. That camera was the one I secretly installed last time when Luc Dien took me into his office. When he lost control, I silently did it. I had already guessed that Chu Nguyet Dao was not easy to deal with. The relationship between her and Luc Dien of more than ten years has, to this point... been deeply rooted. But it's not unbeatable. Now, I am using my own flesh and blood to plant a time bomb in the hearts of the two of them. One day, everything will explode. After a nap, the flow of online opinion suddenly changed. The next part of the video was also released. It was the scene of my dress covered in blood, blood flowing down drop by drop from the soaked dress. The comments section immediately exploded: “What is going on? To the month?” “Who bleeds so much during their period? It's obviously a miscarriage! “Ill-fated pregnancy, it's disgusting!” “Shut her up!” Luc Dien came to visit me, his expression still calm. He didn't mention it, so I pretended not to know and obediently told him some small stories on set. Occasionally pulling his sleeve and doing a few harmless little things. Exertion appears completely normal. Until midnight. He woke up and discovered the bed next to him was empty. Looking everywhere, I finally found me sitting huddled on the balcony, wearing only a thin nightgown, shivering in the biting cold wind. I bit my hand tightly, my face streaked with tears. “… Ta Tang.” I raised my head and saw it was him. I panicked and wiped my tears and forced a smile: "A Dien, why are you awake?" Under the moonlight, he looked intently into my eyes. But under that look, the emotions I tried to suppress completely collapsed: "Sorry... I just miss my child so much... I know, it's not Ms. Chu's fault... I'm just I can't get over it yet... It's okay, I'll give you a few days, you'll be fine..." A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes. He reached out and hugged me, his fingertips gently caressing the bloody bite mark on my hand: "It's not your fault, I spoiled her." “Tang Tang, I'll take you out to have fun, let's forget everything, okay?” 9 From now on, every time he calls me, he always calls me by both my first and last name. It's rare to have such an intimate tone. I understand very clearly that even if Luc Dien feels a little guilty, he won't really be able to do anything to Chu Nguyet Dao. The so-called taking me out to "relax" was nothing more than a form of subjective compensation on his part. But it's okay. What I need is just his temporary departure. Luc Dien took me out to sea on a yacht, to a private island under his name, and stayed there for a few days. He and I scuba dived, fished, and watched dolphins jump out of the water at dusk. All those brilliant scenes... I have never seen them in my entire life. In the midst of splashing sparkling water, Luc Dien asked me: "Tang Tang, do you feel better?" I hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded slightly. That hesitation... could not escape his eyes. That night, after I slept in my room, Luc Dien went to the garden and received a call from Chu Nguyet Dao. “Luc Dien, where are you? Are you going out with that bitch Ta Tang again?” Her voice was high-pitched on the phone: "Tomorrow is my birthday, you said you would stay with me!" “Tang Tang's child is no longer there, I have to take her out to relax a bit.” Luc Dien said, his voice a bit impatient: "What about your birthday?" It doesn't matter if you have it or not." As soon as he hung up the phone, he looked up and saw me standing in front of the door, rubbing my sleepy eyes, looking at him. “A Dien, it's so late, why are you still down here?” Because I was still half awake, my voice was somewhat soft and drowsy: "I woke up and didn't see you, I thought—" "I thought what?" His eyes lowered, stopping at my bare feet. Slightly frowned. “It's cold like this, why are you running around without shoes?” He scolded me softly, then strode forward and picked me up. I snuggled into his arms, wrapped my arms around his neck, and whispered: "I thought... you didn't need me anymore." “A Dien, I've already lost my child... I can't lose you too.” His hand suddenly stopped in mid-air. My eyes stopped on my face - weak, dependent - gradually filled with complex emotions. Luc Dien squeezed me a little more tightly, his voice was warm, like an oath: "No, Tang Tang." “I… will never leave you.”