Chapter 7 — No Resentment, No Forgiveness

Everyone could see it.

His voice was rasping, heavy with strain.

You are taking revenge on me.

I pushed the door open. Before stepping out, I turned my head to look at him one last time.

No.

This...

Is only the beginning.

The door clicked shut behind me. The hallway was strangely silent. The elevator doors were already sliding apart. Lam Tu Vu was standing inside, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her expression was utterly grotesque, a mask of irritation and malice. I stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby. We stood in silence for three seconds before Lam Tu Vu could no longer contain herself.

What exactly do you think you are doing?

Posting that on your social media feed.

The entire company is talking about me now.

I stared straight ahead, my voice flat and indifferent.

And how does that involve me?

Your situation with him...

Is your business.

And what I posted...

Is mine.

You did that on purpose!

Lam Tu Vu raised her voice, her eyes narrowing.

You knew exactly what kind of consequences that post would cause...

Just then, the elevator chimed and stopped at the lobby. The doors opened. A few neighbors were passing through the foyer, but I stepped out without a backward glance. Behind me, I heard Lam Tu Vu mutter a curse under her breath. I could not make out the words, nor did I have the slightest interest in hearing them.

The post on my social media feed had spread far faster than I had anticipated. It was only one sentence: Let his new woman take over the chore. Attached to it were all the photos from my eight-day solo road trip. In every single shot, I was smiling, radiant and free. Any person with a shred of sense would understand exactly what that message implied. The first person to call me was To Dao. The moment the call connected, she started shrieking.

My god! You really aired all the dirty laundry in public!

I chuckled softly.

It was nothing. I just made a post.

Nhuoc Tinh!

To Dao’s voice was filled with frantic excitement.

You are terrifyingly calm right now! So, where do the two of them stand?

Chu Minh Hien has gone to the hospital to look after his mother, I replied. I have already wired the funds for her medical bills. Consider all grievances settled.

You actually gave him money?

To Dao practically screamed.

I told you, I have no personal quarrel with his mother. But this... this is the last time.

A long, weary sigh came from the other end of the line.

Nhuoc Tinh... to be honest, throughout those eight days you were traveling through the western highlands, I kept thinking you would collapse from the pain and come home in pieces. I never expected...

I smiled to myself, looking out at the city lights.

I have cried enough. I cried once at the Zheduo Pass, and once in Daocheng. That is enough.

After hanging up, my phone continued to vibrate incessantly. Friends, colleagues, former coworkers, and people in the wedding industry who knew Chu Minh Hien—everyone was messaging me. Is it true? Are you alright? Who is Lam Tu Vu? I replied to each one briefly and calmly. It is true. I am fine. As for the rest, I do not know.

There was only one message I did not immediately answer: a note from Chu Minh Hien’s mother, sent from her hospital bed. Nhuoc Tinh, I have seen your post. What exactly has Minh Hien done? Tell me the truth, and I will demand an explanation from him.

I stared at the screen for a long time, my thumb hovering over the glass. Finally, I typed three words: Greetings to you.

Then, I turned the phone face down. I went back to packing my bags, bit by bit, stripping the apartment I had lived in for two years until it returned to the bare, hollow state of a rental unit.

Three days later, I terminated the lease and moved into a one-bedroom studio near To Dao’s home. The new place was tiny, but it was mine—entirely, privately mine. That was enough. On the first night, I sat on the floor, eating a lukewarm takeout meal and cracking open a can of beer. Once finished, I sprawled out on my new bed, staring up at the ceiling. To my surprise, I drifted off almost instantly into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Chu Minh Hien tried to find me three times after that. The first time, he claimed he wanted to explain, but I refused to answer his calls. The second time, he messaged me saying his mother wanted to see me.