Chapter 3 — Old Love Turns to Ashes

“Ah Mien, be good, now is really not the time, wait for me to graduate, wait for everything to stabilize, okay?”

Waiting, waiting again. I've told him countless times. I told Giang Tu Nien, let's get married, have a child, I want to have a family. Every time he said to wait a little longer, wait to graduate, wait to be awarded an academic title, wait to find a good job, wait to buy a house. This wait lasted a full 11 years. Now I'm 33 years old, my friends around me are all mothers, I'm still waiting. In the end, what I was waiting for was for him to get married and have children with someone else. My stomach churned, I bent over and vomited. But couldn't vomit anything. 11 years of resentment is stuck in my throat, I can't go up and down, it's choking me. Giang Tu Nien reached out to support me, but his hand only extended halfway. The door to the room at the end of the hallway opened, and Van Van's voice came:

“Tu Nien, who are you talking to, the cake has melted…”

Van Van stood at the door, tilting her head to assess me. Hua Nghien crept out from behind her, saw me, and her smile immediately stiffened. Van Van's eyes swept back and forth between the three of us. Realizing that the atmosphere was not right, the smile on her face gradually faded. His eyes fell back on my face, carrying caution.

"Do you all know each other? Who is she?"

I haven't had time to speak yet. Hua Nghien replied:

“She is my cousin.”

After speaking, he turned and smiled at me, as if reminding me:

“Is that right, Mien?”

I looked at Hua Nghien, then turned to look at Giang Tu Nien. He lowered his eyes, his throat rolled, and did not object. He was waiting for me to say “Yes”. Van Van said "Oh", the alert look on her face relaxed:

"Nien Nghien's cousin, so come in and sit together to have fun?"

As she spoke, she ran back and took my arm, pulling me towards the bedroom. She enthusiastically invited me to sit down. When she bent down, her collar was slightly open. I squinted and immediately saw the red string hanging below her collarbone. I recognize that. Peace talisman of Loi Quang pagoda, used to pray for children. Three years ago, after giving up that baby, I had a period of mental panic, waking up every night startled by the sound of a baby crying. I heard people say that the peace talisman prayed at Loi Quang pagoda is very effective. Even if the child is no longer there, asking for an amulet is still considered a keepsake. I once mentioned to Giang Tu Nien, telling him to come with me. He said:

"It's all superstition, I don't believe in these ghost stories, so don't join in and do idle things anymore."

Van Van took the fruit juice and turned around, paying attention to my eyes. She reached out and pulled the amulet from her collar.

“This is because Tu Nien just went to Loi Quang Pagoda to pray for you a few days ago.”

Her voice carried a bit of pride:

“He walked three steps, bowed once, climbed three thousand steps up there, his knees were all scratched, and it still hasn't healed, it makes me feel so sad.”

Giang Tu Nien hugged her shoulder and comforted her:

“For you and your child, everything is worth it.”

My heart instantly fell to the bottom of the abyss. Three days ago, after he unilaterally asked to break up without warning, he completely evaporated. Block phone calls, don't reply to messages. Like a crazy person, I searched for him in every cave and alley. Even even cried and complained to Hua Nghien. At that time she even comforted me:

“Don't overthink, you still don't know what kind of person Giang Tu Nien is, he's probably busy, the more you push him, the more annoying he will be.”

I really thought I was bothering him. During those three days, I didn't eat or drink and locked myself in my room. Check every sentence and every word you said to him, every text message, every photo.