Chapter 19 — Old Painting Restoration Workshop

A week after the break-in, the Bach Nien factory has gradually returned to its normal routine, although the atmosphere is still filled with caution. Security cameras were installed at both the front and back doors. The young man named Phuc whom Mr. Le introduced took turns guarding at night, and Mien Thu has developed the habit of checking the door lock more carefully before going to bed.

The restoration work on "Vong Nguyet" is almost completed, only the last part remains - the lower left corner, where she deliberately left, unprocessed, the layer of varnish covering the fake signature, as a carefully considered decision between fulfilling the contractual obligation and preserving the most important evidence.

That afternoon, Nguyen Vu came to the factory bringing new news. "I found information about the painting 'The Year-End Market'." He said, placing a file on the table. "It is currently owned by a small provincial museum, kept in storage, not on public display for many years due to lack of preservation funds. I contacted, and they agreed to allow an independent expert to survey, provided there is written consent from a reputable academic institution."

"That's good news." Mien Thu said, although her voice still carried a bit of fatigue from the past stressful days. "If we can confirm that the painting also bears similar signs, it will be important additional evidence, showing that this is not an isolated case of 'Vong Nguyet' alone."

They sat and worked together until late at night, reviewing all the files and preparing a plan for a trip to survey the remaining painting. The light from the desk lamp shines down on the document pages, creating a warm, quiet space in the midst of turbulent days.

"Are you hungry?" Nguyen Vu asked, looking up at the clock, it was almost nine o'clock in the evening. "We've been working since afternoon and haven't eaten anything yet."

Mien Thu laughed lightly, realizing she had completely forgotten the feeling of hunger while concentrating. "Yes, I'm hungry."

He stood up, went out for a while, came back with two boxes of hot vermicelli noodles bought from a familiar restaurant across the alley. They sat and ate together right at the desk, temporarily moving a few piles of documents aside. The atmosphere became lighter and closer than the tension that had surrounded them over the past few days.

"Thank you," Mien Thu said, looking at Nguyen Vu who was diligently picking up noodles for her, "for always being by my side the whole time. I don't think I could have gotten through all of this without you."

"You're much stronger than you think." He replied, his eyes looking at her affectionately. "But I'm also glad that I can be here, with you through it all."

They finished eating and cleaned up their desks, but no one was in a hurry to leave. Mien Thu stood up, walked in front of "Vong Nguyet", looking at her almost completed work under the soft yellow light. The yellowed varnish layers have been cleaned, and the painting's original colors now appear brightly and vividly - the silver moonlight on the woman's shoulder, the distant eyes with wordless sadness, all seem to be revived after sixty years of being covered by the dust of time.

"So beautiful." Nguyen Vu spoke softly, standing close to her, also looking at the painting with deep respect. "You did a great job, Mien Thu."

"This isn't just my job." She replied, her voice low with emotion. "This is the work of both teachers and students — Tu Binh Son and my grandfather. I'm just trying to make the world see the beauty they created together, even if in an incomplete way."

Nguyen Vu turned to look at her, his eyes in that moment contained a deep, undisguised admiration. "You know, from the first day I met you in that coffee shop, I was impressed by the way you viewed your work — not just as a technique, but as an almost sacred respect for what you were touching. The more I got to know you, the more I..." He hesitated, as if considering whether to continue or not.

"What's wrong with you?" Mien Thu asked softly, her heart beating faster when she realized the change in his voice.

"The more I realized I was falling in love with you, in a way I wasn't prepared for." He said, his voice so sincere that it made her choke on her words. "I know this isn't the best time to say this, when everything is so messy. But I don't want to stay silent any longer."

Mien Thu stood still, feeling her heart pounding, mixed with unexpected happiness and a vague fear of letting emotions creep into the middle of an uncertain war. But when she looked into his eyes, all those worries seemed to disappear.

"Me too." She spoke softly, her voice shaking with emotion. "I've also fallen in love with you without realizing it, Mr. Vu."

Nguyen Vu raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek, his eyes filled with tenderness. "So, no matter how many difficulties lie ahead, at least we know we are not alone in facing it."

He leaned down, and this time, their kiss was no longer a fleeting gesture of comfort like the night of the break-in, but a full kiss, filled with all the emotions that had accumulated over the weeks of being together. The soft yellow light of the workshop, the painting "Vong Nguyet" quietly watching from the stand, and the moonlight outside the window seemed to both witness the moment two hearts officially found each other amidst the countless storms of life.

When they separated, they both smiled, a rare smile of relief and happiness amid stressful days. "We will go all the way together." Mien Thu said, resting her head on his shoulder. "No matter where it leads."

"Together." Nguyen Vu replied softly, wrapping his arms around her tighter, like an unshakable promise.

They sat down again at the desk, but this time, the distance between the two chairs was no longer the same as before - Mien Thu sat closer to him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder while the two continued to review the last few details of the plan. There was a new ease in the air, as if admitting their feelings for each other had lifted an invisible layer of tension that neither of them realized they'd been carrying around for so many weeks.

"Are you scared?" Mien Thu asked softly, still looking at the "Vong Nguyet" painting in front of her. "Afraid that if things between us are revealed, people will say you've lost the necessary objectivity of an independent appraiser?"

Nguyen Vu pondered for a moment before answering, his hand still gently caressing her hair. "I thought about that." I'm honest. "But I believe that objectivity does not lie in whether you have feelings for someone or not, but in whether you are willing to let the truth guide you, regardless of whether it hurts you or someone you love. I have witnessed you, from day one, always put the truth above personal feelings, even when it means facing painful things about your own grandfather. That is why I have absolute faith in the integrity of the work we are doing. do, even though now there is an additional emotional tie."

Mien Thu looked up at him, filled with gratitude for having found someone who not only accompanies her at work, but also deeply understands the core values that she always cherishes. "Thank you for believing in me so much."

"I don't just trust you, Mien Thu." He said, his voice deep and warm. "I also admire you, for the courage you have shown throughout this journey. Not everyone is willing to face a truth that can destroy the image of the person they love the most, just to protect the values they believe in."

They sat quietly together for a while longer, enjoying that rare silence amid these turbulent days. Outside the window, the moonlight tonight is almost full, shining a gentle halo down the quiet Hang But alley, as if quietly blessing the budding love between two people who have gone through many challenges together to find each other.

Before leaving late that night, Nguyen Vu held Mien Thu's hand at the workshop door, his eyes were serious and gentle. "No matter what happens in the coming days, no matter how much pressure we face from the Essence side, I want you to remember one thing — this feeling between us is not something that arose from difficult circumstances, not just because we needed a support in the middle of the storm. I love you for who you are, for the way you face the truth, because your heart always puts the right thing above your own safety."

Mien Thu squeezed his hand, her eyes filled with tears from emotion. "Me too, Mr. Vu. No matter what tomorrow brings, I know I have found something more precious than the truth we are looking for - that is someone who will always stand by my side, even if the world turns its back."

He bent down and gently kissed her forehead again before leaving, leaving Mien Thu standing there, watching his shadow disappear into the dark alley, her heart filled with a rare feeling of peace that she no longer clearly remembered feeling like during the past many tumultuous weeks.