Chapter 21 — Stupid But Strong

One month after the trial, the change in public attitudes toward Bach Duy and Tang Ninh became so pronounced that even the most experienced media analysts were surprised by the speed with which public opinion reversed. From a scandal that once put Bach Duy's career on the brink of collapse, the story is now mentioned as a touching testament of courage, sacrifice and sincere love that overcomes all barriers of prejudice.

A famous reality TV show specializing in in-depth interviews about celebrities' private lives contacted Bach Duy to participate in a special interview. After careful consideration with Lam Nha Thu, he decided to accept the invitation, on the condition that he was free to share the story according to what happened, without cutting or distorting it in the direction of sensationalism like many other programs have done.

During the live interview, the host asked Bach Duy about the most difficult moment of his entire journey. He pondered for a moment before answering. "The most difficult moment was not when I was criticized by the public, nor when I had to face Uncle Trong Khai in court," he said, his voice slow and sincere. "It was the moment I realized, the woman I loved had endured six years of loneliness, just because of a decision she was forced to make when she was too young to fully understand everything, and she never once blamed fate for it."

That answer was quickly cut into a short clip, widely spread across social networking platforms, earning millions of likes and sympathetic comments. Many people shared the stories of Bach Duy and Tang Ninh as an example of not being hasty in judging others based on one-sided information, lacking full context.

On fan forums, the comments that once attacked Tang Ninh most harshly have now turned into sincere apologies. An account that wrote the first article spreading malicious rumors about their relationship publicly apologized, admitting that they had hastily made inferences without thoroughly investigating the source of the story. Many young fans shared that Bach Duy and Tang Ninh's story taught them a valuable lesson about being patient in waiting for the right time, instead of letting circumstances dictate hasty decisions that can cause lasting harm to others.

Some major newspapers also ran in-depth articles analyzing the legal and ethical aspects of the story, emphasizing that the relationship between the two only really began when they were both fully grown and independent, and the guardianship relationship had ended six years earlier - a key point that helped completely dispel public opinion's initial doubts about the correctness of both people's behavior.

At the same time, Bach Duy decided to officially release the song "The Person Standing Behind Me" - the original version he wrote when he was eighteen years old, now remixed with a full symphony orchestra, keeping intact the most sincere words about the person who supported him during the most difficult years of his life. The song was released with a music video filmed at Vom La restaurant, with Tang Ninh appearing as a content consultant, although she refused to appear directly in front of the camera.

The song quickly topped the music charts, was considered by experts to be "the most mature and emotional work in Bach Duy's career," and became a cultural phenomenon, seen by many as a symbol of love that overcomes social prejudices to reach each other.

The interview program, after being broadcast, also had a short segment to invite Tang Ninh to share a few words, even though the production crew clearly knew that she was a secretive person and not very interested in appearing in public. After much consideration, she agreed to record a short interview, not filming her face but only recording her voice, reading against the background image of Vom La restaurant in the gentle afternoon sunlight.

"I don't expect everyone to understand every aspect of my decision that year," her voice rang out through the speakers, sincere and not at all secretive. "I just hope that if anyone is in a situation where they have to choose between personal feelings and the responsibility to protect the person they love, they will understand that sometimes the truest love is knowing how to wait for the right time, no matter how painful it is."

That interview, although brief, touched the hearts of millions of viewers, becoming one of the most inspirational moments shared widely that week. Many viewers commented that it was that simple sincerity, without any fuss or fancy, that made their story more trustworthy and respectable than any sensational scandal that had ever appeared in the newspapers.

Tang Ninh, although still maintaining a discreet lifestyle, began to feel a clear change in the way people around her perceived her. Vom La Restaurant now welcomes many new customers, Bach Duy's fans are curious to visit the place where their idol's touching love story started, along with many sincere words of encouragement she received through small cards customers left on the table.

"You see," Ha Thuy Duong said one evening when the two of them sat and counted the shop's skyrocketing sales, "the world has finally seen you correctly. I've said it before, the truth always has a way to win, no matter how far it takes to detour."

Tang Ninh smiled, looking out the window where the vines were sprouting new shoots after a long winter, as a symbol of the revival of her own life. She knows that, although the public has gradually accepted her and Bach Duy's story, there is still one last important step she needs to overcome on her own - that is to completely let go of the old fear that still lingers in her heart, to be able to receive that love to the fullest, without any hesitation or guilt about the gap between roles in the past.

Lam Nha Thu, when summing up the entire media crisis management campaign that has lasted for many months, cannot help but feel proud of what she and her team have overcome together. Revenue from Bach Duy's performances skyrocketed again, even higher than before the scandal happened, thanks to a wave of strong support from the public. She organized a small party to celebrate with the staff who stood by her during the difficult period, not forgetting to invite Tang Ninh to attend as an honorary member of the "family" who fought together through the storms.

"I never thought I would have the day to celebrate with the person who made me lose sleep and eat for months," Lam Nha Thu joked, toasting Tang Ninh at that small party, making the whole table laugh happily. "But now I'm glad you're here, and glad he finally found his true happiness."

Tang Ninh raised her glass in response, her eyes shining with sincere happiness that she rarely revealed to outsiders. She realized that the arduous journey not only brought her back to Bach Duy's side, but also brought her valuable friends and allies that she had never dared to dream of during the six years of living alone.

On the way home after the party, Bach Duy held Tang Ninh's hand and walked slowly through the lit streets, no longer having to wear a hat or mask to hide like before. A few passersby recognized him, smiled slightly and greeted him instead of secretly taking photos or chatting, some even wished them both their blessings. The feeling of being truly alive, of being yourself in a crowded street, was more precious to Bach Duy than any music award he had ever received throughout his career. He squeezed Tang Ninh's hand a little tighter, thinking to himself, perhaps this was the biggest reward that life had given for the tireless efforts of both of them over the years. They continued to walk in the night street lit, no longer in a hurry, no longer afraid, simply enjoying the feeling of walking together like any other normal couple in the heart of the city. It was the simplest thing, but also the thing they both had to wait the longest to reach, after a long journey that started with an orphan teenager holding an old guitar and walking through the gate of the Nhieu family many years ago.