Chapter 24 — Stupid But Strong

One year after that memorable awards ceremony, Vom La restaurant still retains its simple and cozy appearance as ever, although it has now become a place visited by many fans, not only because of the delicious coffee, but also because this is the starting place for the love story that has overcome many storms of Bach Duy and Tang Ninh. Tang Ninh has hired two more employees to help with the work, but she still maintains the habit of making cups of coffee herself for her most familiar customers, especially for the man who still visits the shop regularly every week, even though his schedule is now much busier.

Bach Duy's career continued to flourish after his relationship was made public. His latest album, inspired entirely by their love story and their journey to overcome adversity, has become one of the best-selling albums in domestic music history, helping him win many more prestigious awards. But no matter how successful he is, he always makes regular time to return to Vom La restaurant, where he feels most at peace amid the busy life of a famous artist.

Nhieu's family company, after undergoing a comprehensive restructuring process under court supervision, was transferred an important part to Bach Duy in accordance with his father's will, but he decided not to directly run it, but to hand it over to an independent, transparent board of directors, only holding the role of shareholder to commemorate his father's dedication to that business. He quietly used most of the profits from shares to establish a small scholarship fund for orphans with artistic talent, as a way to show gratitude to the life that gave him a second chance.

On a late autumn evening, right in the season when Bach Duy first moved in with Tang Ninh many years ago, he decided this would be the perfect time to do what he had been meaning to do for a long time. He asked Ha Thuy Duong to help him secretly redecorate Vom La restaurant after closing time, stringing small twinkling lights around the vines in front of the porch, while Lam Nha Thu helped him arrange his schedule to have a full evening without being interrupted by any work.

Tang Ninh, unaware of the plan being prepared, simply thought that Bach Duy invited her to stay at the restaurant after closing time to have dinner together like before. When she stepped out of the inner room after changing her outfit, she was stunned by the scene before her eyes - the whole shop was shimmeringly lit by hundreds of small lights, a table was delicately arranged right at the position of the innermost corner table, where Bach Duy had sat the first time they reunited after six years apart.

"Bach Duy, what's going on?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

He walked out from behind the counter, holding an old guitar in his hand - not the travel guitar he had been carrying with him these days, but the old guitar he had brought with him since he was sixteen when he moved in with her, which he had carefully preserved over the years like a priceless keepsake.

"I want tonight to be a special night," he said, smiling, leading her to sit at the ornately decorated table. "Before we begin, I want to sing you a new song, the last song in our story."

He sat down, held the guitar, and sang a melody that Tang Ninh had never heard before - gentle, warm, no longer melancholy like the first songs he wrote when he was eighteen, but full of hope and gratitude. The song's lyrics told the story of a foolish orphan boy's journey, being taught by a woman what love was, having to be separated due to ironic circumstances, then finally finding each other again after many ups and downs, to realize that sincere love was always worth waiting for, no matter how many years it took.

When the song ended, Bach Duy put the guitar aside, knelt down on one knee in front of Tang Ninh, took out a small box from his pocket, inside was a simple but delicate ring.

"Tang Ninh," he said, his voice shaking with emotion but his eyes as steady as ever. "Many years ago, I took in a foolish orphan boy, taught him what love is, taught him how to stand up after loss. Six years of separation later, and then a fateful reunion, gave both of us the opportunity to prove that we were strong enough to keep our own love, to overcome all the storms of life together. Now, I want to ask you a question that I have cherished for a long time — do you agree to be my wife? no, so that we can continue to write our story, not as guardian and foster child, but as two equal partners, walking together for the rest of our lives?"

Tang Ninh raised her hand to cover her mouth, tears rolling down endlessly, but the smile on her lips was brighter than any moment she had ever experienced. “I agree,” she said, her voice choked with happiness. "I agree, Bach Duy. No more hesitation."

He put the ring on her finger, then stood up, hugged her tightly, both burst into tears of happiness, amidst the shimmering lights of the very place that witnessed their fateful reunion many years ago. Outside the glass window, the vines gently swayed in the late autumn night breeze, as if quietly witnessing and blessing that sacred moment.

"You know," Tang Ninh whispered, resting her head on his chest, "the first day you walked through my gate, holding an old guitar, I thought, this will be a little brother I need to protect and take care of. I never imagined, many years later, that little brother would become the strongest man I've ever known, strong enough to protect and hold my heart."

"And I never thought," Bach Duy replied, a warm smile on his lips, "that stupid, clumsy boy that day, could find enough courage to keep the greatest happiness of his life, only thanks to the unconditional love you have given me from the first days."

They stood there, embracing each other in the shimmering lights of Vom La restaurant, the place that had witnessed their entire journey — from the first days of awkward and reserved, through the painful separation, to the fateful reunion, and now the promise of a shared future. Outside, the city is still bustling with lights, life continues as usual, but for the two people embracing each other in that moment, time seems to have stopped, leaving only love, gratitude, and a bright future waiting ahead.

News of the proposal quickly spread when Ha Thuy Duong, unable to contain her joy, posted a secretly taken photo of the two embracing each other under shimmering lights on her personal page, along with a sincere blessing. That photo quickly became the most loved moment of the year, not because of the flashiness of a celebrity wedding, but because of the simplicity and sincerity emanating from the humble place that witnessed their entire journey.

A few months later, a small, cozy wedding was held right in the garden of the old house belonging to the Nhieu family, which Bach Duy quietly bought after it was for sale, as a way to turn the place that had witnessed both their pain and happiness into a complete new beginning. Only the closest people were invited to attend - Lam Nha Thu, Ha Thuy Duong, the old lawyer, and a few close friends in Bach Duy's art world. The flower trellis in the front yard, once withered after many years of abandonment, was now taken care of by Tang Ninh and made it green again, blooming right on that important day, like a silent blessing from the very land that nurtured their love.

From a foolish orphan boy to a man strong enough to keep his own happiness, Bach Duy's journey ended completely where it once began - in the arms of the woman who taught him what true love is, and now they would continue writing their story together, with no distance, no fear, only a love that had been proven over time, worthy of all the wait, and a new home for both of them. Together, they could continue to write the most beautiful chapters of their lives.