Chapter 6 — The Beggar Husband Turns Out to Be a Dragon

A month has passed since Bach Tranh moved into the Anh Duong villa, and Mrs. Lam Bich Van, after seeing that all threats and subtle pressures could not make Tuyet Nhi chase him away, decided to switch to a more drastic tactic.

"Come over here, mom has something to tell you." She called Tuyet Nhi into her private office, her voice unusually serious. On the table is a cup of tea and a thick file with the name "Khai Nguyen Group" prominently printed on the outside cover.

"Mom, why are you calling me?" Tuyet Nhi sat down, her eyes cautiously looking at the files on the table.

"I discussed it with the Ton family." Ms. Bich Van opened her mouth, her voice filled with pride as if announcing great news. "Uncle Ton Khai Minh, the only son of the chairman of Khai Nguyen Group, has expressed his wish to marry you. This is a match made in heaven. Both families have agreed. We are only waiting for you to nod so we can hold the engagement ceremony next month."

Tuyet Nhi was stunned, not expecting her stepmother to go this far. "Mom, I've never met Ton Khai Minh more than a few times. How can I decide on a lifelong marriage so hastily?"

"Marriage between large families does not require prior love; love can be gradually cultivated after marriage." Ms. Bich Van replied, her voice decisive as if she had already arranged all the arguments. "Mr. Khai Minh is a talented man with a distinguished family background. The two families joining together will further strengthen Chan Hung Group's position in the marketplace. This is the best opportunity you can have, you should not miss it."

"I don't agree." Tuyet Nhi replied directly, without any hesitation.

"What did you say?" Ms. Bich Van rolled her eyes, not believing her ears. "Do you know what you're denying yourself? This is an opportunity that many other rich ladies dream of not having!"

"I don't need that chance." Tuyet Nhi stood up, her voice determined. "I don't love Khai Minh, and I also don't want to get married just for business benefits between two families."

"So what do you want? Do you want to live the rest of your life with that beggar you picked up?" Ms. Bich Van growled, her eyes cold.

That question made Tuyet Nhi pause for a moment, but then she raised her head, her eyes more determined than ever. "That's right. If I had to choose, I would choose to marry Bach Tranh."

Mrs. Bich Van was stunned, the tea cup in her hand almost fell to the ground. "You're crazy! Do you know what you just said? Are you planning on marrying someone who has no father, no mother, no career, and not an inch of land to settle down as your husband? Are you planning to let the entire Giang family bring laughter to the world?"

"I don't care what other people think." Tuyet Nhi replied, her voice still unwavering. "I just know, over the past month, I've seen more valuable things in him than anyone I've ever met in this upper class. He's kind, smart, has dignity, and most importantly, I trust him."

"Trust?" Ms. Bich Van smirked, her voice full of sarcasm. "You trust someone whose background and origin you don't even know? What if he's just taking advantage of your kindness to get into a rich family?"

"If he intended to take advantage, there have been hundreds of opportunities in the past month for him to take action, but he has never asked for anything from his children or from his family." Tuyet Nhi objected. "On the contrary, he always refuses everything I want to give him, only accepting what is most necessary."

The argument lasted until Giang Chan Hung heard the noise and ran in to intervene. Hearing what happened, he pondered for a long time, looking at his daughter thoughtfully.

"Tuyet Nhi, have you thought carefully?" He asked, his voice calm but serious. "Marriage is not a joke, once you decide, you must take responsibility to the end."

"I've thought about it very carefully, father." Tuyet Nhi replied, looking straight at her father. "I know this decision will make many people object, but this is my life, I want to choose my companion, not for business benefits or family reputation."

Giang Chan Hung was silent for a long time, his heart was torn between the responsibility of a father who wanted to protect his daughter from rash decisions, and the respect for her right to self-determination. Finally, he sighed. "Dad wants to meet Uncle Bach Tranh directly and talk clearly once before making the final decision."

The meeting took place in Giang Chan Hung's office the next afternoon. Bach Tranh walked in, looking calm, not showing any fear or embarrassment in front of the head of a large corporation like many other people often react.

"You know Tuyet Nhi just told his family that he wants to marry you?" Giang Chan Hung opened his mouth, his sharp eyes observing Bach Tranh's every expression.

"I know." Bach Tranh replied, his voice calm.

"Do you think you're worthy of my daughter?" Giang Chan Hung asked directly. "You have no job, no assets, no clear background. If you really love her, do you think you are dragging her into a life full of risk and scandal?"

Bach Tranh was silent for a moment, his eyes looked at Giang Chan Hung, a true respect rose in his heart for this man's straightforward way of thinking, without relying on authority or money to impose.

"You're right, right now I have nothing to prove that I am worthy of Tuyet Nhi according to normal standards." He replied, his voice sincere. "But I can promise you one thing: I will use my whole life to protect and cherish her, and one day, I will prove to you that a person's value does not lie in his assets or background, but in what he is willing to do for the person he loves."

Giang Chan Hung looked at Bach Tranh for a long time. In his eyes, he did not find any lies or calculations, only an unusual steadfastness, as if that promise was not just an empty word to please him.

"Alright." Finally he spoke, his voice somewhat tired but also somewhat giving in. "I will not stop Tuyet Nhi's decision, but you must remember your promise today. If you hurt her, I will not forgive."

"I will remember." Bach Tranh bowed his head, his voice solemn.

A few days later, when news of the divorce spread to the Ton family, Ton Khai Minh himself took the initiative to meet Tuyet Nhi to talk frankly, a meeting that both agreed was necessary to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings later.

"I heard you rejected this marriage to choose someone else." Khai Minh opened his mouth, his voice unable to hide a bit of hurt pride, but still maintaining the inherent politeness of a person who had been formally educated since childhood.

"I'm sorry for making you and your family feel uncomfortable." Tuyet Nhi replied, her voice sincere. "But I think, if we get married just for the sake of both families without real feelings, both you and I will be unhappy in the future."

Khai Minh was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, the pride in his eyes gradually disappearing. "What you say makes sense. Actually, I've never really been moved by you. It's just that my family arranged it so I followed. If you've found someone you truly love, I wish you happiness, even if that person surprises many people."

"Thank you for understanding me." Tuyet Nhi breathed a sigh of relief, she didn't expect Khai Minh to be so open-minded, completely different from her original image of an arrogant, unapproachable young master.

"I just hope the person you choose is worthy of the courage you spent." Khai Minh added, then stood up to say goodbye, saving face without causing any more trouble for her, something that made Tuyet Nhi secretly grateful for many days afterward.

The news that Giang Chan Hung agreed to let Tuyet Nhi marry Bach Tranh quickly spread throughout the villa, making Mrs. Lam Bich Van so angry that she had to lie down and rest all afternoon, while Bao Son slammed the door and did not bother to come out for dinner.

But that night, when Tuyet Nhi went to Bach Tranh's room to tell the good news, she saw him standing quietly by the window, his eyes looking far into the horizon, his face showing a bit of concern.

"Aren't you happy?" She asked, a little worried.

Bach Tranh turned around and quickly smiled warmly, dispelling the previous worry. "I'm happy, it's just..." He hesitated for a moment. "I'm afraid that one day, marrying me will cause you to pay a very high price that you never anticipated."

"I'm not afraid." Tuyet Nhi held his hand, her eyes determined. "Whatever that price is, I'm ready to accept it, as long as I can be with you."

Bach Tranh squeezed her hand tightly, his heart was both warm and heavy with an anxiety that was hard to name. He knows that this marriage promise is not simply a love story between two people, but can also be the beginning of a series of great events, when the boundary between the human world and the dragon world to which he belongs will become more and more fragile than ever.