Chapter 9 — The Cheater- Full

“Thank you, brother.” “I should have given it to you a long time ago, but it's not too late.” My father and Aunt Luc went downstairs to play cards, both carrying the key, which was no inconvenience, so I nodded. He poured me a glass of water, I didn't doubt anything, took it and took a sip. "Thank you." "You don't have to be so polite when calling your brother." He poured himself a glass, but didn't drink. I took another sip to hide my embarrassment and smiled: "Just because we're family, we have to say thank you, right?" "Family?" He muttered, as if mulling over these two words: "Can we become family?" "Aren't we family now? You're a brother, I'm a sister." I bowed my head and took another sip of water, avoiding his eyes. "But I don't want to be your brother anymore!" He suddenly stood up. made me startled, it took me three seconds to understand the meaning of that sentence. "Dad and aunt are almost home, it's too late, I have to go home." I put down my cup and was about to go. "Go home? Where are Vi Vi going? Isn't this your house?" He blocked my way, squeezed my waist, pushed me down on the sofa, trying to kiss me. "You're crazy! Luc Xuyen Tich, I consider you my brother, are you treating your sister like this?" I was scared. Goosebumps all over my body, my stomach churning, without thinking I kicked and punched him. "Who wants to be my brother!" He shouted loudly, pressing my legs to prevent me from moving, his hands trying to slide into my shirt. "No way!" I screamed, pushed his hand away, scratched, even hit him with my head: "Luc Xuyen Tich, you know what I'm most afraid of, if you still have a conscience, stop now!" "Can't stop anymore, Vi Vi, because a The other part of me didn't want to stop. "I wanted to rise up and protest, but the terrible thing was that my eyes suddenly became blurry, my mind was dizzy, and my limbs gradually became weak. Memories of that rainy night appeared in my mind again. There is a problem with this move... "Luc Xuyen Tich, let me go, let me go." I cried and screamed, my throat was sore, my voice was hoarse. "You know exactly what I hate the most, yet you try to recreate it, you used to be the closest person to me, why did you do that?" The pain in my heart felt like it was bleeding. Even though I cried, even threatened to call the police, and almost knelt down to beg him, Luc Xuyen Tich still silently picked me up and took me to his bedroom. "Vi Vi, don't worry, I won't do anything to you, I just don't want you to marry that man. Just be patient for one night, it's fine for tonight." "After tomorrow, we will be together forever, no one can separate us." He started to take off my shirt. Tomorrow? Tomorrow if my family sees me lying naked with my nominal brother, what will they think? What will Hua Minh Trach think? Even if he wants to believe me, once this is exposed, how will his family look at me? Can this marriage still be saved? How much pressure will Hua Minh Trach have to endure because of me? When the belt was taken off, I was so humiliated that I wanted to die. Luc Xuyen Tich, he has been with me for more than twenty years, but in the end he hurt me over and over again. He knew exactly what I was most afraid of and hated the most, and used that same method to rub salt into my heart again. The effects of the medicine gradually increased, eventually I was enveloped in endless darkness, my body kept falling, falling... Mr. Hua, goodbye, my lover. "Vi Vi, Vi Vi, wake up, wake up..." The familiar and loving voice was calling me, I instinctively wanted to open my eyes, but the memories of last night gradually came back. I, I was raped by Luc Xuyen Tich... The smell of disinfectant

The bugs in the hospital were still so obnoxious, I lay on the bed and couldn't stop vomiting. Hua Minh Trach wanted to hug me, I pushed his hand away and desperately hid in bed. "Don't, don't, please, A Trach, please don't touch me." I cried so much that I couldn't breathe, my brain lacked oxygen, my vision blurred. In a blur of tears, he strongly pulled me into his arms: "Don't be afraid! Vi Vi, don't be afraid! Nothing has happened. I guarantee, nothing has happened, you are still you, no matter what, you will always be the Vi Vi that I love the most." "Really?" I didn't dare to believe it and cried loudly, both hoping and fearing in my heart. "Really! Mr. Hua has never lied to me, last night he arrived on time, he didn't have time to do anything. Right after that, I took you to the hospital. The doctor said to stay and observe, if nothing happened, I would be discharged." He wiped my tears and carefully comforted me: "Don't be afraid, Vi Vi, I'm always here." I held his sleeve tightly, trying to calm down, but the tears couldn't stop flowing, becoming more and more intense. "Vi Vi, next month we will get married, next year I will take graduation photos with you, we will go to the North Pole to see the Northern Lights, to the South Pole to see penguins. I still have you here, if I give up, what will Hua know?" "So, Vi Vi, don't leave me alone, without you, Hua is also very afraid of loneliness." Brother Gently lifted my face, placed a kiss on my forehead, my eyes sparkled with starlight. Like a bright sword breaking through the dark night. That's right, why do I punish myself and make my lover sad? I nodded strongly, said hoarsely: "Okay!" When I had a hard time calming down, I remembered to ask what happened next. "The anesthetic was synthesized by him in the school laboratory. The dosage was not much, but the concentration was high, so I only took a few sips and passed out." He said carefully, so as not to agitate me. "Uncle Lang probably doesn't know, it was my aunt who called me last night, but this matter is very difficult to handle..." "In terms of love, we are a remarried family, you and he are both brothers." In name, he was once a lover. But after what happened, he denied the relationship, this time he used drugs on me, over and over again, causing me to become depressed." "If these things were told, whether Luc Xuyen Tich was in prison or not, the relationship between everyone would probably be very difficult. Auntie would probably feel guilty, perhaps she would blame me, and Uncle Lang, while loving me, would not know how to face her There is always a thorn that cannot be removed. Every time I think about it, it will hurt. Over time, this family will probably fall apart." "In theory, he used the school laboratory to synthesize banned substances, causing harm to others, which is a violation of the law. If it weren't for you and Uncle Lang, I would have called the police last night and arrested him for intentional rape!" "Auntie would have given that cup to me." He gently patted my back, helping me feel more comfortable, continuing. He continued hesitantly. "Vi Vi, this is a difficult situation, but the final decision is still up to you, so... you have to make a decision. Even though I firmly want him to go to jail, I respect your choice and am ready to endure the consequences with you in the future. So don't be afraid, just do what you think." I covered my face and sadly said: "I, I don't know. Logically he should be punished, but we've lived together for so many years, Dad." I'm old, my aunt isn't any younger, they shouldn't have to worry about what's going on between me and Luc Xuyen Tich. They're the most important people to me, I think, maybe I'll choose to be patient, so that everyone can feel at ease." Speaking of this, my tears continued to flow. "But I'm not willing, why didn't he do the wrong thing?"

must endure any punishment, and you haven't done anything wrong, you are the victim, why do you have to bear everything?" He hugged me tightly, holding my head against his chest, as if wanting to give me strength. "Vi Vi, if you trust me, let me handle this, okay?" "Okay." I don't know what Hua Minh Trach did, but a week later, Luc Xuyen Tich resigned from the school and voluntarily surrendered. During that time, Aunt Luc always wanted to meet me, but Hua Minh Trach always found a reason to refuse. "Vi Vi, regardless of whether you come to apologize or beg, I will soften my heart and forgive Luc Xuyen Tich. I don't want to see that happen, because you will become the person who suffers the most." After the verdict on Luc Xuyen Tich, I met Aunt Luc. She had lost a lot of weight and her hair had turned a lot of gray. As soon as she saw me, she shed tears and was about to kneel down. Hua Minh Trach and I quickly held back. "Sorry, sorry, Tieu Vi, it's you who is sorry for me..." "Auntie, it has nothing to do with you, he has been punished by the law. This has passed, you are still my dearest person, I don't blame you." "It's because you didn't raise him well, you should have realized it early. People often say that no one understands their child better than their mother. When he and I fell in love, she knew it early on, but never asked. Later, when something happened to you, I asked her what she thought about you. She said she considered you her little sister, and then she and your father felt at ease." "So does your father know about this?" I bit my lip, a bit worried. "Tieu Trach said, telling her not to rush to tell your father, but to discuss it with you first." "Vi Vi, it's my opinion not to tell Uncle Lang for now." Hua Minh Trach came and sat next to me, hugging me: "I think, If my father knows about this, other than making him sad, it won't do any good. It's also very difficult for him to be among his children. He is already old. Instead of worrying him, it would be better to let him live peacefully in the last years of his life. Of course, that's just my opinion, in the end it's up to you and aunt to decide." I thought for a moment and said: "A Trach, thank you, you actually did the right thing. Dad knows that this will only make him more heartbroken, it won't do any good, on the contrary it will make us all uncomfortable, so I don't plan to tell him. Aunt, how do you feel? Don't tell your dad about this for now, okay?" "But I feel guilty in my heart, I'm really sorry..." "Auntie, I just hope you and dad live peacefully, don't let old age turn your back on each other. I don't feel uncomfortable, as a child, it's okay to suffer a little inconvenience because of my parents." After I persistently persuaded, Aunt Luc agreed not to tell my father for now, waiting for Luc Xuyen Tich to be released from prison before thinking about it. Temporarily made up the excuse that Luc Xuyen Tich went abroad for treatment or secret research. After Aunt Luc left, I hugged Hua Minh Trach and said thank you. "A Trach, thank you for always thinking of me, maybe in my past life I saved the entire galaxy. Ha, that's why I met a good person like you in this life." "Vi Vi, why do you say that?" He humorously touched my nose. "Take for example what happened just now, I hid it from your father, let you and Aunt Luc discuss it first, actually this has two benefits for you. First, don't make your father sad, wait for Luc Xuyen Tich to get out of prison, even though he knows about it, he will already be punished, we will be married at that time, dad won't be as heartbroken as he is now." "Second, because I agreed to hide it from dad, even though Aunt Luc initially blamed me for Luc Xuyen Tich, but now she feels sorry and is more grateful to me, and will take good care of dad, and they will also live in harmony." He raised his eyebrows in surprise and patted my head. "Vi Vi, you are so smart, actually at that time I didn't think too much, I just wanted to minimize the pain for you, but if you think so, I'm very happy." "A Trach, meeting you

"Me too, meeting each other was the best arrangement." We looked at each other and smiled, all without needing to say anything. In September, I went to report to my new office. I happened to meet a college friend. She told me that the idol in the school, Mr. Luc, had resigned, and I heard that he was still in prison. I smiled, acting like I didn't know anything. She told me that the girlfriend of a teacher at the school had been fired because of academic fraud and project fund fraud. And that teacher could very well be Mr. Luc. This was surprising. I suddenly remembered the time I happened to meet them arguing about applying for a project. Is this related to Hua Minh Trach? I shook my head, why bother, even if it was him, he did nothing wrong, wouldn't it be right for the evil truth to be exposed and punished? I don't know. Like the summer when I was eighteen, the sky was blue, the sunlight chased the trees, the cool breeze brought hope for the future. At that time, there were boys waiting, there were mature girls, there were people waiting to meet each other, just like now. Regarding this love, Luc Xuyen Tich was often torn, he both did not want to let go, and could not accept that Lang Vi was raped He couldn't accept that he was a coward. He thought he could overcome this psychological barrier. But from the beginning, he chose to hide. When it happened, his mother asked him about Lang Vi, he thought about that rainy night... the small hotel... the big bed... So he instinctively denied it, but in the midst of the struggle, in the end, he still decided decisively, choosing a peaceful ending for the two of them, each on their own I thought, I did my best. Anyway, when it happened, he didn't abandon Lang Vi, and then actively helped her overcome the pain. But was this care for her? Or was it for a legitimate reason for her departure? Even Luc Xuyen Tich himself couldn't tell clearly. Just like when Lang Vi sadly proposed to break up, he was angry with her when she was weak Is it because he's angry because he's not trusted by the person he loves, or is it because he's embarrassed and angry at being told something wrong? Or it can be said that he simply doesn't dare to differentiate clearly, because if he does, he will have to expose his true nature, exposing all his imperfections in front of everyone. How can Luc Xuyen Tich, who always pursues absolute perfection, admit that he is not perfect? I think, life is a blessing, seeing things too clearly only makes people more miserable and torn. Therefore, he chose to hide in exchange for peace. Being with Bach Nguyet Nguyet was a decision he carefully considered, firstly because Bach Nguyet Nguyet likes him and they are in the same field, secondly because he has reached the age where he needs to take care of the big things in life Nguyet has some similarities with the old Lang Vi. Bringing Bach Nguyet Nguyet home is an implicit declaration to Lang Vi: we are not lovers, so there is no such thing as breaking up. You and Lang Vi just returned to your rightful place. "Because we always treated you like a sister, I'm sorry that when we were young, we accidentally confused between love and affection.

love, also made you misunderstand." "Now that we understand, we have to correct the mistake, so let's return to our proper roles." From beginning to end, Luc Xuyen Tich was never the one to proactively suggest "breaking up", of course he can't be considered an ungrateful person. He thinks that, with time, he and Lang Vi will adapt to their status as brothers in name. Wait until the two have their own lives, perhaps gradually they will no longer go back and forth, just seeing each other. He wasn't afraid that Lang Vi would hate him, because no matter how deep the feelings and memories were, they would fade over time, eventually becoming normal or only fragments remaining. He focused on being in love with Bach Nguyet Nguyet, deliberately ignoring Lang Vi's situation No matter what, there are not many things to keep in mind. It's just that sometimes, when he recalls his childhood days, he still feels a little regretful in his heart. Luc Xuyen Tich lives in peace, "not seeing" Lang Vi walking with a heavy burden. ... Luc Xuyen Tich suddenly discovered that, not knowing when, there was a strange but very excellent man. It's not really strange, after all, they had met once, uncle Lang often mentioned this person. He had a good family background, had good abilities, and was good everywhere. The more Lang Vi looked at him, the more satisfied he was. If Lang Vi wasn't in trouble, he really wanted to introduce his beloved daughter to Hua Minh Trach. Now, it seemed that Uncle Lang had fulfilled his wish. This time, Luc Xuyen Tich really saw that Hua Minh Trach was very interested in taking care of Lang Vi, and Lang Vi did not resist his approach. This man, the two of them were as happy and affectionate as honey. He suddenly felt unwilling. It was as if someone else had stolen this precious thing from him. It was the flower he planted himself, and had grown in his pot since he was a child. He had carefully cared for it for more than twenty years, but then someone took it away. He couldn't bear to let it go, and he didn't want it to wither, so he decided to close his eyes ignored, leaving her to self-destruct. So, just because he left for a moment, someone else took the opportunity to uproot and take away? He looked at the empty flower pot in his hand and started to struggle again: "Should I take back this withered flower and replant the flower that belongs to me?" Hua Minh Trach suddenly proposed to Lang Vi. He finally couldn't control it anymore. Why can this man not care about those things, can accept Lang Vi, but he cannot? If you don't try again, how will you know you can't? Twenty years of love, how can you say that forgetting is forgetting? He tried to hold on to Lang Vi. But Lang Vi firmly refused him. Only then did he realize that she was not Luu Lan Chi, nor was he Tieu Trong Khanh. Luu Lan Chi voluntarily jumped into the lake because of love. Although Tieu Trong Khanh was weak, he kept his promise to hang himself on a southeastern tree branch. There are people and things that, once lost, cannot be found again. ….. When Lang Vi and Hua Minh Trach got engaged, right at the time the school organized an international exchange project with a university in Africa, he proactively asked the school to let him go to Africa to participate in a collaborative academic forum, and asked his mother to send them congratulatory money. Bach Nguyet Nguyet went with him. When the forum ended, she said she wanted to go out to the nearby tourist city, hearing that there was a cultural festival there recently. Even though the school had told me many times not to wander around, the security there was not good. But

could not resist Bach Nguyet Nguyet's request. He thought that during the day, there were also police here, leaving and coming back in just one day, how could he be so unlucky that something happened? But reality shows us that humans should not have a lucky mentality. The bus arrived at the neighboring city, on a rough road, suddenly encountered a group of armed robbers, they aggressively chased everyone off the bus. The driver had clearly seen this scene before, speaking in a local language that no one understood, earnestly pleading with the leader. The final result of the negotiation was that most people stayed, and a few people returned to prepare a ransom. You and Bach Nguyet Nguyet, of course you stay. Bach Nguyet Nguyet also thinks so. During seven days of detention, he was forced to reshape his concept of life. Of course the robbers did not treat them well. It was normal to be hungry for a day. The most important thing was that there was no water to drink. Even if there was water, the quality of the water here, who would dare to drink much. On the third day of detention, he witnessed with his own eyes an American man who, after being bitten by a mosquito, vomited and had a high fever, had no medicine, and on the sixth day went to meet his God. The robbers tied his body to a rock and threw it into a nearby river. Among the hostages, there were also women kept, and the robbers showed no mercy. Some people even targeted him, seeing that he looked white and clean, but his body was thinner than that of European Americans, so they tried to violate him. He tried to resist, even though he maintained his "purity", but was beaten to a pulp, lying on the ground like a dead dog, so pitiful. Always on the border between life and death, almost having his pants ripped off, Luc Xuyen Tich never thought that his smooth life for more than twenty years would one day encounter such bad luck. His whole body was in pain, and he had a high fever. He felt so uncomfortable that he almost died. In his coma, he remembered many things. Remembering the admirable half of my life, remembering my academic ambitions, remembering my mother and Uncle Lang. Also remember Lang Vi, recall the happy moments they spent together from childhood to adulthood. The familiar call "Mr. Tich" echoed in his heart. The more you miss, the more you want. At this moment he suddenly realized, dirty or clean, perfect or defective, all are illusions, only survival is the best thing. Living and being with the person you love is what you want to do most right now. He waited with difficulty, waiting for Bach Nguyet Nguyet to lead someone to save him. On Saturday, a gunshot rang out, giving him hope of survival. At the airport, he proposed to break up with Bach Nguyet Nguyet. He wants to return and find Lang Vi again. ….. Luc Xuyen Tich felt like another person appeared in him, the memories of Africa almost made him crazy. Lang Vi and Hua Minh Trach have registered their marriage, their relationship is very good, Lang Vi really only sees him as an older brother. Using emotions seems impossible to hold her back. So what to do? The voice in his heart always softly said: "Didn't you have a plan for a long time?" His plan is very simple. Like a chemical reaction, old substances are broken down and then recombined to form new substances. But the reaction time can be short or long, some happen immediately, some last for years. Therefore, now he needs to be a "catalyst", to accelerate the process of "dissolving" the relationship between Lang Vi and Hua Minh Trach, and then recombining the relationship between him and Lang Vi. But he never thought that this equation in the name of love was unreasonable from the beginning. ….. Aunt Luc

I was playing cards with a few old ladies downstairs. After one game, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my heart. She didn't know why, she really wanted to go home and see. Her son was home alone, his mental state was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Everyone knew her family's situation, some felt sorry, some cared and asked a few questions, then quickly let her go home. She told Lang's father and then went home herself, discovering that there was an extra pair of shoes outside the door, belonging to Lang Vi. There was no one in the living room, but there were two glasses of water on the table. She felt even more uncomfortable, her heart was pounding non-stop. As if on cue, she didn't call anyone but hurried to Luc Xuyen Tich's room. Push the door open. Her son was not there. Only Lang Vi, his pants pulled down to his knees, eyes closed, lying motionless on the bed. No matter how you call, you won't wake up. …… Luc Xuyen Tich was halfway through his work when he suddenly felt scared, his hands trembled uncontrollably, but he knew that once "the sword was drawn, the bow was drawn" he couldn't take it back, so he went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette to calm down. He didn't think that Lang Vi would hate him when he woke up. He didn't believe that twenty years of childhood love could never lose to the two years of living together between her and Hua Minh Trach. Extinguishing the cigarette butt, he returned to the room and opened the door. His heart sank, he knew, everything was over. Welcoming him was his mother's eyes of disbelief and her face full of tears. "Tieu Tich, you disappoint me so much!"... When Hua Minh Trach came to pick him up, his eyes looked like he wanted to kill Luc Xuyen Tich. If it weren't for rushing Lang Vi to the hospital, they would definitely have had a real "fight between dragons and tigers" between men. Fighting with bare hands, the most primitive act of flirting with women. After they left, his mother could no longer keep calm. She angrily scolded him, scolded him for being a bastard, scolded him for being ungrateful, scolding him for being selfish and self-seeking... Finally, she cried and knelt down in front of him, forcing him to stay home, or voluntarily surrender, or wait for Lang Vi to wake up and call the police. He helped his mother who was crying until she was about to faint, suddenly feeling ridiculous. The person who always pursues perfection like him, one day becomes the person he despises the most. …… He decided to turn himself in, not because of what Hua Minh Trach said. But because he just felt tired and wanted to find a place to escape his guilt. Prison is isolated from the outside world, the law will punish him for what he has done, and is also a suitable place for him to escape.