Chapter 3 — The Heiress's Selection of a Husband

The gate of the Chu family mansion appeared before Anh Thu's eyes more majestically than she imagined. Two black iron gates carved with elaborate patterns, two stone lions on both sides, and behind was a white gravel road leading into a three-storey neoclassical-style mansion, with a dark red tile roof that stood out among the green trees. She stood crouched on the opposite side of the road, pretending to adjust the strap of her canvas bag, never taking her eyes off the scene in front of her.

At that moment, a small truck carrying construction materials deliberately backed into the side gate to deliver the goods, but the driver's clumsy operation caused the vehicle to block the main entrance, just as three luxury cars of the Chu family were preparing to leave the mansion to go to the noon shareholder meeting.

"Driver, stop the car now!" A cold, authoritative voice rang out from the lead car. The window rolled down, revealing the angular face of a man in his thirties, his razor-sharp eyes scanning the truck with an expression of obvious discomfort. "The meeting starts in three minutes, are you planning on making me late because of a brick truck?"

The truck driver was frantic, sweat pouring down his forehead, trying to steer, but the wheel got stuck in a drainage ditch on the side of the road, making the situation even more chaotic. From afar, Anh Thu could feel the tension spreading. The gate guards rushed to support, but it only made things more chaotic.

The second car door opened, another man got out, tall, with a calmer demeanor than the grumpy brother in the car. He wore a simple but elegantly tailored ash gray suit, his hair was neatly combed, his face did not show much emotion but his eyes observed the situation very quickly and accurately.

"Mr. Bach, just get in the car first, let me handle it." The man spoke, his voice was calm and not in a hurry. He walked up to the panicked driver and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, steer slowly in the direction I show you, don't step on the accelerator too hard."

Under that calm guidance, in less than a minute, the truck was removed from its stuck position, making way for the Chu family's convoy. The man named Bach in the front car still frowned uncomfortably, but did not say another word, just signaled his private driver to continue driving.

"Mr. Hai is always so hot-tempered." From the third car, a youthful, somewhat mischievous voice rang out. The car door lowered, revealing the face of a young man, about twenty-four years old, his hair slightly messy in a modern style, and a grin on his lips. "Is that what Mr. Ba said, Mr. Khang?"

The man who had just handled the situation, his name turned out to be Khang, shook his head slightly, the corner of his lips curled up in a faint smile. "Phong, you should fix your tie first, don't worry about other people's problems."

The boy named Phong looked down at his collar, discovered that his tie was askew, and quickly adjusted it amid his own laughter, causing the previously tense atmosphere to ease somewhat. Anh Thu stood from afar observing the entire development, silently remembering every little detail about the three men who had just appeared.

The eldest brother, Chu Vinh Bach, had the demeanor of someone used to giving orders, hot-tempered, valuing time and face above all else. The second person, Chu Vinh Khang, showed a rare calmness, knowing how to handle the situation quickly without raising his voice, his meticulous eyes as if he had seen through the nature of the problem before anyone could speak. As for the youngest, Chu Vinh Phong, although he had a carefree and mischievous appearance, the way he teases his brother in times of tension shows an extraordinary social acumen.

When the convoy was about to roll off, Chu Vinh Khang's eyes accidentally glanced at the side of the road, where Anh Thu was standing. Just for a brief moment, their eyes met. Anh Thu quickly bowed her head, pretending to pay attention to the cloth bag in her hand, her heart beating faster than usual. She didn't know if she imagined it or not, but she felt like his eyes lingered on her longer than a casual glance, as if trying to memorize a strange face in a crowd of passersby.

The convoy left, leaving the road back to its usual quietness. The truck driver was still breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead, muttering something to the guards about "Second Uncle is nice, not like Eldest Uncle". Ms. Thu took the opportunity to approach and pretend to ask for directions to start a conversation.

"Uncle, may I ask, is this the Chu family? I heard they need a maid here." She asked, her voice gentle and a bit timid, just like a country girl coming to the big city for the first time.

The driver looked at her from head to toe, a little surprised but not suspicious. "That's right, miss, this is the Chu family's mansion. If you want to apply for a job, go see housekeeper Xuan at the side gate, she's in charge of recruiting housekeepers. But be careful, she's very picky."

"Yes, thank you, uncle." Ms. Thu bowed her head in thanks, then glanced towards the side gate that the driver had just pointed to. A smaller gate, less elaborately decorated, hidden behind a green fence, was clearly the entrance and exit for employees of the mansion.

Before leaving, she looked back at the entire mansion again, trying to memorize every architectural detail and every hidden corner that could be useful for the upcoming plan. She realized that there was an annex located to the east of the main mansion, probably the servants' residence, and a smaller building at the back of the garden, the architecture was somewhat more ancient than the rest, as if it was a project built in the early days of the family, before the Chu Nguyen Group developed as brilliantly as it did now.

She lingered a while longer at a small shop nearby, ordering another glass of iced tea to give her an excuse to sit longer, observing the rhythm of life around the mansion. She noticed that every hour there was a group of security guards changing shifts at the main gate, while the side gate seemed to have only one person on duty, perhaps because the number of people going in and out was less. The fresh food truck arrived early in the morning, and the fresh flower truck arrived in the early afternoon to replace the decorative vases in the mansion. Anh Thu silently memorized all those little details, understanding that once she stepped inside, she would need every single piece of information to not be passive in the face of any unexpected situation.

A middle-aged woman walked out of the side gate, with a straight figure, wearing a simple but neat business suit, holding a stack of papers. She stopped to talk to the security guard on duty at the gate, her voice echoing enough for Anh Thu to hear a few words: "...next week there is a shortage of people, the old kitchen assistant is taking leave to go back to her hometown to get married, I have to urgently find a replacement, otherwise I won't be able to handle all this work." Ms. Thu immediately guessed that it was the housekeeper Xuan that the driver mentioned. She carefully observed the woman's appearance, her way of dressing, her strict but not cruel way of speaking, thinking that perhaps this was a door that she could walk through if she knew how to show sincerity and hard work.

On the way back to the motel room, Anh Thu kept thinking about the three Chu brothers she had just witnessed. She understood that to blend into this mansion, she would have to face the suspicion of the hot-tempered eldest brother, would have to skillfully avoid attracting attention from the sharp eyes of the second brother, and might find an unwitting ally in the carefree youngest brother.

She opened the notebook and wrote new notes next to what she had written the day before: "Chu Vinh Bach — arrogant, hot-tempered, values the family's reputation. Careful, easily suspicious of strangers. Chu Vinh Khang — calm, observant, solves problems quickly and accurately. Most dangerous because it is difficult to outwit. Chu Vinh Phong — carefree, friendly, possibly the most approachable person."

After writing, she closed the notebook and looked out the apartment window where the afternoon sunlight was gradually fading. Tomorrow, she would go to meet housekeeper Xuan, officially taking her first steps into the world of the Chu family, where she was both an intruder silently searching for the truth, and could become a prey if she accidentally reveals even a small trace of her true identity.

That night, when the lights were turned off, Anh Thu lay in the dark, the image of Chu Vinh Khang's eyes passing by her appeared in her mind, strangely clear. She told herself that it was just a random look from a stranger, nothing to worry about. But the lingering feeling of suspense in her chest made her restless, as if a part of her had a premonition that the road ahead would not only be full of conspiracies and secrets, but also something beyond her original expectations.