Chapter 9 — The Light Outside The Door

I almost didn't hesitate and immediately replied to the email agreeing. Departure time is set for 12 days later. I didn't tell Co Dien Chu. But I told Khuong Nhiem. "Go away." Khuong Nhiem said, "You deserve this opportunity." "Yes." "...Aren't you going to tell him?" "Why should I say it?" Khuong Nhiem looked at me, hesitantly wanting to stop talking. Finally just sighed: "Okay. You're happy." Three days before departure. I packed my luggage. Passport, visa, change of clothes, some art reference books. Everything is in place. In the drawing room there is still an unfinished painting —— It is the painting I was in the middle of painting while in the hospital. On the painting is a slightly open door, with light coming in from outside. I looked at it for a moment. Do not continue drawing. Turn the painting upside down against the wall. One day before departure. 8 p.m. I booked a hotel near the airport, preparing for my flight early the next morning. The suitcase has been packed, and the procedure for temporarily cutting off electricity and water to the apartment has also been completed. Khuong Nhiem asked to come and see me off. I said no, but he insisted on coming. We arranged to meet at 5:30 tomorrow morning at the airport. Everything is in order. I sat on the hotel bed, suddenly feeling extremely quiet. So quiet that it feels a bit empty. I picked up the phone. No unread messages. In the past week, Co Dien Chu really did not appear again. No flowers, no soup, no sticky notes. Since that letter —— it seemed like he was waiting for my response. And my response was silence. Now, the silence has turned into distance. I put down the phone. Turn off the lights. Go to bed. 4:45 am. The phone rang. Not an alarm. It's Lam Tu's call. I frowned and answered the phone. "Miss Nhuoc Diem——" Lam Tu's voice was unusually urgent, "Are you going abroad today?" I regained consciousness immediately. "How do you know?" "General Co, he... he already knows. I don't know where he got the information from. Ms. Nhuoc Diem, he is currently on his way to the airport." I sat up. Heart rate accelerated in an instant. “…What?” “At 3 am he called me and said 'She's leaving', then hung up. When I rushed to his house, the car was no longer there——”I hung up the phone. Look at the time. 4 hours 47 minutes. The flight is at 7:20. I have 2 and a half hours. Did he… catch up? That's not right —— Why should I care whether he catches up or not? I stood up, washed my face and changed clothes quickly. Check out at 5:15 a.m. Pull your suitcase out to the hotel lobby. The lobby was deserted early in the morning. Outside the revolving door, it was not yet dawn. The street lights were dim, the cold wind blew through the automatic door. I wrapped my coat tightly. Push the door and step out. Then I saw him. Not at the airport. It's right at the hotel door. A black car was parked crookedly on the side of the road, appearing to have braked suddenly. The car door opened wide. Co Dien Chu stood under the porch. Black down jacket, inside is a shirt from yesterday —— not changed yet. Her hair was blown by the wind, her face was pale. He is breathing heavily. It was as if I had just jogged here. The moment he saw me, his shoulders immediately slumped. That feeling was like - a bowstring that had been stretched too long and suddenly broke. "Nhuoc Diem." His voice was hoarse. “How did you know I was here?” I grabbed the suitcase handle tightly. He didn't answer that question. He stepped forward. Step by step. Much slower than the time in the hospital hallway. Like fear would scare me. When he got about a meter away from me, he stopped. It's not like last time forcing me against the wall. He just stood there. The late November wind blew away the white mist he exhaled. "I'm going to Paris." Not a question. “Yes.” “Bao

long?”“Three months.”