Chapter 3 — The Night Before My Wedding, I Disappeared

“Tieu Xao, change your shoes slowly, don't step on your dress.”

Tong Ky Uyen's gentle voice rang out from the mysterious entrance.

"I know, Mr. Ky Uyen, you're talking too much."

Miao Xiaoxiao's sweet laughter followed closely behind. I took the glass and walked out of the kitchen. The living room light fell on me. The moment Tong Ky Uyen raised his head to see me, the smile on his face immediately stiffened. In his hand he also carried a box of exquisite cakes.

"Van... Van Thanh? Aren't you still in the countryside?"

There was a slight hint of panic in his voice that was barely noticeable, but it was quickly hidden. Miao Xiaoxiao was also stunned. She was wearing those pink bunny-eared sandals, her toes nervously rubbing the floor lightly.

"Miss Van Thanh, you're back..."

She called softly. I nodded, my eyes falling on the cake box in Tong Ky Uyen's hand. It's a private bakery in the south of the city, famous for its difficulty in queuing.

"The matter in my hometown has been resolved, so I changed my ticket to return early."

I went to the sofa and sat down, my voice calm as if talking about today's weather. Tong Ky Uyen finished changing her shoes, put the cake box on the tea table and sat next to me. He reached out to hug my shoulder. I slightly leaned away. His hand paused in midair for a few seconds then naturally withdrew and placed it on his knee.

“Why don't you tell me an hour in advance so I can pick you up at the airport?”

“No need to bother, it's convenient to take a taxi.”

I looked at the cake box on the table.

“What is this?”

“Ah, I stopped by the bakery on the way home so I bought it.”

Tong Ky Uyen smiled and said:

“Don't you like this shop's red velvet sea salt flavor the most?”

I looked at him, not speaking. I don't like red velvet sea salt. The person who likes that taste... is Mieu Hieu Xao.

“Mr. Ky Uyen, you remembered wrongly, Ms. Van Thanh likes Black Forest.”

Mieu Hieu Xao stood next to him and reminded him in a low voice, with a hint of pride in his voice that was hard to detect. Tong Ky Uyen was stunned for a moment, then slapped his forehead.

"Look at my memory, I've been so busy with the wedding lately that my mind is all messed up."

He turned to look at me, his eyes filled with guilt.

“Van Thanh, I'm sorry, I'll buy it back for you tomorrow.”

“It's okay, I'm not hungry.”

I turned my eyes towards the slightly open master bedroom door.

“In the house… why has it changed so much?”

Tong Ky Uyen followed my gaze, his expression a bit unnatural.

"It's like this, Tieu Xao just graduated, still hasn't found a suitable house."

"I didn't feel secure about a little girl renting a house outside, so I told her to move in temporarily for a few days."

He looked into my eyes, his voice calm and full of reason.

“The master bedroom has more light. She recently was preparing for an interview so she needed a bright environment.”

“I thought you were going home for a few days anyway, so I temporarily moved your things to the extra room.”

“If you understand things like that… surely you will understand, right?”

He's always been like that. Use the gentlest tone... To do the most blatantly biased things. Put you on the podium called "understanding". Makes even anger seem unreasonable.

“Um, I understand.”

I nodded and stood up.

“I'm a little tired, go rest first.”

I went into the spare bedroom and closed the door. No questioning. No arguing. Outside the door came the sound of Tong Ky Uyen breathing a sigh of relief. Next, Miao Xiaoxiao's voice was deliberately lowered.

“Mr. Ky Uyen, is it Ms. Van Thanh? Are you angry?

“No, she's just tired.”

Tong Ky Uyen's voice echoed through the door.

“Van Thanh's personality is always very pleasant.”

“Come here and eat cake, it's your favorite flavor.”

I sat down on the single bed in the side room. There were no lights on in the room. Only a little light from the street lamp outside the window shone in. I took out my phone and opened the notes section. Above is a list of things to prepare before going abroad. I marked the item complete:

“Cancel the wedding service.”

The next morning, when I woke up, Tong Ky Uyen was already out. On the dining table, place a portion of food delivered to your door. There was also a note pressed underneath.

“Van Thanh, I came to the company first. This shop's mixed noodles are very delicious, I specially ordered them for you, remember to eat them while they're still hot."

The handwriting is strong and decisive, true to his style. I opened the lid of the food box. The strong smell of peanut butter immediately hit my face. I am severely allergic to peanuts. This story... From the second month we knew each other, Tong Ky Uyen knew clearly. At that time, he once took me to eat at a famous peanut bakery on the internet, causing me to be hospitalized in the emergency room. He sat next to my hospital bed for three days and three nights. His eyes were red, he swore that he would never let me touch even a little peanut in the future. I looked at the box of noodles in front of me and picked up my chopsticks. Pick up a noodle and put it in your mouth. The taste of peanut butter spreads in the mouth. Bored to the point of boredom. I swallowed. Then take all the remaining noodles and the food box... Throw them in the trash. Ten minutes later, a rash began to appear on my neck. Breathing also gradually becomes difficult. I calmly opened the medicine box I brought with me and swallowed two anti-allergy pills. Then take a big sip of water to force the medicine down. The phone screen lights up. It's a message from Tong Ky Uyen.

“Have you eaten noodles yet? Tieu Xao said it's very difficult to line up at that store."