Chapter 1 — The Ring Has Been Removed

The night Hua Tri Dao returned home, I saw with my own eyes Chu Nghien Tu taking off our rings. The room door is not closed tightly. He stood in front of the large mirror, bowed his head and turned the silver ring on his right middle finger. The ring was worn close to the skin for nearly two years, and it was not easy to take it off. He had to use force twice before his knuckles left a red ring. That's the ring we bought when we first fell in love. There are no diamonds, no elaborate patterns, the inside is only engraved with their initials. He once said that before declaring our feelings publicly, we must at least have one item to prove that we belong together. But now, he took down that proof again. Tan Hoai leaned against the sofa. Seeing this, he raised his eyebrows: "Why did you suddenly take it off? Haven't you cherished it so much before?" Chu Nghien Tu put the ring in the inside left pocket of his vest, moving very slowly. "Tri Dao just came back, it wouldn't be good for her to see it." "What if she sees it?" Tan Hoai smiled meaningfully. "Don't tell me that after waiting all these years for someone, you still haven't given up on your idea?" Chu Nghien Tu did not deny it. He raised his hand to adjust the cuff of his shirt, his eyes in the mirror were calm without a ripple. It was as if what he had just taken off was just an inappropriate piece of jewelry for the situation. Tan Hoai asked again: "What about Van Kieu? She's still wearing the couple ring on her hand." Chu Nghien Tu paused for a moment. "She won't calculate these trivial matters." I stood outside the door, holding a glass of warm water in my hand. The medicine pill at the bottom of the glass had completely dissolved, spreading a pale, bitter white color. Half an hour ago, Chu Nghien Tu texted me, saying his stomach wasn't feeling well, and asked me to get some medicine for him. Afraid the water would get cold, I walked very quickly. But now, I find myself arriving too early. So early that I saw him take off the ring with my own eyes. It's so early that I hear you confirm that I won't calculate. From the banquet hall came a noise. Someone excitedly shouted: "Tri Dao is here!" Chu Nghien Tu raised his head. In that moment, the leisure he had tried to maintain all evening cracked a crack. He almost immediately pushed the door open and walked out. The door slammed against the glass in my hand. Warm water poured over the back of my hand, not very hot. The melted and sticky liquid ran down my fingers and fell down. Chu Nghien Tu's footsteps stopped. "Van Kieu?" His eyes first fell on my face, then stopped on the ring on my right hand. His facial expression momentarily stiffened. I lowered my head to look at the back of my hand and said softly: "The medicine is gone." "When did you come from?" I didn't answer. Chu Nghien Tu's throat moved slightly. You must have guessed it. But the sound outside the banquet hall was getting closer and closer, Hua Tri Dao seemed to be surrounded by people entering. Chu Nghien Tu glanced out the door, lowered his voice: "I will explain to you later." After saying that, he quickly walked past me. Forgot about the stomach tonic I purposely brought. I stood rooted to the spot, watching his back disappear at the end of the hallway. Tan Hoai walked out of the break room, rarely showing signs of confusion: "Van Kieu, don't think too much, Nghien Tu is probably just..." "I don't think too much." I put the glass of water on the table next to me. My voice was surprisingly calm. “The birthday party is about to start, let's go in.”* Grandpa Chu's seventieth birthday party was held very enthusiastically. In the middle of the banquet hall was a nine-layer peach-shaped cake, surrounded by familiar faces. Our families have been together for many years, and our gatherings, from small to large, are almost always around these same people. Hua Tri Dao stood in the middle of the crowd

winter. She wore a long ivory white dress, her hair was a little shorter than three years ago, and her smile was still as bright as before. Chu Nghien Tu stood in front of her. Halfway across the banquet hall, I can still see the smile on his lips. That was an expression I hadn't seen in a long time. Comfortable, full of vitality, even the eyes are bright. Hua Tri Dao opened her arms, smiled and asked him: "Haven't seen you in so many years, why don't you give me a hug?" Everyone around immediately cheered loudly. Chu Nghien Tu did not hesitate at all, extending his arms to hug her. Applause and laughter rang out simultaneously. I unconsciously curled my fingers that were wearing the ring. Turns out it's not that he doesn't like being intimate in public. It's just that he doesn't want to be intimate with me in front of others. Someone discovered me standing in the corner, waving and calling: "Van Kieu, why don't you come out? Tri Dao just asked you." Everyone's eyes turned to me. Chu Nghien Tu also looked over. His eyes stopped on the ring on my hand, his eyebrows furrowed in an imperceptible way. I stepped forward. Hua Tri Dao naturally took my hand. "Van Kieu, long time no see." "Long time no see." When she bowed her head, she saw my ring. "It's so beautiful." Before I could answer, the person next to me smiled and said: "You've been abroad for the past few years, you've missed a lot of things. Van Kieu is wearing a ring, shouldn't she secretly have a boyfriend?" Chu Nghien Tu's eyes suddenly locked on her. me. Everyone is waiting for my answer. Two years ago, when Chu Nghien Tu confessed his love, he said he would not make it public for the time being because their families were too close. If love stories reach the ears of adults, they will immediately be bound by marriage, benefits and responsibilities. He said he wanted to have a serious relationship with me first. Only belongs to the two of us. I believe you. A trust that lasted for two years. I looked at Chu Nghien Tu. He stood next to Hua Tri Dao, his right hand was empty. There is no ring, nor anything to prove our relationship. He didn't say anything. But those eyes told me very clearly: Tell me to deny it. Hua Tri Dao followed my gaze and suddenly burst into laughter. "What's wrong with you two?" She looked at me, then looked at Chu Nghien Tu. "Don't tell me you're wearing couple rings?" The surrounding was silent for a split second. Chu Nghien Tu finally spoke up: "No." So determined that there was not even the slightest hesitation. The last bit of luck left in my heart suddenly fell. Hua Tri Dao didn't notice anything strange, just smiled at his hand. "That's right, you don't even wear a ring." She tilted her head, her tone carrying a familiar joke: "Chu Nghien Tu, you're not still single, right?" Someone chimed in: "Tri Dao, you ask this really interesting question. There hasn't been a single ghost around Nghien Tu these past few years, isn't that waiting for you to come home?" "That's right, before you go, He almost turned the whole airport upside down." "We thought he was going to be alone for the rest of his life." Chu Nghien Tu didn't stop them. The smile on Hua Tri Dao's lips faded a bit. "Don't talk nonsense." She looked at Chu Nghien Tu again. "Do you finally have a girlfriend?" A few people away, he made eye contact with me. I looked at him. The lights in the banquet hall were bright, everyone was waiting for an answer.