Chapter 10 — The Ring Has Been Removed

“Chu Nghien Tu is twenty-seven years old, not seven.” “If you don't give me stomach medicine, he won't be able to starve to death.” My nose stung, but I couldn't help but laugh. She turned the computer towards me. "Don't think about him anymore." "Just think about one thing." "If Chu Nghien Tu isn't there, do you want to go?" I looked at the confirmation button. Actually, I knew the answer a long time ago. From the day I received my admission notice, I wanted to go. I like paintings that are tarnished, tattered, and patchy over a hundred years of time. Restoration is not about making them completely new, nor is it about covering up all the cracks. It's about trying to retain the original appearance, so that the colors buried by time can be revealed again. For the past year, I have suppressed my wishes under Zhou Yanci's demands. It's been so long that I almost forgot where I originally wanted to go. I clicked on the confirmation button. Website reloads. 【Successfully confirmed admission eligibility.】 Lam Chieu Ninh reached out and patted my head. “When are we leaving?” “Next week.” “So fast?” “It's been a year.” I turn off the screen. “I don't want to hesitate any longer.”* That night, I went home and told my parents about breaking up and going abroad. My mother was stunned for a long moment. Dad put down the newspaper and asked me if it was because of Hua Tri Dao. I won't explain in detail, just say Chu Nghien Tu hid it from all three sides. Mom frowned. “Nguyen Tu is not that kind of person.” I used to think the same way before. "Mom, I didn't ask my parents' permission to break up." This was the first time I faced them frankly like that. "I'm just announcing the results." The living room fell silent. Dad looked at me for a moment. “Have you thought about it?” “Yes.” He nodded. “So about going abroad, let the assistant arrange it for you.” Mom wanted to say something but dad stopped her. After I went upstairs, Chu Nghien Tu texted me. 【I'm downstairs.】 I pulled the curtains. His car is parked outside in the yard. The rain has stopped. He leaned against the car, holding a burning cigarette in his hand. Chu Nghien Tu rarely smokes cigarettes. In the past, when work was most stressful, he only smoked one or two cigarettes in places I couldn't see. I pulled back the curtain. 【I'm sleeping.】 I texted back right away. 【I see your room light is still on. Come down here, let's talk.】 I won't answer anymore. Early the next morning, the car was no longer there. But there was a paper bag placed in front of the door. Inside is my favorite breakfast. Chu Nghien Tu attached a note: 【Don't rush to make a decision.】 I gave breakfast to the maid. The note along with the paper bag, I threw straight into the drawer. * That afternoon, I went to Chu Nghien Tu's apartment to pick up my things. That place is very close to Chu Thi. Over the past year, when he worked too late, I often stayed there. On the porch there are my slippers, in the bathroom there are my personal belongings, and in the closet there are also a few changes of clothes hung. On the sofa outside the living room, there is still the thin blanket I often cover when working. I carefully put each item into a carton. There weren't many clothes, but the things that actually belonged to me were more trivial than I thought. Restored documents on bookshelves. The white ceramic cup I often use in the kitchen. I have been taking care of the bonsai pots on the balcony for half a year. Spare stomach medicine in the bedside table. At the end of the cleaning process, I realized that there are traces of me everywhere in this house. Chu Nghien Tu once said, this is our home. But when I really needed to leave, I didn't even need to discuss it with anyone. Because the house is yours. You also gave me the key. I put the key on the dining table. Just as I picked up the box, the door suddenly opened from the outside. Chu Nghien Tu walked in.