Chapter 5 — The Ring Has Been Removed

"Auntie, he and I broke up." Chu's mother's face changed. "Since when?" "Last night." "Because of Tri Dao?" I didn't deny it. She pondered for a moment, then closed the velvet box on the table. "Let me call Nghien Tu." "No need." I held her hand. “This is between me and him.” Chu's mother looked at me for a long time and finally put down the phone. "Van Kieu, I don't know what happened between you two." She pushed the velvet box back to me. "But this necklace is not a compensation, nor is it to persuade you to forgive it." "This is the meeting gift I wanted to give you last year." I shook my head. "Auntie, now is not appropriate." "Then just leave it where you are for now." Chu's mother did not force her. Before I left, she asked again: "Can your reserved admission status still be restored?" My steps stopped. "I don't know." "Then quickly go and ask." She sighed. “Love affairs can be thought about slowly, but time lost may not be regained.”* When I walked out of the tea room, it started to rain. I stood under the porch, opening last night's email. The admission confirmation page still stops there. The seven-day countdown clock now only has six days left. Just as I was about to click, Chu Nghien Tu called. I hung up. He called back immediately. The third time, I directly switched the phone to silent mode. Several messages continuously appeared on the screen. 【Did you just meet my mother?】 【She called me and said you two broke up.】 【Lam Van Kieu, last night we didn't say we broke up.】 The last sentence made me laugh bitterly. Last night I said goodbye with my own mouth. If you don't accept it, it won't count. It was as if the beginning, concealment, and ending of this relationship had to be decided by him alone. I didn't answer, took a taxi to the office. On the restoration table there is still the old painting I received half a month ago. The color layer at the edge of the painting has peeled off and needs to be carefully cleaned and then reinforced. I put on gloves and just picked up the tool when the door was pushed open. Chu Nghien Tu stood at the door. His body was drenched in rain, his hair a bit disheveled. On the right middle finger, the other ring has been worn again. My movements stopped. He followed my gaze and walked up to me. "I took it off last night, I just didn't want Tri Dao to be embarrassed when I got home." "Now I put it back on." He said as if he was trying to prove something. I bowed my head and continued to arrange the tools. "Where is the other one?" Chu Nghien Tu took my ring out of his pocket and placed it on the restoration table. "Put it on." I didn't move. The silver ring lay quietly under the cold white light. Before yesterday, I never thought there would be a day when I wouldn't dare touch it. "What did your mother tell me?" "She said, the Chu family knew we were together a year ago." Chu Nghien Tu slightly frowned: "You can explain this." "She also said, I don't want to make it public." His face finally changed. "Van Kieu..." "Why?" I raised my eyes to look at him. "You told me the Chu family didn't agree." "Tell the Chu family that I don't want to." "In the end, which sentence is true?" Chu Nghien Tu was silent for a few seconds. "Both are not necessarily lies." I thought I heard wrong. He patiently explained: "At first my father really wanted me to choose someone who could help my career." "But my mother likes you. If I directly said it was because of family reasons, she would definitely quarrel with my father."