Chapter 13 — The Secret Pages of Room Seven

On Wednesday morning, Ward B welcomed a new batch of patients transferred from another medical facility that was in the process of being renovated. Among them is a middle-aged woman named Cù Bảo Yến. Her appearance is tired but her eyes still retain the sharpness of someone who has worked in an office environment for many years. Nhã Vân didn't pay much attention to her at first, until they happened to sit next to each other during lunch.

"You have a very familiar face," Ms. Cù Bảo Yến said, her voice full of surprise, her eyes narrowed to observe Nhã Vân more closely. "I have a feeling I've seen you somewhere before."

Nhã Vân felt a cold streak running down her spine, but still tried to keep her face calm. "You must have mistaken her for someone else. I don't know many people in this city."

"No, I've definitely seen you before," Ms. Cù Bảo Yến squinted her eyes in thought, then suddenly cried softly. "That's right, you are Mr. Trác Vĩnh Khôi's daughter, Ms. Nhã Vân! I used to work as an accountant for the corporation when I first graduated. I once met you at the inauguration ceremony of a new branch. At that time, you were also with your father."

Nhã Vân's heart was pounding, her whole body stiffened for a moment. This is the worst scenario that she has always feared would happen since the day she decided to disguise herself and enter the hospital. If Ms. Cù Bảo Yến continues to assert this in front of others, especially in front of anyone connected to Chu Bảo Hạnh, her entire plan will collapse immediately, and worse, she may be in real danger.

"You're the wrong person," she replied, trying to keep her voice calm, but her hands were shaking under the table. "My name is Lam, I've never worked for any corporation."

Ms. Cù Bảo Yến frowned, her expression still skeptical. "That's strange, I'm sure..."

At that moment, Bách Nguyên appeared, walking to the dining table with the usual serious expression of a doctor doing his daily work. "Miss Lam, it's time for your routine checkup," he spoke, his voice decisive, not betraying any unusual haste.

Nhã Vân stood up immediately and followed him out of the dining room, but when she passed Mrs. Cù Bảo Yến, she clearly heard her still mumbling something about "the daughter of the Trac family" that made her heart tighten even more.

When the two entered the private clinic, the door had just closed, Nhã Vân exhaled, leaned her back against the wall, her whole body still trembling. "Doctor, can you hear that?"

"I happened to pass by and heard the last few sentences," Bách Nguyên replied, his voice could not hide his worry. "Who is she?"

"A former corporate accountant, probably retired a long time ago," Nhã Vân replied, her voice still shaking. "I don't remember her face clearly, but maybe she met me once at some event many years ago."

"We need to handle this now, before she can tell anyone else," Bách Nguyên said, his voice became serious and urgent. "If her words reach Chu Bảo Hạnh or Tưởng Nhã Kỳ's ears, the consequences will be unpredictable."

He thought for a moment, then decided on a bold plan. He went to Ms. Cù Bảo Yến that afternoon, as the treating doctor, citing the need for additional psychological evaluation for the newly transferred patient.

"Mrs. Cù Bảo Yến, this morning I heard that you mistakenly recognized another patient as an old acquaintance, right?" He opened his mouth, his voice gentle but full of purpose.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that's..." Ms. Cù Bảo Yến was about to continue, but Bách Nguyên gently interrupted.

"Mrs. Cù Bảo Yến, I need to tell you something. Please keep it confidential for me because this is sensitive medical information." He lowered his voice, creating the necessary secrecy. "Ms. Lam is in the process of being treated for a form of identity disorder related to severe psychological trauma. Sometimes my patient identifies herself with famous or wealthy people as a psychological defense mechanism, and conversely, people around her are sometimes confused by the stories she accidentally tells during treatment. Her misidentification is completely understandable, because she herself is sometimes confused about her own identity."

Mrs. Cù Bảo Yến heard that, her face gradually relaxed into a sympathetic expression. "Oh, I'm so sorry for her. I'm sorry for bothering you, doctor. I won't bring this up again."

"Thank you for understanding." Bách Nguyên smiled with relief, even though his heart was still tense. "Please don't tell this story to others, including the staff here, because it could negatively affect her treatment." Ms. Cù Bảo Yến nodded in agreement, and from then on, she no longer mentioned the story of identifying the wrong person, although she still occasionally looked at Nhã Vân with eyes of concern mixed with curiosity.

That evening, when recounting how he handled the situation, Bách Nguyên received a grateful look from Nhã Vân.

"Thank you, doctor, for saving me from an obvious loss," she said, her voice still filled with fear from the afternoon. "I thought it would end right there."

"I can't let that happen, not now, when we're so close to the truth," Bách Nguyên replied, his eyes looking at her with a sincere concern that went far beyond the normal work boundaries between doctor and patient. "But today's incident is a wake-up call for both of us. You can't stay here forever without being discovered, Ms. Lam. The longer it goes, the greater the risk," Nhã Vân nodded, understanding what he said. She knew that the time she could maintain a safe cover was rapidly shrinking, and she needed to speed up to find out the whole truth before another similar incident happened and there is no one left in time to save the situation for her.

That night, lying alone in the dark, she thought about the moment Bách Nguyên walked into the dining room, about how he handled the situation so tactfully and surprisingly calmly, as if he was ready to protect her at any cost. A strange feeling of warmth crept into her heart, mixed with the fear that was still lingering from noon, forming a complex set of emotions that she had never experienced during many years of living a life strictly controlled by reason and responsibility.

She told herself that although the relationship between her and Bách Nguyên started from mutual suspicion, it had now become something much more precious than a simple alliance for common purposes. But she also knew, she could not let herself be distracted by any personal emotions, not when Diệu Kỳ was still lying motionless behind the quarantine door, waiting for her to bring freedom and truth.

The next morning, Nhã Vân sent an urgent text message to Ngọc Diễm via an encrypted communication channel, recounting the entire incident that almost revealed her identity. Ngọc Diễm responded immediately, her worried tone evident in every word, advising her to consider withdrawing before it was too late. "Miss Van, I know you want to find out the truth, but if something happens to you, who will be by Diệu Kỳ's side? I'm afraid you're betting too much."

Nhã Vân read that message over and over, her heart filled with tears. She understood that Ngọc Diễm's worries were well-founded. After the incident of nearly being recognized by Mrs. Cù Bảo Yến, she could not deny that the risk of having her identity exposed was growing with each day she remained within this wall. But every time she thought of the image of Diệu Kỳ lying motionless behind frosted glass, of the fake profile pages in Room Seven, of Mrs. Tram who lost three years of her youth just because she accidentally touched the truth, she couldn't allow herself to back down.

She answered Ngọc Diễm with a firm tone. "I know the risks are growing, but I can't give up now, when we are so close to the truth. Just prepare all backup plans. If anything happens to me, make sure all the evidence collected will reach the investigation agency, whether I'm there to witness it or not."

In the afternoon, she sought out Mrs. Tram again, not to ask for more information, but to confirm that she was okay after the recent tightening of security. Mrs. Tram held her hand, her eyes filled with worry and trust. "Please be careful, Lam. I heard that someone recognized you yesterday morning. If it reaches the ears of someone who shouldn't know, you will be in great danger."

"I know," Nhã Vân replied, squeezing her hand. "But I won't give up, Mrs. Tram. I promise to get you out of here, along with all the people who have been unjustly imprisoned in this place."

Mrs. Tram smiled, a rare smile that reflected a bit of hope after many years of desolation due to despair. "I believe you can do it, Lam. I just hope you're strong enough to go to the end of this path."