Chapter 4 — The Shadow Doesn't Exist

Ta Quan's face finally changed. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to explain. But Tieu Triet didn't look at him anymore, just turned to his grandmother: "The old man must have been scared." Just one sentence turned all of Ta Quan's heartfelt words just now into rude behavior. Father took advantage of the situation and stood up: "Today's birthday party ends here, making you laugh." The guests left one by one. Before leaving, many people kept turning around. Look at the mother. Look at me. Also look at Ta Quan. In the end, this birthday party still became a joke. But what the real joke is, only the Co family knows. After everyone left, the lobby was left with nothing but chaos. Mother suddenly burst out laughing. She looked at Ta Quan, her voice was so light that it seemed like it was flying: "Little Marquis is really willing to wait for Linh Nhi to return?" Father angrily shouted: "Madam!" Mother seemed not to hear. Ta Quan also realized something was wrong. He looked at his mother, then looked back at me. For the first time, there was no longer any gentleness in those eyes. Only doubt remains. There was also a bit of anger at being kept in the dark. I turned around and left. When we walked to the door, I heard him ask in a low voice behind me: "Why has the second lady of the Co family never appeared?" Ta Quan did not leave. He waited in the lobby until late at night. His father sent someone to send the guests off, but he only said one sentence: "I want to ask clearly." The elder brother blocked in front of the door: "Ta Quan, that's enough." Ta Quan raised his eyes to look at him: "If the second young lady doesn't want to, of course I won't force her." "But she still refuses to show her face." "Is the Co family protecting her, or are they hiding it from me?" The elder brother's hand suddenly tightened. I stood in the hallway and suddenly opened my mouth: "If you want to ask anything, just ask me." Ta Quan turned his head to look at me. The wind in the hallway is cold. The light fell on his face, making his gentle face reveal some of his struggles. He asked in a low voice: "Where is the second lady?" I replied: "There is no second lady." He frowned: "Ninh Nhi, I didn't come here to listen to anger." I looked at him. "Ta Quan, she died prematurely when she was three years old." The wind seemed to stop for a moment. The blood on Ta Quan's face drained away. He seemed like he didn't understand what he had just heard, so it took a long time for him to open his mouth: "What did you say?" I said word for word: "The second young lady of the Co family, Co Linh, died prematurely at the age of three." "Mother couldn't bear it, so father lied to her that her younger sister had gone to her grandfather's house." "After that, this lie lasted for more than ten years." "People in the capital only knew that the Co family had two beauties, but besides the Co family, this lie lasted for more than ten years." "Oh, no one has ever met you." Ta Quan was stunned on the spot. In that moment, I suddenly remembered my previous life. He called me tasteless. Criticize me for being too quiet. Criticize me for not being as good as that second lady riding a horse picking flowers. It turns out that the person he missed for ten years was nothing but nothing from beginning to end. Ta Quan's throat moved slightly: "So what the lady said is not true?" "She likes to ride horses, like to drink wine, likes bright colors, likes red bean cakes." "Is it all fake?" I replied: "It's all mother's imagination." Ta Quan staggered back a step. The chief turned away. Parents said nothing. The lobby was so quiet that the only sound was the crackling sound of burning candles. Ta Quan suddenly burst out laughing. Very softly. It was like someone had just slapped me but hadn't yet had time to feel the pain. "So these past few days, who have I been proposing to marry?" No one answered. I answered for them: "The person you proposed to marry is my mother's obsession." "It's also your own greed." Ta Quan suddenly looked at me. I don't avoid it. "The person you like has never been me, nor is it your sister." "You only like one person."

someone who will never disappoint him." "She doesn't need your understanding, won't get angry, and won't let you see her true struggles." "So, I feel that she's very good." "But that's not because she's good." "But because she doesn't exist." Only then did I dare to kneel down at my great-grandmother's banquet." "I only dared to stand in front of so many guests and tear open a corner of the Co family's lies." "Also forced my mother into a dead end." Ta Quan's face turned pale. He took a step forward: "I just want you to turn your head." I raised my eyes to look at him. "You want me to turn my head so you asked my sister to marry me?" He stiffened. I said: "Ta Quan, that's not deep love." "You just don't have deep feelings." I can't stand the fact that I don't need you." This sentence was heavier than any scolding. Ta Quan stood there for a long time without speaking. Finally, he said in a low voice: "I was wrong." I did not answer. He said again: "I will make up for it." I turned and left. From behind came his hoarse voice: "Ninh Nhi, can you give me one more chance?" Ta Quan began to go to the Co Palace every day.