Chapter 15 — The Summer Contract of Western Beauty and Beasts

While the relationship between Bach Son and Nha Khanh gradually became closer after a night of sincere confession, on the other side of the legal battle line, lawyer Thai Bao Long, representing Ms. Do Ngoc Lan's family, did not sit still. As an experienced lawyer who has handled many complicated child custody disputes, he soon realized a notable anomaly in this case file: the marriage between Nhieu Bach Son and Duong Nha Khanh took place too hastily, just a few weeks after the lawsuit was filed in court, and the new wife had absolutely no clear background information made public.

"This marriage doesn't smell right," lawyer Bao Long said in a meeting with Ms. Do Ngoc Lan in his private office, flipping through a thick file of documents. "The time of marriage suspiciously coincided with the time her lawsuit was filed. I suspect this was just a staged marriage to cope with the trial, not from true feelings."

Ms. Ngoc Lan frowned, somewhat hesitant. "Are you sure? If it's just speculation without evidence, I'm afraid it will further strain the relationship between me and Son, and An as well."

"I understand your concern," lawyer Bao Long replied, his voice calm but determined. "But as a legal representative, I have the responsibility to ensure that every aspect of the case is thoroughly considered, for An's best interests. If the marriage is just a sham, letting him continue to live in an unrealistic family environment in the long run could have negative psychological effects. I suggest hiring a private investigation unit to learn more about the new wife's background, as well as the true nature of this marriage."

After a moment of consideration, Ms. Ngoc Lan reluctantly agreed, even though she still felt a lot of pain in her heart. She didn't want to be the one causing trouble, but worrying about her grandchild was always a top priority, so she couldn't easily ignore any doubts, no matter how small.

A few days later, a strange man, claiming to be an agricultural market surveyor, appeared in the area near Doi Suong farm, silently asking surrounding people about the lives of Bach Son's family, paying special attention to the relationship between him and his new wife. Uncle Sau Lanh, with the careful nature of an experienced person, quickly realized the abnormality in the way this person asked questions and immediately reported it to Bach Son.

"That person doesn't look like a real market surveyor," Uncle Sau said, his voice filled with doubt. "The questions all revolve around how long you and Khanh have been married, do you really love each other, or are you just getting married to deal with something? I find it very suspicious."

Bach Son listened, his face darkened. He immediately contacted lawyer Vuong Dinh Khai to inform him of the situation. After listening to the presentation, lawyer Khai also expressed concern.

"This is likely someone sent by the plaintiff to investigate," he said over the phone, his voice serious. "This is quite common in child custody disputes, when one party doubts the authenticity of the other's family situation. Mr. and Mrs. Khanh need to prepare mentally, there may be more difficult questions at the hearing, revolving around the true nature of the marriage."

The call ended, Bach Son sat thoughtfully for a long time in his small office. He thought about the prospect of having to stand in court, being questioned about the feelings between him and Nha Khanh, having to prove something that even he himself, deep down, was no longer sure where the line between truth and falsehood lay.

That evening, when she told Nha Khanh about the stranger asking for news, she could not hide her worry. "If they suspect our marriage is fake, it could seriously affect your ability to keep custody of An," she said, her voice filled with worry. "We need to prepare more carefully, perhaps we should consult lawyer Khai about how to answer sensitive questions that may arise."

Bach Son nodded, but in his heart there was another concern, deeper than legal concerns. He wondered if what was growing in his heart for Nha Khanh - the care, trust, and even the hard-to-name vibrations whenever he was near her - was really just a part of the "role" that the two had agreed on, or had gone beyond that boundary at some point without him even realizing it.

"Nha Khanh," he called, his voice deeper than usual. "If they asked us if we truly love each other, how do you think we should answer?"

That question made Nha Khanh pause and her heart beat faster. She looked at him, their eyes met for a moment longer than usual, each seeing a similar confusion in the other's eyes, as if they were both asking themselves that question without finding a clear answer.

"I... I think we should just answer according to what we feel in our hearts at that moment," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. "Perhaps, that would be the most honest answer, whatever it is."

Bach Son did not say more, just nodded slightly, but his eyes still lingered on her face for a long time afterward, as if trying to find the answer to the question he had just asked, a question that he realized more and more, was not as simple as he thought when starting this pragmatic marriage.

A few days later, lawyer Vuong Dinh Khai went to the farm to carefully prepare both of them for possible questions at the upcoming hearing. He brought with him a long list of hypothetical questions, from simple details like the date they met, each other's hobbies, to deeper issues about future plans and how to raise children.

"The opponent will try to find any loopholes in the testimony of the two people to prove that this is just an arranged marriage," lawyer Khai explained, his voice serious. "Therefore, I need two people to agree on answers to important details, and also need to show chemistry and mutual understanding as naturally as possible in court."

The rehearsal lasted all afternoon. Lawyer Khai plays the opposing lawyer, constantly asking difficult, unexpected, and sometimes provocative questions to test both of their reactions. There were questions that made Nha Khanh confused, it took a few seconds to find the answer, but there were also moments when she and Bach Son accidentally gave surprisingly similar answers, making even lawyer Khai nod in satisfaction.

"Very good," he said after rehearsal, folding up the files. "Honestly, looking at the way the two people interact, if I didn't know the real situation in advance, it would be difficult for me to distinguish what is real and what is staged. If I keep this spirit, I believe the hearing will go smoothly."

After lawyer Khai left, Bach Son and Nha Khanh sat together on the porch, the atmosphere between the two of them was somewhat different than usual - softer, but also full of meaningful silences that both were shy and did not dare to break.

"Have you noticed," Bach Son suddenly spoke up, his voice thoughtful, "we answered so many of the same questions in the afternoon, but no one discussed them in advance."

Nha Khanh smiled softly, her heart beating a beat faster. "Maybe because we've lived together long enough to understand each other, even though we didn't intend to at first."

Bach Son looked at her, his eyes carried a complex color, both gentle and a little confused, rarely seen. He didn't say anything more, but in his heart, a vague but increasingly clear feeling was gradually taking shape - perhaps, the boundary between his role and real feelings, for him, no longer existed.

That night, after returning to her room, Nha Khanh lay looking at the ceiling for a long time, still echoing in her mind the question Bach Son asked that evening. She asked herself, if she really had to stand in court, look straight into the judge's eyes and answer whether she loved that man or not, would she be able to answer decisively, without any hesitation. The answer, when she honestly faced herself in that quiet darkness, made her heart beat in a completely different way from the familiar fear of the past half a year — it was a feeling of warmth, trembling, and a bit of panic at what her heart wanted to admit.