Chapter 11 — The Sweet Taste After Criticism

A week after the fateful rainy night, Mai and Kien still kept their budding relationship discreet, only Linh and Tung knew, the rest thought they were still in the stage of collaborating on video filming as usual. But that secrecy did not last long.

On Tuesday afternoon, when Mai was busy with customers, a middle-aged woman dressed luxuriously and with a noble appearance entered the shop. Her sharp eyes scanned the small space with an unsympathetic look.

“Let me ask,” she spoke, her voice sharp, “is this the bakery that my son is... collaborating with?”

Mai paused, having a bad feeling. “Yes, may I ask you…”

“I am Kien's mother,” the woman replied, without beating around the bush, “Mrs. Kim.”

The atmosphere in the shop suddenly slackened. Linh, standing near the counter, hastily signaled the few remaining customers to leave, leaving a more private space for this unexpected meeting.

“Do you want some water?” Mai asked, trying to remain polite even though her insides were starting to tremble with worry.

"No need," Mrs. Kim replied, sitting down at a nearby table, her eyes looking Mai up and down as if evaluating an item. "I didn't come here to drink water. I heard that my son is in love with this bakery owner. I want to see who is the person who makes him forget his whole family."

Mai stood silently, not expecting the news of her and Kien's budding relationship to reach his family's ears so quickly, and even more unexpected that the first meeting with her lover's mother would take place in such a tense situation.

“Miss Kim,” Mai said, trying to keep her voice calm, “Kien and I are just starting to get to know each other, nothing yet…”

"I don't care if it just started or it's been a long time," Mrs. Kim interrupted, her voice getting sharper and sharper, "I just want to make one thing clear - Kien has had a fiancee since childhood, the daughter of a close friend of my family, named Thao Vy. The two families had an agreement more than twenty years ago, it's not something that can be broken casually."

Mai felt like there was a bucket of cold water poured straight into her face. “Kien never told me this.”

"Maybe he's shy to say it," Mrs. Kim smirked, "but it's true. My family has a big restaurant, Thao Vy's family is also in the culinary industry, the two families are compatible, and combined, they will be even stronger. As for you," she looked around the small bakery, her eyes full of disdain, "you're just the owner of a small bakery in the alley, how can you be worthy of my son?"

Those words were like knives cutting into Mai's self-esteem, but she still tried to stay calm, not letting her emotions overwhelm her reason. "I understand your concern, but the feelings between me and Kien are real, not something that can be decided by anyone else, including family."

"Is the love real or fake?" Mrs. Kim stood up, her voice was cold, "time will prove. But I advise you to think carefully, don't let yourself waste time with a relationship with no future. Kien will have to continue the family business, will have to marry someone worthy to shoulder that responsibility, not a small bakery owner in the alley."

Having finished speaking, Mrs. Kim turned and walked out of the shop, leaving Mai standing dumbfounded in the quiet space, her harsh words still ringing in her ears.

Linh ran over and hugged her friend's shoulders body and face full of worry. "Are you okay? That woman said some really mean things."

“I'm fine,” Mai replied, her voice shaking, even though it was clearly not fine at all. “It's just... I didn't expect Kien to have a fiancee and never told me.”

She took out her phone and texted Kien with trembling hands, but then deleted it, not knowing where to start to ask about such a surprising and painful truth that had just been revealed.

"You have to ask him directly," Linh said, pouring her friend a glass of cool water to calm her down, "talking about it will only make you more miserable. It's better to ask clearly, whether right or wrong, you'll know the way to move forward."

Mai nodded, took a deep breath, and finally called Kien instead of texting, because she knew she needed to hear his voice, feel the sincerity or avoidance through each direct answer.

Kien picked up the phone after two rings, his voice cheerful as usual. “Hello Mai, what's going on?”

"My mother just came to the store," Mai said directly, without beating around the bush, her voice trying to stay calm but still unable to hide the trembling.

The other end of the line was silent for a long time, enough for Mai to clearly feel the confusion spreading from Kien. “What did your mother say to you?”

"The story about Thao Vy," Mai replied, her voice choked, "the marriage agreement that our families arranged twenty years ago. Why didn't you tell me?"

There was another long silence, before Kien spoke, his voice low and full of guilt. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, it's just... I haven't found the right time yet. That engagement was arranged by both our families since we were kids, I never considered it a real commitment."

“But my mother took it seriously,” Mai said, her voice shaking, “she told me straight up that I wasn't worthy of you, that I had to marry someone who was 'a good match' to take care of the family.”

"I will talk to my mother," Kien replied immediately, his voice resolute, "don't worry, this has nothing to do with the relationship between us two. I will clarify everything with the family, not letting you have to endure such words again."

Mai was silent for a while, feeling both relieved by Kien's decisiveness and still left with a heavy afterglow from the afternoon's meeting. “I trust you,” she said softly, “but I'm also worried, family matters aren't easy to resolve overnight.”

"I know," Kien replied, his voice softening, "but I promise I won't let anyone, including my family, decide my feelings for you. You are my choice, Mai, not Thao Vy or anyone else pre-arranged."

Those words partly eased Mai's anxiety, but she still couldn't completely dispel the feeling of insecurity that was creeping in, knowing that the road ahead for both of them would now face even more barriers than she had ever imagined when starting this relationship.

After hanging up the phone, Mai sat absentmindedly for a long time. Linh quietly sat down next to her, not asking any further questions, simply being present as a familiar support.

“What do you think about this?” Mai finally spoke up, turning to ask her best friend.

"I think," Linh replied, weighing each word, "the story of a marriage arranged from a young age may sound old-fashioned, but big business families often have that kind of thinking. The important thing is Kien's attitude, from what I heard during the conversation." I called just now, I think he seems serious with you."

“Yes,” Mai nodded, but her voice was still heavy, “but I'm afraid, his mother is not the type to give up easily. Looking at the way she talked just now, I clearly saw that she was determined to stop us to the end.”

Linh held her friend's hand, her eyes determined. “No matter what, you are not alone. With me, Uncle Nga, and Kien, we will find a way to overcome it together.”

Mai smiled weakly, feeling somewhat comforted by her best friend's sincere encouragement, but deep down, she still couldn't help but worry about what lay ahead - an unequal battle between budding sincere love and the prejudices and calculations that had taken root in a noble family for many generations.

In the evening, when telling the whole story to Ms. Nga, she was silent for a long time before speaking, her voice thoughtful but not wavering. “In my life, I have witnessed many love stories that were prevented by my family, some were successful, some were not. But I believe, if the love is true, no matter how many barriers there are, you will find a way to overcome them. Just keep your heart strong, don't let those harsh words make you doubt your self-worth."

Her mother's encouragement made Mai feel a little more stable, even though she knew that the road ahead to prove that her feelings for Kien and Kien deserved recognition would certainly not be easy.

Before going to bed, she reopened the last message Kien sent: "Good night, don't think too much. I'm here." Just a few short words, but enough to warm her heart somewhat amid the worries, and she silently told herself that no matter how many challenges she faced tomorrow from Kien's family, she would not easily let go of the sincere feelings that the two of them had cultivated together for nearly a month.