Chapter 28 — The Sweet Taste After Criticism

A week after the reopening, Kien proposed filming a special video to commemorate the one-year journey of the channel "Vi Giac That" since the content redirection, focusing on honoring small restaurants and bakeries instead of criticizing as before. I want Sun Cake Shop to be the main highlight of this anniversary video.

“I want to film the entire process of making a batch of moon cakes, just like the first night we worked all night together,” Kien explained, as he and Tung prepared filming equipment in the shop.

“Sounds good,” Mai replied, without a shadow of a doubt, excitedly preparing the ingredients as usual.

The filming took place in the late afternoon, witnessed from afar by Ms. Nga, Linh, and a few neighbors cleverly invited by Kien under the pretext of "logistical support for the filming". None of them knew that this was actually a plan that Kien had diligently prepared over the past few weeks.

Mai embarked on the familiar work — rolling the dough, making the filling, rolling the crust, completely focused on each step without knowing that Kien had secretly hidden a small ring in a special green bean paste, discreetly marked with a black sesame seed at the bottom.

"Let's try to taste this batch of cakes," Kien said. When the first batch of cakes came out of the oven, he carefully chose the right cake with the special filling and gave it to Mai.

“Why are you so polite today,” Mai smiled, took the cake, completely unsuspecting, took a bite according to her usual habit.

As soon as her teeth touched something unusually hard in her mouth, Mai stopped and quickly released it. In her hand was a small ring covered in cake crumbs, sparkling under the light.

“What is this?!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise, her hands trembling as she held the ring, not yet able to understand what was happening.

Kien walked over, knelt down on one knee right in the middle of the kitchen, in front of everyone who was silently watching, Tung's camera was still silently recording every moment.

"Mai," he said, his voice trembling with emotion, "from the day I walked into this shop with a harsh review, I never thought I would find the love of my life right here. You have taught me how to trust, how to love sincerely, how to see beauty in the simplest things. Will you agree to be my wife?"

Mai stood dumbfounded, tears flowing uncontrollably, her hand still holding the ring covered in cake dough. In a moment of extreme emotion, she frantically dropped the ring onto the open tray of flour on the table, making the whole kitchen laugh at her familiar clumsiness, even in the most important moment of her life.

“Oh my god, I dropped it!” Mai cried and laughed at the same time, quickly bending down to look for the ring among the pile of white powder, making both her hands and face stained with powder, creating an image that was both awkward and adorable to the point that everyone around couldn't help but laugh.

“Let me,” Kien laughed, also bent down to help her search, finally picked up the ring, brushed off the powder and carefully put it on her trembling finger. “So you agree, right?”

"I agree," Mai replied, her voice choked with tears and laughter, "I agree to be your wife, even if I'm so clumsy that I drop the engagement ring in the powder."

The whole kitchen erupted amid applause and cheers of congratulations, Ms. Nga could not hide her tears of happiness and hugged both of them. Linh stood next to her, crying and laughing, constantly muttering "I told you so" as a proud confirmation of her accurate hunch.

Kien hugged Mai tightly, the two stood in the middle of the cake-dough-stained kitchen, amidst the bustling congratulations of their closest loved ones, fully enjoying the happiest moment they had ever experienced, a moment that they knew would forever be remembered as the most beautiful symbol of the love story that began with a stormy review.

Tung, who continued filming throughout the entire moment, lowered the camera, his face unable to hide his emotions. “This will definitely be the most touching video I have ever filmed,” he said, his voice choked up, “even better than the script I ever imagined.”

“Are you going to post this video on the channel?” Mai asked, still in shock, her hand raised to look at the ring that was now neatly placed on the ring finger, although there were still a few streaks of white powder.

“If you agree,” Kien replied, holding her hand, “I think this will be the most beautiful way to close the channel's one-year journey, and at the same time open a new chapter for both of us.”

“I agree,” Mai smiled, tears still forming in the corners of her eyes, “as long as you don't cut out the part where I dropped the ring on the dough, because that was the most realistic moment of the whole day.”

The whole group laughed at that humorous request, a happy atmosphere spread throughout the small kitchen. Ms. Nga, after hugging and congratulating her daughter, turned to Kien, her voice filled with emotion. "Thank you, for bringing complete happiness to my daughter. I believe, if Mai's father were still alive, he would also be very proud and happy at this moment."

“I will try my best to be worthy of that trust,” Kien replied, bowing politely to the sincere words of his future mother-in-law.

That evening lasted in bursts of happiness, with continuous congratulatory calls from Mrs. Kim, Mr. Bao, Thao Vy, and even close neighbors who had just heard the news through the stories of those present at the scene, turning the initially private moment of proposal into the shared joy of a community that had accompanied each other through many ups and downs.

Mrs. Kim called as soon as she heard the news from Kien, her voice could not hide her emotions over the phone. “I'm so happy for you two,” she said, “I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since the day I tasted the first cream puff you made with your own hands, I knew you were the right person for my son.”

“Thank you,” Mai replied over the phone, her voice still choked with emotion, “I promise to take good care of Mr. Kien, and will always cherish the love you have given me.”

Thao Vy also texted her congratulations right after, along with a series of happy emoticons. "Congratulations you two! Remember to invite me to that wedding, my lover and I will come and celebrate together." Mai read the message, smiling warmly at the sincere friendship that had been cultivated between her and the person who was once arranged to be her "love rival".

As for Linh, after finishing cheering and congratulating, she pulled Mai to a separate corner, her voice was rarely serious. “You know, since the first day I saw you two arguing shouting at each other at the checkout counter, I had a premonition that today would come. I just didn't expect the journey to be so turbulent."

“Thank you,” Mai said, hugging her best friend, “for always being by my side, believing in and supporting me throughout this long journey, even when I lost faith in myself the most.”

"Friends," Linh replied, her eyes also red with emotion, "now worry about preparing to be a beautiful bride, Tung and I will take care of the bridesmaids and groomsmen as thoughtfully as possible."

They both laughed through tears, hugging each other tightly in the atmosphere of overwhelming happiness of an evening that will forever be engraved as one of the most beautiful memories in the lives of everyone present.

Late that night, when everyone had left, only Mai and Kien were left sitting in the neatly cleaned kitchen, looking at the sparkling ring on Mai's hand under the soft yellow light.

“I'm still in shock,” Mai said, gently turning the ring on her finger, “everything happened so quickly and unexpectedly.”

"I've been planning this for nearly a month," Kien admitted, smiling, "the hardest part is keeping it a secret from someone as observant as you. I almost got discovered many times."

"And yet I didn't suspect it at all," Mai smiled, shaking her head, "maybe because I trusted you so much that I never thought you would hide anything."

“That is the most beautiful thing in our relationship,” Kien said, holding her hand, “the absolute trust, even though sometimes we have to go through misunderstandings and storms, but in the end we always come back to each other with sincerity.”

Mai leaned her head on his shoulder, looking out the window where the moonlight was illuminating the peaceful alley. “I can't believe, just a year ago, I was crying because of your bad review, but now, I'm about to become your wife.”

“Life is truly full of surprises,” Kien smiled, gently kissing her hair, “but I believe, this is the best thing life has ever brought to both of us.”

They sat together until late at night, hand in hand, dreaming together of plans for the upcoming wedding, for a promising future together, ending the most important day in their love journey that began with a stormy review.