Chapter 9 — Three Calls at Dawn

Luc Canh Tham paid attention to this detail. In the past, she didn't like physical contact with others. Even if he came close to her, she would instinctively shrink back. But now, she has no reaction to Co Da Dinh's touch - this means she is used to it. Get used to his closeness. This realization was like a knife, stabbing straight into Luc Canh Tham's chest. "To Niem Vi," he suddenly spoke, his voice ringing harshly in the quiet restaurant, "Let's talk." "Talk about what?" She didn't raise her head and continued to drink the soup. "Let's talk in private." "Let's just say it here," she said, "They are not outsiders."*Not outsiders.* Luc Canh Tham glanced at his three brothers, each of them had the same expression —— Co Da Dinh's face did not change but his eyes were filled with undercurrents, Tham Tu Dien smiled gently but his eyes were sharp, Giang Du was innocent and bright but the corner of his mouth raised a sarcastic smile. They are indeed not outsiders. They were the "wolves" that he carried the snake that bit the chickens into his nest. "Okay," Luc Canh Tham took a deep breath, "Then I'll be frank here. To Niem Vi, I want to start over with you." The dining table was silent. To Niem Vi put down the soup spoon and looked up at him. "What did you say?" "I said, I want to start over with you." Luc Canh Tham's voice was a bit hoarse, "I know I didn't do well, I neglected you, neglected the child. But from today onwards, I will fix it. I will come home early, I will help you take care of the child, I will ——" "Will you break up with Lam Uyen Thanh?" To Niem Vi interrupted him. Luc Canh Tham paused for a moment: “… Will.” “When?” “Very quickly ——” “How long is ‘Very quickly’?” To Niem Vi's voice was still calm, "One day? One week? One month? Or are you going to say 'Give me some time to resolve it'?" Luc Canh Tham opened his mouth. "The last time you said this, it was three months ago, when I had just given birth on the third day." To Niem Vi looked at him, her eyes were not angry, not resentful, only a heart-breaking calmness, "You said, 'Give me a little time, I will handle it properly'. After that, I took care of it for three months, to the point where she came to our house." "Sister-in-law is right," Giang Du interjected, his voice neither loud nor soft, "Brother, you said to start from the beginning, so why don't you clean up the mess outside?" already. Just making my sister-in-law wait, while also messing around with someone else, is that called starting over?” “Giang Du, shut your mouth.” Luc Canh Tham gritted his teeth. "I don't." Giang Du looked at him, his eyes no longer smiling, "Dude, do you know how your sister-in-law has been living for the past three months? I don't know, because I'm not at home. When she was at the hospital giving birth, I was eating with Lam Uyen Thanh. When she had mastitis and high fever, I was on a business trip. When she was holding the baby and crying alone, I was ——" "Enough!" Luc Canh Tham jumped up, the chair fell back, making a harsh friction sound. The baby in the stroller was startled and cried. To Niem Vi immediately bent down to pick up her child and gently patted her back: "It's okay, it's mom, don't be afraid." Her voice soothed the child as gently as she was comforting the most precious treasure in the world. Then she raised her head and looked at Luc Canh Tham, her voice was still calm, but under that calm shell, something had broken. "You scared her." Five words, no criticism, no complaints, just reporting a truth. But these five words humiliated Luc Canh Tham more than any scolding. Because she said “You scared her”, not “You scared me”.