Chapter 5 — Try Loving Me

There was no expression on his face, but I felt his body stiffen slightly.

“Don't go.”

He said, the volume wasn't loud, but the whole table could hear it clearly. MC is still encouraging: "Mr. Luc?"

“Let's do a performance?”

Bach Nhuoc He on stage smiled and looked down. Everyone is looking. Suddenly I spoke up.

“He has company today.”

My voice is not too loud, but enough for the two tables in front to hear. Bach Nhuoc He's smile stiffened.

“Who is that?”

MC asked. I stood up and smiled at the people on stage.

“Me.”

The whole hall burst into laughter and applause. Luc Tu tilted his head to look at me, there was something in his eyes that I had never seen. Like…surprised. Just like being satisfied. I gently pulled his sleeve: "Let's go." He stood up. Join me on stage. Bach Nhuoc He stood helplessly for a moment, couldn't hold back his smile anymore, so he walked down the stage. The game was a silly type of word-catching game, I drew an animal that didn't have any shape, but he guessed it right.

“How do you know this is a cat?”

“Last week I sent a picture of an ugly cat exactly like this.”

The whole hall burst into laughter. I also laughed. He remembers every photo I sent. At the end of the game, I walked down the stage, I went first, he followed. When passing by Bach Nhuoc He's table, she picked up the glass of wine and stood up.

“To Niem Niem.”

I stopped walking.

"What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Tu?"

“Can you say something clearly?”

Her tone was not aggressive, but carried a kind of confidence

“I have the right to ask”

. I glanced at Luc Tu. He was standing right behind me, with no intention of continuing. But I felt his fingers gently touch the back of my hand. Very light. Like a signal.

“What kind of relationship?”

I turned to look at Bach Nhuoc He and smiled: "You try to guess." Bach Nhuoc He's face changed. I didn't wait for her to answer, turned around and left. Luc Tu followed, walking side by side with me.

"You didn't answer her just now."

“Do I need to answer her?”

“No need.”

He said,

“But you can answer me.”

My steps stopped. Turn to look at him. The light in the banquet room was very warm, he stood there, his gray suit covered with a soft layer of light.

“What do you want to ask?”

“The companion you talked about just now, is it just today, or is it just later?”

My heart is pounding.

“Which one do you want to hear?”

“Later.”

“So later.”

He nodded. Then I raised my hand and tucked a strand of my wind-blown hair behind my ear.

“Let's go.”

He said,

“Let's go home.”

“Where to?”

“Take me home.”

“Is that all?”

“Is there nothing more to say?”

He looked at me, paused for 2 seconds.

“What do you want to hear?”

"What do you mean to me?"

“You cling to me day after day, what do you think?”

"I clung to you but you didn't say anything."

“Not saying anything means responding.”

“So can't you say it clearly for once?”

He tilted his head and looked at me. People leaving the party passed by us, some looked, some smiled. I don't mind.

“To Niem Niem.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, don't get involved with other people anymore.”

“…So who are you stuck with?”

“I know it myself.”

I clutched the small bag tightly in my hand. He is standing right in front me, the streetlight makes his shadow long.

“Luc Tu, please explain clearly.”

“How much more obvious does it have to be?”

“I want to hear it from your own mouth.”

He looked straight into my eyes, the corner of his lips moved slightly - not a polite social smile, but actually smiling.

“To Niem Niem, please be my girlfriend.”

It's not a question, it's a statement. My nose stung, my fingers clenched the handle of my bag, using so much force that they turned white.

“If you go back on your word, I won't leave you alone.”

"If you go back on your word, I'll continue to cling to you."

"Originally, I would have continued to stick to you."

“That's it.”

I smiled. Tears fell one drop at a time. He wiped it away with his hand. The dry, warm fingertips lingered on my cheek for another second.

“Let's go, go home.”

That evening I texted Lam Noan Noan a message.

“Noan Noan, your best friend has a lover.”

3 seconds later she sent back a 60-second voice message, full of shrill screams. Chu Ngon stood next to him and shouted loudly: "Finally done!"

“My house is safe!!”

I covered my mouth and laughed out loud. On the first day we fell in love, I sent 23 messages to Luc Tu. He answered without missing a single message. Day two, 27 news. Tuesday, 31 news. On Wednesday he sent back a message: "Aren't you going to work?"

“Working on it.”

“Take the time to text.”

“Do your job properly.”

“If you reply, I will do my job properly.”

“…”

“Rep already.”

"Then I'll continue texting."

I don't speak anymore. But don't tell me not to text. After a week of dating, Trieu Dinh came to me. Just as Luc Tu predicted. At noon, I went down to the company lobby to buy coffee

“by chance”
\meet me.

“Recite.”

I didn't bother to raise my head: "What?"

“How are you these days?”

“Very good.”

“I heard you have a lover.”

“Yes.”

“What kind of person?”

I held the cup of coffee and turned to look at him: "What does it have to do with you?"

“I just care a little.”

“No need.”

“Recite.”

He blocked my way, his expression a bit complicated: "I regret it." I was stunned for a second.

“What?”

"I shouldn't have broken up with you before."

The first reaction that flashed in my mind was - the timing is really good, every time I live well, he comes in my way. The second reaction is — if it were the old me, I would probably really be soft-hearted. But now —

“Trieu Dinh.”

I held a cup of coffee and sneered: "Are you lacking in KPIs?"

“Do you want me to make a plan for you?”

His face changed.

“That's not what I mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your ex-girlfriend has a new boyfriend, and you come and say you regret it?”

“When I worked overtime until 9pm to fix the plan for you, why didn't you regret it?”

“Recite—”

“Don't call me Niem anymore.”

“My name is To Niem Niem.”

I walked past him. While walking, he texted Luc Tu: "My ex-lover said he regrets it." He replied quickly: "What happens after that?"

“You cursed me so much.”

“How to curse.”

I retyped the entire conversation earlier and sent it to you. He replied one word: "Yes." Then the second news: "What do you want for dinner?"

“That's all your reaction?”

“Not jealous?”

"After you've finished cursing, I can't be jealous anymore."

“What if I don't curse?”

“I will curse.”

“Why do you trust me so much?”

“Because I understand you.”

I held my phone and walked up the stairs machine, hit Tieu Lam. She saw me smiling like a crazy person.

“Miss Niem, did you win the lottery?”

“It's more fun than winning the lottery.”

After dating for half a month, Ms. Truong was transferred to work. The specific reason was because the Director discovered that her department's KPI assessment was wrong, and in coordination with Human Resources to investigate, it was discovered that Trieu Dinh's story was not the only time - in the past, 3 people were robbed of credit with other people's names, but those 3 people quit their jobs so they were not prosecuted. This time, To Niem Niem brought the matter straight to the entire company, the Director felt it had to be thoroughly handled. The new manager's name is Phuong, over 40 years old, and he works extremely straightforwardly and decisively. On her first day in office, she had a meeting with the whole room.

“From now on, whoever makes the plan will write down that person's name.”

“If you detect a change in name or surname once, report it to superiors for immediate handling.”

After the meeting, she stopped me.

“To Niem Niem, I saw the plan for a big customer last year, and it worked very well.”

“You should take charge of the key project next quarter.”

I haven't had time to digest the information.

“I…”

“I've only been in the company for 2 years.”

“It's not about how long it takes, it's about the capacity.”

When she walked out of her office, Trieu Dinh happened to be standing and talking to her colleagues in the hallway. He saw me, his expression was extremely magical. I didn't even look at him and returned to my seat. Open your phone and text Luc Tu.

“I got promoted.”

“What?”

“My boss just assigned me a project to be in charge of.”

“That's how it should be.”

“Can't you act a little surprised?”

“I'm not surprised.”

“Why?”

“Because this will happen sooner or later.”

I put my face down on the table and laughed for a long time. Tieu Lam ran over and asked me: "Miss Niem, why do you keep smiling today?"

“In love, my brain is broken.”

The first month of our relationship, I gradually began to understand Luc Tu better. He is an investor, not a petty broker, but a genuine VC (venture capital fund).