Chapter 10 — Turns Out You Actually Like Me

With a sudden surge of defensive alertness, I quickly added, "Besides, I am already nineteen years old. Having admirers is entirely normal and certainly does not mean I am cornered or vulnerable. Even my own brother cannot boss me around."

"I know." He offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "I have no intention of managing you. What I actually wanted to ask is..."

He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging. I turned to look at him intently. The interior of the car was enveloped in a profound, heavy silence.

"Would it be possible for me to become one of those people?"

When those words finally dropped into the quiet space, I genuinely thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

"Huh?"

He glanced at me, and to my utter astonishment, he looked somewhat nervous. He instinctively quickened his pace, stumbling slightly over his words as he tried to elaborate:

"I am aware that there is a bit of an age gap between us, but compared to those immature, inexperienced young boys out there, I suppose I am considerably more reliable. Besides, twenty-three is hardly ancient, is it? If by any chance you mind the age difference..."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second."

I raised a hand to cut him off, my brain frantically trying and failing to process the sheer volume of incoming information. "Are you telling me... that you like me?"

Trinh Triet’s expression morphed into something wonderfully subtle and complex as he echoed my question:

"Was it really that unclear?"

Unclear? In what universe was that clear?

"What about Sister Nguyen Han?" The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

He furrowed his brow, looking genuinely perplexed. "Nguyen Han? What on earth does she have to do with any of this?"

"Weren't you fond of her? At my birthday party, you explicitly said you only came because of her."

Trinh Triet's expression shifted from utter confusion to a profound, helpless resignation.

"Dao Dao, Nguyen Han, your brother, and I have been close friends for years; there has never been any romantic sentiment whatsoever. That remark was merely a casual joke directed at your brother. As for the matter of your birthday..."

He paused for a fleeting moment, the tips of his ears turning a delicate shade of crimson.

"In order to secure an invitation to your birthday gathering, I had to drop endless, agonizing hints to your brother before he finally remembered to bring me along."

My jaw dropped so low it nearly hit the floor. I stared at him, utterly unable to process the reality of it. "But... how could you possibly like someone like me?"

The moment the question escaped my lips, I realized how foolish it sounded, yet I desperately needed a concrete, undeniable answer to convince myself I wasn't trapped in some elaborate dream. Trinh Triet looked at me, a soft, helpless laugh escaping his lips.

"You radiate such brilliant warmth, shining so brightly wherever you go. Who in their right mind wouldn't be captivated by you?"

I sat rigid in the passenger seat, my fingers gripping the seatbelt so tightly my knuckles turned white, while a magnificent, deafening cluster of fireworks went off inside my head. He had said he liked me. Trinh Triet actually said he liked me. In the very next second, my body took over before my brain could issue a single command. I lunged sideways, planting a swift, resounding kiss right on his cheek. The sound echoed loudly in the confined space. Then, I froze. Oh no. Oh God, it was completely ruined. What on earth had I just done? Did I just kiss him? Was I being far too forward? What if he thought I was cheap and easy? What if his confession just now had merely been out of polite obligation? Trinh Triet froze as well. Slowly, he raised a hand to touch the spot where my lips had just landed. Without a single moment of hesitation, his hand moved to cup the back of my neck, pulling me closer as he leaned in and kissed me deeply. My brain completely short-circuited. By the time we finally pulled apart, my entire body felt as thoroughly cooked as a boiled shrimp, the heat spreading rapidly from my face all the way down to my collarbone. The air inside the vehicle had grown suffocatingly warm, and I found myself utterly incapable of meeting his gaze.

"You shameless rogue," I mumbled under my breath, my voice barely audible.

The corners of Trinh Triet’s lips curved upward in a deeply satisfied smile, his voice dropping into a low, husky register: "You were the one who made the first move."

I was speechless. There was simply no arguing with that logic. The engine hummed back to life, and the car drove smoothly all the way to the entrance of my alley. From a distance, a familiar, lazy silhouette was already visible standing beneath our apartment building, sucking on a lollipop while mindlessly scrolling through his phone, looking precisely like an overprotective guardian deity standing guard. Once Trinh Triet parked the car, I reached for the door handle, only to suddenly remember a matter of paramount importance. I whipped my head around to face him. "Trinh Triet, so right now... what exact relationship are we?" Before he could formulate a response, two sharp taps rapped against the car window. My brother had ambled over, leaning down to press his face flat against the glass, grinning like a blooming sunflower:

"Well, well, look who's back! Thanks for the trouble, really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to drop her off, Trinh Triet."

Trinh Triet rolled down the window, maintaining his usual composed demeanor as he replied smoothly, "It was no trouble at all, just doing what I should." I opened the door on the opposite side and stepped out, whereupon my brother immediately sidled up beside me, giving me a thorough, suspicious once-over from head to toe.