Chapter 5 — Turns Out You Were Always Waiting

Compared to traditional luxury brands, a fledgling niche brand like ours truly holds no inherent advantage. It seemed that Dam Vu was destined for disappointment, and this project would likely end in failure. Besides, eavesdropping is hardly a polite endeavor, and I hesitated, wondering if I should slip away to wait elsewhere. Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind me in utter astonishment.

Oh, why are you here?

Before I could even process this unfamiliar voice, the office door swung open. Inside, Song Ngat Chu caught sight of me, his eyes widening in instant disbelief.

Tan Kien Vi, why are you here? Wait, are you here to see Old Co?

Did the two of you secretly fall in love behind our backs ever since that class reunion?!

My face burned with heat.

No, it is not like that at all.

The person who had spoken from behind me chimed in.

Ngat Chu, have you forgotten her? This is the beauty who wore the exact same shirt as you on the subway that day. I even told you to go over and strike up a conversation then.

What? It is her again!

Song Ngat Chu expression morphed into something even more complicated.

Wait, no. That day I was wearing Co Thi Da shirt. I always wondered why he treasured that garment so much, refusing to let anyone even touch it. It turns out they were matching couple shirts. The two of you have been secretly together for a long time, haven't you?!

I stood frozen. What on earth was going on here? I stumbled through a lengthy explanation, finally managing to clarify that I was the designer representing the upcoming partner brand Moya, and that my presence here today was purely professional. The color drained from Song Ngat Chu face, replaced by profound embarrassment. His immediate reaction was to offer a sincere apology.

I did not mean to disparage your brand just now. The truth is, I haven't really looked into it deeply. Part of what I said came from a commercial standpoint, but another part was purely selfish—I wanted to secure this project for someone I am currently pursuing.

As soon as he said this, realization seemed to dawn on him.

You work at Moya? Did Old Co know about this beforehand?

I stared at him, not quite following.

He probably did. The last time I accompanied my boss here, I already met General Manager Co.

Song Ngat Chu let out a long, teasing chuckle.

So that is how it is. You really do keep business and personal matters strictly separate.

Song Ngat Chu was a remarkably talkative fellow. After inspecting my design drafts, he relentlessly pressed me about how I had entered this profession. Remembering those years, I drew a deep breath.

I have to thank you for that.

Thank me?

If it were not for the corrected mistake notebooks you prepared for me back then, helping me pull up my humanities scores, I probably never would have passed the entrance exams for the art academy.

What mistake notebooks?

The ones you spent time compiling for me after every single examination.

Song Ngat Chu expression turned entirely blank.

Did you remember the wrong person? I am far too lazy to even compile my own mistakes, let alone do it for someone else.

My mind went completely blank for a second. For all these years, it had never once crossed my mind that the person might not have been him.

What are you two talking about?

Tan Kien Vi was just telling me—

It is nothing, we were just casually chatting about some old times!

I instantly cut Song Ngat Chu off.

If there is nothing else, I will take the feedback from today's discussion and go revise the design drafts first.

Song Ngat Chu glanced at me, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

That is right, we were just reminiscing about the past.

The faint smile on Co Thi Da face faded away. He looked directly at me and asked.

It is getting late, are you heading home? It just so happens that I am off work too, I can give you a ride.

No, absolutely not.

I refused out of pure instinct.

I still have other matters to attend to, I will not trouble you.

This time, the smile on Co Thi Da face vanished entirely. He gave a quiet nod.

Be careful on your way home.

Upon leaving Co Thi Da company, I immediately hailed a cab and headed straight to my mother house. After I graduated from high school, my parents had divorced, and my father had moved out. Now, only my mother lived in the old home. Seeing me return so unexpectedly, she looked thoroughly surprised.

Why did you come back without letting me know beforehand? I have not even cooked dinner yet.

She spoke while bustling about, preparing to get things started.

There is no need to rush, I just came back to look for something.

With that, I hurried into the bedroom, turning everything upside down to find the boxes of high school memorabilia my mother had stored away. Finally, at the bottom of a cardboard carton, I laid my hands on that old mistake logbook. Flipping it open, I saw it was filled with pasted index cards detailing step-by-step solutions to the problems I had missed after every test. I drew a sharp breath and opened the photograph Song Ngat Chu had just sent me. Comparing the handwriting side by side, they were undeniably an exact match.

Song Ngat Chu messages: Why did you suddenly ask me to send you Old Co handwriting? And you told me not to let him know. I knew the two of you were hiding something from me. We were all high school classmates, no forming secret cliques behind my back. Hello, are you still there?