Chapter 1 — Wedding Day Without Bride

“Pho Thinh Lan, are you crazy?”

"You dare to secretly go to Cang Thanh to get married with Hua Tri Ha, does Khuong Van know about this?"

The friend's question rang out from the phone. Pho Thinh Lan had just finished installing the cufflinks and stood in front of the mirror adjusting her collar, without a trace of panic on her face.

“Don't shout like that, she's right next to you.”

The friend's voice immediately lowered: "Don't tell me Khuong Van is right in your room." Pho Thinh Lan turned her head and glanced at Khuong Van who was sitting on the sofa touching a Braille book.

"That's right. But don't worry, she didn't see anything, and she won't look at my phone either."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, the voice lowered:

"Thinh Lan, how Khuong Van has treated you over the years, we have all seen. What you do is really not as good as an animal."

"Have you forgotten? That year you were kicked out by the Pho family, she sold the painting her mother left behind to raise money for you to open your first gallery."

“What happened to her eye was because she helped you in that fire, the smoke damaged the bottom of her eye, and she didn't see light for a whole three years…”

The friend had not finished his sentence when Pho Thinh Lan interrupted:

"That's why I went to Cang Thanh to register my marriage with Tri Ha. While in the country, I will always take care of Khuong Van. In seven days, I will still give her a wedding."

"Think of it as returning the favor of the three years she's been with me. As for the marriage certificate, forget it for now."

Khuong Van's hand that was touching the braille book stopped at that page, her fingertips pressed hard on the braille lines, the page was crumpled until it had a deep mark. Pho Thinh Lan's every word was not spoken loudly, but was like a blunt knife, slowly slicing through her ridiculous perseverance over the past three years. The other end of the line was so angry that it was shaking:

"You used the wedding ceremony to appease her? Pho Tinh Lan and Khuong Van really want to marry you!"

Pho Thinh Lan turned off the speakerphone and lowered his voice a bit:

"Tri Ha is pregnant. If the marriage is not registered, what should the baby do?"

Khuong Van sat on the sofa, hearing the sound of the book in her hand falling to the floor. Pho Thinh Lan turned his head to look at her:

“Van Van?”

Khuong Van bent down to grope, her fingertips deliberately groping wildly on the carpet, finally picked up the book, raised her head and smiled at him:

"It's okay, I just slipped."

No one knows, her eyesight returned a month ago. Even more unknown, the first thing she saw in this month was not the white wedding dress that Pho Thinh Lan chose for the wedding, but the photo of the marriage certificate sent by Hua Tri Ha on his phone. Pho Thinh Lan stepped forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, as gently as he had countless times during the past three years. The phone rang again. This time he didn't turn on the speakerphone, but the room was so quiet, Hua Tri Ha's cheerful voice still came out from the receiver:

"Thin Lan, you've arrived at Bac Thanh. You've been very naughty today, do you miss your father?"

Pheu Thinh Lan turned back, her voice was so soft that Khuong Van almost didn't recognize it:

“I'll be right over here.”

After hanging up the phone, he wrote on Khuong Van's palm:

“Van Van, the gallery has an urgent matter, I'll be back later Come with me to try on wedding dresses."

Khuong Van nodded. The door closed, the smell of expensive perfume still lingered in the air. She pulled out the old phone hidden in the sofa and dialed a number she hadn't heard in three years.

“Auntie Lam, the wedding is seven days later, please save me a place.”

The person on the other end of the line paused, his voice carrying unconcealed joy:

“Van Van, have you finally returned?”

Khuong Van looked out the bright sunlight outside the window, her eyes were painfully exposed.

“For now, don't tell anyone.”

"Also, the painting 'Xuan Son Vu Hau, please help me get it back."

* When Pho Thinh Lan returned, Khuong Van was clearing the dishes on the dining table. He took off his coat, his voice carrying guilt:

“It's been a long wait, hasn't it? The gallery had a guest who insisted on seeing the collection paintings he had personally selected.”

Khuong Van pushed the bowl of soup in front of him:

“Are customers satisfied?”

Deputy Thinh Lan paused slightly:

“It's okay.”

His phone screen lit up, Hua Tri Ha sent a photo. In the photo, she sat in the hospital hallway, her hand on her lower abdomen, accompanied by a text message:

"You've been very good today, you have to be good too, don't let her find out."

Deputy Thinh Lan quickly turned off the screen. Khuong Van pretended not to see, picked up a spoon to scoop up the soup and drink.

“Thich Lan, the wedding is in seven days, who have you invited?”

“They are all acquaintances.” Pho Thinh Lan sat down, "It's not convenient for my eyes, there's no need to be too sneaky."

“But I want a little excitement.”

“Van Van,” he lowered his voice, “You don't like others staring at you.”

Khuong Van smiled:

“I didn't like it before, but now I want to try it.”

Pho Thinh Lan's movements of picking up food stopped, but immediately regained her natural look:

“Then listen to me.”

The doorbell rang. Pho Thinh Lan stood up and opened the door. Hua Tri Ha stood outside the door, wearing a loose white dress, carrying a box of cakes. Khuong Van smelled the sweet scent on her body. Hua Tri Ha spoke first, her voice as soft as water squeezed out:

“Miss Khuong, I brought you some cake. Thinh Lan said she likes to eat cinnamon flower cakes.”

Deputy Thinh Lan blocked the door:

“Tri Ha, why did you come here?”

"I'll pass by on the way." Hua Tri Ha glanced inside the house, "Not bothering you two, right?"

Khuong Van put down her spoon:

"Since you're here, go inside and sit down."

Pho Thinh Lan frowned slightly. Hua Tri Ha walked in and deliberately placed the cake box right next to Khuong Van's hand.

"Miss Khuong, look at it, I waited in line for an hour to buy it."

Khuong Van reached out to touch the corner of the box, her fingernails grazing the sealing layer. The seal of this bakery today is light yellow. The cake box in Hua Tri Ha's hand had yesterday's silver seal. Khuong Van did not expose it, just said: "It's been hard for you." Hua Tri Ha sat down next to Pho Thinh Lan and gently said: "Thin Lan, last time you said you wanted to hang that painting at the wedding, I already found a painter to copy the painting. Miss Khuong couldn't see it, so she probably wouldn't be able to tell whether the painting was real or fake, right?" Pho Thinh Lan's face changed:

“Don't talk nonsense.”

Hua Tri Ha acted as if she just remembered that Khuong Van was there and quickly covered her mouth re:

“Sorry, I didn't mean that.”

Khuong Van touched the rim of the bowl:

“Which painting?”

Pho Thinh Lan hastily said: "It's just a normal mountain and water painting. I always keep the painting your mother left me carefully and won't touch it." Hua Tri Ha looked at Khuong Van's eyes, saw that she had no reaction, and immediately became more courageous:

"Miss Khuong, you are so happy. Tinh Lan thinks about you in everything. You don't see, he can't even bear to make you worry about fake paintings."

Pho Thinh Lan's chopsticks fell on the table.

“Tri Ha!”