Chapter 1 — When the Ex Returns

Lam Thoi Ha has been reborn, waking up on the second day after Pho Tu Tham lost his memories. Seeing him wrapped in bandages, his face gaunt and pale, she feels her throat constrict with a recurring, suffocating ache. In her previous life, after her parents passed away from illness, it was Pho Tu Tham—who had grown up alongside her—who took her into the Pho household. He was the golden child of the military district, a renowned prodigy. After enlisting, he climbed the ranks through sheer tenacity, becoming the youngest regimental commander in the district within just three years. To the outside world, he was iron-willed and merciless, yet he had always treated her with boundless tenderness. If she merely mentioned missing the taste of her childhood, he would spend half a year’s worth of saved allowances to buy her bags of milk candy. When she admired a new camera belonging to a classmate, he leveraged his connections to import the latest model from Shanghai, buying three at once. When she was involved in a sudden car accident, he ignored his unit’s deployment orders and rode the train for three days and nights just to be by her side.

Drowning in such affection, Lam Thoi Ha believed it was love. At eighteen, she confessed her feelings and offered herself to him, only to be met with a harsh shout of "Absurd!" She refused to give up, clinging to him in every possible way, but he pushed her away time and again, insisting, "In my eyes, you are nothing but a little sister!" Just as she was about to surrender, Pho Tu Tham was shot in the line of duty and lost his memory. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she held his hand and claimed she was his fiancee. That deception lasted for eight years. In those years, they supported each other, had a son and a daughter, and became a model couple in the military housing compound.

That changed when Pho Tu Tham regained his memories and recalled Co Tieu, the woman he had once loved, who had left when his marriage began. From then on, their lives turned into a cycle of bitter conflict. The lunchboxes she carefully prepared were thrown to the dogs without a glance. He forbade their children from calling him father. When she suffered from a high fever and begged to see him, he replied coldly, "Do not meet." When their children fell critically ill with an infectious disease, he kept her locked outside the door, sneering, "These children were the product of your lies; what do they have to do with me?" On that very day, he went away to celebrate Co Tieu’s birthday, and after receiving the tragic news the next morning, Lam Thoi Ha consumed poison. In her final moments, she realized how wrong she had been. She had forced a love that was never hers, and her own selfishness had cost her children their lives.

"I will ask you one more time: what is our relationship?"

Pho Tu Tham’s voice cut through her reverie. The suspicion in his eyes made her chest tighten. She took a deep breath, looking at him calmly. "A few years ago, after my parents died, you took me in. You always treated me as a younger sister. And the one who holds your heart is the educated youth Co Tieu from the art troupe. You love her very much."

Pho Tu Tham fell silent for a few seconds, his sharp gaze softening slightly. "Lam Thoi Ha, for once, you are finally telling the truth."

Lam Thoi Ha shuddered, her pupils contracting in disbelief. He had also been reborn! Pho Tu Tham stood up, his gaze holding a complex emotion. "Lam Thoi Ha, in our last life, you deceived me first, which is why you ended up the way you did. In this life, you are only a sister; there is absolutely no possibility of you replacing the position of Little Little in my heart."

Without waiting for her reaction, he left to start his car and drove straight toward the art troupe. Through blurred vision, she recalled her past life: after regaining his memory, Pho Tu Tham had defied public opinion to pursue Co Tieu. Even as their scandal became the talk of the city, he persisted in bringing her tonics. When Co Tieu refused him, he knelt in the pouring rain for three days and nights to beg for forgiveness, even using his military merits to pave her path. To give her status, he had filed for divorce no less than ten times. Each scene hit her heart like a storm, leaving behind a dead, hollow silence. She wiped away her tears and spoke clearly, "Pho Tu Tham, in this life, I will follow your wishes."

Returning to the military compound, she told Pho’s mother what had happened. The woman was frantic, "Thoi Ha, haven't you always loved Tu Tham? That Co Tieu girl has a problematic family background and a history of rumors. You know, Tu Tham cannot be completely heartless toward you."

Lam Thoi Ha shook her head gently. "Auntie, I know you mean well. But Tu Tham has rejected me so many times—a fruit picked by force is never sweet. I have realized the truth; from now on, I will only see him as a brother."

Seeing her resolve, the older woman sighed. "Very well, I will respect your choice."

Lam Thoi Ha smiled and nodded. Back in her room, the first thing she did was write a letter to her cousin. She realized that in her past life, she had rejected his offer to take her abroad for studies just to stay by Pho Tu Tham’s side. In this life, she would not be so stubborn. She would facilitate the union between him and Co Tieu. By the next day, she received a reply: she only needed to wait ten days for her departure papers to be finalized. Everything would finally return to its proper order.

The next morning, after mailing her letter, she stopped by the department store to buy warm clothing for the harsh Moscow climate. There, she encountered Pho Tu Tham choosing performance costumes for Co Tieu.

"This set suits you well; it makes your skin look fairer," he said. "Keep this one as a backup, too. In case of an emergency, you can change into it." The clerk teased Co Tieu, "Comrade, your boyfriend is so thoughtful and knows how to cherish his woman!"

Lam Thoi Ha watched him, his focus entirely on someone else, and felt a strange detachment. In her previous life, when she had a fever of 102 degrees, he had been just one wall away, yet he wouldn't even bring her a cup of warm water. When she prepared to leave, Co Tieu called out to her with sharp, watchful eyes.

"Sister Thoi Ha, what a coincidence! Are you here to buy clothes too?"

Facing Pho Tu Tham’s guarded expression, she softened her voice, "Yes. If there is nothing else, I will go pay first."

Co Tieu noticed the quilted clothes she had chosen. "Sister Thoi Ha, don't buy these ugly things anymore. The clothes you gave Tu Tham before were all given by him to the dog to wear. Buying more is just a waste..."

Lam Thoi Ha’s breath hitched. In her ear, she could still hear his callous voice from the past: "The style and cut of those clothes were not up to regulation." So, he had given the clothes she had stayed up all night sewing to a dog? She gave a self-deprecating smile. "No, I am buying them for myself."

Before she could finish, Co Tieu pulled her into a state-run restaurant under the guise of being family. Once seated, Pho Tu Tham ordered several dishes, all of which were Co Tieu’s favorites. While waiting, he intimately rinsed the cups and poured tea for her, even setting out her utensils. Co Tieu looked at him shyly, pretending to scold him, "Sister Thoi Ha, don't mind him. Tu Tham is always worrying so much for the person he loves. I've told him many times, but he insists on it."

Recognizing the triumphant, provocative look in Co Tieu’s eyes, Lam Thoi Ha remained silent. In the past, before she confessed her love, he had been gentle with her too. But it had only ever been a sense of duty, not love.

"It is only natural for him to like you and care for you," she said.

Observing her calm expression, a surge of irritation rose in Pho Tu Tham. He turned and put a piece of fish into her bowl. "Eat more."

Seeing the fish—to which she was deathly allergic—her expression remained cold. "I am allergic to fish."

The atmosphere grew stifling. Eventually, Co Tieu changed the subject, recounting everything Pho Tu Tham had done to pursue her. Lam Thoi Ha listened like a bystander, the scars in her heart deepening. When he went to pay the bill, Co Tieu’s smile faded. "Now that he's gone, you don't need to pretend to be the obedient little sister anymore. I know you like him, but even if he loses his memories, the one he loves is me. You will never surpass me in this life."

Lam Thoi Ha took a deep breath. "Co Tieu, what happened before was because I was ignorant. I promise you, I will never have any entanglement with him again."

But Co Tieu did not believe her. Glancing at the returning Pho Tu Tham, she bit her lip and made a desperate decision. In the next second, she fell to the floor, knocking a bottle of medicine into the corner. "Tu Tham, I can't breathe! Sister Thoi Ha intentionally threw my medicine away. Don't blame her, she is still young..."

Pho Tu Tham rushed to check on Co Tieu, his gaze shooting toward Lam Thoi Ha like a blade. "Lam Thoi Ha, I ignored your absurd behavior before, but now you dare to lay a hand on Little Little? As I thought, your promises are all lies. Your cruelty never changes!"

"No, I didn't do it! It was all staged by Co Tieu..."

She tried to defend herself, but he did not believe a word. "Guards! Bind her and make her kneel in the street. She is not to stand up without my command!"

Despite her struggle, the guards tied her down and forced her to her knees. Passersby began to whisper as they recognized her. "They say this girl was jealous of Tu Tham's lover and was cruel enough to throw away her asthma medication!"

"She has a wicked heart. Tu Tham treated her like a biological sister; what a tragedy for his family!"

Hearing the crowd, her heart sank into a sea of humiliation and grief. As her legs grew numb, she remembered the way he had once treated Co Tieu right before her eyes: "I only love Little Little. Even if she makes a mistake, she is still a thousand times better than you!"