Chapter 16 — Wind and Snow Falling, Ancient People Return

Mother's Prohibition

That same evening, Bao Tram called Ngo Thuc Van, trying to shape her voice into a sincere worry, cleverly disguised as a concerned friend. "Uncle Van, I called to let you know that today Diep Khanh came to my company and said bad things about Mr. Du. I'm afraid she is deliberately taking advantage of old stories to approach Mr. Du again for some financial-related purpose."

Ngo Thuc Van put the phone on the table after ending the call and sat silently for a while in the quiet living room of his private house. She remembered the image of Bao Tram from years ago, a girl who always spoke skillfully, knew how to please the elders, and often visited her every holiday to ask questions even though she was not related. In her eyes at that time, Bao Tram was always the model of a gentle, reasonable girl, completely different from what she imagined about Diep Khanh, whom she only met a few times when her son introduced her to her, always remaining timid and quiet.

Ngo Thuc Van, who already had prejudice against Diep Khanh many years ago, heard those words and became even more worried. She is a person who values the dignity of her family and always wants her son to have a stable life, a suitable future wife, and not be entangled in financial or emotional troubles.

The next morning, she went to Bach Du's temporarily rented apartment and knocked on the door with a rare serious expression. "I heard that you were having an affair with that girl Diep Khanh. I thought that ended five years ago."

"Mom, how do you know this?" Bach Du asked, his eyebrows furrowed, both surprised and wary.

"It doesn't matter where I know it from, what matters is what you're doing." Ngo Thuc Van sat down in the chair, his back straight, a familiar stern expression appearing on his face. "You just returned home, you have an important project that requires all your attention, why do you let yourself get involved in such complicated love affairs from the past?"

"Diep Khanh is having trouble, she needs help, I'm just doing what I think is right." Bach Du tried to explain, his voice still remained calm even though his heart was starting to feel a bit frustrated.

"You're always like that, always thinking you're capable of taking on other people's problems." Ngo Thuc Van shook his head, his hands clasped tightly together on his thighs, containing both worry and disappointment. "Do you remember five years ago? Because of that relationship, you almost gave up a valuable scholarship opportunity, almost lost your entire future because of a girl who was not in the same situation as you."

That sentence made Bach Du stunned, an uncomfortable feeling rose in his heart. "What do you mean by that? What does that year have to do with my decision at that time?"

Ngo Thuc Van paused slightly, realizing that she had accidentally revealed more than she planned, but she quickly regained her composure and changed the direction of the conversation. "I just want to say, at that time her family was having difficulties, the situation was not suitable for her to be involved in more love affairs while preparing for a big turning point in her career. I just want the best for her."

"But did you do anything to influence my decisions back then?" Bach Du asked directly, his eyes looking at his mother with unprecedented seriousness.

"I'm just advising you to focus on the future, there's nothing wrong with that." Ngo Thuc Van avoided her son's eyes, her voice was somewhat evasive. "I made my own decision to get on the plane that day, mom just stood by my side to support me."

Bach Du was silent, many complicated thoughts arose in his heart. He remembered what his mother said at the airport that year, advising him to respect Diep Khanh's decision and to focus on the future. Now, knowing that there was a possibility that the message was not sent by Diep Khanh, her mother's advice, even though it came from love, unintentionally became part of a chain of events that pushed him and Diep Khanh apart forever.

"Mom, I need you to tell me the truth." Bach Du's voice became serious, almost pleading. "Mom, do you know anything about the text message I received the night before boarding the plane? The message said Diep Khanh wanted to end everything?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ngo Thuc Van shook her head, but her eyes flashed a bit of confusion that was hard to detect. "I just know that you and that girl seem to have broken up before you left. I don't interfere in your private matters at all."

Bach Du did not completely believe his mother's explanation, but he also did not want to push the conversation too far without clear evidence. He decided to change direction, trying to clarify his stance in the present.

"Mom, no matter what happened in the past, I still want to help Diep Khanh overcome her current difficulties. Her flower shop is being targeted by a fraudulent company, I can't stand by and watch without doing anything." He said, looking straight at his mother, not avoiding her.

"In what capacity are you helping? As an old acquaintance, or are you thinking of getting back together with that girl?" Ngo Thuc Van asked directly, her eyes examining her son.

That question made the atmosphere in the room slacken for a long moment. Bach Du stood up, went to the window, looked down at the small street below, where several motorbikes carrying fresh flowers were passing by, perhaps on their way to deliver to a certain flower shop in the city. That simple scene made him suddenly remember the image of Diep Khanh every morning, holding freshly cut flower bouquets, smiling brightly no matter how tired he was.

Bach Du was silent for a long time, not knowing how to answer that question completely, because he himself had not completely sorted out his emotions. "I don't know for sure what will happen next, but I know I can't turn my back on her right now."

"Bach Du, listen to me." Ngo Thuc Van stood up, her voice became more earnest. "I don't mean anything against that girl, I'm just worried about you. You just returned, are rebuilding your career in your hometown, this project means a lot to you. I don't want to see you once again entangled in emotional troubles that distract you, especially when that girl's situation is now even more complicated than before, with debt threatening."

"Mom, I'm an adult, I can take responsibility for my own decisions." Bach Du said, his voice was still respectful but also full of determination. "I hope you trust me, at least this time."

Ngo Thuc Van looked at her son, and in her eyes flashed a real worry mixed with helplessness when she realized that her son had his own opinion and was no longer easily influenced by her advice like five years ago.

"You're really grown up." She spoke softly, almost loud enough for herself to hear, her voice carrying a mixture of nostalgia and a bit of bitterness. "In the past, if my mother just said a word, I would immediately listen. Now that I can make my own decisions and take responsibility for myself, my mother is both happy and disappointed." She sighed, said nothing more, quietly left the apartment, leaving Bach Du standing there with a series of chaotic thoughts.

He looked out the window, his distant eyes looking towards Xuan Huong street engulfed in the morning mist. The recent conversation with his mother, although it did not bring a clear answer, made him even more certain that the truth behind the separation in the past was probably much more complicated than he had ever imagined, and perhaps, Bao Tram was not the only one who played a role in that chain of heartbreaking events.

He called Minh Lam and recounted the entire conversation with his mother, his voice still filled with unrelieved heaviness. "I don't blame Mom, but I see something wrong with the way she avoided my questions about the text message that day."

"Maybe you don't know everything, you just accidentally had your trust taken advantage of." Minh Lam replied, his voice trying to look at the problem objectively. "Bao Tram is clearly very good at taking advantage of the trust of others to achieve her own goals, from you, from Diep Khanh, to even Uncle Van."

"You're right." Bach Du sighed, gently rubbing his tense temples. "The more I learn, the more I'm startled by her level of calculation. Who would have thought that behind that gentle, knowledgeable exterior was a person who could plan so meticulously, lasting for many years."

However, the most important thing right now, he told himself, was to focus on saving Diep Khanh's flower shop first, as the problems in the past would one day be completely clarified.