Chapter 6 — Wind and Snow Falling, Ancient People Return

Work Boundaries

Three days after the incident at the construction site, a notice was posted right in front of Diep Suong's shop, causing Diep Khanh to stop in shock as she pulled up the rolling door. That is an official document from the management board of the Xuan Huong Old Quarter Renovation project, announcing the survey of the current status of the works within the scope of construction, including the block of houses where her flower shop is located.

"Is my shop also located in the survey area?" As soon as Lam Tuyen arrived, he read the notice and his voice was full of surprise.

"Probably so, this whole block." Diep Khanh took down the notice and read each line carefully. According to the content, the survey team will go to each business establishment in the area to measure and take photos of the current status of the facade and evaluate the structure of the building in order to create appropriate renovation plans while still retaining the inherent ancient architecture of the street.

She tried not to think too much about who would be in charge of the survey, but in her heart she still had a vague hunch that, as the chief architect of the space, there was a high possibility that Bach Du would be the one to come directly to her flower shop, or at least supervise that work.

That hunch turned out to be correct. The next afternoon, when Diep Khanh was busy preparing flowers for a weekend wedding, the doorbell rang, and the person who walked in was not the usual survey team she imagined, but Bach Du, accompanied by two young engineers carrying measuring instruments and specialized cameras.

"Hello, we came to survey the current situation according to the announced schedule." Bach Du said, his voice trying to keep it professional, addressing him formally as if he wanted to set a clear boundary between work and what had happened between the two of them.

"Yes, please come in and everyone else." Diep Khanh also responded in a similar tone, trying to keep a safe distance, even though she couldn't help but feel awkward when having to face him in a work situation like this.

The two young engineers quickly began measuring the facade and taking photos of every corner of the house, while Bach Du stood next to him, occasionally taking notes in a notebook. He carefully observed every architectural detail of the house, from the old encaustic tiles on the floor, to the wooden window frames that had faded over the years, to the small porch jutting out in front, where Diep Khanh often hung decorative flower baskets.

"When was this house built?" Bach Du asked, trying to start a conversation as naturally as possible, although his voice still had a hint of stiffness.

"Since my grandparents' time, it must have been sixty years." Diep Khanh answered, her eyes still glued to the flower arrangement in front of her, not wanting to look directly at him for too long. "My mother took over and opened the flower shop more than twenty years ago."

"The wood structure here is still quite good, the tile roof only needs light reinforcement and does not need to be completely replaced." Bach Du took notes in the notebook, his tone turned professional, perhaps because that was the only way to help him keep calm in front of her. "The renovation project advocates keeping the original architectural elements intact, only renovating the necessary parts to ensure safety and general aesthetics."

"So will my flower shop have to relocate or close during construction?" Diep Khanh asked, her voice a bit worried, because this was the question that had bothered her the most since receiving the notice.

"No, the project only interferes with the common facade and public infrastructure such as sidewalks and lighting systems, and does not affect business activities inside the facilities." Bach Du explained, his eyes looking straight at her for the first time since entering the shop. "You don't need to worry about that."

Diep Khanh nodded slightly, feeling a moment of relief, but was soon replaced by discomfort when she realized that Bach Du's eyes were still lingering on her face longer than necessary. She turned away and continued working, deliberately ignoring that feeling.

While waiting for the two young engineers to complete the measurements, Bach Du stood quietly observing Diep Khanh's work, his eyes could not hide his admiration for the skillfulness and meticulousness in each of her movements. He remembers, in the past, she once said that flower arrangement was not just about making a beautiful arrangement, but also about telling a story through the language of colors and shapes. Each bouquet of flowers must carry a unique sentiment depending on the occasion for which it was given. Looking at her now, her hands moving quickly between the flower branches, her eyes intensely focused, he realized that no matter how much time had passed, that passion in her was still as intact as ever.

The survey lasted nearly an hour. While the two young engineers were measuring the outside, Bach Du had the opportunity to observe more closely the space inside the flower shop. His eyes stopped for a long time on the brown leather-covered notebook placed on the wooden shelf behind the counter, something he recognized immediately, because he had seen Diep Khanh open it countless times during the afternoons he visited the shop during his student days.

"Do you still have that notebook?" He blurted out a question, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement.

Diep Khanh was startled, not expecting him to still remember that small detail. "Left from my mother." She replied briefly, trying to keep her voice calm, even though there was a wave of emotions rolling in her heart.

"Miss Yen... are you okay?" Bach Du asked, and as soon as the question came out, he noticed a change in Diep Khanh's eyes, a pain that passed so quickly that if you didn't pay close attention you wouldn't notice it.

"My mother passed away two years ago." Diep Khanh said, trying to keep his voice steady but still unable to hide the slight trembling. "Heart disease."

Bach Du was stunned, his hand holding the pen stopped halfway. He did not know about this, and a feeling of guilt suddenly rose in his heart when thinking about the fact that for the past five years he had completely cut off contact, not knowing that Diep Khanh had to face such a great loss alone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." His voice was low, so sincere that Diep Khanh had to turn away to hide the emotion that was about to well up.

"It's okay, you have no reason to know." She replied, trying to stay cold, but that sentence unintentionally carried a bit of bitterness that both of them felt.

The atmosphere in the shop became heavy, only the steady clicking sound of cutting scissors from Diep Khanh's hand broke the silence. Bach Du stood there for a long time, wanting to say something more, but in the end chose to stay silent, when two young engineers returned to report that they had completed the outside measurements.

"Then we'll ask for your permission, thank you for your cooperation." Bach Du said, his voice returning to its usual professionalism, as if trying to close the private moment with a business-like goodbye.

"Yes, hello." Diep Khanh responded, not raising his head to look after him and the two engineers left the shop.

Only when the sound of their footsteps had completely disappeared outside the door did Diep Khanh put down the branch shears and grabbed the edge of the counter with trembling hands. She closed her eyes, trying to swallow the lump blocking her throat. Having to encounter Bach Du in a work context like this, she knew, would not stop at just one time. The beautification project will last many months, and with his role, similar meetings will certainly continue.

She told herself that she had to learn to keep her distance, to build a wall strong enough to not be shaken every time she faced him. But the question about her mother just now, the sincerity in his eyes when he heard the news, all made her realize that, no matter how hard she tried, the boundaries she tried to build were still much more fragile than she thought.

That evening, when telling this story to Lam Tuyen, Diep Khanh could not hide the confusion in her voice. "I don't know how to face this anymore. Every time I see him again, I feel like everything I've tried to build over the past five years seems to fall apart."

Lam Tuyen held her friend's hand, her eyes full of understanding. "Then don't try to fight your emotions too much. But don't rush to believe again right away, after all, there are still too many unclear things about the past. Slowly, everything will become clear."

Diep Khanh nodded, but in her heart she understood that "slowly" probably wouldn't have as much time as she wanted, when both the debt threatening the flower shop and the chaotic emotions for Bach Du were simultaneously pushing her to the limit of tolerance.

Before leaving, Lam Tuyen stopped at the door and turned to look at you with rare serious eyes. "I just want to say one more thing, no matter what the relationship between you and Mr. Du is, right now, that debt is the most urgent matter. Don't let mixed emotions make you forget about protecting Aunt Yen's flower shop."

"I know." Diep Khanh nodded, her voice became more determined. "Tomorrow morning I will call Viet Bang again and ask if he has found out anything more. We can't just leave things hanging like this forever."

After Lam Tuyen left, Diep Khanh stayed alone in the shop, turning off the lights, leaving only the soft light from the small table lamp next to the cashier. She sat down, reopened the contract file, trying to read the complicated terms one more time, even though her mind was now confused from too many emotions piled up in one day. Outside, the afternoon mist began to fall earlier than usual, covering the glass window frame with a hazy layer, like a curtain separating her from the noisy world outside, so that she could quietly face her own chaotic thoughts.