7
Trying to suppress the turmoil inside me, I got ready to go out and hail a cab.
But just then, my phone rang.
The caller was a driver my dad had supposedly arranged, saying he was on his way.
I sighed.
Dad was still the most reliable.
“Sis.”
Cẩu Tuân held my daughter in one arm and turned to ask:
“How long are you planning to keep him in the dark?”
I shook my head.
I’d been so panicked before that I’d fled with my daughter in my arms. Now that I was back and saw how steady things were between him and Đàm Vi, I had even less reason to say anything.
Cẩu Tuân was my biological younger brother.
But when he was one, our parents divorced, and he went abroad with our mother. He rarely came back.
My dad had never told anyone he had a son, either.
Ấm Áp looked so much like Cẩu Tuân in two ways, and it was perfectly normal for a child to resemble her uncle.
That was why Lục Tầm had believed it so easily just now.
The car arrived.
Cẩu Tuân opened the door for me and said with a smile:
“Sis, I’m really looking forward to Lục Tầm’s reaction when he finds out Ấm Áp is his daughter.”
I said nothing.
Without meaning to, I pictured him at the airport earlier—
Amid the Buddhist prayer beads scattered across the floor, he hadn’t gotten angry at all. He’d only gently soothed the little girl.
“The string broke. It’s ruined.”
“You’re so strong, sweetie. Such a good girl.”
I sighed, forcing myself to put aside the stirrings in my heart.
So what if he found out the truth?
Would we stubbornly stay together and fight until the world fell apart every day?
After getting out of the car, I realized I’d left my phone on the seat, so I turned back to get it.
Just then, I heard the driver on the phone:
“Mr. Lục, I’ve dropped them off.”
Mr. Lục?
I froze beside the car.
“Sis?”
Seeing me standing there in a daze, Cẩu Tuân came over:
“What’s wrong?”
I startled and quickly shook my head.
“N-no… it’s nothing.”
8
At the hospital.
Cẩu Tuân carried Ấm Áp while I took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the hospital room door.
“Dad…”
“Don’t call me Dad! I don’t have a daughter like you!”
My dad sat on the hospital bed, his voice booming like a bell. He was so angry even his mouth trembled.
“Pah!”
He glared at me and raised his voice even more:
“You’re not my daughter!”
After saying that, he seemed to realize something was off. His face reddened with anger, and he slapped the bed hard.
“Tell me! Who’s the child’s father?”
I clenched my teeth and stayed silent.
The atmosphere in the room grew more and more tense.
Just then, Cẩu Tuân set Ấm Áp down and patted her back:
“Go on, ask Grandpa for some candy.”
Ấm Áp waved her chubby little hands and toddled toward the hospital bed.
My dad frowned and glanced at the little girl.
Unable to help himself, he looked again.
Just then, she stepped on a slipper and stumbled, nearly falling flat on her face.
“Good heavens!”
My dad was so frightened that he jumped off the bed and scooped her up. His voice trembled as he said:
“The slippers made the baby stumble! Grandpa won’t wear them anymore!”
Then he decisively kicked off the slippers and tossed them straight into the trash can.
Seeing that he’d calmed down a little, I hurried over:
“Dad…”
“Don’t call me Dad! Find her biological father and bring him here first!”
I bit my lip and cautiously tested the waters:
“Lục Tầm…”
My dad’s expression changed at once:
“Lục Tầm? The child is Lục Tầm’s?!”
“No.” I lowered my head and hurried to correct myself. “I mean… I happened to run into him at the airport earlier.”
Only then did his expression soften a little.
His tone eased, too:
“If you really don’t want to say, then fine. Just bring Ấm Áp back to the country, and I can support you both.”
9
That evening, there was a business reception, and Cẩu Tuân and I attended in Dad’s place.
And I ran into Lục Tầm again.
Two years later, the distance between us felt greater than ever.
For the first time, I felt brave enough to take a good, unhurried look at him.
Lục Tầm had matured a great deal.
After two years at the helm of the Lục Corporation, he was no longer the headstrong young heir he’d once been. He’d become a composed, confident Mr. Lục, radiating presence.
But what caught my attention most—
Was the woman standing beside him.
Đàm Vi.
She looked composed and gentle. Just standing there was enough to call to mind the girl of his dreams.
I paused for a moment, then stiffly took Cẩu Tuân’s arm.
As we neared the banquet hall, I happened to overhear people gossiping—
“Mr. Lục has said what his type is for a long time. Isn’t Đàm Vi exactly his ideal? I heard the Lục and Đàm families are discussing a marriage alliance.”
“You didn’t know? Mr. Lục and Đàm Vi were classmates for a while, but then she went abroad to study.”
“Of course. The girl of his dreams he’s kept hidden all these years must be Đàm Vi.”
I was so absorbed in listening that I didn’t notice the hem of my dress and nearly fell. Luckily, Cẩu Tuân caught me in time.
When I looked up—
My eyes suddenly met Lục Tầm’s.
He had one hand in his pocket. His gaze swept over my face, then stopped on Cẩu Tuân’s arm, which was supporting me.
Before I could make out his expression, he turned away and continued talking with Đàm Vi.
That moment when our eyes met—
It seemed to have been nothing but my imagination.
I didn’t know what he said, but Đàm Vi smiled softly, dimples showing on her cheeks.
I had to admit—
The two of them really were a perfect match.
A pang of bitterness rose in me. I turned away, found a quiet corner, and poured myself a glass of red wine.
My dad had wanted Cẩu Tuân and me to take over the company, but I’d never had any intention of doing so.
Two years ago, I went abroad partly to escape Lục Tầm and partly to pursue my passion.
I was a jewelry designer. I’d won a few international awards, but so far I still hadn’t created a single piece that truly satisfied me.
While I sat quietly drinking, Cẩu Tuân had quickly blended into the crowd.
My younger brother was great at socializing. Even though he’d only just returned to the country, he could easily strike up a conversation with anyone.
I took a sip of wine and tilted my head to see what my brother was doing—
Wait a second?
I was slightly nearsighted, so I narrowed my eyes to get a better look. At last, I recognized—
The person Cẩu Tuân was chatting so happily with…
Was Đàm Vi herself.
This is bad.
My brother couldn’t go poach Lục Tầm’s girl!
He was notorious for holding grudges and being petty!
I hurriedly set down my glass, intending to run over and drag Cẩu Tuân back.
But just then—
A familiar voice sounded behind me.
It was low and full of meaning.
And so sour it made me want to die.
“Your husband… seems to be having a very pleasant chat with my friend.”
10
Of course, the one thing I was afraid of was exactly what happened.
With my back to him, I tried to keep calm.
“My husband… is pretty talkative.”
The person behind me gave a cold laugh.
“I can see that.”
Lục Tầm pulled out a chair and sat down across from me.
I caught a faint scent of musk on him, and couldn’t help remembering that night—
Dim lights, the scent of musk mingling with alcohol, a whirlpool of desire pulling me under…
My face began to grow warm.
He stared at me, his voice full of insinuation.
“Feeling hot?”
I jumped.
He gave another faint laugh, his sharp gaze seeming to see right through me.
“Why is your face so red?”
“It’s nothing…”
I licked my lips, forcing myself not to think about anything inappropriate.
So nervous that I instinctively glanced toward Cẩu Tuân.
He was still talking with Đàm Vi.
They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying, but Đàm Vi looked like she was listening intently.
The two of them… really did seem like a good match.
I turned back to look Lục Tầm in the eye and blurted out a question.
“Aren’t you angry?”
He laughed, his eyes flicking toward the other side of the room.
“Your husband’s the one involved. If you’re not worried, why should I be?”
Maybe because I was so nervous, I unconsciously downed my entire glass of wine.
I’d never been much of a drinker, and only then did I realize the alcohol was starting to go to my head.
After a few minutes of silence, Lục Tầm lowered his head to check his phone.
As for me, with the alcohol giving me a little courage, I could only sit there silently staring at him.
As if I could make up for all the time we’d lost over the past few years.
“Lục Tầm.”
“Yeah?”
I licked my lips and suddenly asked him a brazen question.
“Are you and Đàm Vi… dating?”
Lục Tầm was silent for a moment.
Then he looked at me seriously and said slowly,
“No.”
I felt a sudden wave of relief.
But the very next second, I noticed what he was doing—
As he spoke, his hand unconsciously stroked the Buddhist prayer beads around his wrist.
The Buddhist prayer beads that had broken at the airport had been painstakingly strung back together, one bead at a time.
I asked softly,
“Are these prayer beads… very important to you?”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t look up, only continuing to stroke each bead.
“The person who gave them to me is very important.”
The smile on my lips stiffened a little.
The little spark of happiness that had just risen in my heart quickly went out.
He and Đàm Vi weren’t together yet. Maybe… he just hadn’t managed to win her over.
I stood up, my voice a little hoarse.
“Excuse me, I’m going outside for a bit.”
“Okay.”
Two years passed.
Everything between him and me had changed.
He had become Mr. Lục, and I had been promoted to mom.
The fierce antagonism between us was gone. When we met again, we could calmly sit down and talk for a while.