Chapter 56: A Summer Night Confession
After a moment of surprise, Thu Thao finally nodded. Perhaps she and her husband didn't have as much influence over Toan Phuong as Kieu Ly did—because Kieu Ly knew how to understand him. Seeing how obedient yet full of potential he had become, the couple already felt reassured. As long as Toan Phuong could pursue his dream without it interfering with his studies, they were willing to support him from behind the scenes.
A while later, Toan Phuong came downstairs carrying Kieu Ly's backpack. He politely excused himself to his mother and took the bouquet of flowers out the door.
"Mom, I'm taking Ly home."
Thu Thao nodded, watching her son step outside. In that moment, he looked more mature than ever. Deep down, she sensed that her son might be experiencing his first real feelings—and the kind that made him want to become a better person.
Toan Phuong pedaled Kieu Ly home on her bicycle, traveling through the wide, quiet roads of the suburbs, down a breezy levee path, and finally into the bustling heart of the city. The two of them didn't say a word the entire ride, each lost in their own thoughts. Toan Phuong only wished the road could stretch on forever, with no destination in sight.
Though the bicycle moved slowly, they eventually arrived. Toan Phuong stopped in front of the boarding house gate, clearly reluctant to leave. Kieu Ly spoke first:
"I'm home safe now. You should head back before it gets too late."
She started to push her bike through the gate, but Toan Phuong gently grabbed her arm.
"Kieu Ly… I have something I want to say."
Kieu Ly propped the kickstand down and quietly stood across from him, waiting patiently. Toan Phuong knew this was his last chance. Mustering his courage, he said:
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Upon hearing those words, Kieu Ly's emotions grew strangely tangled. She had long suspected that Toan Phuong had feelings for her and had even tried to gently turn him down before. But now, standing face-to-face with a direct confession, she knew she had to give a clear answer.
This wasn't the first time she'd been confessed to, but this time truly left her conflicted.
She was about to leave the country for her studies. There was a significant age gap between her and Toan Phuong, and he was standing at the edge of the most important exam of his life. If she rejected him now, she might crush his spirit and affect his performance. But if she accepted, it might all lead nowhere—because of the distance, the age difference, and their different backgrounds.
She didn't want either of them to end up the "betrayer," nor did she want to become the kind of girl who changes boyfriends like changing clothes.
She never allowed herself to be careless—whether in work or in love.