Chapter 81: Clearing the Misunderstanding
A gust of wind blew by, making Kieu Ly shiver. She had forgotten that both of them were still outside, and Toan Phuong was likely freezing to the bone. She picked up Dang Bang Anh's coat and said:
"Come up to my room so we can warm up and talk."
Toan Phuong, having calmed down, quietly followed her, not forgetting to bring the gift he had carried all the way from Vietnam, which he had left on the ground earlier.
When they reached her room, Kieu Ly checked the temperature of the water and said:
"Go wash your hands, face, and feet with warm water to warm up first."
But Toan Phuong, still stubborn, lingered and asked:
"That coat… whose is it?"
Kieu Ly looked at the coat in her hands and replied cluelessly:
"It's just a coat. What's so special about it?"
"That's not what I meant. I meant the person who wore it?"
"Just someone from my hometown. We're both from Bắc Ninh."
Only then did Toan Phuong breathe a sigh of relief, though a hint of guilt surfaced in his chest.
"You two really aren't… involved? I thought he was your new boyfriend."
Kieu Ly frowned slightly and said:
"Not everyone is like you, constantly thinking about love and relationships."
After washing up with warm water, Toan Phuong felt a little less cold. But it was undeniable — London's winter was brutally harsh.
Kieu Ly pulled back the curtain to look out the dorm gate, only to see that it had already closed. She began to worry — where would she send Toan Phuong for the night? All her dorm neighbors were foreigners; they weren't close, and their rooms were small. It'd be very inconvenient to squeeze in an extra person. The only two friends she had in London — Thuy Linh and Dang Bang Anh — lived in another dorm block.
When Toan Phuong came out of the bathroom, he sat down next to Kieu Ly and began taking out the gifts he had brought from Vietnam, placing them on the table. Seeing this, Kieu Ly said:
"Trying to bribe me? I'm still mad about earlier, you know."
Toan Phuong chuckled inwardly. Even if what he had done was wrong, he didn't regret it. After all, flying 9,000 kilometers just to gain a kiss — he considered that a win.
"Earlier? What are you talking about?" he asked, pretending to be innocent.
Kieu Ly, both angry and embarrassed, frowned and scolded:
"Don't give me that look. That was a… forced kiss."
"I was just reclaiming the kiss you stole from me."
"First kiss?"
"Back at the boarding house gate. That was my first kiss. You shamelessly stole it, didn't you?"
Kieu Ly recalled that time at the boarding house. Overwhelmed by emotion, she had kissed him. Though it was only a light brush — like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water — it had still made her cheeks burn. It was a kiss. But still, she wanted to deny it:
"You count that as a kiss?"
"If that doesn't count, then what does?"