Part 25
The seed of love blossoms.
The image of his ex-girlfriend was carefully stored in his heart, letting it become a beautiful memory. He thought that one day he would forget, but he didn’t think that he would have to force himself to forget so quickly.
Each photo in the camera that passed by was deleted by him, they were all memories with Tieu Van when they were still in Europe. He only left the new photos taken with Chi in the camera, it seemed like he had made a choice for his heart.
After everything, he picked up the phone again, pressed the number.
-Hello… have you received the photos and videos I sent… thanks… then accept to go out with me… great… so where do you want to go this weekend. Okay, ok.
He put down the phone and smiled, Chi had agreed to go out with him, another date meant the two of them were a little closer, he would also quickly do as his father wished.
On this side, Chi had just put the phone aside, then she sat hugging a pillow on the bed, thinking absentmindedly. She wondered why she let him get closer to her without refusing? Did she also have feelings for him, maybe she did but not much, so what was the main reason? Was it because of Mr. Danh’s advice to open her heart, and his hint that she and he would give each other a chance? Or was she testing how far their “compatibility” would go, whether they were close enough to move to the next step, or would she just have one more friend. Whatever the result was, it was a good thing for her.
From then on, weekends almost became a routine, they went to coffee shops, watched movies, visited small exhibitions in the heart of the city, sometimes sat at roadside stalls enjoying snacks, like many other couples. Or more intimately, when they were together in a corner of the park and talked endlessly about things that had no beginning or end, and ended with both of them laughing out loud.
Just being so gentle and carefree made Chi feel comfortable when she was with him, without having to force herself, guessing or hiding her naivety. She could be herself, letting the dreaminess and flight of youth be unleashed.
Time passed quietly and discreetly, as if it was also afraid to interrupt the increasingly frequent dates between Phuc and Chi. The first meetings still kept a distance, gradually becoming a habit that both of them looked forward to. Phuc was always the one who took the initiative to arrange, but Chi’s natural response was what made all his efforts more meaningful.
After dating him a lot, she realized that Phuc was also generous like his father, in addition, he was especially tolerant and patient with her. Their relationship was also completely separate from work, so there were many sweet moments of affection.
Moreover, he had a big plus point, which was his concern for her mother. For example, the October 20th gift for her also came with a piece of silk to make an ao dai for Mrs. Le, or an eye exam ticket and glasses to help her see her embroidery more clearly. After each gift like that, the distance between her and him narrowed a bit.
As for Phuc, the fog that had covered his soul since the day he was in England, thanks to her bright smile, had now faded. He felt his soul become lively and colorful again. He smiled more easily, was less oppressed by work pressure, and more importantly, sometimes he and his father would have more topics to talk about besides the factory. Perhaps because he knew how to look at people and worked closer to Chi, the advice he gave her and him was often very correct.
For example, when he knew he was buying a gift for Chi on October 20, he reminded him, “If there are two women in the house, don’t give one gift.” Following that reminder made Chi look at him with more affection that day, and her voice in the car also became sweeter.
At that time, he silently thanked him and understood another lesson, that giving a gift does not necessarily have to be elaborate or expensive. But if you want it to be meaningful, you definitely need to put your attention on the needs of the recipient. Like the gift that Phuc gave Chi’s mother next, which was a ticket for an examination and glasses at a newly opened prestigious eye hospital. He was also the one who directly drove the mother and daughter to the hospital to complete the entire process. On the way back, he could fully feel how much joy a gift given with care brings to the recipient. Mrs. Le kept thanking him and Chi kept laughing in the car the whole way.
-Hehe, the guy who examined your mother is already a Master, and he also studied abroad, he is really admirable. Combined with modern, brand new machinery, it took less than 10 minutes to get accurate results, from now on with the glasses, your mother will no longer have blurry and teary eyes when embroidering.
-Yes, luckily, your mother is very happy. I thank you very much Phuc.
-Haha, you are being polite to me again, these past few months I have worked hard to cook you so many delicious dishes, this is just a small return.
-What’s so hard about it, it’s just a simple dish, and it’s time to invite you to eat with us for fun, there’s no need to prepare anything so hard.
At that moment, Chi playfully interrupted.
-You two talking about eating makes me so hungry, why don’t we stop pushing each other, let’s go somewhere to eat.
-Oh yeah, that reminds me, it’s noon, it’s too late to cook at home, mom and I, let’s find a place to eat. Oh, there’s a famous rice pot restaurant nearby, I remember going there once, customers coming in and out constantly, it must be very delicious.
-Oh, I know that restaurant too.
They walked about 500m more and came to a spacious restaurant with a bright red tiled roof and an outdoor space that gave a rather nostalgic feeling. The restaurant had a spacious frontage but still not enough to accommodate the long rows of cars lined up one after another. Phuc parked his car on the street nearly a hundred meters away from the restaurant and accepted the long walk. Mrs. Le seemed to intentionally leave space for the two of them and walked ahead. Chi got out of the car, looked at the restaurant, and commented with great excitement.
-Oh, the restaurant is so big but it’s packed, the food here must be delicious and special. Oh, I suddenly feel so hungry, Phuc, hurry up… Mom, wait for me…
-Chi…
She was so busy looking at the restaurant and running after her mother that she neglected to pay attention when crossing the street. Phuc looked up and saw the stream of cars passing by hurriedly, so he was extremely worried about her. He unconsciously held her hand and pulled her back, letting her hide behind him and together they crossed the street. pexels-photo-3692597.jpeg
Chi’s eyes were glued to his hand that was holding hers and sobbing. The feeling of being small and having someone protect her from behind was really easy to stir people, especially for a young, fragile girl like Chi. The road was only about 20m wide, even though she was shy, she just kept quiet and let him lead her. When she got to the restaurant door and didn’t see him leave, she whispered,
-You…let me go in by myself…it’s embarrassing if people see me.
Only then did Phuc let go, but just by looking at his reluctant attitude, everyone knew that Phuc was very attached to this feeling. His heart was fluttering, happy as if he had just struck gold when he had just taken another step on the path to conquering her heart. But when the words came out of his mouth, he still had to pretend to be calm.
– Next time, you have to be really careful when crossing the street, especially when I’m not around. If you go with me, I’ll take you across.
So by being so domineering, he naturally gave himself the right to hold Chi’s hand when crossing the street. Chi was stunned and before she could protest, she saw him sitting at the table with her mother, so she had to sit down with her face as red as a ripe gac fruit.
That day, Phuc found everything he ate delicious, sometimes no one said anything but he still smiled. As for Chi, she was only a little angry and then… also felt happy, sometimes shyly glancing at the boy sitting next to her and hiding her smile deep in her innocent eyes. At the dining table, only Mrs. Le was confused, looking at her daughter and then occasionally looking at the other guy to find an answer, then as if realizing something, she also smiled. The meal was more delicious for all three people and this restaurant became a place of nostalgia.
When leaving, Mrs. Le deliberately made an excuse to go to the restroom to go later, and thanks to that, she caught the scene of Phuc holding her daughter’s hand and leading her across the street. And Chi was also just shy and refused at first, but as long as Phuc was determined, she followed. She knew that the seed of her daughter’s emotions had blossomed, she also eagerly awaited the day it would become a big and beautiful tree of love.
Also from that day on every date between Phuc and Chi, he would always find an excuse to hold her hand, Chi also gradually got used to the warmth and steadiness of that hand. She let her heart beat fast without wanting to pull her hand away, sometimes she even wanted to hold it longer, tighter.
Their love did not explode like fireworks, but gradually warmed like a fireplace in the cold season. Love, if it could be called by name, was when they began to remember each other in the smallest things and found each other, not in lack, but in the fullness of their hearts.
Both Chi and Phuc realized it but neither dared to hastily confirm it. One person had fallen into a dilemma because of not understanding love, the other person had considered it many times because of fear that haste would push his lover away. The seed of love between the two was big enough, it just needed a chance to become a tree. That chance was today, Christmas day when everyone held hands, and in the bitter cold, everyone’s heart needed to be warmed.
Phuc was waiting for this day to create the right romantic moment, enough for him to express his feelings. However, it seemed that things did not go his way. At the end of the date, when everything seemed ready, the atmosphere was happy and expectant enough for the fireworks to start, but… it started to rain, from a drizzle to a torrential downpour, drops of water pouring down, as if wanting to wash away all the romance and excitement of the entire Christmas season.
The two of them sat in the car, watching the water run down the window outside, Chi still watched the drops of water, but Phuc just kept his eyes down. Chi noticed his silence, she asked.
-What’s wrong Phuc, are you sad?
-Yes, because I hate the rain, rainy days are the saddest days for me.