After failing to harm me, Ly seemed very worried. During the two months I was hospitalized for treatment, I hardly ever left Chang An’s room. Therefore, even if she wanted to harm me again, she wouldn’t have the opportunity.
After eight weeks of persistent practice, I can now walk about ninety percent as before. Yet, as if by habit, Chang An gets up every morning to help me out of bed. This morning was no different; seeing me hastily sit up, he also jumped up behind me. I laughed and said, “Go back to sleep, I can walk by myself.”
But he wouldn’t listen. Chang An pulled the blanket off the bed, his whole body seemingly glowing in the early morning sunlight streaming through the window. Because he wasn’t wearing a single piece of clothing. His third leg was still erect and hadn’t yet gone limp.
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen this, but every time I saw it, I was as stunned as the first time. Chang An’s body was incredibly perfect, perhaps because I liked him, but in my eyes, he was unparalleled.
I asked, “You went to bed naked last night?”
Chang An mischievously replied, “Yes, I did. I thought you’d stripped me naked in the middle of the night!”
I knew he was teasing, so I played along, “That’s right, I did many other things too.”
Chang An strode over to me and whispered, “Then next time you do it, wake me up, because I was too asleep to hear you moan, what a pity!”
I shook my head, “My mouth was shut then, I wasn’t free to moan.”
He teased, “Shut up like that? Let me see!”
As he spoke, Chang An put his hands on his hips and winked at me, his lower body thrusting forward to show off his erect penis. I chuckled softly and dashed into the bathroom. Before I could close the door, Chang An quickly jumped in after me. I was standing in front of the toilet wanting to pee, and Trường An stood right behind me, rubbing his hot penis against my buttock. Because he was taller than me, his lower body was also higher, so Trường An spread his legs wide to lower himself down, a position so vulgar I didn’t dare look at it.
To make matters worse, he wrapped his left arm around my chest and gently stroked my penis with his right hand. I winced: “Then how am I supposed to pee?”
Trường An calmly replied: “Pee after you’ve ejaculated!”
I only asked as a formality, because ever since I could stand, Trường An and I had sex in the bathroom every morning. He loved rubbing his penis against my buttock while I squeezed my legs together. Feeling his penis thrusting in and out between my legs, I was even more aroused than during sex.
Trường An thrust and stroked my penis, his hands squeezing my breasts forcefully. His warm breath from his mouth fanned my ear with each thrust. I pressed my back against his chest, feeling his heart pounding inside my ribcage. My hands reached behind me, my fingers gripping his plump buttocks.
Gasping breaths mingled with moans of pleasure, echoing incessantly in the bathroom. Until I couldn’t take it anymore and cried out: “I’m so happy, An… I’m coming… I’m coming… Mmm… An… Come with me… Come with me… You’re making my dick tingle, An… Mmm… An… Ah… Ah… Ah…”
My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Truong An held me tightly, his lips gently biting my earlobe, his ecstatic moans suppressed in his throat: “Mmm… mmm… mmm…”
We both ejaculated, our semen staining the walls and floor. Even though we came together every day, each time we ejaculated, we released an inexplicably large amount. Perhaps when experiencing extreme pleasure, the human body produces more sperm?
For the past three months, I’ve always wanted to ask Chang An what I truly am to him, but I’ve also been quite worried. Because saying it would be drawing a line. If Chang An doesn’t like me the way I’ve always liked him, things might not be the same as they are now.
Although we’ve had our fun together, it’s ultimately just temporary. If I were to ask him the question in my heart, I don’t know what would happen. If he doesn’t like me, the temporary connection I’ve always longed for would be gone. If he does like me, then what do I have to offer to be worthy of him?
In the end, I chose not to ask. Love is blind, and once you’re blind, why think about the long-term consequences?
After showering, Chang An changed his clothes and prepared to go out. He instructed, “Be careful when you’re out and about. Rest for another week and then come take photos to repay me. Your fans have been clamoring for you for ages.”
The photographer had sold the photos to a producer without my permission. When Trường An found him, he was in the hospital with his wife. Seeing Trường An, he didn’t hesitate to kneel down and apologize: “My wife urgently needs money for surgery, and I couldn’t raise it. Please understand. I know I did something wrong, but it was my last resort…”
Trường An then turned to me and asked, “How do you want to handle this?”
I felt he had a valid reason, and moreover, he was a skilled professional who had worked with Trường An for many years. I didn’t want Trường An to waste such talent the moment I appeared.
Trường An finally forgave him, instructing me, “If you have an urgent matter in the future, tell me. Don’t do this again; it damages your reputation.” “It’s all yours.”
He was both happy and trembling, muttering, “The amount of money was too large and the time was too short, I was desperate at the time, so…”
But what Trường An didn’t expect was that it would be the best-selling photo set he had ever achieved.
However, recently, Trường An had been left behind by Mr. Tô’s photo studio. Because model Peter Nguyễn, who is also Bình, was proving how capable he was.
Trường An said, “This time when you come back, I’ve prepared everything for you. I guarantee a spectacular photo set that will be at the top.”
I asked curiously, “What are you planning to dress me in? Leaves or animal skins?”
Trường An looked mysterious: “Not that.” “You’ll be dressed as if you’re not wearing anything!”
He said, then hurriedly left. It had been so long since I’d left my room that I couldn’t even remember what the sunlight and air outside were like. I rushed downstairs to visit Auntie Bay in the kitchen, where I saw her busily preparing breakfast for the master in the garden.
Nha was also waiting there to bring breakfast up for Ly. When he saw me coming down, he sneered, “She’s just putting on a show, she’s not sick at all. As soon as Mr. An left the house, she ‘dropped her act’. It’s like being in a traveling theater troupe all the time…” Auntie Bay interrupted him, “It’s ready, take it up to your mother, son. If you worry too much, she’ll scold you.”
Nha glanced at me as he passed. I smirked back at him, making him furious. The more annoyed he was, the happier I felt. After all, even if I treated him kindly, he’d only see me as a thorn in his side.
I went to Auntie Bay and asked, “How are you, Auntie?” “Thank you, Grandma, for cooking nutritious meals for me every day.”
Grandma patted my back and smiled, saying, “You can walk now, right? Go slowly up and down the stairs, okay?” “It’s still healing, don’t jump around too much.”
I nodded, indicating I understood. The nanny prepared to take the tray of food to the garden for the master. I recognized it immediately because it contained the fried rice the master ate every morning.
I said, “I have something to tell the master. Let me take this to the garden.”
Handing the tray to me, the nanny cautioned, “Be careful, child. If you spill this tray, the master will send you back to your hometown.”
Looking at the tray, I realized the food was incredibly lavish today, and there was even a stand and three incense sticks. I confidently said, “Don’t worry, Nanny, I’m stronger than you!”
Even so, I carried it step by step. If I tripped over a rock and spilled the whole tray, I might really be sent back to my hometown. Finally, I made it to the offering tray intact. I thought perhaps the master wanted to make a land offering or something.
Approaching it, I saw Mr. Nhat intently looking at a book. The cardboard cover was beautifully illustrated. It was titled “The Sun Remembers the Moon.” It depicted a young man holding the moon in his arms, his face filled with profound sorrow. It was so lifelike that I couldn’t stop looking at it, until I heard Mr. Nhat say, “Just leave it on the table for me.”
I jumped, hastily putting down the tray of food. I said, “Yes, sir…”
He raised a hand, signaling me to be quiet, then said, “Wait a moment.”
Then he lit three incense sticks, prayed, and placed them in the incense holder in the middle of the tray. After that, he poured two cups of tea, placing one on the other side of the table where an empty chair was already set. He drank the other cup himself, as if someone were actually sitting in that chair.
I felt a little scared and didn’t dare say anything. After a while, he turned to me and asked, “What do you want to say?”
I explained, “I heard An say that you paid my hospital bills.” “Thank you, sir, for your compassion.”
He smiled softly: “That’s what I had to do. You didn’t hesitate to save Thien’s life; that’s nothing to complain about.”
I nodded gratefully, then quietly excused myself to go inside. But I couldn’t help glancing at the book on the table. Seeing this, Mr. Nhat called me back, handed me the book, and said: “I need your help with something. Read this whole book and tell me whether the young man in it was right or wrong.”
I shook my head shyly: “To be honest, sir, I’m not very good at reading Vietnamese; I’m afraid I won’t understand much… Maybe you could give it to An to read. He’s so clever, he’ll surely know.”
Mr. Nhat replied: “Truong An is Truong An, and you are you.” “If you don’t know something, ask Truong An; you’ll naturally learn more.”
Thinking it was true, I happily thanked Mr. Nhat and took the book inside. Just as I reached the door, I met Thien, who was about to leave. I said cheerfully, “Going to the shop? Please send my regards to everyone, boss.”
Thien chuckled, probably liking being called “boss.” Then he looked at the book in my hand and said, “There you go again. My dad has this book, and he keeps asking everyone he meets to read it and then asking if the guy in it is doing it right or wrong… My dad told you to do that, right?”
I nodded, and Thien continued, “Yeah, just read it while my older brother isn’t home. When he’s home, you two are always moaning and screaming, getting aroused and then leaving.”
The thing is, this morning Thien went into Truong An’s room intending to ask about something at the shop, but ended up hearing lewd moans from the bathroom, so he quietly left without asking anything. The door to Trường An wasn’t locked; if it wasn’t Thiên, no one else would dare open it and enter without permission.
I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to say, so I grabbed my book and ran up to my room, ignoring Thiên’s giggling behind me.
Actually, I really liked books, because I didn’t get to go to school when I was little. I opened the book and read a few lines, feeling a profound emotion from the very first lines…
To the girl who is no longer in this world.
Wait for me a little while.
After paying off all my earthly debts, I will come and apologize to you in the eternal realm.
Then we will both turn to dust, forever free from the torment of joy and sorrow.
Only you, me, and a love that will never end…
I was completely drawn into the story. It was the life of a young man from a wealthy family. He loved a beautiful and elegant young lady, and luckily, she loved him very much too. The two had given each other the most precious things, and their love had blossomed into a life growing inside the girl’s womb. But life isn’t always a fairy tale. A few months earlier, while drunk, he had spent the night with another woman. Unintentionally, she became pregnant.
This girl was strong-willed and determined not to be wronged. Her entire family insisted that the young man marry her. Meanwhile, the woman he loved was discovered to be pregnant out of wedlock. Her parents questioned her, but to protect her lover’s reputation, she took all the blame upon herself. If she revealed the truth, her family would cause a huge scene at his house. With two problems at once, she feared her lover would lose face and be unable to continue his business in Saigon.
Thus, her family considered it a disgrace, and her father even refused to see her. The girl left alone in the cold, dark night, fleeing from the judgment of society, from the cruelty of fate. She thought she was doing it to protect her lover, to protect her family’s honor.
The young man didn’t know this, still firmly believing that the girl was being held captive at home. He didn’t dare disobey his parents, because the family’s honor rested on his decision. His parents advised him to marry the other girl first, and then marry the woman he loved. They said it wasn’t unusual for a man to have multiple wives.
And so, he followed his family’s arrangements. But on the very day he walked down the aisle with the woman he didn’t love, the maid of his beloved burst through the door, shouting: “They’ve found the young mistress, sir… She’s dead under the great bridge…”
The young man collapsed on the spot, then scrambled to his feet and ran to the maid, who was also sobbing. He abandoned the ceremony to rush to his lover’s house, but she was nowhere to be seen, only a somber white of mourning, people weeping and wailing, funeral flowers covering the path…
He couldn’t bear it and fainted right at the gate. The vision of a happy family shattered in that moment like a glass ball falling on a cliff.
In the end, he still had to marry the other woman because she was carrying his child. But no matter what, his heart still beat, but his soul seemed dead.
He was like the sun, and the woman he loved was like the moon. They would never meet again…
Actually, I don’t know if what the young man did was right or wrong. If everyone had pressured each other less, perhaps such a tragic ending wouldn’t have happened.
Even though I haven’t finished reading the book, my heart feels heavy. Looking at the cover, I see it was published almost twenty years ago. In those days, family honor was more important than life itself. Sadly, family affection can never be compared.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw Nha. He said, “Aunt Ly wants you up to her room to talk.”
I looked him straight in the face, without a trace of fear, and said, “I’m not her servant. There’s nothing for us to talk about.”
I said that because I didn’t want to go upstairs. If I left this room, he would surely plot to harm me again.
Nha grumbled and went upstairs. I thought I was finally safe, but a little while later, Ly came down with her big belly.
I went outside to open the door. When she saw me, she said, “Oh my goodness, Phúc, you’re feeling better? I’ve been planning to come down to check on you lately, but my stomach has been making it so difficult. It’s been a long time since we last met. Let’s go downstairs and chat for a bit, okay?” Going downstairs meant being in front of Auntie Bay, and I thought she wouldn’t dare do anything to me in front of her. I said, “Okay. Please go ahead, I’ll close the door and follow.”
Ly dragged her heavy feet down the stairs, step by step. She was seven months pregnant, but looked like she was about to give birth; perhaps because she ate so much, the baby was “better” than others. Nha walked beside her, supporting Ly, and I stood at the very top of the stairs, waiting for her to reach the bottom before I followed.
But unexpectedly, a pair of hands suddenly lunged out from nowhere, pushing me in the back with all their might. I didn’t have time to grab onto anything and tumbled down the stairs.
Bang…
I fell flat on my face, the wound on my back throbbing with pain. Immediately afterward, a bloodcurdling scream rang out: “Auntie… Auntie Ly… Auntie, wake up… Auntie… Auntie Bay… Auntie, you fell down the stairs!” “Oh no… Nanny… Call an ambulance, Nanny…”
I regained my composure and looked around. Ly had somehow fallen and tumbled down the stairs. The hem of her dress was soaked in a deep red. Blood… it was all blood…
When I fell, I saw Trang running ahead of me. She was definitely the one who pushed me. It seems I’ve fallen into their trap again this time.
Shortly after, Mr. Nhat called Truong An and Thien home to discuss this important matter. The doctor announced that Ly’s pregnancy was only seven months along, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t save it.
The first grandchild in the family had been born in the most unexpected way. Mr. Nhat seemed extremely tense. Although I hadn’t done anything wrong, I could hardly remain calm.
Mr. Nhat asked, “Why is this happening? Who was looking after Ly?”
Nha replied, “Sir, I was looking after Ly.” “This afternoon, my aunt kindly went down to check on Phuc, who had just regained his ability to walk, but who would have thought he would push me and my aunt down the stairs. I wouldn’t regret it if I died, but how could he have the heart to kill the baby in my aunt’s womb…?”
I glared at him, unable to remain calm, and snapped, “When did I push you? Boss, I didn’t do that. Someone behind me pushed me, and I fell down the stairs too.”
Nha retorted, “You have to pretend to fall to make it seem accidental. That way, no one can blame you!”
Suddenly, Trang spoke up, “No, Nha, I was standing behind and saw that Phuc didn’t push my aunt. It seems like Phuc’s leg was hurting again, so he slipped and fell down.” “I saw it from afar…”
It’s true that I touched Nha’s back, Ly’s son, but no one can testify to me being pushed. And no one else saw Trang push me either.
Mr. Nhat closed his eyes, looked up at the sky, and swallowed. Then he slowly lowered his chin and calmly said, “Alright. Truong An, I’ll leave this matter to you to handle.”
Truong An replied, “Yes!” as Mr. Nhat left the large table and went upstairs with Aunt Bay. Seeing the boss leave, Nha raised his voice again: “Young Master Hai, Young Master Ba, I don’t know if he fell or was pushed, but it’s true that he fell on me and Aunt Ly. Don’t tolerate this anymore; if he stays here any longer, who knows who else he might harm.” “You two chase her away…”
Thien snapped, “Are you in charge of this house now?”
Nha immediately shut his mouth. Thien gave him another glance, and Nha and Trang scurried back to their room.
Even though I didn’t do it intentionally, I can hardly deny my responsibility. I bowed my head before Thien and sincerely said, “I’m sorry. I really don’t like her, but I never thought of harming her.”
Thien frowned, “Are you crazy? I’m overjoyed, what’s there to apologize for?”
I replied, “If she’s carrying your child, then I’ve indirectly caused you to lose your child. And if it’s not your child, then there’s nothing to do a paternity test with now.”
Thien confidently replied, “Don’t overthink it. If it’s not my child, then there’s no child left, and it would be easier for me to chase her away.” “If it were my child… honestly, I wouldn’t want them to have a mother like that.”
Then Thien went up to his room, looking completely devoid of sadness.
I followed Truong An up to his room, sitting on his bed, and I was stunned by this whole situation. I really didn’t know what to do to make everyone believe I was innocent.
That night, I lay there tormented by guilt. The unspoken resentment turned into two streams of tears rolling down my face. I never imagined that human hearts could be so wicked, that they could even use human lives as pawns.
I lay there sobbing, when suddenly an arm wrapped around my waist, and another hand slipped under my neck. Truong An turned me around so I could rest my face against his chest. He comforted me: “Don’t cry.” “I believe you.”
Someone comforting me only made me cry harder. For better or worse, it was a tiny life that hadn’t seen the world because of my carelessness. Trường An held me tightly, stroking the marks on my back where I’d fallen and been hit by the stairs.
Trường An instructed, “From now on, if I’m not home, stay in my room when you encounter them. There’s no evidence, so I can’t speak up to protect you, but I believe you would never do such a thing. Be good, don’t be afraid, I’m here. As long as you didn’t do it, you don’t need to feel ashamed; just hold your head high and live.” “Anyone who intentionally harms her will sooner or later receive their just punishment.”
Ly is not only cruel, but also very intelligent. She probably knew for sure that Thien would conduct a paternity test, so she devised a plan to get rid of the child and trap me.
Being pushed down the stairs and losing the baby. This way, she avoids the test, frames me, and has an excuse to beg for mercy to continue staying here.
Killing three birds with one stone.