Upon returning to Vietnam, without a single day of rest, Truong An and I were immediately busy with projects. But I was very happy to have so many opportunities to work with him, to see him at his most energetic, or the frown on his face when a model couldn’t satisfy him.
Mid-morning, while Truong An was reviewing the newly taken photos, I took the opportunity to borrow his phone to call Ha Chau. His trip to Da Lat lasted a whole week; I heard he had coincidentally met someone he liked there.
I called Ha Chau’s number, and after a few long beeps, he finally answered: “Hello… I’m listening… um… I’m listening, sir…”
Hearing his drowsy voice, I asked: “Still not getting up? You have a photoshoot this afternoon. Remember to bring my phone with you.”
Ha Chau gasped for breath and replied, “Yes… um… um… I know… um… I know… Hah… hah…”
Hearing Ha Chau’s voice, I knew she was probably passionately making love with someone. I hung up and handed the phone back to Truong An. Just then, his father suddenly called. Truong An answered, mumbled a few “yes”s, and then said to me, “Dad said that when you get back, you should arrange a time to talk to her.”
Everyone in the family saw that Truong An and I were wearing matching rings. Perhaps Mr. Nhat was talking to me about this.
Seeing my anxiety, Truong An put his hands on my shoulders, looked straight into my eyes, and said, “Don’t be afraid of anything. If Dad doesn’t accept us, I’ll pack my things and move out to live with you.”
I smiled, touched, “What is it about me that makes you give up your status as the eldest son of the Le Thanh family?” Trường An stared at me without blinking: “Since I got lost in your eyes, I no longer remember who I am. Whether I’m the eldest son of the Lê Thanh family or not has long ceased to matter to me.”
I lowered my head shyly, but my heart felt much more at ease. If the worst-case scenario occurred, at least I still had Trường An.
In the early afternoon, Hà Châu finally arrived. I took back my phone but didn’t forget to ask him what he’d been up to this morning.
Hà Châu said shyly, “You already know, why ask?”
I asked curiously, “Who is that person? Besides Peter Nguyễn, I’ve never seen you interested in anyone else before.”
Hà Châu grinned widely, “Well… That’s it, brother!”
I was stunned, “This morning… You and Peter Nguyễn…”
Hà Châu glanced around nervously, then covered my mouth in panic. He whispered, “Don’t shout. If Mr. Tô finds out about this, we’ll both be dead.”
I tapped her on the head with a cup, gritting my teeth as I asked, “You knew all this, so why did you get involved?”
Ha Chau clicked her tongue, “It’s just fate, brother. I accidentally met him in Da Lat that night. That night… Then we clicked, so we’ve been together every day lately…”
I took a deep breath and tried to dissuade her, “I don’t mean any harm, but you know how manipulative Mr. To is. Even if Mr. An wants to protect you, he won’t be able to, you know.”
Ha Chau calmly replied, “As long as you don’t say anything, nobody will know. Oh my god, I’ve never met anyone who’s exactly my type like him. And he… he’s big, and it feels so good, brother. He even complimented my tight hole…”
I clicked my tongue, “Well, he’s been with Mr. To so much that he switched to you, so it must be tighter. His smooth talk is no joke, you better watch out!”
Ha Chau patted my shoulder reassuringly, told me she could handle it herself, and then ran off to change clothes for the photoshoot. When Trường An came back in and saw me holding my old phone, he clicked his tongue: “Let me take you to buy a new one. You’re an ‘international’ model, and you’re using a phone like this…”
I retorted, “This is my first ‘real’ phone. There are so many interesting things in it that you don’t know about…” Trường An’s eyes turned mischievous: “How interesting? Let me borrow it to take a look.”
I ran around the studio with the phone while Trường An chased after me. There wasn’t much in it, just a clip of my first time having sex with Bình and a few pictures that Sang had sent me before. It’s not that I didn’t want to delete them, it’s just that I hadn’t looked at them in a long time and didn’t remember that they still existed.
The next day I didn’t have a photoshoot scheduled, so I took the opportunity to bring the tray of food out to the garden to meet Mr. Nhật. I put the tray of food down on the table and stood timidly to one side, no matter how much Trường An tried to reassure me, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Mr. Nhat looked at the sparkling ring on my ring finger, took a deep breath, and asked, “If you’re so timid, how will you be able to be a source of emotional support for Truong An in the future?”
Hearing this, I felt even more embarrassed, but at this moment, I had nothing to lose. I mustered up my courage, looked at him, and replied, “I believe I can do it!”
He smiled, nodding in satisfaction, “That’s right. At least that’s how it should be. I know about your relationship. Truong An is talented, kind, and sometimes a little arrogant. But deep down, Truong An is very lonely and needs to be loved. I can’t spend my whole life worrying about Truong An, so I’ll entrust this responsibility to you.”
I was stunned, unable to believe my ears. Dad… Dad… Mr. Nhat had said those words himself.
Seeing my speechless reaction, Mr. Nhat asked again, “So? I’m entrusting Truong An to your care.” “An, can you do it?”
My whole body trembled, and tears streamed down my face from overwhelming happiness. I replied, “Yes, Dad, I can do it!”
Mr. Nhat was pleased, pointing to the chair opposite him, and said, “That’s good. Sit down. After all, this is a very important matter for the two of you. Although it’s not like other couples, it’s essential that both families meet and talk.”
At this point, I became even more worried. My mother only has me as her only son; if she knew about this, I don’t know how she would feel. Even though she didn’t dislike Sang and Nam, I’m not sure if she could be as forgiving if it were her own son.
I replied with a somber expression, “Dad, please give me some more time. My mother back home doesn’t know about this yet.” “It’s so sudden, I’m afraid…”
Even if my mother kicked me out of the house, I still had Truong An as my support. But that’s not what I wanted at all. If I had to choose between my mother and Truong An, I couldn’t possibly put the person I love above my mother.
Mr. Nhat understood this better than anyone. He said, “As a father, of course I know this. Just invite your mother up here, stay in our house. I will persuade her for you.”
I was still deeply moved when Truong An came out of the house into the garden. His face was a mixture of worry and urgency in a way I had never seen before. He greeted Mr. Nhat and said, “Excuse me, Father, I need to talk to Vinh Phuc for a moment.”
He pulled me along like a whirlwind into the bedroom, then made me sit on the bed while he knelt down in front of me and said seriously, “You must remain calm.” “Look at this and then tell me what happened.”
Truong An took a newspaper out of his bag, his hands trembling as he handed it to me. Seeing him like that made me extremely worried, so I immediately opened the newspaper to read it.
In the corner of the newspaper, there was a headline that read “Entertainment Section” with the breaking news: “The Boys magazine’s Inspirational Model Leaked in Uncensored Video with Gay Boyfriend.”
I quickly glanced down, where the headline read: “Le Hoang Vinh Phuc, also known as model Phuc Le – who recently won the Best Photo and Inspirational Model awards this year from The Boys magazine – has been involved in a scandal involving a leaked sex video showing him having uncensored sex with his gay boyfriend in a small house…”
I was stunned, my vision blurred, and my upper body gave way, collapsing onto the mattress. My heart pounded like a drum, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Why was that video of me with Binh from back then… Could it have been leaked again?
I clutched my head and screamed, tearing the newspaper to shreds in a fit of rage. Chang An jumped up, knelt on the bed, and held my head tightly against his chest. He reassured me, “Fu, Fu, listen to me, listen to me…”
I continued to cry and wail, and Chang An remained kneeling there, patiently waiting until I calmed down.
Above me, a few drops of water suddenly fell. I instinctively looked up and saw Chang An with tears streaming down his face. In that moment, I no longer saw my problem as a big deal. I gently wiped the tears from his cheek, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to him.
Chang An whispered, “Seeing you like this, I really can’t bear it.” “But you have to calm down, tell me, what’s going on?”
I tried to calm down and tell Truong An everything. At the same time, I opened my phone and showed him the video that had been filmed a few years ago.
Truong An asked, “Have you ever sent this video to anyone else?”
I shook my head.
He asked again, “Have you ever lent your phone to anyone?”
I searched my memory; indeed, I had never let anyone touch my phone.
That’s right! It was Ha Chau!
I said indignantly, “Please arrange for Ha Chau to come to the factory for me. I have to make him explain himself!”
Truong An shook his head, “No, there are a lot of reporters waiting at our factory. I’ll call him over here so you can ask him about it.”
After thirty minutes of waiting, Ha Chau finally arrived. Inside Truong An’s room, Ha Chau was also crying hysterically, “I swear I didn’t open your phone!” “I only saw the photos of you with Mrs. Marry at that time, and honestly, I didn’t touch them again after that. If I wanted to play a trick on you, I would have done it a week ago, when you were abroad. Why wait until you were in Vietnam to catch me red-handed? Please, I beg you, I swear I didn’t do it, Phúc!”
Although we hadn’t known each other for long, I didn’t think Hà Châu was that scheming. If I were in this situation, he might not necessarily benefit, and he certainly wouldn’t be able to avoid being involved. But if I “fall from grace,” there’s one person who will definitely benefit.
That person!
I asked, “Did anyone else know about me leaving my phone at your place?”
Hà Châu honestly replied, “Only me and… Peter Nguyễn. I didn’t tell him, but yesterday morning, you called me while we were… so he heard it!”
Trường An seemed to understand something and asked me, “Did you save that video on the memory card?”
YesThat’s how it was. My phone’s memory was full because I had too many games installed and there wasn’t enough space left. The video was too long and too large, so I chose to save it to the memory card.
Ha Chau understood everything. He said, “I left your phone on my desk. After Peter and I finished having sex, I went to take a shower, leaving him alone outside. It’s probably during that time…”
So the culprit was clear. But now, the real problem was figuring out how to salvage the situation.
Truong An suddenly said, “Think about it. I’ll go explain this to Dad so he doesn’t misunderstand you.”
As soon as Truong An closed the door, Ha Chau shrieked, “Oh no! This morning I also let him film us having sex. If he uploads it online, our photography studio will be shut down…”
I took a deep breath and tried to think. If I couldn’t be completely innocent, maybe I should play the bad guy.
He dared to release my video, so I just need to find someone who has his video and release it back.
Tâm, Mrs. Tám’s son!
Thinking this, I hastily called Sang, asking him to persuade Tâm. But it wasn’t that easy. Sang called me back and said, “Tâm said that day he went to the fields, and unfortunately his phone fell into the river and it took him half an hour to find it. But it’s badly damaged, both the phone and the memory card are broken, so he threw it away.”
I slumped onto the bed, resting my hands on my thighs and covering my face. I wasn’t afraid of anything, but Trường An would be affected because of my actions. Not to mention Mrs. Marry, who was unfortunately implicated because she recommended me to The Boys magazine.
Hà Châu was also anxious; he was convinced that he would be the next victim, so he eagerly thought of ways to help me. He asked, “Do you know anyone else who’s involved with that guy?”
I sat there thinking once more…
And then there was Ut Hoai! It was the one who stole Binh from me!
Without further delay, I asked Truong An to arrange a meeting with Ut Hoai. Since meeting at a coffee shop would certainly lead to recognition, Truong An and I decided to talk to Ut Hoai in the car.
Truong An drove, I sat in the passenger seat, and Ut Hoai, wearing very short shorts, lounged in the back seat. Ut Hoai genuinely hated Binh, but he wasn’t easily going to side with me.
He also showed us his phone, which contained many videos clearly showing Binh’s face, enough to deliver a devastating blow and turn the tables.
Truong An offered: “If you agree to help us, I guarantee you’ll pay you a generous sum, enough to ensure you never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Just name your price.”
Ut Hoai clicked her tongue: “You’re joking too much, Le Thanh! I’m not short of money, am I? I could live comfortably for the rest of my life even without working!”
I asked directly: “So how do I get you to help me?”
Ut Hoai rested her chin on the empty space between the front seats, grinning mischievously: “I had to painstakingly find the right angle to secretly film these clips. But if David Truong An sleeps with me for one night and we film a few passionate lovemaking scenes, I’ll help. Don’t worry, I’m a reasonable and understanding person. I won’t film your face, just your penis between your legs, hear your moans, and watch you ejaculate on me.”
Truong An hesitated a little, as this seemed to be the last thing he could do to save me. I firmly replied: “I’m sorry, Mr. An won’t do that.”
Ut Hoai sneered, “I’ve given you two a choice. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but if you two don’t want to, then so be it. Come on, brother, we’re at my usual bar!”
Truong An stopped the car in front of the bar where Ut Hoai had taken me and Binh to do drugs. After Binh left, Truong An’s despair became even more apparent: “Maybe… we should accept the exchange, Em. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll…”
I firmly replied, “Don’t trust this kind of person. I can give up my career, but if they take control of you, where will your career go? You’re the face of the Le Thanh family, don’t sacrifice so much for me.”
Truong An tightened his grip on the steering wheel, utterly helpless that someone as arrogant as him had fallen into such an insurmountable predicament.
Both of us drove home sadly, only to encounter Thien, dressed up, stepping out of the door. Thien asked me, “Do you two still have the mood to go for a walk?”
It turned out that not only had my video appeared in the newspapers, but it had also spread across the internet. Almost everyone in Saigon probably knew about this shocking incident in the entertainment industry.
I sighed, “Going for a walk?… We went to find someone to help, but they refused.”
I told Thien the whole story, and he replied, “Then you let my brother sleep with that guy, and you hold the camera, that way you’ll make sure no one’s face is shown.”
I was so angry I gave him a hard whack on the head. He grumbled, “If you don’t do what I suggest, then just leave it at that, don’t take it out on me.”
Then he hurried away. I trudged back inside. After a long night, I had no appetite for food or drink. Truong An wasn’t much better; he was engrossed in his work at his desk.
He never begrudged me anything, but I felt I owed him so much. It’s better not to bring it. Don’t add any more trouble for him.
At three in the morning, Truong An and I still couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, there was a loud knocking at the door. Truong An went to open it for me, and I lay in bed listening to Thien’s voice: “You guys need this, right? Tell Mr. Phuc that we’re even.”
Truong An suddenly jumped up with joy, calling out to me loudly: “Phuc! Phuc! Look what I have here!”
In Truong An’s hand was Ut Hoai’s pink phone. My heart pounded as I ran to him. After pressing “Unlock” and then the * key, Truong An and I watched dozens of videos that Ut Hoai had shown off earlier that afternoon. But the feeling of joy quickly faded when I realized that even if I dragged Binh down, I wouldn’t be able to regain my reputation.
Truong An calmly hugged me and said: “Don’t worry! Just leave the rest to me!”
The next morning, Binh actually released the video of him and Ha Chau with their faces clearly visible. The headline was incredibly provocative: “Model Ha Chau of David Truong An studio exposed in explicit video with her gay boyfriend. Thus, 2/3 of The Boys magazine’s rising stars this year are involved in a love scandal.”
Ha Chau cried until she fainted, not knowing what to do except run to us for help.
Truong An didn’t let this matter drag on any longer. That same morning, he arranged for the relevant parties to hold a press conference in the early afternoon. He, of course, didn’t forget to invite Mr. To, Binh, and Mrs. Marry to sit at the press conference table with him.
Mr. To and Binh outwardly expressed regret for Truong An. But as soon as Truong An turned away, he revealed an extremely smug expression.
Ha Chau and I sat next to Truong An, every moment was incredibly tense.
Truong An spoke up: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am David Truong An. First of all, I would like to sincerely thank you for attending today’s press conference!
As you know, models Phuc Le and Ha Chau have recently been involved in a scandal. This has seriously affected the image of Phuc Le and Ha Chau, and more importantly, the reputation of the magazine industry in general.
Here, I would like to sincerely apologize to The Boys Magazine and its fans for the unnecessary trouble. However, I would like to affirm that the videos currently being disseminated online by some malicious individual are only edited and manipulated footage, which is untrue and aims to damage the reputation and honor of Phuc Le, Ha Chau, and many other models in the future.”
A reporter immediately raised his hand to ask: “According to you, those videos are all edited and manipulated and are untrue, right? Do you have any evidence to prove that?”
Trường An confidently asserted, “That’s right! It’s all staged special effects. Now, I’m ashamed to invite you journalists, Mrs. Marry, Mr. Tô, and the models to turn your attention to the screen to watch the following clips. I respectfully request that you journalists stop filming for the next few minutes.”
Everyone, except Mr. Tô and Bình, seemed to hold their breath, waiting for the scene to appear on the screen. Suddenly, a clip clearly showing Bình’s face was played, causing Bình and Mr. Tô to widen their eyes as if they had seen a prehistoric dinosaur.
But even if a dinosaur appeared here, it couldn’t compare to Bình’s enormous penis pounding against Út Hoài’s face right on the screen.
In every clip, Ut Hoai moaned loudly: “I’m so happy, Binh… Fuck me deeper, Binh… Ah… Your dick is so big… Binh, shoot into my pussy, Binh… Ah… You have so much sperm, Binh…”
Binh didn’t forget to reply: “Does my dick taste good, Hoai? I’ll fuck your pussy until it’s destroyed, Hoai! Squeeze your pussy onto my dick, Hoai! I’m so happy… I’m so happy… I’ll ejaculate so you’ll get pregnant, Hoai… Ah… Damn… My dick is numb, Hoai…”
All the reporters below were wide-eyed and open-mouthed, some had to cover their mouths that couldn’t close when they saw such a shocking scene.
After fast-forwarding through a dozen clips, Truong An stood up and said confidently: “Like you all, I’m truly stunned to see these clips being circulated on social media. Because I never imagined that the editing and manipulation techniques of those who want to bring us down would reach this level.” Then, Trường An turned to where Mr. Tô and Bình were sitting and directly asked, “Mr. Tô, model Peter Nguyễn, I want to confirm if the person in those videos is indeed Peter Nguyễn. His physique, voice, and face are exactly like Peter’s. Not to mention, as far as I know, Peter’s real name is Bình.”
Mr. Tô, of course, couldn’t admit it. His face turned red, probably from anger. If he admitted it now, it would be like throwing excrement in his own face. If he denied it now, it would prove that Hà Châu and I were truly being framed.
Trường An’s move truly surprised me. Of course, he understood that if he harmed Bình, both my career and his would be over.
But his priority wasn’t to harm Bình, but to save me!