Since my health recovered, I’ve rarely had any free time at home. Before I’d even had a chance to sleep in, Chang An would drag me to the photo studio with him. After lunch, I couldn’t even lie down to sleep; I had to get ready to go to the gym. It turns out this is what life as a model is like; sometimes I wish I could go back to being a housemaid—it would be much more relaxed.
In return, I have more time to spend with Chang An. To be more precise, we’re practically inseparable. And even when I’m not with Chang An, many people still know who I am and want to take pictures with me.
Today, Chang An and I are attending another event for The Boys magazine. It’s been almost a year since my first appearance as a model, personally trained by Chang An. Thankfully, I didn’t disappoint him.
Entering the event, just like last year, the photographers stopped me to take pictures before I went inside. But instead of feeling shy like before, I just glanced at Trường An and stepped onto the stage to take photos with him.
Trường An leaned into my ear and whispered, “No more camera shyness, huh? You’ve already struck a dozen poses before the camera even panned to you.”
I tossed my head and replied, “That’s what a model trained by you should be like.”
Trường An smiled contentedly. As usual, I followed him into the main hall.
Trường An greeted Mr. Tô. Compared to last year, Mr. Tô looked younger, perhaps because he now had the young “leading man” Peter Nguyễn by his side, a real goose that lays golden eggs.
Mr. Tô introduced, “Let me introduce David Trường An, this is Peter Nguyễn, a model I trained.”
Truong An politely replied, “Everyone knows Peter Nguyen, Mr. To, there’s no need to introduce him to me. He’s the one who’s been number one in The Boys Vietnam magazine for nine consecutive weeks—an unprecedented feat. It’s all thanks to Mr. To’s eye for talent and his training skills.”
Mr. To put his arm around Binh’s shoulder and laughed loudly, “You’re too kind, An. Your son, Phuc Le, isn’t far behind either! He just returned and has already dominated the spotlight for six consecutive weeks.”
Although Truong An had surpassed Mr. To in sales in recent weeks, he was still happy because the award for the most consecutive months as the number one model this year would definitely go to Binh, further enhancing the reputation of his photo studio.
The important thing is that Binh was trained by him, while I was trained by Truong An. Binh winning the award while I didn’t means Mr. To has already overtaken Truong An to claim the award first.
Trường An looked at me, then at Bình, and said, “Phúc, this is model Peter Nguyễn, you two should get acquainted.”
Bình looked at me with the eyes of someone meeting for the first time, and amicably extended his hand towards me, saying, “Hello! I’m Peter, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Phúc!”
I understood that he didn’t want me to bring up the past, so I could only cooperate with him to play the role of strangers in front of others. I replied, “I’ve heard of Peter for a long time, and it’s a pleasure to meet you today. Nice to meet you!”
Mr. Tô stepped onto the stage to host the event. Bình said goodbye and followed him. Trường An, being an important guest, also went to the VIP seats to sit with the magazine representatives. At this moment, Hà Châu rushed in from outside. I said, “Why are you so late? I just met your idol, Peter Nguyễn!”
Hà Châu looked around, asking, “Where, where?”
I pointed, “He’s in the VIP seats closest to the stage.”
Ha Chau clicked her tongue: “Damn, he’s so handsome in real life!”
If I brought up the old story, I don’t know if Ha Chau would still think Binh was so handsome. But of course, I wouldn’t do that, not because of him, but because of Truong An.
Mr. To on the stage shouted: “The award for the model with the most consecutive Top 1 rankings this year. Congratulations to model… Peter Nguyen! Please give a round of applause to Peter Nguyen.”
Amidst the excited cheers, Binh, sitting in the VIP seats, calmly stood up as if he already knew victory was in his grasp. He turned to the audience, placed his hand on his chest, bowed deeply in gratitude, and then proudly walked onto the stage to receive the award.
Mr. To added: “Peter Nguyen is a model who is just starting out, but not only does he have a perfect physique and a handsome face, he also constantly strives to improve himself in every frame. This is definitely the image of a model that young models should emulate.”
I thought that was the end of it, but unexpectedly, Mr. To continued: “I would like to invite producer David Truong An to the stage to present this award to model Peter Nguyen.”
This was clearly a deliberate display of achievement. Ha Chau understood, and sitting next to me, said: “Damn, he’s as cunning as a dog’s testicles. If I were Mr. An, I’d punch him a few times.”
Truong An, of course, wouldn’t do that. He was always calm, even cold. Despite Mr. To’s attempts at attack, Truong An showed no sign of wavering.
After Truong An presented the award, he went down, while Mr. To invited Binh to say a few words. He took the microphone and spoke in a deeper voice than usual: “Hello everyone, I am Peter Nguyen. First of all, I would like to thank you all.” The Boys magazine has given me the honor of receiving this award. Besides that, I am extremely grateful to Mr. To, who has dedicated so much effort to training me, and of course, to the fans who have supported me through each issue. I promise to try even harder to improve myself and bring you more impressive works. That’s all!”
I chuckled, admitting that the speech was quite fluent. Ha Chau next to me praised, “That’s my idol. His speech was so smooth, like he practiced beforehand.”
Someone whose name I didn’t know sitting next to Ha Chau suddenly spoke up, “Well, it’s obvious he practiced beforehand. His nine-week consecutive achievement is already the highest, so this award is the least surprising thing, isn’t it?”
Ha Chau retorted, “Yeah, it’s not surprising.” “But you also need talent, you need to consistently be at the top of sales to win the award.”
The other person argued, “Who knows, maybe they’re just buying their own way to boost sales, nobody will know.”
Ha Chau was about to say something else, but I stopped her: “Stop it, don’t make a fuss, save face for Mr. An.” “We can’t control what people think.”
On the stage, the awards for sales and producers were announced one after another. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Tô and Trường An took all the awards. Looking at the audience, they seemed uninterested, probably too accustomed to those two faces.
Suddenly, Mr. Tô solemnly said: “Next, I would like to hand the stage over to the representative of The Boys Magazine in Vietnam, Ms. Marry, who will give a speech and announce the Rising Stars award, The Best Photo award, and The Inspirer award for the most inspiring model of the year.”
The entire hall fell silent. Because these were the most important awards of the ceremony, chosen by the founders of The Boys Magazine. Those chosen had the opportunity to appear on the cover and in important publications of the magazine.
Ms. Marry was a French woman in her sixties, dressed simply but very elegantly. Her eyes sparkled. The sea was a deep blue, yet it seemed profoundly sad. Even without much jewelry, she exuded a natural charm, the kind of charm that comes from someone rich in knowledge and experience.
Mrs. Marry calmly adjusted the microphone on the podium and said, “Greetings to the esteemed producers, models, press representatives, and sponsors present at The Boys magazine’s year-end summary event. Your presence is an honor that The Boys magazine cannot express in words.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, “Wow, she speaks Vietnamese?”
Ha Chau laughed and replied, “You know what? She’s lived in Vietnam since she was eighteen or twenty. Back then, she was the wife of the most famous Mr. Ly in Saigon.”
I was stunned: “What? He died almost twenty years ago?” “How come she’s still alive and grinning like that?”
Grandfather Ly is Ngoc Nam’s great-grandfather. Ha Chau told me that when Grandfather Ly married Marry, he was over sixty. Marry was a free-spirited and open-minded French girl, but from a poor family. During a trip to France, Grandfather Ly was captivated by her mesmerizing eyes and proposed marriage with a huge sum of money. Faced with someone her family could rely on for life, Marry had no choice but to follow her parents’ arrangements.
Grandfather Ly doted on her immensely, but his other wives never stopped seeing her as a thorn in his side. Grandfather Ly had many wives since he was young; now they were forty or sixty, and in terms of youthful beauty, they couldn’t possibly compete with a girl in her twenties or eighteen.
Later, Marry gave birth to a daughter who resembled Grandfather Ly in appearance, but inherited her eye color. Grandfather Ly cherished his daughter like a treasure, which only made his already resentful wives and other children even more annoyed. Only one His seventh son doted on his youngest sister immensely.
But when she was eighteen or twenty, a tragedy caused her to run away from home and then disappear forever. Marry was heartbroken, wandering aimlessly in her dreams, searching for her daughter. She was so infrequently home that the other wives seemed to have forgotten her existence.
That year, at the age of forty-two, on a journey to find her daughter, she received news of Mr. Li’s death the night before. She coldly threw the newspaper out the car window, refusing to return for her late husband’s funeral. Her heart had probably died the day her daughter left, but a mother’s obsession kept her searching.
The newspapers of the time called her “The Mad Woman Searching for Her Daughter in Her Dreams,” or “The Most Heartless Widow of the Li Family.” But what was even more perplexing was that most of Mr. Li’s estate went to her. The other wives were utterly resentful. Some people were so enraged they vomited blood and died on the spot.
The Ly family was like a snake without a head at that time, as one by one, Mr. Ly’s wives passed away due to old age and weakness. A few years later, Mrs. Marry returned to inherit the property. No one knew whether she had accepted the truth or not. But she seemed to harbor a lot of resentment towards Mr. Ly. That year, The Boys magazine had just entered Vietnam and needed financial support. Already resentful of her husband, sheMarry didn’t know anything but jumped in to take the blame. She did it both to legitimately take her husband’s money and to tarnish the reputation of the person who had caused her so much suffering. But who would have known, since then she’s become increasingly prosperous.
Ha Chau concluded: “I heard her daughter appeared in a dream or something. Since then, she’s no longer depressed. She stayed here instead of going back to Phao, afraid her daughter would be lonely and have no one to worship her. With all her money, she uses it for charity, building temples and shrines, saying it’s to do good deeds so her daughter can have a better life in the next life.”
No wonder her eyes were so deep, filled with sadness. Her powerful and authoritative demeanor wasn’t something she acquired naturally.
While we were talking, someone next to us suddenly nudged us: “Hey, aren’t you Phuc Le? Go up and receive your award, they’ve been calling you!”
It was then that I snapped back to reality. From the stage, Mrs. Marry was repeating, “Excuse me, are model Phuc Le and model Ha Chau present here?”
I patted Ha Chau on the shoulder, “You’re here too! Hurry up!”
Ha Chau couldn’t believe her eyes, jumping up from her seat and rushing out as if running. I squeezed past the other seats and saw Truong An standing above, grinning broadly. The Rising Stars Award only had three winners, but Ha Chau and I were two of them. The other one was Peter Nguyen, but Mr. To didn’t seem as happy as before.
As soon as I stepped onto the stage, Mr. To grabbed the microphone and sarcastically asked, “Excuse me, model Phuc Le, why did we have to call your name twice before you came to the stage?”
After asking, he pointed the microphone directly at me, not giving Truong An a chance to respond. I grabbed the microphone and quickly came up with an excuse: “I apologize to everyone, I admit I was unprofessional a few minutes earlier. The reason I was slow was because I was so surprised that I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. As you all know, I’ve been injured for three months straight, and I never thought I’d be worthy of this award. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to The Boys Magazine, Mrs. Marry, producer David Truong An, and all the fans who have made Phuc Le who he is today.”
Truong An leaned in and whispered, “Your answer was even smoother than when you were moaning; it was a treat for my ears!”
As soon as I finished speaking, the audience below erupted in cheers. Many people jumped up from their seats and applauded enthusiastically, making me momentarily believe I could deliver such moving speeches.
But the truth is…
Mrs. Marry raised the microphone again and said, “The technical department should keep that image for me. Everyone’s already seen it anyway, so hiding it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore. But… judging by your reactions, it proves that The Boys’ choice was right, doesn’t it?”
Another round of applause erupted, and all eyes turned to the screen behind us. The screen displayed the words “The Best Photo & The Inspirer” in large letters, and below the words was a picture of me standing with my back exposed in the tub, wearing only transparent underwear, my eyes sparkling like seawater as I looked back at the camera.
From above, confetti exploded in a barrage. A shower of confetti then fell, dyeing the stage yellow. Chang An said to me, “You did it!”
I stood frozen on the stage, as if I had woken up from a dream. The cheers and applause continued endlessly. Ha Chau grabbed my shoulders and swayed excitedly, “Phuc, you’re amazing! Absolutely fantastic!”
It turned out that the initial cheers from below were because the technical staff had projected this image before Mrs. Marry could announce the award. But while everyone else was happy, Mr. To’s face clearly showed his displeasure. He and Binh hadn’t even had a chance to say anything before my performance “crushed” them. All the arrogance and pride he had displayed when Binh went up to receive the award seemed to turn into shame.
I bowed deeply to express my gratitude, tears streaming down my face without me realizing it. After all, I never thought I could accomplish anything significant.
Truong An thanked the attendees on my behalf, while Mr. To silently led Binh out of the hall. From our first meeting, I was already a thorn in his side. With this incident, I don’t know how much more he’ll find me irritating.
After the awards ceremony came the meticulously staged performances. Mrs. Marry approached to congratulate me, and I noticed that her eyes were truly beautiful. She said, “This is the first time I’ve met someone with eyes exactly like mine. Would you like to sit with me for a moment?”
Of course, I couldn’t refuse, so I timidly followed her back to the VIP seats, and Ha Chau also benefited from the compliment. Truong An leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I’m going to the restroom for a bit, I’ll be back later and then we’ll go home.”
Mrs. Marry wasn’t as cold as when I first saw her on stage. On the contrary, I felt she was exactly like Aunt Tam from my hometown. Seeing the loud music starting to play, she leaned closer to my ear to make sure I could hear clearly, “Where are you from? How many people are in your family?”
I replied, “Ma’am, I’m from Ca Mau. My family is…” “I only have my mother and older sister left. My father passed away more than twenty years ago.”
Hearing me say that, her eyes became even sadder, perhaps the pain of losing her children still lingered. She said sadly, “I’m so sorry to hear that. You must have had a very difficult childhood.”
After chatting with her for a few minutes, I realized she knew more about me than I thought. But that’s not surprising; a producer choosing a model must carefully consider their background. A model from such a humble background like me is even more suitable for an inspirational image.
She also told me about the pain of losing her children that she always carried in her heart. She said that looking into my eyes reminded her so vividly of her unfortunate child. I guess that’s probably why I won this award so spectacularly.
As if reading my thoughts, she said, “I didn’t choose you because you have eyes like mine. Ten years ago, I probably would have done that.” “But right now, given my current position, I have to work fairly so as not to affect my reputation, and that of The Boys magazine as well.”
I was greatly comforted by those words. She continued, “Are you free to come to France next week? I’d like to invite you to my house, so you can explore new opportunities.”
I really wanted to go, as it was a rare opportunity to upgrade myself and get closer to Truong An. But I didn’t know any French, not to mention I’d never even seen an airplane before.
I hesitated, “But I don’t know how to fly, and I don’t speak French.”
She chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’ll ask David Truong An to go with you. I also have something I need to talk to him about.” “If he doesn’t go, we can arrange for someone else to accompany and guide you.”
With no more obstacles, I happily nodded. Mrs. Marry then offered to take a private photo with her, a prestigious honor that no model seemed to have ever received.
She didn’t like reporters taking pictures for her, so I could only take my phone out of my pocket. Ha Chau understood and volunteered to take the picture for me. Mrs. Marry also gave him her phone to take the picture.
After the photo was taken, Ha Chau respectfully returned the phone to Mrs. Marry, while he borrowed my phone to admire the photo he had just taken.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered Truong An. How did he go to the restroom and not return yet? A feeling of unease suddenly arose in my heart. Could it be that something like last time was happening again…? I excused myself from Mrs. Marry and rushed out of the VIP seats, heading straight for the restroom. This time, the stalls were empty. I checked each stall once to confirm, then intended to run out. Keep searching.
Suddenly, someone walked in from outside. The person looked strange, yet very familiar. It was Peter Nguyen.
As soon as he saw me, he unceremoniously teased me: “Long time no see, Phúc, now you know the ‘rich guy’ thing too. Rich, handsome, big dick, and famous too. Did he fuck you as well as I did?”
I retorted: “Our story is old news, don’t bring it up again. This is a public place, please keep your mouth shut.”
Bình clicked his tongue: “Wow… When I fucked you, you moaned like a whore, and now you’re telling me to keep my mouth shut. Don’t you feel ashamed?”
I sighed, replying: “I do feel ashamed, that’s why I didn’t use every trick to hook up with a man old enough to be my father. You’re getting bolder and bolder, aren’t you? Just thinking about it makes me shudder.”
Bình sneered: “Such a sharp tongue.” “You must have sucked Trường An’s dick too much, that’s why you’re like this. His dick must be delicious, right?”
I wouldn’t back down: “Yeah, it’s delicious, big, long, veiny, rosy, full of semen, much tastier than your dick. And your mouth stinks worse than an unflushed toilet. You must have sucked that old man’s ass too much.”
Bình couldn’t joke anymore, he snapped: “You dog, you’re just jealous that I’m being promoted by the head of the magazine industry, that’s why you’re saying that, right? You’re just as hungry for fame and status as I am, so stop pretending to be so virtuous.” “Watch out, or I’ll tell the guy in the house, and he’ll kick you out like a mangy dog.”
I was about to retort angrily when a voice from outside said, “Don’t tell him, I know everything.”
Truong An calmly walked in. Binh, for some reason, turned and ran away. I wanted to run too, but didn’t know which way to go.
I stood there frozen. Truong An had probably heard everything and was very disappointed in me. He didn’t fly into a rage as I expected, only coldly saying, “Come to the car with me.”
They say that as long as he’s still angry, he still cares. Perhaps Truong An doesn’t care about me anymore, so he didn’t need to get angry.
The car sped home, Truong An sat silently, not saying a word. I thought it was probably over. It would have been better if he hadn’t known anything; now that he knew, he probably wouldn’t be able to accept it.