Chapter 7

Perhaps I was imagining it, but the moment he appeared, the air seemed sweeter.

He took my hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I waited at the gate, but you didn't come out. I was afraid something had happened, so I came to find you.”

He glanced warily at Lục Bỉnh Kiệt.

I couldn't help laughing at that jealous look.

“Come on. Dad's probably waiting for us to have dinner. Let's go.”

Lately, Dad had been trying to bring us closer by constantly asking me to invite Tạ Tử Kỳ home for meals. I realized I no longer minded the match he had arranged, so I'd agreed.

It made sense. Dad loved me so much. He would never let me suffer. Anyone he chose for me had to be someone truly exceptional.

Seeing us about to leave hand in hand, Lục Bỉnh Kiệt hastily reached out to stop us.

“Wait. There's something else I want to say.”

His face was ashen, like a fire that had just been put out.

I didn't bother being polite.

“If you want me to pay your debts, don't waste your breath. I don't make losing investments.”

He shook his head and looked steadily at me.

“No. It's something else.”

Tạ Tử Kỳ looked at me for permission. I gave him a small nod. He immediately moved to a corner where he could still see me without overhearing our conversation.

Once he was out of earshot, Lục Bỉnh Kiệt asked quietly, “You came back too, didn't you? That's why you've changed. That's why you suddenly stopped loving me.”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. So you're not completely stupid after all. I thought you might go through this whole life without figuring it out.”

He gave a bitter laugh.

“So that's it... The hotel shares you gave me in our last life were yours. And you were the one who gave me the money to start my company. When things went wrong, you were quietly keeping it afloat.

“And I was stupid enough to think I'd earned it all myself. Ha, ha...”

He finally understood. Too late.

I wasn't going to waste more words on him. I glanced at my watch. Dad was probably getting impatient.

I waved Tạ Tử Kỳ over and told him it was time to go home for dinner. He hurried toward me the moment he saw my signal.

Lục Bỉnh Kiệt was still sitting there, laughing vacantly. Tạ Tử Kỳ asked, curious, “What's he laughing at?”

I slipped my arm through his and smiled.

“He must have thought of something funny.”

In this second life, we'd both had a chance at luxury cars and beautiful partners. He'd ended up with nothing. That was rather funny when I thought about it.

As soon as we reached home, Dad started urging us to get married. His reason sounded very noble: he couldn't let his wonderful son-in-law get away.

But I didn't want to marry so soon in this life. I wanted to study properly and go abroad. Tạ Tử Kỳ supported me, too. When Dad saw that neither of us was in a hurry, he finally stopped pushing.

A year of studying abroad passed. When I returned home, I heard about Lục Bỉnh Kiệt from an old classmate.

His creditors had tracked him down at the university and broken one of his arms. The school decided the scandal was damaging its reputation and expelled him.

Once he had been the star of the whole campus. In the end, he left in disgrace.

Unable to accept it, he went to Bùi Tiểu Tiểu and demanded that she make things right.

But she'd already found another rich man. All she had to do was cry a little, and someone had Lục Bỉnh Kiệt beaten half to death.

One day, he lay in wait for her. When she came outside, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her.

He didn't run afterward. He called the police himself.

Facing the cameras, he said, “Please sentence me to death. This is the ending I deserve.”

The End