Dinh Truong Sinh gave a helpless smile. Once most people had entered the building, he turned to glance at the corner of the room where a surveillance camera was installed. He was familiar with this kind of thing—the police station had one too, though its monitoring range was smaller and only covered the main hall. He had sat in the monitoring room before, finding it incredibly powerful. He could even clearly see the black mole on the back of Dien Ngac Nhu's neck, and could zoom in using the computer. Since then, he had wanted to buy a set for himself but never had the chance. Now that he was in the provincial city, he was determined to look into it.
Judging by the situation, it seemed Ly Phuong Ni and Ly Kien Thiet would have to stay here for quite a while. Ly Kien Thiet would be fine—he was a man, could wear anything, and the hospital provided patient clothes. But it was different for Ly Phuong Ni. Her injuries weren’t severe, only her arm was hurt, so Dinh Truong Sinh thought of buying her some clothes.
He wandered aimlessly through the supermarket. The place was enormous—much bigger than Aunt Wang’s grocery store back in Lo Gia Linh village. There were so many items he didn’t even know the names of. As he kept walking, he accidentally found himself in the women’s section. The first thing he saw was a display of bras in all colors, which reminded him of Ly Phuong Ni’s torn, holey bra. So, he stopped, thinking he’d buy her a few new ones.
“Mister, buying for your girlfriend?” a saleswoman asked. “We’ve got many brands here. Any preference? And what size does she wear?”
“Uh… I’m not really sure…” Dinh Truong Sinh looked awkward in front of the salesperson’s question.
His eyes moved away from the shelf and landed on the saleswoman, who was about the same height as Ly Phuong Ni.
“What size are you looking for?” she asked again.
“I’m not sure, but you seem to have about the same build as her,” he replied honestly, even staring at her chest to estimate the size, as if still undecided.
His words left the saleswoman stunned, anger rising inside. But as a professional, she quickly regained her composure.
“How about 36C?” she offered reluctantly. She disliked this guy but kept her tone neutral for the sake of her job.
“Hmm... is that too big?” he asked. A deadly question—was he asking for his girlfriend or doubting her chest size? Furious, the saleswoman walked away. Fortunately, another woman nearby was browsing the shelves.
“Feel free to look on your own,” she said, then ignored him completely.
Dinh Truong Sinh didn’t mind. He continued seriously studying the bras, drawing side-eyes from several women nearby. After all, it wasn’t common to see a man so openly examining women’s underwear in a supermarket.
“Hmm, that guy looks familiar,” said one of two young women browsing cosmetics nearby. Looking up, she spotted Dinh Truong Sinh.
“What did you say?” her friend asked.
“That guy over there. He looks really familiar… could it really be him?”
“You know him?”
“Maybe... Let’s go check. That guy disappeared over a year ago. Why would he be here now?”
The bras here were a thousand times nicer than Ly Phuong Ni’s. Thinking of her tattered one, Dinh Truong Sinh suddenly felt a pang of sorrow. He truly wanted to buy all of them for her.
“Dinh Truong Sinh, is that you?” a soft voice called out.
Huh? Who’s calling me? I don’t know anyone here. He turned around and saw a girl with a bright smile, ponytail, and a sporty outfit—it was Giang Ham Thien.
“It’s you!”
“It’s me!”
They spoke almost in unison.
“I thought it was you from afar. What are you doing here?” she asked cheerfully.
“It’s a long story. What about you? Why are you here?” he asked.
“I go to school here. I’m a sophomore now. What about you? You disappeared without a word. Do you know how many girls lost sleep over you?”
“Haha, were you one of them?”
“What if I was?” she said without shyness.
“Ahem… don’t you have class today?” he asked awkwardly.
“It’s the weekend. Didn’t you know? And what are you doing? Oh, I see—you’re buying lingerie for your girlfriend. How sweet.”
“You’ve got it wrong. I just arrived last night. A relative of mine—actually, my sister—and her father both got burned. They'll be staying here for a while, so I came to get some clothes.”
“Really? Are they okay?” she asked, concerned.
“My sister’s injuries aren’t too bad, but her father’s worse. He’s being treated at Jiangdu University Hospital.”
“Oh? That’s our university hospital. I know a lot of doctors there. Let me go with you to visit later.”
“No need. They’re from the countryside, and they’d be uncomfortable with strangers. But since we’ve run into each other, help me pick out some clothes. Underwear, sleepwear, casual wear—several sets of each,” he said.
“Giang Ham Thien, is this your friend?” her companion asked as she walked over.
“Ah, Xiao Zhang, come here. Let me introduce you. This is the study genius I always talk about—Dinh Truong Sinh.”
“Oh, hello! Giang Ham Thien mentions you all the time. You're ‘Dinh Nhi Cau,’ right?” Xiao Zhang chirped.
Giang Ham Thien immediately tensed. Dinh Truong Sinh hated being called “Dinh Nhi Cau.” She silently prayed he wouldn’t get mad.
“Oh, hello. I’m Dinh Truong Sinh. Nickname’s Dinh Nhi Cau. Either is fine. These days, ‘Dinh Nhi Cau’ is more famous than my real name,” he said lightheartedly.
Giang Ham Thien breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She had truly been worried he’d lose his temper and embarrass her.
Luckily, Xiao Zhang was tactful. After a few words, she said goodbye and left, giving Ham Thien a teasing wink on her way out, already seeing Dinh Truong Sinh as her friend’s dream guy. Why else would Ham Thien always talk about him?
“What are you doing now? Any plans for the future?” she asked.
“Not much. I’m working with the police in Lam Town for now—just getting by. What about you? What’s your major?”
“I know a lot of doctors at Jiangdu University Hospital, so of course I’m studying medicine,” she said, tilting her head at him. She had admired him since high school. He had been a genius, always surrounded by girls asking questions. She, headstrong as she was, could only watch from afar and study hard, hoping to surpass him one day. But before that could happen, he disappeared—without a word.
She had heard that something happened to his family, and he had to quit school. It had saddened her deeply. Now, seeing him in person again, she felt a bit nervous.
“You really shouldn’t stay in that little town forever,” she said. “You need to come to the city. There’s more opportunity here. Back then, we had such narrow visions. After more than a year in the city, I don’t want to go back.”
“Sounds like you’ve become a city girl. I don’t plan to stay there forever either. Hey, does your school offer self-study exams?”
“Of course! Are you thinking of taking them?” Her eyes lit up as if she’d just realized something.
“Yeah, everywhere requires a degree nowadays. I only have a high school diploma. It’s a big obstacle, so I thought I’d study for a university degree.”
“Great! I’ll help you register. What major do you want?”
“Law. I think it’ll be useful later. Plus, I heard you just have to memorize to pass.”
“Okay, stand still—I’m taking a picture.” She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo. The image was so sharp that even Dinh Truong Sinh was surprised—it looked like it was taken with a professional camera.
“Wow, is that an iPhone?”
“Yep. Give me your ID later so I can make a copy. I’ll call you once I’ve registered everything.”
“Thanks a lot. Now help me pick out some underwear, will you? The salesgirl ran off earlier because I embarrassed her.”
“You’re hopeless. What kind of man stands around picking lingerie? Do you see any other guys in this section?” she said with a playful glare that made his heart flutter.
Giang Ham Thien wanted to go with Dinh Truong Sinh to the hospital, but he declined. He didn’t want Ly Phuong Ni to feel awkward. He said he’d be staying there for a few more days, and there’d be plenty of time. He also asked her to help find a female caregiver to assist Phuong Ni with her personal hygiene.