Jiang Ham Thien was momentarily flustered. She had never seen a man cry in front of her, so she had no idea how to comfort him.
But then, a deep ache rose in her heart. Ding Truong Sinh must have gone through unimaginable hardship. Otherwise, he wouldn't react so intensely. Perhaps she had been wrong all along. What she knew came only from books and films, while Ding Truong Sinh had actually lived it—had touched that cruel reality with his own hands.
"I'm sorry, I didn’t know it was like this... I don’t know your past, so..."
"It’s okay. I lost control a bit today, sorry." Ding Truong Sinh quickly accepted the tissue Jiang Ham Thien handed him and immediately put on a bright smile again.
“Ding Truong Sinh, can I ask you something?” Seeing his current state, Jiang Ham Thien—who once saw him as her idol—somehow wanted to help him.
“What is it?” Ding Truong Sinh was slightly taken aback.
“My dad isn’t a big boss or anything, but his business is quite stable. Look, I’m a girl studying medicine, so I can’t really help him with the company. At home, my dad keeps complaining that I chose the wrong field and keeps pushing me to take over. Ding Truong Sinh, we used to be classmates, we’re at least friends... could you give my dad a hand? Don’t worry about the pay—you won’t be underpaid.” Jiang Ham Thien spoke cautiously, watching his expression as she did.
“Jiang Ham Thien, I understand, and thank you. But right now, I don’t have any plans to move to the city. Maybe later. For the next few years, I want to stay in my hometown and get some things done. After all, I’m just a country boy—I’m not used to the big city life.”
“Is that an excuse? Or is there someone in your hometown keeping you from leaving?” Jiang Ham Thien was a little disappointed but tried to joke.
“No, I just want to do something back home. Besides, I never really planned on doing business.”
“No business? Then what do you want to do?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet. I just feel like having money is nice, but no matter how much you have, you’re still just an ordinary person in the end.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing, I’m just rambling. It’s getting late. I should head back to the hospital. See you another time.”
“Alright then... But Ding Truong Sinh, you’re not the same as before.”
“Oh? How so?”
“I can’t quite put it into words. It’s just a feeling,” Jiang Ham Thien replied, sounding a bit disheartened.
“If you asked a male toad what’s the most beautiful thing, it’d say a female toad. Not because it’s blind—but because their environments are different. You’re a college student now, while I’ve been through things you probably never will. It’s the environment that changes a person.”
“Ding Truong Sinh, that right there—that’s one of the things that’s changed about you. You wouldn’t have said something like that before.”
“Ha, maybe I did, but you just never heard it. If you want, I’ll have more chances to say things like that in the future.”
After parting with Jiang Ham Thien, Ding Truong Sinh strolled along the bustling streets of Giang Do city. There were still several blocks to the hospital, but as someone used to walking in the countryside, he preferred going on foot.
A black Mercedes-Benz 600 sped through the streets of Giang Do. A beautiful woman sat in the back seat, leaning into the headrest, gazing out through the tinted glass. It was hard to say what she was looking at—perhaps nothing at all.
In truth, she didn’t want to return to this province. This land held too many painful memories. But she had no choice. After disappearing for more than a year and seeing her aging father wither away, she had to take on the burden of the company.
Suddenly, her eyes caught a familiar figure. Though the view was unclear, she was certain—it was him. The one to whom she owed a debt no amount of money could repay. Even giving him a million yuan only helped ease her conscience slightly.
The more she wanted to forget that time, the more vividly it lingered in her mind.
“Uncle Long, stop the car—pull over.” Her voice was gentle.
“Yes, miss.” He didn’t ask why—he just followed orders. As he pulled the car to the curb, he noticed something strange in her eyes through the rearview mirror.
Duong Kim Thoa turned and looked through the window, searching for Ding Truong Sinh. But at that very moment, he had run into trouble.
“Hey, brat! You wanna mess with me? Do you even know whose turf this is? That girl Jiang Ham Thien—she’s mine! I’ll say it again!”
Vuong Dai Buu was practically shouting in rage. After being randomly beaten earlier, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. So he rounded up a few of his lackeys, armed with iron rods and knives, and went out looking for Ding Truong Sinh.
And wouldn’t you know it—fate played its hand. Ding Truong Sinh, having just seen Jiang Ham Thien off, happened to return along the same route—and ran into them.
“I swear, are you a fly or something? Why do I keep seeing your face? That beating earlier wasn’t enough? What, you got memory issues?”
Ding Truong Sinh glanced around—five of them, all armed, surrounding him in a crescent formation. Though his mouth stayed sharp, his mind was already calculating a way to escape.
“If you can’t win, run”—a principle passed down from the elders. Never suffer needlessly.
“Uncle Long, go help him,” Duong Kim Thoa said worriedly.
“Miss, we’re here for an investment survey—we shouldn’t get involved. I don’t know why you care so much about that kid, but your father definitely wouldn’t approve.” Uncle Long had watched Duong Kim Thoa grow up, and he understood her father, Duong Dai Vy, well—he wanted a strong and stable man to support her. Otherwise, once he passed, it would be uncertain whether she could carry the family business alone.
But that support was definitely not going to be some street punk—that was Uncle Long’s judgment of Ding Truong Sinh.
“Just go. I know what I’m doing.” Duong Kim Thoa said, eyes fixed on Ding Truong Sinh.
Uncle Long sighed and got out of the car.
“Hey punk, if you kneel and call me ‘Daddy’ three times, I’ll let you go. But if you keep hanging around Jiang Ham Thien, I’ll beat you every time I see you.”
“You sure it’ll be you doing the beating, Vuong Dai Buu? Don’t think I’m scared of you. I doubt you’ve always got these thugs with you. The moment I catch you alone, I’ll cripple you.” Ding Truong Sinh had already noticed—the guy on the right only had a baseball bat, less dangerous than the rest. That would be his escape route.
“Hey, old man? What are you doing here?” Just as he was preparing to make a move, Ding Truong Sinh spotted Uncle Long approaching.
“Heh, trouble again, kid? Who are these guys? You owe them money?”
“Me? Owe them? Ha! They owe me! 250,000 yuan! They’re trying to silence me and skip the debt!” Seizing the moment, Ding Truong Sinh flipped the situation.
“You damn old fart, who the hell are you? Get lost! Mind your business or I’ll beat you too!” Vuong Dai Buu roared—especially furious after hearing about the supposed debt.
“Heh. I hate being called an old fart the most. Kid, get in the car—my boss is waiting. As for these disrespectful punks—I’ll teach them a lesson.” Uncle Long’s face suddenly turned cold, exuding killing intent.
“Alright, be careful. These bastards fight dirty,” Ding Truong Sinh said, calmly waving as he walked past the gang, who didn’t dare block his path after Uncle Long’s sudden appearance.
“Hey, how much do they owe you?” Uncle Long asked casually.
“Two hundred fifty grand. Don’t forget to make them sign an IOU. That money’s your drinking fund,” Ding Truong Sinh said with a grin, walking toward the Mercedes. He truly wanted to see Duong Kim Thoa, even though deep down he knew he could never reach her. She was like a phoenix rising from the ashes—too far out of reach.