Chapter 229: Drunk as a Skunk
Minh Nhat was quietly eating, nodding as he chewed—no one could tell whether he was agreeing with Toan Phuong or just enjoying the food. Huong Tra wasn’t having it, and she deliberately poured cold water on Toan Phuong’s matchmaking effort:
“Twenty-eight’s too late. If I find someone decent next year, I’ll get married right away. We could even do a double wedding with Kieu Ly for the aesthetics.”
She was mostly joking. In truth, she was perfectly content with her life. She had bought her own place, had a stable job, extra sources of income, and the freedom to go wherever and eat whatever she liked. Every time she tried to map out her life according to someone else’s timeline, it only exhausted her. If anyone expected her to wait or make promises, they were out of luck. Being single was simply better.
Minh Nhat sat quietly, his mood sinking further. There was no way to persuade Huong Tra—not when he had nothing concrete to offer. Right now, there were no ties between them. He couldn’t even pursue her properly, since he wasn’t in a position to give her the serious relationship she deserved. So he pulled out a bottle and poured himself a drink.
“Let’s have a toast,” he said to Toan Phuong. “You’ve got to drive, so water’s fine. I came with the company car—I'll just call a cab later.”
Toan Phuong took the glass of water Minh Nhat handed him and clinked it against Minh Nhat’s glass, reminding him:
“Don’t drink too much. It'll mess with your voice.”
Minh Nhat rarely drank—this was only the second time in his life. He didn’t have a high tolerance at all. The first time he drank, he went at it like it was just water, one glass after another, not realizing the alcohol was gradually kicking in. By the time it fully hit him, he passed out on the table, dead drunk.
This time, Minh Nhat drank slowly and carefully. But even then, just a few shots in, it didn’t take long before the alcohol crept in—and down he went, slumping onto the table like a sack of potatoes.
Toan Phuong shook his head at the sight:
“Can’t hold his liquor but still insists on drinking.”
Huong Tra pretended not to notice, picking up a plastic knife to cut the birthday cake. As she did, she teased Toan Phuong:
“It’s your fault for going on and on about marriage and kids. Only 23 years old and already sounding like one of those old aunties from my hometown.”
Toan Phuong couldn’t help himself—he laughed so hard the chair shook:
“Oh no, am I really acting like some old geezer?”
“What do you think?” Huong Tra replied flatly.
“And yet, he always calls me a little demon,” Kieu Ly muttered under her breath, still salty about what Toan Phuong had said to her back at the concert.
Minh Nhat had originally agreed with Toan Phuong to only drink a little—just enough to leave a faint scent of alcohol, but not to get drunk. And yet, after just a few glasses, he was completely out cold.
Even after the group had finished dinner, Minh Nhat still hadn’t come to.
Once the bill was paid, Toan Phuong helped Minh Nhat out, pulling a cap over his head and a mask over his face before leading him to a taxi.
Helping Minh Nhat into the back seat, Toan Phuong turned to Huong Tra and said:
“Could I trouble you to take him home? I need to head back to my wife’s hometown—it’s a different direction, kind of far, so it’s not convenient for me.”
Huong Tra let out a quiet sigh as she looked into the cab. In this situation, there really wasn’t anyone more appropriate to take care of Minh Nhat than her. She didn’t argue and simply got in.
Toan Phuong shut the door, walked around to the front window, handed the driver an address and paid the fare upfront. He gave a large bill, waved off the change, and told the driver to drive carefully.
“If you notice anyone tailing the car, shake them off,” he added.
Once the taxi had driven away, Kieu Ly turned to him and asked:
“Why did you give the driver that address?”
“What about it?”
“That’s not his house. It’s a hotel.”
“How do you know?”
“Back then, Hoang Anh tried to take me there once. Tried to get me to go in, but I refused. I remember it very clearly.”