The door to the guest room closed.

I remained sitting on the sofa.

The soup on the table was still warm.

But I suddenly had no appetite.

I stared at the phone in front of me.

The word 【Troublesome】 was still there.

Two words.

Two words that had somehow summarized five years of my relationship with Pho Thoi Le.

Five years.

From university until now.

I had remembered every birthday.

Every important meeting.

Every time he had caught a cold.

Every time he came home late, I left a light on.

When his company was in trouble, I was the one who secretly sold my jewelry to help him get through the crisis.

When his father was hospitalized, I stayed at the hospital for three nights.

When his mother disliked me because I wasn’t from a wealthy family, I swallowed every insult and tried harder to become the daughter-in-law she wanted.

I had always thought that love meant learning to understand someone.

So I learned.

I learned his habits.

His temper.

His favorite food.

The way he liked his coffee.

The way he hated being disturbed when working.

I even learned when to stay silent.

But apparently, after all those years, what he had learned about me was only this:

Troublesome.

I picked up the phone and opened the cloud backup.

I wasn’t looking for anything.

At least, that’s what I told myself.

But then I saw a folder.

A folder created three years ago.

The name was simple.

【Ninh Ninh】

My finger stopped.

I opened it.

There were dozens of photographs.

Hua Ninh at a company dinner.

Hua Ninh at a charity event.

Hua Ninh in a hospital.

Hua Ninh smiling beside Pho Thoi Le.

Some photographs had dates.

Some had short notes.

I scrolled slowly.

Then I saw one that made my breathing stop.

It was a photograph from two years ago.

Hua Ninh was standing beside Pho Thoi Le.

Underneath it was a sentence.

【She doesn’t like crowded places. Remember.】

Another photograph.

【She gets nervous when she is alone.】

Another.

【Don’t let her take a taxi at night.】

Another.

【She likes jasmine tea.】

My fingers trembled.

I suddenly remembered something.

Two years ago, Pho Thoi Le had started coming home later and later.

When I asked him why, he always said he was helping a new employee settle into the company.

I had never thought much about it.

Because he had told me:

“You’re going to be my wife. You should trust me.”

So I trusted him.

I trusted him so completely that I never thought to look.

I kept scrolling.

Then I saw the last photograph.

It was taken three days ago.

Hua Ninh was standing in front of the Civil Affairs Department.

Beside her was Pho Thoi Le.

And beneath the photograph was a message.

【If tomorrow doesn’t go according to plan, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.】

My blood ran cold.

Tomorrow.

The day we were supposed to register our marriage.

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Then I understood.

This wasn’t an accidental closeness.

It wasn’t merely him being kind to a colleague.

And it certainly wasn’t something that had started recently.

He had been preparing something.

I heard footsteps behind me.

I quickly locked the phone.

Pho Thoi Le came out of the guest room.

His expression had softened.

“Ninh Ninh is asleep.”

I nodded.

“Good.”

He walked toward me.

“You haven’t slept yet?”

“No.”

He looked at the clock.

“Tomorrow we have to go to the Civil Affairs Department early.”

I looked at him.

Tomorrow.

He still thought tomorrow would happen.

I suddenly wanted to ask him:

Did you already know that I cancelled it?

Did you already decide what role Hua Ninh would play in your life?

Did you plan to marry me first and keep her beside you afterward?

But I didn’t ask.

I just smiled.

“Yes.”

He seemed relieved.

He sat beside me.

Then, unexpectedly, he reached for my hand.

I instinctively pulled it away.

His fingers stopped in midair.

He looked at me.

“What?”

“I’m tired.”

His eyebrows drew together.

“Kieu Nam Chi.”

“I want to sleep.”

I stood.

He grabbed my wrist.

“Are you angry?”

I looked down at his hand.

Then at him.

“No.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

I smiled faintly.

“Maybe I’m finally learning.”

“Learning what?”

“Not to cause trouble.”

His expression changed.

For a moment, he seemed unable to answer.

Then he released me.

“Don’t think too much.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

I walked into the bedroom.

I closed the door.

Then I leaned against it and slowly exhaled.

My eyes were dry.

That surprised me.

I thought I would cry.

But I didn’t.

Maybe because there were some moments when disappointment was so complete that even tears no longer knew where to begin.

The next morning, I woke up before dawn.

Pho Thoi Le was already dressed.

He stood in front of the mirror fixing his tie.

Seeing me wake up, he turned.

“Get ready. We’re going to the Civil Affairs Department.”

I stared at him.

Then I smiled.

“I can’t go.”

He frowned.

“Why?”

“I have something to do.”

“What could be more important than today?”

I looked at him quietly.

“Work.”

He laughed coldly.

“Your company can survive one day without you.”

“I know.”

I got out of bed.

“But I can’t survive another day pretending.”

His expression changed.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.”

I walked past him.

He followed.

“Nam Chi.”

I stopped at the door.

“Today is our marriage registration.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you acting strange?”

I turned around.

“Pho Thoi Le, if I didn’t go today, what would you do?”

He froze.

“What?”

“If I suddenly told you I didn’t want to marry you anymore, what would you do?”

His face darkened.

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Answer me.”

He stared at me.

Then he said coldly:

“I would ask you why.”

“And if I didn’t want to explain?”

“Then I’d wait until you calmed down.”

“And if I never came back?”

His jaw tightened.

“That won’t happen.”

I smiled.

“You sound very confident.”

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

Hua Ninh.

He looked at the screen.

Then at me.

I stepped aside.

“Answer it.”

He hesitated.

Then picked up.

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice was trembling.

“Hoi Le… I woke up and my ankle hurts again.”

His entire expression softened.

“Don’t move.”

“I’ll come.”

He grabbed his jacket.

I watched him put on his shoes.

He suddenly looked back.

“You’ll wait for me?”

I smiled.

“Of course.”

He left.

The door closed.

I stood there for several seconds.

Then I walked to the kitchen.

On the counter was the breakfast I had prepared for him.

I threw it into the trash.

Then I opened my laptop.

I had already prepared everything.

My passport.

My certificates.

My bank documents.

My resignation letter.

And one more thing.

A flight ticket.

One-way.

To Melbourne.

Three months ago, I had received an offer from a company there.

At that time, I had rejected it because Pho Thoi Le said:

“After we get married, I want you beside me.”

I had chosen him.

Today, I chose myself.

I picked up my phone and called the company.

“Hello, I’m Kieu Nam Chi.”

“Yes, I accept the position.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“You can start in three weeks?”

“Yes.”

I looked around the apartment.

“Three weeks is enough.”

After hanging up, I opened the marriage registration appointment.

The cancellation confirmation was still there.

I saved it.

Then I packed my suitcase.

I didn’t take much.

Five years of memories could fit into three boxes.

That was almost funny.

At ten thirty, Pho Thoi Le returned.

He opened the door.

“Nam Chi?”

No answer.

He walked into the living room.

The suitcase was gone.

The closet was half empty.

He froze.

On the dining table was an envelope.

He opened it.

Inside was the cancelled marriage registration confirmation.

His face went pale.

Then he found another sheet.

A single sentence.

【You don’t need to worry about your Troublesome anymore.】

His fingers began to tremble.

He called me.

The number was unreachable.

He called again.

Still unreachable.

He immediately called the Civil Affairs Department.

“Can you check today’s appointment?”

The staff member asked for his information.

A few minutes later, the answer came.

“Mr. Pho, the appointment was cancelled last night.”

Last night.

He closed his eyes.

He remembered my expression.

My calm voice.

My question.

If I didn’t want to marry you anymore, what would you do?

He had thought I was angry.

He had thought I would eventually calm down.

He had thought, like every other time, I would come back.

But this time there was no argument.

No tears.

No pleading.

No second chance.

His phone rang again.

It was his mother.

“Thoi Le, where are you? The wedding registration was supposed to happen today. The family has already prepared the celebration.”

He didn’t answer.

His gaze fell on the empty apartment.

Then suddenly, he remembered something.

My passport.

My passport was missing.

He opened the drawer.

Nothing.

He checked the closet.

Nothing.

Then he saw the document on the table.

The flight itinerary.

Melbourne.

His heart sank.

He immediately called his assistant.

“Check every flight leaving tonight.”

“President Pho, why?”

“Just do it.”

His voice was so cold that the assistant stopped asking questions.

Twenty minutes later, the answer came.

“There’s a passenger named Kieu Nam Chi flying to Melbourne at 8:40 p.m.”

Pho Thoi Le stood up.

“Cancel it.”

The assistant hesitated.

“President Pho… that’s a private ticket. We can’t cancel someone else’s reservation without authorization.”

“Then find her.”

He hung up.

At the same time, his phone received another message.

It was from Hua Ninh.

【Hoi Le, are you coming back?】

He stared at the message.

For the first time, he didn’t immediately answer.

Because suddenly he realized something.

For years, whenever Hua Ninh called, he went.

Whenever she needed something, he helped.

Whenever she said she was afraid, he protected her.

And he had convinced himself that none of it mattered because I was always there.

Always waiting.

Always forgiving.

Always beside him.

Until today.

He looked at the empty house again.

And for the first time, the word 【Troublesome】 in his phonebook felt like a knife.

He opened my contact.

There was no profile picture.

No status.

Nothing.

He pressed call.

A recorded voice answered.

“The number you have dialed is no longer in service.”

His hand slowly dropped.

Meanwhile, at the airport, I was sitting by the window.

The boarding announcement had just begun.

I looked at the city outside.

Five years ago, I had come here believing I would build a family.

Today, I was leaving with nothing except my own name.

My phone vibrated.

An unfamiliar number.

I didn’t answer.

It rang again.

Then again.

Finally, a message appeared.

【Nam Chi, please wait for me.】

I stared at it.

Another message came.

【We can talk.】

Then another.

【Don’t leave like this.】

I deleted all three.

The boarding gate opened.

I stood up.

But just before I handed my passport to the staff, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

“Nam Chi!”

My body froze.

I turned.

Pho Thoi Le was standing at the end of the corridor.

His shirt was wrinkled.

His hair was disheveled.

He looked completely unlike the calm, controlled man I had known for years.

He had actually come.

He had actually chased me.

For one brief second, something inside me moved.

Then I remembered the phonebook.

【Troublesome.】

And the pinned chat.

【Little Ancestor.】

My heart became quiet again.

Pho Thoi Le stopped several steps away.

He was breathing heavily.

“Don’t go.”

I looked at him.

“Why?”

He opened his mouth.

But no words came.

Because perhaps, for the first time, he realized that saying “I love you” after losing someone was not enough.

I smiled.

“You should go back.”

“Nam Chi.”

“I cancelled the marriage.”

“I know.”

“And I blocked your number.”

“I know.”

“Then what are you still doing here?”

His eyes reddened.

“I don’t know.”

I looked at him for a long time.

Then I said quietly:

“That’s the problem, Pho Thoi Le.”

“You never knew.”

“You never knew when I was hurt.”

“You never knew when I was waiting.”

“You never knew why I stopped asking.”

“And you never knew that the day I stopped being troublesome was the day I stopped loving you.”

His face went completely pale.

The boarding announcement sounded again.

I turned around.

This time, he didn’t stop me.

I walked toward the gate.

Behind me, I heard him call my name one last time.

I didn’t turn back.

Because five years ago, I had chosen him.

But today, I finally chose myself.

And somewhere behind me, the man who had always been certain that I would never leave…

finally understood that the person he had called 【Troublesome】 had been the one holding their entire relationship together.