Chapter 50: A Torrential Rainy Day
One summer day, the sky was a dull gray, heavy with clouds. Huong Tra looked up and grumbled:
"Looks like there's going to be a storm. Why don't you take the day off?"
But Kieu Ly was already wheeling her bike outside, carrying a raincoat and a large plastic bag to wrap her backpack just in case.
"If I stayed home every time it rained, I'd never get anything done. I'm heading out."
Huong Tra watched her pedal away and shook her head in exasperation. Truly, Ly was a workaholic—devoted to both money and career like her life depended on it.
Meanwhile, Toan Phuong sat waiting inside his house with everything shut tight against the wind. He hadn't noticed the weather turning until thunder cracked loudly above. He stepped onto the balcony, tilting his head up to watch the sky. Forks of lightning sliced through the night, adding to his unease.
Worried, he called Kieu Ly, telling her not to come. But she didn't answer. She was probably already on the way.
The wind howled louder and louder, bending the trees by the lake almost to the ground before they sprang back, only to be beaten down again.
Before long, the rain came—heavy, torrential, a white curtain pouring from the sky. Thunder roared above a pitch-black sky. Rainwater gushed down, flooding yards and streets, spilling into the lake.
Toan Phuong rushed downstairs, watching helplessly as the rain blurred his vision. He silently hoped that Kieu Ly had found shelter somewhere and wasn't still pushing through.
But just a few moments later, she appeared at his gate, looking absolutely miserable. Despite wearing a raincoat, she was drenched, her whole body trembling from the cold.
Toan Phuong had expected this might happen—but he hadn't truly believed it would.
He dashed out the gate, taking her bike and wheeling it inside. Kieu Ly, seeing the rain hammering down on his head, raised her voice, trying to be heard over the roar:
"Why'd you come out here? You'll get soaked!"
But he acted like he didn't hear, quietly leading her bike in and lifting her backpack onto the porch.
Kieu Ly stepped up to the porch, removed her raincoat, and muttered awkwardly:
"It started pouring suddenly, and this area's pretty empty... but I was almost here, so I kept going. Didn't think I'd still end up soaked."
Toan Phuong didn't bother listening to her excuses. Instead, he asked:
"What size do you wear?"
Kieu Ly blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean, size?"
"You're drenched. You'll need to change before we start."
She paused. There were only two other women in the house—his mother and the housekeeper. Wearing clothes meant for older women felt a bit weird... but it was better than staying wet.
After hesitating, she replied:
"Size M."
"And… underwear?"