Chapter 62: Flirting in Jest
After the call ended, Huong Tra eagerly went back to packing orders. It was true — only women could bring happiness to each other. With Kieu Ly gone, there wasn't really any reason for Quang Huy to be gallant with the girls in the neighborhood anymore. And Nghia and Duc, the two younger guys, had moved out — and frankly, they'd never been interested in playing the gentleman for their older sisters anyway.
She tried to finish up quickly so she could gather the girls to go out for some shellfish later.
While she was busy packing, there was a knock at the door. Well, more of a formality, really — Huong Tra always left the door open. Before she could even see who it was, a voice called out:
"Happy Vietnamese Women's Day!"
Quang Huy appeared in the doorway, holding a large bouquet of flowers, catching Huong Tra completely off guard. If Kieu Ly were still home, it would make sense — but she was all the way in London now.
Huong Tra paused her packing and walked over to the door, confused.
"Are these for me?"
Quang Huy nodded cheerfully.
"Who else would they be for? Not gonna invite me in?"
After a moment of surprise, Huong Tra smiled and took the bouquet, then invited Huy into the room.
Now that she thought about it, ever since Kieu Ly had left for London, Quang Huy had still been dropping by to hang out with her — just like before.
Receiving flowers from him made Huong Tra genuinely happy. He really was a thoughtful guy — not the type to disappear once he'd gotten what he wanted.
Quang Huy sat down at the table with a drink, while Huong Tra continued packing orders.
"Is Ly doing well over there?" he asked.
"She's doing great," Huong Tra replied.
After a short silence, she asked,
"Do you miss her?"
Quang Huy didn't answer, just smiled.
"You probably heard me video calling her earlier. Why didn't you come in and say hi?"
Still no reply — just silence. But Huong Tra didn't think much of it, continuing to chatter away.
"Ly's like the Snow Queen — impossible to win over. You should fall in love with me instead. It'd be way easier."
"Would it really be easier?"
"Of course! You'd skip straight to the finals!"
"You better mean it."
Huong Tra chuckled carefreely while packing. Meanwhile, Quang Huy stood up, slowly walked over to the door, and closed it — locking the latch.
That's when Huong Tra looked up, puzzled.
"What are you doing?"
"Heading straight to the finals," he said, as he sat down, lifted her chin gently, and kissed her.
At first, Huong Tra was stunned, sitting frozen, eyes wide. But slowly, almost unconsciously, she closed her eyes and melted into the passionate kiss.
After a long, deep kiss, Huong Tra blinked and stared at Quang Huy in confusion:
"Wait… I thought you liked Kieu Ly?"
But Quang Huy didn't smile. He looked at her seriously, making her even more flustered.
"I used to. But now, it's only you."