Chapter 75: Birthday Party
In Vietnam,
Huong Tra had now gone public with her relationship with Huy to everyone in the neighborhood. Every afternoon, she would go over, unlock Huy's room, cook dinner, and wait for him to come home.
The last day of the year also happened to be Huy's birthday. That afternoon, Huong Tra went out to buy a birthday cake and some fruit to throw a surprise party for him with their neighborhood friends. But before she could finish preparing, she received a message from Huy telling her not to cook dinner and to wait for him to take her out to eat.
It was her first time celebrating Huy's birthday as his girlfriend, so Tra took extra care with her makeup and picked the outfit she liked most.
Once ready, she went to Hong Mai's room, pacing back and forth, asking for opinions:
"Do I look okay, guys?"
Mai, who already had a boyfriend, understood how Tra felt and just sat there grinning. Meanwhile, Hong curled her lip in mock disdain:
"You look like a man in a dress."
Hearing that, Tra playfully lunged at Hong to "strangle" her:
"Say that again, I dare you!"
Hong laughed out loud, prying Huong Tra's hands off:
"Alright, alright, I give up. You do look great. Your figure is like Ly's—you'd look good even in rags."
"And my face?"
"Beautiful. A girl in love always has a smile on her face. That glow alone makes anyone look radiant."
Satisfied, Huong Tra let go of Hong.
She lingered in Mai's room for a bit longer until she heard the sound of a motorbike. Guessing that Huy was home, she quickly slipped on her boots and rushed to the gate.
Huy always dressed sharply for work. That day, he wore a long wool coat, a high-neck sweater, and dress pants—all in dark tones. He looked good. And when he took his clothes off, he looked even better. Or maybe, when a girl is in love, she sees her boyfriend through rose-tinted glasses.
Huong Tra hopped on the bike and wrapped her arms around Huy's waist. But he didn't start the engine. Instead, he removed her hands, got off the bike, and said:
"It's cold out. Aren't you freezing in that outfit?"
"Haven't you heard the saying 'fashion beats the weather'? I'm not cold."
Huy gave her a serious once-over and said:
"Go put on another layer. That dress is cut too low."
"But I'm really not cold."
"It's not about whether you're cold. We're going to a party, and my friends are all guys."
That's when Tra realized—Huy was jealous. Strangely, the thought made her feel happy inside. She wrapped her arms around his neck, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and said sweetly:
"Okay, I'll go grab a jacket."
She ran back to her room and threw on a long knit cardigan. It's true—since she had a figure similar to Kieu Ly's, she looked good in anything.