Chapter Text
Lingling’s car pulled smoothly to a stop outside the apartment building.
Orm had just stepped out of the elevator when she saw the familiar black sedan waiting by the curb. Lingling stepped out out of the car and walked to the other side. She opened the passenger’s door herself and gestured for Orm.
Orm blinked.
“Ling… you didn’t have to–”
Lingling simply held the door open.
More specifically, she placed one hand on the upper frame of the door, shielding the metal edge with her palm so Orm wouldn’t accidentally bump her head while getting in.
The gesture was so natural that Orm almost missed it.
Almost.
Orm’s chest warmed as she ducked inside the car.
“Thank you,” She murmured.
Lingling closed the door gently before walking around to the other side.
The ride home began quietly.
Bangkok traffic crawled around them while sunlight filtered through the car windows. Orm leaned back against the seat, one hand resting lightly on her stomach, a gesture she naturally developed.
After a few minutes of the ride, she noticed something.
Lingling kept glancing at her.
Not obviously. Just quick looks, then back to the road. Then again.
Orm tilted her head slightly.
“Ling? You know you need to focus on the road, right?”
“Hm?”
“You’re staring at me.”
Lingling blinked once, clearly caught.
“I wasn’t.”
Orm raised a brow.
Lingling sighed softly.
“I was thinking about something.”
“What?”
Lingling hesitated.
“…Your grandmother.”
Orm stiffened a little.
“She sounded…” Lingling searched for the right word, “…formidable.”
Orm laughed nervously. “That’s one way to describe her.”
Lingling’s fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel.
“She mentioned meeting me.” She says and glanced at Orm’s way.
Orm looked out the window quickly.
“Oh… that.”
Silence stretched for a moment.
“She actually had plans with friends today,” Orm said casually. “So… maybe next time?”
Lingling glanced at her.
Orm’s tone sounded natural.
But something about it felt… rehearsed.
Still, Lingling only nodded.
“Alright.”
She didn’t push.
But her mind wasn’t at ease as well.
The next day…
Orm stepped out of her classroom with a tired sigh.
Her last class for the morning had just ended, and the hallway buzzed with the usual post-midterm complaints.
“Why do professors schedule exams and lectures back-to-back?” someone groaned.
“Seriously, give us a break!”
Students crowded the hallway, talking loudly, laughing, complaining.
Orm adjusted the strap of her bag and was about to head toward the campus gate when someone grabbed her arm.
“Orm!”
She turned.
Kwang and two of her classmates stood there, grinning.
“We’re going to lunch,” Kwang announced.
Orm blinked. “Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“Come on,” another classmate added. “You can’t go straight home again.”
Orm hesitated.
“I actually have somewhere to—”
“Gun is back,” Kwang interrupted dramatically.
“Huh?” Orm asked.
Orm’s brows lifted slightly.
“He’s here for a short visit,” Kwang continued. “And he invited us to lunch. His treat.”
Orm was still hesitant.
“I don’t know…”
“Oh come on,” another classmate groaned. “He was literally looking for you during the last day of exams.”
Orm blinked. “He was?”
“Yeah,” Kwang said. “But you went home early, remember?”
Orm remembered.
It was the day she was meeting Gina on the rented apartment.
“So we told him you’d probably be here today,” Kwang added. “And now he’s waiting.”
Orm bit her lip.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with him. They had been groupmates before in a few projects. He had always been friendly… easy to work with.
Still, a small voice in the back of her head whispered:
Ling might worry.
But refusing would be strange.
And it was only lunch.
Orm finally sighed.
“Alright,” she said.
Her classmates immediately cheered.
“Let’s go!”
As they walked out of the building together, Orm pulled out her phone and quickly sent a message.
Orm:
Ling, I’m having lunch with my classmates today. Tell the driver to have his lunch as well.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
Ling:
Alright. Be careful.
Orm smiled softly.
She slipped the phone back into her bag, unaware that the lunch she had just agreed to would soon introduce someone new into the fragile balance of her life.
Someone who remembered the old Orm…
Before Lingling Kwong entered it.
The restaurant was lively, filled with the sound of clinking plates and overlapping conversations.
Orm sat beside Kwang at the long table while their classmates filled the remaining seats. In front of them sat Gun, freshly returned from New York, looking almost exactly the same, just slightly more confident, his posture more relaxed.
“I still can’t believe you came back just for two weeks,” one of their classmates said while pouring water into everyone’s glasses.
Gun shrugged with a grin. “Exchange program break. And honestly? I missed Thai food.”
“That’s the real reason,” Kwang teased.
Everyone laughed.
Dishes started arriving one by one… fried rice, grilled pork, spicy salads, and seafood shared across the table.
Gun leaned back in his chair, scanning the group.
Then his eyes landed on Orm.
He looked at her for a second longer than necessary before quickly glancing away.
Unfortunately for him, the rest of the table noticed.
“Oh hooo,” one of the guys suddenly said, pointing his chopsticks toward Gun.
“What?” Gun frowned.
“You keep looking at Orm.”
The table immediately erupted.
Kwang nudged Orm with her elbow. “See? I told you.”
Gun groaned. “I’m not staring.”
“Yes you are,” another classmate chimed in. “You’ve looked at her like five times already.”
Orm nearly choked on her drink.
“Guys, stop,” she muttered.
But they were just getting started.
“Remember when Gun had a crush on Orm during second year?”
Gun’s ears instantly turned red. “That was years ago!”
“Exactly!” someone said. “But it was real!”
“And if Orm didn’t cancel her application,” another added dramatically, “the two of you could’ve gone to New York together!”
More laughter erupted around the table.
Orm froze.
Gun rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Okay, that’s enough.”
But the teasing didn’t stop.
“Seriously though,” Kwang said with a grin, turning to Gun. “What do you think of Orm now?”
Gun hesitated.
His eyes flickered toward Orm again.
She looked… different.
Softer somehow. More mature. Calmer than the girl he remembered rushing between classes and group meetings.
“Honestly?” Gun said slowly.
The table leaned in.
“She looks happier.”
The teasing quieted slightly.
Orm blinked in surprise.
Gun smiled faintly. “Back then you always looked stressed. Like you were carrying something heavy.”
Orm didn’t know what to say.
Kwang glanced between them, smirking.
“Well,” she said casually, “Orm did change a lot this year.”
Gun nodded slowly.
“Yeah,” he said.
Then he added, half teasing but half serious:
“Now I’m wondering if I should’ve tried harder before leaving for New York.”
The table immediately exploded again.
“OHHHHHH!”
“Too late now!”
“Shoot your shot!”
Orm buried her face in her hands.
“Please stop,” she groaned, laughing helplessly.
But across the table, Gun kept watching her.
Curious.
Because something about Orm felt… different.
And he couldn’t quite figure out why.
After lunch, the group had to go back to their building to continue with their schedules.
When classes finally ended for the day, Orm and her classmates walked out of the building together, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the campus grounds. Gun had stayed with them, laughing along as the group continued their endless teasing.
“So, Gun,” one of the guys said, slinging an arm over his shoulder. “Two weeks is enough time to win Orm over, right?”
Gun groaned. “Can you guys let that go already?”
Kwang grinned wickedly. “No.”
Orm shook her head, trying to ignore them as they approached the entrance of the building.
Then she suddenly stopped walking.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Across the street, leaning casually against a black sedan, was Lingling.
She was dressed simply, plain dark clothes, a cap pulled low over her head, sunglasses hiding her eyes. To anyone else, she looked like just another person waiting for someone.
But Orm recognized her immediately.
Her friends noticed the sudden halt.
“What’s wrong?” Kwang asked.
Orm slowly lifted a hand and pointed.
Their group turned to look.
“Hey…,” one of them said slowly. “Isn’t that the same person who picked you up during our group study?”
Another classmate squinted.
“Ohhh… wait…”
A grin slowly spread across his face.
“Well,” he said dramatically, turning toward Gun, “looks like you’re too late.”
The group burst into laughter again.
“Orm already has someone new!”
Gun blinked in surprise, glancing between Orm and the mysterious person leaning on the car.
Orm sighed deeply. “You guys are impossible.”
Before she could escape, Kwang suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Wait,” he whispered dramatically, pulling her slightly aside.
Orm frowned. “What?”
“You need to introduce your lover to me next time.”
Orm nearly choked. “Kwang…”
“I’m serious,” he whispered, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Or I will bother you every single day until you do.”
Orm stared at him.
Kwang grinned mischievously. “And you know I will.”
Orm sighed in defeat. “Fine.”
“Promise?”
Orm held the hand that was holding her, and slowly detached it before saying… “No promises.”
“Urgh.” Kwang could only utter as he let his friend go.
Orm quickly waved goodbye to the rest of her friends, ignoring the renewed chorus of teasing behind her.
“Bye, Orm!”
“Don’t forget us when you get married!”
“Gun, you’ve been replaced!”
Orm refused to look back.
As she approached the car, Lingling immediately straightened. She opened the passenger door for her and instinctively placed a hand above the frame to shield Orm’s head.
Behind her, Orm could hear her classmates losing their minds.
“Oh my god she even opened the door!”
“Look at that!”
“Gentlewoman alert!”
Orm hurried into the car, cheeks slightly warm.
Lingling closed the door gently before walking around to the driver’s side.
The car pulled smoothly away from campus.
Orm leaned back in her seat, shaking her head as she pulled out her phone, which was already vibrating nonstop.
Kwang had already sent five messages.
WHO IS THAT.
Orm.
Orm.
Orm.
I haven’t even seen the face and I’m already in love.
Orm covered her face with one hand.
I should never let Kwang meet Ling, she thought helplessly. He’ll never stop thirsting over her… even if he’s gay.
Lingling glanced at her briefly.
“You’re shaking your head,” she said calmly. “Is something wrong?”
Orm quickly locked her phone.
“Nothing,” she said. “My friend is just being silly.”
Lingling nodded slightly.
The silence that followed was comfortable.
After a moment, Orm tilted her head.
“Ling?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you come pick me up today?”
Lingling kept her eyes on the road.
“I wanted to try a new restaurant with you,” she said simply. “I already made a reservation.”
Orm blinked.
“A restaurant?”
“Yes.”
Something clicked in her head.
Her eyes widened.
“Wait…” she said slowly. “Is it the Chinese restaurant I mentioned before?”
Lingling didn’t answer.
But the small smile that appeared on her lips was enough.
Orm’s face lit up instantly.
“Really?!”
Lingling’s smile widened slightly.
Orm became so excited she almost leaned forward to hug her…
But then she remembered they were currently in a moving car.
And that Lingling was driving.
So she forced herself to sit still, gripping the seatbelt instead while practically vibrating with excitement.
Lingling noticed.
Her quiet laugh filled the car.
And for the first time that day, Orm completely forgot about her friends’ teasing.
While Orm and Lingling were enjoying their dinner together, quietly sharing dishes while Lingling carefully moved the spicier ones away from Orm’s side of the table, another evening was unfolding elsewhere in the city.
A grand charity event was being held in one of Bangkok’s most prestigious hotels.
Crystal chandeliers glittered above a ballroom filled with socialites, business figures, and members of high society.
At the center of one of the largest circles of attention stood Mrs. Russamee Kwong.
Elegant and composed as always, she held a glass of champagne while several well-dressed women surrounded her.
“My son just graduated from London,” one woman said brightly. “He’s very responsible. I think he and Miss Lingling would get along well.”
Another woman immediately followed.
“My daughter studied finance in the US. She’s also very passionate about business partnerships.”
Russamee smiled politely.
She had attended enough of these gatherings to understand exactly what they wanted.
It wasn’t Lingling.
It was Kwong Enterprises.
“I’m sure your children are wonderful,” Russamee said smoothly. “But my daughter has always preferred making her own decisions.”
The women laughed lightly, though some of them looked slightly disappointed.
Russamee excused herself gracefully soon after, slipping away from the crowd before another proposal could be made.
On the opposite side of the ballroom, Mrs. Koy Naruemon Sethratanapong had just done the exact same thing.
Earlier, she had been surrounded by social figures eager to talk about her acting career, her husband’s leadership of Sethachon Co., and the children she never publicly introduced despite her fame.
“How old are your children now, Mrs. Sethratanapong?”
“Do any of them plan to enter the entertainment industry?”
“I can’t wait to see you back in the big screen.”
Koy had simply smiled and replied vaguely before making her quiet escape.
By coincidence, both women approached the same quiet table near the edge of the ballroom.
They stopped when they saw each other.
“Mrs. Kwong,” Koy greeted with a graceful nod.
“Mrs. Sethratanapong,” Russamee replied.
They were not strangers.
In their circles, it was impossible not to know each other. But they had never been close enough to call themselves friends.
Still, the empty table was a welcome refuge.
They both sat down.
Interestingly, the surrounding guests noticed immediately.
Two powerful women sitting together.
No one dared approach.
The sudden bubble of space around them made both women sigh quietly in relief.
“Finally,” Koy murmured.
Russamee chuckled softly. “I was about to escape through the kitchen.”
They shared a brief amused look.
Their conversation began casually, discussing the event, business trends, and mutual acquaintances.
Then Russamee casually said something that caught Koy’s attention.
“I’ve been in a good mood lately,” Russamee said lightly.
“Oh?” Koy asked.
Russamee’s lips curved into a proud smile.
“My daughter recently brought someone home,” she said. “Someone she… cares for.”
Koy raised a brow with interest.
“That’s rare for Lingling, isn’t it?”
Russamee nodded proudly.
“Very rare. But this girl…” she said warmly, “I approve of her very much.”
Koy leaned back slightly, now intrigued.
“That must mean she’s quite remarkable.”
Russamee’s expression softened.
“She is,” she said. “Gentle, polite, well-mannered. Very considerate of others. Even the staff adore her.”
Koy listened with growing curiosity.
“And my daughter,” Russamee continued with a small laugh, “who never cared about domestic things before… suddenly cooks for her. Drives her around. Even insists on accompanying her to doctor visits.”
Koy blinked once.
“That is… impressive.”
Russamee nodded proudly.
“Orm is such a wonderful child,” she added casually.
Koy nearly dropped her glass.
Russamee didn’t notice.
“Sweet, kind…,” Russamee continued with a delighted smile. “Such a delicate girl, but very strong.”
Koy slowly set her glass down.
“What… did you say her name was?” she asked carefully.
Russamee waved a hand lightly.
“Oh, you wouldn’t know her,” she said. “She’s not someone who enjoys the spotlight.”
Koy’s heart suddenly beat faster.
Orm is a very common name in Thailand, but…
Because the description sounded… dangerously familiar.
Koy can’t help but think deely.
A coincidence. She thought.
And yet neither of them realized…
That the beloved daughter-in-law Russamee was proudly praising…
Was actually Kornnaphat Sethratanapong.
The daughter Koy raised so proudly.
Orm.