Chapter 18 – Under My Mark

The ladle moved in slow, deliberate circles, stirring the simmering soup as if the rest of the world hardly mattered. Each motion was unhurried, steady—almost unnervingly so. Soft footsteps echoed faintly behind him, followed by Thien Duc's familiar low voice, light as a passing breeze.

Huyet Minh turned his head, the corner of his lips curving into a faint, awkward smile, as though masking something beneath.

"She complimented you, huh? Then she must have good taste," he said casually, though a flicker of something stirred deep within his eyes.

Thien Duc arched a brow, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Didn't know you could make jokes."

He sat down at the table, gaze lingering on Huyet Minh's back.

Huyet Minh didn't answer right away. His attention returned to the soup, his voice dropping low, the tone calm yet heavy.

"Jokes? Not really. Just… don't let a stranger sway you so easily."

Thien Duc blinked, genuine surprise flickering across his face.

"Sway me? What are you talking about? We were just making small talk."

A soft chuckle slipped from Huyet Minh—one that hovered somewhere between amusement and something darker.

"Yeah, just small talk. But…" His voice dropped further, almost a murmur. "Make sure you don't smile that brightly at anyone else but me."

Thien Duc froze for a moment, staring at him.

"…Are you… jealous?"

Huyet Minh only offered a cryptic smile in response, his shoulders lifting in a light shrug.

"Me? Jealous? You're overthinking it, Thien Duc. Now, come try the new dish I made."

---

Night fell. The room was washed in the dim, mellow glow of the bedside lamp. Thien Duc lay asleep on the bed, his breaths slow and steady, chest rising and falling with each rhythm of deep slumber. The lingering warmth of the blankets and faint trace of dinner's scent seemed to soften the still air.

Beside the bed, Huyet Minh sat motionless, his dark eyes locked on the sleeping face before him.

At first, his gaze was gentle, as if he simply wished to memorize every curve, every quiet expression etched on Thien Duc's features. But that softness quickly darkened. His voice slipped out in a hoarse whisper, barely louder than the wind outside the window.

"Smiling that brightly at someone else… Why won't you let me be the only one to see that?"

His fingers drifted slowly across Thien Duc's cheek, lingering at the corner of his lips. The warmth beneath his touch made his chest tighten painfully. For a fleeting second, tenderness welled up—only to be swallowed by a creeping chill as the memory of that morning resurfaced. The way Thien Duc had smiled… at someone else.

Leaning closer, his voice trembled faintly.

"You belong to me… only me."

As though compelled by something deeper, Huyet Minh's grip tightened on Thien Duc's shoulder. Conflict flickered across his face, a mixture of longing and something far darker.

"I hate this feeling… You drive me insane, Thien Duc. And yet… I can't let you go."

His breathing deepened, heat rising between them. In that moment, his lips hovered dangerously close to Thien Duc's ear, his gaze drawn—helplessly—to the slightly parted lips beneath him, a hunger he could not name clawing at his restraint.

"You don't understand…" he murmured, his lips twisting into a thin, dangerous curve. "I'll make sure you do… You're mine."

Without hesitation, Huyet Minh tilted his head and captured Thien Duc's lips in a deep, claiming kiss. Their breaths mingled—one trapped in dreams, unaware, the other surrendering entirely as the storm in his chest consumed all sense of reason.

When he finally pulled away, his whisper lingered against those lips.

"Forgive me… but I'm done asking. You don't get to refuse me anymore."

His hand slid through Thien Duc's soft hair, his eyes a dangerous blend of fleeting tenderness and unrestrained obsession.

"Sleep well, Thien Duc. By morning, I'll be the Huyet Minh you're used to again. But don't forget… you're already marked by me."

---

Morning came. Thien Duc stirred awake, his head heavy as though emerging from a dream far too long. He pressed a hand to his temple, gaze drifting hazily across the quiet room. No sign of Huyet Minh.

Stepping outside, he found him bent over the garden, watering the plants with the same serene, measured motions as always, his demeanor calm, unbothered.

Rubbing his eyes, Thien Duc called out, voice still thick with sleep.

"Working on the plants this early? Don't tell me you're planning to start a gardening business now."

Huyet Minh didn't turn, his reply even, unhurried.

"I'm just taking care of what's precious… to the one I love."

Thien Duc snorted softly, shaking his head.

"That's too cheesy. Stop saying things like that, I can't take it."

He strolled back inside, a faint smile still tugging at his lips as he opened the fridge for water. But then he froze. The basket of fruit the neighbor had given them the day before—gone. He glanced around the kitchen.

"Huh? Where's the fruit? She just brought it over… Why's it gone?"

Right on cue, Huyet Minh stepped into the room, wiping his hands with a towel.

"Huyet Minh, did you see the fruit? Don't tell me you ate all of it already."

His response came flat, almost indifferent.

"No. I threw it out."

Thien Duc turned, eyes wide, disbelief flashing across his face.

"You… what? Threw it out? Why?"

Huyet Minh shrugged, his gaze calm, unyielding.

"Because I don't like it. I don't want you keeping anything from her."

Thien Duc's brows knit, irritation creeping into his tone.

"Huyet Minh, it's just basic manners. She's new here. I took it to be polite—you don't get that?"

Huyet Minh closed the space between them, his eyes locking onto Thien Duc's, his voice slow and deliberate.

"I get it. But I don't want you accepting anything from anyone else. Especially not from her."

A flush crept up Thien Duc's neck, his words faltering.

"You're… overreacting. It's just fruit."

A faint smile touched Huyet Minh's lips, though his gaze remained deep and unyielding.

"To me, it's not just fruit. I won't let anyone have even the smallest chance to come close to you, Thien Duc."

Thien Duc looked away, exhaling sharply.

"You… You're always like this. I don't even know what to say to you anymore."

Huyet Minh stepped closer still, his voice soft yet loaded with weight.

"You don't need to say anything. Just know this—I'll do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. That's all that matters."

Thien Duc bit his lip, turned away, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Behind him, Huyet Minh stood motionless, a faint, almost serene smile tugging at his lips.

Softly, as if to himself, he whispered:

"You'll get used to it, Thien Duc. Don't bother resisting me."

---

Another morning. The garden once again bathed in soft light. Thien Duc leaned forward, watering the plants, droplets catching on his hair and dampening the strands slightly. From the corner of the path, Thanh Huong—the neighbor—approached with another basket of fruit, opening her mouth to greet him.

"Good morning—"

Before she could get close, a pair of cool yet unyielding arms wrapped around Thien Duc's waist from behind.

"Thien Duc," Huyet Minh's voice murmured near his ear, tinged with both teasing and quiet firmness, "Why didn't you wait for me to water the plants with you? I only slept in a little."

Thien Duc jerked in surprise, nearly spilling the watering can.

"Huyet Minh! Let go—you're making me spill water everywhere!"

But Huyet Minh didn't let go. His eyes flicked briefly—coldly—toward Thanh Huong before leaning in closer, his whisper brushing Thien Duc's ear.

"You didn't listen to me. So let me… make it up to you."

Without a pause, he tilted Thien Duc's face toward him and captured his lips in a deep kiss—right there, beneath the stunned gaze of the girl standing at the edge of the path.