Original subtitles

A FEW DAYS EARLIER

Follow the drum roll, which hand is it?

Follow the drum roll, which one is empty?

-Bao. -Yeah?

If I win, you have to give me a massage for ten minutes.

Then if I win, you'll have to read for me

two whole picture books!

Okay. Which hand is it?

This one, I'm pretty sure.

Are you?

One.

Two. Three.

Again, I wanna go one more time!

Should I sing for you two?

Uncle Luu really can sing!

Follow the drum roll, which hand is it?

Forget it, I don't want to play anymore.

Bao! Do you like adventures?

There are many interesting things in this area.

Nah, I don't like it.

What if I slip and fall to my death?

Oh, but don't you like animals?

There are only dogs and cats in the city,

but there are so many types of animals here.

I'm a big boy now, I'm not so easily fooled.

Gosh, you sound like an old man sometimes.

We're all family here, I wouldn't lie to you.

These woods are full of mysteries.

There are so many things you've yet to learn about.

Are you okay, Bao?

-Yeah. -What happened?

I think I hit something.

Bao.

Uncle Luu… It's dead!

Honey?

It's so unfortunate. Where on earth did it come from?

Let's move him to the side of the road.

I don't want people to keep running over it.

Mom, I wanna pee.

I'll pull over.

I'll go with you.

Mom said not to go with strangers.

It's okay. He's just shy.

He'll get used to me soon.

Be careful, buddy.

Bao, hurry up

if you don't want to get bitten by something.

Mom, I'm already 7.

No peeking, okay?

I know, I know. Hurry up then.

What's wrong?

Vy, what's wrong?

I…

I think I just heard a dog howling.

I didn't hear anything.

It's probably just the wind.

Let's go.

Wow, this is awesome!

Look mom!

Welcome to…

Scarlet Hill.

It's beautiful.

Hello.

Let me introduce you two. This is Suong.

Your trusted assistant, right?

I've met him already, don't you remember?

Oh, you have?

Must be my old age, I'm so scatterbrained.

What's wrong with being old?

As long as Ms. Vy stays young and fresh, huh?

Mom, it's so beautiful!

Let's go then.

So? Is this okay with you?

You sure splurged this time.

It's nothing.

As long as the lady of the house likes it.

It's so peaceful here.

We can just stay here after the wedding.

I hope this place will be of help to you.

Mom, follow me!

Mom, can we get a monkey?

But we already have a monkey named Bao.

-The flowers are so pretty! -Yeah.

You two should wash up and change.

Hi, Van.

This is Mrs. Hong's daughter-in-law.

Who is Mrs. Hong?

She's the landowner.

Let's go inside.

Wow!

There's so much food.

Let me help you.

-Just leave it to them. -Thank you.

Sit down, we'll take care of it.

Okay.

Enjoy your meal everyone!

What kind of meat is this? It's so good!

Wolf meat!

Mom! There are wolves here?

Let's go home.

He's just teasing you. It's just deer meat.

-How about some braised beef then? -Okay.

Thank you.

It has such a unique scent.

My mom's braised beef has various herbs from the mountain.

If she ever had enough money to open a restaurant,

I'm sure it would be popular!

Mr. Luu. Why don't you take off your glove? Isn't it hard to eat?

He burned himself while cooking,

taking the glove off would make him even more uncomfortable.

And that is a lesson I'll always remember.

Don't play with fire.

Right. Please, sit down with us.

This couple is a friendly bunch.

That's right, sit with us.

Oh, me and my parents

still have some food cooking in the kitchen.

Oh, hold on.

Here, this is for you.

Thank you.

Enjoy your meal then. I'll help my parents in the kitchen.

Vy.

Actually…

I have a secret I want to tell you.

A secret?

You want to drown me in happiness?

These two cabins

are actually part of my experimental homestay project.

But right now,

I just want them to be yours completely.

Experimental?

Isn't building two whole cabins

too much to call an "experiment?"

It's not like he built them from scratch.

The frames were already there.

Mr. Luu thought the structures were okay,

so he told me to fix them up and add some wood paneling.

Is that so?

There must have been a lot to fix up, right Suong?

Huh?

It took months of my hard work.

If it weren't for me,

you and Bao would probably have to sleep in a tent outside.

Suong!

Are you trying to take all the credit?

You're devaluing my gift to her.

The true value of the gift lies in your sincerity.

For me, that's the most important thing.

So romantic!

By the way, I'll be staying in the other cabin.

Tonight,

you two can "wrestle" all you want!

Suong, stop your nonsense.

The best thing about this place is the view.

One night, there was a big storm.

There was lightning and heavy rain.

The butler went to answer the door

and saw a girl standing on the porch.

She said she was a real princess.

But being soaking wet with ragged clothes

made her look so shabby.

Alright. Let's stop here. It's bed time.

I want to sleep with you tonight.

But you usually sleep on your own.

Why are you being such a baby today?

Bao!

If you're here, where will I sleep?

There's a couch in the living room.

Or you can go to the other cabin

and sleep with Mr. Suong.

Hey!

Look at this big and beautiful house.

Who was it that took us here?

Who built it for us?

-Honey, it's okay. -No, it's not.

I need to make him understand.

But you have to read detective comics so I can fall asleep!

Oops!

What did I tell you?

Kids are not allowed to read violent stories.

Okay.

Come on, go to your room.

Okay.

I will confiscate all your books.

Oh, no. Come on!

There's no confiscating anything.

She'll just keep them for you.

When you're older, I'll tell her to give them back to you, okay?

Why should my mom listen to you?

Bao.

Bao. What did you think of today's meal?

It scared me a bit, but it was so good!

Scarlet Hill is so beautiful, right?

Would you be okay if we were to stay here?

Of course! I can keep a pet.

There's also a big garden to play hide and seek!

What about Uncle Luu?

Oh…

You can't talk to him like that.

He's an adult after all.

And he's a good guy. He loves us.

Can you be friends with him?

What about the other guys before?

You didn't tell me to be friends with them.

Uncle Luu is different from them.

Different how?

He… doesn't scare me.

If you love me, please try to like him too. Can you?

Is he asleep?

Yeah.

He's tired from playing around too much.

Is that so?

I…

The things Bao said,

I know they made you think.

Well, I can't say they don't.

But you've already warned me.

He probably won't let me off that easily.

I do hope someday

he'll call you "dad".

Don't worry about it.

I'm a patient man.

-Are you okay? -Are you gonna keep asking me

or are you gonna kiss me?

Vy, what's wrong?

It's okay.

It's okay, I'm here.

You're okay, don't be scared.

-Don't be scared. -Luu.

It was so real!

What did you see?

It's okay, don't think about it.

I'll call doctor Hoa.

Wait, it's late.

It's okay, she said we should call her if anything came up.

I see two men

restraining a woman.

The fear of intimacy most likely

stems from her subconsciousness.

The most feasible solution I can suggest for her right now

is that she learn to accept it and face her fear.

Living in the city, you two will probably

be distracted by many objective factors.

That would not have a good impact

on the effect of this method.

You two need to take a break.

I think it's best that you find a quiet place

to relax your minds.

That would be a great help for her treatment.

We will try.

After all, sexual desire

is just one of human nature's fundamental needs.

And many marriages don't work out because of this very issue.

MEDICAL RECORD

Earlier, when I came to pick you up,

your husband kept staring at me from the door.

Maybe I shouldn't have dressed up.

He's my neighbor.

Why was he so pissed off at me? I didn't do anything.

He has anxiety disorder.

He does?

That's convenient, since you live right next door to him.

If I ever have any mental problems, then…

How do you know you don't have any right now?

What do you think is wrong with me?

Stop obsessing over girls.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Gosh.

Men who don't have any desire for women are the ones

who should see a doctor.

We're almost there.

Bao. Bao. Be careful.

Watch your head.

Help!

Let go, help me!

Let go!

Let go, let him go!

Let him go!

-Stop, don't hit me! -Stop!

Stop, stop hitting him!

Truc, I told you so many times before?

I'm sorry.

This is my brother.

He…

He's not normal.

-I'm sorry. -Let's play together.

Let me play with you!

I know a great game of treasure hunting!

Shut up!

I'm so sorry.

My name is Chinh.

Mrs. Hong is my mother.

It's okay, baby.

This is Mr. Chinh, one of the land owners.

Goodbye then.

Let's go. I'll lock you up inside the house!

Come on!

How many times have I told you before, huh?

Bao, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Me and Luu were making out,

then suddenly,

I saw myself running in the woods.

Then,

two men were chasing after me.

They pinned me down, and…

They raped you?

Before,

I felt extreme fear

every time I tried being intimate with someone.

It was vague and I had no idea where it came from.

But this time it was so clear.

Right in front of my eyes.

It was just a hallucination.

Why is her condition

worse than before we even started the treatment?

These are signs that the treatment is working for her.

I'm sorry.

How is that "working for her"?

Like I told you right from the start,

this is a rather brute method.

And of course her subconscious will show a reaction.

Any treatment for psychological conditions

will have certain risks.

It's like undergoing chemotherapy.

Apart from its ability to treat the disease,

it also comes with side effects.

This intervention treatment method is no exception.

-It can also have certain… -Side effects?

That's right.

But the side effects vary, depending on each patient.

Some experience hallucinations.

Some get irritated, become depressed,

or worse display a tendency to become violent.

-And… -This is not okay.

I want to stop the treatment immediately.

I don't want to put her health on the line.

Just to…

satisfy my own needs.

I want to continue with it.

We've already come this far.

Hey! The lady of the house is here.

This single mom is quite a sight for sore eyes!

How about giving me a baby then?

Maybe we can treat your sore eyes once and for all.

Huh? But who's that lady?

Leaving already? Didn't she just arrive?

She's a doctor from Dalat.

There must be something wrong with Vy

for them to summon the doctor like this.

She looks so stressed.

Okay.

I hope we'll see some progress.

I'll give Luu the medication.

I just want to be… a normal woman,

so Luu can feel truly happy.

-Oh, Ray. -It's beautiful!

How do you know how to do this?

It's pretty simple, I learned from the internet.

You have to take care of your kid, as well as learn all this?

Where do you find the time?

Bao is such a good boy.

He's all about eating and playing.

Teaching him is pretty simple.

You're so lucky.

If I hadn't…

then my kid would have been Bao's age by now.

You…

My family worked for Mrs. Hong for so long.

Me, my parents and the shaman are the last remaining people.

We thought about moving away to find some other work,

but then Mr. Luu appeared with his home-stay project.

You're so beautiful,

and you have a great husband and a good kid.

Your life is just perfect.

Nothing is perfect.

Only when we accept that can we find our happiness.

I think Mr. Luu thinks of Bao as his own though.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I hope that you

can forgive my son.

It's our fault for raising him wrong.

Be quiet!

What's done is done!

The important thing right now is finding a solution.

This is a luxury apartment.

Think of it as our sincerity.

We hope it can be of some help for you and Vy.

Let's get rid of the baby.

My mother has given me a decent life.

I will never

rob this baby of its right to live.

He's a living soul, not an object

for you to get rid of at your convenience.

Ms. Vy!

Are you not feeling well?

Did the doctor prescribe you something?

How do you know she was a doctor?

Oh.

I heard Mr. Luu calling her "doctor".

There's also someone who can treat people in the village, you know.

-Who's that? -Master Mo, the shaman.

Apart from his ointments,

he can do lots of other things.

Hello. We just moved here from the city.

This is something I prepared for you.

-Have you visited Mrs. Hong yet? -Pardon?

Oh, I figured it's late, so I shouldn't disturb her.

-I'll visit her tomorrow. -So it's okay to disturb me?

You city folks are strange. Never going where you need to go.

I'm so sorry.

I didn't ask you to leave.

Here, something in return. Take this.

Place it under your bed.

For good luck, and also for harmony between you and your husband.

You can go now.

Don't forget to get the money from Ms. Hiep.

She hasn't paid us for the last 3 months.

Van.

Still have time to work out even with your busy schedule?

Gosh.

Looking good today, huh? No wonder Chinh is so crazy about you.

I really do envy you.

Tell your side dish to shut her damn mouth,

or should I handle her myself?

Just ignore her.

Ignore her?

I'm your wife.

You just gonna let her disrespect me like that?

How's it going, Truc?

With such a capable sister-in-law,

I'm sure you must be feeling great, no?

I'll take care of her later.

Let's go, it's getting late.

You're just gonna feel worse if you stay here.

We don't have a lot of stuff today, I can go by myself.

And Truc has been acting up lately.

You should stay home and look after him.

-But… -I can handle the business.

Chinh, stay and look after your brother.

You're of no use to her anyway.

If you knew anything about business we wouldn't have to live like this.

Hello, Mr. Chinh.

Truc.

I want to say hi to Mrs. Hong.

You can stare all you want,

I'll never be as pretty as you, Ms. Vy.

You're too kind.

Oh, this is something I prepared for you.

You're a sensible one.

Why only candy?

Shouldn't there be at least a bottle of wine?

I guess I didn't think it through.

I'm still getting to know everyone.

I'll keep this in mind when I go back to the city.

A rich husband. A good kid. You're also pretty.

You must be so happy, huh?

There's plenty of land here.

You can tell your husband to lease any piece he wants.

As long as…

he pays me on time.

Yes, of course.

I'll tell him when I get back.

I'll be on my way now. I don't want to take up your time.

Wait.

Are you from around here?

I'm from Dalat.

Is there something wrong?

It's nothing.

You just look familiar…

Like I've seen you somewhere before.

Oh.

Ray.

It's best that you stop harassing us. Van hasn't forgotten yet.

Just leave her alone.

I was joking, why so serious?

Joking?

Is our marriage a joke to you?

You're such a man today, huh?

Why didn't you stand up for me before?

'Cause the first wife didn't give you permission?

It's either your mom or your wife.

Any woman can just step all over you, huh?

-Shut your mouth! -Make me!

What can a wimp like you do to me?

How dare you hit Ray?

Suong.

Stop it! Didn't you hear me?

Stop it!

I'm sorry. He's a hot-tempered one.

-You… -Hey!

Stop it, go inside!

Go inside!

I'll kill you if I see you hanging around her again!

Go on!

What got into you this morning?

Chinh hit Ray.

Why did you stop me?

I should have killed him.

Tone it down, will you?

Chinh is technically the land owner.

Make peace with him tomorrow. Don't ruin my business.

You followed me because you were tired of your thug life.

Remember, learn self-control if you want to make it big.

And I thought you were just having fun with her?

Who would've thought you'd forgot your way home.

Bro, Ray is different.

She's not like other chicks.

Haven't you heard the saying,

"Even a bona fide whore…

leaves room to find a husband."

I didn't know you were a man-whore.

I meant,

us men, no matter how much we love to go out and get wasted,

should still come home for dinner.

You think you look good enough

to walk the streets and make a living?

DU PARC HOTEL DALAT

Bro.

If you want to have some fun, I know a good massage parlor.

Hello?

You two go to bed early, don't wait up.

I have to meet some clients from Sweden on short notice.

Don't drink too much.

It's foggy around the mountains.

The cold wind might get to you if you're too drunk.

This is a big client, so I really have to take care of them.

Otherwise, I'd never wanna leave you two alone out there.

Whatever, you're just fine without us.

It's late.

You're feeling guilty now that we're done right?

-I… -"This is just temporary."

"Please be patient." Is that what you're going to say?

Be patient as I watch you waltz around with her every day?

Just seeing you two together

I can already imagine all kinds of things you do to her.

How long do you expect me to wait?

It's late. Don't make your fiancé wait up for you.

To wrap up our Midnight Talk today,

here's a story from a listener in Lam Ha.

I've been married for more than ten years and we're so happy.

But I'm like Duan Yu in 'Semi-Gods and Semi-Devils'.

I just can't control my feelings towards other women.

I love my wife and I do feel guilty about it,

but that's just who I am.

The heart and brain never listen to each other.

Bullshit!

Every single man needs a woman to warm his bed.

And the more women, the better.

Basic instincts to maintain the blood line.

The difference between a honorable man and a coward

is whether or not he covers his tracks!

Can you cut the bullshit?

Huh? Did I say something wrong?

Did you take my car out to pick up girls? Why are you so excited?

No, I'm just trying to stay awake with all this driving.

Don't you dare have fun in my car.

I'm afraid you'll remember to wipe yourself,

but forget to clean up my car.

Don't worry!

I wash your car pretty often.

Inside and out, meticulously.

Who's there?

INSPIRED BY THE NOVEL SCARLET HILL BY THE AUTHOR DI LI