A week had passed since that night. Ngoc Vy had said she would let go, but her heart hadn't yet learned how to be decisive. Each day, she still wandered in a daze, still remembered, still felt weak.
The evening sun began to fade, blending with the purplish hues of twilight, carrying a gentle melancholy.
Ngoc Vy leaned against a corner of the window, her eyes vacant as she watched the bustling crowd on the street. Every time she caught a glimpse of that familiar figure passing by, her heart suddenly ached.
Nguyen Du's words were truly right: "Where the heart is sad, can the scene be joyful?"
Her heart, like the scenery, quietly drowned in silent sorrow.
She reached for her phone, scrolling quietly through each page, looking at the pictures of the two of them again.
She had clearly decided to let go, so why did she feel so lost and heavy now?
Why couldn't she go back to who she used to be?
Strong, cold, and ready to leave behind what she didn't need, that was the real her.
After a while, her finger paused, and her deep eyes suddenly sparkled with a glimmer.
Professor Luong... was he joining in on this ridiculous game too?
Could she have really seen it wrong?
The newest messages.
Anonymous: "I'm a student from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. I've heard about you for a long time, but I didn't expect that behind your calm exterior, you'd be such a playful person online. Finally, I want to ask, are you secretly fond of or have a crush on someone?"
Phan Thanh Luong: "Thank you. You could say I do have a crush... though sometimes my feelings aren't very clear."
Ngoc Vy stared blankly at the words "have a crush", dazed for a long moment before her blood finally started rushing to her brain.
Who?! Who could make the godly figure of University A go all flustered like that?
Even a perfect person could have a crush?
Unbelievable!!!
Professor Luong just had to say one sentence, and who wouldn't be utterly shocked?
Curious, she scrolled further and found another exchange.
Anonymous: "If I want to confess to you, what kind of trick should I use?"
Phan Thanh Luong: "Confessing with tricks won't work... if you want to succeed, you need a strategy! The strategy is as follows: Close your eyes, think of me, hold your breath for ten minutes, and I wish you success!"
Her head accidentally bumped into the window frame, and she burst out laughing.
Total shock!!! O.O
She thought Professor Luong was just advising not to use "tricks," but he went further and listed that terrifying "strategy."
But... ten minutes of holding your breath? That's far too long, way too early! LOL.
Ngoc Vy held her stomach and continued reading. Each question on Ask was a mix of tragedy and comedy, utterly entertaining, hilarious, and perfect for lifting her current mood.
Another cute confession message.
Poor girl... how could Professor Luong be so merciless to someone else's daughter?
Anonymous: "Sir!!! I love you."
Phan Thanh Luong: "Oh!!! Are you a boy or a girl?"
Just a short sentence, so brief, yet its sting is enormous, how is any girl supposed to hold her head up after that?
Ngoc Vy shook her head, pretending to sympathize.
"Poor thing!"
Ping!
The phone lit up with a new message, and her tiny heart flinched as if caught red-handed. Her hand trembled as she tapped the inbox.
"Scored points!"
She placed her hand on her chest, taking deep, chaotic breaths. Before she could fully process, another message came:
"Full points, impressive!"
She stared at the message, stunned.
WHAT!!! O.O
How could this be!
"Are you joking again, sir?"
"Hmm... Let's recheck the score, okay? Unbelievable!"
Ngoc Vy splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up.
No way!!!
"I know my own ability, sir."
"So, how many points do you think you'll get?"
Honestly, she thought maybe around seven points, but saying that out loud sounded a bit arrogant. Her presentation hadn't gone perfectly—it might have lost some points here and there. Better to lower expectations first.
"Maybe... at least... maybe just over average." – she said carefully.
"Are you sure?"
"Uh... yeah."
"Actually, it was 88, but since you said that, I'd better double-check, just to be fair."
Before Ngoc Vy could even feel happy about her better-than-expected score, he completely crushed her hope.
"60 it is! Congratulations, you guessed right!"
"..."
"Good thing you said that, otherwise I might've graded it wrong. If it wasn't what you expected, I'd have felt terribly guilty. I'm such a thoughtful teacher, don't you think?"
This time, it wasn't subconscious anymore, she really wanted to bang her head against the wall.
Ugh... Ugh... Ugh!!!
How could she be so naïve, so foolish?! All her hard work, gone just like that!
Ngoc Vy gritted her teeth, forcing the words out slowly and clearly:
"Yes, professor, you're so 'kind'!"
She knew very well that someone like Professor Luong would never really punish a student over a few jokes. Yet somehow, in every message, she felt cared for in the gentlest way possible.
Sometimes, a message doesn't move you because of its content, but because of who sends it, and the way they make you feel truly listened to.
"Alright! The assignment's out, got it! Seeing my students worried and nervous actually makes me happy." – he wrote.
Her frustration rose higher and higher, and suddenly, Phuong Uyen's words flashed through her fragile mind. Back then, she probably didn't understand, but now she did.
"Suddenly, hearing you say that I get why other students call you Luong ** now!" – she sent with a mischievous smiley face.
"What do you mean?"
Without waiting for her reply, he shot back:
"What are you trying to troll me about? Just say it!"
"I can't tell. LOL. You guess!" – she replied, grinning slyly, feeling she had the upper hand.
"I can't guess! Just tell me."
"No!"
"No telling, I'll deduct points."
Ack! How did it flip on her like that?
She had thought only characters in big-boss romance stories would use their salary to intimidate the heroine. Who knew a professor could use grades to bully a student too? It was so unfair!
Hic. She shouldn't have played with fire.
Biting her lip, she reluctantly offered the most "acceptable" answer she could.
"It means Phan Thanh Luong!"
"That's not an explanation!"
Uh-oh! Was he getting annoyed?
"Lie and I'll double the points deduction."
"I'm telling the truth, and you don't believe me. So sad."
"You don't believe me? Are you telling the truth now?"
"Can I tell the truth safely? You can't be angry, can't deduct points, can't give me zero."
"Okay. Speak!"
Ngoc Vy hesitated, debating with herself for a long moment. Should she really say it? She figured this should be safe enough!
"Actually... '**' means 'pervert'." – she typed, feeling a little nervous.
"Ack, I knew it!"
"Actually, I knew you'd figure it out too, just that you didn't believe the truth. LOL."
"Okay. Clear. I'm not angry, won't deduct points, but I won't talk to you anymore."
Somehow... even though he was the same person, when they texted, Professor Luong felt strangely closer.
Maybe during the day, he was the serious, disciplined teacher everyone knew. But at night, behind that mask of responsibility, he became someone who could joke around, someone gentle, teasing, as if he were quietly listening to the sound of someone's heart beating fast.
Cough!
Her lips curved into a smile before she realized it.
Oh my god, how could Professor Luong be this adorable?
So childish!
She chuckled to herself, warmth blooming in her chest. The image of Professor Luong in her mind was no longer cold or distant.
"I was just joking! You're actually kind and handsome, no one would really say that."
"You just did." – he replied.
OMG! Did he really take that to heart? Uh-oh, this might be trouble!
"I'm sorry!!!" – she hurriedly texted back, panicking.
She couldn't lose such an interesting friend.
"After hearing that, I suddenly feel like being the bad guy for once." – Professor Luong wrote.
"Nooo, don't! The bad guy role doesn't suit you at all!" – she typed quickly.
After a short pause, he sent a single smiling emoji and then nothing.
Her heart instantly grew restless. She kept pacing back and forth, anxious the entire evening.
Could he really be upset because of what she said?
Oh, Ngoc Vy, what have you done?! You just burned down your own house! ~>.<~
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