Chapter 2 — Don't Run Anymore, Hua Tri Hoa

The ends of his eyebrows drooped. I hugged my diploma tightly: "I don't ride in a strange man's car." Luong Nghien Chu was so angry that he laughed.

“Strange man?”

He raised his phone again, scrolling to another screenshot. 「On Le, are you sleeping yet?」 Below is my answer. 「Not yet, waiting for you to soothe me to sleep.」 My scalp was numb, I quickly reached out to cover his screen: “Stop reading!” He turned the phone face down and leisurely looked at me.

“Is it strange?”

Tran Mat covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling. I gritted my teeth and glared at him. He immediately straightened his back, trying to hold back his laughter. Luong Nghien Chu turned around and walked towards the car.

“It's okay if you don't get on the bus, so explain right at the school gate.”

I immediately chased after him. Tran Mat pulled my hand back: "I'll go with you." Luong Nghien Chu stopped walking and did not turn back.

“Okay.”

I was stunned. His face was cast by the sunlight into sharp lines, his tone was calm.

“I did not do anything illegal, nor did I bully children who had just graduated.”

The two words "childish" made my cheeks hot, I clutched my diploma and followed. The black car door opened, cold air rushed out, bringing with it the smell of leather and light wood. When I sat in, my knee hit the car door, it hurt so much that I took a deep breath. Luong Nghien Chu sat opposite me, his long legs crossed, the phone resting on his knee. The car door is closed, the noise outside is completely blocked. He raised his eyes.

“Say, Ms. On Le, nineteen years old, lives in the city center, likes to see exhibitions, jewelry dealer.”

I closed my eyes. Tran Mat sat next to him and said softly: "Hua Tri Hoa, now confess honestly." My throat was as dry as smoke.

"My name is Hua Tri Hoa, seventeen years old, just graduated today, my family is in Thanh Ngo town, my family opened a small noodle shop, my mother is in poor health, my father drives long distances."

Luong Nghien Chu's fingertips lightly tapped the edge of the phone. One, two. The car was so quiet that only the sound of the air conditioner could be heard. He raised his eyes.

“What about photos?”

My lips moved: “Photo on the internet.”

“Age?”

“Fake.”

“Address?”

“Make it up.”

“What if you say you like me?”

My throat felt like it was being squeezed by a hand. Even Tran Mat held his breath. Luong Nghien Chu looked at me, his eyes even darker than before. I clutched the hem of my dress, my knuckles turning white.

“At that time the pressure was too great, chatting was just about finding a place to breathe a little.”

He leaned back, his throat rolling.

“So I'm just a tool for you to breathe?”

This sentence hit me so hard that I couldn't lift my head. I wanted to refute, but there was a bitter taste in my mouth. During those late nights holding the phone, it's not like I never waited for his message. He asked if I was tired today, my mouth acted coy, but my hand was still pressing on the stack of Math exam questions. He sent me a night scene of the Huangpu River. I collapsed on the window sill of a rented house in a small town, looking at the streetlight downstairs that was half broken. He asked if he wanted to meet, I stared at that sentence for ten minutes, and finally deleted my account. Luong Nghien Chu suddenly placed a paper bag in front of me. I was stunned. On the paper bag was printed the logo of a famous pastry shop in Shanghai. He said coldly: "You said you wanted to eat cake chestnut ice cream from this shop.” My fingers curled up. Tran Mat's eyes looking at me changed completely, as if he wanted to say: *You still dare to say you don't cheat.* I don't accept it. Luong Nghien Chu put the paper bag on my lap.

“Don't worry, it's not poisonous.”

I said softly: "I don't need it." He stared at me.

"Hua Tri Hoa, when you deleted me you were so decisive, now you don't even dare to accept the cake?"

I raised my head and met his eyes.