Chapter 7 — Don't Run Anymore, Hua Tri Hoa

Luong Nghien Chu stood outside the door, not interrupting and saying a word, just holding his phone to take notes as the doctor gave instructions on how to use the medicine. On the way back to Thanh Ngo, my mother fell asleep. My father also leaned his head against the car window and nodded. In the car, there were only the sounds of the map directions and the sound of tires rolling on the road surface. I watched the shadow of the tree retreat quickly outside the window and softly said, "Thank you." Luong Nghien Chu held the steering wheel, not looking at me.

“Is this also true?”

I pursed my lips: “Yes.” He laughed, a very short laugh.

"Hua Tri Hoa, you're really hard to coax."

I was about to refute when my phone suddenly popped up with a notification from the class chat group. Someone sent a photo. It was the day of the graduation ceremony, I stood next to Luong Nghien Chu's car, he bowed his head and grabbed my wrist, the angle of the photo was shady, the logo of the super luxury car was blinding. Below, someone immediately joined in.

"Didn't Hua Tri Hoa tell you to open a noodle shop? How did you know this type of person?"

“Just finished the university entrance exam and got into a luxury car, my studies are also amazing.”

“No wonder why you usually act so noble.”

Blood rushed straight to my brain, my fingers stiffened on the screen. Luong Nghien Chu recognized my face and pulled the car to the rest stop.

“What's wrong?”

I was going to lock the screen, but you saw it. He reached for his phone, and the more he read down, the colder his expression became. Tran Mat cursed directly in the group.

"If you have free time, go lick the toilet. When Hua Tri Hoa was ranked first in the school, what were you guys doing? When copying his notebooks, why didn't you criticize him for being noble?"

Someone responded: "What's the hurry? We didn't photoshop the pictures of luxury cars." Tran Mat: "Your mother standing next to the luxury car must be the car's owner's wife? Even if you stand next to the trash can, I don't see you successfully classifying trash." Originally I was shaking with anger, but when I read this sentence I almost burst out laughing. Halfway through I felt a sting in my nose. Luong Nghien Chu returned the phone to me.

“Who sent the first photo?”

I stared at the avatar.

“Trinh Nhuy, my classmate, normally likes to gossip.”

Luong Nghien Chu removed his seat belt. I quickly grabbed his hand: "What are you going to do?"

“Make her delete it.”

“Don't go.”

He turned to look at me, his eyes sharp. I grabbed his sleeve tightly: "If you come out, things will only get harder to hear." He was silent for a few seconds, then sat back in his old position.

“So how are you going to handle it?”

I bowed my head and typed. I took a screenshot of the group chat rules and sent them up, sent another photo of me and Tran Mat together, and finally typed a line:

"The person in the photo is a friend I know. Regarding speculations related to luxury cars and private life, whoever continues to send it, I will save the evidence and report directly to the school and parents."

The chat group was silent for a few seconds. Trinh Nhuy sent a smiley face.

“Can't stand even a little joke.”

My fingertips type very strongly.

“You can use your own college aspirations as a joke, don't use my reputation as a joke.”

Tran Mat immediately spammed the screen.

“Good!”

“Hua Tri Hoa peak!”

A few normal classmates who borrowed my notebooks also stood up and spoke up. Trinh Nhuy did not say another word. I put down the phone, my hands were still shaking. Luong Nghien Chu looked at me, his voice lowered a bit little.

“Why didn't you let me show up earlier?”

I leaned back in the chair, my throat was hoarse.

“Because I am no one's dependent.”

His fingers stopped on the steering wheel. I turned my head to look at him.

“Luong Nghien Chu, I can owe you your favor, I can pay you, but I can't let others feel that I have to rely on you to dare open my mouth to talk.”

Outside the window, a truck rumbled past, rolling sand and dust into the window. Luong Nghien Chu looked at me for a long time.

“Hua Tri Hoa.”