Chapter 1 — Reborn From A Call

On the last day before the study abroad application deadline, I was preparing to give up my admission offer and full scholarship. But at that moment, I suddenly received a call from my future self: "Don't give up, click to confirm admission, right now!" "Lam Chau was directly recruited as a PhD student three months ago. He wants you to stay because To Uyen needs your help with his graduation project, and he needs your monthly living expenses." "The second week after you give up the invitation, they will make their love affair public." "The best friend To Uyen you always trust." I thought he had betrayed her a long time ago and even went to bed with him." I was stunned, my fingertips stopped in mid-air. The voice continued, speaking faster and faster: "Listen carefully, after confirming the invitation, use the remaining twenty thousand yuan in your account to buy Thinh Nguyen fund, which will be listed in March of next year, increasing eight times a year." "Going abroad, before the end of the first semester, apply to the instructor's AI laboratory. Two years later, that project will be acquired by Google, you are a core member so you can receive shares. shares." "I'm twenty-two years old, I beg you, don't delay yourself any longer for anyone else." The voice suddenly stopped. I took a deep breath, moved the cursor to the “enrollment confirmation” button. The moment the left mouse button was pressed down, I made up my mind. I will never bury my future again because of unworthy people. … The moment the mouse was pressed down, my whole body seemed to be drained of strength, leaning limply against the back of the chair. A confirmation window appeared on the screen. “Congratulations, you have confirmed your admission offer with a full scholarship to the University of Edinburgh.” I stared at that text for three minutes. The phone screen lit up, it was a message from Lam Chau. "Baby, have you paid this month's rent yet?" "Your card is out of money, I'll transfer you three thousand yuan to help first." There was also a coy expression behind it. If it were me before, seeing this message would not say a word and immediately open the transfer interface. The money I earn every month from being a part-time tutor, half is used to pay his rent, half is used to buy him clothes, and invite him to dinner. I used to think we were lovers striving together. I thought the pressure of his PhD exam was too great and needed me to support him. But my future self told me. He was directly recruited as a PhD student three months ago. He is not short of money. What he lacks is a fool willing to spend money on him. I marked the message as read, did not reply. Turning to open the investment fund app, I set a periodic reminder for the last twenty-one thousand yuan remaining on the card. Wait until March next year, when Thinh Nguyen fund is listed, I will put it all in at once. The phone vibrates. Lam Chau sent a voice message, forty seconds long. I pressed open, his voice was lazy, with a familiar matter-of-fact look: "Why didn't you reply to the message? Are you taking a dip in the library again?" "Don't be too tired, I made a reservation for the evening, took you out to eat well, I'll help you advance the money." I turned off the voice message, curled my lips. It's great, even inviting me to dinner requires me to pay for it myself. I typed two words and sent it over. "Not available." Ten seconds later, the call came. "Khuong Hu, what are you planning?" Lam Chau said with a smile, his tone still gentle. "I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately, don't think about studying abroad anymore. We've already said that you'll stay and take the PhD exam, next year we'll take the exam together." "Yes, I know." I interrupted him, my voice calm.

no ripples. He paused for a moment, obviously not expecting me to be so decisive, hesitantly said: "Then the money..." "Let's leave it later." I hung up the phone. Not without moving. But it will never move again. Less than twenty minutes later, To Uyen's message popped up. "Hu Hu, my graduation project model is not working, can you help me take a look?" "Just a small piece of code, very fast! I'm begging you!" Behind is a series of crying expressions and clasped hands. I stared at the screen, remembering what my future self said. "To Uyen needs you to help her with her graduation project." Not help looking at a piece of code. But the entire graduation project, from introduction to defense, was borne by me on her behalf. As for her free time, she uses it to sleep with my boyfriend. I took a deep breath, typed: "I've been so busy lately, go ask the instructor." The other side was silent for a long time, and finally answered "okay", without any expression behind. I know she's not happy. But the more I knew, the reason she was unhappy was not because I didn't help. It's that she's afraid that her graduation project won't be finished, she won't be able to graduate on time, and she won't be able to smoothly become a couple with Lam Chau. I placed my phone face down on the table and opened the University of Edinburgh's subject selection guide. AI Lab, first semester can already apply. Two years later it will be acquired by Google. My life, starting from this moment, is lived only for myself. 2 The third day after I rejected To Uyen, she suddenly asked me out to eat. The location was a Japanese restaurant on the street behind the school, the old place where we ate from first year to fourth year. When I arrived, To Uyen was already sitting on the sofa, with delicate makeup, smiling and waving at me. "Hu Hu! This side, this side!" I sat down, she immediately pushed the menu over, strangely enthusiastic. "I invite you today, you can order whatever you want." I raised my eyebrows, said nothing, conveniently ordered two dishes. Chatting for five minutes, she finally got straight to the point. "Hu Hu, I really can't do that graduation project." She put down her chopsticks, her eyes slightly red. "You know my programming background is poor, the instructor urged me urgently, if I delay my graduation, my mother will kill me." She reached out and grabbed my wrist, with just the right amount of force, showing both friendliness and pleading. "Help me one more time." Just this last, okay?” “Wait until graduation and then I'll treat you to a big meal, really.” I looked into her eyes. In those eyes there was weakness, ingratitude, and even a ray of certainty that was hard to detect. She was sure I would agree. Because I never refused her. From the first year, I helped her reserve a place, helped her write lab reports, helped her edit her thesis, and until the fourth year, she took care of her graduation project. I am her easiest tool to use. "To Uyen." I withdrew my hand, my voice very calm. "I really don't have time." The smile on her face stiffened. "What have you been busy with recently?" "Preparing some things of my own." Her eyes flashed, as if judging the meaning of my words. Then he quickly regained his weak appearance, smiled and said: "Okay, then I'll think of another way." After eating, we all went our separate ways. When I reached the turn, out of the corner of my eye I saw her take out her phone and quickly make a call. She turned her back to me, her voice was very low, but the night wind still carried a few words. "She's not doing very well lately... won't help me anymore... what should I do?" I didn't turn around, nor did my footsteps stop. No need to guess to know who is on the other end of the line. Sure enough, that night Lam Chau texted, his tone ten times gentler than usual. "Baby, have you been unhappy lately? I'm sorry for the weekend."

Will you go for a walk with me?" "That's right, To Uyen said her graduation project is having difficulty. If you're free, help her check it out, it's just a convenient thing." I stared at the four words "convenient things", almost laughing out loud. For an entire graduation project, he called it a convenient matter. As expected, things that don't take up your effort are especially light to say. I answered with one word: "Busy." He replied immediately: “What are you busy with? Didn't you say you wouldn't study abroad anymore? The graduate student exam is still early.” I don't answer anymore. He sent three messages in a row, his tone changing from gentle to impatient: "Khuong Hu?" "What's your attitude?" "I'm talking to you nicely, can you stop being so strangely sarcastic?" I switched the phone to silent mode, turned on the computer, and continued to study the application documents to Edinburgh's AI laboratory. The supervisor is a professor of Chinese origin, whose research direction is natural language processing. My future self is not wrong. Two years later, this laboratory will be noticed by Google. What I need to do is get in there before the first semester ends. What about Lam Chau and To Uyen? Just let them help each other. 3Friday night, my roommate pulled me to attend the graduation gathering. "Go, this is the last time of college, if you don't go, you won't be able to see me in the future!" At first I wanted to refuse, but thought better of it. Well, consider it a goodbye. The gathering at the KTV shop next to the school, a large room, had more than twenty people. When I arrived, Lam Chau and To Uyen were already sitting together. There was one person between them, looking very normal. But I noticed that To Uyen's elbow would occasionally touch Lam Chau's arm, and Lam Chau's body would unconsciously lean towards her. I used to pretend I didn't see these details. Looking back now, there were loopholes everywhere. Someone suggested playing truth or dare. The wine bottle rotated, the atmosphere became hotter and hotter. The third round, the mouth of the bottle pointed at To Uyen. "Truth or dare?" "Challenge!" To Uyen said with a laugh. The person giving the challenge had already drunk a lot, his voice was so loud that the whole room could hear: "Challenge, hug the person you like the most right now!" The cheers echoed in the room. Su Uyen blushed, she hesitated for two seconds, then stood up and walked towards Lam Chau. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, leaning her whole body up, her voice so petulant that it could water: "Damn it, it's all because of you guys who are teasing me." At first the room was stunned, then there was a huge cheer. "Oh my god! To Uyen and Lam Chau?” “Really or fake! Since when?” “Fuck, what about Khuong Hu? Isn't Khuong Hu Lam Chau's girlfriend?" All eyes looked at me at the same time. Lam Chau's face turned pale. He suddenly pushed To Uyen away, instinctively looked at me, his lips moved: "Hu Hu, it's not what you think." To Uyen staggered back a step, her eyes immediately turned red, standing there frantically. "Sorry, I, I drank too much." I looked at this scene, in a daze. My chest swelled with an indescribable feeling. Even though I had known the truth for a long time, the moment I saw it with my own eyes still made me feel disgusted. I had spent the best four years with this person, in return for being humiliated in front of everyone. I suddenly stood up and took my coat. "Khuong Hu!" Lam Chau rushed forward and held my wrist, "Listen to my explanation!" I pushed his hand away, the force was so strong that even I was surprised. "Don't touch me." My voice trembled, not because of pain, but because of anger.