Chapter 4 — Reliving Before the University Exam, I Tear Up the Conspiracy to Steal Direct Admissions

I take it. The phone vibrates again. Hua Niem Niem message:

"My mother is hot-tempered, don't take it to heart."

"Tomorrow the school will check the exam room information again. It's best for you to go home."

"If you don't come back, if something happens, don't blame others."

I stared at the text message, slowly typing a reply.

"My information, I will check it myself."

But before sending... I erased it. I don't need to let her know that... This time, I will never leave my fate in their mother and child's hands again. Early the next morning. In front of the inn appeared a man wearing a gray shirt. Ms. Luong knocked on my door.

"There's someone downstairs looking for me, saying it's my cousin."

I opened the door and looked down. That man... I once met. In his previous life, when the wave of cyber violence was at its peak, he held his phone and stood in front of the hospital gate, asking me why I hurt others and missed the university entrance exam. He is not my relative. It was a local reporter named La Thanh, hired by Hua's mother. I told Ms. Luong:

"I don't have a cousin."

Ms. Luong immediately understood, turned around and went downstairs. And I stood in the corner of the second floor hallway, silently turning on the recording function. La Thanh hit the reception desk.

"I'm from his family. A student about to take the university entrance exam ran away from home, do you guys still dare to accommodate him?"

Ms. Luong replied calmly while wiping the counter:

"If you are a family member, where is your household registration book?"

La Thanh was speechless.

"I left in a hurry so I didn't bring it."

"Then call the police."

Ms. Luong immediately picked up the landline phone.

"Let the police come and confirm whether they are indeed relatives."

La Thanh immediately lowered his voice.

"Boss, don't meddle in other people's business. I know she's here, just tell me her room number. I'll do a few interviews and then leave."

Ms. Luong waved the towel and wiped it.

"Huh? Didn't you say you were their uncle?"

The guests sitting next to them drinking soy milk immediately burst into laughter. La Thanh's face darkened. He turned around and called.

"Sister Hua, she refuses to come out."

"Yes, the boss blocked me."

"Or I should post it online and tell her to hide and not dare to meet anyone."

I saved the entire video. Half an hour later. A post appeared on the local forum.

"The female student who was directly admitted was suspected of being jealous of her classmates, stealing exam preparation materials and then going missing before the exam."

The attached photo is my student ID photo. The name is half hidden. But just that was enough for the whole class to notice. The class chat group exploded again.

"To Duong, is the person in this article you?"

"It's a big deal, you should speak up quickly."

"There's no smoke without fire? Why don't people talk about someone else but you?"

Khuong Tuyet immediately sent more than a dozen messages.

"Who posted that? If you're good, show proof!"

"If there is no evidence, making things up is slander!"

At that moment, Hua Niem Niem spoke up in the group.

"Everyone, don't scold To Duong."

"I believe he didn't mean it."

"Maybe he's been under a lot of pressure lately."

That sentence... It's even more toxic than cursing me to my face.

"Not on purpose."

It means tacitly admitting... The item was indeed taken by me. I sent the video of La Thanh pretending to be a relative at the boarding house to Khuong Tuyet.

"Don't post yet."

"Wait for them to take another step."

Khuong Tuyet answered immediately.

"Are you still waiting? I'm about to die already."

I texted back.

"They are trying to force me to go back to school."

Khuong Tuyet was silent for a long time. After a while, he asked:

"You... predicted this would happen, right?"

I don't answer. Teacher Chu called again.

"To Duong, have you seen the article online?"

"The school is under great pressure."

"Go back and explain everything clearly."

"I already said it."

"I don't take it."

Master Chu sighed.

"I believe in you."

"But others don't."

"Nien Niem's mother cried loudly in the principal's office, saying that she bullied her and her daughter to make them lonely."

"The principal also wants you to come back."

"How close are you and your mother?"

I asked again.

"Isn't Hua Niem Niem's father opening a store somewhere else?"

Teacher Chu's voice stopped.

"It's their family's private matter, don't talk nonsense."

I laughed.

"Teacher told me to go back..."

"It's to clarify the truth."

"Or should I bow my head and apologize right in front of them, then put this matter down?"

On the other end of the line... Complete silence. I continued:

"If the school believes that I have affected the school's reputation, please send an official written notice."

"There is a document, I will take it with me and return."

Master Chu was angry.

"To Duong, why have you become so sharp?"

"I was very understanding before."

I calmly replied:

"I understood before."

"So anyone can force me to take a step back."

Having finished speaking, I hung up the phone. Outside the door, Ms. Luong's voice was heard.

"Tieu To, that reporter hasn't left yet."

"He's waiting at the entrance of the alley."

I walked to the window.