Chapter 7 — Return to Eighteen

I closed my eyes, my voice was firm: "I won't give in, being valedictorian is naturally my life, no one can change it!" I turned around and pulled the door open to leave. But Mr. Uc's father rushed up and grabbed my arm, angrily shouting. "What if you become a natural valedictorian? I have the means to make you unable to study in the North!" I was about to struggle, when I heard three people in uniforms coming in the hallway. The leader held up his business card, his voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "Excuse me, who is Uc Nhue Ninh? We came to investigate the anonymous petition denouncing the case of replacing her university entrance exam results." The moment that sound fell, I felt the whole world went quiet. I looked at the policemen in front of me, my heart, which had been hanging in my chest, finally relaxed. The denunciation was successful. I stood at the door, my voice calm: "It's me." An employee of the Department of Education stepped in: "We received an anonymous complaint. Uc Kien Quoc and Lam Tu Cuc were suspected of faking university entrance exams and impersonating someone else's achievements. We request your cooperation in the investigation." Uc Kien Quoc's face forced a smile, he reached out to pull the employee. "Comrade, it's just a misunderstanding, this is my biological daughter, there is no way to impersonate a replacement?" "Nhue Ninh, please explain clearly to people." I said coldly: "There is no misunderstanding at all, the person I am reporting is you and your grandparents." The air in the living room seemed to be drained. Uc Kien Quoc's face turned from white to purple, his finger pointing at me trembled: "You're crazy!" Lam Tu Cuc's shrill scream seemed to want to rip the roof off: "Uc Nhue Ninh! White-eyed wolf!" The Department of Education employee opened the briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents. "In the first stage, we received video evidence sent by the accuser." He turned the tablet around, the screen facing Australia Kien Quoc and Lam Tu Cuc. In the video, Uc Kien Quoc and Lam Tu Cuc entered the room, searched for the application form, their voices rang out clearly. The living room was so quiet that only the sound of the video playing remained. Uc Nhue Dao's cries were choked in her throat, staring blankly at the screen. Au Kien Quoc suddenly rushed forward and tried to steal the tablet: "This is secretly filming! Illegal!" The police caught him: "Be honest!" Lam Tu Cuc sat down on the ground, his lips trembling but he still kept his mouth shut: "I didn't... that was just a joke..." I stood to the side, looking at the panicked appearance of this couple, feeling only relief. Uc Nhue Dao suddenly turned around and ran into the bedroom, faintly heard the sound of a phone call. Uc Kien Quoc was pressed down on the sofa and still struggling: "I'm his father! What if I fill in his wishes?" The Department of Education staff coldly said: "The suspected act of impersonating a substitute violates criminal law, and is not a family matter." Another policeman pulled Lam Tu Cuc up from the ground, handcuffed and locked. Lam Tu Cuc walked past me with his armpits up, spitting on my shoe: "You bastard! You're as despicable as your short-lived mother!" The Department of Education staff told me: "Uc Nhue Ninh, I need you to cooperate in taking your testimony later." I nodded: “Yes.” Uc Nhue Dao suddenly rushed up, pulled my sleeve, sobbed and choked: "Sister! You can't do that! Your parents are about to be taken away! Tell them to withdraw the lawsuit!" I lowered my head to look at this little sister, removing her fingers one by one. "It's impossible." As soon as I finished speaking, I heard the sound of rapid footsteps in the hallway. Lac Tu Hanh rushed in, sweat dripping from his forehead, his shirt buttons were askew, his chest was heaving violently. Obviously he rushed over. He glanced

Seeing the deserted living room and Au Kien Quoc and Lam Tu Cuc being escorted to the elevator, his face suddenly changed and turned to me. "I just received a phone call from Nhue Dao saying you called the police? What's going on?" I calmly looked at him: "As you see." Lac Tu Hanh grabbed my shoulder, his voice urgent and hoarse: "How can you report your parents to the police? Your parents are about to go to jail!" He squeezed me in pain, frowned and pulled away: "It's what they did to themselves!" Lac Tu Hanh stared at me in disbelief: "Uc Nhue Ninh, when did you become so cold-blooded? Those are the parents who raised you for eighteen years!" I looked at his angry and sad face and suddenly burst out laughing. Cold-blooded? When they switched my status as valedictorian and wanted to ruin my whole life, why didn't they say they were cold-blooded? Uc Nhue Dao rushed forward crying, grabbed Lac Tu Hanh's shirt: "Brother Tu Hanh, please advise me to go, she refuses to withdraw the lawsuit, what should my parents do..." Lac Tu Hanh looked at Australia Nhue Dao wet with tears, gritted her teeth, lowered her voice softly. "Nhue Ninh, you go and withdraw the lawsuit. I will marry you, I promise to treat you well for the rest of my life, better than anyone." I stared at his face, as if I was looking at him. a stranger. In his eyes, my marriage is only worth a withdrawal of the lawsuit.