Chapter 4 — The First Foundation Stone

The only trustworthy thing in this world is a real estate certificate with your name written on it. Even parents are not necessarily trustworthy. At the end of the week, Co Ngon invited me to the school's computer room to test out material for the next video. There were only two of us in the computer room. He stood next to me and watched me edit, occasionally giving opinions. "This transition is a bit stiff." "Adding slow motion here would have been more emotional." His aesthetics are really not bad. Halfway up, he suddenly asked: "You've been a bit distracted lately, haven't you?" My hand stopped. "No." "I've never lost my mind while editing a video before. Today the cursor has stopped in the same position for more than ten seconds."This person's ability to observe really makes others uncomfortable. I turned my head to look at him. "Can you see everything?" He leaned against the back of the chair. "Not everything you can see, just... pay a little more attention to me." The atmosphere was silent for two seconds. "What does this mean?" I asked. He smiled a little. "It's literal." I turned back to look at the screen. "It's just that something happened at home recently, it doesn't affect work." "If you need help, you can say so." "No need." "Okay." He didn't ask anymore. I continued to build, he quietly watched from the side. This way of living together makes me feel comfortable: no coercion, no curiosity, no boundary crossing. But I know I can't think too much. At the age of seventeen, there is no one who can become my support. Even sympathy. It was five o'clock in the afternoon when I finished making the video. Exit the computer room and meet Tien Tu Tu in the hallway. I don't know why she was still at school on the weekend. When she saw Co Ngon and I going out together, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Senior Co?" Co Ngon nodded once. "Still busy on the weekend?" Tien Tu Tu walked over with a bright smile and glanced at me. "Student council business." Co Ngon's voice was calm. "Do you need help? I'm also a member of the student council." "No need, it's done." He finished speaking and looked at me. "Let's go, I'll take you home." Tien Tu Tu's smile froze on his face. I shook my head: "No need to send me, I'll go home myself." Don't leave a chance for anyone to take advantage of you. But looking at Tien Tu Tu's expression, it was already too late. The following Monday, new rumors began to spread: To Van was dating senior Co Ngon. Rumors spread very quickly. On Tuesday, at recess, someone blatantly laughed at me. "To Van, are you and Co Ngon in love?" "Oh my god, what a beautiful couple!" "First place in the grade and top three in the whole grade." I had an expressionless face. "Not in love." No one believed it. Qian Tu Tu's reaction is the most ponderous. She said nothing, nor did anything. Unusually quiet. Tran Doa warned me: "She's holding back to make a big move." "It's up to her." "You really don't pay attention?" "If you pay attention, you'll lose." Wednesday afternoon, it happened. A post appeared in the anonymous section of the school forum. Title: "What is classmate To Van, who ranked first in the grade, hiding?" The content is very long, the main idea is: "To Van's parents are divorced, has no guardian, lives alone, behaves abnormally, often stays up late without sleeping, someone sees her room light on all night, has a large source of income that is not clear, has contacted adults many times outside of school..." Each thing is written half true and half false, the implication is very clear: this person has problems. Below the post there were more than two hundred comments. Most of them were curiosity and speculation, but there were also a few nasty comments. "It's not like you're doing something that can't be known, is it?" "Neither of your parents need it, there must be a reason." "Earning so much money in one month, high school student? Ha ha." Tran Doa was so angry that he threw his book in class. "Who posted this?!" She looked towards Tien Tu Tu. Tien Tu Tu was looking down at his phone, the corner of his mouth curled up at a very difficult to detect curve

show. “Don't rush.” I said. "Aren't you in a hurry?!" "Just let her jump first. The higher you jump, the more painful the fall." I opened my phone, took a screenshot of the post, and saved it. Then texted Co Ngon: Have you seen the post on the school forum? He answered in a moment: I see. I can look up the posting IP. I don't need it. I do it myself. Him: Are you sure? Me: Sure. When I got home that night, I didn't deal with the forum right away. Which opens his account platform. This month's data report is out. Total followers: one million four hundred and seventy thousand. Income this month: eighty-two thousand yuan. The brand cooperation schedule has been scheduled until next month. An MCN company sent an invitation to sign a contract for the third time. I opened the email to see the terms: three-year exclusive, six-four division, six family, four me. Close. Do not sign. I don't need anyone to "manage" me. But if Qian Sisi really wants to force me into a corner, I don't mind letting her see where the person she despises is standing. The post on the forum hung for three days, the heat did not decrease but increased. Someone started posting photos of me below the article, saying they had seen me at some shopping mall with "a grown man".