Chapter 1 — The Night Before Exam Day

The night before the university entrance exam, I dreamed of a crazy woman. She was locked in a black clay oven with iron chains, her face was covered in scars, but her eyes and eyebrows were clearly identical to mine. "I am the girl from five years later." Her voice seemed to be crawling from hell, "Tomorrow, no matter what, don't give the exam notice to Tham Chu." When I woke up, it wasn't dawn yet. I touched my breasts, comforting myself that it was just a nightmare. Tham Chu is my childhood friend who grew up with me and is the person who loves me the most in the world. But at this moment, a message appeared on WeChat. "Good morning, I took the exam notice. I'll keep it for you, lest you lose it. —— Tham Chu" My hand began to tremble uncontrollably.01The night before the university entrance exam, I dreamed of a clay oven. The mouth of the furnace collapsed in half, leaving only ash on the ground. A woman was locked inside with an iron chain. She raised her head to look at me. That face was covered with wounds. I took a step back. But she rushed forward, the iron chain dragging on the ground creating a harsh sound. "Manh Chi!" She called my name. My throat constricted. Her voice was hoarse and not human. "Listen, tomorrow, absolutely do not give the exam notice to Tham Chu." I was about to ask who she was. She clutched the iron chain tightly, not a single nail left on her fingers. “He will destroy you.” The words behind were swallowed by the sound of the wind. I woke up and opened my eyes. Outside the window it was just dawning. The phone vibrated next to the pillow. Tham Chu's message appeared. "I kept the papers for you, you goldfish brain, no need to thank me." I stared at that text, my palm gradually becoming cold. My desk drawer was locked last night. The key is under my pillow. How did Tham Chu get it? I turned around and got out of bed and rushed to the desk. The drawer lock is still intact. I pulled out the drawer. The transparent file bag has disappeared. Inside are citizen identification cards, exam registration papers, and school-issued homework pens. I stood in front of the table, my mind blank for a second. My mother's voice was heard outside the door. "Chi Chi, when you wake up, brush your teeth and wash your face. Tham Chu came early in the morning and said he would bring the papers to school for you, so you don't forget them later." I turned my head to look at the door. "Did he come into your room?" My mother walked in carrying a bowl of porridge, still wearing a smile on her face. "He's not an outsider, we grew up together since childhood, why are you wary of him?" Not an outsider. I have heard this saying for eighteen years. Tham Chu's house is downstairs from mine. He is three months older than me. My mother always said that when I was a child learning to walk, I fell and Tham Chu caught me. My father always said that Tham Chu is mature, in the future when looking for a partner, he should look for someone like that. Tham Chu also always seemed to be worried about me. I forgot to bring my meal card, he swiped the card for me. I forgot my exercise book in class, he got it for me. I filled in my request to go to another province, but he said it was not safe for my daughter to be too far from home. Before, I only saw him controlling too much. Now the sound of iron chains in the earthen furnace in my dream still rings in my ears. I picked up the phone and called him. After ringing three times, he picked up the phone. "Are you awake?" "Give me the exam notice." He laughed. "What's the hurry, I'll wait for you at the school gate, then let's go in." "I want to pick it up now." The other side was silent for two seconds. "Manh Chi, don't make a mess." I heard the sound of wind on the other end of the line, and the very faint laughter of another girl. I held the phone tightly. "Who's next to you?" "Classmate." "Ha Vu Vi?" The other end of the line was silent. Ha Vu Vi is a student who transferred to my class. Her achievements are not bad, but always one level below mine. Miss

I also like Tham Chu. The whole class knows. Tham Chu said before that she was very annoying. But these past few months, he has always appeared with her at the office door. Before, I didn't take it to heart. Now I feel so stupid. Tham Chu lowered his voice. "Manh Chi, don't make trouble today, tomorrow's the university entrance exam, be a little more obedient." "Give me the papers." "I told you, I'll keep them for you." His tone began to lose patience. "Every time you forget first, forget later, this time if you lose it, you won't have time to cry." I looked at the empty drawer. "Tham Chu, I'll say it again for the last time, give it to me." He chuckled softly. tongue. "Why are you so irritable today?" I hung up. My mother frowned and looked at me. "What are you talking to Tham Chu like?" I didn't explain. I immediately changed my clothes, put on my backpack and walked out. My mother called after me. "No more porridge?" "No food." The hallway was very quiet. I ran downstairs. At the door of the building, Duong Tue - Tham Chu's mother was standing there carrying a food basket. She saw me, her eyes quickly glanced at my backpack. "Chi Chi, Tham Chu is really thoughtful, don't be so unreasonable." I paused. Duong Tue smiled. "It's no use for a girl to compete at such a distance, she'll have to go home later." I looked at her. The earthen wall of the clay oven in her dream suddenly overlapped the smile on her face. I didn't say anything, walked around her and walked out. Duong Tue spoke coldly from behind. "If you dare to mess with Tham Chu today, you won't even be able to take the exam in peace tomorrow." I stopped walking. The phone vibrated again. Tham Chu sent a photo. My exam notice was clutched in his hand. Under the photo there was only one sentence. "Come to the back door of the school, come alone."02 At the back door of the school was parked a gray van. The car windows are covered with black film. Tham Chu stood next to the car, holding my transparent file bag in his hand. Today he dressed very cleanly. White shirt, black pants. Like every time I stand in front of my parents. Ha Vu Vi stood behind him, head down, playing with his phone. She saw me, the corner of her mouth slightly raised. I walked over. "Give it to me." Tham Chu hid the file bag behind his back. "Calm down." I stared at his hand. "Tham Chu, you stole my documents." His face darkened. "Manh Chi, don't talk so harshly." Ha Vu Vi raised his head, his voice very light. "He's afraid you'll lose it, everyone knows you're careless." I looked at her. "Who are you?" She I was speechless when I asked. Tham Chu stood in front of her. "Don't you dare aim at her." I laughed. "It turns out I wasn't even supposed to aim at her." Tham Chu frowned. "What happened to you today?" "I ask you, why did you come into my room early in the morning to get the exam notice?" "You told me to get it." "My mother doesn't have the key to my room." Tham Chu's face changed. I took out my phone. Screen facing up. The recording has been running for three minutes. Tham Chu stared at the phone, his eyes cold. "Are you recording?" "Yes." I took a step forward. "Say it again, my mother told you to take it." The smile on Ha Vu Vi's face disappeared. Tham Chu reached out his hand to steal the phone. I stepped back. He missed. The back door had a few students who arrived early looking in. I raised my voice. "Tham Chu, you took my exam notice, refused to return it, and want to steal my phone?" He gritted his teeth. "Manh Chi, don't make a big deal out of it." "Are you afraid of making a big deal?" I stared at him. "Then give me the papers." Ha Vu Vi suddenly said: "You don't trust him like that, it's better not to take the exam again." The surroundings suddenly became silent. I looked at her. “What did you just say?” She pursed her lips. “I mean, mind

Your condition is so bad, you can't even do well in the exam room." "So you hope I won't take the exam?" "I don't." I pressed playback on the recording. Her last words rang out clearly. 'You don't trust him like that, it's better not to take the exam.' The expressions of several students around changed. Someone whispered: "This is too cruel." Ha Vu Vi's face turned pale. Tham Chu reached out and pulled her back. "Will you stop?" I looked at him. "You're frantic." His fingers squeezed the file bag tightly. The corner of the exam notice inside was exposed. I reached out to take it. He jerked upward. "Manh Chi, now you apologize to me, I will give it to you." I paused. "Sorry?" "Yes." He seemed to have finally found his familiar position again. "Today you should not doubt me, and you should not humiliate me in front of so many people." I heard this sentence, the last bit of old friendship in my heart was completely broken. Before, I was afraid he would be angry. I'm afraid my parents will say I don't understand. I'm afraid that what others will say, I won't even believe it. Now I just want to get my exam notice back, then cut his hand off from my life. I raised my eyes to look at him. "Tham Chu, have you forgotten? My name is written on the exam notice." He sneered. "So what, it's in my hand now." I also smiled. "Then you keep it carefully." Tham Chu was stunned. Ha Vu Vi also raised his head. I turned around and walked towards the main gate. Tham Chu called after me from behind. "Manh Chi, don't you need it anymore?" I didn't turn around. "You keep it." The door to the teaching room still hadn't opened. The homeroom teacher, Ms. Tan, is posting exam room notes in the hallway. She saw me and frowned. "Why are you here so early?" I passed the phone over. "Miss Tan, my admission notice was taken away by Tham Chu, he didn't return it to me." Ms. Tan listened to the recording, her face darkened little by little. "Is he crazy?" "I need to re-issue it." "Go." Ms. Tan picked up her bag and led me straight to the administrative building. On the way, she called the class dean, then contacted the district admissions office. She only asked me one question. "Is the citizen ID card at his place?" "Yes." "Do you have a household registration book at home?" "Yes." "Tell your dad to bring it." I paused. My father will not take my side. He would just ask me why I didn't trust Tham Chu. Ms. Tan glanced at me. "Then you come home and get it with me." My throat was tight. "Miss, can I still take the exam tomorrow?" Ms. Tan's footsteps did not stop. "Okay." She said very firmly. "No one is allowed to make fun of my university exam." My eye sockets heated up, then quickly suppressed it. Just as I reached the school gate, my father's phone rang. His voice was very harsh. "Manh Chi, you go home now!" I grabbed the phone tightly. "What's going on?" "Tham Chu said you were crazy at school, and even recorded it to slander him!" On the other end of the line rang Duong Tue's shrill crying voice. "Our Tham Chu has the kindness to help him, but he wants to ruin Tham Chu's reputation!" I closed my eyes. Ms. Tan held out her hand. "Give me the phone." I passed the phone over. Ms. Tan only said one sentence. "Mr. Manh, I am Manh Chi's homeroom teacher, now please bring your household registration book to school, otherwise I will report to the police immediately."03 My father was at school fifteen minutes later. He did not hold the household registration book in his hand. Behind him were my mother, Duong Tue, and Tham Chu. Tham Chu still held that transparent file bag in his hand.