Chapter 4 — Trong Was Born At Eighteen Years Old: This Time I Didn't Marry Truc Ma

The next morning, I put on my backpack and brought my computer to school. The lecture hall during the summer vacation was strangely quiet. Only the drawing room on the third floor of the art area was still lit. Ms. Trinh Thanh Lam, wearing an apron covered in paint, is arranging works in preparation for her students' graduation exhibition. Seeing me walk in, she didn't show any surprise.

"Is the wish locked?"

"Does the family know yet?"

"I know."

"How did everyone react?"

"Tell me to fix it."

Ms. Trinh put down the picture frame in her hand.

"I won't fix it."

She looked at me for a few seconds then nodded slightly.

"Then prepare to go to Nam Dinh."

She did not advise me to sympathize with my parents. Nor did he ask me if I had to quarrel with Chau Nghien Xuyen or not. The only thing she asked... Was if I had really decided. In my previous life, everyone around me wanted to decide for me what was best. Only Ms. Trinh ever asked me... What do I want? Unfortunately, I didn't listen to her at that time. After getting the results of the aptitude test, she advised me to go to Nam Dinh. But just because of one sentence "I can't bear to let you go" from Chau Nghien Xuyen, I gave up. After that, she went to another province to attend a teacher training course. We also gradually lost contact. Before I died, I read an interview about her. At that time, Trinh Thanh Lam became a famous young illustrator, whose works were exhibited across the country. During the interview, she once said:

"The first thing a creative person must learn is not to follow the market..."

"...it's about keeping your own name."

Only then did I understand. In my whole life... Even my name, I have never been able to keep. Ms. Trinh gave me the application form for the New Student Creative Award.

"My professional achievements are very good."

"If the work is selected, first year tuition will be waived."

"The school also supports the cost of purchasing materials."

That's exactly what I need the most. In my previous life, besides Chau Nghien Xuyen, there was another reason why I gave up Nam Dinh. My father always said studying art in another province was too expensive. Now the whole family knows I am determined to annul the marriage. Maybe they won't continue to support me anymore. This composition award... It's the first way for me to leave on my own.

"I want to try."

"How is the work prepared?"

"I'm still drawing."

"What's the name?"

"《Facing the South》."

Ms. Trinh smiled.

"The name suits you very well."

After helping me check all my applications, I logged into the school's cloud storage to back up all my work. There is also a folder called 《Little Light in the Old Town》. That is the project that Chau Nghien Xuyen and I prepared together to participate in the graduation design exhibition. He is in charge of architectural modeling and spatial structures. I am in charge of illustrating the characters, designing the colors and building the entire story line. In a previous life, this set of works won the Gold Medal in the Design Competition for high school students across the city. On the award certificate, Chau Nghien Xuyen is listed as the main author. And I am in second place. During the award ceremony, all the reporters surrounded him, constantly asking how to perfectly combine architecture and the stories of the artists. figure. He answered fluently and with perfect coherence. But every sentence, every word... I wrote it for him with my own hand. This time, I won't continue to pave the way for him. I downloaded all of my illustrations, color schemes, and voiceovers. Then delete the corresponding files on the cloud storage. Only structural drawings and model photos made by him remain. Having done everything, I immediately sent an application to separate the work and change the author's name to the instructor of the graduation exhibition. As soon as I finished, the phone rang. It was Chau Nghien Xuyen calling. I clicked to listen.

"Did you delete the files of 《Little Light in the Old Town》?"

"That's my share, I take it back."

"I have to submit it for approval next week. What do you mean by taking it back now?"

"It means I won't be exhibiting with you anymore."

"Lam Van Kieu, have you caused enough trouble?"

His voice was terrifyingly cold.

"Last night I changed my wish, today I withdrew my work."

"Just because I'm with Duong An one night, do you have to ruin everything?"

I picked up the phone and calmly replied:

"The structural drawings and models are all yours."

"I won't touch it."

"The rest..."

"It was originally mine."

"We are a team."

"Not anymore."