Sunlight poured into the room, bathing everything in a warm glow, falling gently across her body.
Rays of light filtered through her tear-sticky eyes. Ngoc Vy tossed and turned, unable to return to her dream.
She really wanted to know, was that angel truly Professor Luong?
And more than that, she wanted to know what her own fate would be.
Rubbing her eyes, a few lingering tears still clung to her lashes.
Last night felt like nothing more than a nightmare, a chaotic, confusing one unlike any she had ever experienced. As usual, she reached for her phone.
The moment she unlocked it, dozens of messages and five missed calls from My Le and Phuong Uyen greeted her.
She slowly read through each one.
My Le: "You little pig, still not up?"
"How many times have I called and you didn't pick up?"
"Get up and call back immediately!!!"
Phuong Uyen: "Are you free today? We're at school, let's meet for coffee!"
"Call me back, okay?"
Did she really see that correctly?
Early in the morning, Professor Luong had sent her an offline message.
She rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't imagining things before daring to read it.
Phan Thanh Luong: "Thank you!"
Staring at the message for a moment, she suddenly realized something was different. Wasn't professor Luong's avatar usually the image of that scholarly young man in a white shirt?
Why was it this drawing she had made?
Her lips curved into a smile, her eyes sparkling with pride. Joy seemed to burst into her heart, making it flutter like delicate little bells.
In the past, whenever she got a message from Lam Tuan, her heart would race. Now, just a simple message from Professor Luong brought her a strange, cheerful feeling... but this time, the joy didn't make her daydream; it made her feel herself growing, learning to appreciate the little things more.
She stared at Professor Luong's avatar for a long while before finally remembering the missed calls.
Ngoc Vy quickly picked up the phone and called My Le.
"Hello." – Her voice was still sleepy, a little hoarse.
"The sun's almost setting and you're just waking up now?" – My Le's tone was slightly annoyed.
"Sorry... I just..."
"Enough! Get ready quickly and come to school. Everyone's been waiting for you!"
"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes!"
That entire morning, just because of Professor Luong's avatar, her heart suddenly felt cheerful, full of life. She quickly hung up, got ready in a hurry, and didn't forget to send a message to Professor Luong.
"No problem at all, just a small token of my appreciation."
No sooner had she sent it than her phone vibrated, as if someone had been waiting all along.
"That's already very nice, though it's not as good as the real thing."
Ngoc Vy froze, staring at the screen. She couldn't believe Professor Luong could actually say something like that.
So, he actually... compliments himself like that?
OMG! Would anyone even believe this if she told them?
Or maybe he was politely criticizing her drawing for not being perfect?
That must be it!
Ten minutes later, she rushed to school and joined everyone at a quiet, upscale café.
Everyone was chatting about studies, campus facilities, the school heartthrobs, and so on...
Seeing Ngoc Vy just sitting quietly and listening, Phuong Uyen leaned over to ask.
"Why so quiet? Tell us about the school heartthrob!" – Phuong Uyen asked curiously, her eyes sparkling.
Ngoc Vy smiled and shook her head.
"I haven't met anyone yet."
Everyone's eyes went wide, mouths agape.
Exactly! In this situation, the one who isn't surprised would be the unusual one.
University A is famous for having so many talented people, so many heartthrobs, it's impossible not to have met anyone... absolutely impossible...
She could only blame her own poor eye for noticing people.
At that moment, the image of Phan Thanh Luong suddenly appeared in her mind. She hadn't met any heartthrobs, but she had definitely met a "handsome professor."
She babbled on proudly, recounting every good memory she had of Professor Luong.
Phuong Uyen nearly fell over, paused for a moment, then asked again.
"You mean Professor Luong, the famously handsome, cold guy at University A?"
Ngoc Vy nodded shyly, assuming Phuong Uyen would share the same admiration for the professor's god-like looks, but instead, Phuong Uyen blew her mind with a barrage of words.
"What? That guy is notoriously cold and heartless, with insanely difficult exams! Your life is over!"
Ngoc Vy gaped, unable to believe what she had just heard.
This time, she was the one utterly shocked.
"What's wrong with him? He's a bit cold, but he's really kind."
It's not like she had never tried the exams professor Luong set. They weren't exactly easy, but they weren't impossibly cruel either.
Phuong Uyen browsed the web carefully and then showed her a series of Professor Luong's past exams.
Her mind went blank. Her eyes almost sparked. Looking at the exams, she wanted to scream.
"Oh my God! What is this?"
She swallowed hard and tried to calm herself.
Seeing her like that, Phuong Uyen shook her head and sighed sympathetically.
"Poor you... my condolences!"
"I've also heard that anyone who likes him gets tortured by his 'retreat when it looks hard' tactic. You have to be careful!"
Phuong Uyen's words echoed in her ears, leaving her anxious and unsettled all afternoon.
Ngoc Vy lay on the sofa, lost in thought.
Was professor Luong really that terrifying?
From what she had observed, he didn't seem like that at all. The assignments were many, yes, but the exams weren't impossibly difficult.
Her phone buzzed again. Just as she thought of Cao Cao, there he appeared. That's why they say: don't mention people by day, and don't mention ghosts at night.
"Your drawing for me has already got over two hundred likes in one day."
At that moment, all her previous worries seemed to be swept away by the wind. She quickly tapped on the picture.
Could it be that a drawing, a message, a smile could stir her so much? Or deep down, was she wanting to believe that there was still someone who cared for her in a different, gentler way? Even she wasn't sure. All she knew was that this feeling was no longer the blind daydreaming of before. It was something more real, slower, and it made her heart feel at peace.
Sure enough, over two hundred likes, many comments praising her work, and some asking who the artist was.
Her cheeks flushed with pride; the anxiety from just a moment ago had already transformed into joy and a sense of accomplishment.
"Happy Teachers' Day?"
"Yeah... the partying and drinking were wild!"
Before she could reply to the message, another one came in:
"Now I'm drunk!"
Ngoc Vy blinked and looked at the screen again.
Professor Luong was drunk too? But... why was he telling her about these things?
© Note: My Professor, My Husband – Copyright belongs to Zieny. Any copying, editing, or reuploading in any form without permission is strictly prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted according to the law.