Chapter 7: The New Lecturer
Kieu Ly immediately opened her phone, searched for the principal's personal Facebook, then tracked down Toan Phuong's mother's account, and from there, found his.
She didn't know how it happened, but she ended up reading through his posts with great interest—for a whole hour straight. In person, he had always acted lazy and defiant toward her. But on social media, he appeared to be a well-mannered, polite student, almost like a mature young adult who knew how to express himself.
Afterward, Kieu Ly searched for and read several psychology articles about adolescence, trying to understand him better. Although she was only paid to be his tutor—not to analyze his personality, lifestyle, or mental state—people would ultimately evaluate her performance based on his academic results. If he refused to study, she'd simply be labeled an incompetent tutor.
That's why, by any means necessary, she had to get him to study and show remarkable improvement.
The next morning was the start of a new week. Kieu Ly hitched a ride to campus with Huong Tra. She felt truly lucky to have a friend like Tra. Since Tra didn't have a boyfriend, she could always make time for her. On days when their class schedules didn't match, they either rode separately or Tra would drop her off and Kieu Ly would take the bus home after class. Whoever got home first would go to the market and cook.
Huong Tra had healthy tan skin and a short pixie haircut that gave her a slightly edgy look. When she and Kieu Ly stood next to each other, they honestly looked a bit like a couple.
The motorbike stopped at the gate of Foreign Trade University. Kieu Ly took off her helmet, handed it back to Tra, and dashed toward the lecture hall. If she didn't hurry, she might be late. It was the class she had been looking forward to the most—a finance lecture taught by a young lecturer who had just returned from studying abroad.
His name was Tran Tuan Anh—the same name as her boyfriend—which made her feel an instant liking for people named "Anh". They truly seemed to be outstanding individuals.
In her rush, Kieu Ly accidentally ran straight into someone. She stumbled and fell right in front of the classroom. The other person quickly bent down to help her up and asked:
"Are you okay?"
Flustered, Kieu Ly brushed off her pants, stood up, and bowed slightly in apology:
"I'm fine. I'm so sorry."
But when she looked up at the other person, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
It was the new lecturer starting today—Tran Tuan Anh.
He was quite well-known in the field, even an author of finance books, so she had already memorized his face.
Embarrassed, Kieu Ly greeted him:
"Oh! Hello, professor."