THAT DAY, YOU WERE THERE

CHAPTER II: THAT VERY BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER

Chi Nhuoc majored in sculpture. Her very first work was a statue of a strong, muscular man. Through her delicate yet powerful carving techniques, the piece left a deep impression on everyone in the club. She received praise from her professors, and many of her works were displayed in the courtyard of the university.

One day, while she was taking a walk, a man suddenly approached her to strike up a conversation. He turned out to be a student from the same university. Naive and easily trusting, Chi Nhuoc agreed to become his girlfriend the very next day. From then on, he followed her everywhere—from campus back to the dormitory—showering her with gifts one after another.

One day, he gave her a pearl necklace. Chi Nhuoc accepted it happily, unaware that it was merely part of his cruel game.

Inside the broadcasting room, the man was casually eating instant noodles. Chi Nhuoc kept calling him, but he repeatedly rejected her calls, using work as an excuse. While enjoying his own moment of leisure, he suddenly received a call from a friend.

“Yeah?”

“So, how’s it going between you and that girl, Nhuoc or whatever her name is?”

“What do you mean, how’s it going? You really think I’m serious about her?” he laughed. “With a body and face like that, I just plan to trick her into bed. Haha.”

At that very moment, his entire conversation was broadcast across the campus. Before answering the call, he had forgotten to turn off the microphone, allowing every student to hear his words through the school’s loudspeakers.

When the news reached Chi Nhuoc, her face flushed with anger. She immediately rushed toward the broadcasting room, but he had already fled. She chased after him into the crowded courtyard and, in front of everyone, began shouting and cursing at him without restraint. His despicable tricks were completely exposed. Overcome with rage, she lashed out at him with her fists, striking him wildly.

Her outburst caught the attention of two men known as the most handsome students on campus—Te Mac and Tu Than. Witnessing Chi Nhuoc’s decisiveness and courage in front of the crowd, both men felt their hearts stirred.

After everything was over, Chi Nhuoc walked away like a flash of light. As she moved forward, she ripped off the pearl necklace he had given her earlier that day. The pearls scattered across the ground, glimmering under the sunlight.

Back in the dormitory, she buried her face in her hands, crying and venting to her roommate. Every moment of her confrontation was uploaded to the school’s online forums. Embarrassed, she found herself forced to face countless stares from fellow students every morning.

She silently made a vow to herself:

“I’d rather fall for a handsome man than a so-called ‘kind’ one.”

The next morning, Chi Nhuoc started her day as usual. While walking across the campus, she ran into Tu Than. Startled, she tripped and dropped all the documents she was holding. As she bent down to pick them up, Tu Than also crouched down to help. Their eyes met, and his gentle expression and strikingly handsome face instantly caught Chi Nhuoc’s attention.

She thanked him, and from that moment on, the two gradually became acquainted.

Thinking he was a student from another department, Chi Nhuoc offered to show Tu Than around the sculpture department. Only after walking together for a while did she realize that he was actually from the same department as her. The two chatted and laughed along the way, growing closer without realizing it.

After parting ways, Chi Nhuoc hurried back to her sculpture studio to complete her midterm project. On the way, she saw Te Mac chatting with a group of friends near the staircase. Suddenly, he slipped and nearly fell backward. Instinctively, Chi Nhuoc rushed forward and caught him from behind with both arms.

However, while she managed to steady Te Mac, the tablet in his hands slipped and tumbled down the stairs, crashing against each step. When Te Mac picked it up, the screen was completely shattered.

Chi Nhuoc stared in shock, then quickly bowed her head to apologize, insisting on compensating him. But when she checked the price of the tablet, she was stunned—it cost more than several months of her part-time wages combined. It would take her a long time to earn that amount.

From then on, Te Mac treated her as a “debtor,” using the tablet as an excuse to ask for her WeChat contact.

Whenever Chi Nhuoc ran into Te Mac, trouble seemed inevitable.

One evening, the group organized a dinner that included Tu Than as well. Caught up in the excitement, Chi Nhuoc drank nonstop until she was completely drunk. As she stood up to raise a toast with her friends, she suddenly noticed Te Mac standing outside the restaurant, staring at her with a dazed expression.

Swaying unsteadily, she walked toward him, acting foolishly. She reached out and touched his face, mumbling,

“I’m only paying attention to your handsome face… as for that debt, it’s just…”