In a cozy little room, Ngoc Vy rested her head on his lap, leaning comfortably against the soft sofa. She held the remote in her hand, flicking through channels without pause.
"Hey, it's almost time for our show." – she said.
Someone sitting beside her, deeply focused on his book, suddenly looked up. His eyes gleamed with mischief, a sly smile tugging at his lips.
"This early in the morning… and my little wife already wants to…?" – he drawled, stretching the last word teasingly, pretending to cover his face in mock shyness.
"Shameless!" – she huffed.
At her words, his hand began to wander playfully, his long fingers brushing lightly across her body.
A few moments later, a loud thud echoed through the room.
"Serves you right!"
"Ah! Are you trying to murder your husband?" – he cried out dramatically.
"Oh no, I hit too hard! Are you okay?" – she asked, putting on an innocent, guilty face.
He smiled smugly, pinching her cheek.
"I'm fine!"
She grinned and said cheekily: "I meant the remote, not you. Your head's way too hard to worry about."
His smile instantly vanished, his eyes narrowing in mock irritation as he glared at her.
Ngoc Vy giggled, grabbed his hand, and gently rubbed his head.
"Come on, don't be mad. Let me make it up to you."
He sighed, a fond smile curling back onto his lips.
"That's my wife, so naughty, stubborn, never listens… and yet, I can't help but love her more every day."
On the TV screen, two famous hosts appeared, greeting the audience with bright smiles. Then came the scene of her, she dressed in a stunning, elegant wedding gown, walking side by side with him under the dazzling stage lights.
For a brief moment, the male host froze, his gaze locked on her radiant face.
Below the stage, many eyes widened in admiration, some even full of envy at the sight of such a perfect couple.
The female host began with a cheerful tone: "Hello, you two! You look just like a golden couple from a fairytale."
Blushing shyly, she bowed slightly: "Hello, we're honored to be here. I'm Vuong Ngoc Vy, currently the chief accountant at company X, and this is my husband."
He froze for a second, silently cursing how quick she was, couldn't she have just finished the introduction for him too?
"Hello." – he said smoothly. – "I'm Phan Thanh Luong, a lecturer and research professor at University A."
"One's a professor and the other's an accountant, how did you two first meet? It must be a very interesting love story." – the host asked with a teasing smile.
Without hesitation, she replied: "Actually, I used to be his student."
Both hosts blinked, stunned for a moment: "So that means…"
She nodded, smiling sweetly: "Yes, he's six years older than me. If I remember right, our first meeting was during his very first lecture."
His brows furrowed slightly, and his calm, warm voice suddenly turned sharp.
"You remembered it wrong."
In that instant, the whole room went silent. The air itself seemed to thin, like half the oxygen had been sucked out. Everyone stared at him in surprise, including her and the two hosts.
Could it be… she even remembered their first meeting wrong?
***
That year, Vuong Ngoc Vy was about to graduate from high school. She and her friend decided to tour around the city, visiting and checking out all the top universities.
Standing in front of the "Outstanding Students Scholarship Board" at University A, she widened her eyes and started counting the perfect scores on the list with her finger.
"My Le, pinch me, quick!"
My Le, who had been peacefully admiring the beautiful campus, jumped at her friend's loud voice.
"What's wrong with you?!" – she grumbled.
"Look at this! There are twelve perfect tens on this transcript, not a single grade below A! What kind of divine being is this guy? He can't be human!"
"What's the big deal? University A is full of geniuses." – My Le replied casually.
Ngoc Vy nodded, then looked up again at the name printed neatly on the board: Phan Thanh Luong.
"Wow, it's a guy! Totally has that school-heartthrob vibe!" – she clasped her hands dramatically, eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Forget it, or I'll tell Lam Tuan! You know he'll get jealous the moment he hears that." – My Le warned.
"Hey! Whose side are you on, huh? Mine or his?" – Ngoc Vy cried out in mock outrage, giving her friend a playful pinch on the waist.
"Ouch! Stop that! He told me to keep an eye on you, you know!"
Ngoc Vy groaned, rolling her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
"Never mind. Guys that smart are never normal anyway. I bet they don't even look good, probably a total bookworm, socially awkward, and definitely with some weird personality issues."
That's what she told herself, at least.
If the love she had in middle school was just childish curiosity, the kind born from youthful impulsiveness. Then Lam Tuan, her high school love, was something entirely different. It was sincere, simple, and pure. A feeling that came from the heart, without calculation or expectation.
Lam Tuan was the boy who used his warmth and patience to melt the chill inside her heart. Ngoc Vy had come to love him mostly out of gratitude and affection. To her, he seemed like the only boy who could truly treat her kindly, who could tolerate her moods and stubbornness no matter what.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from behind her. A strange chill ran down her spine, her heartbeat skipping a few beats.
"Hm…"
The gentle, refined face of the young man nearby turned cold, his expression hardening as an aura of icy sharpness spread around him.
Ngoc Vy quickly tugged at My Le's arm.
"Let's go check out another building."
As he turned around, his gaze accidentally caught sight of a girl in a high school uniform laughing with her friend under the soft morning sunlight. Her bright, innocent smile carried a warmth that seemed to melt the air around her.
At that very moment, something stirred inside him, a faint, unfamiliar rhythm in his chest.
The long, exhausting months of exam preparation passed quickly, and now Ngoc Vy stood at the most nerve-racking moment of her life, the results. Seeing the list of students who had failed, her heart thudded anxiously.
Her own grades weren't bad at all, but there were still so many people scoring higher. How could she be sure she'd make it in?
After nearly ten days of overthinking, Ngoc Vy finally decided to take a leap of faith and submit her application to University A.
On the first day of school, she proudly stepped through the grand gates of the university, feeling as if they had opened wide just to welcome the new freshman of the year.
Right at the entrance, the security guard greeted her with a big friendly smile, waving enthusiastically. In that moment, she thought to herself.
"What a nice school! Even the security guard is so kind and welcoming!"
Unfortunately, that thought lasted less than half a second.
"Miss, students go that way." – the guard said kindly. – "This path is for professors only."
What?!
She'd just embarrassed herself on the very first day? How heartbreaking!
"Um, but what about that student? He just walked in this way too." – she asked awkwardly, forcing a smile and pointing toward the young man ahead.
The man's steps faltered slightly.
The guard chuckled warmly.
"Oh, that's our lecturer."
Ngoc Vy froze, her face burning so hot she could barely speak.
"Ah… I see." – she mumbled, scratching her head nervously. – "So… which way should I go, then?"
"Take the path around this corner, then enter through Hall B."
"Thank you, sir."
She bowed politely, then hurried off, mumbling under her breath.
"Why build such a big main gate if students can't even use it? So unfair!"
Meanwhile, someone, the very same young man she had pointed at. He had been quietly observing everything, a faint, knowing smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Indeed, fate had a strange sense of humor.
Phan Thanh Luong had recognized her immediately, though she had no idea who he was. Her destiny began that very day… the day she accidentally called him "that weird guy."
© 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.