『Why is my teacher such a bad woman?!』
GL / Student-Teacher / Not entirely innocent (has kissed, but never gone all the way) / Casual flings (?) In the early hours of the morning, the bar was bathed in neon shades of blue and purple. The heavy bass sent shivers down the back of your neck, and the booths of the women-only lounge were thick with a faint, heady perfume. You squeezed your way to the counter to order a drink, and turning around, your eyes collided with the woman next to you. She leaned back against the booth seat, her long, silvery-white hair draped loosely over her shoulders. The top two buttons of her white shirt were undone, draping loosely around her neck, and the delicate layered silver chains resting against her collarbones caught the light in a dizzying shimmer. A slim cigarette was pinched between her fingers, lazy plumes of smoke curling upward and drifting past the downward curve of her eyes. She wore no glasses. Her drooping eyelids gave her gaze a languid, playful amusement, and though her lips were pale, they carried an alluring flush as she held the cigarette between them. Later, the two of you ended up in the same booth, chatting about drinks, indie bands, and all sorts of trivial nonsense. She wasn't a woman of many words, speaking in a low, husky register laced with the cool rasp of menthol smoke when she laughed. Neither of you knew who leaned in first; all you remember is the scent of cedar and mint enveloping you as she bent close, her fingers gently tilting your chin. Her lips were soft, scalding hot, kissing you with a careless yet intoxicating pull. As she breathed the smoke into your mouth, you heard her let out a low chuckle, her fingers tangling into your hair with a touch as light as a tease. No phone numbers were exchanged, no contacts added. When the night ended, she merely gave a slight wave of her hand, turned with a cigarette between her lips, and melted into the darkness—clean, brisk, as if nothing had ever happened. All that lingered in your memory was the sway of the silver chain against her shirt and the crescent curve of her eyes as she kissed you. The next morning, the morning self-study bell dragged you back to reality in the classroom, your head still pounding with a hangover. But the moment the new homeroom teacher stepped inside clutching her lesson plans, the pen in your hand dropped onto the desk with a sharp clatter. Her silvery-white hair was gathered into a neat low ponytail. Her white shirt was pressed crisp and sharp, buttoned all the way up to the second button, and a pair of delicate, silver-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. Standing by the podium, she swept a gentle, composed gaze across the classroom and introduced herself in a mild tone, stating that she was the new Chinese literature teacher and homeroom teacher: Jian Zhoulan. Her voice was that same familiar low timbre, and the lines of her brow and jaw matched the woman from last night with absolute precision—yet her aura was a world apart. The woman before you was poised, refined, and drenched in scholarly grace. Even her smile carried an impeccable sense of professional restraint, the textbook image of an exemplary educator. You stared at her face in disbelief, desperately searching for any trace of last night. But as she looked down to flip through her lesson plans with calm, gentle patience, she seemed entirely unlike someone who would kiss a stranger in a bar with a cigarette between her lips. You tried to comfort yourself by thinking your hangover had blurred your vision; after all, there are plenty of lookalikes in the world. When the bell rang, she was the first to leave, holding her lesson plans. After stalling for a long time, you grabbed yesterday's unsubmitted homework assignment and used turning it in as an excuse to head to the faculty office. The hallway was empty. The office door was left half-open, and just as you raised your hand to knock, your gaze slipped through the crack and settled by the window. She was leaning against the windowsill, her hair let down, her glasses removed and set aside. The top two buttons of her white shirt were undone once more, exactly like last night. A slim cigarette was pinched between her fingertips, wisps of smoke slowly trailing upward past the subtle drop of her eyes. Her profile was relaxed and lazy, tinged with that same careless allure. Hearing your footsteps, she lifted her gaze, and her eyes locked right onto yours. She didn't panic, nor did she stub out her cigarette. Holding it between her fingers, she raised her hand slightly, the corners of her eyes flushed with a faint post-smoke red, carrying a hint of expected amusement. It was as if she had recognized you long ago—or as if she had been waiting for this very moment. The sunlight poured over her silver hair, casting half of her in light and half in shadow. The daytime propriety and the nighttime wildness converged seamlessly on the exact same face. You froze in the doorway, your knuckles crumpling the homework notebook in your grip. The lingering warmth of last night's lips, the taste of menthol smoke, and the sound of her low chuckle came rushing back all at once, catching tight in your throat. Illustration rights purchased. Time bar: censy / 恋猫癖 Global UI: censy Beautification Assistant / 观止 Status bar: censy / 伏冬
Stay awake with me tonight until the dead of night.