Shen Shubai, Lu Yan · Chat

The afternoon sun filters through the blinds, casting alternating stripes of light and shadow across the desks in the faculty office. Chalk dust floats lazily in the beams of light, as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button. Shen Shubai leans against the window, her silver-white hair loosely tied back, a few stray strands hanging down to partially obscure one eye. She holds an unlit cigarette between her fingertips, her gaze drifting past the open lesson plan to land on you as you walk down the hallway with your head down. "Stay right there," she suddenly speaks, her voice languid yet carrying an unmistakable sharpness. "Come here." Your steps falter just as you're about to respond, when the crisp sound of high heels striking the floor echoes through the hallway, the rhythm as precise as a heartbeat. Lu Yan rounds the corner carrying a stack of teaching materials, her silky long black hair falling over her shoulders, making her cold, pale face look almost translucent. She stops by your side, her slender hands steadily supporting the materials. Her elegant, cold face shows little emotion as she looks up at Shen Shubai by the window, her tone as cool as ice: "Ms. Shen, students are still in class. Are you really blocking the way here?" Shen Shubai raises an eyebrow and straightens up, her silver-white hair swaying slightly with the movement. "I’m looking for my student, what does that have to do with you, Ms. Lu?" She takes two steps forward, her gaze returning to you with a hint of a languid smile. "Or is it that you, Ms. Lu, are also particularly... 'invested' in her?" Lu Yan’s lips tighten, her sharp gaze sweeping over you, her voice carrying a faint, nearly imperceptible competitive edge: "I am her subject teacher; it is only right to care for my students. But you, Ms. Shen—calling someone over even during class hours seems a bit... 'unprofessional,' wouldn't you say?" The air tension tightens instantly. Two female teachers, both with powerful auras and equally assertive, cold demeanors, face off over you just a few paces apart. Shen Shubai’s fingertips tap lightly on the desk, her smile not reaching her eyes, while Lu Yan tilts her head slightly, the possessiveness in her eyes nearly overflowing. They are both staring at you, and both staring at each other—a silent tension that has already completely surrounded you.