Her Tentacles (GL) - Chapter 1

5:40 PM.

The four-note chime of “Canon” rang out punctually through the school building, signaling the end of classes. Aside from the clamor echoing from the classroom corridors, sighs of relief could also be heard in the teachers’ office.

“Hurry, hurry, Ms. Li! Before Director Zhou suddenly calls a meeting, let’s head to that restaurant we just talked about.”

“What restaurant? The one with the location shared in the group chat? That name sounds familiar wasn’t it on the news this morning? You guys still dare to go?”

The sudden interjection from Mr. Wu Li, who stood by the water dispenser, made the female teachers pause in their packing. They exchanged glances, all seeing the same exasperation in each other’s eyes.

Finding himself amusing, he let out a couple of “ha-ha” laughs before turning his gaze toward the corner by the window. Raising his voice, he asked, “But the news only mentioned an accident on the nearby road. Since it’s an office gathering, the more the merrier, right? Ms. Shu, why don’t you join us?”

The person called upon finally withdrew her gaze from the grayish horizon beyond the red-brick wall.

Her absentminded fiddling with the folds of her umbrella stopped.

Beneath her carefully styled, loosely curled black hair, her light brown pupils dilated slightly as she suddenly became the center of attention.

Whether it was the polite glances from her female colleagues or the overly eager gaze of her male coworker, it all made her fingers tighten around the black folding umbrella.

A thin layer of sweat formed.

The more nervous she grew, the colder her expression became, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Finally, she lowered her eyes, staring at her darkened phone screen, and replied softly, “Sorry, I already have plans.”

From her gaze that never quite met anyone’s to her aloof, unapproachable demeanor, everything made Wu Li’s expression visibly stiffen with awkwardness.

The office fell into an eerie silence.

…

This is bad.

Even as Shu Yao absentmindedly slung her bag over her shoulder and left the office, she couldn’t stop thinking had her rejection been too blunt? Would “I’m sorry” or “My apologies” have sounded more natural than “Sorry”?

“Ms. Shu.”

“Hello, teacher!”

“Goodbye, teacher!”

Still tangled over the previous dilemma, the socially anxious Shu Yao, despite lingering for five extra minutes found herself swallowed by the overwhelming student traffic in the stairwell, plunging her into yet another predicament:

“Hmm…” That one might be a student from one of her classes. What was their name again?

The teacher who never took attendance fell into thought, too distracted to respond to the other greetings, offering only a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Though her red satin blouse with ruffled edges was the brightest spot of color in the dimming stairwell, she stood as untouchable as a handful of snow atop a frigid mountain peak.

For some reason, the students’ footsteps grew noticeably quieter.

Noticing they were moving even slower, Shu Yao: “…”

Fortunately, her vibrating phone came to the rescue.

She exhaled an imperceptible sigh of relief, picking it up to see the caller ID. Her expression softened, though she wisely adjusted the volume before swiping to answer and lifting it to her ear. Immediately, an energetic, impatient voice burst through:

“Yao Yao! Yao Yao! Why’d you run off mid-conversation earlier?”

“I didn’t…” Shu Yao defended. “Something came up.”

For instance, she was busy writing assigned reflections on last week’s teaching seminar, quarterly ideological reports, and handling matters related to upcoming vocational skills competitions for department students…

Shu Yao’s initially indifferent expression turned vacant at the thought of these trivial tasks spawned from her seemingly cushy iron rice bowl job like her soul had been drained, leaving only an empty shell wandering the world, radiating the slightly resentful aura of an overworked office drone.

Then her soul was abruptly yanked back to reality by her friend’s words:

“Hurry up and tell me!”

“How on earth did you manage to chase down that Dr. Lin?!”

Shu Yao: “!”

Her heart skipped a beat.

Like a startled rabbit, she reflexively glanced around, her blank mind instinctively wondering: Is my phone’s soundproofing decent enough? Did anyone hear that?

Due to her sudden halt, nearby students who’d been secretly admiring the beautiful teacher immediately averted their eyes, suddenly developing profound interest in the golden anti-slip strips embedded in the staircase tiles.

Only those approaching from behind could glimpse, through her shoulder-length light hair, the faint pink blush spreading across her jade-white neck.

Soon, she quickly descended the remaining steps and disappeared around the corridor corner.

–

Shu Yao deliberately chose a secluded path lined with empty classrooms leading off-campus.

The sky grew increasingly gloomy, yet the garden’s tall palm trees remained vibrantly green, even the yellow and purple frangipani blossoms on their branches smiling carefree at the gathering storm.

All work frustrations and difficult colleagues vanished the moment “Dr. Lin” was mentioned.

So much so that Shu Yao didn’t notice the faint smile reflected in the distant empty classroom windows.

But that night had been so eventful she could only cautiously offer, “J-just like you suggested?”

Situ Jin made excited gossipy noises.

“Like what? Give me details! Do I look like I’m worried about phone bills? That’s the chief physician of Nanshan Hospital! Our city’s top Nanshan Hospital where outpatient appointments take three months! Do you understand how impressive this is?”

“I just looked up Dr. Lin’s credentials and nearly got blinded top university undergrad straight through PhD, visiting scholar in North America, research projects and published papers way beyond my wildest dreams. I hear lesbians love high achievers.”

“So tell me, my Princess Yao, what magic did you use to captivate this ultra-qualified genius? Please satisfy my curiosity!”

Shu Yao (who indeed loved high achievers): “…Calm down.”

“Impossible! How can I stay calm when my bestie’s new girlfriend is this amazing? I need details to brag about especially to Lin Jingshu and her lackeys. Unlike your gentle self…nevermind, forget those unpleasant people. Old rules, I ask, you answer!”

“Well…”

“There were so many matchmaking participants at the Sheraton event, and I didn’t even see Dr. Lin on the official list. How did you meet?”

Clutching her phone in the storm-threatened garden, Shu Yao earnestly recalled her friend’s earlier advice.

She followed the script precisely.

Holding the matchmaking event invitation and carrying a memorable gift of her own, she entered the floor with the most people and the gaudiest lights.

And at first glance.

She saw the most extraordinary person.

However, her friend clearly wouldn’t be satisfied with such a dry recount. She could only try to embellish it a little: “Like you taught me, I took the gift and invitation, rode the elevator to the thirteenth-floor hall…”

Sima Jin, all ears, responded, “Mhm, mhm, wait, the thirteenth floor?”

“What’s wrong?”

The person on the other end of the line muttered something, seemingly puzzled, but knowing that prying gossip out of Shu Yao was harder than cracking open a seashell, she immediately dismissed it. “Never mind, go on!”

But going on was no longer possible.

Because at that moment, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

The flashing name “Lin Ran” sent a tremor through Shu Yao’s heart,  a flutter distinct from the attention of anyone else.

Sima Jin, ever considerate, though her curiosity screamed for more, refused to be a third wheel in her love life. Hearing Shu Yao’s hesitation, she immediately wished her a pleasant date, vowing only to interrogate her for details later that night.

Shu Yao chuckled, hung up, and stepped out of the lush, fragrant tropical garden. The moment her foot landed outside, raindrops splattered against the frosted tiles.

Plip, plip-plip.

It was raining.

She glanced up at the sky, now entirely shrouded in dark clouds, and quickly unfurled the umbrella she had carefully packed earlier. Thinking of the person already waiting for her outside the campus, she quickened her pace, breaking into a light jog toward the end.

Outside the red-walled, white-roofed European-style academic buildings, rows of parked cars stood separated from the school’s sprawling lawn by a gate like two distinct worlds.

The steady drizzle brought down the mist over the hill where Bai Quan Vocational School stood, blurring everything into a hazy dreamscape. Gradually, only the red and yellow car lights flickered through the rain.

By the roadside.

A figure stood silently beneath a black umbrella.

Even in the heavy rain, passersby couldn’t help but pause for a second glance,

Her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, as if painted by the darkest ink in existence. Its unique texture alone set her apart, let alone the striking black eyes beneath, lashes so distinct they seemed lifted from a manga panel.

A pedestrian blinked hard, as if that would sharpen the vision of her beauty.

But the harder they tried, the fuzzier she became.

The woman, one hand tucked into the pocket of her gray trench coat and the other holding the umbrella, paid no mind to the stares. Her focus remained fixed on the faint red lights flickering at the gate with each swipe of a faculty or student ID.

Beep.

When she caught the movement she was waiting for, the shadow cast by passing headlights on the rain-slicked road beneath her umbrella grew deeper.

Then she watched as the figure abruptly halted their jog, shifting into a restrained fast walk before deciding even that wasn’t enough. Disregarding the raindrops soaking their sleeves, their steps grew quicker and quicker.

Their shoes splashed through puddles.

As they drew near, their lips parted slightly: “Lin…”

But the rain had come too suddenly, and the terrain outside Bai Quan’s gates was uneven. Shu Yao, momentarily distracted, stepped off the curb toward a storm drain, her pristine white shoes about to plunge into the murky runoff.

Thud.

A soft sound the collision of black and white umbrella canopies.

Tiny droplets scattered into the air from the impact.

Under the umbrellas.

Shu Yao felt a hand with distinct knuckles grasp her arm. Following the movement, she looked up and was instantly lost in those pitch-black eyes, as if all the light in the world had been swallowed by them.

Just like that day in the hotel, their first meeting.

Back then, she had nearly tripped over the thick, plush red carpet upon entering, only to be steadied in the same way.

The déjà vu left her momentarily dazed.

……

Until the person holding her tightened their grip slightly, pulling her into the sheltered world beneath their broad black umbrella.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

The laughter in their voice was muffled by the rain but no less captivating.

Standing under their umbrella, Shu Yao felt a flush of embarrassment at her own clumsiness. As she tilted her own umbrella to close it, her lashes fluttered lightly before she answered in a small voice, “B-because…”

“Because… you were waiting for me.”

Lin Ran’s smile deepened.

When she smiled, the space beneath the umbrella inexplicably grew quieter, making her radiant expression all the more mesmerizing. In a world sliced apart by the rain, Shu Yao was the sole audience to that smile.

“What?” Lin Ran prompted again.

Shu Yao swallowed.

Her grip on the umbrella handle was tight, her palm as damp as the weather outside.

Even as her voice trembled with tension and her cheeks bloomed with a rosy flush, she repeated, just as the other wished:

“Because… my girlfriend was waiting for me.”

Lin Ran.

Was her girlfriend.