Beauty House

Ambiguous Plagiarism

"Teacher Li, have you completed your exam paper? Does it seem of reasonable difficulty?" At that moment, Lai Quan darted once more to Teacher Li’s side.

A crisp sound resounded as Zhang Yu’s hand inadvertently brushed against the smooth, rounded curve of Teacher Li’s hip.

Engrossed in solving problems, Teacher Li’s countenance instantaneously hardened into an icy mask as she intoned, "Hurry and complete it—the final part remains." For a fleeting moment, she mistook Zhang Yu’s impetuous caress for Lai Quan’s mischief. Were it not the vigilant scrutiny of an exam session, she might have struck him on the spot. Yet, constrained by the presence of countless students, she suppressed her ire.

"Fortune smiles upon us—I nearly escaped disaster," Zhang Yu mused silently as he crouched beside Teacher Li, grateful that Lai Quan's abrupt arrival had shielded him from her noticing his presence.

Oblivious to the frost on Teacher Li’s features, Lai Quan misconstrued her demeanor as warm welcome. Hastily, he shuffled a stool forward and said, "Teacher, I propose we finish the last few questions together and compare answers."

Her expression remaining as cold as ice, Teacher Li replied, "Are you not meant to be invigilating?"

Lai Quan shook his head. "These students scarcely have any chance to cheat. Even if they copied from one another, they’d gain nothing—indeed, these slackers are utterly inept."

Before Teacher Li could protest, Lai Quan boldly seated himself at her side, feigning interest in her answer sheet while positioning himself conspicuously near, exuding an air of false intimacy.

Teacher Li’s silent fury deepened, yet with the classroom teeming with students, she steeled herself to focus solely on her problems, casting no further glance at the lecherous countenance beside her.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yu hastily recorded every answer he could glimpse, then rushed back to Wang Tong. "I’ve got the answers—now listen as I recite them."

Wang Tong had observed Zhang Yu’s recent maneuver with clear amusement. With playful mischief, she remarked, "Teacher Li is renowned as our school’s beauty, isn’t it? Bet you felt quite the thrill." The dramatic display delighted her immensely.

"Enough, enough..." Zhang Yu suddenly interjected, chastising her, "Why prattle on? Merely record the answers I’ve noted—there’s nothing more."

"Very well, speak, and I shall record." Reinvigorated, Wang Tong eagerly seized a pen, her gaze no longer wandering in idle wonder.

"Some of these symbols elude me," Zhang Yu confessed. "Never mind—just mimic the act of holding a pen; I have memorized it all thoroughly."

Though Zhang Yu had not pursued higher education, his remarkable memory required little labor to recall every detail.

"Better yet, let me assist you in answering the paper," Wang Tong declared, her delight growing. She theatrically picked up her pen, pretending to jot down answers.

Leaning close behind her, Zhang Yu grasped her pen-holding hand and murmured, "Do not press too hard; merely feign the act of writing."

"Understood," Wang Tong replied, her cheeks tinged with a shy blush at the intimate proximity, as she allowed Zhang Yu to hold her hand. To others, Zhang Yu might be but an insubstantial presence; to her, he was a tangible man—one whose presence she could both see and feel.

Since unlocking her inner heart the previous night in Zhang Yu’s presence, Wang Tong’s emotions had subtly transformed. Once dismissive of the overly rational, she had long admired the audacity of a gangster—a type imbued with heroism, truly her ideal. Now, she harbored a growing inclination to embrace romance with a man of conventional merit, and the charming Zhang Yu had become her clandestine candidate.

"I intend to explore what it means to love a normal man—experiment, learn, and then seek out a new passion," she mused inwardly. Unbeknownst to Zhang Yu, who was intently scribbling answers at her side, Wang Tong had already resolved to pursue a new way of life.

"Indeed, it is most gratifying to practice calligraphy in such an intimate manner!" Wang Tong recalled with warmth the tender moments of her childhood, when her father’s guiding hand would steady hers as she learned to write. A gentle nostalgia filled her heart.

As Zhang Yu remained pressed against Wang Tong’s back, feeling the softness and warmth of her body and inhaling her subtle fragrance, his mind wandered mischievously. This intimate contact aroused an ambiguous longing in both of them, their hearts stirring with a f*******n tenderness. Besides the occasional soft rustle of pen on paper and their subdued breaths, no other sound intruded upon their shared reverie, leaving them nearly intoxicated by the sensation.

At last, Zhang Yu finished the final character and said, "That is all. Teacher Li’s answers have been entirely recorded. The remaining questions—she has yet to complete—permit me to take one more glance."

Wang Tong shook her head. "Enough; the points from these questions suffice. The later problems are far too formidable. Were I to solve them, it would be conspicuously abnormal."

For Wang Tong, scoring merely a pass was considered sufficient. With the exam so daunting, an unexpectedly brilliant performance would only betray her true nature.

Glancing toward Lai Quan, Wang Tong remarked, "That scoundrel never ceases to pester Teacher Li. Now, it’s your turn to shine."

"What exactly should I do?" Zhang Yu queried uncertainly.

"You simpleton—play the hero and rescue the beauty, of course. Now, follow my lead..." She whispered directly in his ear before offering a knowing smile, "Does that suit you?"

"Please, not that," Zhang Yu protested weakly. "It feels far too risque."

"Do as I say, or tonight you shall not share my bed," Wang Tong declared, her tone dripping with suggestive admonition as her face flushed once more, reminiscent of a spurned wife engaged in a quarrel with her husband.

"Very well, I’ll comply at once," Zhang Yu acquiesced with a smile, relinquishing any further objection and hastening away.