Beauty House

The Icy Elegance of the Lady Teacher

In the classroom, a clamor reigned as many students, eager to sharpen their pencils and their wits for a last-minute review, frantically seized every available moment. Others busied themselves furtively copying down key points and answers, preparing for the impending examination.

Yet Wang Tong remained utterly unruffled, reclining languidly against her desk with an air of carefree ease.

"Have you revised sufficiently?" a friend inquired quietly.

With unwavering confidence, Wang Tong replied, "Of course—how could a person as conscientious as I not be well-prepared?" With that, she bestowed upon Zhang Yu a wry, knowing wink.

"Do you revel in the ease of unearned success?" Zhang Yu observed, his irritation simmering as he beheld her self-satisfied expression—a sentiment that made him feel like an unwilling conscript in this elaborate charade.

Wang Tong laughed softly at his remark, "Undoubtedly, who does not savor the fruit of effortless gain?"

Their veiled contest of wits and playful gestures—though exchanged through a silent, mental dialogue that left Zhang Yu unseen—confounded their nearby peers, who could only perceive Wang Tong’s whispered, mischievous soliloquies addressed to empty air.

Perplexed, one student murmured, "What ails you? Your expression is one of anguish, as though you suffer some hidden pain."

"Nothing of the sort," Wang Tong quickly fabricated, "merely having retired too late last night, I now exercise my facial muscles to stave off rigidity." With a conspiratorial shushing gesture, she cautioned, "Hush—lest our secret be uncovered." But Zhang Yu, undeterred, replied languidly, "Speak if you will; what can you do to me?"

"How dare you..." Wang Tong fumed silently, restrained by the setting of the classroom where further commotion would only breed misfortune. In truth, she always found a perverse pleasure in teasing Zhang Yu—even if today his reprisal left her with a simmering fury.

Fortuitously, their clandestine exchanges remained hidden beneath the din of the underground, unnoticed by others. Through mere thought, their conversation flowed, Wang Tong’s inner voice audible only to Zhang Yu—there was no need for her lips to move lest their subterfuge be exposed.

"After this exam, you shall truly rue it," Wang Tong vowed inwardly as the nib of her pen frayed several sheets of her draft notes.

Then, the bell rang. The invigilators, armed with test papers, entered the room. Given the notorious propensity for cheating among the physical education students, South Maple University had appointed two young, vigorous, and implacable teachers to supervise, ensuring not a single student could resort to illicit copying.

The atmosphere in the classroom sank instantly with the arrival of these stern overseers.

"Alas, we are doomed—today the school has dispatched two iron-fisted examiners. As if the four great constables themselves had come—shall we even survive?" murmured a student.

At the podium stood two youthful teachers—a man and a woman—both striking in their appearance. Particularly, the female teacher possessed a rare, captivating beauty that commanded even Zhang Yu, a self-assured beautician, to murmur in admiration, "Truly, a mortal enchantress."

The lady teacher stood about 165 centimeters tall, her long, flowing hair reminiscent of fine silk noodles cascading with effortless grace. Her flawless, porcelain skin glowed with youthful radiance. Clad in a crisp white blouse that accentuated her purity like a freshly bloomed lotus, and form-fitting denim that revealed her statuesque legs, she appeared the very embodiment of refined grace—her alabaster face unblemished yet imbued with an air of cool detachment.

"Li Yun," the male invigilator instructed as he handed a stack of test papers to her counterpart, "please distribute the papers, while I address the examination protocols." Then, confidently ascending the platform, he launched into a diatribe outlining the strict regulations.

"Listen well—no cheating! Should I catch anyone in violation, your scores shall be nullified and reported to the administration. Erase all markings upon your desks without delay; dispose of any scrap notes or related paraphernalia you may have stashed in your pockets. And heed this: no glancing at mobile phones during the exam..."

Under his domineering barrage of decrees, every student paled. Following his thorough confiscation, all the carefully prepared cheat sheets vanished like mist.

Yet Wang Tong remained unperturbed; she had relied on nothing but her own cunning, and so evaded the teacher’s clutches.

The athletic students, constantly ensnared by training and sport, found little time for study. Many had hoped to glean secrets through surreptitious notes; but this teacher’s ruthless inspection had rendered their labors futile, leaving them in despair.

"Such treachery and shameless deceit," Wang Tong lamented as she surveyed her disgruntled classmates. "Now that all our study guides and answers have been confiscated, where am I to copy from?"

In the meantime, Zhang Yu quipped, "This is truly calamitous—tell me, whose answers will you appropriate now?"

With stern resolve, Wang Tong retorted, "I care not—only devise a solution for me. Should I fail this 'Calculus' exam, you will answer for it!"

At that moment, the striking lady teacher spoke: "Fill in your student numbers and names carefully; check that no papers are omitted or misallocated—I shall exchange them if necessary."

Zhang Yu, having overheard that her name was Li Yun, was enraptured by the sweetness of her voice. He could not help but think, "Her voice is as melodious as falling pearls."

Each word she uttered was as clear and crisp as a broadcaster’s diction, cascading like the gentle murmur of a babbling brook—an auditory delight, as enchanting as music, rendering Zhang Yu spellbound.

"i***t, do not let your thoughts stray," Wang Tong chided him softly. "For know that Teacher Li is famed for her cool beauty. Have you noticed, even now, she has not once smiled?"

Upon hearing Wang Tong’s remark, Zhang Yu cast another furtive glance at Teacher Li, confirming that indeed, her countenance remained as frosty as ever, exuding an impassive chill. Yet, nestled between her brows appeared a hint of an ineffable sorrow—a melancholy so profound it seemed deliberately concealed.

"Could it be that she harbors a hidden grief?" Zhang Yu wondered, compassion stirring within him. In his memory, genuine coldness was rare; most merely masked their inner sentiments with an icy facade. Teacher Li, he mused, seemed of the latter kind.

Once the papers were distributed, Teacher Li did not immediately sit. Instead, she wandered about the examination hall, her eyes scanning the room for any irregularity.

The male invigilator, ever solicitous, sidled up to her and remarked, "Teacher Li, all this pacing must tire you—why not take a seat and rest?"

"I am not weary; I fare well," she replied icily, her demeanor as unyielding as ancient frost. With that, she dismissed his concern and resumed her vigilant patrol.

"Foolish wench, utterly ungrateful," the male teacher muttered under his breath before persistently trailing behind her, feigning a watchful eye over the room.

Witnessing this farcical pursuit stirred Zhang Yu’s indignation. "That man is utterly detestable," he thought.

Meanwhile, Wang Tong interjected, "Do not concern yourself with his abhorrence—hurry, fetch someone to aid me in copying answers, or I shall be utterly doomed!" Up until that moment, she had scarcely written anything herself; recent heartbreak had robbed her the will to study, and the test paper before her seemed as alien as if inscribed in another language.

"Very well, I shall secure you a copy promptly," Zhang Yu acquiesced, scouring the room. Yet, he soon discovered that many students' papers were blank, while those that contained answers were filled with implausible responses—too unreliable to inform his own efforts.

"I have searched far and wide, yet I find no truly capable scholar among you. Tell me whose paper you wish me to copy," he sighed in resignation.

Surveying the despondent faces of her peers, Wang Tong lamented, "Fortune has turned against us!"

At that precise moment, Teacher Li, vexed by the incessant clamor of the male invigilator trailing her, commanded, "Lai Laoshi, you are vigorous and full of youthful energy. Continue to oversee the examination; I am rather fatigued. I shall now attempt this very test to discern its difficulty."

Thus, Teacher Li ascended the podium, selected a test paper and pen, and settled at an unoccupied desk, intent on working through the questions.

As she perused the exam, she noted with mild curiosity that many candidates had not yet commenced writing. Opening the paper, she soon realized that it contained only essay questions and no multiple-choice items—explaining the profound distress of the students.

For the male teacher, who had labored mightily to secure his position in this class, working alongside Teacher Li was a rare privilege. In his eyes, he was something of a celebrity at South Maple University: youthful, affluent, and dashing—a veritable Prince Charming in the eyes of many a female student. He had believed that winning over the icy beauty of Teacher Li would be effortless; yet her disregard had struck his pride a severe blow.

Now, with anger evident in his eyes, he vowed retribution after the exam—an opportunity to vent his wounded ego.

In the midst of all this, Zhang Yu seized the chance to scurry toward Teacher Li, concealing himself behind her and furtively striving to glimpse the answers written upon her paper. Yet her pen moved with such rapidity, and the curve of her arm intermittently obscured the text, rendering it nearly indecipherable. Undeterred, he edged ever closer until his body nearly pressed against hers.

In that crucial moment, Teacher Li swept her hand aside to ease the strain of fatigue, and he sensed that her hand might soon brush against him.

"Alas—exposure is imminent," Zhang Yu thought in dismay.