Forcibly Taken by My Student’s Mother - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: You Like… Playing This Kind of… So Much?

Tao Yao practically fled home.

She rushed into the bathroom, turned on the cold water to wash her face vigorously, and let out a wail.

The icy water stimulated her skin, but it couldn’t extinguish the agitation in her heart. She looked up, seeing her flushed face in the mirror; her lips were still slightly swollen, and the corners of her eyes held a suspicious watery glint.

Facing the mirror, she said through gritted teeth, “You were kissed by a woman, and you kissed back. You’re finished.”

She was straight.

At least, until she met Lu Xuelan, she had always firmly believed so.

But now?

Tao Yao’s mind was a mess of mush. She tried to organize her thoughts, but those images flashed like movie clips on a loop.

The hand of Lu Xuelan cupping the back of her head.

Lu Xuelan’s body pressed close.

Lu Xuelan’s moist, warm breath.

And that kiss… that damn, leg-weakening kiss.

“This was just an accident,” Tao Yao murmured to herself. “Right, that’s it. I’m definitely not gay.”

She struggled to get up, went back to the bedroom, and threw herself onto the bed.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, those images returned.

Even clearer than before.

She could even recall the sensation of Lu Xuelan’s tongue sweeping across the roof of her mouth—that tingling feeling traveled all the way from her mouth to her spine, making her go soft all over.

“No, no, no, no!”

Tao Yao bolted upright, grabbed her phone from the nightstand, and with trembling fingers, opened an emotional forum she frequently visited.

Taking a deep breath, she typed the title into the post box:

“Urgent! Kissed by a woman, but I’m really straight! My mind is a mess, what should I do?”

Her fingers paused for a few seconds before she began writing the body of the post:

“OP is female, always thought I was straight. But something happened recently… I was forcefully kissed by a woman, and I… I seem to have responded. Now my head is full of that kiss, my heart is racing, but I feel very ashamed. What’s wrong with me? Am I turning gay? Seeking everyone’s analysis, please go easy on me.”

Click publish.

Not long after the post went up, replies started coming in.

Floor 1: Sofa! Squatting for the follow-up!

Floor 2: Sis, tell us the details? How did you get kissed? Who is she? Is she good-looking?

Floor 3: OP, don’t be in a hurry to label yourself. Sexual orientation is fluid; you might just haven’t met the person who truly moves you yet. Suggest staying calm for a few days and asking your heart: do you look forward to the next contact?

Floor 4: Asking for a friend, what does it feel like to kiss a girl? Is it different from kissing a guy?

Floor 5: I had a similar experience! I always thought I was straight, then I got kissed by my bestie and realized I had feelings for girls too. I’ve been with my girlfriend for two years now, very happy. Why not open your heart and try, OP?

Floor 6: Hahaha, OP’s description is so vivid. Your head is full of that kiss—this is clearly being moved! Why obsess over being straight or not, just give in!

Floor 7: Not necessarily. It could be an illusion caused by the situation, like a romantic atmosphere. Suggest OP recall: besides the physiological reaction during the kiss, do you have other feelings for her?

Floor 8: Seeking details, how did she kiss you? What did it feel like when you responded? Tell us more!

Floor 9: Don’t listen to the nonsense above. OP, you were just momentarily confused. Suggest staying away from that woman and returning to normal life.

Floor 10: Just let nature take its course. Life is short; don’t make it hard on yourself.

Tao Yao scrolled through the replies one by one, her head getting even messier.

Every reply seemed to make sense.

Yet none seemed to fully explain her current state.

She stared at the phone screen, her finger hovering over the keyboard, wanting to reply to something but not knowing what to say.

Finally, she irritably closed the forum and threw the phone aside.

“What a mess,” she muttered. “Asking was the same as not asking.”

But those replies took root in her mind, especially the one asking, “besides the physiological reaction during the kiss, do you have other feelings for her?”

Tao Yao froze.

Other feelings?

What other feelings could she have for Lu Xuelan?

Fear? Nervousness? Wanting to avoid her?

But besides those… there seemed to be something else.

By the pool, when Lu Xuelan kissed her, besides the initial shock, she… didn’t seem to hate it.

“Ah—” Tao Yao rolled around on the bed holding her head. “Stop thinking, stop thinking!”

She decided to find something else to do to distract herself.

Cleaning.

No sooner said than done.

Tao Yao rolled up her sleeves and began tidying the room. She first reorganized the books on the shelf, then mopped the floor until it was gleaming, and even wiped down the window glass.

After more than an hour of work, the house was refreshed.

Tao Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the tidy room, feeling slightly better.

“Alright, take a shower and wash the clothes too.” She walked into the bedroom, talking to herself, and opened the wardrobe.

Then, she froze.

In the deepest part of the wardrobe, that deep blue silk nightgown lay there quietly.

Like evidence of a crime.

Reminding her of that day’s absurdity, when Lu Xuelan used those sexy nightgowns to provoke her.

Tao Yao stared at that nightgown for a long time.

She reached out her hand, her fingertips touching the cool silk fabric, but she pulled back as if burned.

In the end, she gritted her teeth and took the nightgown out, preparing to throw it into the laundry basket with the other clothes. But when she carried the basket into the bathroom to pour the clothes into the washing machine, the deep blue nightgown popped out from the pile again, as if silently mocking her.

Tao Yao broke down.

She clutched her head, squatting on the bathroom floor, letting out a muffled roar:

“Ahhh—what should I do! What exactly should I do!”

The entire day, Tao Yao lived in a daze.

She ordered takeout for dinner, but only took a few bites before losing her appetite.

She clicked on that forum several times, seeing that her post had a few more replies.

Floor 105: OP, let me tell you, you’re just dazzled by beauty! That woman must be very pretty, right? Who doesn’t like a pretty woman? But that doesn’t mean you’re gay!

Floor 106: I feel that matters of the heart shouldn’t be defined in a hurry. Follow your heart; if you still want to see her, then see. If you feel uncomfortable, keep your distance. Time will give you the answer.

Floor 107: Just gossiping, who is that woman exactly? Colleague? Friend? OP, give us some info?

Tao Yao turned off her phone and sighed.

Follow her heart?

Her heart right now was like a ball of tangled yarn; she couldn’t untangle it at all.

Lying in bed at night, she stared at the ceiling as two little versions of herself fought in her head.

One little person said: “Tao Yao, you’re just gay, admit it. Otherwise, why would you kiss a woman back? Otherwise, why is your head full of her?”

The other little person said: “Bullsh!t! I was just momentarily confused, dazzled by beauty. I’ll be fine once I clear my head.”

The two little people fought relentlessly, and Tao Yao didn’t sleep well all night.

The next morning, she looked at her haggard self in the mirror with dark circles under her eyes, gritted her teeth, and made a decision.

Avoid.

She clicked on the chat interface with Su Xiaowan, her fingers typing rapidly:

“Xiaowan, Teacher isn’t feeling very well today, so I’m taking a leave. Help me tell your mom.”

Not long after the message was sent, Su Xiaowan replied:

“Ah? Teacher Tao, are you sick? Is it serious? Do you want me to visit you?”

Tao Yao quickly replied:

“No need, no need, just a bit of a headache. I’ll be fine after some sleep. Stay home and do your homework properly.”

Just after sending it, the phone vibrated again.

This time, it was Lu Xuelan.

Tao Yao’s heart skipped a beat, and her fingers even trembled a little.

She took a deep breath and clicked the message.

Lu Xuelan: “Teacher Tao, Xiaowan said you’re not feeling well? Do you need to go to the hospital? I’ll have the driver pick you up.”

The tone was very normal, even carrying concern.

But it made a chill run down Tao Yao’s spine.

She bit her nails, thought for a long time, and then cautiously replied:

“Thank you for the concern, Director Lu. I’m just a bit tired. I’ll be fine after a day of rest; no need to trouble you.”

Lu Xuelan replied quickly:

“Then get some good rest. I’m home today; I’ll teach Xiaowan properly.”

Tao Yao stared at the word “teach,” always feeling it was meaningful.

She could practically imagine Su Xiaowan’s tragic state; Lu Xuelan would definitely give the culprit who put her on a matchmaking site a good lesson.

Sure enough, after a short while, Su Xiaowan sent a string of crying faces:

“Teacher Tao, help! My mom says she’s going to personally tutor me on my schoolwork today. I’m finished; she’s definitely going to drive me into the ground.”

A hint of sympathy welled up in Tao Yao’s heart, but she could barely save herself right now; how could she have the mind to worry about Su Xiaowan?

She replied with a “fighting” emoji and quickly turned off her phone.

This day, Tao Yao lived in suspense and a daze.

The next day, she couldn’t take leave anymore.

She had to go even if she had to force herself.

Before leaving, Tao Yao stood in front of the mirror for a long time. She specifically chose her most conservative outfit—a loose white T-shirt, light blue jeans, canvas shoes, her hair tied in the simplest ponytail, and no makeup.

“Perfect.” She nodded at the mirror. “Just like this, keep your distance.”

Arriving at the villa, Tao Yao observed first like a thief.

The black sedan Lu Xuelan usually drove wasn’t in the garage.

She let out a slight sigh of relief and rang the doorbell.

Auntie Zhang came to open the door, saying with a smile, “Teacher Tao is here? Xiaowan is waiting for you in the study.”

“Director Lu… isn’t home, right?” Tao Yao asked tentatively.

Auntie Zhang said, “Director Lu went out early this morning. Is there something, Teacher Tao?”

“No, no.”

Tao Yao waved her hands quickly, completely putting her mind at ease.

She walked into the study and was startled at the first sight of Su Xiaowan.

Su Xiaowan was sprawled across the desk like a salted fish that had lost its dreams. She had two large dark circles under her eyes, her face was pale, and her hair was a mess; she looked even more haggard than Tao Yao.

“Teacher Tao.” Su Xiaowan raised her hand weakly. “You’re finally here… I thought you were going to abandon me…”

Tao Yao put down her bag and walked over: “What happened to you?”

“What happened?” Su Xiaowan sat up suddenly, her emotions agitated. “My mom! That she-devil, she tortured me all day yesterday!”

She began to vent her grievances: “First, she made me swim a hundred laps—a hundred laps! My legs were about to cramp up!”

“Then she made me copy words—a hundred of them, and I wasn’t allowed to eat until I finished.”

“The most excessive part—” Su Xiaowan’s eyes turned red, “she made me copy the house rules! A hundred times! A hundred times, Teacher Tao! My hand was about to break from writing!”

Tao Yao listened with trepidation: “House rules? What house rules?”

Su Xiaowan pulled a piece of paper from the drawer and slapped it on the desk: “See for yourself!”

Tao Yao leaned in.

Lines of house rules were written on the paper in beautiful fountain pen ink; the handwriting was sharp, clearly Lu Xuelan’s hand.

She read them one by one:

Rule 1: No being disrespectful or fooling around with the teacher. Maintain the proper distance and etiquette between teacher and student.

Tao Yao’s cheeks heated up slightly.

This rule… was way too specific, wasn’t it?

Rule 2: Large expenditures must be reported in advance. Unauthorized use will result in the confiscation of all pocket money.

Rule 3: No loud shouting at home, no swearing, and no wailing during games that affects others.

Tao Yao read them one by one, feeling more and more sympathy for Su Xiaowan.

These clauses, every word and sentence, were targeted at Su Xiaowan’s recent ‘crimes’. Especially rules one and three—they were practically a precision strike against Su Xiaowan for interrupting her mom’s “good business.”

“Do you see?” Su Xiaowan said with a long face. “My mom is just retaliating—pure, naked retaliation.”

Tao Yao guiltily looked away: “It… it’s not really retaliation… just setting some rules…”

“This doesn’t count as retaliation?” Su Xiaowan’s eyes widened. “Teacher Tao, why are you also taking her side?”

“I’m not.” Tao Yao denied it quickly. “I just feel… your mom is doing it for your own good too.”

Su Xiaowan wailed, “How can anyone torment someone like this? I’m so pitiful, I’m going to resist! I’m going to run away from home!”

Tao Yao was startled and quickly advised, “Don’t be impulsive! Where can you go if you run away? Besides, your mother is just worried about you…”

“I don’t want her worrying.” Su Xiaowan said huffily. “Teacher Tao, I can’t stay in this house for even one more day! If this continues, I’ll either be driven crazy by her or worked to death.”

Looking at her red eyes, Tao Yao’s sympathy finally won out.

She patted Su Xiaowan’s shoulder and said softly, “Alright, don’t be sad. Study hard, and once you get to university, you’ll be free.”

Su Xiaowan sniffed and nodded vigorously: “Right! I’m going to study hard and leave this devil’s den!”

By a stroke of luck, Su Xiaowan’s attitude toward studying really became much more upright.

Over the next few days, she stopped complaining; the earnestness she showed even made Tao Yao look at her in a new light.

As for Tao Yao herself, she began her “precision avoidance” strategy.

Every morning, she would first message Su Xiaowan:

“Xiaowan, has your mom gone out?”

Su Xiaowan would usually reply in seconds:

“She’s gone, she’s gone, she just left. Teacher Tao, come quickly.”

Only after confirming Lu Xuelan wasn’t home did Tao Yao dare to go to class.

After class, she didn’t even dare to eat the afternoon tea Auntie Zhang prepared. She would grab her bag and rush out, afraid that staying an extra second would result in bumping into Lu Xuelan.

She kept her phone on silent. If Lu Xuelan sent a message, she either pretended not to see it or delayed it for hours before replying with a brief, polite, business-like phrase:

“Director Lu, Xiaowan’s homework for today has been graded; the accuracy is 85%.”

“Director Lu, this is the study plan for next week for your review.”

She never mentioned the pool.

She never mentioned that kiss.

For three consecutive days, Tao Yao didn’t see Lu Xuelan again.

Even L didn’t message her.

The taut string in Tao Yao’s heart gradually relaxed.

She began to feel that maybe Lu Xuelan really understood her rejection.

Maybe the pool incident that day really was just an accident, and Lu Xuelan regretted it too, so she stopped persisting.

This was for the best.

Everyone living in peace; once Su Xiaowan went to school and this job ended, they would go their separate ways and never meet again.

Tao Yao comforted herself this way.

But in a small corner of her heart, there was a trace of inexplicable loss.

As if she were looking forward to something, yet afraid of it at the same time.

Friday afternoon, Tao Yao finished class exactly on time. She checked the time: 4:50 PM.

Lu Xuelan usually didn’t come home until after 6:00 PM; this time was very safe.

“Xiaowan, today’s class ends here.” She said while packing her lesson plans. “Finish the homework I assigned, and I’ll check it on Monday.”

Su Xiaowan didn’t even look up, focusing intently on the problems: “Got it, Teacher Tao. Be careful on the road.”

Tao Yao picked up her bag, walked out of the study, greeted Auntie Zhang, and hurried toward the main gate.

Her pace was fast, almost a jog out of the villa.

But as soon as she stepped out the gate, she froze.

A black sedan stopped precisely in front of her. The window rolled down slowly, revealing an exquisitely made-up face.

Lu Xuelan.

She was clearly waiting there specifically. She was wearing a well-tailored white blazer over a black silk shirt; two buttons at the collar were undone, revealing her delicate collarbones. Her hair was tied in a bun, making the shape of her face appear even more beautiful.

She looked as though she had just come back from an important event and hadn’t had time to change yet.

Tao Yao’s heart began to race.

She wanted to retreat, wanted to turn and run, but her feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, unable to move.

Lu Xuelan pushed open the car door and got out.

Her high heels clicked against the ground, making a crisp sound—step by step, she walked toward her.

The sense of oppression was immense.

Tao Yao instinctively stepped back, but behind her was the villa’s perimeter wall; there was no escape.

“D-Director Lu…” her voice was tight. “What a coincidence, you just got back?”

Lu Xuelan stopped in front of her, very close—close enough that Tao Yao could smell the faint scent of her perfume, a cold cedar note mixed with an extremely subtle, crisp scent.

“Not a coincidence.” Lu Xuelan looked at her, dark undercurrents swirling in her eyes. “I was waiting for you.”

Tao Yao’s heart beat even faster.

She forced herself to stay calm. Before Lu Xuelan could speak, she said at a rapid-fire pace:

“Director Lu, Xiaowan has made great progress lately. I’m just about to go back and prepare my lessons. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going—”

Finishing in one breath, she moved sideways, wanting to slip away.

Lu Xuelan reached out and blocked her path.

Her arm was across Tao Yao’s front. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, Tao Yao could feel the temperature of the other woman’s skin.

She recoiled violently as if burned.

“Teacher Tao.” Lu Xuelan’s voice was very light, yet it carried an unquestionable force. “You’re avoiding me again.”

Tao Yao’s gaze drifted, not daring to look at her: “I’m not, how could I… I’ve just… just been busy lately. Preparing lessons, and…”

“Because of what happened at the pool that day?” Lu Xuelan interrupted her, pressing a step closer and lowering her voice.

Tao Yao’s face turned bright red instantly.

She leaned back, her back pressing against the cold perimeter wall; there was no escape.

“That day was a misunderstanding!” she said incoherently. “Really, I… I might have just not been in a relationship for too long, and seeing a beautiful woman made me… ah, no. I mean…”

She became more confused as she spoke, finally letting it all out: “Anyway, treat that day as if it never happened—let’s both forget it. I’m still Xiaowan’s teacher, and we’ll keep a pure employer-employee relationship, okay?”

Lu Xuelan froze.

She looked at Tao Yao’s bright red face, her panicked gaze, and those lips that were incessantly trying to explain.

After a long while, the color of her eyes deepened, a hint of realization mixed into her confusion.

“Teacher Tao…” she sighed softly, her tone complicated. “Do you like… playing this kind of game that much?”

Tao Yao was baffled.

“Game?” She blinked, completely not understanding what the other woman was talking about. “What game?”

Lu Xuelan looked at her deeply, opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something.

But at that moment, her phone rang.

The urgent ringing was exceptionally piercing in the quiet air.

Lu Xuelan frowned and glanced at the screen—it was a call from her assistant.

She picked up: “Speak.”

The assistant’s anxious voice came from the other end. Through the earpiece, Tao Yao could vaguely hear words like “overseas project,” “emergency meeting,” and “needs your immediate decision.”

Lu Xuelan’s expression turned somber.

As she listened to the phone, her gaze remained on Tao Yao’s face; that look was a mix of helplessness, confusion, and an emotion Tao Yao couldn’t understand.

“I understand.” She said into the phone. “Start the meeting in ten minutes. Send me the materials.”

Hanging up, she looked at Tao Yao again.

“Teacher Tao.” Her voice returned to its usual calm. “We’ll talk next time.”

She gave Tao Yao a deep look, as if trying to see through her.

Then, she turned and got into the car. The black sedan sped away.

Tao Yao stood frozen for a long time, Lu Xuelan’s words echoing repeatedly in her head:

“Do you like… playing this kind of game that much?”

Game?

What game?

Tao Yao was truly perplexed beyond measure.

She slowly walked home, pondering that sentence the whole way.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. The more she thought, the more she wondered… did Lu Xuelan know something?

Did she know she was ‘Tao Zhi Yao Yao’? Was that why she said “game”—was she mocking her for being inconsistent? Flirting with her online while playing hard to get in person?

The more Tao Yao thought, the more alarmed she became, seeing ghosts behind every bush.

But on second thought, it didn’t seem right.

If Lu Xuelan really knew, given her personality, she wouldn’t be this calm.

Besides, that look just now… realization within confusion, as if she had seen through something yet was troubled by something at the same time.

What exactly was going on?

Tao Yao clutched her head, feeling as though her CPU was about to burn out.

She took out her phone and clicked on the chat interface with L.

The last message was from three days ago. L had asked her: “Been busy lately?”

She hadn’t replied then.

Looking at that dialog box now, Tao Yao’s finger hovered over the screen, unable to press down for a long time.

What should she say?

Ultimately, she sent nothing and silently turned off her phone.

Forget it.

She’d just take it one step at a time.