Forcibly Taken by My Student’s Mother - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: It Seems She Can’t Wait to Make Her Move…

When Tao Yao reappeared wearing that awkward pink dress, she was met with Su Xiaowan’s jaw-dropping expression.

“Oh my god, Teacher Tao!” Su Xiaowan let out a whistle, her eyes glowing like searchlights. “You actually look so… feminine in a dress? But why does this dress look so familiar? Isn’t this the brand my Mommy likes?”

Tao Yao tugged at the hem, annoyed: “Stop the nonsense. Get to studying; we’ve already wasted a lot of time today.”

“But it’s really hard for me to focus when you’re dressed like this.” Su Xiaowan rested her chin on her hand, her eyes scanning up and down Tao Yao’s body. “Seriously, Teacher Tao, have you considered going for the ‘gentle older sister’ look? You’d definitely have tons of pursuers.”

“What ‘look’ I go for is none of your business!” Tao Yao slammed the textbook onto the table. “Now, immediately, right now—look at page three, the distinction between the usages of ‘de’, ‘de’, and ‘de’. If you can’t tell them apart today, I’ll make you copy them a hundred times.”

Su Xiaowan made a face and reluctantly opened the book.

However, her attention was clearly still on Tao Yao’s dress. Taking advantage of the moment Tao Yao turned around to write on the board, she secretly took out her phone and snapped a quick photo.

Tao Yao was completely oblivious to this.

She just felt that the dress was incredibly awkward to wear. The fabric was too body-hugging; she was afraid a move that was too large would pop a seam. And this color… pink. The last time she wore pink was probably during a primary school talent show.

Su Xiaowan, for a change, was a bit more well-behaved, likely intimidated by Lu Xuelan’s presence at home.

“Chinese is so hard.” Su Xiaowan wailed and collapsed onto the desk. “Why are there so many ‘de’s!”

Just as Tao Yao was about to speak, a dull thud of thunder suddenly echoed outside the window. Both of them turned their heads simultaneously to see that the sky, which had been clear just a moment ago, was now covered in dark clouds. Immediately after, pea-sized raindrops hammered against the floor-to-ceiling window, instantly merging into a curtain of rain.

“Wow, it’s really coming down.” Su Xiaowan ran to the window. “This rain is way too heavy.”

Tao Yao’s heart sank.

Great. Her little electric scooter was still downstairs, and this rain didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon.

Sure enough, by the time the lesson ended, the rain showed no signs of weakening; instead, it poured even harder, and the sky was as dark as seven or eight in the evening.

The violent wind lashed the rain against the glass, making a pitter-patter sound.

“Teacher Tao, why don’t you stay here tonight!” Su Xiaowan excitedly clutched the window. “There are plenty of guest rooms. We can watch movies, chat, and I have lots more questions about Chinese to ask you!”

“No!” Tao Yao refused without even thinking.

What a joke. Stay at Lu Xuelan’s house?

Just thinking about it made her feel uncomfortable all over, not to mention everything that had happened today.

The embarrassment of the shower and changing clothes hadn’t even dissipated yet; staying the night? She was afraid she’d have nightmares about black lace all night.

“Then how will you get back? It’s probably very hard to call a car right now.” Su Xiaowan spread her hands and pointed at the dress Tao Yao was wearing. “Besides, dressed like that… you can’t exactly charge through a rainstorm on your little scooter, can you?”

Tao Yao looked at the waterfall of rain outside the window, then looked down at the dress she was wearing, falling into a dilemma.

True, this outfit wasn’t convenient for rushing through the rain, but staying here…

Just then, Lu Xuelan’s figure appeared on the stairs again.

She had already changed out of her suit and was wearing a set of casual loungewear—a beige knit cardigan and matching trousers. Her chestnut curls were draped loosely over her shoulders, lacking some of the sharpness and sternness of the daytime and possessing a bit more of a domestic softness.

However, her aura remained cold, except that the coldness seemed to have caught a trace of the rainy night’s tranquility.

She walked down the stairs, her gaze sweeping over the torrential rain outside before landing on Tao Yao, accurately capturing the look of worry on her face.

“The rain won’t stop for a while.” Lu Xuelan spoke, her voice sounding particularly clear against the background of the splashing rain. “I happen to be going to the office to handle some urgent matters. It’s on the way; I’ll give Teacher Tao a lift.”

Tao Yao wanted to refuse, almost instinctively: “That’s too much trouble for President Lu. I’ll wait until the rain lets up, or call a car…”

“At this hour, it’s very hard to call a car in the villa district.” Lu Xuelan’s tone carried the authoritative sense of a superior that allowed no refusal, her eyes looking at her calmly. “Your safety is also something I need to consider. Let’s go; don’t waste time.”

Since it had been put that way, refusing again would make Tao Yao seem petty.

And she was indeed anxious to get home—she still had to rush her manuscript. It would be a disservice to herself not to write today’s experiences into her novel.

She took a look at the dress she was wearing that didn’t belong to her and hesitated: “Then these clothes…”

“They’re a gift.” Lu Xuelan had already walked to the entryway and picked up a long-handled black umbrella.

Tao Yao had no choice but to follow, though she felt inexplicably apprehensive, even more so than in the study earlier that afternoon.

Being alone with Lu Xuelan in a sealed car?

Outside was wind and rain, inside was a cramped space, plus today’s series of events… this feeling was too bizarre.

Su Xiaowan waved her hand behind them: “Goodbye, Teacher Tao! Be careful on the road!”

Lu Xuelan’s car was a black sedan with sleek lines; the interior was simple yet high-class. Tao Yao sat in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. The tip of her nose was surrounded by the faint, cold fragrance of the car mixed with a bit of the rain’s dampness.

The car drove steadily into the rainy night.

The windshield wipers were turned to maximum, swaying left and right rhythmically, barely clearing away the sheets of water.

The cabin was very quiet, with only the sound of the raindrops densely drumming against the windows and a soothing, low classical piano piece flowing from the stereo.

The air conditioning temperature was appropriate, but Tao Yao felt a bit sweltering.

Especially wearing this excessively body-hugging dress, she felt like her own heartbeat could be heard.

She stole a glance at Lu Xuelan. The other woman was focused on the road blurred by the rain ahead, her profile appearing distinct under the dim light of the dashboard, possessing a kind of quiet beauty.

The soft material of the knit cardigan softened her usual sharpness; she looked… actually a bit gentle?

Stop! Tao Yao, what are you thinking? She immediately gave herself a mental slap.

This is the “fake prude” who called you a ‘gold-digger’ and wore black lace to test you. Wake up!

Perhaps her gaze was too obvious, as Lu Xuelan suddenly turned her face: “Teacher Tao, what is it?”

“N-nothing!” Tao Yao quickly turned her head to look out the window. “I just think this rain is really heavy.”

“Mmm.” Lu Xuelan responded, paused, then added, “Riding a bike in this weather is indeed unsafe.”

Tao Yao didn’t pick up the conversation.

She didn’t know what to say; she felt that whatever she said would be weird.

At a long red light, the car slowed to a stop, the rain merging into small streams on the windows.

Lu Xuelan suddenly turned her face again, her gaze landing on Tao Yao’s slightly cramped profile as she stared out the window.

“Teacher Tao is so outstanding.” she spoke suddenly, her voice sounding particularly clear in the small space of the car, carrying a low magnetism. “In school, you must be very popular? Not a few pursuers?”

Here it comes, here it comes!

Alarm bells rang in Tao Yao’s mind. She knew this old woman was going to start something.

Isn’t this the start of probing to see if she has a lover? It seems she can’t wait to make her move on her.