Chapter 74: A Teacher's Guidance, Ruinous Yet Unrelenting
Leon followed Sienna Tang for the second time to the research lab nestled within the bamboo forest. Unlike the first visit where he was merely a laborer, this time, he was introduced as her assistant.
As soon as they arrived, Leon hurried straight to the bathroom, puzzling Sienna with his familiarity with its location. She shrugged it off and went upstairs to introduce Leon to her other assistant, Stella Ling.
Leon opened the bathroom door, his mind instantly flashing back to the vivid memory of the last time he was here. He shivered, trying to shake off the lingering images.
"Professor, you're back," came a sudden voice from the shower, startling Leon midstream.
A slender silhouette appeared behind the frosted glass door. Leon, still in the middle of relieving himself, panicked. "Don't open the door…"
Too late. The door swung open with a swish.
The scene before him made Leon's heart stop.
A beautiful young girl emerged from the shower, rubbing her sleepy eyes, seemingly unaware of her nakedness. From her ivory neck to her firm chest and down to her long legs, every inch of her was a picture of youthful purity, now etched indelibly in Leon's memory.
The girl, realizing what was happening, froze.
When people encounter unexpected situations, their minds often blank out briefly if they haven't been conditioned for such events. This brief mental pause, lasting only a few seconds, can be devastating.
Leon saw everything. Despite his intentions to look away, his male instincts overrode his will for those few crucial seconds.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Pervert!!!"
Leon inwardly lamented, "Oh god, why me?"
Sienna Tang pounded the table, laughing uproariously, thoroughly shattering her students' image of her as the legendary, dignified professor.
Before her stood a boy and a girl, the former looking utterly innocent, the latter exuding boundless resentment.
Once she had her fill of laughter, Sienna composed herself, pushing her disheveled hair back into place and adjusting her glasses. "This is Stella Ling, my first assistant."
"And this is Leon Chen, a very talented assistant."
Stella's eyes were as innocent as her name suggested, yet they were now filled with a murderous intent that contradicted her otherwise sweet demeanor.
"The two of you had an unforgettable first meeting," Sienna giggled again, causing Leon to realize just how childlike Sienna could be at times, laughing so freely and openly.
"You two shouldn't be shy. You've both seen each other… no harm done…"
"Professor!" Stella's voice was a mix of embarrassment and fury.
"Alright, alright. Next time, Stella, lock the door when you're showering."
Stella pouted. She had no way of knowing Sienna would bring a man back. She had been hot and sweaty from organizing things and decided to take a shower to cool off. She was just a girl, after all.
"And Leon, next time check if someone's in the bathroom."
Leon shared Stella's sentiment of being wronged. He hadn't expected anyone to be in there either.
"You two need to work well together. If your issues affect your work, I'll fire you both! Stella, I mean it!" Sienna's tone turned serious, making it clear to Stella that she wasn't joking. Stella reluctantly agreed.
"Shake hands and let's pretend nothing happened."
Given that men are traditionally at a disadvantage in such situations, Leon was quick to humble himself. After all, looking at the bright side, Stella had been completely naked while he was at least half-dressed. If Stella knew his thoughts, she might have gone berserk on the spot.
"Sorry about that. Next time I'll make sure to check if you're in there," Leon said awkwardly.
"Drop dead!" Stella snapped, her anger subsiding somewhat after venting. Seeing Leon's sincerity and realizing it was an honest mistake, she tried to put it behind her, though her eyes occasionally glanced at him reflexively.
What a perverted senior!
Stella was a real beauty, with doe-like eyes, cherry lips, and willow brows. Leon never would have guessed that such a poised girl would end up being Sienna's assistant.
Sienna had returned two days ago, and the place had gathered quite a bit of dust. Many instruments and devices needed readjusting. Their task was to carry out some cleaning and reorganizing.
Seeing the myriad instruments and tools in various rooms, Leon understood why Stella had ended up in the shower—doing all this alone would be exhausting.
They started organizing the rooms. Leon glanced at his watch and noticed the boundary line lighting up again. Taking advantage of the break, he used his watch to check the tools in the room, hoping to find the elusive power.
"Senior, don't you remember me?" Stella suddenly spoke up.
Leon had thought she'd keep her distance after what happened, but she surprised him by initiating conversation. Seeing Leon's confusion, Stella huffed, "The professor said work is no place for personal grudges. I don't want our relationship to affect the professor's mood or efficiency."
Leon realized he had been the petty one. He instantly liked her more. "Sorry, I didn't see anything…" he lied.
"Let's not talk about it. It's my fault for being so tired that I fell asleep in the shower. I heard noises and thought it was the professor…" Stella's voice grew softer and softer, almost a whisper, but Leon's keen hearing caught her muttering: "Besides, I saw yours too..."
Leon broke into a cold sweat.
"So, you really don't remember me?" Stella changed the subject.
Leon scrutinized her more closely. Stella felt uneasy under his intense gaze. "What's with that look? I defended you in the auditorium, you know. Ungrateful."
Leon finally remembered.
The girl who asked a question in the front row. There were too many people that day, and he hadn't paid close attention.
He never thought she'd be so poised and not at all like the haughty princess type. His opinion of her improved further.
Stella was chatty and outgoing. Once they put the awkward incident behind them, they started talking easily.
Because Leon was a hot topic at school lately, Stella had endless questions for him. Leon thought she had a natural talent for journalism. Speaking of which, Leon wondered who the paparazzi was that first reported his kiss with Lily. Should he thank her for causing all the ensuing chaos?
Working alone is boring, as evidenced by Stella taking a shower halfway through. But working together made it much faster and more enjoyable. They got so engrossed in their work and conversation that they forgot to eat lunch, until Sienna reminded them.
Of course, Sienna couldn't resist teasing them, saying, "Leon, you have a girlfriend. Don't seduce other girls. But Stella, it's okay if you seduce Leon."
A true teacher, relentless in her ruination!
Leon and Stella shared a look of mutual exasperation.