Tao Le was the first to enter the office, but the sight inside took her aback. This was no office; even a prison would be more comfortable. It was tiny, just a few square meters, with a row of small windows high up on the wall, offering poor light and ventilation. Thankfully, it was daytime; otherwise, staying there for long would suffocate anyone. Being a teacher these days was no easy job. Soon, the twelve of them squeezed into this ‘little prison.’ “Hello, teacher,” the men greeted in unison, bowing to make a good first impression for their thesis work. Tao Le, distracted by the scenery, had momentarily forgotten why they were there. She quickly regained her composure, bowed, and echoed, “Hello, teacher.” Glancing up, she noticed the chaos on the desk just inches away, a mess she’d never forget—books piled like mountains, leaving no room for the poor laptop. This teacher had quite the personality, his desk was as chaotic as hers.
“Sorry for the mess,” the teacher spoke. His voice was pleasant, smooth as water, almost an A-grade. Tao Le smirked to herself; at least he knew he was embarrassing himself in front of his students. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Su Yiwen, your criminal law C group advisor.” Finally, they were getting to the point. Tao Le looked up and unexpectedly met his gaze. Chapter 3: Tao Le had miscalculated. She never expected that the man with such refined demeanor and impeccable attire would be associated with such a disorganized desk. Nor did she expect that he was looking at her, his eyes slightly smiling behind his bright glasses. It must be her eyes playing tricks on her.
Just then, a sharp female voice echoed in her ears: “Betraying my love, forcing me to leave, and when I finally learn the truth, tears fall… Betraying my love, you owe a debt of conscience, no amount of emotion can buy it back…” It was unbearable; who would use such tasteless street music as a ringtone, and at such a volume, it could rival construction workers blasting music on a bus. As Tao Le watched Su Yiwen dig out a phone from the book pile, she was shocked, trying hard not to laugh out loud. Today, she truly understood the saying, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover.’
