Cocoon (Lily ABO) - Chapter 1

Friday at 7:00 PM—a time that could be described as a “shura field” (a living hell) for any restaurant kitchen. The lobby of Strings was packed with guests waiting for tables, and the phone was ringing off the hook with takeout orders. Despite being run off her feet, Ling Yu found a spare second to check her phone and reply to a message. Glancing at the congested waiting area, she silently tucked her phone away, expertly lifted a tray, and grabbed a stack of menus to greet the newcomers.

The message she’d just received was from her landlord, a Mexican man, reminding her not to forget his tacos after she finished work. In truth, Ling Yu had coldly rejected him many times. She had told him repeatedly that she worked at an Italian restaurant and they didn’t serve tacos. What she hadn’t expected was for a grown man—a Beta, no less—to start sobbing right in front of her. Tears had clumped his ridiculously thick eyelashes together as he wailed about a breakup, claiming that if he couldn’t eat his favorite food, he would simply die of a broken heart.

Fine by me, then I won’t have to pay rent, Ling Yu had thought, grinding her back teeth. She eventually gave in and said “okay,” but that first time had led to countless others.

By 8:30 PM, the dinner rush was finally winding down. After seeing off waves of bustling guests, Ling Yu breathed a sigh of relief. she leaned against the front desk and rubbed her weary eyes.

She had spent the entire day in the lab at school, followed by a seamless transition to the restaurant to help in the kitchen and run errands in the dining hall. The pay was $20 an hour. Her boss had agreed on a fifteen-hour work week; the pay wasn’t high, but for the current Ling Yu, this money was like “charcoal in a snowstorm”—timely and essential. Moreover, the restaurant was small and the owner wasn’t stingy. He didn’t dock her pay just because she was a Chinese student; he even let her arrange her own shifts and provided dinner for evening shifts. For this, she was deeply grateful.

During the summer, the restaurant closed at 9:30 PM. Once the last batch of customers left and the staff meal was finished, the day would finally be over.

Just as she was thinking this, the welcome bell at the door gave a crisp ding-ling. “Welcome!” Ling Yu looked up, ready to greet the final diners, but froze when she saw who had walked in. It was Fred, an assistant professor from her department. What a coincidence; she had just seen him at school today, and here he was again.

Ling Yu took a deep breath, picked up a menu, and walked over.

Seeing Ling Yu dressed as a waitress, Fred looked quite surprised. He recognized this young Alpha—she was the standout of this year’s cohort. Her performance at every departmental meeting or routine report was impressive. Not only had she published papers in several reputable journals over the past two years, but he’d heard her recent experimental progress was excellent. If nothing went wrong, she would likely be the student speaker for this year’s graduating class. He was baffled; PhD students at the university had TA positions, and the committee members were usually generous with stipends. The after-tax pay wasn’t low, so why was Ling Yu working at a restaurant?

However, Fred knew better than to pry into a student’s private life. After exchanging casual greetings, Fred ordered an iced lemon water, explaining he was waiting for a friend and would order food later. Ling Yu took the order, notified the kitchen, and returned to the front desk to help other guests settle their bills. These guests were very satisfied with their dinner and left a generous 10% extra tip. Ling Yu smiled and wished them a good night.

A hand patted her shoulder. “Hello, dinner time!” Ling Yu turned to see Diana’s smiling face. Ling Yu returned a faint smile as Diana smoothly took over her tasks, nudging her toward the kitchen. “The chef made your favorite dish today,” Diana said with a playful wink.

Ling Yu liked this Mexican girl. She was kind, optimistic, and often helped Ling Yu—who considered herself a somewhat “incompetent” coworker—with the kitchen cleanup.

Seeing the dish Diana mentioned, Ling Yu’s expression softened into a gentle smile. Creamy mushroom pasta. Yes, it was her favorite. The head chef, who had seen everything at the front desk through the service window, placed the plate by her hand and wagged his eyebrows. “Isn’t Diana thoughtful? Ling, thoughtful Omegas like her are rare these days, especially with all those predatory Alphas circling around.”

Ling Yu twirled the pasta with her fork and took a large, calm bite. “Mmh, tastes great. Caleb, your cooking has improved again.” Seeing her reaction, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed chef shrugged. Fine, I should have known. She’s a block of wood, despite that pretty face.

Before Ling Yu could finish her dinner, the bell rang again. The clock on the wall read 9:00 PM. There were no other customers, so it had to be the friend Fred was waiting for. Sure enough, Diana soon brought in the order: one creamy mushroom pasta, one baked oyster with cheese, and two salads.

Ling Yu finished her noodles in a few bites, grabbed a second set of chef’s whites from the wall, and tucked her hair securely into her cap. “I’ll cook this pasta. It’ll save time for cleaning later.” Caleb moved aside to give her half the prep station. He had total confidence in Ling Yu’s pasta skills; after all, he’d only discovered three months after she started that this “cocky Alpha” had been secretly learning his techniques in the back.

She skillfully plated and garnished the pasta, rang the service bell, and the food was sent out one by one. The final order was done. Caleb changed his clothes, let out a yawn, and waved goodbye to Ling Yu at the staff exit.

Once all the guests had departed and the “OPEN” sign was turned off, Ling Yu mechanically sorted and bagged the food waste, hauling it to the small alley behind the restaurant. She used her sleeve to wipe the sweat from the tip of her nose. Fortunately, Diana had taken an early leave due to a family emergency. The Mexican girl had looked guilt-ridden when she left, but this kind of heavy lifting wasn’t work for an Omega anyway.

Ling Yu squatted by the back door for a moment to ease her aching muscles, then went back inside to check the appliances and the kitchen. Finally, she felt safe enough to turn off all the lights and lock the door. Carrying her backpack, she walked to the parking lot near the restaurant. The entire plaza was dark now, leaving the parking lot looking vast and empty.

At a glance, Ling Yu spotted her white Camry—a used old car she’d haggled over intensely when she first moved abroad. Thinking of her bank account, which was as empty as the parking lot, she couldn’t help but joke to herself: Ling Yu, this is probably your most valuable piece of real estate.

She stopped by the car and stretched, looking up at the night sky. Wow, so many stars. They’re so bright; tomorrow should be a sunny day. It was terrifyingly dark, but luckily the taco shop was open 24 hours—otherwise, the Beta back home would probably be looking for a way to “end it all” again. Overcome with fatigue, she slapped her cheeks and reached into her bag for her keys. Her fingertips had just brushed the keychain when someone suddenly appeared behind her and called her name.

“Ling Yu?”

The voice, tinged with hesitation, felt like it rolled right over Ling Yu’s heart, making her jump in shock.

Ling Yu turned around resignedly to face the woman. She sighed deeply in her heart and forced a smile. “Professor Han.”

Han Jingman looked at the person in front of her—someone who looked so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open—and bit her lower lip. Just how many things is this person hiding from me to get herself into this state? “I just had dinner with Fred. He mentioned seeing you working as a waitress in that restaurant. I didn’t believe him at first. But now, Ling Yu, can you explain? Where do you get the energy to work a job until this late after doing experiments all day? Is the university not paying you enough? Are you that short on money? Or is there another reason?”

Han Jingman didn’t want to think about it. The news from Fred during dinner had been a bombshell. Her student? Working in a restaurant? Fine—a student’s private life, as a qualified supervisor and a mature doctoral advisor, she shouldn’t have interfered. If it were a regular student, as long as it didn’t affect their studies, she could turn a blind eye. But Ling Yu… Ling Yu was different.

Thinking of Fred’s gossipy remark about the female waitress being very “intimate” with Ling Yu—was she doing this willingly for that Omega? Han Jingman’s mind was a mess. She couldn’t remember anything Fred said after that; her mind was full of the urge to drag that person out of the kitchen to see for herself and get an explanation.

Even though it was late, the summer heat lingered with a bite, forcing a sweat out of Ling Yu. She squeezed her keys so hard they left an indentation in her palm. She stared fixedly at the woman questioning her. So, the “friend” Fred was having dinner with tonight was her. Heh, she should have guessed.

Fred had been fawning over Han Jingman for a long time, even showing up to their lab’s project discussions. Han Jingman clearly knew it, yet she rarely refused Fred’s private invitations. What was this now? An interrogation? Was she blaming her for not putting all her focus on the project? Or for working outside and “losing face” for her advisor?

Ling Yu gave a self-deprecating laugh. Ling Yu, what is this? “Professor Han, in what capacity are you questioning me? As my supervisor? My boss? Or…” Ling Yu paused. “Are you just annoyed that I kept it from you?”

Han Jingman stared in disbelief at her star pupil—someone she had watched grow up. When had she ever spoken to her in such a tone? Han Jingman snapped in anger, “Ling Yu! I am your sister!”

“No! You are NOT my sister!” Ling Yu roared almost the instant the words left Han Jingman’s mouth.

What kind of sister has a younger sister who falls in love with her? She wouldn’t admit it. She would rather die than admit that Han Jingman was her “sister.” She loved Han Jingman—from the very first moment she saw her, to the point of exhausting every effort to become her student. Ling Yu had spent every ounce of her confidence and courage on this love.