Cocoon (Lily ABO) - Chapter 1

Seven o’clock on a Friday night. This time slot should be considered a battlefield for all restaurant kitchens. The dining hall at Strings was packed with guests waiting in line and the takeout phones were ringing off the hook. Although Ling Yu was rushing around non-stop, she still managed to spare a moment to check her phone and reply to a message. She glanced at the dense crowd waiting for a table, quietly put away her phone, and skillfully picked up a tray with menus to greet the next group.

The person who had just messaged Ling Yu was her landlord, a Mexican man. He messaged to remind Ling Yu not to forget his tacos after she finished work. In fact, Ling Yu had refused him many times in an extremely cold manner. She had told him that the place she worked at was an Italian restaurant, and they didn’t have Mexican tacos. But she didn’t expect that a grown man, and a Beta at that, would actually start weeping right in front of her. Tears smeared his outrageously thick eyelashes as he claimed he had just broken up with someone, and if he couldn’t eat his favorite food, he would die of a broken heart. Perfect, then I won’t have to pay rent, Ling Yu thought, grinding her back teeth. She said “Okay,” and so the first time led to countless subsequent times.

After 8:30 PM, the dinner rush was clearly coming to an end. After sending off wave after wave of bustling guests, Ling Yu sighed in relief, leaned on the counter, and rubbed her tired eyes.

She had spent the entire day doing experiments at school, followed by a seamless shift helping out in the kitchen and running errands in the dining hall at the restaurant. The pay was $20 an hour. The boss had agreed with her on a fifteen-hour work week. The pay wasn’t high, but the money was a lifeline for Ling Yu right now. Besides, the restaurant was small, the boss wasn’t demanding, and he wouldn’t randomly dock her pay just because she was a Chinese student. He even let Ling Yu set her own work hours and allowed her to eat dinner at the restaurant when she worked the late shift. She was genuinely grateful.

The restaurant’s summer hours were until 9:30 PM. After the last group of guests left, they could basically clear up, and once she finished her employee meal, the day would be over.

Just as she was thinking this, the welcoming bell at the door gave a crisp ring. “Welcome,” Ling Yu looked up, ready to receive the final diners, and couldn’t help but be stunned when she saw who walked in: it was Fred, an assistant professor from her department. What a coincidence; she had just seen him at school during the day, and now they met again.

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

Seeing Ling Yu dressed as a server, Fred looked quite surprised. He recognized this young Alpha, the standout student of her cohort. Ling Yu’s performance was always impressive at department meetings and routine reports. Not only had she published articles in a few well-known journals over the past two years, but he also heard that her recent experimental progress was very promising. Barring any accidents, she would likely be the commencement speaker for the outstanding graduates this year. He was surprised because all Ph.D. students at the school had teaching assistantships, and the committee members were always generous with their TAs. The after-tax pay wasn’t low, so why was Ling Yu also working at a restaurant?

However, Fred would naturally not inquire about a student’s private life. They greeted each other calmly. Fred ordered a glass of iced lemon water, saying he was waiting for a friend and would place his order later. Ling Yu took the order, told the kitchen about the lemon water, and then went back to the front counter to ring up some guests. These guests were very satisfied with their dinner and tipped an extra ten percent. Ling Yu smiled and wished them good night.

A hand patted her shoulder. “Hello, dinner time,” Ling Yu turned around and saw Diana’s smiling face. Ling Yu returned a faint smile. Diana smoothly took over Ling Yu’s work and pushed her toward the kitchen. “The chef made your favorite dish today,” Diana winked at her playfully.

Ling Yu liked this Mexican girl—kind and optimistic. She often helped her, the less-than-competent coworker, with the kitchen cleanup.

Seeing the dish Diana mentioned, Ling Yu’s eyes softened, and she gave a small laugh. Creamy mushroom pasta. Yes, it was her favorite. The chef, who could see everything happening at the counter through the serving window, placed the plate next to her and winked. “Isn’t Diana thoughtful, Ling? There aren’t many Omegas this sweet nowadays. They’re all surrounded by a bunch of aggressive Alphas.”

Ling Yu used her fork to twirl the pasta, calmly took a large bite, and said, “Mmm, the flavor is great, Caleb. Your cooking has improved again.” The blonde, blue-eyed chef shrugged. Fine, I knew it. She’s a block of wood, wasted on such a good-looking face.

Ling Yu hadn’t even finished her dinner when the door bell rang again. The clock on the wall showed exactly nine o’clock. There weren’t many customers left, so it must be the friend Fred was waiting for. Sure enough, Diana soon brought in an order: one creamy mushroom pasta, one cheesy baked oyster, and two salads.

Ling Yu quickly finished her pasta, reached for another set of chef’s whites hanging on the wall, and tied her hair tightly into a cap. “I’ll make this pasta. It’ll save us some time for cleanup later.” Caleb gave her half the counter space. He was very confident in Ling Yu’s pasta-making skills; after all, he only discovered that this arrogant Alpha had been secretly learning his craft for three months after she started.

She expertly plated and garnished the pasta and pressed the service bell. The food was delivered one by one. The last order was finished. Caleb changed his clothes, yawned, and waved goodbye to Ling Yu in the staff hallway.

Once all the guests had left and the restaurant’s “OPEN” sign was turned off, Ling Yu mechanically sorted and bagged the food waste, carrying it to the small alley behind the restaurant. Ling Yu wiped the thin sweat from her nose with her sleeve. It was a good thing Diana had taken a call and left early. The Mexican girl’s eyes had been full of apology when she left, but this kind of heavy work wasn’t for an Omega to do anyway.

Ling Yu squatted by the back door to relieve her muscle soreness. She returned inside to check the appliances and the kitchen, and only then did she feel comfortable turning off all the lights and locking the door. Carrying her backpack, she walked to the parking lot not far from the restaurant. The entire plaza was mostly dark, making the parking lot feel deserted.

Ling Yu spotted her white Camry right away—the old second-hand car she had fought hard to bargain for when she first came abroad. Considering her bank account, which was as empty as the parking lot, Ling Yu couldn’t help but make fun of herself: Ling Yu, this must be your most valuable piece of real estate.

Standing by the car, Ling Yu stretched, looked at the night sky, and sighed internally, “Wow, so many stars, and they’re so bright. It must be a clear day tomorrow.” The sky was terrifyingly dark. Fortunately, the Mexican taco place is open 24 hours, she thought, otherwise the Beta at home would probably start threatening to kill himself again. Overcome with fatigue, she patted her own face and reached into her backpack for her car keys. Just as her fingertip found the keychain and she was about to pull the key out, a person suddenly appeared behind her and called her name.

“Ling Yu?” The slightly hesitant voice landed on Ling Yu’s ear, rolling around in her heart before abruptly exploding and giving her a start.

Resignedly, Ling Yu turned around to face the woman, sighing deeply inside, and forced a smile. “Professor Han.”

Han Jingman looked at the person in front of her who could barely keep her eyes open from exhaustion. She bit her lower lip. Just how many things is this person hiding from me to let herself get into this state? “I was having dinner with Fred just now, and he mentioned you seemed to be working as a server at that restaurant. I didn’t believe it at first. But now, Ling Yu, can you explain where you get the energy to work until so late after doing experiments all day? Is the school not paying you enough? Are you very short on money? Or is there some other reason?”

Han Jingman didn’t want to think about it. Fred’s news at dinner was undoubtedly a bomb. My student? Working at a restaurant? Okay, it was a student’s private life. As a qualified boss and a seasoned Ph.D. supervisor, she shouldn’t inquire. If it were an ordinary student, she could turn a blind eye as long as it didn’t affect their studies. But Ling Yu was different.

She remembered Fred’s teasing gossip, saying he saw the waitress at the restaurant being very close to Ling Yu. Was Ling Yu willing to come here just for that Omega? Han Jingman’s mind was a mess now. She couldn’t remember what Fred said next. Her head was full of the urge to drag that person out of the kitchen, see them clearly, and demand an explanation.

Even late at night, the summer heat persisted with the same brutal intensity as the day, forcing a layer of sweat out of Ling Yu. The keychain was clenched tightly in her palm, leaving an indentation. She stared fixedly at the woman posing the questions to her. So, she was the “friend” who was having dinner with Fred tonight. Ha, I should have guessed.

Fred’s attempts to court Han Jingman weren’t new. He had even participated in her lab’s project discussions more than once, and Han Jingman herself clearly knew but rarely refused Fred’s private invitations. What is this now? An interrogation? Blaming me for not focusing all my energy on the project? Blaming me for working a job outside and embarrassing her when a familiar face saw me? With a self-mocking laugh, Ling Yu thought, What is this? “What standing does Professor Han have to question me right now? My advisor? My boss? Or,” Ling Yu paused, “Is it just because you’re angry that I hid it from you?”

Han Jingman gazed at her favorite pupil, the person she had watched grow up since childhood. When had she ever spoken to her in that tone? Han Jingman was furious. “Ling Yu! I’m your sister.”

“No! You are not my sister!” Ling Yu almost roared the words the instant Han Jingman finished speaking. There was no way a younger sister would fall in love with her older sister. She wouldn’t admit it; she would rather die than acknowledge Han Jingman’s insistence that she was her sister. She loved Han Jingman. From the first moment she saw her until she painstakingly became her student, Ling Yu had spent all of her confidence and courage.