At this point, Doug Feng was completely out of ideas.
Who would've thought? No matter how old a woman got, deep down, they still had that stubborn, childish streak.
"Then… what do I do?" came Ms. Qing Fang's slightly panicked voice from behind the bathroom door. "Doug, seriously… what am I supposed to do? Are you saying I should actually… with you…?"
Doug's face twitched. "No, no! Definitely not with me! But maybe… maybe there's another way!"
Another way. That was a bold claim. Doug racked his brain for an answer, any answer. The drug in her system clearly wouldn't fade without, well, some kind of release. And given the system's warning about the affection points still being under 60, getting physically involved with her was off-limits.
Which left one option.
"She'll have to… take care of it herself?"
Doug's cheeks reddened just thinking about it.
"Wait, take care of what myself?" Qing Fang's voice was confused. Innocent.
Doug almost choked on his own saliva. "I-I mean… you know! That thing! You've seriously never—uh—done it before?"
He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his high school English teacher.
"No… I haven't," she replied, voice small as a mosquito's buzz.
Doug staggered.
What?! She really was that pure?
Behind just a frosted glass door, he could practically feel her embarrassment radiating through the steam-filled bathroom. Her skin must be redder than a lobster right now.
"Wait, wait, wait," Doug stammered. "You mean you don't even know how?"
"I don't," she whispered, sounding utterly lost. "What am I supposed to do?"
Doug smacked his own forehead. This was getting ridiculous. Wasn't she supposed to be the adult here?
"Then we… we might have to go to the hospital," he said reluctantly. "Otherwise, this won't end well. Please come out—I'll take you."
"No way!" she protested instantly. "I can't go to a hospital like this! That's way too embarrassing! What if someone I know sees me? What if people at school find out?"
Doug scratched his head, exasperated. "You do realize I'm your student, right? You're already at maximum embarrassment levels!"
But Qing Fang was already set on her course.
"Doug," she said, her voice barely audible, "could… could you teach me?"
For a moment, time froze. Doug wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. Teach her? Teach what, exactly?
And then the pieces clicked into place.
"What?! You want me to teach you that?!"
His voice cracked an octave higher, and he immediately covered his mouth, afraid the neighbors would hear.
"I mean… you said I had to… and I don't know how…" she said.
Doug was spinning. "B-but how would I even teach you?! I mean, I only know the guy version, right? I've never done the girl version! I'm not equipped for… demonstration!"
It was pure chaos in his head. Half embarrassment, half panic—and somehow, still a little excitement. And while his thoughts were running wild, he noticed something strange—the affection points over Qing Fang's head were creeping up. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen…
No, stop. Focus!
"I'm not going to the hospital," she said stubbornly. "And I'm not coming out until this wears off."
Doug sighed deeply, mentally throwing his hands in the air. "Then… fine. I'll guide you, okay? Just do what I say."
There was a long silence.
Then: "…Okay."
The night outside was unusually quiet. Even the moon had ducked behind a cloud, as if giving them privacy. Somewhere in the distance, a stray cat meowed loudly, its cry eerily appropriate for the situation.
The bathroom door creaked open.
Qing Fang emerged, her pink silk sleepwear slightly wrinkled, her hair damp, her face still flushed with color. She looked away, avoiding Doug's gaze, her body language unsure and awkward.
"Doug…"
"Ms. Fang…"
They both spoke at once, then paused, equally flustered.
"You go first," she said quickly, looking down.
"N-no, you go ahead."
Doug tried very hard not to look at the way her sleepwear clung to her, but his eyes betrayed him. He swallowed.
"Doug, about tonight…" she began hesitantly, voice soft. "Let's pretend it never happened. Okay?"
Doug blinked. Then, catching on, he nodded quickly. "Tonight? What are you talking about, Ms. Fang? I've been sleeping on the couch this whole time."
He pointed at the sofa with exaggerated innocence.
Qing Fang couldn't help it—she burst out laughing. "You're such a little rascal, you know that?"
The tension between them eased a bit, laughter breaking through the awkward silence.
"Well, anyway," she said, stretching with a yawn, "it's almost 3:30 AM. You should try to get some sleep. You've got school tomorrow, and I… I need rest too."
Doug nodded, still trying to act normal.
"Okay. Goodnight, Ms. Fang."
"Goodnight, Doug."
She quickly ducked back into the bedroom and shut the door behind her with a loud clack. Doug was left standing in the living room, scratching his head.
What a night.
He plopped down on the couch and sighed. "This high school life is really something else."