An old Chinese doctor usually wouldn’t make a move, but once he does, it’s not easy to retract it.

Aisha clutched the bedsheet tightly. Slowly, things started feeling a bit off–her cheeks turned flushed, her body began to heat up, and she twisted uneasily in protest.

“This… doesn’t seem right, senior…”

“This is a normal reaction. It means it’s working.”

Aisha bit down on her rosy lips: “R-Really…? Is that so?”

“Of course.”

Shen Yuan had never liked being passive — unless confronted by proactive types like the class belle, who wouldn’t be happy unless she took the initiative herself.

At this stage, Aisha might want to back off psychologically, but her body would resist such an impulse.

It was only now that Aisha started realizing she’d fallen into a trap. Her expression was a mix of shyness and anger–shy because of Shen Yuan’s treatment of her, angry because he used the guise of an old Chinese doctor.

There’s no medicine for regret in this world, nor a path to turn back… Besides, she didn’t actually want Shen Yuan to stop. In fact, she was starting to feel a faint sense of anticipation.

In intimate relationships, especially a first time, the biggest taboo is “haste.”

A sufficient buildup, delayed gratification–only then does the experience linger afterward, leaving a lasting impression.

It’s like battling in the canyon: If the enemy surrenders at 15 minutes, how does that compare to a thrilling comeback after 50 minutes of grueling struggle?

Shen Yuan had undeniably mastered this principle. He lifted a corner of the blanket and sat on the bed, their eyes meeting. Aisha shrank away, bowing her head.

Her skin, illuminated by the warm light of the bedside lamp, glowed smooth and delicate like jade–adding the subtle blush of her embarrassment only heightened her unique allure.

“Now, let’s proceed to the second treatment, shall we?”

“S-Second treatment?” Aisha’s voice trembled.

“You’ve been practicing dance for so long–your lower back must feel sore, your shoulders probably ache, and your hips might not be comfortable… Come, let me help resolve all of that for you today.”

“Senior… you’re–you’re a liar.”

“Old Chinese doctors never lie.”

…

…

At dawn the next day, Shi Zhixuan gradually opened her eyes, stirred awake on her bed. Almost instinctively, she glanced down, even using both hands to check if her pajamas were perfectly intact, inside and out.

Whew, he didn’t come…

Shi Zhixuan exhaled a breath of relief, but an odd, faint disappointment crept in immediately afterward.

He didn’t come?

Huh. It doesn’t seem right…

“So why did he invite us to stay at his house last night anyway? Was he really worried we had nowhere else to sleep?”

Shi Zhixuan walked barefoot to the door, stretched out her hand to tug at the handle, and the door swung open effortlessly.

“He didn’t even lock the door last night–how strange.”

Shi Zhixuan’s mindset felt conflicted as well. How could she describe it? She was somewhat afraid of him coming, but if he didn’t come, it felt off somehow. She even questioned if maybe she wasn’t attractive enough to lure him.

Could he be in Aisha’s room?

“Well, checking Aisha’s room will clear everything up. If he’s not there either, it just means he spent the whole night with Ji Ya.”

Shi Zhixuan slid on her slippers and approached Aisha’s door. She knocked lightly but got no response. Taking a breath, she pushed the door open.

Just as she was about to step inside, she froze in place. On the bed, there were two figures sleeping! Apart from Aisha, Shen Yuan was there too!

Aisha was snuggled sweetly in Shen Yuan’s arms, fast asleep, while Shen Yuan’s eyes remained closed, undisturbed by her entry.

Shi Zhixuan quickly shut the door, her gaze tinged with disappointment. Sympathy for Aisha flickered across her face, but mingled within was a deeper sense of personal defeat… Why would Shen Yuan willingly visit Aisha’s room, yet show no interest in hers?

Could it be that I’m worse off compared to Aisha?

Shi Zhixuan glanced down at her own chest. I clearly have a C+! Aisha’s only a B… As for my waistline and hips, there’s no comparison–I’ve been dancing for over a decade; my waist is slender, my hips perfectly shaped, and my body is soft and flexible.

Feeling deflated, she retreated to her room, sitting down on the bed to process the negativity raging through her. It took quite a while before she laughed bitterly at the absurdity of her own thoughts.

“What am I disappointed about? I actually wanted a man to come sneaking into my room at night? Why am I even thinking about these things?”

Shi Zhixuan grabbed her hair in frustration, thoroughly perplexed. Unknowingly, she had already become this kind of girl?

After calming herself down, Shi Zhixuan dressed casually and went downstairs. Ji Ya, already downstairs, looked up at her in mild surprise: “You’re up early today.”

“Early?”

Shi Zhixuan paused, glanced at the time on her phone–it was already 8 a.m. She must have woken up sometime after 7.

“I guess it is early.”

Ji Ya chuckled lightly, “Come on, breakfast is ready.”

Typically speaking, the women that Shen Yuan brought back would usually wake around 9 or 10. Shen Yuan was an insomniac, often staying up teaching until 1 or 2 in the morning–unless it was someone exceptional like Fang Minhui, no one else could muster the energy to get up earlier.

For others who’d been exhausted that late at night, waking up at 9 was already considered remarkable.

But judging by Shi Zhixuan’s steps, it seemed Shen Yuan hadn’t graced her room last night. This left Ji Ya wondering whether she should feel relieved for Shi Zhixuan or pity her.

Ji Ya smiled faintly, shaking her head–these matters just weren’t her business.

Shi Zhixuan felt uneasy again, catching a hint of complexity in Ji Ya’s gaze towards her. Was there some sympathy mixed in there, too?

“Am I really not alluring enough?”

…

What Shi Zhixuan didn’t know was that Shen Yuan had actually planned to handle the dance team all at once last night. However, it was already 1 a.m. by the time he finished “teaching” Aisha, and the girl had been whining and weeping nonstop. To calm her down, Shen Yuan sat beside her until 2 a.m. when she finally fell asleep.

Feeling a bit sleepy himself, he simply stayed the night in Aisha’s room.

If Shen Yuan had known Shi Zhixuan was waiting eagerly for him, he’d surely have made an effort to accommodate the dedicated team leader.

When his eyes gradually opened at 9:30 a.m., Shen Yuan’s arm felt slightly sore. Aisha was still nestled in his embrace, her delicate porcelain face streaked with faint traces of dried tears.