Chapter 12: Mantou-sensei Is Truly Dense 

“She’s beautiful. The most beautiful. So beautiful that if she ever came back, my friend would love her just like before.”

“…This is way too much, right?”

How stunning could this woman possibly be? 

A real-life Daji? 

A seductress reborn? 

Su Yao couldn’t help but think—was this just love’s delusion, or had Oyster-chan truly been bewitched by some supernatural beauty?

She remembered all those legendary women in history who were blamed for dynastic collapses just because they were too beautiful.

Could it be that this “fox spirit” was one of them, reincarnated…?

But now wasn’t the time to spiral into conspiracy theories.

Su Yao clenched her fists, determined to bring her emotionally-devoted net-friend back to reason.

“Oyster-chan, please… tell your friend not to fall in too deep. The one who loves the most always ends up hurt the worst.”

“But she’s really beautiful. You’ve never seen her—you wouldn’t understand.”

…Su Yao really didn’t understand.

Why would someone love another person so much that they gave up everything, even themselves?

That wasn’t romance—that was masochism!

She remembered one time she got bored and randomly read a romance webnovel.

At first it seemed like a bland, typical love story. But the further she read, the more off it felt.

The main character was drained dry and abandoned, left homeless, in debt, eating scraps under a bridge.

And still, still, he clung to the memory of love like a cockroach that refused to die—surviving car accidents, drowning, and a 40°C fever for three days straight…

Su Yao was emotionally wrecked for a whole week.

It was only later, when she recovered and scrolled through the comments, that she learned there was a name for this genre:

“Mop-Love Fiction”.

A “mop” was someone who loved so deeply, so obsessively, they’d wipe the floor for the person they loved—

Give up everything, beg for scraps of affection—only to be thrown away like garbage.

Su Yao shivered at the thought, furiously typed back:

“What’s the use of being pretty?!”

“…Mantou-sensei…”

Su Yao just wanted things to be fair.

Especially in love—especially for kind, honest people like Oyster-chan.

No one should have to be that lowly in love.

Ugh! This world is so unfair!

A cold gust of wind suddenly slapped her face like a giant open-palm smack.

Her cheeks stung.

Why is it so freaking cold this year?!

Su Yao curled into herself, her numb hands still clutched tightly around her worn-out phone, waiting for a reply from the other side of the screen.

She wondered—maybe she’d said too much?

She was insulting the very girl Oyster-chan had once loved.

Sure, they were just online friends, but wouldn’t such harsh words make Oyster-chan resent her?

She brushed away strands of windblown hair tickling her lips, and typed:

“Even if… even if she does come back, you should at least punish her.
She was the one who abandoned you.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But how should I punish her?”

Lying curled up on her bed, Mu Nanqiu grinned wickedly.

She stared at the “Mantou-sensei is typing…” line on her screen, her whole body buzzing with excitement.

How will my adorable Mantou-sensei want to punish me~?

Soon enough, the message arrived.

“Hmph! Obviously, make her do the most humiliating things! Let her experience what social death really means!”

“For example?”

“Well, how about… like this…”

As Mantou-sensei listed off various outrageous “social death” punishments one by one,
Mu Nanqiu’s grin only grew wider and more devilish.

You’re amazing, Mantou-sensei.

Every word you say… I’ll remember them all—and carry them out, I promise.

She had almost sent Su Yao’s crossdressing photos from two years ago—

Just as Su Yao asked that “how pretty was she?” question.

Her plan had been to expose the dark side of the world to Su Yao,

Let him taste true humiliation.

Even if he ran away in fear afterward, so what?

You can run from the monk, but not from the temple, baby.

But at the very last second, Mu Nanqiu changed her mind.

She’d practically spelled everything out in that “friend” story—

And Su Yao still hadn’t realized anything.

She couldn’t tell if Su Yao was pretending to be dense or if he was truly that naive.

But honestly?

She was starting to believe it was genuine stupidity.

Seeing Su Yao’s final “Let’s talk later,” she rolled over in bed…

…only to flop back because her charging cable was too short.

***

Back home, Su Yao turned on the heater, grabbed some fresh clothes, and headed into the bathroom.

She took a long, hot shower—finally warm again after being frozen outside.

Flopped on her soft bed under the warm air, she couldn’t help but moan a little.

“Mmmn~”

Feeling the weight of the two mischievous “mochi buns” on her chest, Su Yao began to feel oddly warm again.

She glanced over at the full-length mirror she’d just bought, placed neatly in the corner.

Su Yao bit her lip and hesitated.

Should I… try it on?

She tore open the package, held up the sleep dress.

It was soft, cool to the touch—

The fabric felt smooth and luxurious.

She wondered what it’d look like on her.

She spread it out across her bed.

Then looked down at the long-sleeved T-shirt she was wearing…

And the two suspicious peaks showing through.

Blushing hard, she quickly stripped off the shirt and pulled the slip dress over her head.

It went on easily—but…

Was this a size too small?

The straps clung tightly, lifting her chest up,

And when she looked down, her cleavage stared right back.

Su Yao blinked, stunned.

She shuffled in her grey fuzzy slippers to the mirror.

A girl in a black slip dress stood before her,

Arms crossed shyly over her chest,

Her pretty little face burning red, lips bitten in bashful restraint.

Her long black hair cascaded around her shoulders, slightly tousled, and under the swaying hem of her skirt, two long legs pressed together, smooth and pale.

She hesitated—then slowly dropped her arms.

The white-trimmed cups of the dress barely covered half of each soft mound—

Her “northern hemisphere” completely exposed to the air.

Yup. Definitely one size too small.

Still, it technically fit.

Su Yao turned in front of the mirror to examine the whole look.

Not bad at all.

At first, she’d felt incredibly embarrassed—

But after a few minutes, she… kind of liked it?

It was cute. Pretty. Even beautiful.

At least, she thought so herself.

Maybe dresses… aren’t so bad after all.

That night, this little black dress left a faint but permanent mark in her subconscious.

After playing around a bit, she climbed back into bed.

Just as she settled in, she suddenly remembered—

Crap! I promised Bei Zhi we’d do weekly raids tonight!

Sure enough, her phone was already blowing up with nudges from Mu Beizhi.

Su Yao jumped out of bed, ran to her PC, and logged into her game account.

She sent Bei Zhi an apologetic meme first…

And then saw a message from Oyster-chan, asking if she had any fun games to recommend.

She blinked.

Then had a thought—

Should I bring Oyster-chan into our guild too?

We’re still short on members anyway…

And so, Su Yao began to type her reply—

A new invitation already forming in her mind.