DCTMOAS Chapter 65

“Have you had breakfast?” Back in the car, Yu Siting tapped twice on the central screen, then turned to look at the passenger seat.

Chu Cheng’s gaze flickered. Thinking of the barely-touched jam toast, he gave a slight nod, then asked in return, “What about you?”

“I grabbed something on the way,” Yu Siting replied as he selected the route and set the navigation toward the highway back to Tingzhou.

His driving was excellent—no matter what vehicle he was in, the ride was always smooth and steady.

Chu Cheng hadn’t slept well the night before. His whole body ached, his head was foggy, as if he’d caught a chill, yet his mind remained startlingly clear. He rubbed his temples and leaned against the car window with his eyes closed.

Yu Siting, one hand on the wheel, glanced sideways at him. From the uneven rhythm of his breathing, it was obvious he hadn’t fallen asleep—just tired and not in the mood to talk.

Yu Siting wanted to strike up a conversation, but seeing no opening, he stayed silent. Instead, he reached out and tapped the car’s audio system, switching the music to a more soothing R&B track.

At midday, the two of them returned to Fantian Scenic Garden.

Lu Yan was lounging in the living room on the first floor, watching TV and snacking. When he heard the electronic lock click, he turned his head, gave a casual greeting, and said, “Teacher Chu, you’re back.”

“Mm. I’ve got a bit of a headache. Going to get some sleep first,” Chu Cheng replied, changing into indoor slippers at the entrance before striding straight toward his bedroom.

Lu Yan’s gaze followed his retreating figure, then shifted to his uncle, puzzled. “Tsk… After all that chasing, how come the vibe still feels off?”

Yu Siting, clearly tired after driving such a long way, began heading upstairs to rest and replied with indifference, “Let him be.”

“is this one of your relationship quirks?” Lu Yan popped a chip into his mouth, the crunch loud and pointed.

“None of your business,” Yu Siting gave his nephew a glance and instructed, “Sounds like he’s coming down with something. I’m going to sleep too. When the housekeeper comes, tell her to make a pot of ginger cola.”

Lu Yan replied offhandedly, but internally he was already first in line to report the gossip.

Middle of the day and you two are doing a whole “sleeping separately but dreaming of each other” act? Yeah, that’s definitely a relationship kink.

The house’s soundproofing wasn’t perfect, and the uncle and nephew didn’t make a habit of keeping their conversations discreet. Even though Chu Cheng had already shut himself in his room, he could still hear everything they were saying.

And truth be told, Lu Yan had a point—something was definitely off between him and Teacher Yu. They were clearly at the threshold of something deeper, but instead of stepping through, why did it feel like he was suddenly getting cold feet?

Chu Cheng reflected on this for a while and was suddenly struck by a terrifying thought.

Wait… is this what fear of commitment feels like?

---

As expected, the night camping had left Chu Cheng chilled and sick.

By the next morning, he was already running a fever, coughing, and sneezing. But with final exams approaching, it wasn’t a good time to take leave, so he had to drag his foggy, aching body to work for several days in a row.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the last day of the second semester for the second-year students. As they were now officially rising seniors, they had to move to the new school building. Naturally, the teachers had to move offices as well.

July’s heat was intense, the sun so scorching it felt like it could melt anything exposed to it.

Chu Cheng, already drained and sick, didn’t want to move a muscle—let alone clear out his office and move across the campus to the other side of the field. So he headed to Class 7 to ask for help.

But as soon as he walked into the classroom, he realized only girls remained. Normally rowdy and noisy, the boys were nowhere to be found.

He asked the class representative sitting up front and learned that just moments ago, the boys had all been sent out—assigned by “Big Brother” to sweep outdoor areas, help the English teacher move desks, prep the exam rooms, and even buy drinks for the class. Basically, they’d been dispatched to a dozen different errands.

Chu Cheng was momentarily stunned and hadn’t yet spoken when a familiar voice sounded behind him.

“Need someone to help you move books?” Yu Siting leaned leisurely against the doorway, looking perfectly free and ready for orders.

Ever since they came back from camping, Chu Cheng hadn’t been in great shape—physically or emotionally. He’d been avoiding Yu Siting both deliberately and subconsciously, leaving them with barely any time alone together. So Teacher Yu had finally resorted to this tactic.

“You already know the answer,” Chu Cheng said, equal parts exasperated and amused, but there was no real way out. He folded his arms and turned back.

Yu Siting, catching the signal, fell into step behind him.

Chu Cheng had only been teaching for a year, so he didn’t have too many books or materials in his office. After two or three trips, they’d moved almost everything.

By now it was nearing lunchtime, and most of the teachers had stopped working and headed off to the cafeteria. The new language department office was a mess, cluttered with all sorts of supplies and materials that hadn’t been sorted yet.

Yu Siting handed Chu Cheng the last stack of books and glanced around the room—no one else was there.

Chu Cheng noticed both his movement and expression, and instantly guessed what he was about to do. Instinctively, he tried to stop it.

“Thanks, big bro. You’d better grab lunch whi—”

Thunk.

Yu Siting lifted a leg and pressed his knee against the door just as it was about to close, holding it open. His eyes lifted slightly, dark and burning with intent.

“That’s enough, don’t you think, Teacher Chu?”

“…Huh?” Chu Cheng blinked.

Yu Siting continued, “It’s been days. You’ve been freezing me out the whole time. If this goes on, I’ll start wondering if you really do have a problem with me.”

“I don’t.” Chu Cheng understood what he was getting at, but chose to feign ignorance. “I’ve really been unwell these past couple days. But as a colleague and assistant, I don’t think I’ve neglected any of my duties, have I?”

“Just colleagues?” Yu Siting chuckled softly, latching onto the phrasing.

His voice was lower than usual—so low it sent a warning tremor through Chu Cheng’s chest. Something unnamed and volatile surged under the surface.

“…Aren’t we?” Chu Cheng retorted with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, part teasing, part defensive. He looked pale from illness, but his striking features still burned with a fierce summer brilliance.

He added provocatively, “Did I ever… promise anything to you, Teacher Yu?”

As the words left his mouth, Yu Siting clearly froze.

Chu Cheng immediately regretted it. What am I doing? he thought. He knew he didn’t want to provoke anything right now. He felt cornered—desperate to escape—but his mouth had acted of its own accord, throwing down a challenge instead. His heart was pounding wildly, and he only wanted to get out of there before things escalated.

He turned slightly, preparing to step away—but was suddenly yanked back, hard.

Yu Siting grabbed him firmly by the wrist and pulled. Chu Cheng, still holding the stack of books, didn’t have the strength to resist. Unbalanced and weak, he stumbled and crashed into the file cabinet behind him with a loud thud.

“Ah—tch.” Chu Cheng winced, pain flashing across his face.

Yu Siting hadn’t meant to pull so hard. His eyes widened with regret, and the sharp edge of his expression quickly dissolved. One hand moved to support the books, while the other gently began to rub Chu Cheng’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry…”

They stood face to face. With just the slightest tilt of his head, Yu Siting could take in Chu Cheng’s pale, sickly face—still beautiful, soft and vulnerable, eyes flickering with panic.

“Back up,” Chu Cheng whispered urgently. From his angle, he could see through the glass window: another language teacher was approaching with office supplies. Panicking at the thought of being seen like this, he pushed Yu Siting’s chest—firmly, but without effect.

Yu Siting didn’t budge.

He thought Chu Cheng was angry and quickly tried to explain again. “I really didn’t mean to.”

“This is my office,” Chu Cheng said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He enunciated every word clearly: “You can’t come here and commit workplace harassment.”

Yu Siting opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a voice from the hallway.

“Teacher Chu? Teacher Yu?” A colleague had reached the doorway, having heard the loud bang from the cabinet earlier. Now, seeing the two of them in such a close and suggestive pose—one grabbing, the other being held—it was hard not to assume some kind of heated conflict had broken out. “You two… talk things out, okay?”

Concerned about appearances, Yu Siting had no choice but to let go of Chu Cheng. He gave him one last look before reluctantly leaving the language department office.

Once his figure disappeared from view, the colleague—who had been pretending to stay calm—quickly hurried over. “Are you okay?”

Chu Cheng shook his head and explained, “We weren’t fighting. I lost my grip on a stack of books, and he rushed to help me, but we both ended up hitting the cabinet.”

“I knew it,” the colleague sighed in relief and placed a stack of books down on the desk. “Scared me for a second… I’m heading to lunch.”

“Alright,” Chu Cheng replied with a polite smile. He waited until the colleague had left, then quietly closed the office door behind them.

When he looked down, he noticed faint red marks on his wrist where he’d been grabbed. Rubbing his sore shoulder, he could still feel his heart racing in an erratic rhythm.

At this age… and I’m still getting hit with this kind of thrill—one I never even felt back in school.

—

Back in his own office, Yu Siting stood in the freshly tidied space, scanning the room.

He’d been working here ever since he took over the senior class years ago, but this was the first time he’d found the office—utterly unsatisfying.

Because it was too far from the language department.

He glanced back at the long hallway he’d just walked down and sighed softly.

It’s just a change in office location… so why does it feel like a long-distance relationship before the romance has even started?

—

The last period of the day for Class 7 was a self-study session.

With final exams starting tomorrow, the students were already mentally checked out. Hardly anyone was still focused or earnestly reviewing.

On the blackboard, class monitors for each subject were writing down the summer homework schedule. Now that they were rising seniors, their vacation time was being drastically cut short, while the amount of homework was long enough to take up half the board.

Chu Cheng walked into the classroom just in time to hear a student grumbling, “Damn, why is there so much Chinese copying homework?! I’ll pay big money for anyone who’ll do it for me.”

“How much money are we talking?” Chu Cheng asked as he strolled in calmly. “If the price is right, should I take the job?”

The student gulped. “Uh… no thanks… I was just talking big.”

Laughter erupted among the students.

Chu Cheng didn’t take it to heart. He simply sat down at the desk in the back row and started working on his lesson plans. Gradually, the classroom quieted down.

Perhaps it was because of the earlier “scene,” but surprisingly, Yu Siting—who usually checked in during afternoon self-study without fail—hadn’t shown up today.

Was he trying to keep his distance and avoid suspicion?

Though Chu Cheng had a mountain of work, he remained distracted the entire time.

Yu Siting’s prolonged absence from the classroom led many students to assume he wasn’t on campus. Coupled with the pre-vacation excitement, they got even more unruly.

When the bell signaling the end of self-study rang, the classroom instantly exploded into chaos. Many students didn’t rush off to eat but instead stayed behind to mess around.

During non-study hours, as long as the kids weren’t tearing down the roof, Chu Cheng typically didn’t bother interfering.

He made himself a cup of cold medicine, sipped it slowly, and lounged in his chair, idly scrolling through his phone—until a student’s offhand joke caught his attention.

Meng Xin: “Mu Yiyang, are you seriously messed up? If you’ve got nothing better to do this summer, why not follow someone’s lead and plant a locust tree, become a child bride or something?”

Li Sheng: “Exactly. Keeps you occupied and stops you from catching a case of love brain.”

Mu Yiyang: “Screw off! You two are the ones planting child brides.”

In the noisy classroom, words like “locust tree,” “child bride,” and “puppy love” kept floating around. Sensitive terms, one after another.

At first, Chu Cheng thought he’d misheard. But as he listened more closely, it seemed like everyone in the class knew about it. He suddenly sat up straight, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Where did you hear about that?”

“Huh?” The group of roughhousing students froze, all looking confused. “Hear about what?”

Chu Cheng really didn’t want to rehash that embarrassing childhood story. Helplessly, he said, “What you were just talking about.”

Lu Yan was the first to catch on. “You mean… the locust tree and the child bride thing?”

“You know about it too?” Chu Cheng frowned in shock. A second later, the realization hit him.

Yu Siting, you big-mouthed traitor…

Lu Yan bent over and rummaged through his desk, pulling out a test paper. Just as he looked up, he noticed that the teacher who had been sitting at the back was suddenly gone.

“Where’s Mr. Chu?”

“He left—looked like he went upstairs.”

Oh, this is gonna be good.

Lu Yan paused for a beat, then smirked gleefully, grabbed the test paper, and made a beeline for his uncle’s office.

The gossip-hungry teen had just reached the math department when he heard voices coming from inside—voices that sounded an awful lot like someone being interrogated. He leaned against the doorway to eavesdrop.

Mr. Yu was sitting at his desk, looking baffled. “I swear, I haven’t told anyone about anything from your childhood.”

Chu Cheng, having just caught a glimpse of Lu Yan peeking in, pointedly asked, “Then how does he know?”

Aside from Yu Siting, Chu Cheng had never told anyone else about that incident. The old man’s book had only been read by Han Rui over a decade ago, and even if she had let something slip, it was impossible that she would’ve said it to Lu Yan.

Faced with the situation, Yu Siting had no defense. He turned to the teen at the door and said coldly, “You explain it.”

Caught in the crossfire of the very drama he’d come to watch.

Fortunately, Lu Yan was prepared. He shook the test paper in his hand and cautiously turned to the offended party. “Mr. Chu, have you been too distracted lately to prep your lessons properly? Isn’t that story from the reading comprehension section of our mock Chinese exam?”

Chu Cheng: “?”

He took the paper, quickly scanned through the narrative, and then spotted the small text at the bottom.

Excerpted from The Collected Works of Chu Lining…

He flipped to the publisher’s info and checked the editor and test designer—sure enough, it was that damn Shao Ji.

Finally, Chu Cheng understood what Shao Ji meant by “a once-in-a-lifetime surprise”—getting to one day stand on the podium and analyze a reading comprehension passage written about himself.

The math office fell completely silent. Yu Siting leaned quietly on his desk, not speaking, but clearly wearing a look that screamed waiting to be coaxed.

Chu Cheng wasn’t sure if it was another bout of fever or just pure frustration, but his head felt like it was burning up. He turned slightly, wanting to leave and get some rest, but before he could take a step, someone stood up and grabbed his wrist.

This time, the grip was still firm—but perfectly controlled.

Yu Siting glanced at Lu Yan. “Out.”

“Ohh~” The boy knew better than to stay, and obediently left—closing the door behind him.

It was dinner time again, and once more, the office was left with just the two of them. The scene was painfully familiar.

Yu Siting said, “This time, you’re the one who came to my office. What do we call that? Workplace harassment?”

No matter the timing, Yu’s petty need for payback always made Chu Cheng want to laugh and cry at the same time.

“I didn’t mean to just now either. So let’s call it even.” Yu Siting’s palm slid down from Chu Cheng’s wrist and clasped his hand. “Can I continue now?”

Chu Cheng lowered his head, feeling the warm breath fall softly across his eyelashes.

He already knew what Yu Siting was about to say—but the answer was something both of them had long understood deep down.

Chu Cheng gently reminded him, “It’s the final exam tomorrow.”

“What does that change? I thought I could be patient, but just now, I realized—I can’t even wait another minute.”

Yu Siting wanted an answer now, something that would change everything between them, something that would let the world know that Chu Cheng was his. That kind of longing was like holding a winning lottery ticket but needing to scratch it yourself—just to see it happen.

There was no reply for a long time. The silence itself seemed to signal an unspoken agreement.

Yu Siting asked, “Chu Cheng, will you be with me? Will you be my partner?”

This moment had played out in Chu Cheng’s head more than once. He had even rehearsed—firm and righteous—countless ways to reject him in front of Chuan-ge.

But all those well-rehearsed lines? He didn’t say a single one.

Chu Cheng replied, “When I have to make a choice like this, I usually do what my grandfather taught me. Since you know me so well, you probably know what that is, right?”

“When in doubt, follow your heart.”

Such a tricky question seemed impossible for anyone to answer—except for Yu Siting. The books he had pored over night after night meant he didn’t even need to think before giving the right response.

He asked, “So, what does your heart say?”

Chu Cheng smiled. “It says… okay.”