DCTMOAS Chapter 1

“Take care! Come again next time!”

“The food here was actually pretty good. Let’s go, don’t forget your coats.”

“Whoa—don’t stumble, Lao Xu. Your alcohol tolerance is still as pathetic as ever.”

“…”

It was a summer night in August, and the lights of Beijing had just begun to shine.

A group of young men exited a Chinese restaurant, chatting and laughing as they went.

Chu Cheng slowed his pace a little, waiting for the dorm leader who had just paid the bill at the bar. While checking his phone, he asked, “How much was it? Let’s split it as usual.”

The dorm leader stuffed the receipt into his pocket, his voice slightly hoarse with a trace of alcohol. 
“What’s there to split? It’s our last meal before we part ways — it’s on me.”

After three years of being grad school classmates, their bond had long grown close. No one objected; they all smiled and chimed in, “Thanks for the treat, Big Bro.”

They continued chatting as they walked. The dorm leader casually slung an arm over Chu Cheng’s shoulder and asked, “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

Half a year ago, Chu Cheng had already passed a targeted campus recruitment interview and signed on to teach at a high school in another city.

So this dinner wasn’t just a graduation celebration — it was also a farewell party for him.

The dorm leader took a deep breath of the cool night air and sighed dramatically.
“All of us outsiders who came to Beijing — whether starting jobs or, like Chuan-ge, staying on for a PhD — we all ended up staying here. Who would’ve thought the one born and raised in Beijing would be the one to leave?”

Hearing this, a tipsy friend who had been leaning against a tree raised his head and joined in, “Exactly. What were you thinking? Your family courtyard house is not big enough for you? And just to be a regular high school teacher? No matter how hard you work, you still won’t do better than what your family could just— ow, shit—”

Before he could finish, Xu Chuan pinched him hard. “You drunk or what? Mind your mouth.”

The friend finally realized he had overstepped and tried to patch things up, muttering, “Come on, would I be puking on the street if I wasn’t drunk?”

“I graduated with a legit master’s degree from a normal university — why shouldn’t I be a teacher?” Chu Cheng knew the guy didn’t mean any harm, so he just smiled and moved on from the topic.

Night was falling, and the commercial district was at its liveliest. Their designated driver hadn’t arrived yet, so the group wandered to the roadside to wait.

“Damn! Whoever parked this car has serious skills.”

Hearing the outburst, everyone turned to look.

The parking lot near the restaurant was crammed with high-end vehicles. A Bentley Bentayga was parked horizontally at the edge, its linen white body looking quietly elegant under the night lights. It was so close to the dorm leader’s beloved car that the two practically looked glued together — not the slightest bit of respect for its own 4-million-yuan price tag.

“Jeez, even luxury car drivers park like this? That takes talent.”

“Haha, Boss, you gonna try and move your car?”

“There’s a phone number for moving the car, right? But one of the digits is blocked.” Xu Chuan circled the Bentley, peering through the glass.
“Is that a 6, 8… or 9? Could be any of them.”

The dorm leader laughed helplessly. “Forget figuring it out. My phone’s dead. You three each try one number — otherwise we’re stuck.”

“Alright, I’ll start with a shot in the dark.” Xu Chuan straightened up and dialed one version of the number, holding the phone to his ear for a moment before reporting, “No surprise — the number’s been disconnected.”

Chu Cheng and another roommate took out their phones and tried calling as well.

Roommate: “Mine’s not answering.”

Chu Cheng: “I think mine’s—” He had already listened to six or seven rings and was just about to say it wasn’t working, when suddenly, a voice came through the receiver.

“Hello?”

Chu Cheng quickly pressed his tongue to the piece of gum in his mouth and glanced down at the license plate. “Hi, is this the owner of the license plate Jing-A966?”

“I am.”

Just two words, the voice was low and calm, deep without being too heavy.

Chu Cheng continued, “Here’s the thing — your car is blocking ours in the lot and we can’t get out. The space is really tight, and to avoid any scratches or unnecessary damage, would you mind coming over to move it?”

The roommates turned their gazes toward him upon hearing the voice on the phone, giving him a thumbs-up in unison.

The man on the other end of the line paused for a moment before speaking. “Where are you?”

“The parking lot at the east entrance of Baihui Lounge,” Chu Cheng looked around and named a nearby landmark. It was a well-known nightspot in the area—few people wouldn’t recognize it.

The low voice responded, “Got it. I’ll be there soon.”

“Did he pick up?” Just as the call ended, his roommate Xu Chuan leaned in nosily and teased, “Think he might assume you’re hitting on him in such a cheap way?”

Chu Cheng frowned. “It’s a guy.”

“Huh? Lame. I was hoping it’d be some rich lady,” Xu Chuan glanced at the feminine accessories hanging inside the car and clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Everyone burst into laughter, teasing the soon-to-be PhD candidate for still being so hopelessly shallow.

The night breeze was cool and refreshing. The young men leaned against the guardrail, chatting to pass the time. Before long, a taxi dropped off a passenger at the roadside, and from the front passenger seat emerged an incredibly handsome man.

He wore a white T-shirt under a black cardigan, paired with khaki casual trousers. Standing around 188 cm tall, his long and well-proportioned legs gave even his simple outfit a striking air of refinement and class.

“You’re the owner of the Bentley, right?” Chu Cheng sized up the man’s sharp and composed demeanor. To prove his earlier call wasn’t just some prank, he stepped aside to let the man see the blocked parking space. “That A4L is ours—completely blocked in.”

The man glanced at the haphazardly parked Bentley. His thick brows furrowed slightly in what seemed like displeasure, but he remained composed as he said, “Sorry for the trouble. I’ll go grab the keys.”

With that, he turned and walked into the dazzling lights of Baihui Lounge.

Chu Cheng watched his retreating figure for a moment, then looked back at his roommates and muttered, “It was a guy. You believe me now?”

“Are you really that innocent, or just dumb?” Xu Chuan gave him a subtle, knowing smile and said no more.

Chu Cheng was left thoroughly confused—until a few minutes later, when the same man exited the nightclub with a drunken woman draped over his shoulder.

The woman had a curvy figure and mature, striking makeup. Though she looked older at first glance, she and the man seemed to be around the same age.

“Damn, is she really a sugar mommy?” The dorm leader widened his eyes, gossiping openly. “What’s the deal with those two?”

“Chauffeur picking up the boss lady?”

“No, something’s off. Looks like the guy is the car owner. Maybe it’s a husband in a sham marriage catching his wife cheating?”

As the roommates tossed around curious theories, the man had already helped the woman into the passenger seat of the Bentley. Just as he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt, she pushed him away impatiently.

“Since when do you get to boss me around?” the woman snapped. She stuffed a thick wad of red banknotes into the man’s collar, then leaned back into the seat with her eyes closed, massaging her temples. “Take the money and get lost.”

The bills scattered with a rustle, carried off by the night wind. The man’s eyes darkened with restrained indifference. After a moment of silence, he bent his long legs, quietly picking up the money and the high heels the woman had kicked off.

“Yikes,” one roommate muttered, clicking his tongue. “Whatever that is, it’s messy.”

The man’s patience didn’t stop the woman from rambling on, her drunken words growing more and more outrageous.

“Yu Chen, that’s enough.” The man, feeling the attention from those around him, finally gave a low warning, then firmly fastened her seatbelt, closed the door, and drove off.

The Bentley pulled out of the parking space and soon disappeared into the shimmering lights of the main road.

The group had certainly enjoyed the spectacle.

Xu Chuan even found a 100-yuan note that had been blown under a car and joked, “You see this? In the capital, even the air is full of romance and money. Are you really willing to leave?”

Chu Cheng looked toward the bustling city lights in the distance. His deep-set double eyelids curved into a clear, gentle smile. “I think I’m better suited to being a proper, ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet town.”

Xu Chuan said nothing, but the look on his face clearly said, Whatever makes you happy.

Before long, the designated driver arrived on a scooter. The young men climbed into the car, laughing and chatting as they wrapped up their farewell party.

---

The next morning, Chu Cheng left Beijing by high-speed train without waking his still-sleeping, hungover roommates.

Tingzhou No.10 High School—a well-established and prestigious secondary school in the city—was the place where Chu Cheng would be dedicating many of his upcoming years.

At this point, students had yet to officially return, and only a few boarding students could be seen hauling luggage along the pathway leading to the athletic field.

The front gate featured a sculpture engraved with the school motto: Virtue and Learning, Harmony in Diversity. Verdant greenery surrounded architecturally striking buildings, creating an elegant environment rich in academic atmosphere.

It might truly be a good place to teach, to shape young minds, and to peacefully spend half a lifetime.

Unhurried, Chu Cheng dragged his suitcase along while holding the official onboarding letter issued by the Tingzhou Education Bureau, visiting each office to submit documents and taking the opportunity to explore the campus.

“All your onboarding paperwork is complete.” A staff member at the school’s administrative office stamped his teacher ID and handed it back with the rest of the documents. “Welcome to No.10 High School, Teacher Chu.”

“Thank you.” Chu Cheng nodded politely. “Where should I go now to begin my job handover?”

“The class and teaching arrangements, as well as the pre-semester training for new teachers, are all managed by the Academic Affairs Office. Just go through the corridor up front—second door on the right. I just called them; they’re expecting you.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Chu Cheng left the school recruitment office and, following the directions, quickly located the sign that read Grade 11 Academic Office.

The last time he saw those words might have been seven or eight years ago. After all this time, he had gone from being a student to becoming a teacher.

He stood in front of the office door, took a few deep breaths to prepare himself for this new chapter in life, and raised his hand to knock.

Before he had time to react, he suddenly heard voices coming from inside the office.

An older-sounding voice said, “He’s a master’s graduate from Beijing University, a top-recommended candidate from the university job fair. He performed very well during the interview. At the time, he had offers from more than just our school…”

“This isn’t about how outstanding his academic background is,” a younger, deeper male voice interrupted. “Our class’s Chinese foundation was already weak. We finally made some progress under a responsible teacher, and now, just halfway through the year, you’re replacing him with some rookie fresh out of college? What kind of arrangement is that?”

Chu Cheng froze.

Beijing University master’s degree, freshly graduated, teaching Chinese—those keywords combined triggered a strong sense of familiarity.

But who was being called a “rookie”? How Rude?

All the mental prep he had done just thirty seconds ago crumbled instantly under the weight of those four words.

After a brief moment to compose himself, Chu Cheng curled his knuckles and knocked on the office door.

The voices inside immediately fell silent. A moment later, someone called out, “Come in.”

If I’m not embarrassed, then others will be.

Chu Cheng braced himself and stepped inside, ready to pretend he had heard nothing—only to look up and see a very familiar face standing by the desk.

Tall, long-legged, sharp features, deep black eyes. Even though the man was now dressed completely differently, Chu Cheng recognized him instantly.

He was the Bentley owner from last night!

The director of academic affairs had seen Chu Cheng previously at the campus job fair. Now, he quickly stood up and said, “Ah, Teacher Chu, welcome! Let me introduce you—this is the fresh new blood our school recruited this year, Chu Cheng. And this is Yu Siting, the former homeroom teacher of Class 7, Grade 10. He teaches math and will be teaching Grade 11 next semester. The two of you will be working together this term.”

“Hello, Teacher Yu.”

Out of instinctive politeness, Chu Cheng greeted him. But truthfully, his mind was still trying to catch up.

Because compared to himself, the man in front of him looked even less like someone in this profession.

Maybe it was a generational thing, but whenever Chu Cheng thought of a male math teacher or homeroom teacher, he imagined someone in a thermal jacket, spitting tea leaves into the inner lid of a thermos—a classic old-school image.

But the man before him was young, handsome, and impeccably dressed. Even his aura was so refined that he didn’t resemble the typical “plays both dad and mom” role at all.

Yet remembering the words he had just said about him, Chu Cheng felt indignant. Recalling last night’s scandalous scene, he couldn’t help but scoff inwardly:

You call that a righteous image—getting showered with cash by a drunk woman outside a nightclub in front of your luxury car? How professional.

Just as Chu Cheng was about to say something more, Yu Siting happened to look over. His sharp, commanding gaze swept him from head to toe.

Yu’s features already carried a cold, detached quality, and when he looked down with that expressionless face, the sense of pressure was overwhelming.

Chu Cheng felt a chill run down his neck. He knew there was no way the man could have heard his inner thoughts, yet he still felt a guilty chill. His fingers unconsciously clenched the edge of the desk behind him.

This familiar aura…

It’s exactly like when the homeroom teacher would suddenly call you out from the back door during a self-study session in high school.