DCTMOAS Chapter 2

“Mm, hello.” Yu Siting nodded slightly and replied with just three cold words before looking away.

He didn’t seem to care that someone had overheard his conversation—or maybe he thought there was no point trying to cover it up any further.

“I’ve got to attend a subject research meeting. Excuse me.” He then picked up two textbooks and headed for the door. Just before leaving, he paused, looked back, and added to the academic director, “Please reconsider what we just talked about.”

Once only the two of them remained in the room, the atmosphere grew noticeably awkward.

“Don’t just stand there, have a seat.” The academic director turned and poured two cups of tea as he tried to smooth things over. “The school’s decision won’t change because of his personal opinion. And Yu is just a bit cold toward new people. He’ll warm up with time. I’ll have a word with him later and correct his attitude.”

“No need for that, Director,” Chu Cheng replied with a forced smile. “If I can teach well, then of course he’ll have nothing more to say. If I can’t… then he wouldn’t be wrong.”

Seeing that Chu Cheng wasn’t taking it personally, the director visibly relaxed. He sat down on the couch across from him and continued, “As per usual, in your first semester, you’ll only be teaching one class. The school has decided to assign you to Grade 11, Class 7 for now. This profession really does value seniority and experience, but that doesn’t mean young people are lacking. A lot of things are changing these days. The fact that we hired you means we believe in your ability. Take your time—there’s a long road ahead.”

Chu Cheng responded humbly, “Yes, I’ll follow the school’s arrangements.”

The director nodded in approval. “Good. Now let me fill you in on the details of this grade level…”

Talking to someone in a leadership position always makes people tense. Chu Cheng sat upright the whole time, and after a while, his shoulders began to ache.

After a bit more discussion, the director finally glanced at his watch. “Let’s stop here for now. In a bit, all the teachers will have a meeting to kick off the new semester. Use that chance to get to know your colleagues. If you run into any problems at work, feel free to come to me anytime.”

“Thank you, Director. I’ll be off, then.” Chu Cheng got up and politely excused himself.

He had only taken a few steps out of the office when someone in the hallway called his name. Turning around, he saw a scholarly-looking young man wearing glasses waving at him from a short distance away.

“Senior.” Seeing the man here wasn’t surprising to Chu Cheng at all.

It was Zhou Jin—Senior Zhou. He had also graduated from Beijing University and had once been a student of Chu Cheng’s mentor. A few years ago, he had come to this very school through a similar targeted recruitment program and was now teaching chemistry at No. 10 High School. When he heard that Chu Cheng would be joining the the school, Zhou Jin had even helped him rent an apartment.

“You came to report in so early? We were planning to pick you up from the station around noon,” Zhou Jin said as he pulled someone out from the office next door. “This is my fiancée, Shen Nannan.”

The female teacher standing next to him was petite, with a doll-like face, fair skin, and soft black curly hair.

Chu Cheng had already heard of her. She was a local from Tingzhou and had been with Zhou Jin since high school. After graduation, she returned to her hometown and became a certified teacher.

Back then, Zhou Jin had been the only one among their mentor’s students who didn’t pursue a PhD, didn’t go abroad, and didn’t stay in Beijing—simply because he didn’t want to keep the girl waiting too long.

Chu Cheng gave her a bright smile. “Hello, sister-in-law.”

The teacher, Shen, seemed a bit shy at the greeting and nodded bashfully.

Zhou Jin continued, “We’re just on our way to the meeting. This semester, I’m still teaching Class 5 and 6, and she’s teaching English for Class 7 and 15. Oh, have they assigned your class yet?”

“Yeah.” Chu Cheng nodded. “I’ve been assigned to Class 7 as well.”

“Well, that’s perfect. You two can go in together.” Zhou Jin lifted his chin in the direction of the classroom.

Right above their heads hung the sign for Grade 11, Class 7.

Caught off guard, Chu Cheng asked, “What exactly is this meeting? Do I need to prepare anything?”

Shen Nan Nan explained gently, “Don’t worry, it’s not that formal. The teachers just sit together, drink some tea, and discuss the academic plans for the new semester—how subject teachers can coordinate with the homeroom teacher, that kind of thing.”

“Who’s the homeroom teacher for Class 7?”

“You mean Mr. Yu?” Shen smiled knowingly, not needing to spell it out. “He’s strict with the students, yes, but since you’re colleagues, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Thinking of that unnerving gaze earlier, Chu Cheng repeated to comfort himself, “Right, we’re colleagues.”

No sooner had he said that than, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an older teacher walking toward them. Reflexively, he stepped aside and nodded respectfully. “Please, teacher, you go first.”

Shen Nan Nan paused for a second, then giggled. “Looks like you still need a bit of time to switch out of the student mindset. Good morning, Mr. Li!”

“Good morning to you too. And this is…?” The physics teacher, who had also been startled by Chu Cheng’s respectful gesture, quickly returned to his usual kindly smile.

Shen Nan Nan took the opportunity to introduce them. “This is Mr. Chu, who’ll be taking over Ms. You’s class this semester.”

Mr. Li gave him a friendly once-over. “You look about twenty. Undergraduate?”

Chu Cheng smiled and rubbed the tip of his nose. “I’m twenty-three. Just finished my master’s this year.”

“You’re really young,” Mr. Li remarked with a sigh, brushing his graying sideburns as he pushed open the door.

The front door of the classroom creaked open.

The first thing that came into view was Yu Siting’s long legs, casually leaning against the edge of the podium. The smooth, well-defined muscle lines ran down both sides of his waist, making the fabric of his dress pants fall in a perfectly sleek manner.

No matter how many times Chu Cheng saw him, it was still hard to reconcile this man’s image with that of a homeroom teacher.

Yu Siting was pinning the class schedule to the corner of the blackboard. He turned around, and because of the height of the podium, his eyelids hung slightly, casting his black eyes in a dark, polished depth.

“Everyone’s here? Then let’s sit.”

Two unfamiliar subject teachers were chatting in the front row. Ms. Shen and Mr. Li exchanged greetings with them before finding their seats. Chu Cheng followed suit.

“Although this kind of meeting is just routine and not mandatory, once the semester officially starts, everyone gets too busy to sit down like this together. Most of us here have been working together since Grade 10, so I don’t need to host. Let’s take this chance to talk about anything you need me to do this semester or any new rules. I’ll do my best to cooperate and support your teaching plans.”

Yu Siting spoke calmly as he sorted through the various materials on the lectern.

Once he was done, his gaze naturally landed on Chu Cheng, as if he had just noticed his presence.

“Before we begin, would our new teacher, Mr. Chu, like to say a few words?”

The new teacher, who had already decided to observe more and talk less, was suddenly called on. He looked up sharply and locked eyes with the man at the podium, who instantly caught the fleeting unease flickering in his eyes.

It was as if that was exactly what he had wanted to see.

Fortunately, as a top graduate from a prestigious teacher’s college, Chu Cheng had developed an instinctive response from years of practice. Before his brain could even catch up, his body had already responded automatically.

He stood up and gave a modest self-introduction, portraying himself as an inexperienced rookie and humbly asking his seniors for guidance and corrections.

Yu Siting absentmindedly fiddled with the course materials he was about to use. When he heard a certain four-character phrase Chu Cheng used to describe himself, his lips tightened slightly, but he said nothing.

——-

The meeting ended. The teachers got off work.

Zhou Jin helped Chu Cheng move his luggage into their shared rental apartment.

“Until the new teacher dorms are built, you won’t be able to apply for one, so you’ll have to rent for now. This room’s yours. The rest are shared spaces. It’s a bit small, but it’ll feel roomier once I move out,” Zhou Jin explained briefly.

The bedroom was tiny—about the size of a college dorm. Chu Cheng gave it a quick glance, then focused on something else entirely: “So that means… things are moving forward with you and Ms. Shen?”

Zhou Jin nodded. “Yeah. The new place is almost done. We’re planning to get the marriage certificate and hold the wedding this year.”

“Congratulations! Your career and love life are both settled. Looks like your life path is crystal clear now.” Chu Cheng smiled and offered his blessing.

“What about you?” Zhou Jin asked.

“Me?” Chu Cheng leaned into the couch, speaking leisurely. “The deputy principal said it during the graduation speech—choosing education is choosing a modest life. So what difference does location make? It’s not like I can afford a house anytime soon. I can’t just stay home and mooch off my parents forever, right?”

Zhou Jin chuckled. “Fair enough. But to be honest, I didn’t expect you to come here to teach.”

Though they were a few years apart, Zhou Jin had often heard their mentors praise Chu Cheng—calling him the brightest mind and the most promising student from both of their academic lineages.

“I was never cut out for academia,” Chu Cheng replied casually, stretching comfortably. “I only went to grad school because I was too young and didn’t want to enter society so soon. Figured I’d buy myself two more years.”

“Think whatever you want. But since you’re here, just settle in. Honestly, Tingzhou isn’t a bad place,” Zhou Jin gave a fair assessment, patting his junior’s shoulder in encouragement. “Alright, you take your time getting settled. Nan Nan’s waiting for me, I’m off.”

Chu Cheng waved his hand in response, then took a deep breath and got up from the sofa to start unpacking and cleaning.

By the time he finished tidying everything up, the sky outside had turned completely dark. Exhausted, Chu Cheng casually hung up the clothes he’d worn earlier that day, planning to get some early rest.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from beneath the clothes rack. A 100 yuan bill slipped from a shirt pocket and floated to the floor.

In this age of mobile payments, cash was rarely seen. Chu Cheng held the bill and thought for a moment before recalling it was the one Yu Siting had accidentally dropped after throwing money in the street last night.

In an instant, his sleepiness vanished. He pulled out his laptop, plugged in the ethernet cable, and messaged his roommate Xu Chuan to come online and play games together.

[Doo—]

The WeChat voice call connected.

Amid the sound of mechanical keyboard clacking, Xu Chuan’s lazy voice came through, “You’re such a night owl, it’s scary. Don’t you have work tomorrow? Why are you still so addicted like back in school?”

Chu Cheng had never been the studious type as a kid. In high school, he always split his time between studying and playing. Thanks to his smart brain, he didn’t make it into Tsinghua, Peking, or Zhejiang University, but still got into a well-regarded national university in Beijing. During college, he even got addicted to online games for a while—those were the days he and Chuan-ge would often spend the whole night in internet cafes.

Chu Cheng moved his mouse into the game’s arena and replied while playing, “I never understood why every game has so many toxic players, but after just one day of work, I’m starting to get it. Sometimes if you don’t let off steam in a game, there’s no way to survive the next day of work.”

Xu Chuan laughed at the explanation, “Totally normal. Every newbie in the workplace is overly concerned about how others see them. What happened on your first day? Tell me and make me laugh.”

Chu Cheng ignored the sarcastic tone and countered, “Guess who the homeroom teacher of the class I’m teaching is?”

“How would I know that? Just tell me already.”

“Last night’s Bentley owner.”

“Whoa.” Upon hearing that, Xu Chuan’s voice clearly took on a thick tone of interest. “So even the capital’s bougie nightlife has made its way to Tingzhou. Did you see the sugar mommy?”

Chu Cheng clicked his tongue. “Be serious, will you?”

Xu Chuan laughed exaggeratedly. “Alright, alright. Just tell me what happened. Did he block your way again?”

“…”

Chu Cheng was momentarily speechless. But thinking about it, there really wasn’t much of a conflict. So what if his ability had been questioned? He just graduated—it was completely normal.

There was a moment of silence in the headphones. Xu Chuan continued gaming, his keyboard clattering away.

After a while, he suddenly said, “Man, your school’s really full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Even Bentley owners are teachers now. If things ever go south between you two, who do you think the higher-ups will side with? After all, when they signed off on your paperwork, they probably saw your political background report, right?”

“Cut it out. I’m not some government or business elite’s kid.”

Chu Cheng said that while executing a lightning-fast combo in the game, delivering critical hits to two enemy players at once. The high damage output, clearly fueled by his frustration, knocked both opponents down as gray corpses at his feet.

Indeed, the Chu family was neither in business nor politics. But going back three or four generations, from history and archaeology to literature and painting, even academia and education—every single one of them was weighty enough to fill a long Wikipedia page.

He was the only one in this long line of Ivy-League-tier elites to sprout a different branch. Since he was young, he’d resolved to live as an ordinary person far from the spotlight. And if he could live freely and on his own terms, that would be perfect.

That was also the main reason why he left Beijing right after graduation.

A flash lit up the laptop screen—victory in the PK round.

Chu Cheng said, “One more round.”

Xu Chuan teased, “Still going? Aren’t you afraid of showing up to work tomorrow with dark circles and getting overshadowed by that Bentley teacher?”

The comment hit a sore spot. Chu Cheng suddenly asked seriously, “Hmm… purely in terms of professional presence, is the gap between him and me really that big?”

“To be honest, he doesn’t really give off teacher vibes either. But you…” Xu Chuan held back a laugh and tried to be objective, “You could blend into a class and easily pass for a high school boy.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” Chu Cheng muttered, half annoyed, half amused. This time, he played even faster, finishing off his opponent in no time. He let go of the mouse, stretched lazily, and let out a satisfied sigh. “Nice. Time for bed.”

“Hey—” Xu Chuan hadn’t even reacted before he saw a pop-up showing that his friend had logged off. From the other side of the voice call, he chuckled and commented, “You’ve got some serious self-regulation skills, man.”

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Author’s Note:

Chu Cheng: He hit a sore spot. A proud Chinese ‘male high schooler’ like me can’t be overshadowed by anyone.