DCTMOAS Chapter 42

On a cold winter afternoon with an appointment scheduled, Chu Cheng walked punctually into the coffee shop on the ground floor of the mall.

It was a weekday, so the place wasn’t too crowded. Soft music played in the background—an Italian ballad of unknown name that perfectly matched the café’s retro décor.

Chu Cheng approached the counter and spotted Yu Siting already there.

Today, he was dressed in a rare casual look: a high-neck sweater, cuffed jeans, and short combat boots. With his tall, well-proportioned frame and striking facial features, he had the sharp, rugged charm of a man with serious style—even from a side profile.

Chu Cheng found it refreshing and couldn’t help taking a few extra glances, though he didn’t greet him right away.

Yu Siting turned his head by chance and noticed the observing gaze. He looked down at his own outfit with a slight frown.

Apparently, this was his usual at-home style during off days, so he hadn’t thought anything was off.

“Do I look weird or something?” Yu Siting asked.

“You look great,” Chu Cheng walked up to him and said simply.

“Coming from a face-card holder like you, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Yu Siting chuckled and tilted his chin toward the café’s signboard.
“What would you like to drink?”

“A flat white, thanks.” Chu Cheng placed his order and took the seat next to him.

Yu Siting gave a glance at Chu Cheng’s elegant pale wool coat—simple, refined, clearly different from his usual style. If you ignored that naturally sweet, clean-cut high school boy face, this would definitely fall into the “corporate elite” look.

It seemed he had deliberately chosen this style for today’s visit. Someone who claimed to be socially anxious, disliked formalities, and even hated being visited while sick, was now spending his holiday delivering thank-you gifts… he must be pretty resigned to it all.

“I was the one who said I’d find a time to visit, but looks like Mr. Chu beat me to it and sent you instead.”

Chu Cheng leaned one arm against the counter and sighed softly.
“Personally, I think overly formal gestures tend to make people uncomfortable. But what can I do? My dad’s always been particular about these things.”

Then he glanced to the side and added,
“But I’m guessing the real reason is probably because both Professor Jin and Director Jin praised you in front of him.”
“Blaming me for performing too well?” The other man’s voice was low and teasing.

Chu Cheng lifted the corners of his lips. “Who wouldn’t say so? The golden class teacher and his consistent charm in front of parents—so annoying.”

Yu Siting chuckled and picked up his cup, bringing it to his lips for a sip.

Chu Cheng spoke again, “By the way, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Yu Siting hummed softly, signaling for him to go on.

“When I was sick before, your family’s nutritionist went through all that trouble to make tonic soups for me. Since I’m paying a visit now, I thought I should show some appreciation too.” Chu Cheng turned to him, asking for his opinion, “What do you think I should give her?”

“You want to thank her in person?” Teacher Yu’s expression flickered slightly as he rubbed the rim of the glass cup a couple of times.

Chu Cheng admitted, “Yeah, even though you’re the one paying her salary, still…”

“It’s not that I mind that.”

“Then is there something inconvenient about it?”

“Not really.” Yu Siting put down the cup and, after thinking for a moment, said, “Recently, the auntie’s daughter-in-law just gave birth to a pair of twins—a boy and a girl. If you want to bring a gift, something for babies would be perfect.”

Chu Cheng thought that was a great idea and said happily, “I knew I should ask you. I was randomly guessing yesterday for so long. I think there’s a baby store upstairs in this mall. Want to come with me and be my consultant?”

Seeing that he looked ready to go immediately, Yu Siting gently reminded him, “No rush, you haven’t even had your coffee yet.”

Just then, the barista brought over his flat white. In the clear dirty-style glass cup bloomed a delicate tulip latte art.

Chu Cheng took a small sip of the milk foam, tasted it carefully, then set the cup down. “It’s getting late. Picking a gift will take a while, and it’s not polite to visit during dinner time. Staying in Tingzhou for so long made me forget how bad traffic is in Beijing. I should’ve made the appointment earlier.”

Yu Siting listened to his explanation, still sitting at ease, and asked back, “Aren’t you going to ask me what I came out to do?”

“Oh right, you said you had something to buy too. Did you get it?” Chu Cheng glanced around and only saw his PU cotton jacket on the chair beside him.

Yu Siting nodded. “I pre-ordered it. It’s not time to pick it up yet.”

“What is it?”

“Lu Yan’s birthday cake.”

Chu Cheng had only asked casually, not expecting such a surprising answer. “It’s my precious boy’s birthday today?”

“Yes. So don’t worry about being polite or not—stay for dinner. He’ll be happy to see you.” Yu Siting noticed the hesitation in Chu Laoshi’s eyes and added, “It’s just my two older sisters at home. You’ve met one before, and just that once was enough to know how carefree she is. The other is technically a student’s parent. She’d be more than happy to chat with you about her son. No other guests.”

Chu Cheng was slightly swayed. “So that means I have one more gift to pick, huh?”

Yu Siting countered, “I suggest you don’t. You’re his teacher. If you spoil him too much, he’ll start acting overly familiar with you at school.”

Mr. Chu thought about it seriously—and agreed it made sense.

That kid, Lu Yan, did have excellent leadership skills as class monitor, but if he started goofing around first, you could definitely call him the “ringleader.”

“So what should I do? It’d feel weird not to bring anything…” Chu Cheng stirred his coffee with the small spoon, mumbling to himself.

“First, you want to thank the auntie for her soup. Then you worry about how my sisters will act. Now you’re torn about a gift for the kid’s birthday. Chu Laoshi, who exactly did Old Master and Professor Jin ask you to visit? You haven’t said a single word about that.” Yu Siting finally couldn’t hold it in and called out this guy for going completely off track.

Hearing the long-suffering tone, Chu Cheng couldn’t stop laughing. “Come on, we’re this close. Why bother with all those formalities?”

“So you’re PUA-ing me now?” Yu Siting shot back, though he clearly appreciated the answer.

Chu Cheng fell silent for a few seconds, as if something serious was brewing in his mind. Then he suddenly said, “I’ve got it.”

“Hm?” Yu Siting looked up, expecting him to say something to ease the tension—but instead, this guy leaned in mysteriously, waved his phone a couple times, and said in a hushed voice right next to his cheek:

“How much was that cake you ordered earlier? I’ll pay double—just let me have the credit.”

Well, damn.

Yu Siting froze his smile, grabbed Chu Cheng’s wrist hard, and said each word with emphasis, “In. Your. Dreams.”

Chu Cheng didn’t press further, but his eyes curved into a bright, mischievous smile.

As another track finished playing in the background, both men had finished their coffees, and with unspoken synchronicity, they both spoke about heading out.

Yu Siting: “Shall we go?”

Chu Cheng: “Let’s head upstairs.”

Yu Siting nodded, picked up his coat from the side, and walked with him toward the maternity and baby specialty store.

“Welcome!” said the clerk at the entrance, handing them a push-pull shopping basket with a smile. “Our store is self-service, but feel free to call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” Chu Cheng took the basket and stepped toward the nearest shelf.

The store was filled with all kinds of goods—rattles, fitness frames, comfort toys, stacking games, track balls—an endless array of early education materials. Chu Cheng poked and played with everything along the way, clearly enjoying himself.

“Mr. Chu, are you shopping for yourself? Aunt Chen’s grandkids are only two months old. They can’t use any of that stuff.” Yu Siting, who had been seriously examining baby clothes, called out teasingly from behind, where the occasional sound of toy jingles made it sound like someone was entertaining a toddler.

“I didn’t see this much fun stuff when I was a kid,” Chu Cheng laughed awkwardly and quickly joined him to choose more appropriate items.

It wasn’t just the toys that were eye-catching—the clothes in the store were also delicate and adorable. The matching baby shoes were tiny, so small that you could only fit a couple of adult fingers inside.

Chu Cheng picked up a pair gently and showed it to Yu Siting. “This set looks nice, but I’m not sure about the size. Let’s buy a slightly bigger one—if it doesn’t fit now, it will in a few months.”

Yu Siting nodded in agreement.

Since it was a set of twins—a boy and a girl—there was no need to fuss over colors. He simply grabbed one set in blue and another in pink, placing them into the cart as he sighed, “What kind of good fortune does it take to have a son and daughter in one go?”

Yu Siting glanced at him. “Already thinking about your own future kids at such a young age? Seems like you like both boys and girls.”

But Chu Cheng shook his head while fiddling with another set of baby clothes, murmuring to himself, “Maybe I won’t have children in the future.”

“Why do you say that?” Yu Siting’s movements paused slightly, his expression turning more serious.

“It might just be an immature thought I have right now,” Chu Cheng replied. “Liking children and liking other people’s children are two different things. When I was younger, I didn’t realize how exhausting it must have been for my parents to raise me. As I grew older, especially after starting work, I began to understand—just bringing a new life into the world is already incredibly difficult. What comes after… the responsibilities are endless. I don’t think I have that kind of capacity right now, nor the openness to handle all the unpredictable outcomes.”

Yu Siting listened intently but didn’t share much of his own opinion. He simply said, “You’re still young.”

Chu Cheng picked up on the implication in his words and narrowed his eyes playfully. “So, Teacher Yu, are you an expert in raising kids?”

Yu Siting replied naturally, “I raised Lu Yan. He’s still alive, isn’t he?”

Chu Cheng chuckled and shot back, “Well, I’ll speak on behalf of my precious boy and say—good example, but maybe skip it next time.”

They continued browsing for a little longer.

To provide new dads and expecting moms with a cozy, immersive shopping experience, every item in the store was clearly labeled with age-appropriate guidelines. The sales staff didn’t need to hover, but Chu Cheng had noticed that one of them had been watching them since they walked in.

To be fair, most of the other customers were young couples, their faces glowing with anticipation as they picked out maternity and baby items. The only exception was the two of them—grown men chatting away like they were having the time of their lives.

Chu Cheng tugged on the sleeve of the person beside him. “Everyone else here’s a first-time mom or dad, and we’ve been lingering forever. It’s kinda weird… people are staring.”

Yu Siting let out a chuckle and kept browsing earnestly. “Let them stare. Didn’t know your skin was so thin.”

Chu Cheng didn’t reply, just fixed him with a piercing stare.

“Alright, alright, we’re about done anyway.” Yu Siting gave in, pulling the shopping cart toward the checkout line.

After picking out the baby clothes, it was just about time to pick up the cake. The two of them returned to the first-floor storage area to retrieve the other gifts, then headed back together.

The Yu family’s old house was a bit out of the way, and the drive took some time. By the time they arrived, the sky had already darkened.

A standalone villa stood shrouded in the deep blue of night, its exterior blending modern Chinese aesthetics with a touch of Italian luxury. Usually, only Yu Siting’s two older sisters lived there.

Yu Siting’s car and a Porsche pulled into the driveway almost at the same time. Though he had been in the lead, the Porsche driver made a clean and skillful turn, snatching the closest parking spot ahead of him.

The first to get out was a middle-aged woman in a professional blazer dress. Her mid-length curls were styled with precision, and though her makeup wasn’t heavy, it gave her an aura of commanding elegance.

Chu Cheng was impressed by the reverse parking skills and, judging by her age, guessed, “That’s your eldest sister, right?”

“Yeah,” Yu Siting replied casually, then rolled down his window.

As Yu Xiang walked over, she shot a sideways glance and remarked offhandedly, “Your driving skills are slipping.”

Yu Siting’s tone remained calm, but his words were startling: “If I didn’t have a passenger, I would’ve rammed you.”

Excuse me, what?

Chu Cheng’s hand, just about to undo his seatbelt, froze mid-air.

That’s when Yu Xiang noticed the passenger in the front seat. After taking a closer look, she switched into her polite hostess mode and smiled, “You must be Mr. Chu, right? Xiao Yan talks about you often.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chu Cheng responded, snapping back to the present.

“Sorry if I startled you just now.” Yu Xiang chuckled.

She had bold, striking features, and when she smiled, she radiated the high-powered energy of a top executive. She was clearly the type to dominate in business negotiations, then rush home just in time for her son’s birthday dinner.

Chu Cheng gave her a polite nod.

After Yu Siting found another parking spot, the three of them headed inside.

In the front hall, a photo wall made of silver and grey balloons was set up, with elegant silver script reading Lu Yan’s 17th Birthday. As Chu Cheng leaned in to read the smaller text, the sound of light, quick footsteps approached.

Yu Siting’s second sister came out to greet them personally. Naturally, Chu Cheng got introduced again.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Mr. Chu. Welcome to our home,” said Yu Chen, who appeared to be close in age to Yu Siting and had a more cheerful, energetic personality. She extended a warm hand toward the guest.

Tonight, she wore comfortable loungewear, no makeup, and had her long straight black hair down. Her gentle appearance was a stark contrast to the stunning, sultry woman Chu Cheng had met before—the same woman who drunkenly stuffed cash into her own younger brother’s collar.

The contrast threw Chu Cheng for a moment, but he quickly smiled and shook her hand, all the while marveling internally.

The three Yu siblings really were something—each one a whole different flavor of intensity.