DCTMOAS Chapter 57

That ranunculus had remained in a shy, unripe state ever since it grew its first bud.

Chu Cheng kept it at the corner of his desk, tending to it day and night, watching it closely. Finally, in April, it greeted him with three blooming flowers.

It was just too beautiful. The double-layered petals overlapped in delicate tiers, blooming in a pure white hue—like the swirling hem of a young girl’s skirt dancing in the wind.

Looking at the flower, Chu Cheng felt like he had personally raised a daughter. He couldn’t help patting the ceramic pot from left to right, then snapped a photo and posted it to his Moments on WeChat.

The first class in the afternoon was Yu Siting’s math lesson.

Whenever the homeroom teacher himself taught, discipline in the classroom was never an issue. But since there was a school-organized event after this class—requiring the students to gather at the science building for a health seminar on vision and dental care—Chu Cheng sat at the back teacher’s desk in the classroom, working on his lesson plan while waiting for the class to end.

His phone, sitting off to the side, lit up several times in a row. Chu Cheng picked it up to check his messages, and also peeked at the comments under the flower photo he had just posted.

[Shen Nannan]: So pretty!

[Xu Chuan]: Hey hey, what kind of flower is this? Doesn’t look like peach blossom~

[Shao Ji]: Nothing better to do than fuss with plants and flowers? You in your twilight years already?

[Professor Jin]: That pot looks a bit small. After it blooms, you might want to consider repotting it.

Looking at the last two replies, Chu Cheng thought—no one loves flowers more than his mom. So he quickly typed out a message to stir the pot a little:

[Mom, Shao Ji’s throwing shade at you in my comment section, saying that at your age, you’re only fit to be obsessed with gardening…]

“…So, the final expression on the right equals cos(A/2) minus root 3 times sin(A/2). Simplify it to get the tangent value. Organize it on your own.”

At the front of the classroom, Yu Siting finished writing on the board, then turned to face the students.

He glanced toward the last row and caught Lu Yan slacking off. His gaze grew a few degrees colder. Just as he was about to call on him to answer a question, he noticed someone else—Vice Monitor Chu Cheng, sitting diagonally behind, grinning foolishly at his phone.

These two—one treating math class like it didn’t matter, the other openly leading by poor example.

Standing on the raised platform, Yu Siting saw the whole scene unfold clearly. A hint of mischief stirred in his chest. Casually, he picked up a stray pen cap from the lectern, tossed it lightly in his palm, and asked in an unassuming voice, “Got the answer yet?”

“Yes, it’s already worked out.”

“Then pick someone to explain.”

As soon as Mr. Yu finished speaking, he found his angle, raised his arm, and flicked the plastic pen cap straight through the air. It struck Lu Yan’s pencil holder dead-on.

Just as he intended, the pen cap rebounded and flew sideways, landing directly on Chu Cheng’s desk.

Thud. Clack—
The sounds came in quick succession. Both were startled.

Lu Yan had at least half-expected to get caught goofing off in class, so he had some mental prep.

Chu Cheng, on the other hand, was thoroughly shocked—so much so that he nearly flung his phone to the ground. His brain went blank for a second, and he looked up in stunned confusion, his expression a mix of surprise and bewilderment as he stared toward the lectern.

Yu Siting’s expression didn’t shift in the slightest. He spoke in the same calm tone, “Go ahead and explain.”

Explain what? Who was even being called?

Chu Cheng was completely lost. He looked at the blackboard crammed with equations, feeling like he’d time-traveled back to high school. The dreadful sensation of spacing out in class and getting called on came rushing back with full force.

Just then, Lu Yan stood up with a response.

“C.”

“Don’t trust the class rep. The answer is 2√3.”

“They’re all lying. The answer is: parallel and equal.”

“…”

Despite the pressure of Big Bro’s aura, the class still boldly stirred the pot. It was a perfect display of the phrase: “When one is in trouble, everyone pitches in… to make it worse.”

“Uh…” Lu Yan had no idea where they were in the lesson. Add in the chaos from the jokesters around him, and his brain turned to mush. Even he couldn’t hold back a laugh, ultimately giving up and accepting defeat. “I’ll just stay standing.”

Yu Siting cast him a flat, expressionless look—a clear warning to not let it happen again. Once satisfied the lesson had been learned, he moved on with the lecture. As he turned back to face the blackboard, he caught sight of the still-dazed Chu Cheng out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help the faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Lu Yan smoothly pushed his chair back under the desk, squatted to pick up the pen cap that had fallen to the floor, and placed it on Chu Cheng’s desk. He muttered under his breath, “Double kill.”

Chu Cheng finally pieced it all together.

He had been trying to sneak a moment of slack, but instead, he was the one who got outplayed.

In the hands of a STEM teacher^[1] with precision-level targeting and mental calculations, even a discarded pen cap could become a weapon of dual destruction.

If he’d known earlier, he would’ve asked Yu Siting to play ring toss at the fair—who knows how many flowerpots they could’ve scored?

Just as he was bitterly roasting himself internally, a new message popped up on his phone—a snarky comment from his childhood friend.

[Shao Ji: ?? You’ve really picked up all the dirty tricks since joining the workforce. Not one decent habit to show for it, huh?]

[“I can’t be blamed for going bad. There’s not a single good role model around me.”]

Chu Cheng sent off the message righteously, put his phone down, angrily tossed the pen cap into the trash behind him, and bent over to continue writing his lesson plan.

The bell rang for the class break.

“Class dismissed!”

“Let’s go to the lecture!”

Because the next period didn’t require staying in the classroom, the students were visibly excited and eagerly rushed off toward the lab building.

The two homeroom teachers—main and assistant—were left at the back of the group. Chu Cheng seized the opportunity to walk alongside Yu Siting, ready to spit a few venomous words his way to settle the score for that pen cap ambush.

Inside the infirmary hall of the lab building, the air was thick with the sharp scent of disinfectant. The lecture activity was divided into four sections: eye care education, types of dental caries, vision testing, and daily brushing techniques.

Class 7 students were more interested in the last two sections. Most of them gathered around the dental hospital nurses, listening as they explained the horizontal vibrational brushing method.

“This is currently the most scientifically recognized and effective method to remove dental plaque. First, place the toothbrush in your mouth at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the teeth, then use small horizontal vibrations to brush…”

After the demo, the nurse asked for volunteers:
“Does anyone here think they brush their teeth super thoroughly every day?”

Class 7, full of bold and socially fearless kids, had quite a few hands shoot up confidently.

The nurse smiled. “So many volunteers? Great. Then we’ll randomly select a few students and a teacher to help with the demonstration.”

As soon as she mentioned a teacher, the students all turned around to look toward the back. Chu Cheng immediately sensed what was coming. He shrank in his seat, trying to lower his presence—but fate had already rolled the dice.

“You there—the young teacher in the back. Could you please help us with the demonstration?”
The nurse had a sharp eye, instantly picking out the assistant homeroom teacher hiding among the tall boys.

Tch. Why not call him instead?

Chu Cheng glanced at Yu Siting, who was seated just two seats away.

“Obviously because you’re the most handsome guy in the room,” Yu Siting said coolly, reading his mind straight off his face and serving up a deadly compliment with perfect calm.

Chu Cheng figured… well, he could reluctantly accept that explanation. With a sense of noble sacrifice, he stood and walked out to the front.

Sure enough, the “experiment” involved applying plaque disclosing agent to his teeth.

“Dental plaque, in simple terms, is a colony of bacteria that clings to the surface of our teeth. Everyone has it. But it’s also the main culprit behind cavities and gum inflammation. It’s hard to see with the naked eye, which is why we use a staining agent to detect it,” the nurse explained while applying the agent to Chu Cheng’s teeth in front of the students.

“Don’t worry—plaque disclosing agents are mostly made from natural fruit or plant-based dyes and won’t harm the body. Also, this teacher here has excellent oral hygiene.”

Seeing Chu Cheng lead by example, several students enthusiastically volunteered to try it too.

“Oh my god, it looks like I just ate a dragon fruit.”

“Why can Mr. Chu rinse the color off but mine won’t come off no matter how hard I scrub?!”

“Oh my god, are my teeth really that dirty? But I brush twice a day!”

The students were utterly fascinated by the new discovery. Seeing each other’s disastrous appearances, they bared their teeth and laughed at one another.

The nurse explained, “Those of you who’ve done the test can take a look in the mirror after rinsing. The pink and purple areas on the tooth surface—especially near the gums and between the teeth—are spots that weren’t properly cleaned or are usually missed while brushing. Now you can use the technique we just taught to remove those plaques.”

Just moments ago, the students had been full of confidence. But after seeing the evidence with their own eyes, they were shaken. They rushed to grab disposable toothbrushes and paper cups, heading to the sinks around the room. The whole infirmary was soon filled with the scent of mint toothpaste.

All the mirrors were crowded with students.

Chu Cheng hadn’t brought his phone with him when he left the classroom, so he had no choice but to turn to Yu Siting for help.

After carefully brushing his teeth twice, he turned and flashed a textbook smile with eight perfect teeth. “Is all the dye gone?” he asked with a grin.

“Let me see.” Yu Siting examined his clean teeth and the adorable, expectant expression on his face. He couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” Chu Cheng’s expression shifted instantly into a pout. “I only ended up like this because I’m so dedicated to Class 7, okay?”

“Not at all messy—still the most handsome in the room.” Yu Siting looked at his face, unhurried, then added softly, “I laughed because… you’re cute.”

He said it so matter-of-factly, it caught Chu Cheng off guard. His neck actually felt like it was heating up.

Chu Cheng gave a low grunt and changed the subject. “I don’t trust you. Give me your phone—I want to check.”

Yu Siting nodded, pulled out his phone, switched to the front camera, and held it up for him beside the sink.

Chu Cheng squeezed more toothpaste and brushed his teeth again in front of the camera, making sure every tooth was once again clean and white. Then he used his finger to rub the corners of his mouth. The staining dye had stuck to his skin and was hard to remove. His lips, already pink, were now rubbed to a deeper, more vivid red.

Yu Siting stared at him, completely focused, and instinctively moved his thumb.

Click—

The shutter sound came without warning.

Chu Cheng froze for a second, then lunged to grab his wrist—but missed. He didn’t even get a chance to see how awful the photo turned out.

The next moment, Yu Siting had already tucked his phone away, eyes gleaming with smug mischief.

“Yu Siting.” Chu Cheng began his accusation immediately, then glanced around and lowered his voice when he saw no one was paying attention. “Give it to me.”

“Watch your image, Mr. Chu.”
Yu Siting smoothly sidestepped Chu Cheng’s attempt to dig into his coat pocket and pretended to walk away. But Chu Cheng grabbed his sleeve, making him stop with a half-smile.

Chu Cheng accepted his fate—he’d been played again. He gritted his teeth and said, “Fine. Name your price. What will it take for you to delete it?”

Yu Siting seemed to consider seriously for a moment, then replied, “We’ll see when I’m in a good mood.”

“Don’t give me that crap!” Chu Cheng protested.

One dodging, one chasing, they tried to avoid the students’ gazes as they wrestled their way toward the door—where they accidentally bumped into someone.

Seeing the familiar figure, Chu Cheng paused his struggle. “Senior.”

Yu Siting also nodded at the newcomer.

Zhou Jin looked at the two of them, confused for a moment. Then he chuckled and said he’d been supervising the competition students downstairs, and came up to join the fun during the break.

Chu Cheng teased, “Pretty relaxed job you’ve got—slacking off in broad daylight.”

Zhou Jin shot back, “Not as relaxed as you. You’ve even started gardening in the office.”

After a few casual updates, the conversation turned to the upcoming Labor Day mini-holiday.

“I’ve got time now,” Zhou Jin said. “Nannan wants to go to the fishing village for a little getaway. You two interested in coming?”

As soon as he said it, he glanced at Teacher Yu beside him and remembered how the two had gone cycling together last Golden Week. He added, “Or… have you already made plans?”

Chu Cheng smiled. “No plans—but I’m not coming either. You two are basically still honeymooning. I’d just be a third wheel.”

“You make it sound like we’re strangers,” Senior Zhou replied with a teasing tone. “It’s not like you haven’t been the third wheel before.”

The two of them laughed and chatted easily, but Yu Siting glanced at Chu Cheng thoughtfully.

After Zhou Jin returned to his duties, the health lecture continued. The students were still chatting excitedly around the room.

Leaning against the doorframe, Yu Siting asked, “Are you planning to go back to Beijing for the May Day holiday?”

Chu Cheng shook his head. He had just gone back during the Qingming Festival to pay respects at his grandfather’s grave and stayed at home for a couple of days. So he didn’t plan to make the trip again so soon. Besides, during Labor Day, the old man usually received a ton of invitations to events—he might not even be home.

“Then any plans for the holiday?” Yu Siting asked again.

“Play video games,” Chu Cheng answered with a candid smile.

It’s a public holiday, after all—everywhere’s going to be packed. Only the digital world is lively without feeling crowded.

“Don’t you have any normal activities lined up? No wonder you get sick—your lifestyle is a mess.” Yu Siting’s mouth twitched in slight disapproval.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t witnessed this guy’s hellish sleep schedule before. A self-proclaimed gaming addict planning to play over the holiday? That meant non-stop gaming, barely moving from his chair all day.

Chu Cheng pushed back indignantly: “How is that unhealthy? I’m as strong as an ox right now—I could hike Mount Tai in one breath!”

“Okay.” Yu Siting didn’t argue and nodded in apparent agreement.

Okay what?

Chu Cheng didn’t pay much attention to the cryptic response. Then he remembered their unresolved “photo war” from earlier. He gave Yu Siting a shove and reminded him: “You still haven’t deleted that photo.”

Yu Siting said nothing, ignoring every tactic Chu Cheng tried—refusing to give in.

---

The end of April passed,
marking the start of the Labor Day mini-holiday.

On the first day off work, Chu Cheng luxuriously slept in until he naturally woke up. While washing up, he noticed the house was empty—not a soul in sight. He had no idea where his uncle and cousin had gone on a big holiday like this.

After a simple breakfast, Chu Cheng kept his promise and went back to his room, ready to begin a cozy, co-dependent stretch of days with his blanket and laptop.

However, before he could even boot up his computer, his phone buzzed with a WeChat notification.

[Yu Siting: Awake yet?]

The timing of the message was impeccable. Clearly, this guy knew his sleep schedule like the back of his hand.

[Chu Cheng: What’s up?]

[Yu Siting: Lu Yan and I are at the supermarket getting stuff for the trip. Do you need anything?]

Trip?

Chu Cheng couldn’t recall agreeing to any kind of trip, so he asked directly.

[Yu Siting: To fulfill your request, the itinerary’s a bit complicated. We’ll first drive to Port L, then transfer to a cruise ship, and finally detour from Weihai to hike Mount Tai.]

Is he insane?!

Staring at the screen, Chu Cheng felt like the sliced bread he’d just eaten had gotten stuck in his throat.

He frantically typed a message to ask whether Yu Siting was mentally stable, but before he could hit send, two new messages popped up.

[Yu Siting: Image]

[Yu Siting: Lu Yan’s been bugging me about seeing the sunrise at sea, but there are no early departures. Are you okay with spending the night on the ship?]

Chu Cheng took a closer look at the attached screenshot, showing a deluxe suite on a luxury cruise. He hesitated for a good thirty seconds, and then… his stance started to crumble. His right hand betrayed him by deleting the message he’d just typed.

[You serious? I planned to pull an all-nighter and rank up. Is the signal on the ship even decent?]

The phone was silent for a few minutes, and then a booking confirmation text from the system arrived.

[Yu Siting: You’ll find out soon enough. Start packing now—we’ll pick you up after we’re done shopping.]

---

Author’s note:

Chu Cheng: Yay! Holiday time! Time to game non-stop!

Yu Siting: Not a chance.

Chu Cheng: I really did try to resist… I just failed.