DCTMOAS Chapter 68

After a week of nonstop battle with reverse parking and parallel parking, Chu Cheng had grown mentally exhausted and lost all interest in practicing.

Besides, in the past few days, he had already sent two of their cars to the 4S repair shop. If he didn’t take a break soon, Mr. Yu’s beloved vehicles might not survive his love anymore.

Since Chu Cheng returned home, Brother Chuan had been busy with various assignments from his advisor and had no time to spare. Just when he finally managed to free up his schedule, he got temporarily roped into some kind of celebration. So Chu Cheng had no choice but to meet him at the event venue.

Inside the Cultural & Sports Center, Xu Chuan was currently managing logistics in the hall.

Standing at 1.9 meters tall, he had a well-proportioned, athletic build, but his face didn’t match his physique—delicate and youthful, like a boy band idol, giving off a refined, obedient vibe.

As the last disciple of a literary master, Dr. Xu always conducted himself with grace and humility in front of the senior scholars—every movement exuding scholarly elegance.

Watching Brother Chuan act all proper and dignified like that, Chu Cheng honestly found it hard to adjust.

But it seemed to be a common skill among their generation: no matter how wild or unrestrained they were in private, not one of them ever lost face in public.

The venue was full of professors Chu Cheng had known since his postgraduate days, so he didn’t dare show his face. Instead, he hid behind a pillar and texted Brother Chuan.

[I’m here. Waiting in the lounge on the first floor.]

Xu Chuan glanced at the message while chatting casually with the others. After a few more moments of conversation, he quietly excused himself and slipped away without attracting attention.

He soon found Chu Cheng lurking in the corner. Dressed in a clean white cardigan and wearing a dark baseball cap that covered most of his already small face, he looked like he was trying to go incognito.

Xu Chuan quipped, “Why do you look so sneaky?”

“Duh,” Chu Cheng rolled his eyes at him. “That side is full of old family acquaintances. If they see me, they’ll either ask me questions or go straight to my grandpa. Do you think I dare go over there?”

In front of his troublemaking friend, Xu Chuan dropped his proper act and raised an eyebrow gleefully. “See? This is the hidden pain of the rich and well-connected.”

“Shut up,” Chu Cheng snapped back. “You looked ridiculously handsome just now with that quiet, aloof attitude.”

Xu Chuan wiggled his head smugly. After a pause, he glanced around and suddenly asked, “Why’d you come alone? Weren’t you supposed to let me meet that Bentley lo—”

Chu Cheng shot him a look.

Xu Chuan immediately corrected himself, “—I mean, weren’t you going to let me see those eight-pack abs?”

“You’d better stick with calling him Teacher Bentley,” Chu Cheng pouted. “He had something this afternoon and went with his family to attend another event.”

“Ugh, once again, fated but not destined,” Xu Chuan sighed in mock regret.

Chu Cheng glanced at the ceremony wrapping up behind him. “Can you get away later? Want to grab dinner tonight?”

Xu Chuan nodded, “Sure, but it’ll have to be a bit late. There’s another book signing at one of the side venues. My junior couldn’t make it today and asked me to keep an eye on things.”

“Junior sister?” Chu Cheng caught the term. “Someone you’ve got a thing for?”

“Don’t gossip,” Xu Chuan responded instantly. “She’s married, has a kid, and she’s still doing her PhD with the whole family in tow.”
Then he let out a thoughtful sigh, and his manly tone suddenly softened into a shy one. “But… the author doing the signing today? She’s totally my type.”

Chu Cheng tilted his head with interest. “How so?”

Xu Chuan confessed, “I had nothing to do earlier so I went over to check it out and ended up buying a book. She’s got that gentle and intellectual vibe, but her writing is smart and full of originality.”

Chu Cheng asked, teasingly, “So… are you appreciating the book and falling for the person? Or appreciating the person and falling for the book?” He hadn’t expected the guy to actually sound this serious.

Xu Chuan said, “Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Chu Cheng probed, “But I thought you were into carefree, bold sugar mommas? When did gentle, intellectual female authors become your thing?”

“You just don’t get it,” Xu Chuan glanced at him meaningfully. “Sugar mommas are my personal soulmate tag. But gentle intellect is the universal ideal that all men secretly crave for a lifetime.”

Chu Cheng mumbled, “Then how come I don’t feel that way?”

Without missing a beat, Xu Chuan replied, “That’s normal. Because you are the one men spend a lifetime craving.”

“…” Chu Cheng was momentarily speechless. He thought for a moment, then asked, “So… would you give up sugar mommas for a lifetime ideal?”

Xu Chuan didn’t give a definite answer.

As the two chatted idly, they had already made their way out of the main venue and into the book signing area.

The author sitting at the signing table wore a black face mask. Just as Brother Chuan had described, she exuded a quiet and cool aura. After signing each book, she would gently say, “Thank you for your support.”

Her voice carried a slight trace of a cold. When fans asked if they could take photos with her, she would politely remove her mask and cooperate. Her face was small enough to fit in a palm, and though she only wore light makeup, she was undeniably beautiful.

Chu Cheng finally got a clear look at the person on stage and froze for a moment.

Wait… isn’t that Teacher Yu Chen?

Startled, Chu Cheng turned his head and noticed the way Xu Chuan was staring at the signing table, completely captivated. He couldn’t help but say in disbelief, “You said this was your first time seeing her? Don’t tell me it was love at first sight?”

Xu Chuan replied, “But I feel like we’re meant to be. She looks super familiar. I must’ve met her in a past life.”

Chu Cheng immediately shot down his whimsical thinking. “Let’s not bring in reincarnation. You’ve already met her—in this life.”

“Huh?” Xu Chuan was confused. “Seriously?”

Chu Cheng stated plainly, “She’s the real older sister of that 189 cm tall, eight-pack, STEM-genius, Scorpio male gem with gold trim. You tell me—true or not?”

That was a lot of information at once, and Xu Chuan couldn’t process it. He scratched his head, stunned. “Hold on. Let me… process…”

The overly complex and ironically “novel-worthy” web of relationships nearly fried Dr. Xu’s CPU.

“And,” Chu Cheng added, “the one you’re supposedly ‘fated but not destined’ to meet is also here.” He subtly jerked his chin toward the end of the line.

A tall figure standing behind Yu Chen like a bodyguard was now staring straight in their direction.

The book signing came to an end.

Yu Chen and Yu Siting exited through the back passage. Chu Cheng and Xu Chuan were already waiting by the exit.

“Teacher Chu!” Yu Chen spotted him from afar and enthusiastically waved.

Chu Cheng smiled at the two siblings. “What a coincidence, both Teacher Yu.”

Yu Chen responded with a bright smile. Yu Siting, on the other hand, looked less than pleased about being introduced alongside his older sister.

Chu Cheng turned to his side and said, “This is my good friend and college roommate, Xu Chuan.”

Though Brother Chuan had not-so-secretly called her his “ideal type” earlier, he now maintained a perfectly proper image.

With a face that practically screamed “dangerously charming,” he gave a polite nod and said, “Hello.”

“Hello, I’m Yu Chen.” The woman across from him gave a warm smile, poised and graceful.

Previously, when Chu Cheng had mentioned Brother Chuan to Yu Siting, he had promised to treat him to a meal once they were back in Beijing. Now that they had run into each other, it was the perfect opportunity to have dinner together.

Chu Cheng had picked the restaurant—a music-themed eatery not far from the Culture & Sports Building, and more importantly, right next door to the Baihui Bar.

That just so happened to be the place where this little group had first met, though only Chu Cheng and Yu Siting still remembered.

Throughout the entire meal, Xu Chuan—who was technically attending as a “representative from the bride’s side”—instead had his full attention fixed on Yu Chen.

Chu Cheng, having known Brother Chuan for years and knowing his moods like the back of his hand, sensed a rare hint of seriousness from him. He had to quietly remind him,
“Teacher Yu Chen is five or six years older than you.”

Xu Chuan didn’t mind. “Bentley is five or six years older than you, too.”

And just like that, Chu Cheng was silenced.

The restaurant was a joint venture with a foreign winery and was a great spot for wine tasting and live music year-round. After dinner, naturally, they moved on to drinks. The group sat together in a private room, each with their own thoughts, politely clinking glasses like everything was perfectly harmonious on the surface.

Being a good wingman, Chu Cheng—having noticed Xu Chuan’s clear interest in Teacher Yu Chen—made sure to steer the conversation in ways that would spark mutual engagement.

The one thing that piqued both their interests was literature and writing. Wanting to pull Yu Chen into the chat, Chu Cheng naturally brought up topics about her novels.

But the moment that came up, Yu Siting stopped participating. Compared to the dramatic plotlines of “murdering your little brother” and “kidnapping your own sister,” he still preferred Mr. Chu Sr.’s books.

Yu Chen, on the other hand, chatted happily with the others. From time to time, she raised her glass of champagne, smiling as she took a sip.

She had a way of drinking—graceful yet uninhibited—that was intoxicating in itself. Even the way her fingertips held the glass shimmered with charm.

For some reason, Xu Chuan felt that the scene before him seemed oddly familiar. As his memory began to stir, Chu Cheng casually mimed the motion of slipping a note into his collar.

That finally jogged Xu Chuan’s memory—he had met Yu Chen before. And back then, she’d been in a completely different light.

It was like someone had fused his two ideal types—his “soulmate” and his “lifelong yearning”—into one person.

In reality, Xu Chuan and Yu Chen were hitting it off quite well. Eventually, he simply got up and moved to sit beside her, drinking and chatting at her side. Slowly but surely, both of them started to feel the buzz of alcohol.

Yu Siting got up to use the restroom and, as he left the private room, he brought his boyfriend along with him.

Chu Cheng had spent the whole evening keeping the conversation going and hadn’t drunk much, so he remained perfectly sober. Yu Siting had driven them there, so he hadn’t touched anything stronger than sparkling water.

Both of them stood clearly sober in front of the sink. Yu Siting lowered his head slightly, his gaze misty, and rested his chin on Chu Cheng’s shoulder.

Chu Cheng let the water run over his palms and smiled. “Teacher Yu seems to be in a good mood tonight.”

“Which Teacher Yu are you talking about?” Yu Siting asked hoarsely, a little upset at being ignored earlier in the private room.

“Teacher Yu Chen,” Chu Cheng replied without noticing anything, still making explanations that were completely unnecessary.

A literature PhD and a suspense novelist—one who ran away from home to play esports, the other who graduated from a top university to write novels. One stays up late grinding, the other drinks like it’s a sport. A curious combination, wouldn’t you say?

If, like Brother Chuan said, everything comes down to fate—then back when they had that car-parking call, only his phone had been answered. And it was Brother Chuan who picked up the money Yu Chen had tossed…

Yu Siting listened to Chu Cheng’s rambling thoughts, growing more and more sour inside. Suddenly, he grabbed both of Chu Cheng’s hips, turned him around, and made him face him directly.

“You haven’t even sorted out your own love life, and you still have time to meddle in others’?”

“Huh?”

Chu Cheng froze, and before he could react, he’d already been lifted and set on the edge of the sink, seated facing the mirror.

It was the perfect height. Yu Siting leaned in, wrapped his arms around Chu Cheng’s waist, and kissed him softly.

Caught off guard, Chu Cheng felt like a hundred bullet trains had just roared through his brain. He stammered out a warning: “Yu Siting… you can’t just do this here—”

“Relax,” Yu Siting chuckled lowly, cradling Chu Cheng’s face and kissing him bit by bit—from his eyelashes, to his cheeks, to the bridge of his nose, and finally the corners of his lips. “I do have standards about time and place.”

“…”

Chu Cheng was speechless. Flustered and red in the face, he still found himself responding—albeit clumsily—by wrapping his arms around Yu Siting’s neck and returning the kiss.

Yu Siting thoroughly enjoyed this rare moment of initiative. After a while, he pulled back slightly and wiped the corner of Chu Cheng’s mouth with the back of his hand, smiling as he said,
“But with you like this, I’m not sure I can hold back. I’ve just discovered Teacher Chu is surprisingly enthusiastic in this department.”

Chu Cheng’s neck turned red from embarrassment. He was the one who’d started the teasing—so how did he end up being the one on the receiving end?

Whenever Yu Siting touched Chu Cheng, there was always that irresistible pull, like he never wanted to let go.

He really wanted to change the location.

But logic reminded them both that tonight wasn’t the time. They couldn’t exactly leave the half-drunk Xu Chuan and Yu Chen behind.

The night was still and quiet. After getting their fill of flirtation, Chu Cheng and Yu Siting returned to the private room. As expected, the other two were now even more drunk, flopped down on the couch—one to the left, the other to the right.

At the end of the gathering, each couple took charge of one drunk friend and helped clean up the mess of the night.

---

The next morning, the Yu family’s old residence began another peaceful day, just like always.

Yu Siting and Lu Yan sat together eating breakfast. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, falling across the white French-style dinnerware, casting a silvery glow across the plates.

Footsteps came from the staircase nearby. Still groggy from a hangover, Yu Chen descended slowly, rubbing her stiff neck as she wandered into the dining room.

Yu Xiang, sitting on a sofa nearby, shifted slightly and turned a page of the morning paper. She spoke slowly:
“Now that everyone’s here, let me ask—who took my 911 out for a drive and scratched it?”

Yu Siting casually stabbed a piece of fried egg with his fork, put it in his mouth, swallowed, and then answered,
“I did.”

This unapologetic confession drew no change in Yu Xiang’s calm expression. She simply glanced over and asked,
“Any last words?”

“Cough—”
Sitting at the same table, Lu Yan choked a little on his milk. He coughed lightly but said nothing.

Yu Siting looked up briefly.

He’d always been cool and reserved, rarely speaking more than necessary—even at home. Yet under his older sister’s veiled threat, he moved his lips and unexpectedly asked,
“Will Li Yan die?”

Yu Xiang frowned. “Who’s Li Yan?”

At the coffee machine, Yu Chen calmly pressed down the coffee grounds without looking up.
“He’s a supporting character in my new novel.”

Yu Xiang crossed her legs, clad in business attire, and gave him a puzzled look.
“You’re facing death and that’s what you’re worried about?”

Yu Siting’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He continued,
“She got to that part yesterday, then started spouting nonsense before passing out cold.”

Putting together who had gone out to dinner last night, Yu Xiang finally got it. So the question hadn’t really come from her brother—it was from her future sister-in-law.

Apparently, Miss Yu had gotten drunk and gone a little crazy, ruining whatever “moment” the two were having. No wonder her dear brother was annoyed.

Yu Chen also picked up on the subtext and shot back, dragging her words,
“Oh? So now it’s my fault?”

Yu Xiang, of course, wasn’t about to let it slide.
“So scratching my car was your way of venting?”

Yu Siting finished his last bite of breakfast, drank half a glass of lemon water, then tossed down his utensils. The steel knife and fork clanged loudly against the plate with a sharp clang.

The mood in the room instantly turned tense.

Lu Yan, sensing that the three of them were about to launch another family courtroom session, knew what was coming. If things played out as usual, the dining room would look like a battlefield in under three minutes.

Totally unfazed by the chaos, the teenager quickly stuffed two nuts, half a pan-fried bun, and a gulp of soy milk into his mouth—then made a swift exit before he could become collateral damage.

As he beat a hasty retreat, he could vaguely hear the beginning of today’s “trial”:

Yu Xiang: “Have you ever considered that all these car scratches might not be his fault—but yours, because you’re terrible at giving instructions? You brought him back. How about I teach him instead?”

Yu Chen: “Ugh, you’re useless. Why don’t you two just swipe my card, book a luxury king room at a couple’s hotel, and continue what you couldn’t finish last night?”

“……”