DCTMOAS Chapter 7

As a habitual night owl, Chu Cheng showed up to his very first early self-study session with a face full of fatigue.

Even though he had suffered a crushing defeat at work and was exhausted both mentally and physically, his professionalism kept him in place. He even turned the empty seat next to Lu Yan into a second workstation.

Luckily, that day was Teacher’s Day, and the school canceled evening self-study for everyone.

At 5 PM, the faculty was allowed to leave early. Before heading home, Chu Cheng followed the message in the staff group chat and went to the mailroom to pick up the holiday gift.

When Zhou Jin entered the room, Chu Cheng was crouching in front of a tall stack of juice boxes, carefully choosing flavors.

“Looking pretty alert, eh, Vice Homeroom Teacher Chu,” Senior Zhou joked upon seeing how focused he was.

Still squatting, Chu Cheng casually asked for his opinion. “Orange or hawthorn?”

“Take both. You can have mine too,” Zhou Jin came closer, casually grabbed a few boxes, signed his name on the collection list, and fiddled with his phone as he continued, “Actually, I was looking for you.”

Buzz—

Chu Cheng’s phone vibrated softly. It was a QR code for a movie ticket—the showtime was tonight.

“I remember you mentioning you wanted to see this a few days ago, so I bought it,” Zhou Jin said casually.

Chu Cheng sensed something off. He lifted his eyes slightly and asked with quiet suspicion, “Doing something nice for no reason—what are you up to?”

“It’s rare that both Miss Shen and I are free from evening duties tonight, so we wanted to go on a date. I’m requesting permission from our comrade here.” Zhou Jin wasn’t fazed at being exposed; he admitted it openly and with a grin.

“What’s that got to do with me?” Chu Cheng sighed, feeling like even after a whole day of work, he still had to be force-fed their couple’s sweetness.

Zhou Jin smiled with narrowed eyes and explained, “Of course it concerns you. I want to cook her a candlelit dinner at home, and, well, if you’re there—it’d be awkward.”

“Tsk… You couples really don’t care if us singles live or die, huh.” Though emotionally scarred, Chu Cheng couldn’t resist the sincerity in his senior’s pleading eyes. He handed over the carefully selected teacher’s gift and said, “Fine, fine, I’ll go see the movie. Don’t forget who fetched the water when you drink it. When you start a family, make sure your kid calls me godfather.”

“They can call you big bro if you want.” Zhou Jin gave a thumbs-up as he watched the “great man” walk away.

The movie was about to start. Chu Cheng left the school and took a taxi straight to the mall. He had a quick dinner at the food court, then grabbed an iced coffee and went upstairs to collect his ticket.

As the elevator doors opened, a surprised voice called out, “Mr. Chu!”

Chu Cheng looked up from his phone and first saw Yu Siting—tall, long-legged, dressed in a black shirt and trousers. Behind him, speaking, was Lu Yan.

“What a coincidence.” Seeing Chu Cheng slightly startled, Yu Siting prompted, “Which floor?”

Chu Cheng stepped in and glanced at the already-lit cinema floor button. “Same one.”

Yu Siting just nodded without saying more, standing tall and straight as always.

“Mr. Chu, you came to watch a movie too? Which one?” Lu Yan, clearly the more enthusiastic of the two, leaned forward a bit to chat.

Chu Cheng pointed to a poster inside the elevator and answered, “The new action flick.”

“Oh, we’re watching this one.” Lu Yan gestured to an animated comedy.

Back in the day, Chu Cheng might’ve found it hard to imagine someone as stern as Yu Siting bringing a student to see a cartoon.

But ever since that fateful “read” remark, Chu Cheng had become increasingly convinced that this guy—despite his cold expression—was hiding a wicked streak. There was no telling what kind of thing he’d do.

Ding—Elevator ascending.

When they reached the cinema floor, the group walked together to the reception area. Near the front desk stood a themed sign that read, “Never Forget Your Teachers.”

To celebrate Teacher’s Day, educators could present any form of ID or staff badge to receive a limited-edition popcorn bucket, along with a surprise figurine from the “Three-Foot Podium” series.

The illustration on the poster looked exquisite. Unfortunately, Chu Cheng hadn’t known in advance and brought no identification, so he could only admire it from the sidelines.

“My movie’s about to start—I’ll head over to get my ticket scanned. See you later, Mr. Yu.” Chu Cheng collected his ticket from the kiosk and gave a nod to the pair.

Yu Siting nodded back in acknowledgment.

The newly released movie was still drawing crowds, and a long line had formed at the entrance. Chu Cheng slowly moved forward with the crowd, sipping his iced coffee and scrolling through his phone.

“Mr. Chu, wait a second!”

Just as Chu Cheng was handed his ticket stub by a staff member, Lu Yan’s voice called out from behind again.

Chu Cheng turned at the sound and saw his student walking over with a bucket of chocolate-flavored popcorn in his arms.

“This is for you.” The student handed him the bucket and also pulled out a palm-sized blind box toy from his jacket pocket—it was exactly the same as the one on the promotional poster earlier.

“For me?” Chu Cheng found it odd.

Lu Yan smiled. “Yeah. My uncle told the staff you’re his colleague, so she gave him an extra set.”

As he spoke, the boy waved his phone slightly.

On the screen was a live photo. The subject was none other than Mr. Chu himself, dozing off with his head propped on his hand in the back row of a classroom during self-study.

The soft morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, mingling light and shadow in a hazy blend that gave the photo a strangely peaceful, dreamy feeling.

But the person in question couldn’t care less about how photogenic he looked. The angle of the shot made it obvious it was taken from the podium—probably with Yusi Ting holding his phone high.

Chu Cheng took the “thoughtful gift” from his colleague with a complicated look. The words that slipped through his teeth were less heartfelt than they were gritted: “Tell him thanks.”

“At least the popcorn’s pretty good,” Lu Yan said, waving with a grin as he struggled not to laugh. “Looks like it’s starting—you’d better head in.”

The movie was about to begin. Inside the theater, a row of green safety lights glowed faintly. Chu Cheng found his seat and sat down. As the safety video played on the screen, he opened the blind box.

Inside was a miniature stamp figurine of a teacher slumped over a desk. It was finely crafted—and somehow perfectly sarcastic.

Chu Cheng turned it over in his hands, both amused and exasperated.

The star-studded film didn’t disappoint—it lived up to its high rating with thrilling plotlines and a suspenseful ending that catered perfectly to fans of mystery and deduction.

Chu Cheng felt as if the stress from work these past few days had finally eased.

As he left the theater, he sent a voice message to Zhou Jin: “I’m heading home now.”

Zhou Jin must’ve already finished his candlelit dinner—the reply came quickly.

[It’s pouring out there. Do you have an umbrella?]

“Huh? It’s raining?”

Chu Cheng only heard the pattering sound of rain when he reached the ground floor of the mall. Torrents of water cascaded from the roof’s edge, heavy rain slapping the pavement and spreading into ripples with the wind.

“Whoa, it’s really coming down. Nope, no umbrella. You gonna come rescue me?”

After sending those two voice messages, Chu Cheng stuffed his phone into his pocket and dashed toward the transparent bus stop shelter, using his shopping bag for cover. It was only a few meters, but his canvas shoes were already soaked.

The taxis on the street were all occupied, speeding past in a blur of rain and mist, completely ignoring passengers waving from the roadside.

This might be a problem.

Chu Cheng sighed and was about to try his luck with a ride-hailing app when a white SUV pulled up beside him, having just exited the mall’s parking lot.

The front passenger window rolled down, revealing Lu Yan’s delicate, youthful face.

“Teacher, where are you headed?”

Before Chu Cheng could answer, the car behind them honked impatiently.

The SUV’s driver didn’t even glance back and spoke in a deep voice, “Just get in first.”

“Oh.” Chu Cheng opened the rear door and got in.

Yusi Ting was driving a Toyota Prado, which cost around 700,000 RMB on the market—a much more low-key choice compared to the Bentley Bentayga he drove in Beijing.

The car interior was impeccably clean, not even a speck of dust on the floor mats. With his shoes and pant cuffs wet and muddy, Chu Cheng sat stiffly, careful not to move around too much.

His phone buzzed with a message from Zhou Jin:

[You’re overthinking. I’m making ginger soup for you at home.]

Is that a curse hoping I catch a cold? For someone who’s supposed to be a role model, this guy really bites the hand that feeds him.

Chu Cheng was just about to reply when Lu Yan suddenly turned around in his seat and interrupted his train of thought.

“Mr. Chu, want to join us for a late-night snack?”

“Oh, no thanks. I live at Yuncheng Jiayuan. Just drop me off anywhere along the way.” Chu Cheng felt that while Yu siting offering him a ride was one thing, they definitely weren’t close enough to be sharing meals.

“Yuncheng… That’s pretty close. We live in Fantian Jingyuan.” Lu Yan repeated the name aloud, then turned to the driver’s seat. “Uncle, let’s drop Mr. Chu off first.”

Yu siting replied with a calm “Mm.”

Since he planned to settle down in Tingzhou, Chu Cheng had researched local real estate. Fantian Jingyuan—best riverside apartments in the whole city—was just across the bridge from where he lived.

Chu Cheng blurted out, “The prices over there are insane.”

Yu siting glanced at the rearview mirror as he turned the wheel, replying casually, “Bought it a while ago—prices weren’t that bad back then.”

Even ten years ago, that place would’ve been crazy expensive, okay?

His tone was so calm it almost felt smug. Chu Cheng couldn’t help but stew in silent bitterness. Yu siting wasn’t even thirty yet—no matter how early he started school, his working years couldn’t be that long.

So what happened to the whole “choosing education means choosing a modest life” thing? How the hell was this guy so rich?

Comparison really is the thief of joy. Chu Cheng thought about his own meager salary and his mounting credit card debt, then fell silent in frustration.

Yu siting glanced at him again through the rearview mirror but didn’t speak further, driving steadily through the downpour.

The SUV arrived at the entrance of Yuncheng Jiayuan. The rain had eased up a bit, but the dense drops still pelted the windows with a loud patter.

Yu siting honked to signal the guard. A security guard in rubber boots stood under a rain cover and waved, indicating they needed to register before entering.

Chu Cheng quickly spoke up. “The security here is pretty strict, and it’s hard to turn around once you’re inside. I can just get off here—it’s not far now.”

“It’s fine. Just sit tight,” Yu siting replied coolly, then stopped the car and rolled down the window to sign in and leave his contact info.

As he wrote, the rain blowing in through the window dampened his sleeve, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“What building number?”

“29, all the way in the back.”

Only after the security’s questioning did the barrier lift. Yu siting drove inside and pulled up just a few steps away from the entrance to Chu Cheng’s building.

Chu Cheng got out of the car and, bathed in the glow from the roadside lights, said thank you: “Thanks for the trouble, and for taking the time to drop me off all the way here.”

“If you call in sick the moment you start work, it’ll reflect poorly on both me and our class.” Yu Siting’s tone was joking, but beneath the sarcasm, there seemed to be some truth.

Chu Cheng chuckled and let it slide—after all, the man had given him a ride home.

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Chu!” Lu Yan leaned forward and waved.

“Bye.” Chu Cheng watched Yu Siting reverse the car and suddenly noticed something in front of it.

The lights along the way had been dim, and he only now spotted the opened blind box placed there.

It was a figure of a teacher holding a book and speaking passionately, completely unaware that a mischievous student behind him was making faces.

The scene struck a deep chord, and Chu Cheng instantly thought of himself supervising study hall.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out another figurine. In a flash of insight, he finally understood where Yu Siting’s biting remarks came from.

Probably just a jaded veteran in the workplace, so skilled that everything feels too easy—and now, under his airspace, he’s spotted a clumsy goose learning to fly.