DCTMOAS Chapter 80

Nonstop review tests and weak-spot drills were the norm for third-year high school students.

It felt like the start-of-term placement test had just ended, and now the September monthly exam was already breathing down their necks.

Fifteen and a half hours of school time each day, the never-changing bells and class schedules—it all made the students go a little numb. But the disappearing summer heat and the steadily ticking down of the college entrance exam countdown reminded them all: time was slipping away.

On the last day of classes before the National Day holiday, it was barely noon and Class 7 was already groaning in despair.

“Finally! A break at last! I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in fourteen days,” Li Sheng shouted, raising his arms like he’d just been liberated.

Ji Yanan sighed dramatically, “What’s the point of a holiday? It’s only a few days, and every teacher is trying to bury me alive in homework.”

Mu Yiyang was sprawled out across his desk, chin propped on a fat stack of papers, eyes lifeless. “What trauma did Big Bro go through? Why is he assigning this much work? I admit, it was wrong of me to be mean to my classmates, but this… this has been two straight weeks of revenge-by-homework.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but this isn’t even all of it yet,” said Meng Xin, the math class rep, glancing at him with an expression that screamed: Oh, young one, you’ve much to learn.

Beside him, English class rep Xu Wanwan slowly twisted the knife: “Let math go first. If English has even one sheet less, I’ll eat my textbook.”

The students, crushed beneath the mounting weight of homework, took turns venting their collective misery.

“How am I supposed to celebrate the founding of our great nation in this state?!”

“Homework I can handle—just please, please don’t post the monthly exam scores until after the break. Let me have one peaceful holiday.”

“Isn’t the last period gym? I’m not going outside. Gonna stay here and get a head start on this mountain of suffering. Long-ge! If the PE teacher does a headcount, cover for me!”

Class sports rep Bai Xiaolong had a basketball tucked under one arm and was leaving with Jiang Zhibo, their arms casually slung over each other’s shoulders. He turned back and gave a thumbs-up. “No worries. I’m not even planning to call roll.”

In the middle of the chaos, Lu Yan zipped up his school jacket, tennis racket slung on his back, and tapped on Ying He’s desk with it. “Your stitches have been out for a while now. You should be cleared to move around, right?”

Ying He ignored him, eyes still glued to his mock exam math paper.

He’d scored a 145 this time—but the only full score in the class belonged to the guy currently grinning at him with a tennis racket strapped on.

Lu Yan said casually, “Getting a perfect score in math isn’t exactly easy. Studying hard’s great and all, but one short match won’t kill your GPA.”

“Tch.” Ying He clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. He finally dropped his pen and shot Lu Yan a sidelong glare.

Unbothered, Lu Yan smiled and kept pushing: “You play tennis? If not, I’ll go ask Meng Xin instead.”

Ying He grabbed his jacket and stood up, heading toward the door as he shot back icily, “If you lose, shut the hell up. Got it?”

“So confident?” Lu Yan caught up with him, chuckling. “Even Mr. Chu’s never scored a single point off me.”

Given the vice class rep’s well-known lack of physical prowess, Ying He didn’t bother to hide his sarcasm:
“Using him as your opponent—do you really think that’s convincing?”

At that, for some unknown reason, both of them burst into laughter simultaneously. Back in the office, Chu Cheng might have sneezed without knowing why.

There were only a few minutes left until lunch break.

In front of the main gates of No. 10 High School, a sleek, dark-colored luxury car was parked by the roadside.

The rear window of the car rolled down to reveal a gentleman in his sixties, dressed in a casual suit vest and wearing a retro British-style beret. He looked energetic and sharp.

“Is this the main entrance of the school?” he asked, resting his arm on the window edge and peering outside. The cufflinks at his sleeve and the watch peeking out from under it were both clearly expensive.

The sharply dressed driver nodded. “Yes, it is. I checked—third-year students and teachers of No. 10 High usually enter and leave through this gate during the lunch and evening dismissal.”

“Good.” The old man’s eyes remained fixed on the gate as he continued, “You have that boy’s photo, right? Keep your eyes peeled. I must get to the bottom of who he is today.”

The driver tapped the tablet in his arms, bringing up a faculty ID photo—Chu Cheng’s face, youthful and refined, lit up the screen.

While the beret-wearing gentleman was conversing with the driver, he suddenly spotted Lu Yan—just out of PE class—stepping out early. He quickly ducked down, hiding himself inside the car.

“Hold it lower, don’t let him see us.” He stayed crouched, only raising his head again once he judged the teen had walked far enough.

“Xiao Yan is here. Looks like we’re in the right place. Once we—”

“Grandpa!” came a clear, youthful voice.

Lu Yan hadn’t gone far after all. He had circled around the other side of the vehicle and was now looking straight into the car.

The two locked eyes through the half-lowered window.

“…” Mr. Yu froze for a moment, a sense of helplessness washing over him as if he’d just been caught red-handed.

“When did you come back to the country? What are you doing here?” Lu Yan’s voice was tinged with delight, but also a bit of suspicion.

The old man quickly collected himself, shedding the complicated expression from a moment ago. He broke into a bright grin and said, “What else would I be doing? Of course I came just to see my grandson.”

“Oh~” Lu Yan eyed him skeptically, leaning in to peek inside the car. “You came just to see me, waiting at the school gate to surprise me? Then why didn’t you bring a gift?”

“I came straight from the airport. Where would I have had time to buy anything?”

Mr. Yu was telling the truth—someone coming to do a bit of “undercover investigating” wouldn’t exactly think to bring gifts.

“No worries, we can go buy something now,” the teen replied cheerfully, pulling open the car door and hopping inside. He threw his arms around his grandfather’s arm. “I missed you like crazy!”

Yu Laoyezi (Old Master Yu), who had been missing his one and only grandson terribly, couldn’t resist the affectionate hug. His sharp eyes crinkled with laughter, and in that moment, he shelved all other matters.

“You can have anything you want.”

“Then take me out for lunch first, Grandpa. I’m starving.”

“Starving already at noon? Does Yu Siting not make you breakfast at home?”

“Haha, I’m not tattling or anything! I just worked out, that’s why I’m hungry earlier than usual.”

“…”

The two of them went out for lunch together, chatting happily. Mr. Yu even bought his grandson a new drone as a welcome-back gift. Throughout the meal, aside from asking a few questions about daily life and studies, he never brought up anything else.

Of course, Lu Yan knew his grandfather’s sudden appearance had to mean more than just a surprise visit. But he didn’t expose it—putting on his most obedient, well-behaved expression, and happily soaking up all of Grandpa’s affection without question.

As the afternoon class time drew near, the teen was dropped off back at the school gates by the driver. He bent down beside the car and said his goodbye:

“Grandpa, I’m heading back in now. Keep the gift for me, okay? I’ll play with it when I come home during the National Day break.”

“Alright,” Mr. Yu replied with a smile full of warmth and indulgence.

“Oh, right—if you want to see my uncle, you probably won’t catch him at lunch. He’s been really busy at school lately and usually just eats in the cafeteria,” Lu Yan added casually, stopping just before stepping back into school. Then, in a tone that sounded a bit too deliberate, he offered, “Want me to call him out for you?”

Teacher Yu forever soft-hearted but hard-mouthed, didn’t want to admit he cared about his rebellious children. He pretended to be indifferent and replied, “I didn’t come to see him.”

“Oh~” Lu Yan chuckled, switching to a more natural tone, then casually dropped a hint: “Well, if you happen to still be around during the evening dismissal, try to watch through the window on the right. My uncle’s wife isn’t great at driving, and it’s tough for him to turn around in the crowd here.”

Wife?

The old man froze, clearly caught off guard by the word. But by the time he processed it, Lu Yan had already made his exit, mission accomplished, and slipped into the school campus.

The moment he was out of Grandpa’s line of sight, the teen pulled his phone out of his pocket. As he made his way toward the senior-year classroom building, he dialed a number.

On the other end came the voice of the eldest daughter of the Yu family.
“You’re calling me at this time of day—what’s up?”

“Mom,” Lu Yan said, then broke the news: “Grandpa’s back. Did you know about it?”

“You saw him?”

“Yup. He’s literally staking out the school gates, wearing all his intentions on his face but still pretending otherwise.”

Hearing this, Yu Xiang suddenly remembered that her father had recently called her, casually probing her for information.

He must’ve gotten wind of something—probably heard that Yu Siting was in the middle of marriage discussions. The old man clearly couldn’t sit still abroad and had snuck back to investigate in person.

After her son came out, the whole family stayed cautious and on standby for a while. Now that they’d carefully vetted someone, it was no surprise Grandpa wanted to see for himself.

“He’s just worried, that’s all. That old man—always running off whenever he feels like it. Doesn’t he get tired of this drama?” Yu Xiang grumbled into the phone, though her thoughts betrayed a different truth.

With her son’s personality, it’s a miracle if he doesn’t trick other people first.

“I’ve already bought my uncle some time,” Lu Yan continued. “What happens after school… is out of my hands.”

But then, his voice suddenly paused.

Something outside the school’s iron fence had caught his attention.

Narrowing his eyes, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

The voice on the other end of the call continued,
“What’s wrong? Is Yu Siting cracking under pressure? Want me to come over and help?”

“Wait…” Lu Yan’s gaze was still fixed on the road not far ahead. “Don’t come yet. Things here just got a bit… complicated.”

At the edge of the teen’s vision, a rather flashy, attention-grabbing Zeppelin 62s slowly pulled up by the roadside.

That car… looked kind of familiar.

Lu Yan clicked his tongue—just like that, he’d unintentionally walked right into the front row of a live drama.

It was still officially lunchtime at school.

Inside the office, Yu Siting’s phone suddenly lit up with a message notification.

It was an early warning from Chu Cheng.

[Chairman Jin might be here for an inspection. Don’t be nervous, Mr. Yu.]

Yu Siting raised an eyebrow and replied with a bit of dry humor.

[What a coincidence.]

[Chu Cheng: What do you mean, ‘coincidence’?]

[Yu Siting: The inspection teams ran into each other.]

[Chu Cheng: Huh??]

[Yu Siting: My old man just came back to the country. And he showed up at the school gate. I suspect he’s here to meet his daughter-in-law. You shouldn’t be the one who’s nervous.]

After that, there was five full minutes of radio silence in the chat.

Yu Siting was just wondering if his message had given someone a heart attack, when the office door suddenly swung open—Chu Cheng burst in, face full of shock.

Yu Siting chuckled.
“You can just walk into my office like this, but I’m not allowed to come find you? Isn’t that a little unfair?”

True, it was basically routine that no one from the math department would be around during lunch break—but Chu Cheng’s ease with barging in was a little too practiced.

But Chu Cheng wasn’t in the mood to argue about fairness. He frowned and launched right into a protest:
“This is a surprise inspection! How could they show up without any notice?! Work’s been so crazy lately I haven’t even been sleeping properly—I even have dark circles now!”

“Wait no…” Chu Cheng paused mid-rant, eyes darkening with accusation.
“Lack of sleep isn’t entirely work’s fault, actually.”

Yu Siting stayed unbothered. “Then this is the perfect chance to file a complaint.”

“Complain your head,” Chu Cheng snapped, internally amazed at how Yu Siting could still be this calm when chaos was erupting outside.
“Now we’ve got two giants blocking the same street. What are we supposed to do?!”

“Originally it was a little tricky,” Yu Siting said smoothly, pulling out his phone and sending a message as if nothing were amiss. “But now that they’ve run into each other, things might actually get easier.”

He added coolly, “We’ll use what you’re best at—fight magic with magic.”

Chu Cheng glanced at his phone screen and his frown deepened.

—

By evening, Jin Heng—dressed sharply in a suit—walked into a private dining room at a hotel in Tingzhou, his secretary close behind.

“Uncle, you’re here,” Yu Siting stood to greet him.

But Chairman Jin, faced with this “outsider” who had dared to pluck his family’s prized flower, wasn’t exactly brimming with warmth. He responded with a neutral nod, took off his suit jacket, and handed it to his secretary—not to Yu Siting.

“You should’ve told us in advance you were coming to Tingzhou, Uncle,” Chu Cheng jumped in to smooth things over. “We had to scramble to book the restaurant.”

“How could it be called a surprise inspection if we showed up with gongs and drums?” Jin Heng rolled up his sleeves and examined his nephew carefully. “You’re looking a little pale today—has someone been giving you a hard time?”

As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward Mr. Yu, laced with a hint of accusation and challenge.

“Uncle~” Chu Cheng sighed, clearly exasperated. “Your nephew’s a high school teacher. Getting up early and working late is just part of the job. I’ve just been swamped with work lately. Now that I’ve got a few days off, I’ll be back to full strength in no time.”

Just as they were speaking, more footsteps sounded outside the private room.

“Mr. Yu Zhouminghas arrived. Please come in,” the waiter announced, ushering another man inside.

Having been invited by two juniors for dinner, Chairman Jin had assumed he would be the latest arrival. But when he looked up, he was surprised to see yet another dignified and imposing older man walk in.

Mr. Yu, too, had thought this was a private dinner invitation. The moment he stepped through the door and saw more than two people present—and even what looked like an assistant—he was clearly caught off guard.

Mr. Yu had seen Chu Cheng’s photo before. He’d studied it many times, holding it in his hand. But now, looking at the older, stern-looking man who shared some resemblance to Chu Cheng and carried himself like a big shot, he couldn’t immediately figure out who this was supposed to be.

“This gentleman is…?” Chairman Jin was the first to speak.

Both Chu Cheng and Yu Siting quickly stepped forward to introduce their respective family members.

“Oh?” Jin Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, lifting a hand in a calm, composed gesture.

His assistant understood immediately and handed him a business card.

Jin Heng personally passed it over and said, “First time meeting—I’ll introduce myself properly.”

Mr. Yu had seen his share of high-level dealings. But someone who could cloak such a domineering presence in such a friendly facade? That was rare. He chuckled softly and handed back his own card in kind.

“Jin Heng, Executive Director of Jingxu Real Estate Group.”

“Yu Zhouming, Chairman of Jiaheng Technologies.”

As the two shook hands, they solemnly recited each other’s full titles.

Why is this pressure so intense?
Chu Cheng couldn’t help but take several deep breaths off to the side. Only now did he realize how bold Mr. Yu had been, corralling two titans into one room to divert attention—a truly masterful move.

Once the pleasantries were over and the waiter came in with hot towels, Chairman Jin dismissed his assistant from the room. Then, he shot a glance at his nephew—who clearly wished he could disappear into the wallpaper—and leaned in to whisper,

“Didn’t you tell me the Yu family parents were permanently living abroad, so there’d be no father-in-law–son-in-law conflicts? Why is he suddenly back?”

Chu Cheng cleared his throat. “Same reason you’re here.”

Same reason I’m here?

Jin Heng narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased. “I haven’t even accepted his son yet, and he dares to show up first and judge my nephew?”

“Uncle, that’s enough,” Chu Cheng shot him a meaningful look, then didn’t respond further. He raised his voice instead and said smoothly,
“Looks like we’re all here—let’s go ahead and order. Mr. Yu, since you’ve been living abroad for so long, would you prefer Western cuisine?”

Chairman Jin muttered jealously from the side, “Well, I prefer Chinese food.”

Chu Cheng gave him a knowing smile. “I know.”

The waiter handed a menu to each person, but neither of the two big-shot executives made a move to order. Chu Cheng had no choice but to take the initiative, consulting with Mr. Yu to choose the dishes.

Yu Siting didn’t seem particularly concerned and mostly picked dishes that suited Chu Cheng’s tastes.

The food was brought out dish after dish, but the atmosphere at the table remained tense. Chairman Jin and Mr. Yu were in constant conversation, yet their dialogue didn’t resemble a casual family dinner at all—it sounded more like a high-stakes business negotiation at a corporate roundtable.

Maybe it was the lingering trauma from managing classroom discipline recently, but Chu Cheng was highly sensitive to tense atmospheres.

Under the table, he gave Yu Siting a light kick and whispered, “Are you sure this is going to work? The whole vibe is weird… it feels like a standoff.”

Yu Siting was focused on peeling a king crab leg and replied calmly, “These are both top-tier players in Beijing’s elite circles. What’d you expect? That they’d act like hot-headed Ying He and Jiang Zhibo?”

“…” Chu Cheng was momentarily speechless.

Just then, Yu Siting had successfully pulled out a whole, glistening crab leg. He drizzled it with yuzu vinegar and placed it on Chu Cheng’s plate. “The seafood here has a great reputation. Try it.”

Chu Cheng took a symbolic bite. The meat was sweet and fresh, and after chewing a moment, he continued eating.

Yu Siting asked, “Tastes good?”

“Mhm.” Chu Cheng nodded while still chewing.

With that, Yu Siting reached for another crab leg, snipping at it with a crab cracker like it was his life’s mission—completely unbothered by the fact that the two titans next to him were subtly locking horns. He was entirely focused on feeding his “wife.”

---

Author’s Note:

Chu Cheng’s Uncle: The tides are turning. Teacher Yu is done for.
Yu siting’s Dad: And what strength do you think you have?
Big Brother (Yu Siting): (Quietly peels another crab leg and hands it to his spouse)
Chu Cheng (munching): nom nom nom