DCTMOAS Chapter 66

The one who just said yes to a confession was still sick.

His face was flushed with an unnatural red, his lips dry, and his eyes held a faint, misty shine. Whether it was due to fever or shyness, he looked far too adorable.

Yu Siting couldn’t help but lean in, wanting to kiss him.

“We’re still in the office,” Chu Cheng said, dodging slightly. He could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks—he didn’t need a mirror to know his face was bright red.

Yu Siting checked his watch. There was still more than half an hour before evening study began. He said, “Let’s go out for dinner, then.”

Chu Cheng nodded.

Yu Siting held his hand as they left the room. Their palms exchanged warmth from different body temperatures. He only let go once they reached the corridor outside the teaching building.

Once in the car, Yu Siting leaned over to help buckle the passenger seatbelt.

It was the perfect angle—not only could he admire the soft flutter of Chu Cheng’s eyelashes, framing those clear, elegant eyes—but it also brought those lips dangerously close, making it far too tempting to kiss him right then and there.

Yu Siting stayed in that leaning position, clearly wanting to finish what he hadn’t earlier.

Chu Cheng pressed a hand against his chest and whispered in a hoarse voice, “I’ve got a cold. You’ll catch it.”

“Mm.” Yu Siting actually listened and stopped, shifting his head lower to rest his forehead gently against Chu Cheng’s cheek. “Your breathing is a bit warm. You really don’t look well—completely worn out.”

“I just never get enough sleep.” Chu Cheng rubbed his brow with his right hand, clearly exhausted. “If I can just push through the next two days, I’ll finally get to sleep in.”

Yu Siting disagreed. “Don’t push yourself. The cold hasn’t gotten better because you haven’t rested properly. Take a sick day tomorrow—invigilating exams doesn’t take any special skill. Anyone can do it.”

They talked casually, like it was any other after-school ride they’d shared before. The normalcy helped Chu Cheng relax.

He didn’t argue this time. Just nodded again, and was about to say something—when he suddenly felt something press against the tip of his nose, followed by a familiar scent of pine and a wave of warm breath.

Yu Siting, ever the sneaky schemer, had taken advantage of his still-leaning posture to steal a kiss, determined and completely out of the blue.

The warm, soft, slightly damp touch of his lips was quick, fleeting.

Chu Cheng froze for a second before realizing what had just happened, staring at him in shock.

“I’m not afraid of catching your cold,” Yu Siting said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Then he leaned in again.

His kissing skills seemed to come naturally—gentle and persistent. He brushed over every part of Chu Cheng’s lips like he was both testing boundaries and leaving a careful, possessive mark. Finally, he pressed deeper, lingering on one spot, slowly grinding and exploring further.

Chu Cheng, already stuffy from his cold, found it hard to breathe. As Yu Siting continued without pause, he clutched at the other’s shirt collar, struggling for air.

Only when he choked a little on his own saliva and coughed did Yu Siting finally let him go.

Chu Cheng was left thoroughly disheveled, slumped weakly against the seatback, gasping twice for air. He moved his lips—kiss-swollen and red—and protested, “Mr. Yu, why does your approach to romance feel like revenge?”

Yu Siting looked a bit innocent, even savoring the kiss just moments ago. He asked in return, “Isn’t this how people normally do it?”

Chu Cheng was clearly not in good shape, unable to endure such an aggressive onslaught. Half-defeated, he murmured, “We just got together ten minutes ago—this is allowed? I have no experience, don’t lie to me.”

“There must be others who act this way too,” Yu Siting said with a smile, finally stopping his teasing and retreating back to his seat, resuming his usual gentlemanly demeanor. “What do you want to eat?”

“You decide.” Chu Cheng felt his chest stifled, blood boiling, and turned to roll down the car window for some air.

At that moment, the car was still parked on campus. As the dark-tinted glass lowered and fresh air flowed in, it just so happened that a pair of students walked by and saw them.

Xu Wanwan and Ji Yanan, who had just finished dinner, were strolling along the campus perimeter for digestion. When they passed by Mr. Yu’s SUV, they assumed it was empty, which was why they walked so leisurely.

So when the window suddenly rolled down, both girls were caught off guard.

“Whoa… Mr. Chu…?”

Chu Cheng was still lost in the lingering emotions of that first kiss, completely unaware that students were passing by, and the sudden encounter flustered him. But he quickly pulled himself together and smiled in response.

Xu Wanwan caught the subtle change in his expression and asked with concern, “Mr. Chu, is your cold getting worse?”

Ji Yanan chimed in, “Your face is so red—you really need to rest more!”

“…” Chu Cheng cleared his throat to cover the awkwardness, then nodded to show he understood.

“I’ll take him to see a doctor right after this,” Yu Siting smoothly stepped in, his tone calm—but laced with a teasing edge only one person could catch.

The one responsible for all of this, yet here he was, pretending like he had nothing to do with it.

Chu Cheng discreetly stretched out his leg and nudged Yu Siting’s shoe, whispering, “Drive. Now.”

---

That dinner? Chu Cheng barely ate.

In the end, under the weight of Mr. Yu’s watchful eyes, he managed to finish a cup of red date soy milk.

His fever hadn’t gone down, and Yu Siting couldn’t stop worrying. After evening study ended, he finally took him to a clinic near Fantian Scenic Garden to get an IV drip.

---

On the first day of final exams, Chu Cheng called in sick and stayed home to rest.

He spent almost the whole day in bed. He woke naturally around noon, picked at some takeout, then fell back into a groggy sleep. When he opened his eyes again, he vaguely heard the sound of the front door unlocking.

A few seconds later, his bedroom door was gently pushed open. Yu Siting, who had just finished proctoring the Chinese and Math finals, walked straight in and reached out to feel his forehead.

The curtains in the room were drawn tightly shut, blocking out all light. Chu Cheng was curled up in bed with his face covered, showing no response.

Yu Siting had failed to touch him the first time, but he wasn’t giving up. He reached his hand back under the blanket to try again.

In the dimness, Chu Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“What is it?” Yu Siting finally realized he was already awake.

Chu Cheng crawled out from under the blanket and switched on the bedside lamp, casting a warm orange glow. He explained, “You reminded me of how I used to keep goldfish when I was little.”

“How so?”

“The first thing I did every day after school was tap on the glass tank or use a little net to scoop around, just to see if my beloved pet had died.”

Yu Siting understood his strange sense of humor and smiled faintly. He turned to place the test papers and porridge bowl he was holding to the side.

“I brought a Chinese test for you. Once you’re feeling better, you’ll probably want to look at it. For now, get up and drink the porridge.”

“I’m not hungry yet. I’ll have it later.” Chu Cheng slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket.

Yu Siting paused and looked at him. “You should eat first. The doctor already called me. He’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Huh?” Chu Cheng gave a nasal groan, still sounding heavily congested, and flopped down face-first.

His previous hospital stays had been so unpleasant that he now disliked the smell of disinfectant and had a lingering fear of IV drips. After getting an injection last night, Chu Cheng had outright refused to let the doctor prescribe anything for the next day.

At the time, Yu Siting had “conspired” with the doctor for quite a while — it turned out they had arranged for an at-home visit.

Chu Cheng drawled, “I don’t wanna eat.”

“Hurry up.” Yu Siting urged him, “Once there’s a needle in your hand, eating will be inconvenient. Unless…”

You want me to feed you.

“No unless,” Chu Cheng said quickly. To shut down that second possibility completely, he obediently scooted over to the side of the bed, despite having just resisted with all his might.

Teacher Yu had been taking such good care of him that now, whenever he was forced to make a choice, the way things were said sounded like a gentler version of “I’m counting to three.”

No offense to the old man, but it was like he’d found himself a second dad.

Chu Cheng dawdled as he got out of bed, sat at the round table, and opened the bag that held his dinner, getting ready to meet his daily calorie KPI. He suddenly noticed that there were two small cans of syrup-preserved lychees inside.

“You really are treating me like a kid,” he muttered, but his hands obediently twisted one open. Though the can hadn’t been chilled, the sweet, clear taste helped soothe the dryness and bitterness in his mouth, making him feel a lot more comfortable.

By the time both IV drips were finished, it was already night.

Chu Cheng had just finished the most climactic chapter of a suspense novel and, looking up, noticed the last bit of medication slowly making its way down the IV line.

Yu Siting closed his own book and scooted his chair over to the bedside, lowering his head to help remove the needle.

He was careful when peeling off the medical tape, but the clumsy inexperience still showed. His neatly trimmed fingernails scratched at the edge of the strip for quite a while without success.

Chu Cheng felt a ticklish itch on the back of his hand. Watching the last bit of liquid in the IV drip quickly drain out, he wasn’t the least bit worried. Instead, he even had the energy to crack a joke. “Don’t go splashing blood all over me, okay?”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Yu Siting remained unfazed and kept his head down, focused. His hands were incredibly steady—there was no hint of nervousness in his movements.

At the very moment when the blood was about to backflow, Chu Cheng felt a cool sensation on the back of his hand. The silvery needle had already been deftly removed by Yu Siting.

“Not bad, but average technique,” Chu Cheng commented, pressing on the spot himself while tossing a playful glance his way.

Yu Siting looked at him with a subtle, unreadable expression. His gaze lingered on Chu Cheng for a moment, but he didn’t say anything.

Chu Cheng felt like he’d won that little exchange with his snark. Having eaten his porridge and taken all those IV fluids, he felt like his body was now 80% liquid. After sitting for half a minute, he got up to use the bathroom.

He took the chance to check his reflection in the mirror and was pleased to see that his complexion had improved. Humming a little tune, he returned to the bedroom—just in time to see a tall figure crouched by the wardrobe.

Yu Siting skillfully pulled out a spare pillow from the bottom shelf and tossed it onto the bed, placing it right beside the one already there.

Chu Cheng froze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Yu Siting didn’t reply. He casually lifted the blanket, still warm from Chu Cheng’s body, and sat down on the edge of the bed like he belonged there.

Chu Cheng started to panic. “What are you doing?”

“Fulfilling your very vocal request—taking responsibility for you,” Yu Siting said as he lay down on the double bed, stretching out his long legs. “In case you have any post-IV complications, I’ll be right here to rush you to the ER.”

“…So that’s what this is about.”

Chu Cheng’s smile faltered. He hadn’t realized before, but this guy definitely had a rogue side to him—and the scary part was how natural he made it look.

Lying on his back with one arm behind his head, Yu Siting patted the empty space beside him and raised an eyebrow. His dark eyes gleamed, clearly challenging.

No way was Chu Cheng going to chicken out. Especially not in front of this man. Even if he had to fake it, he was going to act cool.

He kicked off his slippers, kneeled on the edge of the bed, and climbed up. Then he turned and lay down.

The bed was big enough that, if both of them behaved, there was plenty of space to keep things perfectly proper.

But at that moment, all the Chinese teacher could think about were mysterious parabolas and statistical formulas—trying to calculate the odds that the math teacher would crawl into his bed in the middle of the night just to sleep.

When he came to a conclusion, Chu Cheng didn’t dare move a muscle. “Is this… how other people usually date?”

“I wouldn’t know about others,” Yu Siting murmured, suddenly turning on his side. He wrapped his arm around Chu Cheng’s slim shoulder, his palm moving over the soft fabric of his pajamas, tracing that lovely curve downward.

In the silence, Chu Cheng could hear his own heartbeat pounding like a drum. A surge of excitement started from the soles of his feet, tingling and sparking as it spread through his whole body.

He had felt this vague, inexplicable nervousness before when alone with Yu Siting. But now he finally realized—those had been the early signs of falling in love.

Chu Cheng felt a strong arm tighten around his waist. His back tensed and stiffened at once as he gently pressed down on the broad palm resting at the base of his spine and reminded, “Mr. Yu, I’m sick…”

“I know,” Yu Siting replied. He had only meant to tease him, but ended up losing control himself.

He let out a heavy sigh, then rolled on top of Chu Cheng, propping his elbow beside his cheek. The corner of Chu Cheng’s lips still carried the sweet scent of lychees, which tempted Yu Siting to lean down and kiss him. When he pulled back, his eyes were thick with lingering affection like melted sugar threads.

With a low, husky voice, Yu Siting asked, “Mr. Chu, I’m on top. Any thoughts on that?”

…Thoughts?

Chu Cheng’s eyes widened, lips parting slightly, but no words came out.

Seeing that he was seriously considering it, Yu Siting knew he’d once again achieved his mischievous goal. He couldn’t help but chuckle, then sat up with a touch of regret. “Get some proper rest. We’ll talk when you’re feeling better.”

The “perpetrator” then closed the door behind him and escaped the scene to cool off by himself, while Chu Cheng lay there, completely robbed of sleep by that one outrageous question.

Maybe it was because he’d slept too much during the day, or maybe that little bedtime incident was just too stimulating—either way, well into the night, Chu Cheng was still wide awake, his face lit up by the glow of his tablet screen.

One of his ears held a Bluetooth earpiece, chatting with Chuan-ge while playing mobile games. His fingers were idly swiping at the screen without much focus.

As he listened to his friend’s constant trash talk, he suddenly cut in with a new topic: “Hey, how do gay people figure out their orientation if they’ve never actually done anything?”

There was a beat of silence on the other end before a loud response came: “What the hell?! You two moved that fast? My fiber internet must’ve just turned into 2G!”

“No, no,” Chu Cheng quickly denied, “I’m just asking in advance.”

“Come on, bro.” Xu Chuan’s tone was deliberately exaggerated. “Anyone who hesitates like you? Definitely a sub-one.”

Chu Cheng blinked. “What does that mean?”

Xu Chuan laughed. “Either a zero or a zero point five, duh.”

Chu Cheng paused mid-tap.

He even quit the game for a moment to look up what “zero point five” actually meant—and then asked, enunciating each word carefully, “Are you being serious?”

Xu Chuan clicked his tongue. “Seriously, who are you asking? You really expect me, a straight guy, to give you some profound revelation on this?”

Chu Cheng didn’t reply, but his distraction quickly became apparent in-game as he randomly picked a hero.

Seeing that he was about to get griefed, Xu Chuan finally said, “Man, what’s there to be so conflicted about? It’s really not that deep.”

“How is it not deep?” Chu Cheng shot back.

Xu Chuan didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he typed a few words in the game’s hero selection screen:

[You fill support.]