Chapter 17: Don’t Touch My Wife

Chapter 17: Don't Touch My Wife

Feng Xingyun had come over secretly in the afternoon, partly to scope out the man Chu Lanting had picked up.

He had a TV at home too, and could occasionally catch shows from the main star.

On those shows, most of the nobles who appeared on screen looked weak and sickly.

So his second purpose in coming here was to teach this picked-up man a lesson, warning him that Chu Lanting was his, and if the man knew what was good for him, he'd better leave fast.

But the moment he pushed open the courtyard gate, he didn't expect to see a burly man standing in the yard.

He'd barely opened his mouth to ask who the guy was when the guy walked up to him, leaned in and sniffed him, and without a word, threw a punch at him.

Although Feng Xingyun was a supervisor, he also worked in the warehouse, and hauling heavy stuff was nothing for him.

But Pei Du's fists were bigger and harder—one punch alone left him seeing stars, completely disoriented.

Punch after punch landed on his body—it was basically a one-sided beatdown. Feng Xingyun couldn't even lift his head.

By the time the guy grabbed his clothes and ripped them off, he didn't dare fight back.

Then he saw the most terrifying look he'd ever seen in his life.

It was exactly the look those savage beasts on TV had when facing off against an opponent.

"Don't touch my wife."

That low, raspy warning was still ringing in his ears.

Under Chu Lanting's glare, Feng Xingyun had no choice but to open his eyes.

The first thing he saw was those pitch-black eyes. He swallowed hard, enduring the pain all over his body, and croaked, "What... what prerequisite?"

-

Starting a school wasn't easy.

Luckily, the original owner of this body kept to himself in town, and since he was introverted, he hadn't made a bad impression on anyone.

With Uncle Tian and Old He helping, getting students wasn't a problem.

The only real problem was the location.

Years back, when Old He led the uprising against the rich district, the slums got hit hard.

Even though years had passed and most buildings had been patched up, finding a room big enough for a dozen or so kids, with desks and chairs, was still a huge headache.

Chu Lanting had thought about teaching outside, but the weather on this planet was unpredictable—it rained half the year.

The kids here were already weak and got sick easily. If they got caught in the rain, even a simple cold could take their fragile lives.

Now that Feng Xingyun was on board, everything got a lot easier.

Since Chu Lanting was teaching voluntarily, he didn't set strict enrollment requirements.

Each student just had to bring one bag of nutrient solution a week as tuition. For families too poor for that, they could still send their kids to study together.

At the end, he added a special note: both boys and girls were welcome.

"Wife, why did you specifically mention that?"

Dressed in clean secondhand clothes he'd bought cheap from Feng Xingyun, Pei Du wrapped his arms tightly around the man in his arms and refused to let go.

Chu Lanting had tried to squirm free, but he was no match for the other man's strength, so he could only sit there on Pei Du's lap, enduring Uncle Tian and Old He's teasing looks.

"Didn't think you'd think of that. A while back, Old He told me you wanted to teach the kids to read—I figured it was just a passing whim."

Uncle Tian poured himself some tea, sprawled on the couch, a hint of approval showing through his lazy look.

"Not just planet 207—on many planets, women are used as pawns. Compared to more advanced planets like the main star, where educated women with skills can marry into noble families, women on backward planets are just treated like baby-making machines."

"Even women who can soothe mental energy can't escape being used as pawns, and neither can low-status men."

"But every planet has women who break free from this trap, and every single one of them is seriously capable. On planet 207, a lot of people, for money, send their little girls to the rich district. The people there..."

"A lot of people there are cruel and vicious—they don't treat slum kids like people at all. If Xiao Chu lets girls enroll, it won't just help them reach their potential—it'll also keep them from being shipped off to the rich district."

Old He set down his cup, finishing what Uncle Tian had left unsaid.

He looked up at the man sitting in Pei Du's arms.

The bangs that used to cover his forehead were now trimmed, soft strands falling across his brow, completely getting rid of that gloomy vibe he used to have.

In their place was a cool, refined look.

Because he'd lived on nutrient solutions for so long, he was on the skinny side, but his features were handsome—especially those peach blossom eyes, which lit up when he talked about teaching the town's kids to read.

Old He was admiring the side of his face when a big hand suddenly covered it.

He followed the hand to its owner and saw Pei Du frowning at him. He immediately put both hands up in surrender.

Were all people from the main star this possessive?

Chu Lanting was talking tuition with Uncle Tian and hadn't noticed any of that.

Uncle Tian thought the tuition was too cheap—they should charge at least three to five star coins.

It wasn't until Chu Lanting asked how many star coins an adult could make in a week that Uncle Tian shut up.

Planet 207 was just too poor and backward. If they charged that much, most kids wouldn't be sent to school.

"Besides, my classes only run from 5 to 7 in the evening. One bag of nutrient solution a week is already plenty."

He'd also worked it out with Feng Xingyun—he could trade the nutrient solution for star coins later.

Today, he'd come to tell Uncle Tian and the others that Feng Xingyun had already helped him pick a spot for the classes, and all the prep was done.

All that was left was rounding up students to start.

When he heard the good news that Uncle Tian and the others had already rounded up three to five students, Chu Lanting's smile grew.

He instinctively tried to stand and bow in thanks, but with arms around his waist and the owner refusing to let go, he could only give an awkward smile and sincerely thank the two men.

As they were about to head home, Chu Lanting felt someone tug at him.

He turned around and saw Uncle Tian standing next to him, winking at him with a knowing look.

He looked up at Pei Du, who was staring right back at him, and cleared his throat: "A Du, go wait over there for a sec. I'll come over once I'm done talking to Uncle Tian."

Pei Du, though curious about what the two wanted to discuss, nodded on reflex and stepped back a few paces.

He only stopped once he had retreated to a spot where he could shield his spouse the instant anything went wrong, yet was far enough away not to overhear his talk with Uncle Tian.

Chu Lanting withdrew his gaze and asked, "Uncle Tian, is something the matter?"

Uncle Tian winked at him and grinned slyly: "Little Chu, you've been getting along real well with this, this A Du lately, haven't you?"

Seeing Chu Lanting nod, he continued, "So, have you two—oh wait, I mean, has A Du shown any weird behavior, like... suddenly acting like a different person?"

-

After two weeks of a low-grade fever, I finally found the cause. Went to get my spirit called back today, and my head's finally clear!!! Another chapter coming later! Love you all ＾3＾