Chapter 21: Aren’t You Afraid He’ll Abandon You?

Chapter 21 Aren't You Afraid He'll Leave You?

After learning from Uncle Tian last night that a student was already willing to enroll, Chu Lanting, who usually fell asleep quickly, had a rare night of insomnia.

The bed was too small—even two adult women would find it cramped lying together, much less him and Pei Du, two adult men.

Especially since Pei Du ran hot and slept poorly; he wouldn't fall asleep unless he was holding Chu Lanting.

After tossing and turning, it wasn't until the wee hours that Chu Lanting finally managed to doze off.

By the next morning, when he woke up at his usual seven o'clock, he looked completely drained.

His cheek was touched, and then the pad of that large palm rested on his forehead.

After confirming his temperature hadn't risen, Pei Du, sitting by the bed, let out a sigh of relief: "Wife, good morning."

Chu Lanting nodded, threw off the blanket, and got up to wash up.

Already aloof in demeanor, he became even more taciturn due to lack of sleep.

With drooping eyelids and a tired look, his whole demeanor seemed listless.

After washing up, changing clothes, and eating breakfast, he was getting ready to head out.

The moment Chu Lanting pulled open the door, before he could even finish thinking, 'Why am I still a workhorse even after transmigrating into a book?'

A big, warm hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"What's wrong?"

Instinctively looking up at the person beside him, seeing his furrowed brows, Chu Lanting assumed he was still feeling unwell.

Last night before bed, he had placed a cold cloth on his forehead, and his temperature had indeed dropped a bit.

But it would quickly go back up.

He'd taken anti-inflammatory medicine and applied cold compresses, but nothing had worked.

So he decided to head to work this morning and ask Uncle Tian if he had any fever reducers on his way past his door.

With fingertips chilled from the cold water, he touched the forehead of the man before him. Not feeling the feverish heat from last night, Chu Lanting was even more confused.

"Fever's gone? Is something else bothering you?"

Pei Du shook his head: "I'm not uncomfortable. Wife is uncomfortable."

Chu Lanting pointed at himself, and when the other nodded, he raised a hand to check his own forehead temperature.

"No, I'm fine. I'm not sick or running a fever."

With a natural furnace beside him every night, it would be hard to catch a cold or fever from the cold nighttime temperatures on 207 even if he wanted to.

"But wife looks sick. Here, it's dark."

Pei Du touched the area under his eye, and Chu Lanting's expression froze for a moment before he smiled: "I just didn't sleep well. It's not an illness."

"Is it because the bed is too small? I'm sorry, wife."

"Why are you apologizing?" Chu Lanting asked, puzzled.

"I didn't take good care of wife. The bed is too small—I should have noticed earlier."

Chu Lanting hadn't grown up lacking love as a child. His parents and grandmother had been very good to him before they passed away.

Like most kids, he had once been a happy child.

Then so many changes happened, and his life came crashing down.

To avoid being bullied by malicious people, he had to put on a cold front and protect himself that way.

Even if others later showed him love, he always felt it wasn't real.

And now...

Blinking his tired, stinging eyes, he raised a hand to pat the other's shoulder and smiled: "You silly, the small bed isn't your fault. I just couldn't sleep because I was too happy that a child wants to study with me."

"And what about me?"

A handsome face suddenly got in his face, and Chu Lanting instinctively leaned back in surprise, only to feel the other raise a hand to cup the back of his head.

"What about you?"

"I've been studying with wife too. Does wife also get so happy she can't sleep?"

Chu Lanting: "...What are you even talking about? How—how can you compare yourself to those kids?"

"It's getting late. Let's head to the factory first. I'll ask the supervisor if they have a spot for you."

With that, Chu Lanting shoved him aside and turned toward the courtyard gate.

Pei Du followed behind him, his dark eyes fixed on Chu Lanting's back, his expression unreadable.

Until the man ahead stopped and turned to look at him: "Aren't you coming?"

Seeing Chu Lanting smile, Pei Du locked the door and quickly caught up: "Coming!"

Pei Du was tall with long legs and incredibly strong. The factory's daily nutrient drinks were delivered to many small towns across Planet 207.

-

So his strength came in handy.

Ignoring the bitter look in Feng Xingyun's eyes, Chu Lanting made his request again.

"A Du is very smart. It's a waste of his talent to just move goods. Do you have any openings in the office?"

Feng Xingyun's eyes widened at that: "Him? Smart? Chu, don't push your luck!"

Chu Lanting looked up and blinked at him: "Is that asking too much? He really is smart. You can try him out first. If he's not up to par, you can kick him out of the office and just have him move goods again."

Though spoken in a soft tone, those words made Feng Xingyun swallow his 'no.'

His features twisted for a moment, and he clenched his jaw before looking up at Pei Du, who had already moved a box of nutrient drinks alongside the workers.

Pei Du seemed to sense his gaze, turned back to meet his eyes, and the moment those dark eyes landed on him, Feng Xingyun quickly averted his gaze.

Damn it!

The beating he took a few days ago was still fresh in his mind!

"I'll only give him half a day. If he can't cut it, he can pack his bags and leave!"

"But there's something I've been meaning to ask you. I heard you never hide anything from him when you go out on business, and now you're even trying to secure a future for him. Aren't you afraid?"

Feng Xingyun had a sharp tongue, was greedy, and had an eye for the ladies, but he wasn't a coward—he stood by his word.

Back when Pei Du gave him a beating on his own, he agreed to cooperate with Pei Du and Chu Lanting, and he always kept his word.

But this also piqued his curiosity.

Anyone with half an eye could tell Pei Du was smart—not from his words or actions, but from his face and the look in his eyes.

If this man hadn't lost his memory, he'd definitely be a sharp one.

That was exactly why he was curious about why Chu Lanting always kept Pei Du with him.

"Afraid of what?" Chu Lanting, having gotten Pei Du that chance, was in a better mood.

"He's obviously smart. He might already be trying to get his memories back. Aren't you afraid he'll leave you once he remembers everything?"

On planet 207, finding a partner wasn't hard.

But finding a partner who was tall, handsome, and loyal was incredibly hard.

Pei Du was blessed with good looks—countless people, once they saw what he looked like, kicked themselves for why it was Chu Lanting who'd picked him up instead of them.

There were even residents who had salvaged wreckage from the airship regretting it.

Regretting not having taken Pei Du home themselves.

If they had, Pei Du would have been their partner, not Chu Lanting's.