Chapter 22: Prerequisites for Becoming Partners

Chapter 22: The Prerequisite for Becoming Partners

"Why would I be afraid he'll leave? He doesn't even belong here, right?"

Chu Lanting shot back.

The workshop was loud and chaotic. Even after several days on the job, Chu Lanting—who liked peace and quiet—still couldn't get used to the place.

With that, he was about to look up and say goodbye to Pei Du, who was moving goods nearby.

But just as he looked up, he saw that the other man was already standing right in front of him.

His expression froze for a second. Then, softening the cold look on his face, he smiled and stepped forward. "I already talked to Supervisor Feng. If you're not comfortable here, I can find you something else."

As he spoke, he instinctively reached out to brush the dust off Pei Du's shoulder.

But today, for some reason, the young man—who usually clung to him—didn't reach for his hand or nuzzle his palm.

"What's the matter, A Du?"

Pei Du stayed quiet.

He glanced at Feng Xingyun, who was standing nearby.

The latter clearly hadn't expected Chu Lanting to say that. His already dull expression now looked even dumber.

He looked away, then pulled the confused Chu Lanting out of the warehouse.

It happened so suddenly that Chu Lanting had to jog a few steps to catch up.

"A Du, what are you—"

"Wife doesn't like me. I'm a burden. What wife said before about kicking me out—it was all true. Wife never liked me."

A low, hoarse voice came from a corner outside the factory.

Chu Lanting caught his balance and heard the words. Startled, he immediately looked up at the man in front of him.

Seeing Pei Du with his head down and his eyelids trembling, Chu Lanting instinctively wanted to wave his hands and deny it.

But the word "no" died in his throat before he could say it.

"I do like you, but not in that way—not in a way that involves intimate stuff. It's... it's just as a friend."

"I'm not going to kick you out anymore, really. You can stay at my place as long as you want. If you're willing to stay, I won't make you leave."

"You heard me, right? I said you don't belong here. A Du, even though I don't know who you really are, the way you got to this planet, your build, your bearing—you don't belong here. When you get your memories back, you'll..."

You'll look back on living here as something shameful.

Or maybe not. After all, I didn't raise you the way the 'Chu Lanting' in the book did.

"Either way, you should get your memories back soon and leave here to do the more important things that are meant for you."

After living here for a while, Pei Du's hair had grown out a bit, and there was a small cut on his chin.

That was from when Chu Lanting accidentally nicked him while shaving.

Looking at him, Chu Lanting reached out and gently patted the top of his head.

His grown-out hair wasn't as prickly as before—it was softer now, and felt nice to the touch.

"So wife never liked me after all."

Chu Lanting: ...

So he'd said all that, and Pei Du hadn't listened to a single word?

Chu Lanting sighed inwardly and said helplessly, "I said I like you, but not like a partner. I like you as a friend."

"Why? Wife is my wife. I won't be a burden to wife. I'll work hard. Wife, don't leave me."

His voice was humble, almost pleading.

Hearing that, Chu Lanting's first reaction wasn't to comfort him—it was to look around.

Once he confirmed no one else was around, he breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh. "A Du, do you know what it takes to become partners?"

Seeing the confusion in Pei Du's eyes, he went on.

"To become partners, you have to like each other. Do you like me?"

"I do! I like wife!"

Pei Du's quick answer didn't make Chu Lanting blush—it just made him sigh helplessly.

"That's not liking. You just think I'm good-looking. If the person you saw when you woke up that day wasn't me, but Uncle Tian, would you like him?"

That question was way too harsh for Pei Du.

He tried to imagine it, and the image of Uncle Tian's face that popped into his head scared him so much he shook his head.

He felt two more gentle pats on his head, and heard that soft voice again.

"See, if Uncle Tian had saved you instead of me, you wouldn't say you like him. Same with anyone else."

"You only like me because of my face. We've only known each other for a few days. You like this face now—but what about later?"

"Don't worry about me kicking you out. I'm the one who brought you here, so I'll take care of you. Now, let's get back to work, okay?"

By the time Pei Du dragged him out for no reason, it was already time to work.

Chu Lanting got paid by the piece, and standing outside for over ten minutes meant he'd lost another bag of nutrient solution's worth of pay.

Pei Du's head was a mess right then.

Seeing Chu Lanting about to head back, he immediately reached out to grab his wrist.

But just as he reached out, that soft voice echoed in his ears again.

"You don't like me—you just like my face."

At that moment, Pei Du didn't understand the trick of swapping one idea for another. He just felt that he and his wife were close, yet somehow so far apart.

Close enough that he could take two steps and grab his wife's hand.

But what would happen after he grabbed her hand?

It wasn't until later, after he got his memories back, that Pei Du realized Chu Lanting really was a gentle person—gentle enough to be kind to everyone, and just as gentle when it came to feelings.

He was gentle—so gentle that he could use the most docile demeanor to erase everything they had once shared.

It felt like an invisible giant hand was squeezing his heart, so tight he could barely breathe.

He only opened his eyes when he felt a pat on his shoulder, and looked at the person before him.

"Whoa! What's with that look? Did Teacher Chu give you a hard time?"

Feng Xingyun had seen Chu Lanting go into the workshop, but Pei Du still hadn't come back after all that waiting.

Thinking Pei Du was slacking off on his first day, he wanted to catch him red-handed, drag him in front of Chu Lanting to tattle, and take a jab at Chu Lanting's poor judgment in people. He'd just stepped out the front door when he spotted his target around the corner.

Sure enough, Pei Du was slacking off. Feng Xingyun let out a snort, walked up, and patted his shoulder.

The moment Pei Du opened his eyes, Feng Xingyun nearly went weak in the knees from that murderous glare.

Realizing he'd just been scared by a dumbass.

Feng Xingyun's expression turned sour.

Then, remembering this dumbass had put him in bed for a whole day.

Feng Xingyun's expression soured even further.

His tone turned all sarcastic and catty.

-

"Our Teacher Chu is a real wife—gentle on the surface, sharp as a tack, and tough as nails inside~"