Chapter 31: My Wife Is Protecting Me

Chapter 31: My Wife Is Protecting Me

The rest area of the factory was silent.

Everyone was looking at the two men standing before them, each with a different expression in their eyes.

Gradually, someone finally snapped out of the shock brought on by Pei Du's words from just moments ago.

"Ha...hahaha, so A Du's trying to court Teacher Chu?"

The dry laughter broke the silence in the rest area.

Everyone gradually came back to their senses and turned their gazes toward Pei Du alone.

On Planet 207, not only were resources scarce, but on this planet, which was largely covered in slums, the norm was still for men and women to pair up and get married.

Of course, there were also men like Pei Du who wanted to pursue another man.

But most of these people would keep their feelings buried deep and never let anyone know.

That was also why, after Chu Lanting took Pei Du in, no one suspected anything between the two.

Now, suddenly hearing Pei Du say he wanted to chase after Chu Lanting, everyone was stunned for a moment. Once they snapped out of it, the looks they gave Pei Du immediately changed.

Chu Lanting hadn't expected Pei Du to say something like that either.

Seeing everyone's gaze land on Pei Du, he frowned slightly and immediately pulled Pei Du behind him.

Then, seeing everyone turn their gazes to him, he just said they should get back to work and pulled Pei Du toward the workshop.

Ignoring the stares and whispers behind him, Chu Lanting was trying to figure out how to tactfully explain to Pei Du that on this planet, not everyone was like Uncle Tian and Uncle He, who were okay with same-sex relationships.

Suddenly, a hand caught his wrist.

The next second, he was pulled into a hidden corner of the workshop.

The machines weren't running yet.

But there were always people around in the workshop.

Every now and then, voices drifted into his ears.

Not understanding why Pei Du had pulled him into the corner, Chu Lanting stopped instinctively scanning their surroundings. When he looked up, he saw the tall young man staring at him without looking away.

The tingling sensation that had surged in his chest when he was kissed in the alley at noon washed over him again.

He swallowed quietly, not even noticing the faint tremor in his own voice.

"A Du, what's wrong?"

"Is it because of the way those people looked at you? Don't worry about them. Feelings are complicated anyway. You're you first, and you have the right to love anyone in this world."

After saying that, Chu Lanting wanted to bite his own tongue.

What he said wasn't wrong, but what if Pei Du ended up falling for a married man—or a married woman?

A flicker of panic flashed through his moist, peach-blossom eyes. Just as his lips parted to say more, the hand that had pulled him into the corner landed on his chin again.

"My wife's protecting me."

"What—"

Before the confusion on his face could fade, the scene from earlier at the rest area by the factory gate surfaced in his mind.

Back then, everyone had been giving Pei Du strange looks.

Without even thinking, Chu Lanting had pulled Pei Du behind him.

A flush of red instantly rose to his fair face.

Chu Lanting blinked and said softly, "I'm not—"

"You are. My wife saves the good stuff for me, teaches me all kinds of things, and protects me too."

"One day, my wife will like me too, right?"

Hope flickered in his dark eyes. Feeling the softness under his fingertips, Pei Du's gaze locked onto the red lips before him, unable to look away.

He'd kissed them red.

So his wife's lips weren't that red to begin with—he'd kissed them red in the alley this morning.

Recalling how flustered his wife had looked when he kissed him in the alley, Pei Du's throat tightened. Without waiting for an answer, he reached out and pulled the man tightly into his arms.

"Love my wife. I love you so, so much."

The low murmur against his ear made Chu Lanting's already flushed cheeks burn even hotter.

He didn't know why he hadn't pushed the man away right away.

The hands that had been resting on the other man's chest, instinctively ready to push him away, now relaxed their grip. His fingers curled, even the tips going pink.

Listening to the steady heartbeat against the other man's chest, Chu Lanting took a deep breath and slowly relaxed his body.

Fine.

Let him lean on me for a while.

For so many years, he'd always been alone. The exhaustion of solitude had slowly numbed him.

Let him, who didn't dare face his true feelings, be selfish just this once.

Just once was enough...

The machines in the workshop had started up at some point.

The noise, along with the voices of workers coming in to start their shifts, completely shattered the quiet of the corner.

And Chu Lanting, who'd been hiding in Pei Du's arms, finally snapped back to reality. His curled fingers spread open, and with a slight push, he easily pushed the man away.

"I—we should get to work. Go ahead and get busy. When we get home tonight, I'll make you something good."

Speaking of good food, Chu Lanting's cooking skills really weren't all that great.

Before transmigrating into the book, the most he could make was tomato scrambled eggs and a cold dish. As for more complicated dishes, even though he followed the recipes step by step, most of what came out of the pan was only good for looking at, not eating.

Teacher Chu, who couldn't even support himself yet, ate the best meals at the cafeteria.

Even later, when he started working and could support himself, he still preferred eating at the school cafeteria.

What surprised him, though, was Pei Du's cooking.

Even with no memories, Pei Du could make food that tasted better than Chu Lanting's, even with the simplest ingredients.

As a result, since they were both working and bringing in a paycheck now, their meals had gotten a lot better.

Chuckling inwardly at his own cooking skills, Chu Lanting nudged the man in front of him, only to hear a teasing voice from above.

"Aww, wifey's shy."

Maybe worried he'd get mad, the speaker quickly continued.

"How about noodles for dinner? I'll add some vegetables, the ones you like, wifey."

Chu Lanting, who'd been living on nutrient packs and his own cooking for ages: ......

Great, he couldn't help but gulp.

He nodded firmly, said nothing more, and turned to head to his workstation.

Leaving Pei Du standing in place, his gaze following Chu Lanting's retreating figure, unable to stop the smile tugging at his lips.

Once most of the workers in the workshop had returned to their stations and the monotonous work resumed, Chu Lanting found himself pausing from time to time.

His gaze kept drifting to the corner. The colleague sitting beside him noticed and leaned in, whispering softly.

"Checking out A Du, huh?"