Chapter 32: Jealousy

Chapter 32: Getting Jealous

The sudden voice startled Chu Lanting so much that he nearly dropped what he was holding.

He looked away and turned to the person beside him, still looking a bit embarrassed: "I wasn't."

"You and A Du are really close."

Because the other person said it as a statement, not a question, Chu Lanting instinctively tensed his fingers, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips: "How do you know?"

His relationship with Pei Du had been strained these past few days, and had only just thawed today.

He didn't usually interact much with his colleagues at work, so how could the other person figure out that he and A Du were close?

"I saw it just now—A Du pulled you aside to hide there."

Seeing the other person point toward the corner where he and Pei Du had just been hiding, Chu Lanting's already curled fingers suddenly clenched.

He pressed his lips together and drew a breath. Before he could say anything, the other person went on.

"And ever since A Du started working here, every time he comes to the workshop, you're always watching him. Were you two fighting these past few days? Did you guys make up today?"

The colleague's words left Chu Lanting feeling unsettled.

He set down the nutrient supplement and couldn't help but raise a hand to touch his face: "Do I usually have my thoughts written all over my face?"

The other person seemed not to have expected him to counter with a question instead of answering.

Looking at his handsome, refined features, the colleague let out a soft laugh: "No, I thought Teacher Chu was the cold type. Only today did I find out that Teacher Chu treats people he likes differently."

Hearing this, Chu Lanting's face grew even more awkward.

He tapped his index finger against his thumb, pursed his lips, and didn't answer.

Did he actually like Pei Du?

He didn't even know if he truly had feelings for the other person.

Having been alone for so many years, he had long forgotten what it felt like to like someone.

More than liking, he was afraid that his feelings for Pei Du were merely a need born out of loneliness.

If that were the case, it wouldn't be fair—not just to himself, but to Pei Du as well.

"A Du really likes Teacher Chu."

Seeing that Chu Lanting didn't respond, the other person wasn't bothered by it.

Instead, they looked over at Pei Du, who was busy not far away. After watching for a moment, they raised an eyebrow, then leaned in close to Chu Lanting again.

"Teacher Chu, take a look at A Du."

Almost instinctively, Chu Lanting looked up at Pei Du in the distance.

Seeing the other person frowning in his direction, he felt somewhat puzzled.

Why did it seem like Pei Du was angry?

Was it because he was slacking off during work hours and not setting a good example for him?

With that thought, he quietly withdrew his gaze, collected himself, and began working seriously.

Pei Du and the colleague: ......

"Pfft!"

When the laughter sounded in his ear, Chu Lanting didn't find it unusual.

The work atmosphere in the factory wasn't as bad as he'd expected. On the contrary, because the work was monotonous and dull, everyone would occasionally crack jokes to liven up the mood.

So when his colleague whispered "Someone's jealous~" in his ear, he was still thinking that his colleagues were probably gossiping about everyday stuff again.

It wasn't until Pei Du came to his side and shooed away the colleague sitting next to him that he finally realized what his colleague had meant.

"Would you like another small cake tonight?"

The deep, pleasant voice made Chu Lanting stop what he was doing.

Looking up at the sound, he saw Pei Du in his work uniform standing beside him, seemingly having appeared at some point.

Seeing the sweat beads on the other's forehead from hauling goods, he blinked and instinctively shook his head in refusal: "I've already had the small cake. There's still some left over from noon."

"But I heard the boss say the small cakes made this afternoon will have dried fruit added—sweet and tangy, very delicious."

Chu Lanting had a little hobby that no one else knew about.

He loved sweets and had absolutely no resistance to sweet-and-sour little desserts.

Even Pei Du didn't know about this little hobby.

So what Pei Du said right now was practically impossible for him to say "no" to.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and rejected the offer: "Let's finish the cake we still have at home first. You've already wasted one small cake—you can't waste a second one."

Desserts were extremely precious on this planet; how could one waste food?

Having been scolded, Pei Du didn't act spoiled like he did at home. Instead, a hint of doting and compromise appeared on his handsome face.

"Alright, next time I'll ask the boss to make one with dried fruit, okay?"

The doting tone made Chu Lanting feel at a loss.

Tossing the nutrient supplement into the basket, Chu Lanting said helplessly: "Don't talk to me in that tone."

He was actually a year older than Pei Du, and the other party was still in a state of amnesia—how come it suddenly felt like their roles had been swapped?

"Why not? Feng Xingyun said you would like it."

As he spoke, Pei Du didn't forget to glance up at Feng Xingyun, who was still wearing the dark blue work uniform and busy not far away.

The latter seemed to have been paying attention to this side all along. Seeing him look up, he even raised a hand in greeting.

Chu Lanting withdrew his gaze, the corner of his eye twitching slightly: "Since when did the two of you become so close?"

"Just these past couple of days. He mocked me for not knowing how to coax you, so I beat him up, then made him teach me how to coax people."

The matter-of-fact tone made Chu Lanting's eyes go wide.

"You two fought again? I told you..."

"You said we can't fight, but my darling won't talk to me, and my heart feels so awful. He threw himself at me—he deserved it."

Pei Du made a point of lowering his voice as he spoke.

It wasn't until he'd said all that that he straightened up, looking at the man in front of him with puppy-dog eyes: "I know I was wrong, I won't dare do it again. Forgive me, hmm?"

He'd even picked up the trick of using a little sweet talk to defuse the situation.

Chu Lanting raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, still unsure what to say when a voice sounded from right above him.

"If you stay silent, I'll take that as a yes. Feng Xingyun is still waiting for me over there—wait for me after work, and we'll head home together."

With that, before Chu Lanting could get another word in, he was already striding off on those long legs of his, heading straight toward where Feng Xingyun stood.

Partway there, he suddenly looked back. Since Chu Lanting had his back to him, he didn't catch the look on the man's face—no longer playful or coaxing, but cold and stern, radiating a suffocating pressure.

The coworker who'd been shoved aside froze for a moment, then a smile suddenly curled at the corners of her lips.

Reaching for a fresh packaging bag, she filled it with nutrient packs in a fluid, practiced motion, and she suddenly blurted out a remark.

"When my father was young, he was a famed hunter in town. When I was little, he told me that beasts have a strong sense of territory—if their territory is invaded, even by a gentle little animal, the beast will bare its fangs without fail."

"My, my, beasts really are vicious and unreasonable, aren't they?"

Chu Lanting beside her: "...Uh? Oh, yes. So, are you talking to me?"

Why did it feel so odd?

The coworker smiled and shrugged: "Probably."