Chapter 33: A Madman in the Making

Chapter 33: A Madman in the Making

Thanks to that afternoon chat with his coworker, Chu Lanting couldn't focus on work for the rest of the day.

When quitting time finally rolled around, he'd barely stepped out of the workshop when he spotted Pei Du, still in his work clothes, leaning against the wall by the door, his eyes downcast, impossible to read.

When he heard the workshop door open, he looked up on instinct.

Those calm, unreadable black eyes brightened slightly the instant they landed on the man in the doorway.

"Clock's out—you tired?"

The sight only made Chu Lanting's already messy head even messier.

He hadn't even noticed when the other man got so close.

It wasn't until a rough touch grazed his cheek that he blinked, his thoughts slowly snapping back into place.

"That tired? Then maybe we can skip today's—"

"No can do, the kids are already waiting on me."

Before Pei Du could even finish, Chu Lanting already knew where he was going and instinctively shot it down.

He'd only just started teaching—it wouldn't look good for the teacher to call in sick already.

Besides, his job was a breeze, and he wasn't even that tired.

It was just...

"Why'd you suddenly show up at my workstation this afternoon?"

Not wanting to hash this out at the workshop door, Chu Lanting glanced around to make sure everyone was busy before leading Pei Du out of the factory.

Once they were outside and things quieted down, he swallowed the unease in his chest and looked up at the man beside him.

Pei Du, who'd been glued to his side the whole time, finally let his face—stiff all day—slacken.

He reached up and gave the soft skin of Chu Lanting's neck a gentle pinch, lowering his gaze as he spoke softly: "Wife was standing too close to that guy. Didn't like it."

The deliberately low voice had a whine to it—part irritation, part hurt—that was impossible to miss.

Feeling that warm, soft skin under his fingers, Pei Du's other hand, shoved in his pocket, curled into a fist to stop himself from saying what was on his mind.

He didn't want his wife going out to work, didn't want his wife talking to so many people.

But if he made his wife stay home like a good little spouse, waiting for him to bring home the money, she'd definitely get pissed.

He'd just gotten his wife back into a good mood—if she got mad again...

"A Du? You spacing out on me?"

Chu Lanting found the dazed look on the man's face almost funny, like he'd just discovered a new species.

The old Pei Du never spaced out or zoned off like this. Every time he finished whining in that spoiled, hurt voice, he'd immediately latch onto him.

This time, Pei Du hadn't grabbed his arm like usual. Chu Lanting felt a pang of disappointment—and then hated himself for it.

He'd already decided not to get too close to Pei Du, so why was he still hung up on this?

The smile at the corner of his mouth faded, and he patted the man's shoulder. "A Du's all grown up now, keeping secrets of his own."

It'd be a lie to say he wasn't touched.

Even though Pei Du hadn't been with him long, his ability to bounce back and take in new things was way beyond what Chu Lanting had imagined.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Pei Du got his memories back.

He just didn't know if Pei Du would turn cold and distant, all business, like the book said.

The thought of this Pei Du turning into someone else—someone he could never reach—made Chu Lanting's throat tighten. He dropped the subject.

Time was tight. To save on electricity, he usually taught for two hours in the classroom.

He only wrapped up when the sun went down, heading back to that tiny home to wash off the day's fatigue.

So his schedule was always packed.

Luckily, the classroom wasn't far from the factory—just a three- or four-minute walk.

Carrying the teaching supplies he'd prepped a few nights back, the second Chu Lanting and Pei Du reached the classroom door, the racket inside went dead quiet.

But a few seconds later, the room exploded with noise again.

"Teacher Chu! Look, Teacher Chu's here!"

"Teacher Chu, I did all my homework, look!"

"Teacher Chu, check mine! Mom said I wrote it super good, Teacher Chu, look!"

"Teacher Chu..."

The chatter was nonstop.

......

The kids in class ranged from a few years old to just past ten.

This was their first time diving into the ocean of knowledge. Before, they'd just waited at home, bored stiff, for their parents to get off work. But these squiggly tadpole-like marks—Teacher Chu said if they learned them well, they'd earn tons of star coins, maybe even get to the main star.

These kids had only ever seen the main star on Uncle He's TV. Their wildest dream was earning the right to go there.

Before, it was just a dream. Now, someone was standing right in front of them, saying that if they studied hard, they could actually make it to the main star.

Someone had put their dreams right within reach. Every time they saw Chu Lanting, the whole gaggle of kids, big and small, went wild with energy.

Not bothered by the noise one bit, he bent down and gathered the homework the kids shoved at him, one sheet at a time. Just taking in the scene, the smile at the corner of his mouth wouldn't quit.

Back when he'd picked education as his major, he'd pictured exactly this.

Surrounded by children, hearing them call him "Teacher Chu."

He'd lived it before jumping into this book—and never thought he'd get to keep doing what he loved after.

All the messy thoughts in his head vanished in that instant.

He reached out and ruffled the kid's hair in front of him, his face lit up with a bright smile, his voice warm and gentle.

"Teacher's got them all. I'll grade them tonight and bring them back tomorrow, okay?"

The answer was, naturally, a chorus of "Yes!"

Once the children were led back into the classroom and Chu Lanting began teaching with swift, practiced movements, the tall figure who had been following him all along would wait outside, watching the scene through the window.

Chu Lanting's teaching was anything but boring—in fact, he seemed to have real experience in the classroom.

He could turn a dry, monotonous lesson into an interactive, entertaining class.

The sun, still above the horizon, streamed through the window and flooded the classroom, especially the podium. Golden light bathed the slim, straight-backed young man standing there, making his smile even more radiant.

The clear, resonant sound of reading drifting out of the classroom was like light cutting through the gloom.

It breathed new vitality into this barren, desolate land.