Chapter 34: It Feels Sour Here

Chapter 34: It's Sour Here

After finishing the class and safely returning each child to their parents, Chu Lanting finally noticed the gloomy mood radiating from the person beside him.

The smile that had lingered on his lips from saying goodbye to the children hadn't yet faded. Using the remaining daylight, he stood on his tiptoes slightly and gently patted the top of the person's head with his palm.

"What's wrong, A Du? You've been distracted since before class. Is something bothering you?"

Then, as if a thought struck him, his smile became a bit strained: "You're not... fighting with Supervisor Feng again, are you? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

His hastily withdrawn hand landed on the man again.

After lifting his arm and confirming there were no wounds, Chu Lanting breathed a sigh of relief, only for his mind to go on high alert again.

"No wounds on the arm, so is it your leg?"

"A Du, rest your leg on the stone steps and roll up your pant leg. Let me take a look."

He reached out to pull the man toward the stone steps, his refined face full of worry.

But before he could drag him there, his wrist was caught by a warm, large hand.

His steps halted, and when Chu Lanting turned around, the worry on his face had yet to fade: "What's wrong? Did I get the wrong leg? Then where are you hurt—your stomach? Or your chest?"

Thinking of Feng Xingyun's rippling muscles—though he was inferior to Pei Du in height, build, and fighting ability—

In Chu Lanting's eyes, Feng Xingyun was a man with no moral limits.

What if Feng Xingyun had pulled a dirty trick during their fight...

Chu Lanting let out a sharp gasp, then yanked his wrist free: "So it's your stomach or chest? Are you stupid? Why didn't you say something when we got off work?"

"Let me see how bad the wound is. It's not fully dark yet—we can still go to Uncle Tian to get some medicine."

Pei Du's clothes were bought by Chu Lanting with money from Feng Xingyun. Even a simple gray crew-neck tee looked anything but ordinary on Pei Du, made to look anything but ordinary by his handsome face.

Not waiting for Pei Du's answer, and ignoring what he was wearing today,

Chu Lanting, his only concern whether Pei Du was hurt, immediately lifted his shirt. Seeing the scars that had just healed and would remain for life without special treatment—

His cool fingertips brushed over his abdomen and chest. Finding no obvious external injuries on Pei Du's front, he then spun him around.

"Nothing on the front—so is the wound on your back? A Du, why aren't you saying anything?"

Compared to the front, the scars on Pei Du's back were just as plentiful.

Looking at the newly healed marks, his brows furrowed as he examined them carefully, afraid of missing any bruise or mark.

But there was nothing.

Aside from Pei Du's old scars and the new ones from the accidental fall on Planet 207, there were no other signs of injury.

This realization made Chu Lanting let out a long sigh of relief.

The tension in his heart finally eased. The last ray of daylight faded completely at that moment, leaving only a faint yellow light illuminating the body in front of him.

Once Pei Du had largely recovered, he had followed Chu Lanting into the factory to work.

With his sharp mind and strong physique, Pei Du was very popular at the factory.

From office clerk duties to hauling goods in the warehouse, whenever needed, he could be seen darting around the factory.

Before Pei Du had started at the factory, Chu Lanting had already seen his V-shaped, perfectly proportioned body.

Now that he was working and getting a good workout, his physique seemed to have gotten even better without anyone realizing it.

Chu Lanting thought of himself as not being into looks, legs, or muscles.

Yet when it came to Pei Du, not only did his heart race uncontrollably, he even couldn't help poking the back muscles in front of him.

Mm, it felt good—firm and springy.

Realizing what he had just done, Chu Lanting's ears turned red instantly.

Fortunately, the sky had darkened and his hair covered his ears, saving him from embarrassment.

He coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his fist: "Seems like you're not hurt. Good that you're not. But you can't fight with Supervisor Feng again—he has a bad temper. What if he gets angry and loses it at the end?"

He pulled the shirt back down.

Chu Lanting took a step back, about to reach for the hand in front of him to take him home together,

When that same hand that had grabbed his wrist earlier beat him to it, grabbing his wrist again.

"Wife smiled so happily."

His dull tone made the already dark sky feel even gloomier.

Chu Lanting first looked down at the large hand gripping his wrist. Feeling that this palm—warmer, stronger, and rougher than before—tighten around him,

He moved his fingers but didn't pull free.

The words from above made him freeze for a moment, and then, snapping back to reality, he asked in confusion: "What?"

When did he smile that happily?

"Just now, with the kids, wife was so happy. But when I'm with wife, wife isn't that happy."

Pei Du, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned around.

Now facing each other, Chu Lanting realized that he seemed to be... crying again.

"Why are you—why are you crying again? I wasn't that happy—no, I mean, I was happy because I was doing something I enjoy. Of course, I'm happy when I'm with you too."

"I'm just more relaxed around the kids, that's why I smiled like that. If you don't like it, then I won't smile like that from now on."

Chu Lanting had never had such a sensitive 'student' before. How could anyone cry so easily?

Wasn't everything fine at the factory during the day?

But when the other man cried, he was completely at a loss, his mind full of how to explain and fix this.

And deeper down, there was a panic he hid, one he couldn't let anyone notice.

"No, wife's smile is beautiful. I want to make wife smile that happily too. Wife, it feels sour here—same as this afternoon. It hurts so much."

The hand gripping his wrist was lifted.

Even through his clothes, Chu Lanting could clearly feel the burning heat from those fingertips and palm.

Even though he had already guessed Pei Du's feelings just the other day after work, when he was talking to him, Chu Lanting still felt something hit his heart the moment he actually heard him say his chest felt sour.

How could anyone... get so jealous over him chatting with coworkers or smiling at a kid that he'd actually cry?

It wasn't like he was some kid, acting all possessive like that...

The night was hazy, and the sky, already dim, had darkened a few more shades.

Chu Lanting stared up at him, dazed, not looking away even as his neck began to ache.

Other than his parents and grandma, could there really be someone out there who loved him like this?