The next day, Shen Chuo had classes in the afternoon during the fifth and sixth periods.

When Pei Tingyue entered through the back door of the classroom, Shen Chuo was standing sideways at the front of the platform, explaining the content of the courseware on the projection screen. He didn’t notice the incongruous figure sitting in the back row.

“In practice, the waveform of a single symbol composing the baseband signal is not necessarily rectangular…”

Shen Chuo’s voice, amplified through the speakers, was not harsh, like a gentle breeze in the summer, effortlessly calming the restless.

The rather dull lecture on digital communication principles became more lively and interesting under his explanation.

Leaning back in his seat, Pei Tingyue casually sized up the figure on the platform.

A casual light-colored linen shirt, gray trousers, and sneakers, typical attire for a male lecturer in a science and engineering university.

But this Professor Shen was somewhat different from others. His features were gentle, his complexion clear and fair, even his lips seemed slightly redder than others’.

As Pei Tingyue looked at Shen Chuo, he unintentionally recalled another scene.

Desire flickered in those dark eyes, intoxicated and eager, with slightly parted lips offering a kiss.

And when sweat covered that face, the enticing sounds that flowed from between the lips and teeth.

Perhaps Pei Tingyue’s gaze was too obvious. The person on the platform noticed, paused for a moment, then turned to look.

The man sitting in the last row looked back at him. His demeanor was completely different from the surrounding students, exuding a strong presence that was hard to ignore.

Pei Tingyue gestured towards the projection screen, indicating for him to continue, and not to mind him.

Shen Chuo remained silent, turned his eyes away, and continued explaining the previous content.

The class soon ended. Shen Chuo still stood at the platform, with two students approaching to ask questions. His slightly drooping eyelids showed his concentration as he listened carefully to the students.

Then, Shen Chuo smiled at something the student said, his eyes bright and clear.

Pei Tingyue, who had been busy replying to client messages, paused when he saw this scene, opened his camera, and casually snapped a photo.

In addition to him, a girl sitting in the front row also captured the moment. She admired the photo she had just taken and exclaimed to her roommate, “Professor Shen is so handsome, he looks even better when he smiles.”

“Hey, you took a great photo, can you send it to me?”

Pei Tingyue lightly tapped the girl’s shoulder with his phone. She turned around, looking at him puzzled.

Pei Tingyue pointed to her phone screen with his chin. “Taking photos of the teacher without permission isn’t good, right?”

The caught girl blushed slightly. Her roommate tried to explain, “We just wanted to take a look ourselves, we didn’t intend to do anything.”

“But that’s not acceptable,” Pei Tingyue said firmly. “It violates your teacher’s privacy and portrait rights. Delete it.”

His tone was assertive and non-negotiable, but in fact, he was just intimidating the two kids.

Open lecturing has nothing to do with privacy rights, and there’s no infringement of portrait rights if there’s no malicious intent or profit. As for whether lawyers can exaggerate to scare people, he’s always had no professional ethics.

After the girl deleted the photo completely, Pei Tingyue finally let them go.

Shen Chuo sent the students away and noticed the hurried departure of the two girls. He reminded Pei Tingyue, “Don’t harass my students.”

Pei Tingyue looked up and asked, “Can I harass you then?”

Before Shen Chuo could respond, he changed his tone. “Just kidding, I’m here to work at your school.”

“Work?”

“In the classroom next door, giving two lectures to the students of the law school. Our law firm has a cooperative relationship with your school’s law department, and the dean assigned me this task. It’s my turn this time, so I have to come.” Pei Tingyue stood up, tall and imposing, dressed expensively, exuding an air of elitism. He was really eye-catching, and all the students who hadn’t left the classroom were secretly sizing him up.

“Let’s have dinner together after I finish my class.”

After saying this, he walked into the adjacent classroom.

Only then did Shen Chuo believe that he was here to teach, but he didn’t know if this kind of character would mislead the students.

Pei Tingyue’s lecture had no slides or handouts, not even a piece of paper. He stood in front of the platform and began directly.

The content revolved around the logic and elements of handling commercial dispute judgments, sharing only real cases he had dealt with himself.

The class was very lively. Pei Tingyue, a handsome and well-known lawyer, delivered his lectures with a bit of dry humor, easily capturing the hearts of these young students.

Shen Chuo stood by the back door of the classroom for a moment, silently commenting to himself, “Smooth talker,” then turned and left.

He went back to the laboratory. At five thirty, Pei Tingyue’s call came in.

Shen Chuo was already familiar with that string of numbers. He turned back to his office and answered the call.

“I’m done with class. Where are you?” Pei Tingyue asked as soon as Shen Chuo picked up.

“I have something to do tonight, so I won’t be coming.”

“What kind of thing is important enough to skip dinner?” Pei Tingyue lazily retorted over the phone. “Professor Shen, that excuse doesn’t sound very convincing.”

“It’s not an excuse,” Shen Chuo said seriously. “I really have something to attend to.”

“Where are you now? In the lab? I’ll come find you.”

Before Shen Chuo could say “no” again, the call had already been disconnected.

Shen Chuo felt a bit speechless. He put his phone back in his pocket, packed up his things, and carried his briefcase downstairs.

He had just arrived downstairs when he bumped into Pei Tingyue, whose car was parked outside the laboratory building.

Shen Chuo didn’t want to linger with him there, so he walked past quickly, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.

Pei Tingyue glanced back at him. “Where to?”

“I need to go back to the dormitory to get something,” Shen Chuo said.

Pei Tingyue started the car.

“Professor Shen, you are only thirty years old, yet you carry that old-fashioned briefcase every day, just like those much older professors. It seems you lack the energy of a young person,” Pei Tingyue commented.

Shen Chuo didn’t want to engage with him.

Pei Tingyue said, “Don’t want to listen? Then I apologize.”

“Turn left up ahead,” Shen Chuo said, giving him directions back to the dormitory, cutting off further conversation.

When they arrived, Shen Chuo said “thank you” and intended to leave, but Pei Tingyue grabbed him back.

“Aren’t you coming to have dinner with me?” Pei Tingyue asked.

“I told you, I have something to do,” Shen Chuo replied, shifting his gaze down to the arm Pei Tingyue was holding, silently telling him to let go.

But Pei Tingyue acted as if he hadn’t noticed and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“What does it have to do with you?” Shen Chuo replied directly. He was usually mild-mannered and had never clashed with anyone before, but Pei, the lawyer, seemed to be the first person to push him to this point every time they met.

Pei Tingyue stared at him with a cold look and let go of his hand.

“You have quite the temper,” Pei Tingyue scoffed lightly. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll spread rumors about your orientation?”

“What benefit would that bring you?” Shen Chuo asked calmly.

“It wouldn’t bring me any benefit,” Pei Tingyue said, “but what if I did it? Aren’t you afraid?”

His tone was casual, as if he was just talking nonsense, but Shen Chuo could sense that this lunatic might actually do it.

Pei Tingyue patiently waited for him to change his mind.

“I bought an apartment and made an appointment with the seller to pick up the keys at six thirty. He lives far away, and if we have dinner first, I won’t make it in time. I need to go and get the purchase contract.” Shen Chuo could only tell the truth.

“Let’s go then,” Pei Tingyue turned off the car engine and opened the door.

Shen Chuo was taken aback, and Pei Tingyue turned back to signal him, “I’ll go up with you.”

By the time Shen Chuo realized he wanted to regret it, he had already brought him inside the house.

Pei Tingyue looked around his place. “The conditions of the staff dormitories at your school are quite poor.”

Shen Chuo ignored him and opened a drawer to find the purchase contract he had left there before.

Next door, there was the intermittent sound of Yang Wenbin and his wife arguing, sometimes loud, sometimes low, mixed with the crying of their child.

“The soundproofing here is also quite poor,” Pei Tingyue remarked.

“The person who consulted with you about transferring assets before,” Shen Chuo shrugged, “it turns out he wants a divorce himself.”

“Are you eavesdropping on my conversations now?”

“I happened to overhear,” Shen Chuo said, hesitated, and asked, “Is there really a way to transfer all his assets?”

“A few hundred thousand in assets, is it really necessary to transfer them?” Pei Tingyue replied calmly.

Faced with Shen Chuo’s obvious displeasure, Pei Tingyue told him the truth nonchalantly, “The method I taught him is the most practical one he can use, but he’s probably not patient enough. If he tries to transfer the assets himself, as long as his wife hires a lawyer, she can definitely get them back. If he wants to do it seamlessly, it’s possible, but he can’t afford the lawyer’s fee.”

“If he had a couple billion in assets, there would be plenty of people willing to help him, and his wife wouldn’t be able to take a single piece of paper.”

Shen Chuo didn’t like his tone. “Everyone is equal before the law.”

“Of course,” Pei Tingyue said, “but most of the time, the law is just a game for the rich.”

“Is it appropriate for a lawyer like you to say such things?”

“It’s quite inappropriate,” Pei Tingyue admitted, “so I’ve never said it to anyone else.”

“Then why tell me?”

“We’re married,” Pei Tingyue said calmly, “you’re one of us.”

Shen Chuo was momentarily speechless. “You, of all people, I wonder how you became a lawyer.”

“Passing the exam and getting a license is all it takes to become one. How hard can it be?” Pei Tingyue said contemptuously, not out of arrogance, but rather a disdain for his own profession.

Shen Chuo completely lost interest in continuing the conversation. He had already found the purchase contract.

As he took it out, a piece of paper floated out and fell to the ground. Shen Chuo bent down to pick it up, but Pei Tingyue, who had sharp eyes, grabbed it first.

Seeing what was in his hand, Pei Tingyue raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you didn’t receive this?”

—It was their marriage certificate.

The reason Shen Chuo hadn’t dealt with it was indeed because he was concerned about the potential trouble Pei Tingyue had mentioned. After returning that day, he had stuffed it into the drawer along with the purchase contract.

“Professor Shen, you don’t seem very honest,”

Shen Chuo snatched the paper back and stuffed it back into the drawer, then pushed it shut firmly. “Let’s go.”

Pei Tingyue looked directly at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just thinking about how you’re a married man,” Pei Tingyue’s gaze lingered on his face, “it’s quite intriguing.”

Shen Chuo: “…You’re overthinking it.”

He opened the door and started to leave. Suddenly, Pei Tingyue reached out and pressed him against the wall.

Before Shen Chuo could frown, there was a loud slamming sound next door, and Yang Wenbin cursed as he stomped downstairs.

“You professors are quite promiscuous,” Pei Tingyue mocked, “all of you seem to want to stir up marital troubles. It’s worrisome for your professional ethics.”

“…,” Shen Chuo turned and walked away, silently resolving that he would have to get out of this broken marriage sooner or later.