My Deskmate Chapter 1 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda
Chapter 1.1
“Can you introduce yourself?”
“Wen Xiao.”
“That’s it?”
Wen Xiao replied, “That’s it.”
Xu Guangqi cleared his throat and tried to encourage him. “Well, how about sharing your hobbies? If you have something in common with your classmates, maybe you can quickly make new friends, right? So, Wen Xiao, do you have any hobbies to tell us about?”
Wen Xiao stood by the desk, his posture straight. The freshly donned school uniform carried the distinct scent of new fabric. The office air conditioner, aged and yellowed with time, hummed as it emitted warm air, accompanied by occasional crackling sounds. It was cold outside, so the office doors and windows were tightly shut, sealing in the heat. Feeling stifled, Wen Xiao took a half step to avoid the vent before replying, “Studying.”
Xu Guangqi: “Studying?”
Wen Xiao: “Yes. My hobby is studying.”
“That's great! Studying as a hobby is wonderful!” Xu Guangqi beamed with satisfaction. He studied the new transfer student with growing approval. Although Wen Xiao was a bit too tall, handsome, and a bit taciturn, a student who considered studying as a hobby must surely be diligent and well-behaved.
“I’m your new homeroom teacher. Let me introduce myself as well,” Xu Guangqi said. Then, gesturing toward a neatly stacked pile of textbooks on the desk, he added with a touch of mystery, “Now, open your math book. Yes, the first page.”
Wen Xiao obediently opened the math book.
“Do you see the line that says 'Editor-in-Chief'? The second one is my name.”
Wen Xiao glanced at the name “Xu Guangqi.” He was just about to say, “That’s impressive,” when his future homeroom teacher smiled. “Impressive, right? I have the same name as him!”
Wen Xiao paused, momentarily at a loss for words.
Xu Guangqi continued kindly, “You can call me Old Xu. A friendly nickname helps foster closer relationships between teachers and students! I’ll be teaching Class 1’s math. If you ever have questions, feel free to drop by my office. If you have any problems or exciting ideas, my door is always open!”
Wen Xiao nodded.
“Well, let’s talk about your learning progress, then.” Hearing Wen Xiao respond with a quiet “Mm,” Xu Guangqi flipped through a thin report card in his hand, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. “The academic office and student affairs department have told me about your situation. It's not that I don't believe you, but I still have to ask. Since you’ve missed an entire year of classes, are you sure you can jump straight into the second semester of second year and keep up?”
Wen Xiao nodded again. “I can.”
Xu Guangqi pressed further, “How long will it take you to catch up? I was thinking of giving you a semester—”
“Half a semester,” Wen Xiao interrupted. “Half a semester is enough for me.”
Xu Guangqi’s finger, habitually tapping on the desk, froze. He looked up at Wen Xiao, unable to tell if it was just youthful bravado or if he truly had the ability. In the end, he decided to compromise. “Alright, then. I’ll be keeping an eye on your progress!”
As Xu Guangqi finished speaking, he stood up, intending to give Wen Xiao an encouraging pat on the shoulder. However, the moment he stood, the height difference became glaringly obvious — he had to tilt his head back just to see Wen Xiao’s face.
Muttering to himself, “What do kids eat these days?” Xu Guangqi clasped his hands behind his back, pretending to be nonchalant. “Alright, grab your textbooks. I’ll take you to your classroom.”
Class 1’s classroom.
“Breaking news, breaking news! We have big news today!” Xu Rui burst into the room, clutching a workbook titled One Question, One Practice. He plopped down at his seat, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, almost as if he had "Hurry up and ask me" written all over his face.
Zhao Yiyang, who had been sneakily playing on his phone under the desk, jumped at the interruption. “Academic officer, with that dramatic entrance, I almost thought Old Xu was here! You scared me! Can we tone it down a little?”
Xu Rui adjusted his glasses and shook his head sagely. “As Shakespeare once said, calmness is the finest virtue of a lifetime!”
Shangguan Yu, busy reading comprehension exercises, didn’t even look up. “Academic officer, did Shakespeare really say that?”
Xu Rui responded solemnly, “He probably said it. He's dead anyway, so who's to prove otherwise!?”
“Makes sense. You can modify that sentence a bit and use it in your essay.” Shangguan Yu put down his pen. “Right, what were you saying? Big news?”
At the mention of his scoop, Xu Rui raised a hand to shield his mouth, as though he was sharing a huge secret. With exaggerated seriousness, he whispered, “We’ve got a new transfer student. I went to Old Xu’s office to ask a question, and I saw him standing there.”
Zhao Yiyang perked up. “A transfer student? After a whole week of classes? Boy or girl? Must be a girl, right? Our class already reeks of testosterone overload. We’re in desperate need of some feminine balance here.”
“It's—” Xu Rui dragged out the suspense before finishing, “a boy. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Zhao Yiyang let out a dismissive snort and immediately lost interest. He pulled his phone out of his bag, ready to continue watching a game stream.
Xu Rui panicked. “Hey, wait! Let me finish! The new transfer student seems like an academic overachiever! This guy's awareness is quite high. I overheard Old Xu at the office asking him about his hobbies, and he said it's studying. Think about it carefully — if that’s not a certified academic overachiever, I don’t know what is!”
Just then, Zhao Yiyang heard familiar footsteps approaching. He quickly turned off his phone and shoved it deep into his bag, whispering, “Old Xu is coming!”
Within three seconds, the classroom fell dead silent. Everyone picked up their pens and started reading and doing their homework.
When Xu Guangqi led Wen Xiao to the podium, Zhao Yiyang glanced up and nudged his deskmate. “Shangguan, the academic officer’s intel isn’t complete. He told us he’s an academic overachiever, but he didn't mention that this guy also looks like a campus heartthrob! Forget about grades, just with that face, the girls in this school are going to lose their minds!”
Shangguan Yu had a different focus. “We’re both wearing glasses, but how come he looks so refined, while I looked like a scum of the literati? It’s just not fair!”
Zhao Yiyang nodded in agreement. “That's right. It’s not fair!”
Shangguan Yu glared at him. “Who are you calling a scum of the literati?”
On the podium, Xu Guangqi finished the introductions and started arranging seats. “Li Wencheng, move to the back row and sit behind Zhao Yiyang. Let Wen Xiao sit with Xu Rui.” Without noticing the other's suddenly pale face, he turned his head and instructed, “Since you just transferred and haven't caught up with the coursework, sitting next to the academic officer will make it easier for you to ask questions.”
Wen Xiao hadn’t even nodded when the boy Xu Guangqi had called — Li Wencheng — timidly raised his hand. With a pained expression, he glanced fearfully toward the back of the classroom, then took a deep breath and spoke up. “Um... Teacher, I need the academic officer too. I-I dropped five spots in the exam rankings. I... I can’t live without him!”
This heartfelt confession caused the class to burst into laughter.
“You really can’t live without him?” Xu Guangqi was amused as well. After thinking for a couple of seconds, he said, “Alright, but if you don't score a few more points in the monthly exam, it won't justify your reason. Wen Xiao, you’ll take the seat in the back row by the aisle. Zhao Yiyang and Shangguan Yu both have solid grades, so you can discuss things with them if you have questions. As for your deskmate... just focus on your studies and try not to be influenced by him.”
Wen Xiao didn’t object. Carrying his black backpack, now filled with new textbooks, he walked to the empty seat in the back row and sat down.
Xu Guangqi checked his watch. “The Math Department has a meeting. Stay focused and study on your own. Don't sneak out to buy snacks, or you'll get fat and won't grow tall, understand? Xu Rui, do you really think you can chew chips silently?”
Xu Rui shoved the last two chips into his mouth, swallowing them whole without chewing, and looked up at Xu Guangqi with an innocent expression.
Short on time, Xu Guangqi shot him a warning glance before striding out of the room.
No sooner had Wen Xiao settled into his seat than Li Wencheng darted over, shoulders hunched and clutching the edge of Wen Xiao’s desk. With a look of tearful gratitude, he exclaimed, “Brother, thank you for sacrificing yourself to sit with Chi-ge! I owe you my life!” Without giving Wen Xiao a chance to respond, he turned and scurried back to his seat.
Chi-ge or Chi-ge?
(T/N: first chi is 池 [pond] and the second chi is 驰 [to gallop])
Wen Xiao glanced at the empty, untouched desk next to him. Judging by Li Wencheng’s earlier words, it was clear he was referring to Wen Xiao’s yet-to-be-seen deskmate.