My Deskmate Chapter 21
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 21
Chi Ye pulled out a chair and sat down, studying Wen Xiao. "Is it worse?"
Wen Xiao's face was pale, and he weakly responded, "Mm."
This time, the fever came on fiercely. His head felt heavy as if a giant, magma-coated rock had been shoved inside. His body ached, making him irritable. His hoodie had slipped off, and when he reached up to pull it back, he missed, his brow furrowing immediately.
Seeing him look as if he might kick over the table, Chi Ye held back a laugh and kindly reached over to adjust the hood, pulling it back over his head. He then lightly touched his forehead. "Tsk, still burning up?"
Just as he intended to withdraw his hand, he saw Wen Xiao lower his gaze, muttering faintly, "Don't move."
The words were soft, but the command was unmistakable. Despite the nasal tone, Chi Ye could hear a hint of pleading in it.
He kept his hand where it was, firmly pressing it against Wen Xiao’s forehead without pulling away.
Chi Ye’s hand, large and calloused from his build, grew warm in the contact. When his hand had warmed enough, Wen Xiao tilted his head slightly, saying, "Take it away."
There was something subtly different about the sickly version of Wen Xiao. Chi Ye couldn't help but ask, "Has your temperature dropped a bit since yesterday? You've been running a low fever all this time?"
Wen Xiao nodded, his head aching painfully. "Let me sleep for a while. Wake me if anything comes up."
The noise in the classroom felt muffled, as if there was a layer of film between him and the chaos. It was close, yet distant. He couldn't tell if it was because of his illness, but all the emotions that had been tightly bottled up inside him suddenly surged like unstoppable floodwaters after a storm.
He thought back, vaguely, to the days when his parents would leave the house, always assuring him of their return and offering an estimated time of their absence. Yet now, their departures were irreversible, devoid of any promise of a reunion.
Wen Xiao silently told himself — I'm just sick. I’m going to sleep, and everything will be fine when I wake up.
In the final class, even the chemistry teacher’s loud tenor voice couldn’t control the atmosphere. In the last ten minutes before the bell rang, the classroom became as restless as a drop of oil in boiling water. Someone couldn’t hold back and opened a can of soda. The hiss of the escaping gas was unusually loud in the quiet room.
The chemistry teacher paused, turning around. “This student, don't think that drinking a world-famous carbonated beverage will give you boundless energy. Don't be so restless, okay? Be calm, be calm, be as steady as helium, neon, argon, and krypton! Okay?”
Only a few students responded, their voices sparse.
Zhao Yiyang glanced out the window. “In a few minutes, we’ll witness the daily release of the beasts of the affiliated high school. I wonder if the cafeteria has any new dishes today.” As the teacher turned back to write on the board, Zhao Yiyang turned back around and saw Wen Xiao still slumped over his desk, showing no sign of waking up. “Chi-ge, should we wake him up for lunch?”
Chi Ye was absorbed in a game of Super Mario. “No need. When he comes up, just bring two lunch boxes.”
Zhao Yiyang nodded. “Got it. Wait, why two? Are you worried Wen Xiao won’t have enough to eat? The boxed lunches from the stall near the entrance are pretty big.”
Chi Ye finally lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "One for him, one for me."
Zhao Yiyang immediately understood. "Ah, I see. You’re worried about Wen Xiao?"
"Pretty much. What’s with all the questions?" Chi Ye lowered his head again, returning to his game.
The moment the bell rang, the entire building shook with the noise of desks scraping and students rushing downstairs. The chemistry teacher, who still had one more problem to explain, placed the chalk in the groove on the blackboard. "I know I can keep you in the room, but not your hearts. Go, go, or you'll miss out on the food."
As soon as he finished speaking, it was like a whistle had been blown. Half of the students were out of the classroom in an instant. Zhao Yiyang and Shangguan Yu were the fastest.
Once everyone had left, the classroom fell into silence. From a distance, the voice of the Director of Discipline could be heard shouting, "Do you think you're running the 110-meter hurdles? No matter how fast you go, you're not going to win an Olympic gold medal, got it?"
Chi Ye stubbornly continued playing Super Mario, but suddenly he heard a voice next to him. "You're so weak."
He turned his head and realized it wasn’t just his imagination. His deskmate, who had slept through the entire morning, was finally awake.
Wen Xiao rested his elbow on the desk, propping up his chin. His expression was indifferent, almost mocking. It was clear he hadn’t slept for nothing. His voice hadn’t fully recovered, but his energy had improved a bit. He leaned in and asked, "Fifth level?"
Chi Ye handed over his phone, silently gesturing with his actions, You think you’re so great? Then do it instead of just talking.
Wen Xiao took the phone without hesitation. After a few jumps and a quick run, he reached the finish line. Watching the victory flag rise, Chi Ye couldn’t help but admit that he really was kind of weak.
The phone screen was small, and they were both used to hiding it beneath the desk to avoid being spotted by the teacher through the back door. The two of them leaned in close, their heads brushing together, their shoulders nearly touching as they shared the screen.
Wen Xiao's fingers were long and elegant, skillfully maneuvering the little character in overalls as it jumped around. It was almost more pleasing to watch than the game itself. Chi Ye couldn’t resist, “Deskmate, you really smell good.”
Wen Xiao didn’t bother to respond.
Chi Ye was trying to figure out if the scent was from shower gel, shampoo, or laundry detergent when he heard a chair screech.
He looked up to see Zhao Yiyang standing there, looking dazed. "Why are you back?"
"Ran too fast and forgot my meal card. Shangguan’s waiting for me, so I came back to grab it." After saying that, Zhao Yiyang held his meal card, looking flustered. "Uh... you guys continue. I won't interrupt."
As he turned away, Zhao Yiyang tilted his head back toward the ceiling, abruptly shutting his eyes. What the hell? How many times was this now? Was Chi-ge flirting or something? This world was too damn surreal.
After clearing a couple more levels, Wen Xiao lost interest and suggested, "Want to play something more fun?"
Chi Ye noticed how lethargic he looked and agreed. "What do you want to play?"
Wen Xiao casually grabbed a notebook, flipping from the back to the front. He drew a few horizontal lines with a pen. "Five-in-a-row. Want to play?"
Both of them were quick thinkers, and they immediately stretched the game out for a long time. Wen Xiao had played many games of five-in-a-row in the past, but it was rare for the board to be completely filled before the game ended.
After placing the final piece, it ended in a draw again. Wen Xiao looked at Chi Ye. "A lucky chance?"
Chi Ye knew Wen Xiao was referring to his exam score. He leaned against the wall, his long legs spread out, and his uniform zipper still undone — something that would surely get him a demerit from the Director of Discipline. There was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Guess."
"Too lazy to guess." Wen Xiao lowered his head, twirling the pen in his fingers as he drew a few more lines. "Another round?"
The second period in the afternoon was PE, and by the time the bell rang, most people had already left the classroom. Zhao Yiyang and Shangguan Yu stood by Wen Xiao’s desk, exchanging glances — You go wake him up? I won't. You go.
Xu Rui finished his English test and walked over. "Has Wen Xiao had lunch and then gone back to sleep?"
Zhao Yiyang whispered, "Yep, the cold medicine had a strong sedative effect. He’s been asleep for half a day. But PE class is starting soon, and he hasn't handed in a sick leave slip. Should we wake him up?"
Xu Rui didn’t quite understand. "Then just wake him up."
Zhao Yiyang took a step back. "You go."
Xu Rui thought it was not a big deal to wake people up, but just as he was about to speak, he hesitated and held back. He felt strangely intimidated.
Wen Xiao wasn’t in the best mood today. It was as if he had written "I'm not happy" and "Keep out" on his face.
Just then, Chi Ye walked in with a bottle of mineral water. Xu Rui quickly spoke up, "Chi-ge, you’re just in time. Wen Xiao should wake up and go to PE class now!"
Chi Ye approached, thought for a moment, then curled his fingers and gently tapped on the desk a few times.
After a short pause, there was movement from the person who had been slumped over the desk. Wen Xiao raised his hand in a swift arc and tightly grabbed Chi Ye’s hand, the motion so quick that no one could catch it in time.
Caught off guard by the firm grip on his wrist, Chi Ye let out a quiet hiss.
Damn, what kind of reaction speed was that? He couldn't even dodge it!
Zhao Yiyang and the others exchanged glances, taking a half-step back in unison. His grumpiness upon waking up was really fierce.
This wasn’t the first time his hand had been grabbed, so Chi Ye restrained himself from struggling. He tapped the desk again with his other hand. “Deskmate, PE class. Time to wake up.”
This time, Wen Xiao reluctantly lifted his head. Without his glasses, his eyes were more striking, the small mole just under the corner of his eye catching attention. His face looked both cold and sharp.
Especially with the "thump-thump" of the desk taps waking him up, Wen Xiao furrowed his brow and asked in a hoarse voice, “What’s your problem?”
“Nothing.” Chi Ye wasn’t intimidated at all.
Zhao Yiyang, Xu Rui, and Shangguan Yu stood off to the side, quietly whispering among themselves like bystanders.
Zhao Yiyang: "Damn, did you see that? There’s actual murderous intent in Wen Xiao’s eyes!"
Xu Rui didn’t quite feel it. "It’s just... a little different from usual, maybe?"
Shangguan Yu summed it up in two words: "So fierce."
Just then, the head of the department, Cheng Xiaoning, passed by the door of Class 1. Glancing inside, he called out, "Chi Ye! What are you doing, messing around with Wen Xiao? Are you bullying your deskmate?"
His voice rang out loud and clear, echoing through the hallway.
Chi Ye, feeling a bit helpless, looked down at Wen Xiao. "Deskmate, am I bullying you?"
Wen Xiao adjusted his glasses, covering the faint trace of amusement in his eyes. The prickling tension on his skin subsided, and he answered in a hushed, nasal tone, "Mm."
"......" Chi Ye let out a low laugh and muttered under his breath, "Damn."