My Deskmate Chapter 27 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 27.1
The school was really not too big. By evening, even the PE teacher had slipped from the sports field to the teacher's office. "Old Xu, I heard two of your students have powerful backgrounds?"
Xu Guangqi was confused. "Which two students?"
The PE teacher raised his eyebrows high. "Tsk tsk tsk, Old Xu, this just proves that you haven't really immersed yourself with your students, not like friends or family. I already know all about it, and you still haven't a clue."
Xu Guangqi prided himself on having a good relationship with his students. He set down his red grading pen. "Give me five minutes!"
Today's evening self-study was a real evening self-study, not occupied by subject teachers. Zhao Yiyang finished a practice paper, took a five-minute break, and quietly logged into the school forum on his phone.
Ten minutes later, he shifted in his seat and leaned over to speak to Shangguan Yu. "Your Majesty, someone on the forum is saying—"
Shangguan Yu looked up. "What are they saying?"
"They're saying that Wen Xiao is actually Chi-ge’s betrothed fiancée, arranged by his family, and he's just crossdressing as a boy to transfer to our school to chase Chi-ge! Damn, hahahaha!" Zhao Yiyang laughed so hard that he nearly collapsed onto his desk. "I don’t know if the public’s perception is accurate, but their imagination is top-notch, that’s for sure!"
His laughter was so loud that a few students in the front row turned around to glance at him. Realizing he had disturbed others, Zhao quickly covered his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter, nearly causing himself internal injuries.
Shangguan Yu, keeping his composure, stifled a laugh, just about to turn and look for Wen Xiao, when a voice came from the door. "Zhao Yiyang, Shangguan Yu, if you don't want to do your homework during evening self-study, do you want to come to the office for special tutoring?"
The two quickly masked their expressions, sat up straight, pens in hand, as if everything that had just happened was nothing but a fleeting illusion.
Xu Guangqi cleared his throat at the door and called out, "Wen Xiao and Xu Rui, come to my office."
The spacious office was nearly deserted, the late hour having sent most teachers home. Half the fluorescent lights were dimmed, casting long shadows across the room. At one end, only Xu Guangqi remained.
On Xu Guangqi's desk were a few more books — School and Society: The School of Tomorrow, The Philosophy and Beliefs of Education — and beside them, a brightly colored book titled Complete Guide to Losing Weight for Middle-Aged Men.
Wen Xiao's gaze drifted to the buttons on Xu Guangqi's shirt, and noticed that they were indeed stretched a little tight.
With a ceremonial air, Xu Guangqi placed a few red goji berries into his thermos and screwed on the lid. He looked at Wen Xiao kindly. "Have you had any troubles these past two days?"
Hearing Xu Guangqi emphasize the word "troubles," Wen Xiao quickly realized what the purpose of this office visit was. He shook his head. "Nothing."
Xu Rui, not quite understanding the context, said, "We are like the morning sun, how could we have any troubles? Troubles are all burned away by the sunlight!"
Xu Guangqi’s eyes widened. "I’m talking about you!"
Startled by the sharp tone, Xu Rui took a half-step back. He glanced at Wen Xiao, then pointed to himself. "Me?"
Xu Guangqi habitually picked up his thermos, only to remember the water he had just poured was too hot to drink. He had no choice but to continue holding it. He tried his best to maintain a serious expression. "I heard that Wen Xiao and Chi Ye have a story, one that can’t be ignored, that started eighteen years ago?"
As soon as Xu Rui heard that, he knew he was in trouble. He spoke cautiously, "Even you know about it?"
"Why shouldn't I know? I have immersed myself among my students, forming close bonds with them as if they were family and friends. How could I not know?" Xu Guangqi, having taught Class 1 for nearly two years, had developed a general understanding of each student's individual personality and circumstances.
Xu Rui was a diligent student, but his effort was different from others. He thrived on the attention he received after achieving good grades, which motivated him to study harder. At the core, he just enjoyed being the center of attention.
With his hands behind his back, Xu Rui looked a little guilty but couldn’t help muttering, "Chekhov once said that gossip is the bridge of human communication. Am I not simply contributing a few bricks to help build the bridge?"
Xu Guangqi felt that his life had probably been shortened by ten years ever since becoming a teacher. Just looking at Xu Rui made him feel like he couldn’t catch his breath. "Get out of here, and write me a 4,000-word self-reflection!"
"4,000 words?" Xu Rui wanted to resist, but deep down he knew it was his own fault. He lowered his head in resignation. "Got it, I’ll have it ready by tomorrow."
Xu Guangqi turned his attention back to Wen Xiao. "The final year is approaching, and everyone is under a lot of pressure. Even the smallest rumor can stir things up. You mustn’t let these gossip affect you."
"Thank you, Teacher."
"Mm." Xu Guangqi nodded, reassured by Wen Xiao's calm response. He then replayed the story he’d heard in his mind, focusing on the key points. He hesitated before asking, "So, you and Chi Ye... you're not really betrothed, right?"
Wen Xiao: "No."
"As expected, Chi Ye, that little rascal, is just making things up again," Xu Guangqi muttered, feeling completely deceived. He recalled the afternoon and added, "Thinking about it, I guess the part about picking up a cat was also made up!"
Xu Rui, leaning in from the side, asked, "Old Xu, Chi-ge got a cat?"
"Cats, cats, cats. All you ever talk about is cats. Why don't you show the same enthusiasm for math problems?"
Stung by the retort, Xu Rui just wanted to cover his head. He mumbled, "But you brought it up first..."
As they left the office, the school felt strangely quiet, the stillness a bit unsettling since it was study time.
The wind rustled the branches, and Xu Rui glanced toward the sports field. "Why do I feel like my back is freezing? Didn’t Cheng Xiaoning say that the tombstone in the sports field was sealed off?" He looked around, then whispered, "Wen Xiao, do you think his two disciples... might be out for a stroll?"
Wen Xiao remembered their midnight adventure last time and knew Xu Rui was genuinely scared. He replied seriously, "No, they won’t."
Xu Rui rubbed his arms. "Good, good." Then, he quickly turned his gaze away. "Uh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for the story I made up to spread so widely."
Xu Rui puffed out his cheeks and sighed, scratching the back of his head. "As for me, I know myself. I just like it when others pay attention to me, when others listen to me. My dad works in engineering, building railways, so he's often not home. My mom loves playing mahjong, and once once the tiles starts clicking, she can't hear anything else. If I talk to her, she doesn't pay attention to me. Probably because of this, I especially like it when others look at me, when others listen to me."
Wen Xiao listened quietly.
"I know this sounds a bit cheesy, but I know my own shortcomings. This time... I'm really sorry. I'll treat you and Chi-ge to barbecue sometime!" Xu Rui finished speaking and felt like the atmosphere was getting so over-the-top that it was making him nauseous. He quickly changed the subject. "Since your family isn’t from a mafia background, what do your parents do?"
Wen Xiao’s expression didn’t change, and he answered as if it were a normal conversation. "They’re both physicists. My mom specializes in astrophysics."
"Wow, that’s impressive! No wonder you're so smart. It must be genetic!" Xu Rui exclaimed. Then, with a sigh, he added, "So that’s why I struggle with my studies. My genetics didn't keep up, the factory settings are just not good!"
The next day, Xu Guangqi took the first ten minutes before evening study time.
"I know you’re all eager to go home, but let’s steady that arrow before it flies off course. We're going to distribute this review outline. Tomorrow’s Saturday, two days of break, so make sure you go through it carefully. You need to know where you stand in terms of your progress, and so do I. Here, subject representative?"
Xu Guangqi was a planner. He would always prepare an outline for which part of the syllabus to review at what time. Many students in Class 1 were self-learners, so with the outline, they could easily plan their own schedules.
While the subject representative handed out three pages of A4 paper, Xu Guangqi walked to the last row with his hands behind his back. "Zhao Yiyang, will you make sure Chi Ye gets his copy?"
"Sure, but," Zhao Yiyang replied, pointing to Wen Xiao. "I'm not very efficient at delivering things. Wen Xiao lives closer to Chi-ge."
Xu Guangqi remembered that this was the case. "Wen Xiao, is that convenient for you?"
"It’s fine." Wen Xiao reached over and grabbed Chi Ye’s copy, bringing it in front of him. "I’ll give it to him when I get home."