My Deskmate Chapter 39 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 39.1
The sound from the movie was amplified by the speakers, filling the classroom and drawing the attention of nearly everyone. No one noticed, however, that in the dimly lit corner of the last row, two figures were nearly overlapping, so close together.
When the alarm sound faded, Chi Ye didn’t immediately release his grip. Instead, he gently massaged Wen Xiao’s ear, his palm drifting lower until he pinched Wen Xiao’s earlobe. In a low voice, he murmured, “Your ears are so soft.”
His voice still retained the last bit of hoarseness from puberty, like sandpaper gently scraping across one's heart.
Wen Xiao’s breath caught for a moment.
Lowering his lashes to hide the emotions flickering in his eyes, Wen Xiao replied, “It’s ticklish.”
Chi Ye didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he teasingly ran his fingertip around the outer rim of Wen Xiao’s ear, tracing a quick circle. “How about now?”
Wen Xiao shot him a glance, his tone carrying a subtle warning. “What do you think?”
Pressing his forehead against Wen Xiao’s slender shoulder, Chi Ye chuckled softly, his laughter muffled but genuine.
Wen Xiao let him lean against him, waiting for the laughter to subside before speaking. “You’re heavy. Get up.”
His voice was a mix of annoyance and helplessness, but the feedback he gave was unmistakably indulgent.
A spark of curiosity flickered in Chi Ye’s eyes. He wondered where Wen Xiao’s limit was when it came to being angry with him. But reason quickly reminded him to quit while he was ahead. Pushing further might lead to unpredictable consequences.
Rising from Wen Xiao, Chi Ye leaned his elbow on the desk, resting his chin in his hand. “Aren’t I quick to react?”
“Yes,” Wen Xiao answered honestly. After Chi Ye had come over and covered his ears, the alarm still echoed faintly in the background, but strangely, at that moment, he didn’t feel afraid.
The movie continued to play on the projection screen. Not wanting to watch any longer, Chi Ye grabbed a notebook. “How about we play five-in-a-row?”
Wen Xiao looked at him as if he were crazy. “It’s too dark. I can’t see anything.”
Realizing he had overlooked one of the basic requirements, Chi Ye offered another suggestion. “How about a phone game?”
“The screen’s too bright. Old Xu will spot us in three seconds.”
“That’s true.” Chi Ye’s gaze shifted, sweeping the room before finally settling on the slightly ajar back door of the classroom. “Then, shall we sneak out?”
Quietly, they slipped out through the back door, unnoticed by anyone in the classroom.
In the hallway, the faint sound of the movie’s dialogue could still be heard. Wen Xiao stood up and asked Chi Ye, “So, what now?”
Chi Ye waved the notebook and pen in his hand. “Let’s play five-in-a-row?”
Wen Xiao found the idea a bit ridiculous — sneaking out of class just to find a brighter spot to play five-in-a-row? But logically, there was nothing wrong with it, so he had no objections. “Alright.”
The two of them sat down on the staircase.
Chi Ye chose a spot in the middle of the stairs, even wiping it down with a piece of paper before sitting. Once settled, his open blue-and-white school uniform naturally fell around him, the edges touching the ground, but he didn’t seem to mind. One long leg stretched out in front of him, the notebook resting on his other knee. His fingers gripped a black pen as he made the first move.
Wen Xiao took the notebook and pen, making the second move.
The spring sunlight was bright, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees. Sunbeams slanted through the space, creating scattered patches of light that were interrupted by the steps, resting at Chi Ye’s feet. It was as if one more step forward, and he could have stepped right into them.
Dazzled by the sunlight, Wen Xiao squinted.
Chi Ye noticed this and laughed. “You look just like a Persian cat dozing off on a velvet high-back chair in a medieval castle.”
Wen Xiao: “Then you must be the old woman with white hair sitting by the fireplace, staring off into space in a rocking chair.”
Chi Ye’s smile deepened. “If I had you, a Persian cat, curled up on my lap, being a dazed old woman with white hair wouldn’t be such a boring thing after all.”
“......” Wen Xiao realized that that he couldn't outtalk Chi Ye in these situations, probably because his face wasn't as thick as his.
The game on paper went back and forth until the school bell rang. Wen Xiao closed the pen cap. “Three to two, I won.”
“Another loss to Teacher Xiao Wen.” Chi Ye stood and stretched. “Well, I’ll head out now.”
"Alright."
When Chi Ye didn’t move and simply looked down at him from above, Wen Xiao added the words he hadn’t said earlier. "Be careful."
Chi Ye pressed his fingers together and traced a dashing arc at the end of his brow, his other hand casually slipping into his pants pocket. His eyes held a warm glow. "Alright, I’ll be careful."
He said it, but he didn’t follow through.
When Wen Xiao got off Bus 117, the first thing he did was frown upon seeing Chi Ye. "What happened to your eye?"
Chi Ye had already changed out of his school uniform and was wearing a black-and-white color-block hoodie. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I went to a construction site this afternoon to drop off some supplies. A branch scratched me when I was leaving, but I barely felt it."
Under the dim light from the streetlamp, Wen Xiao noticed the wound on Chi Ye’s right cheekbone was about the length of a finger joint. Although it had already scabbed over, the redness and swelling were still very evident.
Seeing the displeasure on Wen Xiao’s face, Chi Ye moved to his left side, trying to keep his injury out of his view. "Why are you later than usual today?"
"Old Xu took the last period of evening study. He was explaining a big problem."
"The last one?"
"Yeah. Old Xu got a bit confused at the end, so he spent five minutes redoing the problem to clear up his thinking before continuing, which set us back ten minutes."
Chi Ye: “Next time the class drags on, we could play The Moon Mirrored in Erquan Pool for him.”
Wen Xiao glanced at him. “You thought of that too?”
Chi Ye perked up. “Did we just have the same idea? We're truly of one mind.”
A smile flickered in Wen Xiao’s eyes. “It was Zhao Yiyang’s idea.”
Chi Ye immediately cooled down. “He plagiarized my idea.”
They passed a 24-hour convenience store, with discounted cooking oil and tissues outside. Wen Xiao glanced inside and, with a quick “Wait for me for a minute,” he went in.
Chi Ye stood by the curb, feeling a bit bored and restless as soon as Wen Xiao left, even though only a second had passed.
He had lied to Wen Xiao. The wound under his eye wasn’t from a branch scratch at all. A stranger who was a martial arts coach found him through a middleman, saying he would pay him to spar with someone for two hours.
The money offered was generous, and the delay wasn’t a big deal. After picking up Yaya, he’d gone.
The other person was an underground fighter who had only recently debuted. His skills and agility were not very outstanding. As soon as he made a move, Chi Ye knew the guy wouldn’t be able to hurt him, but he still remained cautious, not letting his guard down.
He hadn’t expected the guy to play dirty. The fighter was wearing a ring on his finger, and when he flicked it, a half-inch-long blade popped out.
At that moment, the small blade came straight at his eye. Chi Ye tilted his body sideways just in time to avoid it. The tip of the blade only scratched a shallow line on his cheekbone, drawing blood.
The sound of footsteps approached. Chi Ye turned his head and saw Wen Xiao coming out of the convenience store, empty-handed. "Didn't find what you were looking for?"
Wen Xiao stopped in front of him, his tone commanding. "Stand still." He then took out a band-aid from his palm and tore open the paper packaging.
Chi Ye complied, slightly bending forward.
He hid all his usual indifference and concealed aggression, revealing a moment of unexpected docility.