My Deskmate Chapter 41
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 41
"How are you going to coax me?" Wen Xiao's voice was rough in a way that was unlike his usual tone. He lifted his head from Chi Ye's shoulder, his expression as cold and composed as ever. If not for the faint redness in his eyes, it would have been impossible to tell that he had lost control of his emotions earlier and had actually cried.
Chi Ye’s mind raced, but he couldn't think of the right response. He couldn’t exactly treat Wen Xiao like he did with Yaya, offering a candy or a hairpin. He decided to put the decision in Wen Xiao's hands. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll agree."
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that his bottom line was hanging by a thread — what was the difference between this and having no bottom line at all? But looking at Wen Xiao, he thought, F*ck bottom line. It could just go to hell.
Wen Xiao's eyes were clear and bright. He stared intently at Chi Ye's face for a long time before replying in a hoarse voice, "I'll keep this promise."
"Alright, you can hold onto it for ten or twenty years, no problem." Chi Ye’s life had barely passed twenty years, but making such a long-term promise felt unusually easy. He leaned back against the wall, his tone easing. "By this calculation, Wen Xiao, you're my creditor."
Chi Ye then mentally added up a few things such as the school uniform, and that eight yuan from earlier. "Creditor" wasn’t quite accurate. It should be "major creditor."
He glanced over at the dark green vending machine nearby. "Do you want anything to drink? It's on me."
Wen Xiao’s emotions quickly reined in once again. Following Chi Ye's gaze, he simply said, "Coca-Cola."
They bought two cans. Wen Xiao opened one for Chi Ye, then opened his own but didn’t drink. Instead, he dangled it by his fingers. Before long, his fingertips turned red from the cold, and the condensation on the metal can began to drip, wetting his hand.
They walked toward the lakeside pavilion, but seeing two people in hospital gowns chatting inside, they changed direction and stood by the lake instead.
Chi Ye picked three flat stones from the flowerbed. "Want to skip some stones? We all need to vent our emotions, and since we're good citizens, skipping stones is both civilized and friendly."
He remembered the previous fight he'd had with Wen Xiao and added a clarification. "Of course, special circumstances don't count, like occasionally fighting for your rights with violence. Plus, it's good exercise."
Wen Xiao didn’t respond. Instead, he chose a stone from Chi Ye's slightly rough palm and tossed it toward the lake. The stone arched through the air, but Wen Xiao's aim was poor. The stone made four ripples on the water's surface before sinking completely.
Chi Ye threw the two remaining stones in his hand into the air. "Deskmate, your skills are terrible. Want your Chi-ge to teach you?"
"Sure."
Wen Xiao was willing to try anything that could make him forget the memories triggered in the therapist's office earlier — the image of the sea, his hands tightly bound to a floating board while his parents and sister were slowly consumed by the dark blue waves.
Hearing Wen Xiao’s agreement, Chi Ye unexpectedly felt a flicker of nervousness.
He had tutored people before, but teaching someone to skip stones, no, teaching Wen Xiao to skip stones — made him feel... a bit uneasy.
Taking a deep breath, Chi Ye chose one of the stones from his palm and placed it in Wen Xiao's hand. He then tried to sound really confident as he said, "According to the principles of fluid dynamics, the greater the flow velocity, the lower the pressure. When an object denser than water skims across the water's surface, it causes the water beneath it to flow very quickly, thus—" Mid-sentence, Chi Ye suddenly remembered that his deskmate was an absolute genius.
He quickly stopped talking, cleared his throat twice, and added, "The rest, you can figure out yourself."
Since he was going to teach, he might as well do it properly, hands-on. Chi Ye took Wen Xiao’s hand in his own. "Pinch the stone with your thumb and middle finger, place your index finger behind it — yes, right there. Then, position your arm and body at about a forty-five-degree angle. When you throw, push with your index finger to make the stone spin fast."
Wen Xiao's hand was cold, especially his fingertips, as if they’d just been encased in ice. For a moment, Chi Ye had the urge to warm them up with his own hands.
The thought made his throat suddenly went dry. He immediately released his grip, steadying his voice to divert his chaotic thoughts. "When the stone comes into contact with the water's surface, the water's elasticity will give it an upward force. If the stone hits the water at about a twenty-degree angle, it will skip far. Give it a try."
Wen Xiao tossed the stone in his hand a few times, then, with a firm grip on the dull stone, threw it forward.
On the lake surface, which was only ruffled by a gentle breeze, the stone bounced out in a long, half-circular arc. Only after creating a dozen ripples did the stone finally sink to the bottom.
Chi Ye squinted, watching the spreading ripples from a distance, feeling an inexplicable disappointment. His temporary student had learned so quickly, leaving him with no chance to teach again.
The ripples on the water hadn't completely faded yet when Wen Xiao took the last stone from Chi Ye’s hand, fiddled with it between his fingers, and tossed it out.
This time, it went even farther.
Chi Ye stood against the wind, now heavy with moisture, and watched the ripples form on the surface. "When students master the knowledge, the teacher would lose their job. Young man, I have nothing else to offer you."
A hint of a smile, like ripples on a lake, appeared in Wen Xiao's clear eyes.
The two of them made their way back to Jiuzhang Road.
There weren’t many people waiting for the bus outside the hospital. Within a couple of minutes, a bus covered in advertisements slowly pulled up. It was the weekend, so the bus was nearly empty, the rows of plastic handrails swaying slightly. They found an empty spot and sat down.
The broadcast warned passengers not to stick their hands out the window to avoid accidents. Wen Xiao broke the silence, speaking over the announcement, “Did you learn how to skip stones by yourself, or did someone teach you?”
"My dad taught me." The seats on the bus were cramped in such a way that Wen Xiao had to sit with his legs folded. Chi Ye casually rested one long leg in the aisle. He was wearing a black cargo pants, the metal zipper catching the sunlight.
"My dad was a really good man. He came from a tough background. His parents passed away when he was young, but he was always kind, good to my mom, good to me. I remember he could do anything: change light bulbs, fix things, cook, do housework. The only bad thing was that he left too soon."
Chi Ye’s tone was flat as he continued, “When he passed, my mom was pregnant with Yaya. A lot of people told her she was beautiful, and that if she aborted the baby and got rid of me, she could still find a good husband. My mom cried every night during that time. Eventually, she turned down all the people trying to set her up. She said that even though my dad was gone, she could raise me and my sister on her own. People said she was foolish, both to her face and behind her back. I thought she was pretty foolish too.”
The bus moved slowly, offering a clear view of the bright sunlight outside, the hurried people passing by, and the various shop signs. The trees lining the street were lush and full of life.
Chi Ye’s gaze landed on a patch of sunlight that reflected brightly on the window sill. His voice was heavy, “If... if it hadn’t been so hard for her these past few years, she might not have gotten cancer at this age.”
After a few seconds, he seemed to reconsider his words. “But then again, what's the point of saying 'if'?”
Wen Xiao squinted as the sunlight pierced his eyes. Yes, what was the point of saying 'if'?
If there were ifs, then everyone would live a long and healthy life.
Chi Ye had already peeled off the band-aid, revealing the scar under his eye. The scab seemed to have hardened.
In the silence, he caught Wen Xiao staring at him. The almost invisible scar suddenly felt hot and itchy. He instinctively touched it with his finger. "It’s almost—" He had meant to say "it’s almost healed," but the words changed in his mouth. What came out was, "It’s almost better, just a little painful. Probably because it’s right under my eye, the spot is too sensitive."
"It’s still a bit swollen and red," Wen Xiao said, then asked, "Does it hurt now?"
Chi Ye remained calm, his expression unchanged. "A little."
Wen Xiao frowned. He was a straightforward thinker. Since it hurt, "Then what should we do?"
Chi Ye’s gaze was lazy, the curve of his eyes barely visible as he said, without thinking, "If you blow on it, it won’t hurt anymore."
Wen Xiao, realizing he’d fallen into Chi Ye’s trap again, didn’t refuse. He actually leaned in and, as instructed, gently blew on the scar beneath Chi Ye’s eye.
Chi Ye froze.
He had thought Wen Xiao would say something like, "You want to fight," or "You blow on it yourself." But he never imagined Wen Xiao would actually do it.
For that brief moment, they were so close that Chi Ye could hear the rustle of their clothes as they moved. He could see his own reflection in Wen Xiao’s eyes, could make out each individual lash, and feel the coolness of the breath Wen Xiao had blown on his skin.
It itched so much.
It really itched.
In that moment, the healing wound beneath his eye seemed to itch all the way to the tip of his heart.
Out of Wen Xiao’s sight, Chi Ye’s hand, hanging loosely at his side, lifted slightly, as if he wanted to hold Wen Xiao in place, to prevent him from pulling away. But just as his palm was half an inch from Wen Xiao’s back, it stopped midair, hovering, fingers curling before he finally pulled it back.
Once Wen Xiao settled back into his seat, Chi Ye smiled and said, "Thanks for the fairy breath, Teacher Xiao Wen. I’m all healed, not a trace of pain."
Whether it was Chi Ye’s lazy, cheeky grin or the blinding sunlight outside, Wen Xiao felt his mood lighten, as if someone had painted a touch of color over it.
On Sunday morning, Wen Xiao was sprawled out on a table, working through a stack of challenging test papers when his WeChat notification sound went off repeatedly. Without putting down his pen, Wen Xiao swiped his phone with his left hand, opened WeChat, and saw Chi Ye's dark profile picture at the top of the list.
The message contained seven pictures, each one showcasing a different pink lace princess dress.
Wen Xiao sent three question marks in response.
Chi Ye quickly replied: "I’m buying clothes for Yaya. Need your opinion. Of these five dresses, which one should I get?"
Five dresses? Wen Xiao put down his pen and clicked through each picture. Only then did he realize two of the dresses had been photographed from different angles, making it seem like there were more options.
He carefully examined the pictures twice before Wen Xiao finally gave his verdict: "They’re all ugly."
Chi Ye: "That's what Yaya said."
Wen Xiao didn’t hold back, his tone blunt. "It’s the truth."
Chi Ye: "Headache. Yaya grew up too fast. She doesn't like the pink princess style anymore."
Wen Xiao could understand Chi Ye’s frustration. He typed, "Do you have any other photos of alternative dresses?"
Two minutes later, a few more pictures arrived, and they were a stark contrast to the previous pink princess dresses.
Wen Xiao paused when he saw one of the images. "Why is leopard print even an option?"
Chi Ye: "The store clerk said it’s not leopard print, it’s cat print."
Wen Xiao sent a string of ellipses in response.
They went back and forth for nearly half an hour before finally settling on a few outfits.
Chi Ye: "I’ll have Yaya try these two sets first."
Wen Xiao replied with a simple "Okay," then put his pen down. He pinched the bridge of his nose and patiently waited.
A few minutes later, a new message came through.
In the photo, Yaya had her hair tied in two little braids. She was wearing a purple hoodie on top, a green skirt on the bottom, and light pink leg warmers. Her shoes were powder blue with a cute design, the laces made up of three little flowers.
Immediately after, Chi Ye sent a text: "Deskmate, I think this outfit is kind of ugly."
It was ugly.
Wen Xiao typed "Your taste is terrible," but then deleted each word one by one.
Looking at Yaya’s beaming smile in the photo, he thought to himself — he had picked the hoodie and the leg warmers, while Chi Ye had chosen the skirt and shoes. So, neither of them had the right to criticize the other.