My Deskmate Chapter 42 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 42.1
On Monday morning, during self-study, it felt as if the students hadn't seen each other for three or five years. The classroom buzzed with chatter as they discussed answers, ate breakfast, and chatted energetically. Zhao Yiyang, however, noticed that since Wen Xiao had sat down in his chair, he hadn’t moved an inch. He had been silently reading for nearly half an hour, his posture and expression unchanging.
Curious about the "study materials used by big shots," Zhao Yiyang turned around and lowered his head to peek at the cover. “Clothing Color and... Coordination?”
As he read the title, word by word, Zhao Yiyang was momentarily stunned, thinking he had misread it. "Wait, Wen Xiao, are you — are you trying to get into fashion design? If the principal or Old Xu finds out, they might burst into tears on cue!"
With Wen Xiao's current academic standing, many of the teachers at school had already started focusing on him. As long as he didn’t make a serious mistake in the upcoming college entrance exams, he was almost guaranteed to be the star of the school's promotional materials.
Wen Xiao’s eyes remained fixed on the page. “I'm just recognizing my weaknesses and working to overcome them.”
Overcome what? What did that have to do with clothing color? The words 'weaknesses' had stabbed him in the heart again. Zhao Yiyang clutched his chest and lamented sadly, “It’s the same for me. Whether it’s Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, or biology, they’re all my weaknesses, and they’re evenly distributed!”
His somewhat loud voice drew mocking glances from several students in front of him — he was among the top students in the class, and yet he had the nerve to say all the subjects were his weaknesses? A hypocrite!
Outside in the hallway, the sound of polished shoes against the floor echoed. Instantly, everyone in the classroom, seasoned from years of school life, stashed their phones, manhua, and entertainment magazines beneath their desks in unison.
Old Xu entered the room, surveying the lively atmosphere in the classroom with satisfaction. “It’s great to see the class so energized and engaged in their studies! This is truly commendable and should be encouraged!” He paced toward the podium. “Just now, the school security department sent a message to all the homeroom teachers. They wanted to remind us all to be vigilant. There’s been a rise in phone thefts at the school gate. Last week, over ten phones were stolen in the senior section. While we’ve been clear about the no-phone policy, we all know some students will still bring them to school...”
Zhao Yiyang had just bought a new phone. Hearing the announcement, he quickly checked his backpack to make sure it was still there.
After Old Xu finished his announcement and left, Zhao Yiyang turned around. He noticed that Wen Xiao was still absorbed in that book on color coordination, occasionally using different colored pens to make notes and markings.
By the time evening self-study was over, Zhao Yiyang watched as Wen Xiao packed up his things, slipping that book into his bag. He was puzzled. Could it be that it was actually a sacred text, filled with the most important knowledge points?
Walking from the bus stop all the way into Jiuzhang Road, Wen Xiao noticed most of the shops along the street had already closed their doors. In a newly opened noodle shop, only two tables were occupied by customers, while the owner’s wife was busy polishing the newly installed lightbox outside.
When he arrived at Chi Ye's store, he found Chi Ye standing at the door, trimming the branches of a potted green plant with scissors. The weather had warmed, and the temperature seemed to rise with each passing day. Chi Ye, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, seemed a bit too warm. He had rolled up the sleeves, revealing his toned arms. He was still wearing gray cargo pants, making Wen Xiao wonder if he wore cargo pants all year round.
"What brings you here?" Chi Ye looked up at him, a clear smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I remember we once discussed whether this tree would survive. It's been on the brink for so long, but now it looks like it’ll make it."
He bent down to pick up a fallen dry branch and poked at a small, tender green leaf with the tip of the scissors. "Look, it’s alive. The color’s good, right? Makes you feel better just looking at it."
Wen Xiao stepped closer to take a look. "Yeah, with the weather warming up, there should be more new leaves soon."
After Chi Ye finished washing his hands and came back inside, Wen Xiao unzipped his bag and pulled out a book. "This is for you."
"A book? Clothing Color and Coordination? What is this?" Chi Ye took the book from Wen Xiao and flipped through a few pages. He found that several pages had folded corners, and some parts had been noted with black and red pens.
Wen Xiao explained, "In the future, when you buy clothes for Yaya, you can refer to this book. If you’re short on time, I’ve already highlighted the key points on colors and coordination, and I’ve even added some diagrams beside them."
Chi Ye was taken aback. "Damn, Teacher Xiao Wen, how long did it take you to finish this book?"
Wen Xiao furrowed his brow slightly. "An entire day. It’s harder than physics."
Chi Ye caught the hint of complaint in Wen Xiao's calm tone and couldn’t help but laugh. He set the book down and said, "I won’t let you down, Teacher Xiao Wen. I’ll study hard and make sure Yaya doesn’t look too ugly."
Wen Xiao corrected him. "Yaya isn’t ugly. It’s the outfits that are the problem. The pot is on both of us." (T/N: pot = blame/responsibility)
At the mention of "pot," Chi Ye suddenly remembered. "Shit, the water I was boiling is almost gone!"
In the makeshift kitchen, the countertop was neat and clean, with a few stalks of washed vegetables, a bundle of noodles, and two eggs. A pot of water was half-filled and bubbling with steam.
Chi Ye turned the heat down, then asked Wen Xiao, who had just entered, "Before you came, I was planning to make vegetable and egg noodles. Are you hungry? Want to join me?"
"A late-night snack?"
"No, it's dinner. I kept putting it off until now."
People at this age got hungry quickly. Standing in the kitchen, Wen Xiao was suddenly reminded of his hunger when Chi Ye asked him, so he answered honestly, "Yes."
Hearing his response, Chi Ye pulled two more eggs out of a transparent plastic container. "Two fried eggs each, my friend. You’re not just having regular noodles. This is a deluxe vegetable noodle dish."
Before long, the noodles and vegetables were ready, and the fried eggs were placed on top, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma.
They set up the table and chairs and sat opposite each other, chopsticks in hand. The warm light from the overhead lamp bathed the scene, making even the crispy edges of the eggs look like they had been touched by a soft filter.
The bowl of noodles was finished quickly. Chi Ye, holding his chopsticks, watched as Wen Xiao continued to eat slowly. The sight was quite pleasing to the eye.
Perhaps it was the lighting, or maybe the noodles were still too hot, but Wen Xiao’s pale complexion had taken on a subtle flush, especially around his lips, which usually lacked color but now seemed lightly tinted.
Without thinking, Chi Ye's thumb grazed his own fingertip. In that instant, it reminded him of the time when his fingers had brushed against Wen Xiao's lips.
A small ember, nestled in the depths of his heart, slowly grew into a blazing fire.