My Deskmate Chapter 44 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 44.1
The starting signals and cheers echoed through the air, blending with the announcements of race schedules and encouragements from the broadcast. The air was filled with the scent of the track's rubber surface, made even stronger by the sunlight.
Wen Xiao jogged slowly around the inner field of the track, a patch of sweat forming on his back.
Chi Ye was sweating more heavily than Wen Xiao, with beads of perspiration already dotting his forehead and neck. He turned his head toward Wen Xiao. "Want to switch directions?"
The two of them moved in sync. They turned at the southwest corner of the track and, taking advantage of the empty running track, stepped over the line.
In the supermarket, people were buying boxes of mineral water and drinks in bulk. Some classes were even more extravagant, buying ten packs each of salted melon seeds and hawthorn candies, twenty Snickers bars, plus a whole box of tomato-flavored potato chips. The shopkeeper helped them pack everything up, filling several large bags, which took three or four people to carry.
Wen Xiao grabbed a pack of green tea wet wipes and two bottles of zero-degree cola to take to the checkout.
At this time, it felt like every corner of the school was occupied, as if people had randomly appeared across the entire campus. The two of them each held a bottle of cola, making their way around the back of the supermarket. Sure enough, no one else was there yet.
Chi Ye eyed the stone platform that formed a makeshift sink and, with a single push of his palm, sat down on it. His long, lean legs stretched out, his T-shirt fluttering lightly in the breeze, complementing the bright spring sunshine. He looked like a model posing for a commercial.
He patted the space next to him. "Aren't you coming to sit?"
Wen Xiao took a sip of cola and eyed the stone platform beneath Chi Ye skeptically. "Are you sure it won't collapse?"
“No worries, trust me. This sink has been like this since my first year. It looks on the verge of collapsing, yet never quite does. It’s survived through torrential storms and strong winds in Mingnan more than once, and it’s still standing. Don’t be afraid. If it really does collapse, your Chi-ge will catch you.”
Half-convinced by Chi Ye’s words, Wen Xiao walked over and sat down next to him.
Along the base of the school’s perimeter wall, weeds and wildflowers had sprouted, swaying in the breeze. The wind made Chi Ye feel lazy, as if he just wanted to rest his head on the stone platform and take a long nap.
The sweat that had just broken out on his skin was slowly dried by the wind, leaving his skin cool to the touch. Wen Xiao tightened the cap on his bottle, tossed it up into the air, and caught it again.
Chi Ye squinted his eyes and observed. “Hey, deskmate, when you open that bottle of cola, it’s going to have the effect of popping champagne.”
Perhaps they were both just too idle, or maybe Chi Ye was feeling mischievous, but he suggested, “How about we try it now? Life’s about finding excitement in the little things, right?”
Wen Xiao handed the bottle of cola to Chi Ye. “You want to do it? Go ahead.”
“Fine, I’ll do it.” Chi Ye took the bottle, leaned back slightly, and extended his arm. “I’m opening it!”
A few seconds passed, but Chi Ye didn’t move. Wen Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Didn't you say you were going to open it?”
“I’m just giving you a moment to mentally prepare,” Chi Ye said, focusing on the bottle cap. He applied a little force, and with a sharp “psst—” the cola erupted in a rush of white bubbles, spilling out quickly. In just a few seconds, his hands were drenched, and the cola kept bubbling out, dripping onto the ground.
Chi Ye laughed loudly. “Damn, why the hell did I even open this cola?”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Wen Xiao’s lips. “I can tell. You’re just too bored.”
Dazzled by his deskmate’s smile, Chi Ye tightened the bottle cap and shook the cola bottle — since you’ve made someone smile, you could just step back and wait to be drank.
Chi Ye shifted back, crossed his long legs, and settled in as though he was about to pick up a manhua or grab a game console. “You spilled most of your cola. If it’s not enough, I’ll share mine with you.”
Wen Xiao raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”
Chi Ye grinned. “If you drink it, it’s like I drank it. Half of the credit goes to me, right?”
Wen Xiao’s lips moved as though to say something, but after a pause, he asked, “Do you feel anything?”
“I think so. Earthquake?” Chi Ye suddenly stood up, grabbed Wen Xiao’s wrist, and pulled him towards him. He glanced back at the sink they had just sat on. “Holy shit, did it really collapse?”
Wen Xiao silently looked at Chi Ye.
Thinking back to how confidently he had claimed the sink wouldn’t collapse, Chi Ye put on a serious face. “There was an earthquake. It collapsed from the tremor.”
“Mm, whatever you say,” Wen Xiao replied, his wrist still firmly gripped by Chi Ye, his skin feeling as though it was melting from the heat. He didn’t try to pull away, allowing Chi Ye to hold him.
Chi Ye turned to glance at Wen Xiao, then replayed the sentence in his mind twice. Unable to hold back, he chuckled, muttering a soft curse, “Damn it,” before placing his palm on Wen Xiao’s face. “When talking to girls who are curious about your interests, never say things like that.”
Wen Xiao stood still, feeling the rough, callused skin on Chi Ye’s palm against his nose. He asked in return, “Then what about someone who is curious about the last name of the person I like?”
The smile in Chi Ye’s eyes was like dappled sunlight through tree branches. “Well... even a little more boldness is okay.”
The conversation came to an abrupt halt, and neither of them said anything further. Chi Ye withdrew his hand, glanced at the time, and asked, “I'm heading out now.”
Wen Xiao looked at the familiar section of the wall that Chi Ye often climbed, then gestured toward the collapsed corner of the sink. “What about this?”
“That sink was long abandoned. The collapse was inevitable, the result of years of wind and weathering. We’re just witnesses,” Chi Ye replied calmly, then handed his bottle of cola to Wen Xiao. “You’re heading back to the track soon, and it’s hot out there. Drink this.”
Wen Xiao took the bottle, holding it in his hand.
After Chi Ye nimbly climbed over the wall and disappeared from sight, Wen Xiao stood alone in the sunlight. He twisted open the bottle of cola Chi Ye had given him, pressed his lips to the rim, and took a few swigs.
Back in the rest area, Zhao Yiyang and the others were still absorbed in their card game, even though they seemed a little drained from the sun, as if they had been dehydrated from sitting out too long.
When Zhao Yiyang saw Wen Xiao return alone, his eyes lit up. “You and Chi-ge must have some kind of teleportation cheat code. One moment, you were running laps on the track, and the next, you two were gone!”
“Just went to the supermarket,” Wen Xiao replied. The half-empty bottle of cola in his hand was proof. He made his way to his chair and found two school uniforms folded on top — one was his own, and the other, without a doubt, belonged to Chi Ye.
“Speaking of the supermarket, our class just ran out of water. Old Xu had the class monitor and the welfare officer go buy two cases, because one case wasn’t enough.” Zhao Yiyang stretched lazily. “I’m done playing, this deck of cards must be cursed. My chances of winning are less than zero point zero one percent!”
Xu Rui wasn’t quite satisfied. “Master, why don’t you do a spell to remove the curse?”
“No way, that’s too draining on my magic, I’m not doing it!” Zhao Yiyang waved his hand and tossed the cards aside, then leaned in to speak with Wen Xiao. “While you and Chi-ge were gone, we were interrogated like crazy. They asked what you like to eat, which celebrities you like, what sports you like, what color Chi-ge likes, what fruit he likes, whether he likes long hair or short hair. Damn it, how am I supposed to know!”
Wen Xiao: “What did you answer?”
“I made something up! I told them you like rice, don’t follow any celebrities, and your favorite sport is solving problems. Chi-ge likes clear and colorless things, doesn’t eat fruit, and prefers no hair!” Zhao Yiyang grinned proudly. “I’m a genius. I should be working as a publicist for celebrities!”
Thinking back to how Old Xu had asked why Chi Ye hadn’t signed up for any events, Wen Xiao asked, “Did Chi Ye participate in the sports festival in first year?”
“First year?” Zhao Yiyang thought for a moment. “I think he did. He ran the 3,000 meters, but I’m not sure about the relay. But Chi-ge’s stamina is incredible. He almost broke the school’s record for the 3,000 meters. The PE teachers even came to ask him if he wanted to try training for running, but Chi-ge flat-out refused.”
Wen Xiao gazed at the track, lost in thought.
That evening, Chi Ye was walking along Jiuzhang Road when he passed a fruit shop. He remembered Yaya had been talking about oranges, so he went in and asked the shopkeeper for a plastic bag.
The shopkeeper cheerfully struck up a conversation with him. “Did your evening self-study end early today?”
“No, the sports festival is today, so we didn’t have evening study,” Chi Ye said, picking out an orange. He habitually tossed it in his hand a couple of times before placing it into the plastic bag.
The shopkeeper, seeing how carefully Chi Ye was picking the fruit, didn’t press him any further. Instead, he continued his conversation with the shopkeeper from the neighboring store. “That car you saw this afternoon? It’s here to pick up Professor Lu. I heard she’s going out of town for a conference and won’t be back for a week.” He gave a thumbs-up. “Professor Lu is amazing, the most educated person in our area. I was watching the news with my son the other day, and we saw her on TV — it's something about a physics conference. Didn’t understand much of it, but it sounded really impressive!”