My Deskmate Chapter 49 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 49.1
A sudden, urgent need rose in his chest. Ignoring the late hour, Wen Xiao typed quickly: “Going out?”
At almost the exact same moment his message was sent, Chi Ye’s reply appeared in the chatbox. Two identical words: “Going out?” Even the punctuation matched perfectly.
Wen Xiao’s fingers hovered above the screen. Standing still, he took a moment to savor the feeling that bloomed inside him. It was... wonderful.
Just as he was about to leave, Wen Xiao noticed the steady patter of rain outside. He hesitated for a couple of seconds before asking Chi Ye: “Did you bring an umbrella?”
Chi Ye’s reply came almost instantly: “I did.”
Setting his own umbrella back in its place, Wen Xiao pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt and headed downstairs, stepping directly into the rain.
It wasn’t a heavy downpour. Judging by the puddles filling the uneven cracks in the road, it seemed like it had been raining for a while. Normally, Wen Xiao would have been annoyed by the muddy splashes from stepping into water, but tonight, it didn’t seem to bother him as much.
It was almost three in the morning, and nearly every shop was shut. Wen Xiao walked beneath the sidewalk trees, occasionally startled by drops of water falling from the branches above. One particularly cold drop slid down the back of his neck, making him shiver.
When he saw Chi Ye approaching with a large black umbrella, Wen Xiao quickened his pace, ducking under its cover. “How did you get here so fast?”
“I left earlier than you,” Chi Ye said, stopping to face him. Lowering his gaze, he carefully wiped the water dripping from Wen Xiao's nose. “When I saw your message saying you missed me, how could I just sit still?”
The faint upward lilt at the end of Chi Ye's words made Wen Xiao’s heart tremble.
Wen Xiao instinctively averted his gaze, fixing it instead on a puddle nearby that reflected the faint glow of the streetlights.
The rain continued its endless, quiet patter, blending with the faint roughness still lingering against his skin. Breaking the silence, Wen Xiao asked, “So, where are we going now?”
Chi Ye: “Of course, we're going on a date.”
Wen Xiao: “You’re twisting definitions.”
“I’m not,” Chi Ye defended himself. “To me, it’s a date no matter where we go, as long as it’s with you.” Then, with a quick grin, he suggested, “Barbecue? But honestly, that’s pretty unoriginal. Plus, the vendors have probably closed already.”
Wen Xiao also realized it was an awkward time of night, and there were only a few places they could go. “Let’s just go see what’s still around.”
Chi Ye nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”
Sharing one umbrella, they naturally leaned close to each other. When they came across larger puddles, neither wanted to soak their shoes. The only solution was to press even closer, their arms brushing as they carefully stepped around the water.
The constant contact made Chi Ye restless. Feeling like the atmosphere was getting too charged, he decided to start a conversation. “Tomorrow’s Labor Day. Got a lot of homework?”
“Yeah, plenty. Seventy percent of it’s worksheets — about this thick.” He held up his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate the stack. “I brought yours, too. If you want it, come grab it from my place.”
“Damn, you specially brought it back for me? Deskmate, I'm a little overwhelmed by your kindness.” He paused, then asked, “So, what’s your plan for tomorrow? Just grinding through assignments?”
“Can’t get up in the morning, so I’ll sleep in. Afternoon and evening, I’ll work on assignments.”
“You’re such a night owl. Your window light’s always on until late at night.”
“Yours isn’t exactly off early, either.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Wen Xiao realized he had just exposed the fact that he checked Chi Ye’s window every night. To cover up, he deftly shifted focus while sidestepping a puddle. “I used to have trouble sleeping at night. Insomnia. I had to keep myself busy with something. Now my biological clock is set, and my cerebral cortex feels wide awake at night. What about you? Got plans?”
“I’m visiting my mom at the hospital tomorrow,” Chi Ye said, his tone lighter than usual. “She’s been stable these past few days. They increased the dosage of her new medication, and it seems to be working. The doctor said her will to live is especially strong, so there might be some hope. I applied for visitation in advance, so I’ll be going to see her.”
“Is Yaya going with you?”
“No. She’s hopeless at math, but I don’t have the time. Or rather, if I had to tutor Yaya in math, I’d rather spend the whole day locked in a staring contest with Cheng Xiaoning.”
Wen Xiao: “...You don’t have to be that harsh on yourself.”
“It’s just to illustrate how difficult and torturous it would be,” Chi Ye said dramatically, letting out a mock sigh. “So, at her insistence, I dumped her onto her math teacher. She goes once a week now. Poor Yaya, so young, already drowning in the sea of after-school tutoring. She probably doesn't know that she'll be swimming in it for another ten years.”
There was a brief pause before Chi Ye asked, “What about you? Going to the hospital? Want to come along?”
Wen Xiao’s steps faltered for a moment before returning to their steady rhythm. “No need. My doctor back in Mingnan said I don’t need to visit frequently anymore. Once in a while is fine. By now, the treatment isn’t making much of a difference anyway.”
PTSD — post-traumatic stress disorder. It wasn’t a hard diagnosis to deduce. Chi Ye had pored over countless research papers, prioritizing the most recent or authoritative ones. Whether they were in Chinese, English, or even German, he used translation tools to read through them all. And then, like a form of self-punishment, he replayed the scenes from the chemistry lab over and over in his mind, blaming himself for not being more alert at that time.
Although this useless guilt probably stemmed from his helplessness.
Wen Xiao shifted the topic. “Old Xu said the teacher satisfaction survey is about to start.”
“The one with the questionnaires?” Chi Ye tilted the umbrella more toward Wen Xiao’s side as the rain began to slant. “Old Xu doesn’t have to worry. He’s always rated five stars. Cheng Xiaoning, on the other hand, is probably already losing sleep over it. Last year, he only got two stars. Since it’s anonymous, who knows how many people secretly gave him half a star.”
“How many did you give him?”
“Five stars, of course. Cheng Xiaoning might pick on me a lot, but most of it’s because he’s frustrated that I’m not living up to my potential. Aside from his nagging and loud voice, he’s actually not a bad person.” Chi Ye turned his head to glance at Wen Xiao. “Why? Did you think your Chi-ge here is narrow-minded?”
Before Wen Xiao could respond, Chi Ye continued, as though mulling it over. “Tsk, narrow-minded... I guess it’s true. If my mind isn't narrow, how could it be so full with just one Wen Xiao?”
The sudden flirtation caught Wen Xiao off guard, and he barely managed to keep his expression in check.
Spotting the tips of Wen Xiao’s ears turning red, Chi Ye felt a burst of satisfaction, as though he had uncovered some profound truth. With a teasing glint in his eye, he called out, “Wen Xiao.”
Wen Xiao instinctively turned his head to look at him.
In that split second, Chi Ye leaned in and kissed him. The large black umbrella in his hand tilted backward, shielding them like the most secure of barriers.
The rain had lightened, and the misty drizzle wasn’t as dense as before. A streetlamp flickered a few times, perhaps due to an aging circuit, and then went out completely, plunging that stretch of road into darkness.
Compared to last time, Chi Ye’s approach was much gentler, but Wen Xiao, after his initial moment of shock, responded with a near-desperate intensity. His teeth brushed against the rough scab on Chi Ye’s lips, stirring a faint, ticklish pain.
Chi Ye murmured breathily, “Don’t be so rough, okay?”
But Wen Xiao ignored him, doubling down instead.
The hand resting on Wen Xiao’s lower back gave a gentle pat, a gesture meant to soothe. When it became clear the effort was futile, Chi Ye stopped holding back. Their clash grew fierce, and what started as a one-sided advance became an equal match.