My Deskmate Chapter 4 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 4.2
Early on Monday morning, just before the prep bell rang, the school gate was once again in chaos — of course, the Director of Discipline, Cheng Xiaoning, was the one chasing everyone around like chickens.
"You think if you run fast enough, I won’t be able to see your face? Even if it's just your back, I could identify you based on a single burnt hair of yours, and I'll deduct points from your conduct score!" The director's voice echoed in and out the school gate. "Why can’t you learn from Chi Ye? Even when he’s late, he doesn't hurry — Chi Ye?"
Chi Ye stepped into the school gate, correcting him, "Teacher, look, I’m not walking in little steps." He even demonstrated by taking a step.
The director blinked hard, feeling like his eyes were playing tricks on him. After blinking, he saw that Chi Ye was still standing there. His voice instantly grew louder. "So, now you’ve finally decided to come to school? You—"
His uniform zipper was half undone, his black cargo pants were loose and saggy, his hands were in his pockets with a slouchy posture, and his schoolbag was carelessly slung over one shoulder. Cheng Xiaoning felt like he was about to choke with frustration. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didn’t even know where to start.
Chi Ye stood still. "Teacher, if you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll head to class. I’m running a bit late."
"Now you’re in a hurry? Why didn’t you hurry up two minutes earlier?" The director recalled the students he had just dealt with, feeling as if they were all such lovely flowers of the motherland. Then, he turned to look at Chi Ye, who stood before him. "Why skip class? Why be late? I don’t want to hear any excuses!"
Chi Ye replied, "Alright, I haven’t come up with anything new yet."
The director pinched his fingers, repeating to himself not to get angry. Life was like a play. People come together because of fate. Was it really worth getting angry over Chi Ye? In hindsight, what was the point?
What was the point!!
Seeing that Cheng Xiaoning had fallen silent, Chi Ye lifted his foot, ready to continue inside. After taking just a couple of steps, he heard him speak again, his tone filled with disappointment and frustration. "Chi Ye, think about your high school entrance exam! How did you fall so far from being the highest scorer in the entire city?"
The carefree smile on Chi Ye’s face faded, and there was a shadow of sharpness in his eyes. But as he turned around, his usual demeanor returned. He tugged at the strap of his black backpack, his lips curling into a playful smirk. "Teacher, you always used to say, 'A hero doesn't dwell on past glories, and a wise man doesn’t reminisce about former achievements.' Aren't I just putting that into practice, combining knowledge and action?"
Passing the school motto plaque and the statue of Confucius, Chi Ye turned right, entering the second academic building. As he climbed the stairs, he ran into his homeroom teacher, Xu Guangqi.
He greeted him casually. "Old Xu, good morning!"
Xu Guangqi was carrying a bag of steamed buns and a cup of soy milk. Out of professional propriety, he felt embarrassed to eat the buns in front of his students, so he paused. "You kid, you finally found your way to school today?"
"Well, yeah. The road outside our school is so winding, it’s easy to get lost."
"You’ve been lost for two weeks? Did you take a trip around the solar system?" Xu Guangqi kept his hands behind his back, feigning anger. "And you ran into the director again at the school gate? I saw you from afar. You sure managed to slip away quickly. Next time the director sees me, he’s going to complain about losing even more hair because of you."
Chi Ye, standing nearby, couldn't resist making a remark. "Next time the director finds you, Old Xu, just tell him to bring his hair so we can count exactly how many hairs he's lost! I’m sure he won’t bother you again."
Xu Guangqi fought back a smile, then coughed to suppress it. "Your brain works pretty quickly, doesn’t it? By the way, I thought you might feel lonely studying alone, so I’ve arranged a new deskmate for you."
Remembering Wen Xiao’s slim, refined appearance, Xu Guangqi couldn’t help but continue, "Let me make this clear, Chi Ye. Your new deskmate just transferred here from another school. He had excellent grades before and is quite polite, but his health isn’t great. Don’t go bothering him all the time, okay? Show a little restraint!"
Chi Ye lazily raised his hand in a mock salute, his heels together. "Got it. My new deskmate is fragile, so I’ll hold back! I'll even hold my breath!"
Having been a homeroom teacher since the start of freshman year, Xu Guangqi knew Chi Ye well and understood his limits. "Alright, alright, enough with the jokes. The bell’s about to ring, hurry up and get to class!"
Chi Ye entered the classroom through the back door as usual. The moment he stepped inside, he heard someone passionately reciting, "Even if the mountains and the rivers seem endless — make should not be followed by to!"
The echo of the line lingered, and Chi Ye almost tripped.
Zhao Yiyang, with his sharp eyes, was the first to notice Chi Ye’s arrival. "What wind blew you into school today, Chi-ge?"
"If something blew me in, it must’ve been a tornado." Chi Ye adjusted his backpack but didn’t rush to sit down. He tilted his chin slightly, "Is my new deskmate here?"
Chi Ye’s new deskmate seemed to have spent the entire night out partying. Despite the loud noise of morning self-study filling the classroom, he was still fast asleep, not even stirring.
"You know?" Zhao Yiyang, who had gotten along well with Wen Xiao over the past week, thought this new classmate was a bit reserved and quiet but had no major issues. Seeing Chi Ye enter, he remembered, "Chi-ge, your new deskmate is already in study mode. He stayed up late last night doing homework and didn't go to bed until around 3 or 4 AM. You fall asleep in class all the time, don't snore and disturb him."
Why did everyone think he’d affect his deskmate?
Chi Ye grinned and cursed, "Get lost. Who the hell snores? Next time, you record it and let me hear it. You gotta have proof when you talk, Master."
Zhao Yiyang grinned playfully. "I’m just exaggerating!"
Chi Ye glanced at his deskmate again, noticing that the person’s hand resting on the desk was quite elegant. The fingers were long and slender, with a delicate wrist and fair skin, the veins visible under the surface. The only thing that stood out was how pale the fingernail color was, suggesting a delicate constitution.
Just as he was about to put his backpack down, the person suddenly made a movement, as though his biological clock had kicked in. The hand resting on the desk curled slightly.
Chi Ye was about to greet him, but as soon as his new deskmate turned his face toward him, the greeting died on his lips.
Wen Xiao’s brow was heavy with weariness. His glasses were tossed carelessly aside, revealing a pair of undiluted eyes. They were hooded, long, and had a small mole at the outer corner, giving him a cold, sharp, and slightly dazed look.
He picked up a can of lemon-flavored Sprite, opened it with one hand, and a soft "pop" echoed as white mist escaped from the can.
After taking a sip to shake off his drowsiness, Wen Xiao glanced at Chi Ye, his voice tinged with a faint chill and genuine confusion. "Why are you here?"
Chi Ye realized that he and this "creditor" seemed to have a pretty thick layer of fate between them. He smiled. "That's a question I was just about to ask."
The schoolbag, the uniform, and the empty seat beside him that had been unclaimed for ages... Wen Xiao said, "Oh, you're my deskmate."
Chi Ye set down his bag and, hearing the indifferent tone, felt oddly annoyed. "I thought the answer to that should have been obvious."
Wen Xiao didn't respond to him. He simply put his glasses back on. "Hello."
Chi Ye: This old man is not in a very good mood.
Also, were people blind? Sitting at the same table with this person, who the hell was influencing who?