My Deskmate Chapter 51
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 51
Wen Xiao was a bit confused. One second they were having a perfectly normal conversation, and the next they were kissing again.
After two quick kisses, Chi Ye released Wen Xiao’s lower lip. “Experiments are the only way to verify truth. I was testing whether people subconsciously close their eyes when kissing.”
Wen Xiao's breath was slightly ragged. “And the result?”
“When I kissed you just now, your eyes closed.” The way his eyelashes fluttered made his heart itch.
Wen Xiao tried to pull his focus away from the soft feeling of their lips meeting. He closed his eyes briefly, sat up straight, and grabbed his pen to continue working on his problems.
But only a few minutes later, Chi Ye reached over and pinched his chin, leaning in to kiss him again.
After this kiss, Chi Ye gave his reason. “Experiment two: Do beginners always bump teeth when kissing?”
“The conclusion?”
Chi Ye's voice was husky and serious. “No. We’re both beginners, but aside from the first time when I accidentally bit your lip, we haven’t had any mishaps.”
When Wen Xiao finished the physics problem, Chi Ye was already kissing him again. This time, the kiss lasted longer. When it ended, Wen Xiao took a deep breath, replenishing the oxygen he'd just lost. “What experiment was this one for?”
Chi Ye’s gaze remained fixed on Wen Xiao’s moist lips. His voice was low as he spoke. “The experiment is to see if kissing burns calories.”
Wen Xiao: “Did it burn any calories?”
Realizing that Wen Xiao’s mind had clearly stopped processing information, Chi Ye gently brushed his thumb across the damp corner of his lips, his tone suggestive. “I don’t know. Maybe we can run another experiment next time.”
Perhaps the influx of oxygen finally cleared Wen Xiao’s foggy brain. He moved to the side, making a conscious effort to create some space between them. “Let’s keep our distance.”
Chi Ye laughed at his actions. “Deskmate, you’re making me feel like some kind of wild beast.”
Wen Xiao didn’t back down. “You are a wild beast.”
Chi Ye: “Is that the kind of wild beast you can’t resist?”
Wen Xiao: “Yes.”
Chi Ye felt a warm, pleasant feeling spread through him, making him feel entirely at ease. He rested his head on the desk. “Alright, I’ll listen to our Xiaoxiao and keep my distance.”
Not long after, the sound of a knock came at the door. When Wen Xiao said “Come in,” his grandmother pushed the door open.
Seeing his grandmother in a deep blue qipao, paired with a smooth pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings, Wen Xiao asked, “Are you going out?”
His grandmother, noticing the two boys sharing the same desk, smiled more warmly, the lines at the corners of her eyes deepening. “Yes, I’m meeting some old classmates for a discussion of some research results. Will you be fine with dinner on your own?”
Wen Xiao: “No problem. Be careful on the road. The weather forecast says it might rain today, so don’t forget your umbrella.”
His grandmother nodded. “Alright. Is there anything else you want to remind me of, Xiaoxiao?”
Wen Xiao thought for a moment. “Make sure you take your wallet. You always forget to charge your phone, so be sure to have some spare change too.”
His grandmother pretended to complain. “You’re just like your mother, always repeating the same things. She used to tell me the same thing: ‘Take your wallet, take your change, take your umbrella.’ My ears nearly grew calluses.”
Wen Xiao: “But it’s been decades, and you still forget every time.”
Pretending she hadn’t heard, his grandmother turned to leave. “What did you say? I’m getting old, my hearing’s not as sharp as it used to be...”
The sound of the door closing reached Wen Xiao. After a brief pause, he spoke quietly, as though it had been on his mind for a while. “My grandmother always forgets her wallet, her change, and her umbrella when she goes out. It’s my mom who used to remind her. Since my mom’s gone, I remind her now.”
Chi Ye rested his hand on Wen Xiao’s, his fingers brushing the back of his hand. “The girls in Yaya’s class, their hair is always so neatly done, really meticulous. I was thinking, since my mom’s sick and can’t do it, I should help Yaya with her hair.”
As he spoke, Chi Ye relaxed, his chin resting on Wen Xiao’s shoulder. “If things ever get really bad, I’ll set up a little stand on the street, just to help kindergarten kids with their hair. The money I earn, I’ll use to buy cakes, then bring them back for you to eat.”
Wen Xiao glanced at him with his clear, bright eyes. “A stand that does hair for kindergarten kids? Is that what you really wanted when you were patiently doing Yaya’s hair?”
“Damn, how did you guess that?” Chi Ye felt a little embarrassed. “But yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Braiding little girls’ hair is so hard, it really made me question my own skills. I felt like a monkey who just climbed down from a tree millions of years ago, when my ten fingers hadn't yet learned fine motor skills and completely disobeyed my brain.”
Speaking of hair, Wen Xiao noticed something. "Your hair's grown quite a bit. Don't you think it's time for a trim?"
Running a hand over his stiff, bristly hair, Chi Ye mused, “Seems like it. Do you think this length is pushing Cheng Xiaoning’s aesthetic tolerance?”
Wen Xiao: "Pretty much."
Chi Ye squeezed Wen Xiao's evenly-spaced knuckles. "Do you have scissors at home?"
The calluses on Wen Xiao’s fingertips, left from years of writing, itched under Chi Ye’s touch, distracting him. "Scissors? Yes, what do you need them for?"
Chi Ye’s voice grew even lazier. "For my hair. Cut it for me."
"Aren't you worried I'll mess it up?"
Chi Ye replied with full trust, "Not at all. With Teacher Xiao Wen doing it, there’s no way it’ll go wrong."
When Wen Xiao returned to the bedroom with a pair of scissors, he saw Chi Ye sitting upright in a chair, waiting. Wen Xiao glanced at the scissors in his hand and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Chi Ye was more determined than Wen Xiao. "Yeah, cut it."
Standing beside Chi Ye, Wen Xiao ran his fingers through his hair. He felt that Chi Ye's hair was stiffer than his own and quite prickly. His gaze dropped, taking in the thick lashes and the sharp bridge of Chi Ye’s nose — so prominent that their noses always bumped when they kissed.
After circling his hair with his eyes for several rounds, Wen Xiao had a general idea of what he wanted to cut. Before he picked up the scissors, he paused. Just before he picked up the scissors, he hesitated. “Wait ten minutes, I’ll watch a tutorial online first.”
They spent another ten minutes watching the video tutorial.
Wen Xiao flexed his fingers a few times. Chi Ye casually spoke up. “Studies have shown that if you're nervous about doing something, you can try kissing your lover for fifteen minutes before you start. This way, your endocrine cells will secrete pleasant and reassuring hormones, reducing the concentration of hormones that cause stress and anxiety. What do you think of that, Teacher Xiao Wen?”
Wen Xiao leaned closer, propping his elbows on Chi Ye’s shoulders, his voice low as he whispered in his ear. “I get it. You want to kiss me.”
“Damn, can we be a bit more subtle?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Chi Ye grabbed Wen Xiao’s chin, tilted his head, and kissed him hard.
After their first Chinese class ended, Zhao Yiyang suddenly turned around, as if making a covert report. “Wen Xiao, did you notice? Cheng Xiaoning has been standing in the hallway outside our classroom for almost twenty minutes!”
Shangguan Yu also looked back. “According to Master's analysis, he must have discovered a dragon vein beneath our classroom, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.”
Wen Xiao, who had been focused on solving math problems during class, didn’t notice until they mentioned it. When he looked toward the hallway, he saw that Cheng Xiaoning was indeed standing near the back door, head down, tapping his phone screen, showing no signs of leaving.
“He’s been standing there a long time?”
Zhao Yiyang scratched his chin. “Yeah, a really long time. Longer than is normal, in fact. He used to pass by our classroom every day, but he'd just take a quick look and leave. What's going on today? Something's definitely fishy!”
Xu Rui walked by, and upon hearing the gossip, he slammed on the brakes and stopped. "I already asked the class monitor. Our class had no issues with conduct or attendance last week. We follow all the school rules, and we're an exemplary model for a civilized class. Cheng Xiaoning probably got some glue stuck to the sole of his shoe and couldn’t move. That’s why he’s rooted in the hallway like a tree."
Zhao Yiyang and Shangguan Yu exchanged glances, both silently agreeing with Xu Rui’s theory about the glue.
Just then, a voice came from the hallway. "Chi Ye, is that you?"
The voice was warm, friendly, and gentle.
Zhao Yiyang shivered and quickly rubbed his arm. "The f*ck. Has Cheng Xiaoning lost it? Wait, he’s been standing there this long. Could he be waiting specifically for Chi-ge?"
When Chi Ye ran into Cheng Xiaoning, he had the same thought. He quickly scanned himself in his mind — his uniform was on, the zipper was up, and his appearance was fine. Wen Xiao had even trimmed a bit of his hair, so it should last a few more days.
So, what had happened to Cheng Xiaoning? Had he been triggered by something? Or maybe taken the wrong medication?
Standing at 1.6 meters tall, Cheng Xiaoning looked very small compared to the 1.84-meter-tall Chi Ye. To avoid having to tilt his head too much, Cheng Xiaoning kept a distance of nearly a meter between them. He spoke gratefully, "Thank you for the feedback on your teacher’s work. It really means a lot to me!"
Chi Ye was confused. When did I ever comment on your work?
A few students secretly watching from the back door of the classroom were just as confused. Xu Rui pushed up his glasses. "It looks like they're having an emotional moment. Did Chi-ge say something to trigger Cheng Xiaoning’s tears? Damn it, Zhao Yiyang, you’re pressing on my shoulder, it’s gonna snap! Move back, move back!"
In the hallway, after listening for a while, Chi Ye picked out a few key words: "evaluation," "scoring," and "five stars."
He dug through his memory, realizing that Cheng Xiaoning was probably talking about the teacher satisfaction survey from last week. He hadn’t been at school then, but Wen Xiao had asked him how to fill it out. Following his habit, Chi Ye had asked Wen Xiao to give Cheng Xiaoning a five-star rating.
In the past, he always gave five stars, but out of a certain awkwardness that he couldn’t explain, he would purposely change his handwriting when filling it out. It didn’t matter who saw it. No one would recognize his handwriting, and no one would ever know he’d given Cheng Xiaoning five stars.
This time, Chi Ye speculated that Wen Xiao had unintentionally copied his handwriting so well that it had been recognized.
"For a teacher, this is a significant recognition! I know you all dislike me and joke behind my back saying 'Beware of fire, theft and Xiaoning', but I'm not afraid of being joked about or disliked. I did what I was supposed to do. But when I found out that you gave me five stars, I was really touched..."
Chi Ye’s patience wasn’t exactly legendary. Part of it went to Yaya, and the rest to Wen Xiao. Now, trapped in the hallway and unable to go into the classroom to see his deskmate, he was starting to feel restless.
At the back door of the classroom, Wen Xiao leaned against the doorframe, catching the flicker of irritation in Chi Ye’s eyes. He knew Chi Ye was about to snap.
Sure enough, Chi Ye interrupted Cheng Xiaoning’s endless rambling. "Teacher, I have something to report."
Cheng Xiaoning looked at him with a nearly benevolent expression, thinking that Chi Ye was looking especially agreeable today. "What is it? Tell me."
In an instant, Chi Ye dropped a bombshell. Since many people were watching from a distance, he lowered his voice. "Teacher, I have someone I like."
The bombshell left Cheng Xiaoning stunned for several seconds. By the time he recovered, Chi Ye had already passed him, strolling lazily toward the back door of the classroom.
Slinging his backpack over one shoulder, Chi Ye waved at Wen Xiao from a distance with a smile. Behind him, Cheng Xiaoning was about to jump out of his skin, so angry he was practically bouncing. "Chi Ye, stop! Who is it? Who are you going to mess with? Tell me, who are you targetting? Don't you dare! Hold yourself back!"
When Chi Ye stepped into the classroom, Zhao Yiyang and Shangguan Yu, unable to hold it in any longer, had gone to the bathroom. Left behind, Xu Rui’s gossip flames ignited, and he fired off a barrage of questions. "Chi-ge, Chi-ge, what did you say to Cheng Xiaoning to get him this upset? Who are you targeting? Did someone mess with you? Are you going to go teach someone a lesson? Can I watch? Can I come along?"
Resting his arm casually around Wen Xiao’s slim shoulders, Chi Ye carried his light backpack with the other hand as he guided Wen Xiao to their desks. He answered flippantly, "I’ve set my sights on my deskmate. What, you want to witness the ultimate battle at the peak of the Forbidden City?"
Xu Rui immediately sensed Chi Ye was just messing around. Seeing that Chi Ye wasn’t going to give more details, and realizing he couldn’t press any further, Xu Rui scratched his head in frustration. With no outlet for his curiosity, he decided to recite some mandatory ancient text, trying to force himself to calm down.
Setting his black backpack on the desk, Chi Ye sat down, still with his arm around Wen Xiao’s shoulders. He leaned in and whispered, "I told him I have someone I like."
Wen Xiao finally understood why Cheng Xiaoning had acted like a firecracker with its tail lit just moments ago.
Chi Ye continued with a hint of criticism. "Cheng Xiaoning’s behavior isn’t right. He’s nearly forty, already approaching a midlife crisis, and still so naive. How would he know that those five stars weren’t just a random mark I filled in? And the reality is even more brutal. While the answer was mine, the questionnaire was filled out by my deskmate."
At the mention of this, Chi Ye turned to Wen Xiao. "You've been exposed. Let's have an interview, dear Wen Xiao. Why did you imitate my handwriting so well? I bet not only Cheng Xiaoning, but even Old Xu couldn't tell the difference."
Wen Xiao kept a straight face. "I’m just clever."
"Tsk. You never practiced, did you? Like, secretly imitating my handwriting when I wasn’t around?"
Wen Xiao shook his head. "No."
Chi Ye noticed the slight flush on Wen Xiao’s ears, which didn’t quite match his indifferent expression. It gave him the feeling that digging further might lead to an unexpected discovery. "You really never studied my writing habits?"
"Really, I haven’t."
Chi Ye wasn’t ready to give up. "Did you ever secretly write ‘Chi Ye’ on a scrap of paper, using my handwriting, when I wasn’t looking?"
The pen spinning in his hand stopped, the tension in his lips finally softening. "Stop asking and give me some face."