My Deskmate Chapter 57 (Part 1)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 57.1
Wen Xiao entered the bedroom and turned on the desk lamp. His WeChat pinged with a message from Chi Ye: "Have you arrived?"
Wen Xiao quickly typed back, "I've arrived. What about you?"
Chi Ye: "I'm downstairs, just about to come up."
The two exchanged inane messages until the light in Chi Ye's room across the way flickered on. The glow spilled through the window and into Wen Xiao’s line of sight.
Leaning back in his chair, Wen Xiao absently twirled a pen in his hand, letting it drop, then picking it up again to continue the motion.
Actually, there were words he hadn't said out loud — he was reluctant to part ways too. Even though they were so close, so close that they could see each other's windows just by looking out, and they would see each other again tomorrow... he was reluctant.
The phone on the desk vibrated with a series of notifications, drawing his attention back. He opened WeChat and saw a group chat called “No Group Chat Name Here" popped up.
There were more than twenty unread messages, a sign of the lively conversation going on.
Zhao Yiyang: "Want to know your compatibility with your crush? Enter your name here! [link]"
Zhao Yiyang: "Birth chart analysis for love index! [link]"
After a few more links, Zhao Yiyang sent a meme of a crying panda. "It’s over. I’ve tested it so many times, and two-thirds of the results were failing. Does this mean I’m not meant to be with my goddess?"
He quickly followed up, "Maybe we really don’t have fate. I’ve been at the high school for almost two years, and this is the first time I’ve seen her. What was I doing the past two years? Did I miss her every single time?"
Shangguan Yu: "From the looks of it, your fate really is... shallow."
Xu Rui, as emotionless as a laughing machine, sent a long string of "hahahas," openly mocking Zhao Yiyang’s situation.
Chi Ye: "Promoting feudal superstition online, be careful, group admin. You might get arrested."
Wen Xiao clicked on the chat message, then switched back to the group. "@Chi Ye, you’re the group admin."
Chi Ye: "...Who made me the group admin?"
The screen was flooded with "hahahas."
Of course, no one took responsibility for the situation. Zhao Yiyang seized the opportunity to shower Chi Ye with compliments, "Only someone as magnificent and brilliant as Chi-ge can lead this group to greatness!"
Xu Rui: "Without Chi-ge, how could we talk about having a bright future? Without his leadership, how could we find the direction to move forward?"
Chi Ye: "Coincidentally, your Chi-ge's leader is also in the group, @Wen Xiao."
The group fell silent.
The title was a bit new. Wen Xiao’s cold white fingers tapped on the keyboard: “.”
Meanwhile, Xu Rui poked Zhao Yiyang in a private message. "Leader? Don’t you think the context is a bit weird? And wasn’t Chi-ge the master of Wen Xiao? How did the disciple become the leader?"
Zhao Yiyang: "Where is the context weird?"
Xu Rui sent a meme of someone adjusting their glasses. "My dad calls my mom 'leader.'"
Zhao Yiyang replied with a laugh, "...Your dad’s under the thumb of your mom."
Xu Rui: "...That’s not the point I was making!"
The conversation shifted as the group began talking about the upcoming midterm exams. After a few jokes, they all broke off to resume their studying.
Wen Xiao had just set his phone down when it rang again. It was Chi Ye, with one word: "Leader."
Wen Xiao: "?"
It took a while for Chi Ye to send a follow-up message. "Nothing. I just miss you."
Although the only difference between himself and Chi Ye was whether or not he voiced the thought in his heart, Wen Xiao still expressed his opinion. "You're so clingy."
Chi Ye: "?"
On the other side, Chi Ye stared at the word "clingy" and cursed under his breath, “Damn. When have I ever been clingy? How did I end up being called clingy?”
As he pondered his life, a new message popped up in the chat.
Wen Xiao: "Serendipity."
It was just a simple word. Chi Ye recognized it, but just to be sure, he pulled a thick English dictionary off the bookshelf.
His fingers flipped through the thin pages of the book, and read the translation, "A fortunate accident, a surprise from fate?"
Rolling the word around on his tongue a few times, Chi Ye lay back on the bed, stretched out his limbs, and smiled at the ceiling. He couldn’t help it. He really liked how his deskmate expressed his affection in such a cold, aloof, and yet subtly suggestive way. It was much more captivating than overt expressions of love.
May was almost over. After a few rainy days, the weather suddenly turned sunny. The temperature rose several degrees, prompting the boys in class to change into short-sleeved shirts. However, the school uniform wasn’t breathable, and as soon as they moved around, they began to sweat. So, many of them unzipped their jackets, while others tied their jackets around their waists, knotting the sleeves in front.
As a result, Cheng Xiaoning had to bark at them every time he did his rounds.
"Why can’t you zip up your jackets properly? You think you look handsome walking around with the wind blowing through your shirt? Trying to be fashionable? Where’s your VIP invitation to Milan Fashion Week? Put your jacket on right!
"And why is your jacket tied so tight around your waist? Doesn’t that feel uncomfortable? Can you still breathe properly? What, are you trying to show off your waist? Do you even have one? Do you?!"
Although Zhao Yiyang was sitting in class, he could hear Cheng Xiaoning's voice yelling from a distance. He quietly zipped up his jacket. "This season is so awkward. The summer uniform feels a bit chilly, but the autumn one is too hot. I'm about to get a complex about it."
Shangguan Yu suggested, "You could wear the summer uniform underneath and just put the autumn jacket on top."
Zhao Yiyang: "Then why don’t you do that?"
Shangguan Yu: "Ugly."
The two of them burst into laughter before turning to Wen Xiao. Zhao Yiyang grumbled, "There’s an exception. Wen Xiao wears his uniform like it’s some high-end runway show. Ever since that study exchange, more and more people have been standing outside the classroom just to look at you! Have you noticed?"
Wen Xiao didn’t quite understand. "Why would they want to look at me?"
Zhao Yiyang grinned mischievously. "Because you’re good-looking and your grades are top-notch! Although, as a guy, I think Chi-ge looks more handsome. But the girls in class all say you’re very delicate-looking. Delicate is such a weird description, but anyway, girls like your type."
Wen Xiao shared the same opinion. He also thought Chi Ye's looks were more appealing.
Shangguan Yu: "It’s Wednesday today. Chi-ge hasn’t come to school in over a week."
"Chi-ge isn’t just going to stop coming, right?" Zhao Yiyang casually mentioned, not noticing the way Wen Xiao’s fingers tightened around his pen at the mention of Chi Ye. "Although, I think the longest he’s gone without showing up was ten days? Whatever, he’ll definitely come back for the exams."
Wen Xiao: "Chi Ye never misses an exam?"
"Yeah, Chi-ge’s like someone with late-stage OCD. Not only does he always get a score of 60, but he also never misses an exam. There was one time during the English listening test, the tape was almost over when he rushed in. It was raining that day, and Chi-ge didn't have an umbrella, so he was completely soaked."
Shangguan Yu: "Perhaps this is a kind of perseverance!"
Wen Xiao hadn’t seen Chi Ye for three days. They’d briefly crossed paths on Saturday, and Chi Ye had mentioned that the acquaintance he had met from out of town was surnamed Zhang. This person had taken on a sizable project with high demand, and Chi Ye was in desperate need of money. He didn’t want anyone else to take a cut, so he needed to carefully sort out every detail, making sure everything was handled to perfection. He had been so busy that he had neglected his store and was completely focused on statistics, distribution, and supply.
That evening, they video-chatted. Chi Ye’s eyes were bloodshot, and he frequently rubbed his forehead. Wen Xiao could tell he wasn’t sleeping much, if at all.
Just as they were talking, Xu Guangqi walked in with a black thermos. When the class saw it was him, a collective sigh of disappointment filled the room.
The schedule said it was music class, but even though they had barely seen the music teacher this semester, that didn’t stop them from hoping for a change. "If we can’t have music class, we can at least do self-study and homework!"
With a loud "clink," Xu Guangqi set his thermos down on the teacher’s desk, acting as though he hadn’t heard the groans of disappointment. With a beaming smile, he said, "Students, didn’t expect to see me again today, huh? Are you happy?"
The class answered in unison, "Not——hap—py."
Xu Guangqi’s smile didn’t falter. "But I’m very happy to see you all!"
Someone mumbled under their breath, "Teacher, one-sided happiness doesn’t last long."
Xu Guangqi: "But some students have been one-sidedly in love for almost two years. Is there really a big difference between these two situations?"
Zhao Yiyang froze when he heard the words "one-sided love." A chill ran down his spine as he muttered, "Damn, what a dangerous thing for Old Xu to say! Does he have some inside information?"
He quickly raised his hand. "Teacher’s right! I’m so happy we’re having math class!"
Xu Guangqi’s gaze shifted to him. "Zhao Yiyang, your words and actions are very suspicious. After class, come to my office."
Zhao Yiyang sighed. "...Shit."
Shangguan Yu and Xu Rui, who knew what was going on, struggled to hold back their laughter, their faces contorting in pain as they tried to keep it together.
Zhao Yiyang sat there, his face full of misery as he pondered. Realizing he couldn’t count on Xu Rui or Shangguan Yu for help, he turned to Wen Xiao and asked, "What should I do when I go to the office?"
Wen Xiao replied calmly, "Stick to the story. Tell him you’re passionate about studying and anxious before exams. Don’t back down."
Zhao Yiyang felt reassured. "Got it!"
"This is the X-axis, this is the Y-axis. I’m placing a point P here," Xu Guangqi started the lecture, but then his topic veered off again, "You all have a lot of experience with exams, so don’t repeat the same mistakes. Things like choosing the wrong answer for the first question, misreading the second question, and missing the third question completely should not happen again!"
With Zhao Yiyang’s previous mishap as a cautionary tale, no one dared to speak up.
Xu Guangqi, holding a white chalk in his hand, sighed to himself. "I come here to give you extra lessons, and the school doesn’t even raise my salary. On top of that, I have to endure your indifference. Am I the only one who struggles here?" He paused for a moment, then resumed his lesson. "Alright, let’s continue with this question. Here, we’ll place a point P..."