My Deskmate Chapter 60
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 60
A few minutes later, Zhao Yiyang sent another message. "Damn, the latest news from Xu Rui. Cheng Xiaoning went to Old Xu's office. They were talking about how serious your illness is and whether the director should visit you!"
Wen Xiao: "......"
Zhao Yiyang: "Cheng Xiaoning's eagerness is only comparable to how he was at the start of the first year, when he used to fuss over Chi-ge. I remember at the beginning of the semester, Cheng Xiaoning even personally bought Chi-ge walnut and peanut milk, saying it would help his brain. But after Chi-ge started slacking off, he never did it again. Now, because of you, he's found another chance to play the caring role once more!"
Wen Xiao hesitated for two seconds before typing: "I'll be able to get my fever down this afternoon and will come to school."
Whether it was because of his improving immunity or the power of his will, after lunch, his grandmother monitored his temperature and found that the fever had indeed gone down.
Grandmother carefully looked at the thermometer's reading. "37°C. Xiaoxiao, are you really going to school?"
Wen Xiao felt better. Except for a sore throat, there were no major issues. He nodded. "Mm, don't worry, Grandma. I'm fine."
Grandmother didn’t stop him. "Then take some cold medicine with you, and remember to take it after lunch. Don’t forget."
By the time Wen Xiao arrived at school, lunch break had just ended. Zhao Yiyang was memorizing words when he saw Wen Xiao. "Wen Xiao? What are you doing here?"
Wen Xiao placed his black backpack on the desk and sat down. "I’m here for class."
Indeed, Zhao Yiyang thought, he wouldn't understand the world of geniuses. Shouldn't a perfectly legitimate sick leave be extended a bit and used for some fun?
Just as he was about to ask another question, the bell rang, and Xu Guangqi strode into the classroom, carrying a light bundle of exam papers in his hand. "As expected, today we're going over the exam papers!" he announced, scanning the room and landing his gaze on the back row. "Wen Xiao? Feeling better?"
Wen Xiao's voice was hoarse. "I’m feeling better."
Facing his most promising student who had done well on the test, Xu Guangqi smiled and added, "If you’re not feeling well, make sure to let me know. Go home and rest, or take a break in the infirmary if you need to. Don’t push yourself."
Zhao Yiyang, sitting in the front row, rolled his eyes and leaned back to whisper to Wen Xiao. "I can't believe this special treatment! Last semester, when I had a high fever of 40 degrees, I only took one day off. Old Xu called me to tell me to conquer challenges, to keep studying even if I was lying in bed, and to get back to class as soon as possible! But when it comes to you, he immediately changes his tune and tells you not to push yourself."
On the podium, Xu Guangqi flipped through the exam papers he had brought with him and remembered. "Since Wen Xiao’s here, can I borrow your exam paper for a moment?"
It was a common practice for teachers to borrow exam papers from students. In the past, they usually chose those of the subject representative representatives or academic officers. Now, they directly aimed for Wen Xiao's.
Wen Xiao dug through the stack of books on his desk and found the exam paper, handing it over to Xu Guangqi.
Xu Guangqi had a million things he wanted to say.
"This exam is very easy. Incredibly easy! Those of you who started making mistakes on the first, second, or even third multiple-choice questions, I’m starting to think you all transferred in from middle school! And the first and second major questions, how could you get those wrong? Do you think you're worthy of me taking up another teacher's class time the day before the exam to go over these questions with you? They were the exact same questions!"
His final two words were punctuated by a series of sharp, loud bangs on the desk.
The classroom was completely silent. No one dared to speak.
Xu Guangqi took a deep breath. "While your minds are still clear, and before things get too chaotic, let’s turn to the last page of the exam paper. We’ll start by looking at the hardest question. Many of you had no idea how to start and just wrote a 'Solution' there and then left it at that...”
The sound of pages turning filled the room.
Xu Guangqi, holding Wen Xiao’s exam paper, turned to the last page. "Let’s take a look at this question. The function f(x) = ... First question: When a = 8, find the monotonic intervals of f(x).” He paused suddenly, studying the answer sheet closely, then flipped to the front and continued reading through the answers.
A low murmur spread through the classroom. Someone called out, "Old Xu, the math teacher in the next class got stuck halfway through explaining this question and had to redo it on the spot before continuing. So it's not our fault, the question was just too hard!"
"Quiet," Xu Guangqi snapped, pressing his hand down as if to silence the room. He turned the exam paper over and examined it carefully. After a moment, he looked up at Wen Xiao. "Wen Xiao, after the papers were handed back, did you look over your exam?"
All eyes in the class turned to the back row.
Wen Xiao’s face was a little pale, his school uniform still neatly in place. He answered, "No, I didn’t."
Xu Guangqi furrowed his brow. "You’ve got a problem with your score. You scored 140 in math, but I’ve looked through your answers, and they’re all correct. You even got the last question right, with all the steps perfectly completed, no points lost."
The classroom fell completely still.
In the eerie silence, Xu Rui stumbled over his words. "So... how many points should Wen Xiao have gotten?"
Xu Guangqi glanced at the paper again, his brow smoothing as he confirmed, "The teacher who graded your paper missed adding the final ten points. You should have scored 150 in math!"
Xu Rui gasped loudly. "Damn, they missed ten points, and Wen Xiao still managed to be first place? What kind of a monster is he?"
At the back of the classroom, Zhao Yiyang suddenly turned around, his palms pressed together in prayer. "Benefactor, I just compared myself to you. I’m not worthy! Damn, missing ten points and still being first in the 2nd year? Who can live like this?"
By the middle of the break, news of Wen Xiao’s ten-point error had spread throughout the entire year. The hallway outside the classroom was now filled with more onlookers.
After some thought, Zhao Yiyang became puzzled. "Xiao-ge, how come you didn’t notice the ten points were missed?"
Wen Xiao’s throat hurt, and he spoke tersely, "I didn’t look at the exam paper."
He had already known the material. Reviewing the paper again would have been a waste of time.
Zhao Yiyang: "So, when you estimated your score, what did you think you’d get on the last question?"
Wen Xiao: "Ten points."
Zhao Yiyang straightened up. "So your total score would have been 150. That means—"
Wen Xiao: "Either way, I’m still first."
Zhao Yiyang was convinced, and so were Shangguan Yu and Xu Rui. After all, whether or not the ten points mattered, Wen Xiao was still first in their year. So, the ten points, though seemingly significant, were ultimately inconsequential. Whether he got them or not didn’t change anything.
Zhao Yiyang pressed his palms together in prayer. "No doubt, our Xiao-ge is the strongest!"
During the second afternoon break, someone came with a message: Xu Guangqi wanted Wen Xiao to come to his office.
From the moment Wen Xiao stepped out of the classroom, every eye seemed to follow him. He felt as though a red carpet had been rolled out in his wake. When he reached the office, all the teachers' gazes turned toward him.
Ignoring the attention, Wen Xiao stood in front of Xu Guangqi’s desk. "Teacher, you wanted to see me?"
Hearing Wen Xiao’s hoarse voice, Xu Guangqi said worriedly, "It's easy to catch a cold during the changing seasons, so take care of yourself. You’re looking a little unwell. Don’t rush things. As the saying goes, dressed up warmly in the spring and avoid the cold in autumn!" After a few more words of advice, he smiled. "I submitted your exam paper to the academic office, and your score in the system has been corrected. Getting a perfect score on such a difficult math test isn’t easy!"
Wen Xiao didn’t find the test particularly difficult. He had stayed up late the night before to finish them and had even napped for twenty minutes afterward. But since Old Xu had said so, he didn't argue.
"I mainly called you here to discuss this. It was a mistake on the teacher’s part, and I’ll be more careful in the future," Xu Guangqi said, his tone becoming more serious. "By the way, has Chi Ye been absent from school for two weeks?"
Wen Xiao nodded. "Yes."
After answering, he found himself reflecting — had it really been two weeks already?
At first, Wen Xiao would occasionally turn his head to call out Chi Ye’s name. Now, he was almost used to the empty desk beside him.
"Well..." Xu Guangqi cleared his throat, lowering his voice. "Has Chi Ye started dating someone recently?"
Wen Xiao’s fingers, which had been resting by his side, twitched slightly. He curled them into a fist in his palm. "I think so."
Xu Guangqi seemed troubled. "Who's fallen for this kid? I always said that with a face like his, it's too easy for girls to get smitten!"
Wen Xiao’s gaze drifted, finally landing on the cactus that Xu Guangqi kept by his computer.
It was obvious that Chi Ye had been keeping the relationship under wraps. Xu Guangqi wasn’t necessarily trying to pry, he simply wanted to know who exactly had fallen for the troublemaker.
"So... do you know who he’s dating?"
Wen Xiao’s lips tightened slightly before he finally responded, "I don’t know."
It was an answer Xu Guangqi had more or less expected. He understood Chi Ye well enough. Ever since the incident in the classroom, Chi Ye had become much more guarded, fiercely protective of those he cared about.
The young man was still growing, still developing strong wings to protect those he held dear. For now, all he could do was shut out any potential harm as best as he could.
"But since he hasn't been to class for so long, and if they're in a long-distance relationship, they'll probably break up soon..." Xu Guangqi muttered, trying to console himself. Realizing Wen Xiao was still there, he stopped himself, swallowing the rest of his words. After giving some health advice, and checking the time, he finally sent Wen Xiao off to prepare for the next class.
On the Bus 117 ride home, Wen Xiao felt drowsy, unsure if it was the cold medicine that was making him so sleepy. He didn’t even realize the bus had reached the Jiuzhang Road stop. He took this bus every day, and the driver was familiar. Seeing no one else getting off, the driver called out, “Student in the affiliated high school uniform, Jiuzhang Road is here!”
Wen Xiao woke up and stood up to thank the driver.
Stepping onto the sidewalk, he rubbed his forehead. When he looked up, he spotted someone standing in front of the bright bus shelter ads.
Slightly wrinkled white long-sleeve shirt, black cargo pants — Wen Xiao blinked a couple of times, trying to make sure this wasn’t just a trick of his tired eyes.
It was Chi Ye, standing there, waiting for him.
“What, stunned?” Chi Ye walked up, the metal zippers on his cargo pants catching the light. He waved his hand in front of Wen Xiao’s face. “It’s been a while since you’ve seen me. Can’t recognize your Chi-ge anymore?”
Wen Xiao snapped out of it. “A little surprised.”
Hearing Wen Xiao’s response, Chi Ye furrowed his brows, a look of concern crossing his face. “Why’s your voice so hoarse? Caught a cold? What happened?” As he spoke, he reached out and placed his hand on Wen Xiao’s forehead.
“I don’t have a fever anymore.” Although the touch lasted only a few seconds, the warmth of Chi Ye’s palm lingered on Wen Xiao’s skin, giving him the illusion that he might have a fever again.
Chi Ye was quick to notice. “So, you had a fever today?”
“I started running a fever when I woke up. My grandma called Old Xu and got me half a day off. After I took the medicine, it went down by noon.” Wen Xiao avoided mentioning the rain from last night.
Grandma often reminded him to carry an umbrella, but Wen Xiao hadn’t paid much attention. Maybe because the last time it rained, Chi Ye had come to pick him up with an umbrella.
"Stop talking so much," Chi Ye said, extending his arm to drape it over Wen Xiao’s shoulder. As they walked under the tree's shade, he leaned closer to Wen Xiao’s neck and inhaled deeply.
He had meant to say, “I miss you,” but the words that left his mouth were more indirect, “You smell so good.”
The bus stop wasn’t far from Wen Xiao’s building, and though they deliberately slowed their pace, they still arrived quickly.
Being mindful of Wen Xiao’s illness, Chi Ye stood in the corner, worried about his throat. "Drink more water when you get home, remember to take your medicine. If you’re tired, don’t force yourself to study. Tomorrow’s Saturday, you can sleep in. Okay?"
Wen Xiao nodded, his voice hoarse, "Okay."
Chi Ye let go of him and stood upright. "Go on up then. Video call later?"
Wen Xiao nodded again. "I’ll take a shower first, and call you after."
With that, Wen Xiao began to walk away.
But just as he took a step, a lean arm suddenly crossed over his shoulder. In the next moment, Chi Ye had pushed him back against the wall.
The kiss came down hard, intense, and forceful. Wen Xiao’s breath was immediately disrupted. His fingers instinctively brushed against the rough wall behind him, but before he could even feel the pain, Chi Ye’s hand closed around his, holding it tightly.
Although they had met a few times during this period, it had always been in a hurry.
It wasn’t until Chi Ye nipped at his lower lip, his breath entangling with Wen Xiao’s, sending a shiver of heat through him, that Wen Xiao finally realized just how much he had missed this person.