My Deskmate Chapter 62 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 62.2
Realizing his emotions were getting the better of him, Chi Ye closed his eyes for a moment and forced the rising panic down.
He took the charger and returned to the seat he had been in earlier.
The emergency room was still bustling, the night as quiet and indifferent as it had been on countless nights before. He mechanically dialed Wen Xiao’s number again and again, only stopping when the joints of his thumb ached from the repetitive motion.
He hadn’t been to school in three weeks, and he barely saw Wen Xiao for days at a time. Even when they did meet, it was always rushed. They would video chat or voice chat at night, but usually late at night. Either Wen Xiao stayed up late waiting for him, or, more often than not, he would fall asleep mid-conversation.
When he woke up and checked the duration of their video calls, it usually showed 30 minutes or 45 minutes. Wen Xiao hadn't hung up immediately after he fell asleep.
But Wen Xiao never said anything. He would listen patiently while Chi Ye rambled about the dullness of his work, support him when he was tired, help take care of Yaya at the hospital, and yesterday, before leaving, had even asked if he had time. When he heard they could meet at the basketball court, there had been an unmistakable joy in his eyes.
Wen Xiao...
Chi Ye’s hand, hanging loosely by his side, clenched into a fist. With a forceful "thud," he slammed it against the wall behind the seat. He looked up at the glaring cold white fluorescent light, suddenly feeling... very irresponsible. It was him who had forced his way into Wen Xiao’s world in the first place, him who had inched closer step by step. He had brought Wen Xiao to the edge, soaked his feet in the same waters, trapping both of them in this situation.
But now?
He had clearly told Wen Xiao just yesterday that no matter what happened, whether he was sick or dealing with something else, he needed to tell him. He had been so confident, so sure that he could handle anything.
He had been too confident, too arrogant, too self-assured.
The phone being off could mean Wen Xiao didn’t want to talk to him, but the more likely explanation was... Wen Xiao was still stubbornly waiting for him at the basketball court.
Even though he must have known by now that Chi Ye wouldn’t show up, he was still waiting there.
Chi Ye’s heart clenched. The sensation of suffocation crept in with each breath. He clutched his phone, and the pain caused by it felt as light as a feather, numb as if his senses had been cut off. He couldn't tell where the pain was. It was like a knife cutting through him again and again, until his muscles were tense and he couldn't relax.
In the end, he leaned back in the chair, covering his eyes with the back of his hand and his wrist, blocking out the harsh light.
He didn’t know how long he had sat there when the metallic doors of the emergency room opened. The attending physician stepped out and asked him to come to the office for a discussion.
The doctor removed his mask and spoke bluntly. "We managed to pull her through this time, but... the situation is not good. We’ll do everything we can, but we can’t make any guarantees about what happens next."
Chi Ye remained calm, nodding. "I understand."
The doctor studied the young man sitting across from him. He radiated the sharp energy unique to his age, but there was a steadiness about him that seemed out of place for someone so young. His features were already well-defined and striking, the kind that would have made him the center of attention at school.
He didn’t want to, but he still said, "Our treatment efforts have been effective, but the speed of the treatment can’t keep up with the worsening of your mother’s condition. We’ve used the best equipment, the latest medications, and the most effective treatment plans, but the results haven’t been as hoped. I hope you can accept that."
Chi Ye nodded again. "I understand."
At this point, the doctor opened his mouth, unsure how to continue.
Chi Ye spoke first. "How is my mother?"
The doctor knew what he was asking and replied, "Your mother has a strong will to live, which is one of the reasons why her condition has been worsening gradually rather than deteriorating rapidly. The strength of the human will is a powerful heartener."
Chi Ye was silent for a moment before his voice, hoarse, broke through. "As long as my mom wants to live, I won’t give up. My little sister is still waiting for her to come home. She’s only six."
After speaking, Chi Ye stood up. "Thank you. I appreciate your hard work."
Once his mother was moved into the ICU, Chi Ye went to the window to pay the fees. While entering his card and password, he kept calculating how much money was left on the card and how many more days it could cover.
The printer's "zizz" sound stopped, and a receipt was handed over for him to sign.
Once the process was complete, Chi Ye took the payment slip and turned to leave. He only walked a few steps, but suddenly, his legs wouldn’t move any further.
Clutching the thin receipt tightly in his hand, Chi Ye squatted down right where he stood, lowering his head, and silently broke into tears.
The basketball court was empty. Wen Xiao was leaning against the rusted basketball hoop, his legs feeling stiff. His phone had run out of battery and shut off. He guessed it was probably past 10:30.
He stretched his legs a little, the sound of his sneakers echoing against the cement as he moved. Unable to get in touch with Chi Ye, and knowing that his grandmother would be worried if he stayed out too late, he decided not to wait any longer. He turned and began walking back along the same path he had come.
When he reached the edge of the court, he glanced back. The trees above were shedding their leaves, and one leaf gently landed on his shoulder.
By the time Chi Ye arrived at the court, it was completely empty. The cement ground was scattered with fallen leaves.
On Monday morning, during the self-study session, the entire class was talking about summer school.
It was already the end of May. In just a few days, it would be June, and once June arrived, July would be right around the corner.
"I can't remember exactly, but I think I had to make up two weeks of extra classes last summer. Was it fifteen days or twenty? I can't even remember!" Xu Rui groaned. "According to our school's shitty logic, we could make up two weeks of extra classes even during our first year of high school. Now we're about to start our third year. Are they going to drop a bomb on us?"
Zhao Yiyang sounded disinterested. "What does it matter if they drop a bomb? Are they going to make us study for two months?"
Before he could finish, Xu Rui quickly covered his mouth. "Damn it, don’t jinx it! If they really make us study for two months, I’ll drag you in front of Confucius’ statue and offer you as a sacrifice!"
Zhao Yiyang pried Xu Rui’s hand off. "Confucius wouldn't believe in that kind of sacrifice!" When he saw Wen Xiao walk in, he greeted him. "Wen Xiao, are you feeling better? Is your throat still sore?"
"Much better," Wen Xiao replied, sitting down. He noticed a bottle of rock candy pear soup on the desk. "Whose is this?"
"Shangguan came in early and saw a girl he didn't recognize dropping it off. Maybe she heard your throat was sore," Zhao Yiyang said knowingly. Wen Xiao basically didn't eat things given by others, especially those that were secretly placed on his desk. The only thing he’d ever finish without hesitation was the breakfast that Chi Ye brought him.
Wen Xiao noticed Zhao Yiyang's eyes were glued to the bottle. "If you want it, you can have it."
Zhao Yiyang raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, brother!"
Chi Ye arrived during the second period break. The first one to see him was Zhao Yiyang, who couldn’t quite believe his eyes. He rubbed them, half-worried he was seeing things. "Damn, Chi-ge? Did I really just see that right?"
Wen Xiao’s pen froze in mid-air. The last stroke of the word "solution" was so heavy-handed it tore through the paper.
Noticing that Chi Ye wasn’t carrying a bag, Zhao Yiyang’s curiosity was piqued. "Chi-ge, you came here empty-handed?"
"Not empty-handed." Chi Ye set the breakfast he was holding on the desk. When Wen Xiao glanced over, he leaned in slightly and muttered, "The soy milk is three parts sugar."
Wen Xiao looked at the breakfast, put his pen down, and tore open the plastic bag. He inserted the straw and took a sip.
Chi Ye watched him. The sight of Wen Xiao drinking the soy milk with such focus made his eyes sting with a sudden ache.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before.
Chi Ye didn’t ask how long Wen Xiao had waited for him at the basketball court, and Wen Xiao didn’t ask why Chi Ye hadn’t shown up. One ate his breakfast, the other sat silently beside him, like a silent mime unfolding between them.
Zhao Yiyang felt that something was off. Both Chi Ye and Wen Xiao were acting strange, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was wrong.
Maybe it was... tension?
Chi Ye didn’t stay long. After Wen Xiao finished the breakfast he brought, Chi Ye gathered up the empty cup and plastic wrapper. "I’m heading out."
Wen Xiao looked up at him, didn’t ask any more questions, and simply nodded. "Alright."
Zhao Yiyang was a bit confused. "Chi-ge, you’re leaving already? You didn’t just come here to deliver breakfast to Wen Xiao, did you?"
Chi Ye curved his lips into a smile. "What else did you think?"
Zhao Yiyang suddenly felt like he’d been slapped with the obvious answer. "...Damn!"
The bell for class rang, and the physics teacher entered the classroom. He glanced toward the back row. "I thought I just saw Chi Ye walk in?"
Zhao Yiyang grinned mischievously, covering for him. "Teacher, I think you're seeing things!"
The teacher also thought it was probably just his imagination. "Forget about that. Alright, everyone, get your books out. We’re going to take a good look at this theorem that I’ve repeated at least a hundred times..."
Under the desk, Chi Ye sent a WeChat message.
When Wen Xiao saw the "Someone is typing" notification pop up, he quickly started typing. "No need to apologize."
After sending those four words, the "typing" indication disappeared.
Wen Xiao lowered his head and began typing again. "It’s not your fault."