My Deskmate Chapter 70
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 70
The bulletin board at the back of the classroom had been updated again. With the final exams approaching, the class' pace of printing worksheets and study materials had picked up dramatically. Every few days, they were asked to hand over money, and along with it came a flood of review sheets and test papers.
When the bell signaling the end of evening study hours rang, Zhao Yiyang began packing his bag, muttering to himself, "With the way things are going, I feel like I'm in my third year of middle school all over again!" He grabbed a test paper. "Math, math, math... this is the fifth one we've gotten today! Old Xu, your heart is as solid as a rock!"
Wen Xiao remained silent as he shoved a stack of papers into his bag, zipped it up, and slung it over his left shoulder.
"Wait for me!" Zhao Yiyang hurriedly stuffed the test papers and review materials into his bag and chased after Shangguan Yu and Wen Xiao. "Benefactors, how do you pack your bags so fast? Have you been practicing the legendary 'Foshan Shadowless Kick'?"
Shangguan Yu shot back, "Master, our feet don’t have that function."
Zhao Yiyang quickly changed his tune. "Hahaha, then... how about the Tianshan Folding Plum Blossom Hand? That works, right, Wen Xiao?"
When Wen Xiao didn’t respond, his mind seemingly elsewhere, Zhao Yiyang exchanged a helpless glance with Shangguan Yu.
It had been over two weeks since Chi Ye had dropped out of school, and Wen Xiao had been in this strange state for just as long. They had discussed it with Xu Rui, the three of them trying to figure it out, but after ruling out everything, the closest explanation they could come up with was that Wen Xiao was suffering from a heartbreak!
Scratching their heads, they couldn't understand what relationship Wen Xiao could have lost. They reluctantly gave up on trying to figure it out and decided to attribute Wen Xiao's behavior to the sudden shock of Chi Ye's leave.
They had made sure to keep an eye on Wen Xiao, standing nearby, making sure nothing unexpected would happen. After all, with his current state, they were genuinely worried that he might trip on the stairs and fall.
"By the way, I heard a few days ago that when we move up to third year, Old Xu is going to be replaced. It freaked me out. Old Xu may like to play the erhu in the office, sounding all sad and miserable, but that's just a personal hobby," Zhao Yiyang said, jumping up and striking a basketball shooting pose. After landing, he added, "Old Xu is actually a really good person. If he wasn't the one leading us in third year, I'd definitely have a hard time getting used to it!"
Shangguan Yu, walking beside him, responded, "That's just a rumor. He won't be replaced."
Zhao Yiyang tugged at his sliding bag. "Thank goodness it's been debunked. If Chi-ge left and Old Xu left too, then this class would really lose its soul!"
Wen Xiao got home at 10 PM. His grandmother hung up the phone, placed it on the coffee table, and went into the kitchen to bring out a late-night snack. As she walked over, she asked, "Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? I got up last night and saw that your room light was still on."
She had been paying close attention to him recently. As the wounds on his fingers began to heal, Wen Xiao's emotional state seemed to have improved as well. Although he still spoke less day by day, had a poor appetite, and often spaced out, he was much calmer.
Calmness, however, meant that while the intense emotions of sadness or pain were still there, his rationality had regained control. That brought her some relief.
Although she had her suspicions, she preferred to trust Wen Xiao's ability to manage his emotions on his own.
"No," Wen Xiao said, swallowing a mouthful of vegetables without tasting them, shaking his head. "The final exams are coming up soon, and there’s just too much homework."
His grandmother knew he wasn’t being entirely truthful, but she just nodded and didn’t press further. After thinking for a few seconds, she spoke again. "Xiaoxiao, there’s something very important I need to discuss with you."
The first period on Wednesday was math. Xu Guangqi, wearing a light-colored short-sleeved shirt, stood behind the desk, flipped open his book, and suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, the spot in the northeast corner of the sports field where they dug up the ancient tomb—"
"So, they’re going to start construction on the exhibition hall, right?"
Interrupted, Xu Guangqi looked over and said, "Xu Rui, are you going to listen to me or keep talking over me? Just because you have quick access to information, can’t you follow the ancient wisdom, 'Close your ears to the affairs of the world, and focus solely on your studies'?"
Xu Rui scratched the back of his head, grinning as he replied, "But I’m a high school student in the information era!"
Ignoring him, Xu Guangqi continued, "The construction will start once the final exams are over. They're already doing some preliminary work. They’ve put up a new iron fence, but there are a lot of people coming and going. You all should avoid hanging around there. Understood? As long as you understand, that’s enough. Now, take out your 'One Question, One Practice' workbook. I just remembered there’s a problem I need to go over with you..."
In the last row, Wen Xiao habitually twirled his pen, absentmindedly staring out the window. So... it was going to start.
The second class in the afternoon was PE. With the weather growing hotter, the group decided to stop by the supermarket first to buy some drinks before heading to the field.
The sun beat down, making them sweat. Xu Rui pinched his nose and teased, "Damn, Master, why do you smell like sweat so much?"
Zhao Yiyang, fanning his face with his hand, raised his arm and sniffed. He shot Xu Rui a glare. "Benefactor, what you’re smelling is pure youthful vigor! And besides, don’t you think you should smell yourself first?"
The banter continued, with each one mocking the other, until they finally laughed and quieted down.
After buying the drinks, they quickly made their way out of the supermarket. The air inside had been stuffy and unbearable. Once they paid and left, they hurried toward the sports field.
The shade from the trees along the main road was dense, blocking the blazing sun and casting large patches of cool shadow on the ground.
Zhao Yiyang, nearly choking on his drink, coughed twice. With a hoarse voice, he asked Wen Xiao, "Are you transferring schools?"
Wen Xiao held a can of iced cola, the condensation dripping off his pale fingers. He nodded, picking up from where the conversation had left off. "My grandmother told me last night."
The news hit them like a bombshell, leaving them momentarily stunned. Xu Rui stammered, "What’s the reason? Why transfer? Mingnan High has an excellent graduation rate, the school culture and discipline are—"
"It has nothing to do with that." Wen Xiao lowered his gaze, bent his finger, and with one hand pried open the can of cola. He didn’t look at anyone. "I live with my grandmother. Qingzhou University has invited her twice to join the physics department, but she turned it down the first time because she was worried about me. Qingda (Qingzhuo University) is her alma mater. She did both her undergrad and graduate studies there, and she has a deep connection to it."
Wen Xiao remembered seeing those envelopes addressed to "Professor Lu Dongqing" a few days ago. He had seen his grandmother sitting on the couch, wearing her reading glasses, and carefully reading papers and documents. A few days ago, she had casually asked him what he thought of Qingzhou.
He had a faint suspicion, but never expected it to come true.
He knew how much his grandmother loved physics. As she got older, the desire to pass on all her knowledge and research had become more urgent.
If it hadn’t been for the sudden shipwreck, and his year-long hospital stay, his grandmother would have likely already accepted Qingda’s offer.
Zhao Yiyang listened in silence, squeezing the bottle of his drink. After a moment, he forced a smile. "Your grandma is amazing. Qingda’s Physics Department is ranked number one in the country. Really impressive. If I weren't so bad at physics, I would have tried to get into the Physics Department at Qingda." He tried to lighten the mood, but it didn’t quite work.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
There was nothing else to do in PE class. With the final exams approaching, every class was essentially a test. That day, it was the girls' turn to run the 800-meter test.
The boys had free time. Many of them stayed in the classroom, studying or solving problems, while others swarmed to the equipment room.
Zhao Yiyang had lagged behind by a couple of steps. By the time he reached the equipment room, all the basketballs were gone, leaving only two soccer balls in the basket. Since it was still a ball, he grabbed one and ran off with it.
Their soccer skills were all very amateur. They just ran around the field as a form of exercise. Some of the boys who had PE class together in their first year came over to join, and soon, the green field was filled with chaos. One of the soccer balls was kicked high into the air, and when it came down, a group of them would gather around it as if it were gold, eager to grab it.
Wen Xiao stood off to the side, watching from a distance.
It was unclear who had made the legendary kick, but the soccer ball soared into the air, curving toward the northeast corner of the field. The players who had kicked it started running to retrieve it, but after only a few steps, they saw Wen Xiao make a gesture and sprint ahead of them.
The northeast corner had already been renovated. The sharp-edged black metal fence had originally formed a half-circle. Since the land had been allocated for the construction of the exhibition hall, the fence had been pulled inward.
Outside the fence, piles of sand and building materials were stacked up, and a temporary shed had been set up. People were moving around.
Wen Xiao’s heart raced. He quickly scanned each person who passed by, but then he realized how futile his actions were. The chances of seeing the person he wanted to see in this vast space were so slim.
He bent down, picked up the soccer ball, and straightened up.
In the next moment, he froze in place.
Through the black metal fence stood a tall young man. He wore a white shirt, the collar open, sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. His arms, toned and muscular, looked effortless and strong. In one hand, he held a bottle of cola, its surface covered in a thin layer of condensation.
It had only been a little over twenty days, yet time had swept through Chi Ye like a torrent, adding a touch of maturity to his once youthful features, making him appear strikingly handsome in a way that lay between adolescence and adulthood.
A summer breeze whistled past his ear, and the frantic, uncontrollable pounding of his heart gradually settled into calm. Wen Xiao gripped the soccer ball tightly, knowing he should turn and leave, but his body refused to obey. He couldn’t help but steal another look at the figure, again and again.
Their eyes met through the black metal fence.
One was in the blue-and-white summer uniform of Mingnan High, with the noisy sports field behind him.
The other was dressed more formally in a white shirt, looking every bit the adult.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
It wasn’t until a voice called out loudly from afar, "Wen Xiao!"
Startled, Wen Xiao blinked, his eyelashes fluttering as he snapped back to reality. He realized he had been holding his breath, his chest tight, and his fingers had gone cold.
With a stiff movement, he turned and began walking back, the soccer ball still in his hand. It wasn’t until the intense gaze from behind seemed to fade away that he tossed the ball to the nearest person.
The sharp pain that surged in his stomach blurred everything in front of him, shrouding his vision in a haze. He couldn’t focus anymore and instinctively crouched down, his back hunched.
As he rounded a pile of building materials, Chi Ye heard someone call his name. He stood still, waiting until the person came closer. "Uncle Wang, thank you for coming all the way to bring me here. I appreciate it."
The man referred to as Uncle Wang waved his hand dismissively. "It’s nothing. Once we’re done here, let’s take a walk over there. You have the blueprints, so it’s good to take a look at the site in person and get a sense of things." Noticing the redness in Chi Ye’s eyes, he casually asked, "Why are your eyes so red?"
Chi Ye paused for a few seconds before answering. "It’s nothing, just... the wind."
Uncle Wang believed him. "There’s a lot of dust on the construction site, especially when the weather heats up." Then he asked, "Do you like cola?" He pointed at the bottle Chi Ye was holding. "Seems like every time I see you, you’ve got a bottle of cola in your hand. I guess young people like those drinks."
Chi Ye gave a faint smile but didn’t respond.
He remembered the past, when a few days without seeing Wen Xiao would make him restless. Once, during a video call, Wen Xiao had told him to buy a bottle of iced cola to cool off and "kill some sperm." Chi Ye had taken him seriously and bought a bottle, then sent a voice message saying, "Next time I miss you, I’ll buy a bottle of cola."
Twisting the bottle cap off, Chi Ye tilted his head back and took a few sips. The sunlight stung his eyes, making them feel both sore and dry, as if tears might spill out any second.