My Deskmate Chapter 75
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 75
The third mock exam at Mingnan Affiliated High School was on May 6th, with the schedule arranged exactly like the real college entrance exam — Chinese in the morning and Math in the afternoon.
Chi Ye sat at the first desk in the first exam hall.
After lunch, when they returned to the classroom, the room was sparsely populated. The few who were there found that cramming for the afternoon’s math exam was of no use, so Zhao Yiyang and the others simply gathered around Chi Ye’s desk, whispering to each other.
Xu Rui spoke up. "I’m really curious. If Wen Xiao hadn’t transferred out of school, and he and Chi-ge were in the same exam room, who would’ve taken first place? Who would’ve ended up at the first desk?"
Chi Ye lazily spun his pen in his fingers, not thinking twice before answering, "He would’ve taken first."
Zhao Yiyang drew out his words in disbelief. "No way, Chi-ge. You haven’t even competed yet, and you’ve already given up without a fight? You’re not even going to try?"
Chi Ye shrugged. "I’d give it to him the first time. The second time, he’ll give it to me. There are four exams in a semester, so we can each get first place twice. Got a problem?"
"......" Zhao Yiyang made a fist and raised it in mock salute, then joked, "No problem. Just the way you two trade first place back and forth, it’s a bit like... Shangguan, quick, find a phrase to describe this!"
Shangguan Yu responded immediately, "Resources should be kept within a family? Power stays within the family? I’ve got nothing else. Figure it out for yourself."
As more students trickled into the classroom, some began flipping through their books to cram, while others lay down for a nap. Zhao Yiyang and the others, feeling a little embarrassed for causing noise, quickly returned to their seats.
Chi Ye’s gaze landed on the note stuck to the top right corner of his desk.
In the past, the name written next to the number "001" had been Wen Xiao.
Looking at it this way, could it be said that their names had overlapped in a way, even though they were apart?
With that thought, Chi Ye felt a little crazy. He pulled out his phone and opened the browser, searching for Qingda Affiliated High School’s forum. As he scrolled down the page, he didn’t even need to flip to the next one before he saw Wen Xiao’s name.
"Anyone want to make a bet? Who do you think will take first place for this mock exam?"
1L: "Xu Jiarui, of course. Her math skills are rock-solid. Even I, self-proclaimed genius, have to kneel before her."
2L: "You’re not from Qingda Affiliated High School, are you? Or maybe you’ve traveled back in time? Xu Jiarui got a guaranteed spot in the math competition and hasn’t been to school in ages. What mock exam are you talking about? I bet on Zhang Yunyi! I believe he’ll realize his shortcomings and make a comeback to claim the first spot again!"
6L: "Do we even need to bet? It’s definitely Wen Xiao. He doesn’t need any cheats. He is the cheat. After transferring here, the only time he faltered was in the first major exam, when he wasn’t used to Qingzhou’s test styles and ended up ninth. But after that, has he ever slipped up again?"
23L: "I’m betting on Wen Xiao. And by the way, this guy is ridiculously good-looking. Back in the first and second years, so many girls would grab me to ask for his contact info. Seriously, I didn’t dare say a word to him, so where would I get his contact details? I suspect no one in the class has even talked to him."
29L: "As a second year student, can I ask why no one’s talked to him? Is he being excluded?"
37L: "A friendly reply to 29L, there’s no exclusion. You should try it yourself and you’ll see. He’s like an upgraded air conditioner, his aura is just too strong. Honestly, I wouldn’t dare talk to him. Also, the guy is really good-looking, no joke. Here’s a picture as proof [image]."
The angle of the photo was a little off, clearly taken secretly. In it, the handsome yet aloof young man was wearing a red-and-white school uniform, sitting at a lone desk in the back row of the classroom, by the wall. His long, slender fingers held a pen, and he appeared lost in thought.
His brows and eyes were distant and cold, his features delicate and well-defined. The zipper of his school jacket was pulled halfway down, revealing the smooth lines of his neck and Adam’s apple.
Although he sat in a bustling classroom, it was as if he was in a world of his own, untouched by any warmth.
Chi Ye stared at the photo for a long time, unable to resist saving it to his gallery, and eventually set it as his phone wallpaper.
44L: "There's actually a photo! I predict this post is going to blow up."
51L: "Those of you who are just drooling over his good looks, don't be so shallow. This guy is a devil! God Ming was so amazing, but Wen Xiao pulled him down from first place. The most important thing is, after being pulled down, he couldn't climb back up! Get it?"
76L: "Even Chen Yuming was crushed? Yeah, makes sense. Before him, God Yi was also crushed. What a pity for seniors! Luckily, I got a guaranteed spot, otherwise, I would have been rubbed on the ground too. How tragic."
82L: "For those planning to confess, you can give up now. Wen Xiao’s said it himself — he has someone he likes. He won’t read love letters, won’t accept gifts, and he won’t remember anyone. If you try to make your presence known, he won’t even recognize you next time you meet. Don’t ask how I know, personal experience, anonymous."
Reading this, Chi Ye couldn’t help but smile slightly. He switched to WeChat and posted a moment visible to only one person: "Good boy."
That post occupied Wen Xiao’s thoughts for the entire day.
There was a 99% chance it was directed at him, but Wen Xiao couldn’t figure out why Chi Ye would say "good boy." No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with a reason for the compliment.
In the afternoon, the homeroom teacher announced the results of the third mock exam at Qingda Affiliated High School.
"There’s one month left until the college entrance exam. Compared to the actual exam, these test papers were slightly more difficult, especially the science subjects. So even if you didn't do well, don't be discouraged. There will be a fourth mock exam in half a month. We hope a high score will boost your confidence and help you walk into the exam room with a positive attitude." After giving this brief overview, the homeroom teacher shook the results sheet and began reading from the bottom, starting with the lowest scores.
The classroom was eerily silent. No one spoke, and there was a tense emptiness in the air, a palpable feeling that made everyone uneasy and anxious.
Wen Xiao sat in the last row, instinctively doodling on a piece of scratch paper. By the time he stopped, he'd filled an entire page with the name "Chi Ye."
"...Chen Yuming, total score 710, second place. Wen Xiao, total score 715, first place." The homeroom teacher put the results sheet down. "To save time, I won’t read out the individual subject rankings or other details. You can check those for yourselves after class. As usual, the rest of this period is for you to arrange, whether it’s to adjust your mindset or analyze your performance. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to come to my office and we can talk."
After the homeroom teacher left, Wen Xiao pulled out a blank sheet of paper to work on more problems. After completing two multiple-choice questions, he found his focus slipping. He took out his phone, instinctively opening his WeChat Moments again, and found himself staring at the words "good boy" that Chi Ye had posted, reading them over several times.
The countdown on the blackboard ticked away faster and faster. One day, buried in his pile of books, Wen Xiao looked up and suddenly realized that the two-digit number had become a single digit.
The exam was on the 7th, while Mingnan Affiliated High School was on holiday starting from the 4th. Before the break, Old Xu addressed the class, "Eat well, drink well, sleep well. If you want to chat, you’re always welcome to find me. If I’m on the phone, it means another student got ahead of you, so you’ll have to wait your turn. If you have things you don’t need, throw them in the two blue bins at the back of the classroom. Everything else, take home with you. Clean off your desks properly, and don’t forget anything. When all the classrooms are turned into exam rooms, your desk might be moved to somewhere else..."
Chi Ye had only one black pen and one red pen left. He remembered everything he’d done with the test papers and problem sets. He’d already thrown away a lot of things and couldn’t be bothered to sort through the rest, so he just stuffed everything into his bag.
Having tidied up his things, he reached into the last drawer of his desk for a final check. He touched around and found it was empty. Just as he was about to pull his hand back, his fingertip brushed against something rough. Instinctively, he touched it again, running his fingers over the surface, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.
As he lowered his eyes, his fingertips carefully traced the uneven carving deep inside the desk, each etched line and curve. He held back the intense thumping of his heart and hoarsely asked Zhao Yiyang, "You mentioned about the ritual of carving names on desks—"
Chi Ye wasn’t able to explain clearly, but Zhao Yiyang understood immediately. He turned around. "You’re talking about the sports festival in the second year, when I was head over heels in love?"
Chi Ye: "Yes, exactly."
Zhao Yiyang: "You mean the method that’s been passed down for over a thousand years at the affiliated high school? The one that’s always worked? Specifically, you carve the name of the person you want to see on the innermost part of the desk, using whatever tool you can find. Make sure to carve it carefully, and within three days, you’ll definitely meet that person!"
Seeing that Chi Ye didn’t respond, Zhao Yiyang grew curious. "Chi-ge, why are you suddenly asking about this? I remember back then, neither you nor Wen Xiao believed in it. By the way, do you know what happened after? The first time I tried it, it really worked. Wen Xiao knew about it too, but when I tried it a second time, it didn’t work. Shangguan told me it's all about metaphysics and probabilities!"
Chi Ye didn’t answer.
Deep inside the desk, beneath his trembling fingertips, were two carefully carved characters. The grooves were deep, as if the person who did it had spent a long time on every stroke.
Chi. Ye.
The two characters carved into the desk were — Chi Ye.