My Deskmate Chapter 79
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 79
"K-kiss?"
Zhao Yiyang and the others immediately recalled that when they were discussing whether to go to the get-together after the college entrance exams, Chi Ye had flatly refused, claiming he couldn’t go because of a lifelong matter. At that time, they all thought Chi Ye was just casually making an excuse, but now it seemed like...maybe it was true?
Damn!
Although Chi Ye often mentioned throughout their third year that he was already taken, and had someone he liked, the three of them had never seen any signs of a relationship. All he ever did was study. Eating and sleeping were the only breaks he took. His phone could last a whole week on a single charge, far from the typical signs of someone in a relationship. So, they had all assumed he was just joking or using it as an excuse to politely reject others.
But now, if it wasn’t just an excuse...
This didn’t add up! Something wasn’t right here!
They weren’t even interested in playing the game anymore. Zhao Yiyang spoke rapidly, almost bursting with frustration. If not for the fact that they were in a public place, he would have shouted at the top of his lungs. "Chi-ge, that’s so underhanded! So sneaky! This is called secret affair! You’ve been hiding this from us all this time, and we didn’t notice a thing!"
Chi Ye had been keeping an eye on Wen Xiao’s movements. Just now, he had heard a faint "thud" — he wasn’t sure whether it was the pen Wen Xiao habitually spun falling onto the table, or if something small on the desk had been knocked over. In any case, his mood lifted, and the smile in his eyes was unmistakable as he replied to Zhao Yiyang, "It’s not my fault you guys are blind and clueless. Don’t try to blame me. Your Chi-ge isn’t shouldering the pot for this one."
Seeing Zhao Yiyang about to say something else, Chi Ye smoothly changed the subject. "The exam answers are out. Have you guys checked your answers and estimated your scores yet?"
Sure enough, the change in topic worked like magic. Zhao Yiyang momentarily put aside the matter of "Chi Ye is in a relationship" and answered, "Of course I’ve checked. As soon as the official answers were released, I went over everything. For the last question in math, I couldn’t finish the third part, and I got half of the second part right but messed up the answer. At least I might get some points for the steps. Math was so damn hard, though. I’m probably doomed this time!"
Xu Rui: "Same here. Who isn’t struggling? I’ll probably only get four points for the last math question. I also got the last multiple-choice question wrong, even though I had done a similar question before! And physics, the last question was so perverted! Is the teacher even human?"
Finally, Shangguan Yu spoke up, "No one’s going to diss the Chinese essay? I read the material three times and couldn’t find an angle that fit. This stream-of-consciousness style is way too unfriendly to science students!"
At that, the three of them turned to look at Chi Ye.
Chi Ye sat casually, legs spread apart, wearing a white short-sleeve t-shirt that accentuated his toned arms. His fingers lightly tapped the edge of his desk twice. "I didn’t check the official answers, but I compared mine with Wen Xiao’s."
Zhao Yiyang: "What the hell? How is that any different from checking the answers? So, what’s the result? What did you get?"
Xu Rui: "How many points?"
Chi Ye: "Wen Xiao and I estimated about the same score. Once the final results come out, there should only be a one or two-point difference."
Shangguan Yu was also anxious. Without hesitation, he spoke directly into his headphones, "Wen Xiao, what’s your total score estimate?"
Wen Xiao, who had mostly stayed quiet until now, only spoke up when prompted. "721."
A deep silence followed.
Finally, Zhao Yiyang drew in a sharp breath and muttered through clenched teeth, "Damn!"
Xu Rui's eyes were wide with disbelief, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair. "Did we all take the same exam? Is the total score for you 850? Damn it, the total score is 750 and you got 720. What kind of monster are you? I shouldn't be competing with you at all!"
Chi Ye tried to calm them down. "The scores aren’t final yet. These are just estimates."
Shangguan Yu: "The estimates are conservative, usually on the lower side."
Zhao Yiyang squinted. "Meaning, the actual score might be even higher? This guy surnamed Chi is too annoying! Brothers, let's beat him up!"
Chi Ye laughed out loud. "Do you still want me to carry you to rank up?"
Zhao Yiyang was fearless. "If you’re out of the picture, we’ve still got Wen Xiao! He's just as formidable!"
Chi Ye was even more fearless. Smirking, he leaned toward his headphones to ask, "Wen Xiao, whose side are you on?"
There was a brief pause of two seconds before Wen Xiao, sounding a bit resigned, answered, "Yours. I’m on your side."
Everyone heard this exchange. Zhao Yiyang glared at Chi Ye, unable to stand his smug expression. He was about to throw in another retort but stopped when he saw the look on Chi Ye’s face. Instead, he burst out laughing.
During the time when Chi Ye returned to school, the three of them noticed a distinct change in him. It wasn’t about his appearance or anything outward, but there was a shift in the way he carried himself.
Before, Chi Ye had been lively, somewhat lazy, and a bit mischievous. But after he took a break from school, he seemed much more subdued. It was as if something inside him had been worn down, and all his sharp edges had been battered and bloodied, unable to be pieced back together.
But deep down, there seemed to be a bright flame burning, something that kept Chi Ye steady as he walked along a narrow, precarious path.
Back then, everyone had their heads buried in preparations for the college entrance exams. All their hobbies, ambitions, and emotions retreated before the looming test. Every day felt like stagnant water, spent immersed in papers and textbooks. Chi Ye’s change hadn’t been particularly noticeable at the time.
Not until now.
It was only in this moment that Zhao Yiyang realized that the old Chi Ye had returned.
Looking ahead, the summer of third year felt exceptionally long, especially at Mingnan High, where they were notoriously stingy with breaks. The combined winter and summer vacations of the previous two years were not as long as this one. With nothing much to do, the group found themselves back in the internet cafe, continuing their casual gaming sessions.
They played while chatting.
"By the way, Chi-ge, since you didn’t go to the get-together, you don’t know how many girls must have been heartbroken and disappointed. I know for sure there were at least a few planning to confess to you at the farewell dinner. And Wen Xiao too. You guys are destined to be those girls’ regrets from high school!" Zhao Yiyang’s game character leapt into the air, swinging a sword to strike Xu Rui. "Hahaha, sorry, academic officer, your health bar is gone! I mistook you for an enemy. My bad."
Xu Rui turned to him and made an exaggerated middle finger gesture with the hand that had been on the keyboard.
Zhao Yiyang kept chatting, "Oh, and Wen Xiao, how many people confessed to you at your graduation party? I’m guessing at least two digits!"
From Wen Xiao’s side came the sound of rapid keyboard typing. On screen, his character used an AOE attack that wiped out all the nearby monsters. Only after that did he reply, "I didn’t go."
"You didn’t go either?" Zhao Yiyang paused, his hand frozen on the mouse. "You and Chi-ge both skipped out? Hahaha, if Mingnan and Qingzhou weren’t so far apart, I’d seriously start to suspect you two secretly ditched everyone else and had a private dinner together. Damn, Your Majesty, save me, I need a heal! A monster's attacking me, I’m about to kneel!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he really was on his knees. The screen flickered to black and white, and when he checked the death log, he groaned, "Damn it, Chi-ge, what the hell triggered you to kill me so fast?"
Chi Ye, controlling his character, stepped up beside Wen Xiao and replied, "You talk too much."
Xu Rui, watching from the side, couldn't hold back his amusement. "Hahaha, Master, didn’t you know? The villain dies from talking too much."
Zhao Yiyang: "I’m a good person! A good person!"
At just that moment, a network administrator wearing a uniform passed by. Zhao Yiyang pulled off one side of his headphones and called out, "Hey, could I get a box of Vita lemon tea, iced?" He turned to the others, "Anyone else want something?"
Shangguan Yu asked for a bottle of mineral water, Xu Rui picked orange juice, and Chi Ye requested a can of iced cola.
Once the administrator left, Chi Ye spoke into the mic, "Wen Xiao, I got a can of cola."
Zhao Yiyang put his headphones back on, and found this odd. "Chi-ge, why do you have to tell Wen Xiao every time you get a can of cola? If I were Wen Xiao, I’d be so annoyed with you."
Inside the headphones, Wen Xiao didn’t respond. Strangely, Chi Ye didn’t acknowledge him either.
Zhao Yiyang felt like something was off. Why hadn’t Chi Ye snapped back at him? But there was no time to think it over. He made his character leap backward. "Shangguan, heal me! I just revived and I’m about to kneel again!"
On the other side, while the others were busy healing, dodging, and casting skills with lightning-fast reflexes, Chi Ye’s character stood still under a tree. He let go of the keyboard and reached for his phone beside it, sending Wen Xiao a WeChat message.
Chi Ye: What did you have for lunch?
A notification chimed in Wen Xiao’s headphones.
Immediately, Wen Xiao’s character stopped moving as well. At the same time, Chi Ye received a reply.
Wen Xiao: Fried rice with egg. You?
Chi Ye: Egg noodles. Not as good as when I’m eating with you.
Wen Xiao: So clingy.
Chi Ye chuckled softly, cursing with a smile, before leaning back lazily in his chair to type a reply.
Chi Ye: Only clingy to you.
Wen Xiao: ......
After a brief pause, Wen Xiao sent another message:
Wen Xiao: Fine.
Chi Ye’s smile widened. His boyfriend was incredibly cute.
The two of them didn’t manage to sneak off unnoticed for long.
Xu Rui, whose fingers were practically cramping from mashing the keyboard, finally caught a breather. But when he glanced at the screen, he noticed that both Chi Ye’s and Wen Xiao’s characters hadn’t moved an inch, as if they were frozen. Turning his head, he exclaimed, "What the hell, Chi-ge! At such a critical moment, you’re on your phone? Who are you even messaging?"
Chi Ye set his phone down beside his mouse, his eyes glinting with mischief as he smiled brightly. "Of course, my significant other."
As a proud member of the single-and-thriving club, Xu Rui respected the unspoken rule not to interrupt people in love. So instead, he asked, "What about Wen Xiao? I thought you guys were lagging."
Chi Ye, ever the tease, replied with a smirk, "Maybe he’s also texting his significant other."
Zhao Yiyang, sipping from his icy Vita lemon tea, jabbed at Chi Ye, "Chi-ge, you think everyone’s like you? Ditching us mid-game for your romantic pursuits. Right, Wen Xiao?"
After a few seconds of silence, Wen Xiao’s voice came through the headphones: "Right."
Then Zhao Yiyang realized that even though he had been insulted, Chi Ye was sitting in his gaming chair, smiling very... ambiguously?