My Deskmate Chapter 83
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 83
Chi Ye didn’t take him straight home, but instead, at Wen Xiao’s request, they went to the basketball court on Jiuzhang Road.
Compared to a year ago, the court had grown even older. There was a large hole in the backboard, big enough that if the ball hit it just right, it could get stuck and not come down. The net had long since disappeared, and now even the metal rim was completely rusted. It was unclear how much longer it could hold up. The trees around the court had grown thick with branches, blocking out most of the light from the streetlamps.
Wen Xiao walked on the cement ground, seemingly searching for something. He didn’t stop until he had found the right spot, then looked at Chi Ye with certainty. "Right here. We once compared whose legs were longer."
Recalling their last encounter, Chi Ye smiled faintly, standing beside him. "Hmm, we also got into a fight here."
Wen Xiao didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he took a few steps to the side. "This is where we fought. I remember it clearly." His words seemed to spill out as his thoughts meandered, "My legs are just as long as yours. You couldn’t beat me in that fight. You lost."
Chi Ye thought back to that night. Looking at the person before him now, felt his heart soften. He couldn’t help but play along. "I only lost because you caught me off guard. You distracted me."
Wen Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Why were you distracted?"
Chi Ye’s voice was soft, almost teasing. "Maybe because you’re so handsome."
As the memories unfolded, Chi Ye realized he couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he had fallen for Wen Xiao. It had built up gradually, layer by layer, until this person’s presence in his heart became ever more vivid, clearer with each passing day.
By the time he realized it, it was already impossible to ignore or forget.
Wen Xiao was still drunk. It wasn’t clear whether he’d fully heard Chi Ye’s response. He stood there for a long time, his thick black lashes lowered in thought. Finally, he spoke again. "You once said, ‘In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.’"
"That wasn’t me," Chi Ye replied. "It was Camus." Then, without thinking, he added, "And it has nothing to do with summer. With you by my side, I’m invincible."
After saying that, Chi Ye chuckled to himself. Ugh, the words were so cheesy, they made his teeth ache.
But, to his surprise, there was no insincerity in it.
Now, when he thought about it, he found himself oddly relieved that Wen Xiao had left Mingnan and gone to Qingzhou the previous year. Because of the distance, Wen Xiao hadn’t seen the helpless, defeated look of the boy who had struggled so desperately against the pain of youth.
That, perhaps, was the last of his meaningless pride that he clung to.
He had swallowed bitterness and tears, fully aware that nothing mattered more than surviving. Still, no matter what situation he found himself in, he never wanted the boy he cared for to witness how he fought in the mud.
He understood his own limits. Whether it was the predicament of having a glimmer of hope dashed or losing his mother and home, he could always straighten his back and get through it.
But Wen Xiao was his backbone, as well as his weakness.
Just as he was lost in thought, Wen Xiao, who had been quietly standing there in a daze, suddenly leaned forward and called out, "Chi Ye."
The tone was light, yet it carried an unusual gravity, enough to make Chi Ye’s heart skip a beat. He reached out and placed a hand on Wen Xiao’s shoulder, replying, "What is it?"
Then, he felt Wen Xiao slowly lean into him. Although his expression was unclear, their shoulders and necks brushed together as Wen Xiao whispered, "Chi Ye, have I ever told you I love you?"
Chi Ye’s breath hitched.
Wen Xiao smelled faintly of alcohol, his forehead burning with heat. His words were slurred and unclear. Chi Ye couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol talking, but it was nothing like the calm and rational person he usually knew.
"The night I called you... I regretted not telling you I liked you more, not telling you I loved you more. And I felt so sorry..." He leaned against Chi Ye’s shoulder, his eyes clouded, like a lake under a starry sky, mist rising gently. "Do you know? You’re like the sun. I’ve always thought of you like the sun..."
Holding him loosely, Chi Ye lowered his gaze to the shadow they cast together on the cement ground and asked, "Whose sun, hmm?"
Wen Xiao closed his eyes and softly answered, "Mine. You’re my sun."
Chi Ye suddenly let out a soft laugh.
The shadow cast by the streetlight on his nose was instantly softened by his smile, even his sharp gaze becoming gentler, as if he were wrapped in a protective sheath.
He tilted his head and kissed Wen Xiao, who had been mumbling "I like you" repeatedly, and in his heart, Chi Ye thought, Your Chi-ge is more than willing. Willing to be your scorching sun, your proud light, for a lifetime.
Wen Xiao’s thoughts were scattered. He dragged Chi Ye around the court like they were patrolling, walking two laps before sitting under the basketball hoop to let the wind blow through his hair. The wind swept through for over an hour, and by the time Chi Ye managed to get him home, it was almost midnight.
Pulling him into the bathroom to freshen up, they brushed their teeth together. Afterward, Wen Xiao stood silently for a moment, then suddenly turned to Chi Ye. "Give me a kiss."
Leaning against the sink, Chi Ye smirked. "Is one enough?"
Wen Xiao slowly blinked. "Two."
Chi Ye raised an eyebrow. "Why two?"
Wen Xiao thought for a moment, then replied, "Because I came over to kiss you."
"Tsk," Chi Ye muttered, feeling a sudden surge of warmth in his chest. Even his fingertips tingled with heat.
But Wen Xiao pressed his voice down and asked coolly, "Are you going to kiss me or not?"
Wen Xiao had just brushed his teeth, his lips and jaw still slightly wet. Chi Ye’s gaze swept over them. "Of course I’ll kiss you. Why wouldn’t I?"
When they got to the bedroom, Chi Ye pinned Wen Xiao to the pillow, but after a few moments of kissing, he realized Wen Xiao’s breathing had evened out. He had already fallen asleep.
Wiping his thumb across his lips, Chi Ye smiled in resignation. Unable to resist, he poked Wen Xiao’s face twice. "Your Chi-ge’s kissing skills are so bad, you fell asleep from it?"
Wen Xiao, with his eyes closed, didn’t hear a word. He just slept soundly, undisturbed.
The next morning, Wen Xiao woke up with a headache, his brows furrowing in discomfort. Before he could piece together the fragmented and disjointed images in his mind, he heard Chi Ye’s voice beside him. "Awake?"
Without thinking, Wen Xiao nodded, but before he could react further, Chi Ye kissed him fiercely.
There was a distinct minty flavor between their lips, and his lips were slightly cool. He must have just brushed his teeth... But soon, Wen Xiao's already hazy brain became even more muddled. He vaguely sensed that this kiss was different from the previous ones. There was less intense collision and entanglement. Chi Ye, unusually patient and meticulous, ran his tongue over sensitive spots repeatedly — almost like he was showing off his skills.
It wasn’t until Wen Xiao was breathless from the kiss that Chi Ye finally pulled back and, in a hoarse voice, asked, "How’s your Chi-ge’s kissing technique?"
Wen Xiao’s eyelids were wet at the corners, his voice rough from sleep. "What are you doing?"
Just two seconds later, Chi Ye relaxed his hold, resting his head on Wen Xiao’s neck, a low laugh escaping him. He suddenly realized that he was just like a kid in kindergarten. After waking up, he had actually grabbed Wen Xiao and was ready to test his kissing skills.
"Nothing, I’m just in love with you. It makes me lose brain cells."
Wen Xiao felt that this person was acting strange early in the morning. As he moved, he sensed something was off. Lifting his eyelids, he asked, "What are you doing?"
Chi Ye leaned in close to Wen Xiao’s ear, his voice lazy and teasing. "Someone was on my back last night and said..." He lowered his tone, adding a breathy whisper, "Gege, can you help me again? Like you did this afternoon..."
The two of them bickered and laughed for most of the morning. By the time they finished showering and came out of the bathroom, it was already time for lunch.
Wen Xiao, with one hand holding a white towel to dry his hair, glanced at Chi Ye and asked, "It’s Saturday, right? Where’s Yaya?"
He was wearing Chi Ye’s oversized white T-shirt, the neckline loose enough to reveal part of his shoulder and collarbone. Since his hair wasn’t fully dry, water dripped down the lines of his neck, soaking the collar of the shirt and leaving a dark stain.
"You actually remember what day it is?" Chi Ye took the towel from Wen Xiao’s hands, rubbing his hair as he muttered, "She went to dance class. Every time she finishes, she cries, but in a couple of days, she forgets the pain and happily goes back to class. I’m starting to think she’s a goldfish, with a memory that lasts no longer than seven seconds." He paused and then asked, "What do you want for lunch?"
Wen Xiao, wrapped in the lazy warmth of the morning and still covered in steam, lowered his eyes. "I want egg noodles."
Chi Ye grinned. "Alright, I’ll fry you two eggs."
Wen Xiao didn’t look up. "Why two?"
Chi Ye’s smile deepened, his tone suggestive. "You used up a lot of energy just now. I’m giving you a little supplement."
Wen Xiao raised his head from under the towel, casting a brief glance at Chi Ye. "...Get lost."