My Deskmate Chapter 8 (Part 2)
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 8.2
After the evening study session, the students on duty had to stay behind to clean.
Wen Xiao emptied the trash, checked the windows to make sure they were closed, and finally turned off the lights before leaving.
Compared to the noisy, bustling daytime, the quiet campus at night made him feel more at ease. He didn’t like the homeroom teacher’s special attention, nor was he accustomed to Zhao Yiyang’s enthusiasm.
By contrast, Chi Ye was tolerable. At least he was out of sight for most of the week.
Passing by the school’s motto stone, inscribed with "Cultivate Virtue, Pursue Knowledge, Be Rigorous and Innovative," he saw the security guard in the guardhouse standing on a plastic stool, changing a lightbulb.
The guard looked down and, out of habit, called out, "It’s getting late. Hurry home and be safe."
Wen Xiao paused for a moment, then softly replied, "Thank you."
The snack street outside the school gates had already closed for the night, and the ground was slick with a layer of oil stains. As the guard had said, it was late, and with winter settling in, many of the shops had shut their doors. A few vendors still pushed carts selling roasted sweet potatoes and fried chestnuts, adding a touch of warmth to the chilly night.
Wen Xiao tugged on the strap of his black schoolbag and turned the corner, stopping after a couple of steps.
The path ahead was blocked.
Li Pei was leaning against the wall, his school uniform tossed on the ground beside him, a cigarette between his fingers. "Well, well, look who it is. Isn’t it our top student? Hard work on duty!" He grinned, then spat out the cigarette butt and crushed it underfoot, switching to a darker tone. "You've really kept us waiting."
Beside him stood a tall, lanky guy with bleached blonde hair, who took a drag from his cigarette, squinting his eyes at Wen Xiao. "Is this the new guy who’s crossed you? A scrawny little bookworm — do you think one punch would be enough to kill him?"
The group blocking the path laughed.
Li Pei’s smirk deepened. "So arrogant right after transferring. Guess it’s my duty to teach him some manners, huh? This is new territory, so be a little more humble. Who do you think you are with that cold face all day?"
Wen Xiao stood still, understanding their intent. He didn’t step forward, nor did he retreat.
Li Pei felt something wasn’t quite right, but there was no time to think it over. Grabbing a wooden stick, he walked toward Wen Xiao. "Stay right there, let Grandpa teach you a lesson, so you'll understand your place. After that, you can bow when you see me, and walk around me!"
With that, he swung the stick diagonally at Wen Xiao.
But before the stick could land, a sharp pain suddenly shot through Li Pei’s chest. The force was so great that Li Pei was knocked back several steps and fell to the ground with a thud. The stick rolled to his feet.
Li Pei’s vision blurred as he struggled to steady himself. Coughing violently, he felt like he was about to throw up his stomach acid.
Wen Xiao didn’t spare him another glance. He was never one to passively take a beating. In two quick steps, he grabbed the blonde guy’s hair and slammed his head against the wall. Blood poured from his forehead, mixing with stone chips, while his nose gushed like a broken faucet, splattering his face with a mess that resembled a mixture of red ink and tomato ketchup.
It was only then that one of the group realized what was happening — this bookworm was no ordinary student!
Just then, Chi Ye arrived.
He had parked his black motorcycle from a distance and, spotting Wen Xiao turning the corner from the street, he noticed two punks with brightly colored hair quickly follow him in.
Sensing that things weren’t going well, he parked his bike and walked in. Sure enough, his deskmate was in the middle of a one-man battle.
The streetlights were dim. Looking up at the wall, there was a sign that read "Happy Hotel," with multicolored bulbs flashing non-stop, like a disco. Chi Ye stood off to the side, watching, and decided to make his presence known. “Deskmate, need a hand?”
Wen Xiao glanced at him, his tone as stiff as ever. “No need.”
Exactly the answer Chi Ye had expected.
Chi Ye didn’t leave. He casually stood by and watched the fight unfold.
Wen Xiao’s attacks were swift and powerful, and his sixth sense was uncanny. When someone tried to sneak up behind him, he reacted instantly, like he had a built-in radar. With the wooden stick he had grabbed, no one could manage to bring him down.
Feeling a little tired, Chi Ye yawned. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the blonde guy, wearing tattered hip-hop style clothes, twitching his sleeve.
Chi Ye stood up straight.
The blonde guy had a face frozen in blood, his slanted eyes locked on Wen Xiao. With a quick shift of his foot, he moved behind him.
Li Pei, rolling on the ground, wrapped his arms around Wen Xiao's legs, giving him a momentary delay in breaking free. At the same time, the blonde guy yanked his sleeve, clenched his fist, and aimed a blow at Wen Xiao’s back!
"Damn your ancestors!" Chi Ye quickly assessed the situation and realized that the guy was pretending to throw a punch, but in reality, he was holding a spring-loaded knife!
If the blade sunk into Wen Xiao’s back, it could kill him instantly!
Chi Ye sprang forward, grabbing the blonde guy’s wrist with lightning speed and twisting it backward. In an instant, the arm and wrist were bent at an unnatural angle.
The spring-loaded knife slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground with a sharp sound.
Chi Ye landed a solid punch, his eyes sharp with fury. His voice was low and cold. "You aimed for his back. Are you planning to kill him?"
As the words left his mouth, another punch followed.
Chi Ye couldn’t even bring himself to think about it. If he hadn’t happened to pass by, if he hadn’t followed, and Wen Xiao couldn't break free, would that spring-loaded knife have plunged into his heart?
By the time he finished dealing with the blonde guy, Wen Xiao had also stopped.
A scratch from a fingernail marred the corner of his eye, leaving a streak of blood that strangely gave him a sharp, almost beautiful look.
Then he turned his gaze to the blonde guy, still lying on the ground, unable to get up. Wen Xiao stepped forward and pressed his foot down on the guy's hand, grinding his fingers into the dirt.
The blonde guy, choking on blood, let out a muffled cry of pain.
Withdrawing his foot, Wen Xiao raised his eyes to look at Chi Ye. "Thanks. If you ever need help again, call me."
Above them, the neon sign continued to flicker. Chi Ye’s mind drifted back to the post office, remembering Wen Xiao's words: "We're even now." Then, there was last night — how Wen Xiao had taken a half step back and said, "No need to trouble yourself."
Seeing Wen Xiao put on his black hoodie and start walking forward with his backpack, Chi Ye's feet moved before his mind could catch up, and he followed.
“Forcing you to owe someone a favor or get involved with someone is harder than taking your life.”
Wen Xiao didn’t stop walking. He just flicked a glance at Chi Ye, his voice cold. "Mind your own business?"
That glance irritated Chi Ye. With the last remnants of adrenaline still surging, he reached out, placing his hand on Wen Xiao’s shoulder and squeezing it tightly. Using a sudden twist of his wrist, he shoved Wen Xiao against the wall.
He leaned in closer, his gaze sweeping across the streak of blood under Wen Xiao's eye, and finally meeting Wen Xiao's icy stare. Chi Ye grinned, leaning in so that his shadow loomed over Wen Xiao. With a low voice, he whispered, "Well, I'm sorry, but you owe me one for saving your life, whether you like it or not."