Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

The end of October wind already carried a distinct chill, swirling a few yellowed sycamore leaves that spun in front of the teaching building before lazily settling on the ground.

Xu Qing was enjoying a rare period of peace.

He had just walked out of the dorm building, and it was still quite early. His fingertips felt a bit cold from the wind. He instinctively pulled his school jacket closer, and as he was about to head to the classroom, he saw two familiar and jarring figures looking in his direction from beneath a tree not far away.

It was his father, Xu Zhi, and his older brother, Xu Daning.

Xu Qing’s steps immediately stopped, and his usually calm expression instantly turned cold, his fingertips even slightly tense.

How did these two get in?

His instinct was to turn and avoid them, but Xu Zhi had already spotted him, raised his hand and waved vigorously, his voice carrying over the wind, laced with undisguised impatience: “Xu Qing! Over here! Why are you hiding!”

It wasn’t time for the morning wake-up call yet, so there was no one else around.

A thin layer of red crept up Xu Qing’s ear tips, not from shyness, but from annoyance. He took a deep breath, suppressing the rising tide of frustration in his heart, and walked over step by step.

“What are you doing here?” Xu Qing’s voice was flat. He didn’t even address them as “Dad” or “Brother,” the alienation in his tone like a thin layer of ice.

Xu Zhi scrutinized him from head to toe, his eyes falling on his clean school uniform, and frowned: “What am I doing? Asking you for money, of course! Since you ran off with that cheap woman, your mother, do you know how hard your old man has had it?!”

“I don’t have any money,” Xu Qing immediately refused, his tone unwavering, “My monthly living expenses come from a part-time job.”

“Bullshit!” Xu Daning instantly stepped forward, his tone crude, “Who doesn’t know you get scholarships here? And I heard people even donate money to you? Don’t pretend to be poor with us here!”

Xu Qing’s expression grew colder: “You have the nerve to bring that up? That money was already taken by you and spent clean.”

Previously, because of Xu Qing’s excellent grades, kind, wealthy people would give him money every month. But that money was always snatched by Xu Zhi and Xu Daning before Xu Qing could even warm it in his hand, to be spent on drinking and gambling.

With a leech of a father and brother like this, the donations eventually stopped coming.

“Why are you so unfilial, kid? Is that how you talk to your father!!?” Xu Zhi’s temper flared, his voice raising several decibels, “Is it easy for the family to put you through school? If it weren’t for your old man, you’d have been sold off a long time ago! How dare you talk back? I’m telling you, you must hand over the money today, or you won’t be staying in this school anymore!”

Xu Qing tightly clenched his fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms. He knew these two too well; they never cared how he was doing, only constantly tried to extract what they wanted from him, like vampires.

“I said, I don’t have it,” Xu Qing’s voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor, yet remained firm.

Just then, a hand lightly landed on Xu Qing’s shoulder, bringing a familiar warmth.

Xu Qing was momentarily stunned, turning his head to see Li Mo standing beside him. The usual smile was gone from his face, his eyes cold as ice, staring at Xu Zhi and Xu Daning.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Li Mo’s tone was flat but carried an undeniable sense of oppression. He subtly pulled Xu Qing behind him, as if shielding a treasure.

Xu Zhi and Xu Daning were momentarily intimidated by Li Mo’s presence, only reacting after a brief pause.

Xu Zhi sized up Li Mo, saw his school uniform and the cast on his hand, and his tone became arrogant again: “Hmph, who do you think you are? You, kid, at your age, not studying properly, running off to seduce old married women? Your old man here doesn’t want trouble today, so this is none of your business, scram as far away as possible!”

“His business is my business,” Li Mo looked at them, his voice mocking, “I have to say, you two are truly shameless, one worse than the other. Where do you get the nerve to claim you paid for his schooling and raised him? You two are the ones who should scram.”

Xu Zhi and Xu Daning exchanged glances, clearly not expecting Li Mo to suddenly appear.

They had done their homework beforehand and knew Xu Qing was a loner in school with few friends, easy to manipulate.

They had dismissed their previous confrontation, thinking Li Mo was just a busybody. But now, it was clear his relationship with Xu Qing was unusual.

Li Mo’s fighting style was unruly but vicious. Even with his injured hand, his intimidating aura hadn’t diminished at all.

Xu Daning sneered: “Kid, there’s a limit to how meddlesome you can be, right? Sticking your nose into other people’s family matters. Don’t you have a family of your own?”

“You call this a family matter? Anyone who didn’t know you two were his father and brother would think you were debt collectors,” Li Mo didn’t back down, his tone remaining cold.

Xu Qing stood behind Li Mo, looking at his not-so-broad but exceptionally reliable back. Something softly nudged his heart. His previously cold and frustrated emotions were strangely calmed. The hand clutching the edge of his school jacket slowly loosened.

Xu Zhi’s face cycled through shades of green and white. He wanted to erupt but was afraid of causing a scene and losing face. After much hesitation, he glared viciously at Xu Qing: “Xu Qing! You just wait for your old man! This isn’t over! We’ll come back for you next time!”

With that, he grabbed Xu Daning, cursed under his breath, and left.

Only after the two figures disappeared around the corner of the dorm building did Li Mo turn around to face Xu Qing. The coldness from before vanished instantly, replaced by concern: “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

Xu Qing shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He wanted to say something, but his throat felt tight. He looked at Li Mo, silent for a few seconds, then whispered: “Thank you.”

“Why be polite with me?” Li Mo smiled, reaching out to pat his head, but remembering he might dislike overly intimate contact, he lightly patted his shoulder instead, “If they ever come looking for you again, don’t handle it alone. Tell me, and your brother here will punch them all away.”

The autumn wind blew again, swirling the fallen leaves, but it no longer made Xu Qing feel cold. He looked at the warmth in Li Mo’s eyes, and the thick ice covering his heart seemed to quietly melt a small piece at that moment.

Li Mo’s smile dispersed the last trace of chill from Xu Qing’s heart. He looked at Li Mo’s cast hand, his brows slightly furrowed: “Your hand… is it okay?”

During the confrontation just now, he was genuinely afraid that Xu Zhi or Xu Daning would impulsively touch Li Mo’s injury.

“Ah, I’m fine!” Li Mo shook his cast arm nonchalantly, “Dealing with these paper tigers only needs presence. If it came to a real fight, I could kick them down with my foot.” His tone was exaggerated, an attempt to lighten the mood.

Xu Qing knew he was trying to comfort him. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, revealing an extremely faint smile that he himself hadn’t noticed. “They… are very persistent.”

He spoke softly, like a warning, also carrying a trace of unnoticeable worry. Xu Zhi and Xu Daning’s threats were never just empty words. They were like maggots on a bone, not giving up easily until they got what they wanted.

“How persistent can they be? Are they going to tear down the heavens?” Li Mo scoffed, then his expression became serious, “This is a school. We have rules and regulations. They wouldn’t dare do anything serious. Besides, you have me.”

He paused, looking at Xu Qing’s still somewhat pale face, and softened his voice, “Let’s go. The wake-up bell is about to ring, and it will get crowded soon. Let’s head to the classroom first, and you can tell me what those two guys are really all about? Know yourself and your enemy, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles, right?”

He naturally draped his arm over Xu Qing’s shoulder. This time, the gesture was light, a posture of protection rather than the casual camaraderie of before.

Xu Qing’s body stiffened slightly for a moment but didn’t pull away as he usually would. The warmth from Li Mo’s body, transmitted through the thin school jacket, strangely soothed his taut nerves.

The two walked side-by-side toward the teaching building. The campus was still quiet in the early morning, with only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and their footsteps.

Xu Qing was silent for a while before slowly speaking, his voice very soft, as if it could be scattered by the wind: “Since that argument, my mother took me to stay with relatives temporarily. He drinks, gambles, and hits people when he loses. Xu Daning is just like him… The last time you got involved, my mother really couldn’t take it anymore. She wants a divorce but can’t get one. It’s been a stalemate.”

He was concise, sketching out a painful past in a few words. The scars hidden beneath his cold exterior were cautiously exposed at this moment.

Li Mo listened quietly without interruption, only tightening his hand on Xu Qing’s shoulder slightly, conveying silent support.

“Someone did sponsor me before,” Xu Qing continued, a hint of self-mockery in his voice, “But the money would always be discovered and snatched away by them. Later… the sponsors stopped. The scholarship is the only money I can hold onto myself. They don’t know the exact amount but are always scheming for it.”

“Damn it, what scumbags!” Li Mo cursed softly, his teeth itching with anger, “Don’t worry, no one will take your money from now on. The next time they come, I’ll call security directly, or the police, and report them for harassment and intimidation!”

Xu Qing turned his head to look at Li Mo. The rising sun, in shades of gold and crimson, outlined Li Mo’s well-defined profile. The eyes that were usually smiling looked particularly serious and determined at this moment.

A strange, bittersweet, yet warm emotion quietly welled up in Xu Qing’s heart. He was used to facing all of this alone, used to building a high wall with indifference, used to having no one to rely on. But Li Mo kept barging in, time and time again, forcefully standing in front of him, bringing a defense and warmth he had never dared to hope for.

He lowered his head and softly said, “Mhm.”

The thick layer of ice encasing his heart was rapidly melting under Li Mo’s unreasonable “warmheartedness” and the morning sun of the autumn day. The cracking sound of the ice was faint but clear, transforming into a warm current that quietly seeped into his long-cold heart.

Perhaps, he didn’t need to carry the burden alone forever.

In the distance, the wake-up bell rang precisely, breaking the campus silence. A new day had begun. And this time, Xu Qing felt, perhaps something would be different.