Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The cold wind, mixed with tiny snow pellets, rattled the classroom windows. Outside, the world was blanketed in silver. The final bell for the last exam of the term rang, and the classroom instantly erupted in a clamor of relief and excitement.

The winter break had begun.

Xu Qing tidied his pencil case, looking out at the swirling snow, slightly lost in thought. In the past few months, surprisingly, Xu Zhi and Xu Daning hadn’t come to the school to bother him again.

He didn’t know if Li Mo’s intimidating presence had genuinely scared them off, or if they were plotting something else. But this temporary peace, while allowing him to breathe, also carried a subtle unease.

“What are you spacing out about?” Li Mo’s voice came through with a laugh. His backpack was slung over one shoulder, and he tapped Xu Qing’s desk with the hand that was now out of the cast but seemed still a bit clumsy, “We’re free! Got plans for the break?”

Xu Qing snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head: “No plans.” Maybe just staying at the relative’s place, reading, and doing some odd jobs.

Li Mo seemed to read his mind, raising an eyebrow: “Just hole up for the New Year? That’s no fun.” His recently freed hand landed on Xu Qing’s shoulder, the movement still slightly awkward, but his tone was light, “Hang out with me. I promise you won’t be bored.”

Before Xu Qing could reply, a small commotion suddenly erupted at the classroom door. Several students instinctively parted to make a path, and two figures, bringing with them the outside chill, abruptly appeared in the doorway.

It was Xu Zhi and Xu Daning.

They didn’t enter, just stood there blocking the way.

Xu Daning had his neck pulled in, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his worn cotton jacket, his eyes shifty, showing his usual timidity. Next to him, Xu Zhi grinned, revealing smoke-stained yellow teeth, a deliberately ingratiating smile plastered on his face, but his gaze was like a hook, precisely fixed on Xu Qing.

The cheerful atmosphere in the classroom instantly froze.

Xu Qing’s heart plummeted. The faint unease suddenly materialized, chilling his fingertips. What was bound to happen, happened.

Li Mo’s hand on his shoulder didn’t move; instead, it tightened slightly, a silent form of support. The smile faded from his face. He turned his head, meeting the gaze at the doorway calmly, his jawline slightly tense.

Xu Zhi rubbed his hands and spoke first, his voice loud, as if to drown out all other sounds in the classroom: “Xiao Qing! Finally finished your exams, huh? Your dad and your brother came all the way to take you home for the New Year!” As he spoke, his eyes quickly darted towards Li Mo. The memory of being publicly exposed and intimidated clearly lingered, mixing an almost imperceptible wariness into his arrogant manner.

Xu Daning nodded along, his expression and tone unnatural, vaguely echoing: “…Yeah, go home.”

Countless gazes shifted to Xu Qing, curious, probing, and enjoying the spectacle.

Xu Qing felt his cheeks heat up, a familiar sense of humiliation and embarrassment creeping up his spine. He opened his mouth, but his throat was too dry to make a sound. Should he refuse? In front of so many people? What would they do? Throw a tantrum? Or forcibly drag him away?

“Go home?” Li Mo repeated the two words, his tone flat, yet oddly chilling. He took half a step forward, completely shielding Xu Qing behind his side, “I think we made it pretty clear last time.”

He flexed his recently uncasted wrist, the movement slow and carrying an invisible pressure, “Do I need to repeat myself?”

Xu Zhi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he instinctively took half a step back.

A vein throbbed on Xu Daning’s forehead. He started to step forward to curse but was abruptly restrained by Xu Zhi.

Li Mo didn’t look at them again, as if the two were no longer worth his attention. He turned back to Xu Qing: “Ready to go? Let’s leave if you are. My uncle’s car is at the school gate. What do you want for dinner? How about hot pot?”

He completely ignored the two people blocking the door, his natural demeanor making them seem like two pieces of bothersome air.

Xu Qing looked at Li Mo’s composed profile, then glanced at Xu Zhi, whose face was a mixture of red and green, caught between advancing and retreating. The tension in his chest suddenly released. He took a deep breath, grabbed his backpack: “Ready, let’s go.”

The two walked straight toward the door. The students watched in silence, automatically making a wider path.

Nearing the doorway, Xu Zhi seemed to want to struggle, his lips mumbling something. Li Mo shot him a look, cold, even slightly impatient.

Xu Zhi’s words instantly caught in his throat. He could only watch as the two walked out side-by-side, blending into the surging crowd in the hallway, and quickly disappeared.

The cold wind outside, mixed with snow pellets, rushed at them, but Xu Qing felt much lighter in his chest.

He listened to Li Mo enthusiastically planning their holiday itinerary: which new restaurant was worth trying, which day would be most efficient to tackle the winter homework…

Snowflakes landed on Xu Qing’s eyelashes and quickly melted. He gently exhaled a cloud of white breath.

This winter might not be so cold after all.

The two walked quickly toward the school gate, their steps crunching on the snow. The cold wind was still biting, but Xu Qing felt that the lingering chill had been largely driven away by Li Mo’s words.

“Just now… thank you,” Xu Qing murmured, his voice slightly muffled by the wind.

Li Mo waved a hand dismissively, his recovering arm still moving somewhat cautiously: “Why waste words on them? By the way, are you really coming with me for hot pot? My uncle is coming too.”

Xu Qing was slightly startled: “Director Yu?” Thinking of the Year Group Director Yu Wencheng’s perpetually stern face, he felt a bit reserved.

“Relax, he’s not like that in private, and he knows everything,” Li Mo grinned, “His car should be up ahead.”

Indeed, not far from the school gate, a black sedan was parked quietly by the roadside, its windows covered with a thin layer of snow mist.

As they approached, the rear window lowered, revealing Yu Wencheng’s signature, unsmiling face. He was bundled up in a thick down jacket, glasses perched on his nose. His gaze first fell on Li Mo, with the scrutiny typical of an elder: “Getting cocky as soon as your hand is better? Wrap up warm.” Then his eyes shifted to Xu Qing, his tone slightly softened, “Xu Qing? Get in, it’s cold outside.”

“Hello, Director Yu,” Xu Qing quickly greeted him, somewhat awkwardly pulling open the door and getting into the back seat. Li Mo naturally opened the passenger door and slid in.

The heat in the car was on high, a completely different world from the icy weather outside.

Yu Wencheng slowly started the car and glanced at Xu Qing in the rearview mirror, asking casually: “Did someone bother you again at the school gate just now?”

Xu Qing’s heart tightened. Before he could figure out how to answer, Li Mo quickly interjected, his tone slightly contemptuous: “Just his deadbeat dad and brother, like persistent ghosts, trying to drag him back for the New Year. I chased them off.”

Yu Wencheng seemed unsurprised, only furrowing his brow: “No conflict, I hope?”

“Nope,” Li Mo shook his head, “They wouldn’t dare.”

“Mhm,” Yu Wencheng responded, his gaze focused on the road ahead, “Good that it’s sorted out. Xu Qing,”

He looked at the rearview mirror again, “If you don’t have special plans for the winter break, just stay with Li Mo. He’s clumsy, so you can keep an eye on him, especially that hand that just healed.”

The words were spoken naturally and casually, without deliberate sympathy or excessive enthusiasm, as if it were a matter of course. This attitude actually made Xu Qing feel relieved, his tense nerves completely relaxing.

“Thank you, Director Yu,” he said softly.

“Don’t mention it,” Yu Wencheng waved his hand, turning on the indicator as the car smoothly merged into traffic, “Li Mo, your mother told me a few days ago…”

“I’m not going back,” Li Mo cut him off directly.

A moment of silence followed.

Yu Wencheng cleared his throat, then simply said, “If you’re not going back, then don’t. You can keep me company. What are you thinking of eating?”

Li Mo reverted to his cheerful self, reaching up to adjust the air vent: “Uncle, let’s go straight to that new Chaoshan beef hot pot place? Something light, suitable for an injured person like me.”

“You’re full of nonsense,” Yu Wencheng grumbled, but the navigation was already quietly set to the hot pot restaurant.

Outside the window, snowflakes continued to fall, and streetlights lit up one after another, the dim yellow halos gently enveloping the white street.

The car was filled with Li Mo’s chattering and Yu Wencheng’s occasional terse replies, mingled with the low hum of the warm air.

Xu Qing leaned against the window, watching the rapidly passing winter scenery. His own profile and Li Mo’s in the front seat were vaguely reflected on the glass. The warmth of the hot pot seemed to have arrived early, driving away the last bit of cold carried from the classroom.

Li Mo was still excitedly debating how many seconds to blanch the beef for maximum tenderness, and Yu Wencheng occasionally interjected with “Just eat your food, why so much talk.”

The corner of Xu Qing’s mouth lifted involuntarily.

When the car stopped in front of the hot pot restaurant, the warm light from the glass door shone on the “Freshly Sliced” sign. Li Mo was the first to push open the car door, not forgetting to reach back and help Xu Qing out, the motion as natural as if he had done it a thousand times.

Li Mo walked into the restaurant first, telling the receptionist: “I have a reservation, phone number ending in 4345.”

The server checked the record, nodded, and led the two to a booth near the window. Xu Qing realized the location offered a clear view of the snowy scenery outside. Warm yellow light spilled onto the table, and the air even carried a faint scent of beef.

“Order the soup base first,” Li Mo held the menu, leaning close to Xu Qing, his finger pointing at the clear broth option, “You have to have clear broth with Chaoshan hot pot to truly taste the freshness of the beef. If you want something spicy, we can order a separate chili dipping sauce.”

Xu Qing had no objection, but stared blankly at the dazzling array of beef cuts on the menu—Diao Long, Chi Bing, Fei Pian—he was hearing these names for the first time.

Li Mo noticed his awkwardness and simply decided for him: “We’ll take one Diao Long, one Chi Bing, and a serving of beef tallow. You’ll see how delicious it is when you try it.” He then turned to Yu Wencheng, “Uncle, do you want any handmade beef balls?”

Yu Wencheng simply hummed in agreement, his attention, however, on Xu Qing, as he handed him a cup of hot lemon tea: “Warm up your hands first. Just coming in from outside, don’t catch a cold.”

The soup base was quickly served, clear broth with corn and radish floating in it, bubbling finely after coming to a boil. Li Mo quickly grabbed the strainer, picked up a few slices of bright red Diao Long, held them in the pot for ten seconds, instantly scooped them out, and placed them in Xu Qing’s bowl: “Eat it quickly. This is when it’s most tender. Dip it in a little satay sauce, it’s incredible!”

Xu Qing took a bite. The fresh sweetness of the beef spread in his mouth with no gamey taste. The savory flavor of the satay sauce perfectly balanced the lightness of the meat. He couldn’t help but chew a few more times. When he looked up, he met Li Mo’s gaze, which was filled with the self-satisfied look of “I knew you’d like it.” Li Mo didn’t forget to add a few more slices of Chi Bing to his bowl.

Yu Wencheng spoke little, only occasionally refilling their tea, but a rare smile appeared on his face as he watched Li Mo instruct Xu Qing to “eat slowly, there’s more,” while not stopping his own chopsticks.

This kind of lively, warm atmosphere was something Xu Qing had almost never experienced in his 17 years.

“By the way,” Yu Wencheng suddenly spoke, setting down his teacup and looking at Xu Qing, “I already called your mother. She said the restaurant is busy at the end of the year, so you should feel safe staying here. Once she’s done with this busy period, she’ll come to pick you up for a New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Xu Qing snapped his head up, his eyes full of bewilderment. He had been worrying about his mother being alone during the New Year, and unexpectedly, Yu Wencheng had already taken care of contacting her.

“Thank you, Director Yu,” his voice was slightly tight, and his grip on his chopsticks tightened.

“Don’t thank me,” Yu Wencheng waved his hand, “Your mother is a strong woman. We help where we can.”

Li Mo chimed in: “Exactly! We’ll have New Year’s Eve dinner together then. I’ve learned how to stir-fry! What do you like to eat? I promise I’ll cook it for you.”

The snow was still falling outside the window, turning into streaks of water on the glass, blurring the world outside. But inside the booth, the warmth was reassuring. The broth in the pot continued to gurgle, and the aroma of beef mixed with their laughter filled the entire space.

Xu Qing took a sip of the hot lemon tea, the warmth sliding from his throat all the way to his stomach.

He looked at the animated Li Mo across from him and the quiet Yu Wencheng beside him, and suddenly felt that this winter break, he really might not have to worry about the cold anymore.