Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Seeing Xu Qing accept the chicken leg, the heavy stone in Li Mo’s heart finally settled. He tore off a wing for himself, gnawing on it while secretly observing Xu Qing.

Xu Qing ate very quietly, chewing slowly and methodically. Even with his low spirits, his demeanor retained its characteristic cool composure. However, the gloom that wouldn’t dissipate from his brows made Li Mo’s heart ache to see.

“This is good, right? I told you their flavor is the most authentic!” Li Mo tried to break the silence with a cheerful tone, his cheeks stuffed like a hoarding hamster.

“Mhm,” Xu Qing replied softly, acknowledging the comment.

Li Mo wasn’t discouraged. He started rambling about various random things, talking about whatever came to mind. He deliberately made his tone exaggerated and gesticulated wildly, striving to lift the atmosphere.

Xu Qing mostly just listened. Occasionally, when Li Mo narrated something particularly funny, the corners of his mouth would twitch almost imperceptibly. To Li Mo, this was already immense encouragement.

Halfway through the meal, Li Mo remembered something. He rummaged through the snack bag, pulled out a carton of milk, inserted a straw, and pushed it towards Xu Qing: “Here, drink some of this. It warms the stomach.”

Xu Qing looked at the milk carton and paused. He remembered this was the brand Li Mo usually drank, which was sweeter than the average.

He said nothing, took it, and slowly took a sip. The warm, sweet milk slid down his throat, genuinely seeming to dispel some of the coldness emanating from his heart.

The two quietly finished their makeshift dinner. Li Mo took the initiative to clean up the mess, neatly bagging the bones and wrappers and wiping the table clean—his movements were uncharacteristically efficient.

After all that, he checked the time. There was still a while before the evening self-study started. He scratched his head, reluctant to leave but unable to find a suitable reason to stay.

Xu Qing seemed to read his mind. He stood up, pulled a thick physics competition workbook from the shelf, and placed it in front of Li Mo.

“This one,” a slender finger pointed to one of the complex major problems, “and this one. It’s a type you’ve asked about before. Practice to solidify.”

Li Mo: “…” Truly, he never forgot to supervise his studies.

Normally, he would whine a few times, but this time, he obediently took the book and picked up his pen, muttering: “Professor Xu, you certainly know how to draft labor…”

Despite the grumbling, he genuinely lowered his head and started studying the problem seriously. Xu Qing sat beside him, reading his own book, occasionally looking up at Li Mo’s stumbling solution steps, but not interrupting with a sound.

Silence descended upon the dormitory again. Only the rustling of turning pages and the scratching of a pen on paper could be heard. This quiet was different from the earlier oppressive one; instead, it carried a strange harmony and peace.

When Li Mo got stuck, his brows furrowed into a knot, and he subconsciously poked his chin with the end of his pen. Xu Qing noticed in his peripheral vision, put down his book, and lightly tapped the desk.

“Here,” his voice returned to its usual coolness, but the tone was steady, “the auxiliary line is drawn incorrectly. Redraw it.”

Li Mo uttered an “Oh” and obediently erased it, trying again according to Xu Qing’s hint. This time, the thought process became much smoother.

When he finally solved the correct answer and excitedly looked up to show off to Xu Qing, he found the other boy looking out the window, his gaze somewhat vacant, clearly not entirely focused on the book.

The words on the tip of Li Mo’s tongue were swallowed back. He put down his pen, leaned his body slightly toward Xu Qing, and gently bumped his shoulder.

Xu Qing snapped out of it and looked at him.

“I… I figured out that problem,” Li Mo whispered, his eyes carrying a tentative concern. “Are you… okay?”

Xu Qing looked at him silently, the emotion in his deep eyes complex, like a layer of mist, making it hard to see clearly. After a few seconds, he shifted his gaze and said faintly: “I’m fine.”

Li Mo knew he didn’t want to talk about it and didn’t push further. He simply nudged the solved problem toward Xu Qing, as if proving that he “was listening and being serious,” then picked up his pen, pretending to study the next problem, using his body language to silently announce: I’m here with you.

The faint sound of the preparatory bell for evening self-study drifted through the window.

Li Mo sighed, knowing he had to leave. He slowly started packing his bag, returning the workbook to Xu Qing, muttering: “Well, I’m going now… You… remember to lock the door tonight.”

Xu Qing stood up and walked him to the door.

Li Mo’s hand rested on the doorknob. He hesitated, then turned back, looking at Xu Qing, and said very seriously: “What I said is true.”

“What?” Xu Qing looked up.

“A new life will definitely be good.” Li Mo’s eyes were burning. “Because I’m here. I will always be with you.”

After saying that, he seemed a bit embarrassed. He quickly pulled open the door, and just as he was about to slip out, Xu Qing called out to him.

“Li Mo.”

Li Mo’s steps paused. As he turned his head, a shadow lunged at him.

Xu Qing was shorter than Li Mo by a forehead. He had to slightly stand on his toes to reach Li Mo’s lips.

Li Mo’s breathing stopped abruptly.

The world seemed to be muted. All his senses were focused on the fleeting warmth and softness on his lips.

The boy’s lips, contrary to his cool exterior, were very soft, carrying the cleanness and sweetness of milk and an imperceptible coolness, like a feather lightly brushing against him, yet casting a huge stone into the lake of Li Mo’s heart, stirring up monstrous waves.

He froze on the spot, his pupils slightly dilated, looking incredulously at Xu Qing, who was so close.

The boy’s fair cheeks were flushed with a rare pink, spreading all the way to his delicate ear tips. Those eyes, which were always cool, were now shimmering with moisture, filled with nervousness, shyness, and a hint of desperate courage.

After the kiss, Xu Qing did not immediately retreat, maintaining an extremely close distance, their noses almost touching.

Their warm breaths mingled. The air was filled with the lingering scent of salt-baked chicken, the aroma of sweet milk, and a silently spreading ambiguity called palpitation.

Li Mo could clearly see Xu Qing’s long eyelashes trembling slightly, and his lightly pursed lips, still glistening a bit.

Time seemed to stretch out.

Li Mo felt his heart was about to burst out of his chest, and his blood rushed through his limbs, bringing waves of numbing tremor.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He let out a vague, dry sound: “…Xu Qing?”

This low call seemed to startle Xu Qing. His eyelids fluttered rapidly a few times. He seemed to want to step back, but his body was rooted to the spot. He merely turned his head slightly, avoiding Li Mo’s overly fervent gaze, and his voice was barely audible, carrying a subtle tremor:

“Be… be careful on the way.”

This phrase was no longer a simple instruction but more like a clumsy cover-up, filled with infinite shyness.

Li Mo’s chaotic mind was awakened by the voice. A long-dormant instinct instantly overwhelmed the shock.

The second before Xu Qing could fully pull away, Li Mo abruptly reached out. Not to push him away, but to—wrap his arms around Xu Qing’s slender yet resilient waist, gently pulling him back a step.

The slight distance between them was closed again, their bodies almost touching.

Xu Qing seemed startled by his action, suddenly looking up at him, a flicker of panic in his eyes, but he didn’t struggle.

“You…” Xu Qing only managed to utter one word before being silenced by the astonishingly bright flame that suddenly ignited in Li Mo’s eyes.

Li Mo lowered his head, his forehead gently resting against Xu Qing’s, nose brushing against nose. His breath was hotter and more hurried than before. As if confirming something, he meticulously traced Xu Qing’s flushed cheeks and the moist lips that were so close.

“What… what did that mean?” Li Mo’s voice was extremely hoarse, carrying a coaxing tenderness he hadn’t realized he possessed. “Hmm? Xu Qing?”

His arms tightened, wrapping the person in his embrace even more securely, as if afraid he would run away. This embrace was unlike any previous playful arm-around-the-shoulder; it was full of possessiveness and undeniable intimacy.

Xu Qing was circled in his arms, feeling the fierce pounding of his chest, which mingled with his own drumming heartbeat, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other. The arms around his waist were warm and strong, transmitting a heart-stopping warmth through the thin school uniform fabric.

He lowered his eyelashes, which trembled like butterfly wings, and didn’t answer but didn’t deny either. The silence fermented in the warming air, making their hearts beat faster than any words could.

Li Mo didn’t get an answer and wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, he chuckled softly, a bit rogue, yet full of reverence.

He tilted his head slightly, his warm lips brushing against the corner of Xu Qing’s mouth, like an even more ambiguous probe, leaving a scorching sensation.

“Won’t talk?” he whispered, his breath tickling Xu Qing’s sensitive earlobe. “Then… I’ll have to find the answer myself.”

His lips didn’t immediately descend but lingered around Xu Qing’s mouth, close yet elusive, enjoying this torment of extreme intimacy. Every slight contact made Xu Qing’s body tremble slightly, and his fingers unconsciously clutched the fabric on Li Mo’s waist.

Xu Qing finally couldn’t bear the tormenting ambiguity. He raised his eyes, misty with emotion, and glared at him with a hint of shame-anger. The look was more of an invitation than a warning.

Li Mo could no longer resist. He lowered his head and accurately captured the softness he had coveted for a long time.

This time, it was no longer a fleeting touch.

This was a real kiss, carrying the artless yet incredibly fervent sincerity of a young man, gently and firmly deepening.

The sweetness of milk and their mutual scent permeated their mouths. All hesitation, unease, and gloom seemed to be briefly dispelled in this kiss, leaving only the fierce heartbeats and gradually merging breaths.

The faint sounds of other students’ laughter and footsteps from outside the door seemed to come from another, distant world.

In this small, warm dormitory, there were only the tightly embracing pair and this late, but surging, kiss.

Xu Qing gently pushed Li Mo away, and between gasps, he asked: “You turn eighteen next month, right?”

Li Mo hummed, his fingertip gently brushing the corner of Xu Qing’s eye, letting out a laugh: “What? Are you so in love with me that you want to…”

“Piss off,” Xu Qing directly interrupted the rest of his sentence, a faint smile playing on his lips, seeming a bit gleeful. “I’m not until March next year. Better think about yourself, Brother Mo.”

He deliberately emphasized the last two words.

Li Mo was stunned for a moment, then gently pinched Xu Qing’s waist, his tone sounding somewhat wronged: “You’re deliberately provoking me, aren’t you? Qingqing, you don’t care about me at all…”

Li Mo’s drawn-out, obviously affectionate “Qingqing” was like a feather, lightly brushing against Xu Qing’s eardrum, and also brushing against his heart.

Xu Qing’s ears grew hotter from the overly intimate address. He turned his head, trying to hide his slightly upturned mouth, but couldn’t escape Li Mo’s tightly following gaze.

“Who’s provoking you?” Xu Qing’s voice was still slightly husky from the kiss, but he tried to maintain his usual coolness, though the effect was greatly diminished. “Just stating a fact.”

Li Mo watched him pretend to be calm even as his neck was flushed pink. The subtle vexation he felt due to the “age gap” was instantly replaced by greater satisfaction and fondness.

Instead of letting go, he pressed the person further into his embrace, his chin resting lightly on the top of Xu Qing’s head, inhaling his clean, clear scent.

“Yes, yes, yes, everything Scholar Xu says is a fact.” Li Mo conceded good-naturedly, the amusement in his tone impossible to hide. “Well then, since I still have a few months before I’m ‘officially approved,’ shouldn’t I collect some interest during this time?”

The vibration in his chest when he spoke was clearly transmitted. Xu Qing felt like he was cornered in the very center of a large canine’s territory—warm, secure, and with a heart-pounding sense of no escape.

“What interest?” Xu Qing asked subconsciously, regretting it immediately, feeling like he had willingly walked into a trap someone had dug.

Sure enough, Li Mo chuckled softly, tilted his head slightly, his warm lips fleetingly brushing Xu Qing’s sensitive earlobe. Feeling the instant stiffness of the person in his arms, he was satisfied and lowered his voice, his breath hot:

“Like… exercising a boyfriend’s privilege a little early?” His fingers quietly crept up the back of Xu Qing’s neck, lightly stroking the delicate skin with a strong hint of suggestion. “A little… ‘pre-study’ like just now?”

Xu Qing’s face was flushed crimson by his direct and clingy words. He pressed his hand against Li Mo’s chest, wanting to push him away, but couldn’t muster the strength.

He looked up, glaring at Li Mo, his eyes conveying more shyness than anger: “…Dream on.”

“Can’t even dream?” Li Mo feigned a wronged look, yet his eyes were astonishingly bright, as if filled with starlight. “Qingqing, you’re too cruel.” As he spoke, he affectionately rubbed his nose against Xu Qing’s nose, the movement full of attachment and possessiveness.

Their breaths mingled, and the already warming ambiguous atmosphere escalated again. Xu Qing could clearly see his own reflection in Li Mo’s eyes, so small, so clear, as if he had been entirely taken in.

Just then, the official bell for evening self-study rang out sharply, piercing the door and echoing clearly in the hallway.

The delicate atmosphere was slightly broken.

Xu Qing seemed to find an excuse and gently pushed him: “The bell rang. You need to go.”

Li Mo, however, clung to him stubbornly, murmuring: “Just one more hug, just a quick one… We’re already late anyway.”

“Li Mo,” Xu Qing called his name helplessly.

“Fine, fine,” Li Mo reluctantly released his arms, but his gaze remained fixed on Xu Qing’s face, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at him. He raised his hand, his thumb gently brushing Xu Qing’s slightly swollen lips, his eyes deep. “This… is mine now.”

The possessive tone, filled with a young man’s unique arrogance and sincerity, made Xu Qing’s heart skip a beat.

“Go quickly,” Xu Qing turned his head, his ears burning red, and reached for the door.

Li Mo finally shuffled out of the dorm door, looking back every step of the way. Just as the door was about to close, he suddenly propped it open with his hand, poked half his head inside, his eyes shining brightly at Xu Qing, and mouthed silently:

“Wait for me.”

Then, before Xu Qing could react, he darted away like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish, his footsteps gradually fading away in the empty corridor.

The door gently closed.

Xu Qing leaned against the door, slowly sliding down to the floor, raising his hands to cover his still-burning cheeks. The residual warmth and scent of Li Mo seemed to linger on his lips, and he could still feel the strength of Li Mo’s arms around his waist.

“Idiot…”

He cursed softly, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably, slowly curved upwards.

“Brother Xu~” Yang Di’s gossipy voice came through, knocking twice on the door behind him. “I just saw Brother Mo running out of your place. Are you two… done yet? If we don’t go to self-study soon, Goddess Qi will be breathing fire.”

Done… What kind of description is that?

Xu Qing scratched his head, got up, walked to his chair, picked up the school jacket draped over the back, and said as he headed out: “Get lost. Don’t pry into things you shouldn’t.”

Outside the window, the night had completely enveloped the campus, and the lights in the dormitory building were coming on one after another. And a certain idiot who had just fled the “scene of the crime” was climbing back over the rear wall, touching his lips that still seemed to be burning, grinning like a hundred-pound child.

Will a new life be good?

He didn’t know.

Probably.