Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The days slipped by quietly, marked by the scratch of pen on paper, and two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. When Li Mo clutched his freshly released monthly exam report card, his fingers slightly white from gripping it, he felt his heart was about to leap out of his throat.

Total Score: 482.

Grade Ranking: 187.

This was a total increase of ninety-three points compared to the last monthly exam.

A huge wave of ecstasy instantly overwhelmed him. He stared at the report card, double-checking it three times before daring to confirm it wasn’t a hallucination.

Ninety-three points! Far exceeding the “impossible” goal Xu Qing had set!

Holy sh*t!!!!!!!!

He almost rushed back to his seat with clumsy steps, seizing Xu Qing’s arm while he was quietly reading. His voice was distorted with excitement: “Xu Qing! Xu Qing! Look! Ninety-three! I improved by ninety-three points! Holy sh*t! Ninety-three points!”

Xu Qing was jolted so hard that he couldn’t hold his book steady. He looked up at the report card that was nearly shoved into his face. His gaze lingered on the total score and ranking for a moment, then scanned the individual subject scores, finally settling on Li Mo’s face, flushed with excitement.

“Mhm,” he responded, his tone still flat, but in those eyes that were always cool and detached, Li Mo’s ecstatic figure was clearly reflected, seemingly tinted with a hint of undetectable warmth. “I see it.”

“You see it?! That’s all you have to say?” Li Mo complained, then immediately started chuckling to himself. He leaned close to Xu Qing’s ear, lowering his voice, his hot breath fanning the other boy’s sensitive earlobe. “Professor Xu, you have to keep your promise. I remember that condition.”

Xu Qing’s ear tips turned red at a visible speed. He slightly turned his head away, pushing Li Mo’s head, which was practically glued to him, with his hand. His voice held a hint of subtle tension: “…Get lost, sit properly.”

“Hehe, roger that!” Li Mo was in a fantastic mood and quickly sat back down in his seat, but his eyes remained glued to Xu Qing, shining with determination and boundless anticipation.

…

Li Mo remained in a state of extreme excitement all afternoon.

During breaks, he felt like running two laps around the classroom, even smiling foolishly at Yang Di for a long time, which left Yang Di confused, yelling, “Brother Mo, did you find money?”

Only Li Mo knew that what he had found was much more precious than money—it was a promise from Xu Qing.

He finally endured until the school bell rang, and Li Mo packed his bag almost instantly, tailing Xu Qing closely like a large dog afraid its owner would run away.

“Xu Qing, are we still studying in your dorm tonight?” He kept pace, his anticipation practically overflowing.

Xu Qing didn’t stop, looking straight ahead, only letting out a single sound from his nose: “Mhm.”

“Then… the condition…” Li Mo rubbed his hands together, grinning widely.

Xu Qing finally stopped and turned to look at him. The setting sun cast a soft golden edge on his clear profile. He looked at Li Mo, who was eager yet trying hard to appear calm. He paused for a few seconds before speaking: “We’ll talk about it back at the dorm.”

“Okay! We’ll talk about it back at the dorm!” Li Mo immediately nodded. As long as the promise was going to be fulfilled, what did waiting a little longer matter?

The two walked side-by-side back to the dorm. Li Mo was humming an off-key tune and kicking pebbles, feeling like the air was sweet.

He had already started listing “rewards” in his head: Asking Xu Qing to watch a movie with him? No, too common. Asking Xu Qing to sing a song for him? He’d probably be beaten to death. Then… a proper hug? Or… a…

At this thought, Li Mo himself blushed and quickly shook his head, temporarily suppressing those overly “greedy” thoughts.

…

Entering Xu Qing’s single dorm, the familiar scent of books wafted over him. Li Mo closed the door behind him. The excitement and nervousness he had suppressed on the way surged back up.

Xu Qing put down his bag, walked to the desk, and took a sip of water. His movements were calm and unhurried, as if this were just an ordinary evening.

Li Mo, however, couldn’t hold back. He edged closer to Xu Qing, his eyes shining as he looked at him: “Xu Qing, I did it.”

“Mhm.” Xu Qing put down the water cup, turned to face him. His expression still appeared calm, but if one looked closely, they could see that his fingers, hanging by his side, were slightly curled. “Say it. What’s the condition?”

Here it comes! The crucial moment!

Li Mo took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. He looked directly into Xu Qing’s eyes, which were like two deep pools, clearly reflecting his slightly nervous figure.

“My condition is…” Li Mo paused, as if gathering courage, then spoke clearly, word by word, “Xu Qing, close your eyes.”

This request seemed to take Xu Qing by surprise. He paused slightly, looking at Li Mo with a questioning gaze.

“Just close them. You won’t lose anything,” Li Mo softened his voice, with a hint of pleading, but his eyes were full of persistence and expectation. “I promise not to scare you or do anything inappropriate.”

Xu Qing held his gaze for a few seconds, seemingly judging the truthfulness of his words. Finally, he sighed almost imperceptibly, his long eyelashes fluttering, and slowly closed his eyes.

The moment he closed his eyes, the cool, aloof feeling around him seemed to diminish significantly. He stood there quietly, like a fragile white porcelain statue, awaiting an unknown judgment.

Li Mo’s heart beat even faster. He held his breath and gently stepped forward, closing the last bit of distance between them. He could smell the faint, clean scent of soap on Xu Qing, and he could see his slightly trembling eyelashes and his lips pressed together due to nervousness.

This is it.

Li Mo mustered all his courage, lowered his head, and touched Xu Qing’s lightly pressed lips, extremely quickly and lightly.

It was like the brush of a feather, a touch-and-go separation.

Before he could even properly feel the soft texture, Li Mo pulled back abruptly as if burned, his cheeks instantly flushing violently, his ears burning.

Xu Qing suddenly opened his eyes. Those eyes, usually calm and placid, were now filled with shock and disbelief, his pupils slightly dilated. He instinctively raised his hand to touch his lips, where the hot, reckless temperature of the young man seemed to linger.

Dead silence fell over the dorm.

Li Mo was so nervous his palms were sweating. He barely dared to look into Xu Qing’s eyes, stammering: “That… the condition… I, I fulfilled it…”

Xu Qing didn’t speak, just looked at him, a faint blush slowly spreading across his cheeks too. His gaze was complex, containing surprise, helplessness, and a hint of emotion Li Mo couldn’t comprehend surging within.

Li Mo’s heart was in turmoil, afraid Xu Qing was angry. He quickly added: “You said ‘as you wish’! Th-This isn’t illegal or against morality, is it? A-And it was within your capability…” His voice got softer and softer, eventually becoming a mumble.

Watching Li Mo, who was so nervous his limbs were out of sync, his face red like a cooked shrimp, yet still desperately trying to defend himself, the turbulent emotions in Xu Qing’s eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of resignation, even a little indulgence.

He took a light breath and slowly exhaled. He seemed about to say something, but in the end, he just looked away, his voice so low it was almost inaudible:

“…Got it.”

Got it?

Just… got it?

Li Mo froze in place.

Xu Qing was speechless: “It’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”

Oh… right.

A huge wave of belated joy rushed through his heart, washing away the previous nervousness and unease. He looked at Xu Qing’s reddened profile and slightly trembling eyelashes. His heart felt like a giant firework had exploded, dazzling him dizzy.

He stood there foolishly, scratching the back of his head, looking at Xu Qing, who had looked away but couldn’t hide his burning ears. He felt that the night outside the window, with the streetlights coming on, had never been so gentle and enchanting.

…

The phrase “It’s not like we haven’t kissed before” was like a bolt of lightning, utterly frying Li Mo, leaving him dumbfounded.

The memory rushed back—the last time, also in this dorm, when Xu Qing had initiated the kiss. Although brief, and later deepened by Li Mo, it was as clear as if it had happened yesterday.

Li Mo clearly remembered the light shining in Xu Qing’s eyes and his slightly warm fingertips at that time.

“Th-That’s different!” Li Mo stuck out his neck, trying to regain the upper hand, but his voice involuntarily lowered. “The last time you initiated it, this time I… I earned it with my own ability!”

Xu Qing finally turned his head back. Though the blush on his face hadn’t completely faded, his eyes had mostly recovered their usual coolness. Yet, deep within his eyes, something seemed different, like a warm current flowing beneath a layer of ice. He raised an eyebrow at Li Mo: “With your ability?”

“O-Of course!” Li Mo puffed out his chest, with unwarranted confidence. “I improved by ninety-three points! Isn’t that an ability? So, that just now was… the reward being fulfilled! Perfectly reasonable!”

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something. His eyes brightened, and he leaned closer, pushing his luck: “Since we’ve kissed twice now, are we…”

“No.” Xu Qing interrupted him without looking up.

“Why not?” Li Mo complained pitifully. “We were before, and we’ve kissed…”

Xu Qing finally lifted his head from his book, his eyes filled with a mix of amusement and helplessness: “Boyfriend, for someone who’s been tortured by Physics and Chemistry, your brain is surprisingly simple. You believe everything I say.”

Li Mo froze, his expression blank: “Of course I believe you.”

Xu Qing: “…”

Okay, now it was his turn to feel guilty.

Xu Qing rubbed his forehead: “I was just teasing you.”

Li Mo pouted, then leaned against Xu Qing, his voice full of complaint: “Honestly, Qingqing, don’t bully me just because I’m simple. I’m telling you, I’m very strong.”

Xu Qing pulled his foot out of his slipper and stamped it hard on Li Mo’s instep, saying: “Strong? Do you want me to carve out your eight-pack abs and use them as a washboard?”

Li Mo: “…”

So scary.