Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Time slipped into mid-March amidst Li Mo’s intermittent periods of sweet fulfillment and moments of anxious longing during Xu Qing’s brief “disappearances.”

Spring was thickening, taking away some of the winter dullness in the classroom.

March 16th, Friday, was Li Mo’s birthday.

He had originally wanted to spend it with Xu Qing alone, even contemplating several versions of plans, from a romantic dinner to an arcade frenzy. But he couldn’t stop the loudmouth class sports representative, Lin Yi, who had already started shouting about it in class since the beginning of the week: “Brothers and sisters! It’s Brother Mo’s birthday this Friday. Shouldn’t we do something?”

This call was answered by many, especially with Tang Dawei, the core member of the atmosphere group, fanning the flames. A simple celebration quickly escalated into a small-scale class gathering.

Li Mo couldn’t refuse, so he secretly told Xu Qing: “Um… Qingqing, they insist on having it. I’ll just make a brief appearance, finish quickly, and then come spend time with you!”

Xu Qing was doing practice problems at the time. Hearing the news, he didn’t even look up, just gave a faint “Mhm.”

Li Mo’s heart was a little uncertain, unsure if his Qingqing agreed or simply didn’t care.

…

After school on his birthday, a group of students gathered at the school gate. Besides Li Mo and Xu Qing, there were Lin Yi, Yang Di, Shen Shuyi, Tang Dawei, and the class monitor Ji Lin and her friend Liu Jiahan, who were forcefully dragged along by Tang Dawei to “balance the gender ratio.”

Lin Yi boisterously patted Li Mo’s back: “Brother Mo! Another year older! We’re not going home until we’re drunk tonight!”

Tang Dawei immediately countered: “Please, Sports Rep, ‘drunk’ at a milk tea shop next to school? Come on, let’s go, the usual place! KTV room is already reserved!”

Yang Di’s eyes circled between Li Mo and Xu Qing, a knowing smile playing on his lips, but he didn’t say much.

Shen Shuyi followed quietly, occasionally whispering a few words with the students beside him.

Ji Lin and Liu Jiahan walked slightly behind, laughing and discussing which songs to pick later.

Li Mo entertained the teasing from his classmates while constantly sneaking glances at Xu Qing beside him. Xu Qing still maintained his cool and distant demeanor, but just his presence was a huge compliment in Li Mo’s mind.

At the KTV, the room immediately became lively. Tang Dawei expertly picked songs and turned up the volume. Lin Yi snatched the microphone and began to belt out his idol’s latest single, the terrible noise earning laughter and playful curses from the group.

Yang Di shook his head with a smile, ordering snacks and drinks for himself. Shen Shuyi sat in the corner, listening quietly, only speaking a few words when Tang Dawei dragged him into the conversation. Ji Lin and Liu Jiahan huddled together, queuing up a few popular love songs.

Li Mo was surrounded, receiving everyone’s blessings and jokes. Someone cheered: “Brother Mo! Sing one! The obligatory birthday song!”

Li Mo subconsciously looked at Xu Qing, who was looking down at his phone, his fingers sliding across the screen, seemingly oblivious to the noise.

Li Mo felt slightly relieved, yet a little inexplicably disappointed. He stood up, took the microphone: “Fine, I’ll sing one for you guys. This is a rare opportunity, you know.”

He sang an upbeat song, but his eyes kept drifting toward that quiet corner. Xu Qing had looked up at some point, leaning back into the sofa. The changing lights in the room flickered across his face, making his expression difficult to discern.

Halfway through the song, Li Mo felt the sofa dip beside him—Yang Di had sat down. Yang Di handed him a can of cola, leaning closer, and laughed in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Your eyes are practically glued to him. Be subtle, Brother Mo.”

Li Mo’s heart skipped a beat, almost singing the wrong lyric. His ears felt hot, but he forced himself to look composed, taking the cola and gulping it down.

…

After a few rounds of singing, the cake was brought in. Candles were inserted and lit, the room lights dimmed, leaving only the flickering candlelight. Everyone sang the birthday song in unison, and Li Mo closed his eyes to make a wish under everyone’s gaze.

His wish was simple, only one—to continue like this with Xu Qing.

He blew out the candles, the lights came back on, and there was another burst of cheering. The scene descended into playful chaos as they cut the cake.

Lin Yi mischievously tried to smear Li Mo’s face with cream. Li Mo quickly hid behind Xu Qing, grabbing his shoulders and using him as a shield: “Qingqing, save me!”

Xu Qing was pushed forward by him, frowning slightly but not moving away. Lin Yi saw this, chuckled, and didn’t dare to cross the line. Tang Dawei cheered on the side: “Aha, only Brother Xu can manage you!”

Amidst the laughter and noise, Li Mo felt his fingers gently touched. He looked down and saw Xu Qing, using his body as cover, slipping a small box into his hand. It felt slightly cool.

Li Mo’s heart pounded. He looked up at Xu Qing, but Xu Qing had already casually walked away to grab a drink from a distance.

Li Mo suppressed the urge to open it immediately, tightly clutching the small box in his palm. It felt heavier and hotter than all the gifts he had received combined. He excused himself to the washroom and slipped out of the room.

In the washroom stall, Li Mo eagerly opened the box.

Inside was a bracelet. A black cord with a black jade stone pendant, its shape complementary to the one on Xu Qing’s wrist.

Li Mo’s breathing hitched.

This bracelet… was the one Xu Qing had mentioned before, some kind of ‘fate’ bracelet.

Li Mo held the bracelet between his fingertips. The cool jade pressed against his palm, yet his heart was beating wildly.

He fumbled with the bracelet in the mirror of the stall, trying to tie the cord around his wrist. It took several attempts to fasten the knot. The black cord wrapped around his wrist, pairing with Xu Qing’s, like an invisible thread quietly tying their names together.

Li Mo couldn’t help but smile into the mirror, his ear tips flushed red. Afraid of being seen by his classmates, he quickly tidied his collar, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

When he returned to the room, the noise continued.

Lin Yi was chasing Tang Dawei with the microphone, Ji Lin and Liu Jiahan were taking selfies, and Yang Di was leaning on the sofa playing with his phone. Seeing him enter, Yang Di raised an eyebrow and glanced at Li Mo’s wrist, his eyes full of understanding.

Li Mo subconsciously tried to hide his hand in his sleeve, but bumped right into Xu Qing, who was entering the room.

Xu Qing was holding two cups of hot milk tea. Seeing him return, he handed one over, his voice a little softer than usual: “I just got this from the front desk. Half sugar.”

Li Mo took the milk tea, his fingertips brushing against Xu Qing’s. Both paused for a moment. Xu Qing quickly looked away, but as he turned, he subtly lifted his own wrist—the complementary bracelet flashed in the light, catching Li Mo’s eye perfectly.

Li Mo held the milk tea, the warmth spreading from his palm to his heart. He suddenly felt that this “disrupted” birthday was sweeter than all the one-on-one time he had originally planned.

He no longer rushed for the party to end. Instead, he sat down next to Xu Qing. Under the guise of passing snacks, he gently brushed against Xu Qing’s wrist and whispered: “It’s beautiful. I really like it.”

Xu Qing’s ear tips instantly turned completely red, but he didn’t pull away. He just shifted closer to Li Mo, letting their arms lightly touch.

The singing and laughter in the room were still audible, but in Li Mo’s world, there seemed to be only the body heat of the person beside him and the bracelet on his wrist that would never separate them.

…

For the rest of the time, Li Mo was occasionally pulled up to sing, but his gaze never left the person beside him.

When he reached a lyrical chorus, he instinctively looked at Xu Qing, meeting the other boy’s eyes looking back. Xu Qing’s eyes were very bright, as if infused with starlight. Gone was the usual coolness, replaced by pure tenderness. Li Mo’s heart skipped a beat. He sang the wrong word, drawing laughter from the group, but he didn’t care, only curving his eyes at Xu Qing.

The party broke up close to ten o’clock. The group said their goodbyes at the school gate.

Lin Yi was still shouting about “next time,” and Tang Dawei was already being dragged toward the dorms by Yang Di. Li Mo and Xu Qing were the last to leave, walking slowly along the path under the streetlights. The evening breeze carried the warmth of spring, making the willow branches by the roadside sway gently.

Li Mo suddenly stopped, turned to face Xu Qing, and brought his wrist close to Xu Qing’s bracelet: “Look, a perfect pair.”

Xu Qing looked at the two bracelets nestled close together, a slight curve forming on his lips. He said softly, “Mhm, they were always meant to be a pair.”

Li Mo’s heart felt gently scraped by a feather. He couldn’t resist reaching out, carefully taking Xu Qing’s hand.

Xu Qing’s hand was cool but very soft. He didn’t pull away. Instead, he gently squeezed back. Their shadows stretched long under the streetlights, and the bracelets on their wrists glowed faintly in the moonlight, as if quietly writing their ongoing story into the night.

…

Li Mo walked Xu Qing back to school.

Standing by the fateful wall, Li Mo held onto Xu Qing, reluctant to let go.

“Today… was the best birthday I’ve ever had,” Li Mo looked at Xu Qing, his eyes shining, filled with undisguised joy and attachment.

Xu Qing was a little embarrassed by the intensity of his gaze, slightly turning his head away, but the warmth emanating from Li Mo’s hand and the sincerity in his words warmed his heart. He softly “Mhm’d” in response.

“This bracelet,” Li Mo raised their clasped hands, his fingertips stroking the black jade on Xu Qing’s wrist, then touching the one on his own. “I truly… especially, especially love it.”

His voice dropped, carrying a hint of imperceptible emotion. The significance of this gift was too profound, exceeding all his expectations.

Xu Qing turned back, meeting Li Mo’s moved gaze. After a moment of silence, he whispered: “Mom said the other one was to be given to… a very important person.” He paused, adding, “For protection.”

The words “very important person” gently struck Li Mo’s heart, making his whole being tingle. He couldn’t help tightening his grip, holding Xu Qing’s hand even tighter in his palm.

“I’ll wear it always. I won’t take it off even when bathing or sleeping,” Li Mo promised, his tone as solemn as an oath.

Xu Qing looked at his serious expression, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. He gently pulled his hand away: “Alright, it’s late. Go home.”

Li Mo knew he should let go, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. He lingered, then suddenly leaned in quickly, pecked Xu Qing lightly on the cheek, and immediately retreated like a thief, his ears burning, yet his eyes shining with astonishing brightness.

“Good night… boyfriend,” his voice had a tremor of elation.

Xu Qing was taken aback by the sudden attack, a faint blush rapidly spreading across his cheeks. He didn’t say anything, just glared at Li Mo, but there was no force in the look, only helpless indulgence.

“Li Mo!” A sharp shriek shattered the night’s tranquility.

Li Mo froze, his heart sinking instantly as he spun around.

He saw Yu Wenxiu standing a few steps away, her face pale, her fingers tightly clutching her bag strap, her body slightly trembling from shock and anger. She had clearly been worried and came looking for him, only to witness the scene she least wanted to see.

The air seemed to solidify. The evening breeze still blew, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Xu Qing, upon hearing the sound, immediately withdrew his hand, the blush on his face quickly fading to a pallor.

He subconsciously wanted to hide the hand wearing the black jade bracelet behind his back, but stopped halfway through the motion. He simply pressed his lips tightly together, straightened his posture, and lowered his gaze.

“Mom…” Li Mo’s throat was dry, his voice strained. He instinctively stepped forward, subtly shielding Xu Qing slightly behind him. “Why… why are you here?”

“Why am I here?” Yu Wenxiu’s voice trembled with disbelief, her gaze sweeping like a knife between Li Mo and Xu Qing, finally fixing fiercely on Li Mo’s face. “If I didn’t come, how would I know that my son… my son doesn’t come home late at night, is wrestling with a… a male classmate by the school wall, and even… even…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word “kiss,” her chest heaving violently.

Her gaze abruptly turned to Xu Qing, filled with scrutiny, anger, and a hint of pained betrayal: “I recognize you! You won an award in a competition recently, and now… now you’re doing such shameful things!”

Xu Qing looked up, his face still pale, but his eyes had recovered their usual composure, though there was an underlying, subtle tension. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but realized any explanation would be weak and useless at this moment.

“Mom! How can you say that? This has nothing to do with Xu Qing!” Li Mo grew anxious, his voice rising involuntarily. “It’s me! I’m the one who likes him! I’m the one who insisted on pestering him!”

“You shut up!” Yu Wenxiu shouted fiercely, obviously more provoked by her son’s unequivocal defense. She looked at the brand-new, matching black jade bracelet on Li Mo’s wrist, finding it incredibly jarring.

She actually raised her hand and slapped him.

“Slap!”

The sound of the slap was crisp and loud, snapping Li Mo’s head to the side.

Not only Xu Qing, but Yu Wenxiu herself was stunned.

Since childhood, no matter how much trouble Li Mo caused, she had never actually laid a hand on him.

But this time was different. This was no small matter.

“Li Mo, you are coming home with me! Now! Immediately!” Yu Wenxiu snapped back to reality, forcefully suppressing her rage. She grabbed Li Mo’s arm, her grip surprisingly strong.

Li Mo stumbled, still somewhat dazed.

Xu Qing stood in place, the streetlights drawing his lonely shadow long. He watched Li Mo being forcibly pulled away by his mother, watching Li Mo’s bowed head, his lip line pressed white.

As Yu Wenxiu dragged Li Mo away, she cast a cold and warning glance back. Xu Qing slightly straightened his spine, neither avoiding her gaze nor making any response.

The lingering warmth of the noisy birthday party had not yet completely dissipated, the touch of the bracelet on his wrist was still distinctly clear, the sweetness and tenderness of moments ago still seemed to flow at his fingertips, but now it was all torn apart by this sudden storm.

A searing pain stung his face.

Li Mo was aggressively shoved into the car by his mother. The black jade bracelet on his wrist knocked against the car door with a faint sound.

Through the car window, he strained to look back, only seeing Xu Qing still standing alone by the wall, his figure appearing particularly frail and desolate in the night and the halo of the streetlights.

The air inside the car was suffocatingly heavy. Yu Wenxiu sat in the passenger seat without a word, tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her knuckles white from the force.

Li Mo leaned against the seat back, his heart feeling tightly clenched by an invisible hand, muffled and painful. He looked down at the bracelet on his wrist. That deep black now seemed to foretell an unavoidable, impending tempest.

The night of his birthday had taken an unexpected, sharp turn for the worse.