Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The next day.

Li Mo, having regained his freedom, rarely, played on his phone all night.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already noon.

The guest room was well-lit. Warm sunlight poured in through the window, coating the sparsely lived-in room with a golden edge.

Li Mo: I’m in a good mood. Even the big sun feels incredibly warm, not hot at all. Oh~

This serenity didn’t last long, interrupted by a knock on the door.

Followed by Aunt Zhang’s voice: “Young Master, are you awake? The teacher the Master found for you has arrived.”

Teacher? Li Mo remembered.

After returning from the trip, it was already mid-June, and the date for checking exam scores was approaching.

Ye Zhong had specially hired a professional teacher, whose expertise was allegedly so excellent that they could get even a piece of dog excrement into a good major.

Isn’t that pure nonsense?

Li Mo scratched his head, threw back the covers, and got out of bed.

Whatever, it’s Ye Zhong’s money anyway.

After washing up, Li Mo’s hair was still slightly damp, and he exuded the laziness of someone who had just woken up.

He shuffled into the living room in his slippers and saw a middle-aged man wearing wire-rimmed glasses and a crisp shirt sitting on the sofa, talking with Ye Zhong.

Yu Wenxiu wasn’t there; she had probably taken Ye Jinlun out.

Seeing Li Mo’s attire, Ye Zhong didn’t mind or say much. He just introduced them: “Mo Mo, this is Teacher Zhou. He’s an expert in college application advising. Study well with Teacher Zhou these next few days.”

Teacher Zhou stood up, adjusted his glasses, and offered a professional, gentle smile: “Li Mo, is it? Hello. No need to be nervous. We’ll mainly be helping you clarify your thoughts these days, combining your interests and estimated scores to find the optimal choice.”

Li Mo forced a smile that held no warmth: “Hello, Teacher Zhou, thank you for your trouble.”

He knew perfectly well that as for “interests,” Ye Zhong’s primary goal in hiring this person was absolutely to ensure he applied to a “safe,” “promising” school and major, preferably one far away from this city.

How Li Mo felt about it was irrelevant.

Li Mo’s estimated score was between 628 and 630.

Considering his performance, he had done quite well. It was much higher than he had expected.

Li Mo’s grades had steadily declined starting from the second semester of junior high until they hit rock bottom. Many people said he had gone bad—smoking, drinking, fighting, hanging out with a gang of bad friends, riding motorcycles like a punk to race down the streets.

Although some of it was indeed stupid, Li Mo hadn’t truly gone bad. He wanted to use these methods to make Yu Wenxiu care about him again, to stay by his side and look after him, like before.

The ideal was rich, the reality was skinny.

Yu Wenxiu was virtually unconcerned with any of his behavior.

As long as he didn’t break the law or start dating prematurely, Li Mo could pierce his face all over, and she wouldn’t interfere.

Later, Li Mo completely gave up trying.

He could learn anything easily, but he just chose not to.

The score he achieved on the college entrance exam could be considered a normal performance.

The three men talked in the living room all afternoon, and it wasn’t until dusk that they saw Teacher Zhou off.

Li Mo couldn’t remember what they had talked about.

To summarize, Ye Zhong wanted him to choose a major in finance for a future position in the company.

During the conversation, they had asked for Li Mo’s opinion, but Li Mo only said: “Mhm, sure, fine, that’s great.”

He had no particular interests or hobbies, no job he really liked, really wanted to do, or was very interested in. Seriously, any major was the same to him.

…

That evening, only Li Mo and Ye Zhong were at the dinner table.

Yu Wenxiu had taken Ye Jinlun back to her parents’ house. Since it was the summer vacation, they were likely staying there for a few days.

Without these two mediating people, the dinner between Li Mo and Ye Zhong was awkward.

Li Mo tried to distract himself by scrolling through short videos. Unfortunately, his algorithm was terrifying—it was all curious audio paired with bizarre content, making it even more awkward.

Ye Zhong cleared his throat: “Mo Mo, talk to your uncle for a bit.”

“Ah… okay.” Li Mo obediently turned off his phone.

Ye Zhong put down his chopsticks, his fingers resting on the table. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “Mo Mo, do you want to go back to A City?”

Li Mo was stunned. He hadn’t expected Ye Zhong to bring up this topic.

He had thought that Ye Zhong, like Yu Wenxiu, wouldn’t want him to return to that place.

Of course, he wanted to.

He had left so inexplicably, and so many things had happened that he didn’t know about. With his personality, how could he not want to know the answers?

If he didn’t figure some things out, Li Mo would die a death full of regret.

But could he say so? That would be like wildly dancing on his mother’s minefield.

Sensing Li Mo’s hesitation and conflict, Ye Zhong said: “You can be honest with me. Do I really need to report this kind of thing to your mother?”

“…”

Li Mo decided to tell the truth: “Yes, I do.”

Some things he had to figure out.

“I want to go back to A City.”

Some people, he absolutely had to see.

Looking at the determination in Li Mo’s eyes, Ye Zhong’s face held an unreadable emotion.

He said: “I’ve heard about your birth father. He was not a good father, nor a good husband, and certainly not a good man.”

“Li Mo, do you know what makes a true man?”

Aside from a slight unfamiliarity when they first met, this was the first time Ye Zhong had called Li Mo by his full name so seriously and formally.

Li Mo shook his head: “No…”

“Taking responsibility for the choices you make, regardless of the outcome, without blaming heaven or others. Having the ability to protect the people you care about and the confidence to ensure both of you can become better.”

“As an adult, you shouldn’t only think about eating, drinking, and having fun, nor should you be so dramatic. You need to think about your and his future, what the consequences will be if you continue to be together, and whether you can both bear those consequences.”

Li Mo listened silently, his fingers unconsciously tightening their grip on his chopsticks.

Ye Zhong paused, giving him time to digest.

He continued: “Mo Mo, have you thought it through? Are you going to give up, or…”

“Dad.”

Li Mo called out, neither stumbling nor sounding stiff, not sounding like an act.

“Thank you… Dad.”

Ye Zhong was momentarily taken aback. After realizing what had happened, he smiled: “Good boy… I’ve done a lot of things wrong before too. It’s my first time dealing with a child like you. Although your thoughts are hard to read, I believe you are a good child.”

That “Dad” and the “Thank you” were like a warm current, melting the awkward ice at the dinner table. The lines on Ye Zhong’s face softened significantly. He even proactively put some food on Li Mo’s plate.

“About returning to A City, I can help arrange it after you’ve submitted your college applications,” Ye Zhong’s tone was no longer that of negotiation but one of consultation. “But like I said just now, you need to think clearly. Is going back to resolve a past knot, or to restart a path that might be even harder? Whatever decision you make, the prerequisite is that you must be able to take responsibility for yourself and for the other person.”

“I understand.” Li Mo nodded. This time, his eyes lacked the perfunctoriness and pretense of before, filled instead with serious thought. “I will think it through.”

The atmosphere during the second half of the dinner was noticeably more relaxed. The two even chatted about casual topics concerning university life. Ye Zhong rarely shared some embarrassing stories from his own student days.

…

Returning to his room, Li Mo locked the door but didn’t immediately reach for his phone.

He walked to the window, looking out at the city’s night view.

Ye Zhong’s words still echoed in his ears.

“Responsibility,” “Accountability,” “Future”…

These words had once seemed heavy and hypocritical to him. But now, coming from Ye Zhong, and combined with his and Xu Qing’s situation, they carried real weight.

He wasn’t ignorant of what he should do after finding Xu Qing.

Should he rush in and question him regardless of the consequences? Or merely confirm his safety and then turn and leave?

He knew that what he wanted was far more than the latter.

The impulse to see Xu Qing and get an explanation still burned in his blood, but now, this impulse seemed to be wrapped in something tougher.

He was no longer just a teenager driven by longing and worry.

He needed to become someone who could shoulder burdens.

Li Mo took a deep breath and picked up his phone. He no longer searched or probed aimlessly, but instead opened the chat interface with Teacher Zhou and proactively sent a message:

「Teacher Zhou, sorry to bother you tonight. I have a few specific questions about the majors we discussed today, such as curriculum design and future career paths. Are you available tomorrow?」

He decided to focus on the “must-do” task at hand—taking college application advising seriously. This was not just to satisfy Ye Zhong but also for himself.

As Ye Zhong said, this was his own future.

He needed to secure the rear line so he could fight the tough battle ahead without worries.

Li Mo looked at the deep night outside the window, his eyes calm and firm.

A City, he must return to.

Xu Qing, he must see.