Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 80

Chapter 80

The night deepened.

Li Mo and Xu Qing leaned against each other and talked about many things, from high school to childhood, from the past to the future, holding nothing back.

It was rare for either of them to have such a moment of opening up their hearts.

“Xu Qing.” Li Mo held Xu Qing’s hand, his fingers gently squeezing the young man’s warm palm. “Can you love me again?”

Xu Qing’s eyelashes fluttered, and he asked softly, “Did you see everything I posted…?”

Li Mo hummed an affirmative: “Read every word.”

After a long silence, Xu Qing’s voice was undeniably clear in the quiet night:

“I have always loved you.”

“That’s not the same,” Li Mo paused. “What I want to give you is more than just love. And what I want from you is more than just love.”

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow: “You want my body too?”

Li Mo’s mouth twitched.

Does this brat enjoy teasing his boyfriend this much?

Li Mo pinched Xu Qing’s cheek, lowering his voice: “You heartless little thing, you know I don’t mean that.”

Xu Qing lowered his gaze and nudged him with his shoulder: “What are you afraid of?”

Li Mo didn’t answer immediately but buried his face in Xu Qing’s neck. His hot breath tickled him.

“I’m not ready yet. You… let me learn from the internet first.”

Xu Qing laughed: “The internet teaches that?”

Li Mo looked serious: “Don’t underestimate the almighty internet. You know there are many different positions in those little explicit novels.”

Xu Qing: “…”

What the hell does his boyfriend usually read?

Xu Qing pushed the “large dog” clinging to him: “Get lost. I haven’t eaten yet.”

Li Mo suddenly remembered.

When he met Xu Qing downstairs, he seemed to have just returned from the convenience store. Since coming home, the two of them had been sitting there chatting away.

If it weren’t for his stomach protesting, Xu Qing would have forgotten that he hadn’t eaten.

Xu Qing got up, picked up the plastic bag from the coffee table, and headed toward the kitchen.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Li Mo grabbed his hand, frowning slightly. “What are you eating? Instant noodles? Don’t you know how to cook?”

Xu Qing looked innocent: “Can’t a person be lazy about cooking for a day or two?”

“Fine, fine, fine. You sit here, and let me, your perfect boyfriend, make you a loving dinner.” Li Mo said, pushing Xu Qing back onto the sofa and taking the bag from his hand. “Is there anything left in the fridge? Also, eat fewer instant noodles, they’re not good for your stomach.”

Xu Qing was slightly surprised. Wasn’t Li Mo the one who used to love eating instant noodles?

What surprised him even more was: “When did you learn to cook?”

Li Mo tied the apron around himself and said proudly: “Surprise! Astonishment! My transformation over the past two years is simply indescribable.”

Xu Qing was speechless.

Li Mo had indeed changed, and changed a lot.

Xu Qing leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching Li Mo busy himself at the stove. The tall figure, wearing an obviously too-small, girly-pink apron, looked both funny and a little cute.

Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

Li Mo skillfully opened the refrigerator, took out the remaining eggs and a few green vegetables, quickly boiled water, beat the eggs, and cooked the noodles. His movements weren’t the fluid grace of a master chef, but they were far superior to the Li Mo of Xu Qing’s memory who could even burn instant noodles.

“You…” Xu Qing hesitated before speaking. “You’ve changed so much in these two years.”

Li Mo paused in his actions and asked: “What’s wrong? I’m now a twenty-four-filial-piety-good-boyfriend—smart, can cook, do laundry, warm the bed, and make my wife happy. You should be overjoyed, Qing Qing.”

Xu Qing looked speechless but spoke with a smile: “Your skill in being narcissistic has certainly improved dozens of levels.”

A few minutes later, a steaming, fragrant bowl of egg noodles was freshly made.

“Here you go, personally crafted by Chef Li, filled with the power of love~” Li Mo pushed the bowl of noodles and chopsticks toward Xu Qing, with what seemed like sparkling special effects surrounding him.

Xu Qing looked down at the quite presentable bowl of noodles, the steam clouding his vision. He picked up the chopsticks, blew on a strand of noodles, and put it in his mouth.

The taste was genuinely good.

“How is it?” Li Mo looked expectant.

Xu Qing didn’t disappoint him, nodding and saying generously: “Mhm, it’s delicious.”

Li Mo chuckled twice: “That’s good.”

“Oh, right.” Halfway through the meal, Li Mo remembered the main objective. He pulled out his phone and said: “Qing Qing, let’s re-add our contacts. Sending messages to a red exclamation mark makes my little heart so fragile…”

He almost forgot about that.

Xu Qing put down his chopsticks, took out his phone from his pocket, removed the contact named “Li Hei Hei” from the blacklist, and said: “I forgot. I blacklisted you immediately after sending the message.”

Li Mo leaned over and glanced at the screen, a smile creeping onto his face: “‘Li Hei Hei’? That’s quite a unique name.”

“What else?” Xu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Do you expect me to change it to ‘The World’s Best Boyfriend’? Shameless.”

“I think that one is pretty good.” Li Mo reached out to take Xu Qing’s phone to change the contact name, but Xu Qing nimbly evaded him.

“Dream on.” Xu Qing hugged the phone to his chest. “Wait until you’ve proven yourself.”

Li Mo didn’t insist but just smiled as he watched Xu Qing eat his noodles. When Xu Qing was nearly finished, he said softly: “Qing Qing, let’s be good together from now on, okay?”

Xu Qing put down his chopsticks and looked up at him: “How do you mean ‘good’?”

“I mean…” Li Mo organized his words. “Say whatever you need to say, don’t keep it inside. If you’re angry, curse me. If you’re sad, find me. If you miss me, tell me. Don’t blacklist me again after sending a message, okay?”

Xu Qing was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“And,” Li Mo continued, “I know you’re used to being independent, but can you rely on me more from now on? Let me take care of you, let me know if you need me.”

Xu Qing lowered his eyes, his fingertips lightly tapping the rim of the bowl: “I’ll try my best.”

Li Mo knew this was the greatest commitment Xu Qing could give. He understood Xu Qing—the seemingly gentle youth was stubborn to the core and accustomed to shouldering everything alone.

“Oh, by the way,” Li Mo suddenly remembered something. “Lin Yi and the others are calling for dinner next weekend. Want to go?”

Xu Qing paused: “You guys connected so quickly?”

“The four of them are quite loyal,” Li Mo smiled. “Let’s go together, boyfriend.”

Since Li Mo was forcibly taken away, the relationship between Xu Qing and Lin Yi and the others had gradually returned to a state of distant cordiality.

Xu Qing was the one who had pushed his friends away.

“Okay,” Xu Qing agreed.

Li Mo looked at his smile, his heart melting. He reached out and ruffled Xu Qing’s hair: “I’ll let them know. They’ll definitely be happy.”

After clearing the dishes, the night was far gone. Li Mo checked the time; it was almost midnight.

“I should go back,” Li Mo said, yet stood rooted to the spot.

Xu Qing walked him to the door. They stood face-to-face in the hallway, neither making the first move.

“Well… see you tomorrow?” Li Mo tentatively asked.

“See you tomorrow,” Xu Qing replied softly.

Li Mo reached out, pulled Xu Qing into a tight hug, and then released him: “Go get some rest. It’s late.”

Xu Qing nodded, watching Li Mo walk into the elevator. The moment the elevator door closed, he suddenly felt that the small apartment, which had just been filled with warm conversation, instantly became empty.

Returning to the bedroom, Xu Qing lay on the bed. His phone screen lit up with a message from Li Mo:

Li Hei Hei: 【Home now. Good night, Qing Qing.】

Xu Qing stared at the message for a long time before slowly typing a reply:

【Good night.】

Putting down his phone, Xu Qing stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. On that night two months ago, after sending those two breakup messages with trembling hands, he had almost immediately blacklisted Li Mo. He was too afraid.

At that time, he thought their relationship had ended there.

He never expected that two months later, they could still exchange goodnights and plan for tomorrow like this.

Xu Qing turned over, burying his face in the pillow, but couldn’t help the smile on his lips.

That night, both of them slept unusually peacefully.

…

Early the next morning, Xu Qing was woken up by the doorbell. He groggily opened the door and saw Li Mo standing there, holding breakfast and looking energetic.

“Morning!” Li Mo walked in naturally. “Brought you soy milk and fried dough sticks. Eat them while they’re hot.”

Xu Qing rubbed his eyes: “Why are you so early?”

“Wanted to see you sooner, obviously,” Li Mo put the breakfast on the table and looked around. “Plus, your fridge is too empty. We’ll go grocery shopping at the supermarket later.”

When Xu Qing came out after washing up, Li Mo had already set the breakfast out, even inserting the straw into the soy milk.

“Are you… alright?” Xu Qing sat down and took a bite of the fried dough stick.

“I’m fine,” Li Mo knew what Xu Qing was asking, resting his chin on his hand and watching him. “My family situation is under control. Besides, now that I’ve finally gotten you back, I have to strike while the iron is hot.”

Xu Qing nearly choked on his soy milk: “Li Mo, when did you become so…”

“So what?” Li Mo leaned in, his eyes sparkling.

“So clingy.” Xu Qing pushed his face away. “You weren’t like this two years ago.”

Li Mo took his hand and said seriously: “Because I almost really lost you.”

The air suddenly became quiet. The morning light streamed through the window onto Li Mo’s face. Xu Qing could clearly see himself reflected in his eyes.

“Xu Qing,” Li Mo said softly, “I want to have breakfast with you every morning from now on.”

Xu Qing’s heart pounded. He lowered his head, the tips of his ears slightly red: “Suit yourself.”

After breakfast, the two really did go to the supermarket. Li Mo pushed the cart, and Xu Qing walked beside him, feeling a sense of unreality watching him seriously compare products in front of the shelves.

“You used to like this brand of yogurt,” Li Mo picked up a carton of yogurt and put it in the cart. “Have you changed your favorite flavor?”

Xu Qing was stunned: “You still remember?”

“I remember everything about you,” Li Mo turned and smiled at him. “You hate carrots, you like sweets but not overly rich ones, you must drink iced drinks in the summer, but you prefer warm milk tea in the winter…”

Xu Qing stopped walking: “Li Mo.”

“Hmm?”

“Stop talking,” Xu Qing’s voice was slightly husky.

Li Mo immediately sensed his change in mood, put down what he was holding, and walked over: “What’s wrong?”

Xu Qing shook his head, his eyes a little red: “I just feel like… I missed a lot.”

The small details he thought Li Mo didn’t care about were all silently kept in the other person’s heart.

Li Mo gently hugged him right there in the busy supermarket: “It’s okay. We have a lot of time left.”

After the shopping, they returned to Xu Qing’s apartment. Li Mo instinctively sorted and put away the groceries they bought. Xu Qing watched him busy in his small kitchen and suddenly felt that the space was finally complete.

“What are your plans for the afternoon?” Li Mo asked, wiping his hands after tidying up.

Xu Qing thought for a moment: “Read some books, do some drawing.”

“I’ll keep you company,” Li Mo said naturally. “You read, and I can play games nearby.”

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow: “You won’t disturb me?”

“I promise to be quiet as a mouse,” Li Mo made a zipping motion over his mouth.

As it turned out, in the afternoon, Xu Qing sat at his desk drawing, and Li Mo really did lean on the nearby sofa playing games, occasionally glancing up at him, but never making a sound to disturb him.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting warm patches of light between the two. As Xu Qing was drawing, he couldn’t help but secretly look at Li Mo. His focused profile looked exceptionally gentle in the light, a completely different person from the always-fidgety teenager of two years ago.

“Stealing glances at me?” Li Mo suddenly looked up, perfectly catching his gaze.

Xu Qing immediately looked back: “Narcissist.”

Li Mo chuckled, put down his phone, and walked over: “How’s the drawing coming along?”

“Don’t come over!” Xu Qing quickly closed his digital tablet.

Li Mo narrowed his eyes: “Got a secret? Don’t tell me you’re drawing me?”

“Dream on.” Xu Qing’s ears turned red, firmly refusing to let him see.

Li Mo didn’t push it, just hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder: “Alright, alright, I won’t look. Our Qing Qing is shy.”

Xu Qing nudged him with his elbow, but didn’t use any force.

In that moment, Xu Qing thought that maybe starting over wasn’t as hard as he had imagined.

…

In the evening, Li Mo answered a phone call; it was Yu Wenxiu looking for him.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Li Mo said, putting on his jacket with a reluctant look.

Xu Qing found it amusing: “Just go. It’s not like you’re not coming back.”

“Then will you wait for me for dinner?” Li Mo’s eyes lit up.

Xu Qing nodded: “Mhm.”

After Li Mo left, Xu Qing reopened his digital tablet. The image on the screen was exactly Li Mo’s back view as he cooked noodles in the kitchen. He looked at it for a long time before finally clicking save.

His phone rang. It was a message from Li Mo: 【Downstairs now. Suddenly realized I didn’t ask what you want for dinner.】

Xu Qing replied: 【Anything is fine.】

After thinking for a moment, he added: 【As long as you made it.】

The “typing” notification at the top of the chat box lasted for a while, and the eventual reply was a string of cheerful emojis.

Xu Qing couldn’t help but smile. He got up and headed to the kitchen to prepare the dinner ingredients.

Perhaps love didn’t always have to be dramatic; sometimes, being this ordinary and simple was incredibly comforting.

When the sound of the key turning in the lock was heard, Xu Qing had just placed the last dish on the table. Li Mo pushed the door open, saw the table full of dishes and Xu Qing wearing an apron, and froze.

“You made this?” Li Mo asked in disbelief.

“What else?” Xu Qing untied the apron. “Go wash your hands and eat.”

Li Mo stood still, his eyes fixed on him.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Qing felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

“I just think,” Li Mo said softly, “this is so nice.”

…

Night fell again, but this time, no one had to leave.

Li Mo hugged Xu Qing from behind while he was washing dishes and quietly asked: “Can I stay tonight?”

Xu Qing paused in his action, the tips of his ears slowly turning red.

“I can sleep on the sofa,” Li Mo quickly added.

The water was running in the faucet. Xu Qing turned off the water, dried his hands, and turned to face Li Mo.

“The guest room hasn’t been tidied in a long time,” he said softly. “The bed in the master bedroom… is big enough.”

Li Mo’s eyes immediately brightened.

Xu Qing turned his face away: “But only for sleeping.”

“Of course!” Li Mo immediately guaranteed. “I told you, I’m not ready yet…”

Late at night, the two lay side by side on the bed. Moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, outlining their silhouettes in the darkness.

“Qing Qing,” Li Mo whispered. “Give me your hand.”

Xu Qing hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand. Li Mo took his hand, their fingers intertwined.

“This is perfect,” Li Mo sighed contentedly. “Good night.”

Xu Qing slightly curved his lips in the dark: “Good night.”

This time, neither of them was alone. And tomorrow, and countless tomorrows, they would spend together.

Love is sometimes very simple: just a bowl of hot soup, a hug, and two hands that remain tightly held.