Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 82

Chapter 82

The phone line paused for a moment, and Ye Zhong’s steady voice came through: “Xu Qing? I didn’t expect you to call me.”

Xu Qing gripped his phone, his knuckles white: “Uncle Ye, I know this request is presumptuous, but… can I meet you? There are some things about Li Mo I’d like to discuss with you face-to-face.”

Ye Zhong pondered for a moment: “Two o’clock tomorrow afternoon, Starbucks in the city center. I’ll be there on time.”

“Thank you,” Xu Qing said softly.

Hanging up the phone, Xu Qing leaned against the balcony railing, lost in thought as he looked at the city nightscape. He knew what he was doing was risky, but Yu Wenxiu’s words today were like a thorn in his heart—could he really watch Li Mo give up everything for him?

“What are you doing?” Li Mo’s voice came from behind.

Xu Qing quickly rearranged his expression and turned with a smile: “Just getting some air. Are you done showering?”

Li Mo walked closer, hugging him from behind, his chin resting gently on his shoulder: “Mhm. You seem a bit off today. Did my mom say something nasty?”

Xu Qing shook his head, holding Li Mo’s hands clasped around his waist: “No, just a little tired.”

That night, Xu Qing tossed and turned. He looked at the sleeping Li Mo beside him, his fingers gently tracing his contour, a pang of sorrow welling up in his heart. Such an excellent person, who should have a bright and smooth future, had to face so much criticism and opposition just because he fell in love with him.

…

Around noon the next day, Xu Qing left under the pretense of going to the library. When he arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop, Ye Zhong was already waiting in a corner.

“Uncle Ye.” Xu Qing greeted him politely.

Ye Zhong looked up at him and motioned for him to sit down: “What would you like to drink?”

“No, thank you,” Xu Qing sat opposite him, his hands clasped tightly in his lap with nervousness.

“You said you wanted to talk about Li Mo?” Ye Zhong got straight to the point.

Xu Qing took a deep breath: “Yes. I know you’ve always looked out for Li Mo, and he respects you very much. So I want to ask you, as an elder, do you truly believe that my being with Li Mo will ruin his future?”

Ye Zhong slightly raised an eyebrow, seemingly not expecting Xu Qing to be so direct. He slowly stirred his coffee: “To be honest, I didn’t approve at first. This path is indeed difficult.”

“But you didn’t strongly oppose it,” Xu Qing observed him.

“Because I knew opposition was useless,” Ye Zhong put down his coffee spoon. “That child, Li Mo, appears obedient on the surface, but he’s more stubborn than anyone. The more you pressure him, the harder he pushes back.”

Xu Qing lowered his eyes: “Then do you think… I should leave him?”

Ye Zhong remained silent for a moment: “That’s for you to ask yourself. Are you willing to watch him break ties with his mother for you, give up his inheritance, and start from scratch?”

Xu Qing’s heart sank sharply.

Ye Zhong continued: “I know Yu Wenxiu’s temper. If she says she’ll cut off financial support, she really will. Although Li Mo has the card I gave him, it’s not a long-term solution. If mother and son truly come to that point, Li Mo will have a very hard time.”

“I understand,” Xu Qing said softly, his fingernails digging deeply into his palms.

“However,” Ye Zhong changed the subject, “In all the years I’ve known Li Mo, I’ve never seen him care about anyone so much. His parents divorced when he was young, and his personality was always very withdrawn. It wasn’t until he met you that he became like a real, flesh-and-blood person.”

Xu Qing looked up in surprise.

Ye Zhong rarely showed a slight smile: “I’m not encouraging you. I just believe, as an observer, that true love should not be easily abandoned. Of course, the final decision rests in your hands.”

After leaving the coffee shop, Xu Qing walked aimlessly down the street. Ye Zhong’s words echoed in his mind—did not approve, but did not oppose; difficult, but worth pursuing.

Passing a jewelry store, Xu Qing paused at the display window, lost in thought as he looked at a pair of simple men’s wedding bands inside. He had secretly imagined himself and Li Mo wearing matching rings, imagined the day they could openly hold hands and walk under the sun.

His phone vibrated. It was a message from Li Mo:

【Where are you? I’ll come pick you up. What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook.】

Looking at this simple message, tears suddenly welled up in Xu Qing’s eyes. It was this kind of ordinary warmth that made him unable to let go.

He took a deep breath and replied: 【In the city center. Heading back now. I want your beef and tomato stew.】

Then, he walked into the jewelry store.

…

When he returned home, Li Mo was busy in the kitchen. Xu Qing hugged him from behind, pressing his face against his broad back.

“What’s wrong?” Li Mo put down the spatula and turned to embrace him. “You’re especially clingy today.”

Xu Qing looked up at him, his eyes holding a complex emotion that Li Mo couldn’t understand: “Li Mo, promise me, no matter what happens, we’ll face it together, okay?”

Li Mo gently kissed his forehead: “I promise you.”

After dinner, Xu Qing looked at Li Mo watching TV on the sofa and couldn’t help but think of those matching rings again.

Sigh, what a shame.

No money.

Noticing Xu Qing’s gaze, Li Mo turned his head and asked: “What is it? Are you mesmerized by me?”

“Be less narcissistic.” Xu Qing rolled his eyes, yet his body honestly moved to sit next to Li Mo.

However, neither of them knew that a black sedan was parked downstairs at that moment. Inside the car, Yu Wenxiu looked at the photo she had just received on her phone—Xu Qing meeting with Ye Zhong at the coffee shop—her eyes icy cold.

Xu Qing’s family background was incredibly simple.

Although his mother, Liu Lan, had remarried into Chen Zewei’s family, Xu Zhi and Xu Daning were Xu Qing’s blood relatives.

The same blood that ran in those two useless men was also flowing in his veins.

Just like Li Mo’s birth father.

Thinking of Li Dong, Yu Wenxiu’s face darkened further.

She couldn’t control her own marriage, and now she couldn’t even control her own son.

A variety show was playing on TV, with the occasional laughter of the guests and audience.

Xu Qing, however, wasn’t paying attention, his mind filled with thoughts of Li Mo.

Liu Lan and Chen Zewei weren’t particularly against their relationship. As long as Xu Qing was willing, and the other person was a good man, they didn’t care about gender at all.

But Yu Wenxiu was different.

During their meeting today, Xu Qing could feel that the sense of oppression radiating from the woman also carried intense fear and unease.

What was she afraid of? What did she have to be afraid of?

Xu Qing only knew that Yu Wenxiu had divorced once because her first husband was extremely irresponsible and committed all sorts of disgraceful acts.

These things had caused her fear, the fear of this tragedy repeating itself in her new family. She wanted to control Li Mo, wanted Li Mo to listen to her and follow her script—that was what she called “happiness.”

Li Mo noticed Xu Qing’s distraction and gently squeezed his fingers: “What are you thinking about so intensely?”

Xu Qing hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest: “I was thinking about… your mother. I feel like she’s very scared.”

“Scared?” Li Mo was surprised by the choice of word.

“Mhm,” Xu Qing nodded. “The way she looked at me wasn’t just disgust; it was more like looking at an enemy who would steal her most important thing. She’s afraid of losing you, afraid of you going down your father’s old path, and even more afraid that the future she planned for you will fall apart.”

Li Mo fell silent. He had never considered his mother’s actions from this perspective.

“I know she hurt you,” Li Mo held Xu Qing’s hand tighter. “But you’re right, she is genuinely afraid. My father not only cheated back then but also took most of the family assets, leaving behind a huge debt. If it weren’t for Uncle Ye, it would have been impossible to pay it off in the short term. My mom raised me alone until I was ten.”

Xu Qing’s heart clenched. He finally understood where Yu Wenxiu’s almost paranoid need for control came from—a woman betrayed by her closest relative would naturally pin all her hopes on her son, trying everything to avoid repeating the mistake.

“So when she found out about me and you, it was like seeing history repeat itself,” Xu Qing said softly. “An ‘abnormal’ relationship, a situation she couldn’t control, triggered her deepest fears.”

Li Mo sighed: “But that’s no excuse for her to hurt you.”

“I know,” Xu Qing leaned on his shoulder. “I just… suddenly understood her a little. A person who has been hurt by life will unconsciously use hurt to protect themselves.”

…

The next day, Xu Qing made an unexpected decision. He went to the hotel where Yu Wenxiu was staying, alone.

Yu Wenxiu’s face immediately darkened when she opened the door and saw him: “How dare you come to see me?”

“Auntie, I want to talk to you, just the two of us,” Xu Qing’s tone was calm. “Not about Li Mo, just about you and me.”

Yu Wenxiu sneered: “What is there to talk about between us?”

“Let’s talk about fear,” Xu Qing looked directly into her eyes. “Let’s talk about what it feels like to be betrayed by the person you trusted most, how hard it is to raise a child alone, and why seeing your son choose a different path makes you so afraid.”

These words precisely struck the most sensitive chord in Yu Wenxiu’s heart. She was stunned, and after a long moment, she stepped aside to let Xu Qing in.

Inside the room, the two sat facing each other. Xu Qing spoke first: “I’ve learned about you and your ex-husband. I’m truly sorry you went through that.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Yu Wenxiu turned her face away.

“It’s not pity, it’s understanding,” Xu Qing said softly. “My father was also a gambler. People often came to our door demanding debt payments when I was little. It wasn’t until my mom remarried with me that I had a stable life. So I understand what it feels like to be hurt by the person who was supposed to protect you.”

Yu Wenxiu’s expression softened slightly.

“But Li Mo is not his father, and I am not him,” Xu Qing continued. “Our love isn’t an impulse or an act of rebellion. We are each other’s light, making each other better people.”

“Anyone can say pretty words,” Yu Wenxiu’s tone was still stiff, but with less hostility.

“Time will prove everything,” Xu Qing stood up and bowed deeply. “Auntie, I’m not asking you to accept us immediately, I just hope you can give us a chance to see how seriously we are taking this relationship.”

With that, he turned and left.

The moment the door closed, Yu Wenxiu questioned herself for the first time: Maybe she had truly misjudged this young man.