Desk-mate, Do You Like Me? - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

The subway traveled through the heart of the city. Xu Qing leaned against the cold car wall, eyes closed, trying to calm his still-racing heart. Bai Sheng’s twisted face and malicious words were like maggots clinging to bone, constantly replaying in his mind.

He knew that this seemingly forceful rebuttal hadn’t truly solved the problem; it had likely escalated the conflict. Bai Sheng’s “You will regret this” hung over his head like a curse.

He had to tell Li Mo quickly. He couldn’t hide it anymore. Rather than let Bai Sheng exaggerate the matter and bring it up to Li Mo, it was better for him to confess the unpleasant past honestly and completely. This required immense courage, especially facing Li Mo’s clear, trusting eyes, but he had no choice.

…

By the time he arrived at A-University, it was already dusk. Li Mo was waiting at the school gate, as expected, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking particularly tall and straight in the twilight. The moment he saw Xu Qing, his eyes instantly lit up, and he quickly walked forward.

“Qing Qing!” He naturally took the backpack from Xu Qing’s shoulder. When his fingers touched Xu Qing’s slightly cold hand, he frowned slightly. “Why are your hands so cold? Did you catch a chill waiting for the train?” He wrapped Xu Qing’s hand in his own warm palm, gently rubbing it.

This instinctive concern, like a warm current, instantly broke through the psychological defenses Xu Qing had built up along the way. His nose stung, and he almost burst into tears. He opened his mouth. The words “I have something to tell you” tumbled in his throat, but he couldn’t speak them right away.

“It’s nothing,” Xu Qing lowered his eyelashes, drawing strength from the warmth of Li Mo’s palm. “Just a bit tired.”

Li Mo looked closely at his face, keenly sensing the lingering fatigue and a hint of subtle tension in his eyes. He recalled the “sales call” and Xu Qing’s previous evasiveness, and his suspicion deepened.

But he didn’t press. He just held Xu Qing’s hand tighter, saying cheerily: “If you’re tired, let’s go eat first, and then rest early. What do you want to eat? There’s a new clay pot porridge shop that opened near the back gate. I heard it’s quite good and easy on the stomach.”

His thoughtfulness made Xu Qing feel even more guilty. He took a deep breath, steeling his resolve: “Li Mo, I…”

Just then, Li Mo’s phone rang, ill-timed. He glanced at the caller ID; it was Yu Wen Cheng.

“It’s Uncle Ye’s friend. I need to take this,” Li Mo gestured to Xu Qing and walked aside to answer the call.

The words that were on the tip of Xu Qing’s tongue had to be swallowed again. He watched Li Mo’s back as he spoke on the phone, his mind a mess.

Li Mo hung up and walked back, a helpless smile on his face: “Uncle said he’s nearby and found an issue with a project. He absolutely needs to discuss it with me right now and asked me to pick up a document from his car. Qing Qing, could you go to the porridge shop and wait for me? It’s on the street behind the school, called ‘Nuan Ji.’ I’ll get the document and be right over.”

Xu Qing looked into Li Mo’s clear eyes and nodded: “Okay, you go. No rush.”

Li Mo ruffled his hair, turned, and quickly walked towards where Yu Wen Cheng was parked.

…

Xu Qing walked toward the back gate alone, his heart heavy, preparing how he should bring up the subject later. However, just as he reached a relatively secluded path near the back gate, a figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked his way.

It was Bai Sheng.

His face held an almost sinister sneer, his eyes dark as he stared at Xu Qing.

“Xu Qing, I gave you a chance,” Bai Sheng’s voice was squeezed out from between his teeth. “It seems you’re determined to cling to Li Mo.”

Xu Qing’s heart tightened. He instinctively took half a step back, looking at him warily: “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” Bai Sheng closed in step by step, his tone full of malice. “What do you think Li Mo would think if he came back right now and saw you and me here, ‘tangled up’?”

Xu Qing instantly understood his intention, and a chill ran up his spine: “You’re despicable!”

“I’m despicable?” Bai Sheng sneered, abruptly reaching out and grabbing Xu Qing’s wrist with surprising force. “Xu Qing, you’re forcing my hand! Do you think your denials and your firmness can erase the past? I’m telling you, you’ll never get rid of me! Someone of your background, how dare you try to have Li Mo?”

As he spoke, he violently yanked Xu Qing toward him, simultaneously pulling out his phone with his other hand, seemingly intending to take a photo or record a video, to create a false impression of Xu Qing and him being “intimate” or “embroiled.”

“Let go of me!” Xu Qing struggled fiercely, his wrist aching from the grip. The fear and anger inside reached their peak. He absolutely could not let Bai Sheng succeed!

Just then, a thunderous roar exploded behind them:

“Let go of him!”

Xu Qing and Bai Sheng simultaneously froze and turned sharply.

Li Mo had returned at some point, standing a few steps away, his face ashen, his eyes cold as hardened ice. He held a document bag in his hand, clearly having retrieved the item from his uncle. Worried about Xu Qing being alone, he had immediately followed, only to witness this scene.

His gaze was fixed on Bai Sheng’s hand gripping Xu Qing’s wrist. The area around him emitted a never-before-seen, chilling low pressure.

Li Mo’s movements were astonishingly fast.

He covered the distance in just a few strides, without a moment’s hesitation, grabbing Bai Sheng’s wrist with a force that made Bai Sheng cry out in pain, instinctively letting go of Xu Qing.

“Li Mo…” Xu Qing blurted out, his voice tinged with lingering fright and a hint of worry. He saw the fury swirling in Li Mo’s eyes, a level of rage he had never witnessed, as if he wanted to devour Bai Sheng whole.

“I told you to let go of him, didn’t you hear me?” Li Mo’s voice was low, yet every word cut like a knife, carrying an undeniable sense of menace.

He flung Bai Sheng’s wrist away, pulling Xu Qing behind him, completely shielding him with his body.

Bai Sheng rubbed his throbbing wrist, a flash of distress crossing his face, quickly replaced by deeper resentment. He forced a twisted smile: “Li Mo? You came at the right time! Look at this! This is the person you cherish! Pulling and dragging with me behind your back, refusing to let go!”

“You’re lying!” Xu Qing was shaking with anger. He stepped out from behind Li Mo, looking anxiously at him. “It’s not like that! He suddenly blocked me, trying to force…”

“Trying to force what?” Bai Sheng interrupted him, his tone maliciously provocative. He shook the phone in his hand. “Where’s the evidence? Who can prove it? Right now, it looks like the three of us are tangled up here! Li Mo, what do you think people will think if this spreads on campus? That your boyfriend is still involved with a former suitor?”

He was attempting to confuse the issue, using the information imbalance and potential gossip to threaten Li Mo.

However, Li Mo just looked at him coldly, his eyes as if watching a clown. He didn’t look at Xu Qing, his gaze focused entirely on Bai Sheng, but the hand gripping Xu Qing’s was firm and strong, conveying silent trust and support.

“Bai Sheng,” Li Mo began, his voice returning to calm, but containing an even greater storm beneath. “Who do you think I’d believe, you or him?”

He paused, stepping closer, the pressure from his height causing Bai Sheng to involuntarily take half a step back.

“Do you think I don’t know about that nonsense in middle school? As for the things you did in high school, do I need to help you recall the specifics of your ‘contemptible means’?” Li Mo’s eyes were sharp as a hawk’s, seemingly piercing through Bai Sheng’s false facade to his most shameful inner core. “Stalking, secret photography, spreading rumors… Do I need to list them one by one, in front of Xu Qing?”

Bai Sheng’s face instantly went pale, his lips trembling. He looked at Li Mo in disbelief: “How… how do you know?” How could Li Mo know about the dirty tricks he thought he had hidden so well?

“How I know is not important,” Li Mo’s tone was icy. “What’s important is that I know what kind of person you are. So, put away your amateur performance and threats.”

His gaze swept over the phone in Bai Sheng’s hand with unconcealed contempt: “Want to spread it? Go ahead. Let’s see if people believe you, a person full of schemes and past misdeeds, or us. Furthermore, Bai Sheng, I am formally warning you: stay away from Xu Qing. If I ever find you bothering him, harassing him, or trying to harm or slander him in any way, I will make you regret everything you’ve done today. I mean what I say.”

Li Mo’s words were forceful, carrying an absolute protectiveness and an unassailable dominance. He wasn’t negotiating; he was delivering an ultimatum.

Bai Sheng was completely overwhelmed by Li Mo’s intensity, especially with his shameful secrets exposed in public. He utterly lost his nerve. His face was ashen, his eyes darting away. Unable to utter another word of threat, he shot a hateful glare at Xu Qing, turned tail, and quickly disappeared into the end of the dimly lit path.

The unwanted presence vanished. Silence fell, broken only by the faint glow of the streetlights.

Li Mo finally turned to face Xu Qing. The frost on his face melted instantly, replaced by an overwhelming heartache and concern. He gently held Xu Qing’s reddened wrist, his thumb gently caressing the skin, his voice incredibly soft: “Does it hurt?”

Xu Qing looked at him, at his own reflection clearly visible in Li Mo’s eyes, at his unconditional trust and defense. The anxiety from the journey, the fright from moments ago, the heavy secret that had been weighing on his heart for so long—all of it transformed into a sudden rush of tears, breaking his final barrier.

Tears silently streamed down his face.

Li Mo immediately panicked, clumsily wiping away his tears, gently pulling him into a hug: “It’s okay, Qing Qing, it’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” He gently patted Xu Qing’s back, like comforting a startled small animal. “I’m sorry, I was late.”

Xu Qing shook his head in his arms, choking back sobs, finally speaking the words that had been lingering for so long: “Li Mo… I’m sorry… I’ve been hiding things from you… Your mom came to see me, Bai Sheng also came to see me… even my past…”

Li Mo listened to his fragmented confession, his heart aching even more.

He tightened his arms, interrupting him in a low voice: “Silly, why would I mind your past? That was all before you met me. I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t realize it sooner, making you bear all this alone.”

He pulled back slightly, looking seriously into Xu Qing’s tear-filled eyes: “Qing Qing, remember this: no matter what happened in the past, it’s all a part of you, and I accept all of you. The only things I care about are the present and the future, and in the present and the future, you are with me. That’s enough. As for Bai Sheng…”

Li Mo’s eyes slightly chilled: “He won’t have the chance to bother you again.”

Xu Qing looked at him, at the eyes filled with sincerity, trust, and love. All his panic and unease finally settled. He nodded vigorously, burying his face in Li Mo’s warm neck, drawing comfort from his reassuring presence.

The crisis was temporarily resolved, the secret confessed. The last bit of shadow between the two seemed to have finally dispersed. But they both understood that given Bai Sheng’s obsessive personality, the matter might not be completely over.

However, at this moment, before the barrier built by trust and love, Xu Qing felt for the first time that they could face any storm together.

Li Mo held him, whispering: “Come on, let’s go eat.”

The gentle night stretched the silhouettes of the embracing couple, as if they were merging into one, never to be separated again.