Chapter 7: Under the Desk

A hand, like a snake, slowly, slowly extended from beneath the desk and grabbed Xie Jun’s hand.

Xie Jun gently patted the back of this hand, but instead of retreating, the hand moved forward, its fingers slowly and deliberately slipping between his, intertwining their fingers.

“Don’t worry, no one’s paying attention.” Kui Ming brazenly shook their joined hands.

Their class had done well in this month’s exam, so the English teacher rewarded them with a movie. The lights were all turned off, and everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen—who would notice them?

“I did pretty well this time.”

“Hmm.” Xie Jun’s eyes were also fixed on the screen. If not for the hand tightly holding his hand under the desk, he would have looked completely focused and absorbed in the movie.

“Next time, I might just make it into the top hundred in the grade,” Kui Ming whispered, “You promised me last time.”

“What did I promise you?” Xie Jun still didn’t turn his head, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Oh, come on, you’re trying to go back on your word, huh?” Kui Ming protested, scratching at his palm in frustration.

Xie Jun chuckled and squeezed his fingers, “How late have you been studying every day lately?”

“You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”

“No, I don’t,” Kui Ming stubbornly denied, “I go home and rest every day.”

“Why do I feel like…” Xie Jun propped his chin on his hand, looking him up and down, “you’ve gotten a bit uglier lately?”

Kui Ming looked alarmed. “Really? Are you starting to dislike me?”

Xie Jun nodded seriously, “Yes, I do.”

Under Kui Ming’s sorrowful gaze, he suddenly chuckled. “You need to balance work and rest. Don’t stay up too late studying every night; what’s taught in class is the most important.”

Kui Ming, still feeling wronged, squeezed his fingers. “I know.”

He had been far behind before, struggling to understand anything in class. But now, with Xie Jun’s tutoring and his own secret late-night study sessions, he had managed to catch up on the basics. He would pay more attention to time management in the future, but still, he pressed, “Do you really dislike me?”

Kui Ming looked like a scolded puppy, his face full of grievance.

Xie Jun squeezed his “dog paw” gently as a gesture of comfort.

Kui Ming decided that tonight, when he got home, he would secretly steal one of his mom’s face masks to use.

“Do you want some?”

From the front came the sound of rustling, and a bag of chips was passed over.

Xie Jun took it with one hand, while his other hand, in the darkness, amidst the occasional whispers and rustling of his classmates, remained secretly yet boldly held tightly by Kui Ming under the desk.