Fierce Deskmate - Chapter 2 - Superstar Kong Xi!

“Ling Chen, do you take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and to be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

“I do not.”

“Why not? Why don’t you?” Chen Shu, like a wild beast, lunged at Ling Chen, who stood opposite him in a white gown.

“Bang!”

Chen Shu tumbled to the floor.

Rubbing his forehead where it had hit the bedside table, he looked up at the ornate chandelier above him in bewilderment.

Who am I? Chen Shu.

Where am I? No idea.

What am I doing? Also no idea.

The three great philosophical questions that perplex humanity, and Chen Shu could only answer the simplest one.

“I just had a dream,” Chen Shu analyzed his current state in his mind, “In the dream, I was marrying Ling Chen, and when the priest asked if she would be my bride, she flatly said no…”

Chen Shu could now be certain that it was just a dream.

Because he never even had the chance to walk down the aisle with Ling Chen-thinking this, Chen Shu felt a slight relief, as it meant he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself in public.

What is the life motto of a Libra? Grace and composure.

If walking down the aisle with Ling Chen was a dream, then was the fall and the bump on the head a dream within a dream?

Because Chen Shu couldn’t afford such a large house, saying “buy” was a bit of a stretch-he couldn’t even afford to rent it.

This understated luxurious decor, the comfortable soft bed and pillows, the plush wool carpet beneath him, and the grand classical chandelier above-Chen Shu was sure he was dreaming. Only in dreams could he live in such a place.

“You’re awake?” A clear, pleasant voice sounded in the room.

Chen Shu turned his head, and two long, slender, white legs came into view.

He jumped up, staring at the woman in front of him, dressed in a white top and shorts, with a Peking Opera Mask on her face. After three full seconds of staring, his first reaction upon regaining clarity was to check his clothes…

He remembered wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans to Mingzhu for karaoke¹, but now he was in an unfamiliar set of plaid pajamas.

His clothes had been changed!

Chen Shu’s eyes reddened, and he pulled the blanket around his cold body, his voice choked as he said, “How could you do this? How could you-do this to me?”

The woman with long legs, her face entirely covered by the Peking Opera Mask, could only be seen with her eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape, angrily said, “What are you talking about? What did I do? What did I do to you?”

Realizing that getting angry would cause the mask to pull and wrinkle her skin, she quickly adjusted her emotions, calming herself down. She kept patting her face with her hands to help her skin absorb the mask’s essence.

“Things have come to this, and you still won’t admit it?” Chen Shu, trembling under the blanket, accused the woman of her “beastly behavior,” saying, “You brought me to this strange place, changed my clothes-what else did you do to me? I’m… I’m not that kind of person you think I am.”

“The kind of person I think you are?” The long-legged woman ripped off the Peking Opera Mask, sending droplets flying, and pointed at Chen Shu, cursing, “You got drunk, I brought you back, and I’m the one who did wrong?”

“Even if I was drunk, you can’t just take advantage of me…” Chen Shu argued, “You could have left me on the ground or handed me over to my friends-how could you bring me to your home? How could you?”

Only now did Chen Shu clearly see the girl’s face, with delicate features and fair skin, and those breathtakingly long legs, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

“A fresh young girl, how could she do something like this?”

“You-you-” Kong Xi felt her blood boiling, her blood pressure rising, and she wanted to rush over and bite this jerk.

But as she got angrier, Kong Xi suddenly laughed.

Her lips curled into a mischievous smile, and she winked at Chen Shu, saying, “Yes, I did everything I should have, what are you going to do about it?”

“…” Chen Shu felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes dazed as he stared at the long-legged woman. For a long time, he pulled the blanket over his head, and from under the blanket came a muffled voice, “I can’t face anyone anymore.”

“…” Kong Xi’s facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, her eyes filled with murderous intent as she looked at the small bundle under the blanket that kept wriggling.

“Where’s my phone?” Chen Shu poked his head out from under the blanket.

“Here you go.” Kong Xi turned and left, quickly returning to toss over a phone with severely chipped paint. It was a hand-me-down from Ling Chen after she got a new iPhone.

“Why did I think of Ling Chen again?” Chen Shu scolded himself internally.

Chen Shu grabbed the phone and opened WeChat, finding several messages from Tang Dahai and Li Ruyi asking if he was safe.

“A guy named Tang Dahai called you several times,” Kong Xi said.

“Oh.” Chen Shu nodded, casually checking the call log. Then, he looked at Kong Xi in surprise, “You actually… answered?”

“Yeah.” Kong Xi showed no awareness of having done anything wrong, “He kept calling, and I found it annoying, so I answered.”

“What did you-what did you say?”

“I said I took you away, and then I hung up.”

“…My reputation.” Chen Shu once again buried his head under the blanket.

…

Chen Shu entered the living room, stunned by the spacious luxury of the house. Owning such a place in Flower City would probably cost tens of millions, right? Who was this woman?

Kong Xi sat at a sunlit dining table, eating half a Boiled Egg and a glass of skim milk, along with a small dish of oil-free boiled greens. It looked very healthy, but to Chen Shu, it seemed a bit plain.

No soy milk and Fried Dough Stick or a big bowl of Pork Intestine Noodles with a generous scoop of chili oil-how could this be called breakfast?

Chen Shu sat down across from Kong Xi, looking at her delicate features, and said earnestly, “I forgive you.”

“Poof!”

Kong Xi’s pretty face turned crimson, and the milk she had just sipped sprayed out.

She hurriedly grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth and the table, angrily yelling, “You forgive me? What did I do wrong that needs your forgiveness?”

“I checked just now and realized you didn’t do anything to me.” Talking about such an ambiguous topic with a stranger, Chen Shu felt a bit shy and didn’t dare to continue looking into Kong Xi’s eyes, which were round with anger. He said softly, “So I won’t blame you for bringing me to your home without my permission.”

“…”

“But you shouldn’t have changed my clothes, after all, we’re not related…”

“…”

Seeing Kong Xi remain silent, Chen Shu felt a bit guilty and asked softly, “Where are my clothes?”

“They’re washed.”

“Washed?” Chen Shu panicked, “What am I supposed to wear?”

“That’s your problem.”

“Hey, aren’t you being unreasonable?”

“I’m unreasonable?” Kong Xi sneered, “Who’s being unreasonable?”

“Forget it, I won’t argue with you.” Chen Shu glanced at the table and saw another serving of milk and a fried egg, “Is this mine?”

Kong Xi ignored him, focusing on her bowl of greens.

After drinking so much last night and vomiting non-stop, his stomach was empty.

Chen Shu didn’t hold back, picking up the knife and fork to cut the fried egg. He had to admit, the fried egg was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, quite delicious.

“How did you get the scar on your forehead?” Kong Xi asked, looking at the faint triangular scar on Chen Shu’s forehead.

“A dog bite,” Chen Shu said without looking up. It was a painful childhood memory, but he was relieved that the scar was small and didn’t affect his looks.

Kong Xi’s gaze softened, and she said gently, “It must have hurt a lot, right?”

Chen Shu looked up, then quickly looked down again, saying, “It was a long time ago, I’ve forgotten about it.”

“…Oh.” Kong Xi sighed.

“Click!”

The door opened, and a short, plump woman with a shopping cart walked in, smiling as she said, “Xiao Xi, you’re up early!”

“Yes, second aunt, didn’t I tell you to come later?”

“I was planning to come and make breakfast for you, but you’ve already eaten.” The second aunt put the groceries in the fridge, then came out, smiling at Chen Shu, “The gentleman’s clothes are washed and hung outside, they should be dry by now.”

“Thank you, auntie,” Chen Shu quickly apologized. After a pause, he asked worriedly, “Did you wash my clothes?”

“Not only did I wash them, but I also took them off you. You drank too much last night and threw up all over yourself. When Xiao Xi brought you back, you were covered in… never mind, let’s not talk about it. Eat your breakfast.”

“Did… did auntie also bathe me?” Chen Shu’s face turned pale.

A sly smile appeared on Kong Xi’s lips as she said, “What do you think? Not only did you throw up on yourself, but you also threw up on me-I had second aunt throw you in the bathtub for a good scrub. Don’t you feel refreshed and fragrant now?”

Looking at the aunt’s appearance and physique, Chen Shu found this harder to accept than the breakup-

The second aunt, smiling at Kong Xi and Chen Shu, said, “You two eat, I’ll tidy up the house.”

After the second aunt left, Kong Xi looked at Chen Shu’s pained expression and said, “Now that you know the truth, aren’t you going to apologize to me? After all, I didn’t change your clothes or do anything to you…”

“Sorry-I didn’t expect the truth to be more brutal than I imagined,” Chen Shu said in a dry voice.

Seeing Chen Shu’s haggard look, Kong Xi’s long eyelashes fluttered as she asked, “Why did you drink so much?”

“A friend’s birthday, everyone was happy,” Chen Shu replied with a smile. A breakup is a wound, and every inquiry is like salt on that wound.

“Thank you for breakfast, and thank you for taking me in-” Chen Shu pushed back his chair and stood up, taking the clean, dry clothes the second aunt handed him. He changed in the room and waved to Kong Xi, saying, “See you if fate allows.”

“I’ll see you out-this is a Fingerprint Lock, you can’t get out on your own.” The second aunt was very attentive, following Chen Shu.

“Hey-” Kong Xi called from behind.

“What?”

“Do you really not recognize me?” Kong Xi asked, unwilling to give up.

Chen Shu studied Kong Xi seriously, then smiled, “I recognize you-you picked up my heel. I gave it to you as a gift, so we’re even, right?”

“…”

“Click!”

After Chen Shu and the second aunt left, Kong Xi ran to the dressing mirror, looking at her reflection.

Bright eyes, white teeth, every smile and frown captivating.

She gently touched her cheek, softly saying, “Yes, how could that fool remember me? When we were deskmates, I was dark and chubby-Chen Shu, Chen Shu, who would have thought we’d meet again? The debt owed should be repaid, right?”

Thinking of past events, Kong Xi became a bit lost in thought.

After a long while, Kong Xi snapped back to reality, winking at the mirror, saying, “I’m really beautiful!”

Led by the second aunt, Chen Shu took the private elevator down.

No wonder the second aunt said he couldn’t get down without her; it turned out this high-end complex had one elevator per unit, and only fingerprint access could enter and exit specific floors.

At the elevator entrance, they met a neighbor going up. The middle-aged woman warmly greeted the second aunt, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Chen Shu, saying, “Aunt Li, who is this?”

“A silly nephew from back home,” the second aunt said with a smile, “Call her Ying-Jie².”

“-Hello, Ying-Jie.”

“Oh, so he’s a relative from your hometown.” The middle-aged woman’s interest in Chen Shu waned, and she said “see you” to the second aunt before entering the elevator.

“Second aunt, uh-I forgot to ask, what’s Xiao Xi’s full name?”

“Kong Xi,” the second aunt replied, surprised, “You didn’t know?”

“We just met yesterday…” Chen Shu’s expression turned to shock, “Kong Xi? Superstar Kong Xi?”

The second aunt’s expression became strange, and she waved her hand as if shooing away an annoying fly, urging, “Don’t ask, just go, go!”

“…”

Footnote:

1. Karaoke(卡拉OK):A popular form of entertainment where people sing along to recorded music with lyrics displayed on a screen. It originated in Japan and is enjoyed worldwide.
2. Jie(姐):In Chinese, the term “Jie” (姐) is a respectful and affectionate way to address an older female friend, colleague, or sister.