My Underachieving Seatmate Doesn't Need Any Comforting

Inside the table drawer, He Shen’s right hand interlocked fingers with his. His left hand wrote a line on the paper. “What if we’re no longer seatmates?”

Qiao Shao couldn’t help but be surprised how neat his handwriting was even when using his left hand. He replied, “Well, you seem very happy about it!” Still managing to laugh!

He Shen wrote, “Inwardly, I feel very troubled.”

Yeah, right, Qiao Shao would believe his nonsense. “Maybe it would be better if we weren’t seatmates. Saves me the trouble of making you let go of my hand!”

He Shen asked, “Really?”

Qiao Shao really felt unhappy. He had been looking forward to the start of school for so long. Who knew that he would unexpectedly have to face the tragedy of changing seats? You could well imagine how very disappointed he was.

“Yes! And without you as my seatmate, I can study at ease!”

But he wouldn’t see He Shen and wouldn’t hear his voice, not even just his even breathing as he slept.

Without waiting for He Shen to finish writing, Old Tang had already started listing off the “disordered mandarin ducks”. “Qiao Shao, change seats with Lin Xiaoxiao.”

Qiao Shao stood up and said, “Okay.”

The two tightly holding hands finally let go. Qiao Shao already felt like he was missing half his chest. He didn’t dare look at He Shen, he simply bowed his head to pack his things ...

Old Tang said, “Don’t pack up your things just yet. After we’ve fixed the seat changes, we’ll do it all together.”

Qiao Shao’s hands stopped their movement. He gave a sound of assent. “En.” He went to Lin Xiaoxiao’s seat without saying another word.

Lin Xiaoxiao’s seat wasn’t in front of the class. It was somewhere in the middle but he was still separated from He Shen by a full three rows.

Qiao Shao sat down. He didn’t quite know where to put his hands and feet. Lin Xiaoxiao was seatmates with Yu Yuanxi. She said hello to him, and Qiao Shao returned it stiffly, he wasn’t very clear on exactly what he’d said.

Stay calm......

Qiao Shao sighed softly, willing himself not to be so panicked.

They were just going to be sitting apart. There were still in the same class. That’s good. Besides, class time should be used for focusing on the lesson. Sitting together would just affect his studying. It was a good thing they separated.

It was a really good thing.

Qiao Shao could only comfort himself like this.

Old Tang knew every student in his class like he knew the back of his hand. The basic principles for seating arrangements were that boys and girls have to be separated, those who usually hung out together cannot be seated together. Poor-performing student who were well-behaved were to be seated with good students and poor-performing and naughty student needed to be seated where he could keep an eye on them...

After a while, with this seating arrangement, Qiao Shao managed to attain a bit of comfort.

The table in front of him had Chen Su and Jie Kai. Behind him were Song Yixu and his poison-tongued seatmate. Although he was separated from He Shen, he was still surrounded by familiar faces.

From behind him, Song Yixu squawked, “Old Qin, why are we seated together again!” His seatmate was surnamed Qin and was the physics representative for their class.

Qin Song: “I also want to know why this evil spirit still lingers.”

Song Yixu was choked half to death. “Aaaahhh, I want to change seatmates. I just can’t get along with this guy!”

Qiao Shao, who was sitting in front of him, felt very angry. ‘Silly Husky’ Song, you are taking your blessings for granted. If he had a choice, he never wanted to change seatmates!

The seating changes were almost done but Qiao Shao was still sitting next to Yu Yuanxi.

Based on the principle that boys and girls wouldn’t be seated together, Yu Yuanxi will definitely be transferred away, so Qiao Shao’s seatmate hasn’t been decided yet.

Old Tang moved his gaze. “Yu Yuanxi, you and Wang Shuo change seats.”

Wang Shuo was a boy. Qiao Shao’s heart froze, knowing that his seatmate was set.

Wang Shuo sat next to Qiao Shao and greeted everyone. Song Yixu joked around with him. “Old Wang, you can change seats with Qin Song. I think we two would get along really well.”

Wang Shuo and Song Yixu were very familiar with each other. “You better ask Old Tang, tell him you can’t live without me. Maybe he’ll seat me with you.”

Song Yi Xu sprayed him a big ‘ptooey’!

Qiao Shao has been holding himself back for so long, and finally couldn’t help it anymore. He looked back at He Shen.

It was then that Old Tang shouted He Shen’s name.

Qiao Shao’s heart seized. He didn’t know who He Shen’s seatmate was going to be &#k2014; and obviously whoever it was, was just going to be a seatmate but his heart unexpectedly went sour at the thought of it. He’s done for. Later on, he really must stop being such a jar of vinegar!

Tang Yu said without any hesitation, “He Shen, you and Wang Shuo change seats.”

Qiao Shao’s eyes widened. This guy beside him now was Wang Shuo, right? There’s only one Wang Shuo in the class? There isn’t another one, is there?

Wang Shuo’s bottom hadn’t even had a chance to warm his seat yet when he jumped up again. He was quite excited. “Oh, hey! I’m going. I have been after the god of learning’s seat for an entire year!” It was the holy land for sleepers. You can’t deny that it’s feng shui positioning was top-notch.

Qiao Shao didn’t come back to his senses until He Shen sat next to him. He looked at him and He Shen winked at him. “Are you pleasantly surprised?”

Qiao Shao: “...............”

He Shen secretly took his hand. “Did you really not want to be seatmates anymore?”

Qiao Shao knew that the Silly Husky was right behind them but he didn’t want to pull out his hand. He murmured.

He Shen didn’t hear him clearly. “En?”

Qiao Shao wrote a line on his notebook and handed it to He Shen slowly.

He Shen saw it clearly, the roundish handwriting was as sweet and soft as its owner—I’m not pleasantly surprised, I’m ecstatic.

He Shen: “!”

Qiao Shao’s whole face was flushed.

If they hadn’t been in the classroom, He Shen would have kissed him—how could there be someone as good as Qiao Shao? He even let him hold his hand.

He Shen let go of Qiao Shao’s hand and tore off the paper.

Qiao Shao was stunned. “What are you doing!” This was his class notebook!

He Shen solemnly put the paper into his pocket. “I’m taking it back for processing.”

Qiao Shao: “Ah?” What can you do with a piece of paper?

He Shen explained, “I have a laminating machine at home. I’m going to laminate it.”

Qiao Shao was dumbfounded. He lowered his voice and asked, “Why do you need to laminate it?”

He Shen said as though it were the most natural thing in the world, “If I don’t laminate it, how would it last a lifetime?”

Qiao Shao: “...............”

It was just one sentence. What about it needed to be preserved for a lifetime!

During lunch, Qiao Shao received a text message from his dad. “How is it, how’s your new seat?”

Qiao Shao Shao frowned and found that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. He called Da Qiao, “Comrade Da Qiao, how do you know I changed seats?”

Qiao Zongmin said, “I asked Xiao Chen to talk to your class teacher.” Chen Hao was Qiao Shao’s ‘alcoholic father’.

Qiao Shao: “You asked Old Tang to change my seat?”

Qiao Zongmin said reasonably, “In the first place, you weren’t very suited to sit in the last row. It’s only normal that you should change seats.”

Qiao Shao: “You wanted me to change seatmates!”

Qiao Zongmin cleared his throat. “It’s good to stay away from that scheming ghost. It will save you from being pitted.”

Looks like Qiao Shao has found the culprit! But this was his dad and he couldn’t stay angry for long, “You shouldn’t be so prejudiced, he really treats me ...”

Qiao Zongmin said, “You see? If he weren’t a boy, I would begin to suspect that you were in love.”

Qiao Shao was suddenly given a big fright!

Qiao Zongmin added, “Ah, that’s right! If there’s a girl you like it, you must tell me. Your father is very open-minded. It doesn’t matter if it’s young love. Only when it isn’t love will it be a problem.”

Qiao Shao told him the truth. “I don’t have any girls I like.”

Qiao Zongmin said, “It’s okay, but when you do, no need to be shy. I’ll be here to offer you advice.”

Qiao Shao thought, ‘Sorry, Comrade Da Qiao, your son may never have any girls he likes in this lifetime!’

But as for boys, there is one. And it’s also one that you dislike!

Qiao Shao was a little worried. This was how it was when nothing had even happened yet, how about when Da Qiao gets into a dispute with He Shen!

Qiao Shao didn’t tell Qiao Zongmin that his seatmate was still He Shen. He thought about it and surmised that Uncle Chen hadn’t made it clear to Lao Tang. After all, he was a drunkard, not a tyrant president, how could he directly order Old Tang?

Qiao Shao speculated that Uncle Chen must have told Old Tang that his height was not suitable for the last row. Da Qiao thought that as long as he could be moved to the front row, he would be separated from He Shen. After all, He Shen was 1.8 or 1.9 meters tall, it would be absurd to have him sit in front. Who knew... that Old Tang wouldn’t play his cards according to common sense.

It wasn’t until the afternoon self-study when Old Tang called Qiao Shao to have a talk that Qiao Shao finally understood all that had happened behind the scenes with this seating arrangement fiasco.

Old Tang said earnestly, “He Shen approached me beforehand and said that he still wanted to be your seatmate when school starts. He said he would definitely find the reason and get you to perform well and attain the results you deserve.”

Qiao Shao suddenly realized why he could still be seatmates with He Shen.

Tang Yu continued, “He Shen is a good person and he’s particularly caring towards you. Of course, you shouldn’t feel pressured. Take your time. Teacher knows that you are working hard.”

Qiao Shao was touched, his heart felt sweet and his throat felt choked up. “En, I will adjust well my mentality.”

Tang Yu said, “Teacher believes in you two!”

What he said made Qiao Shao a little bit embarrassed. He must never let Tang Yu know about them until they graduate ... Else, Old Tang might turn bald from anger!

The first week seemingly passed in the blink of an eye.

Qiao Shao looked forward to each day with ever increasing happiness. When morning comes, he could see He Shen. As long as He Shen was there, anything he did felt interesting.

This weekend was a short break, and last semester, Qiao Shao never went home when it was just a short break. But this semester, he wanted to spend it at home, mainly because he wanted to spend more time with Da Qiao, even if it was only one for night.

He Shen was very dissatisfied with this. “It will be a lot of hassle to go back and forth for just one night.”

Qiao Shao said, “I want to go home to spend more time with my dad.”

He Shen couldn’t say anything, but his brows were furrowed tightly.

Qiao Shao’s heart immediately went soft and he stealthily took his hand and said, “I’ll walk you home first.”

He Shen turned his hand over to hold his back. “It would be better if I walked you home instead.”

Qiao Shao said, “My home is too far.”

He Shen looked at him. “You have never taken me to your house. Am I that unfit to be seen?”

Actually, Qiao Shao didn’t want to hide He Shen. But if he took He Shen home to convince him, and they ran into Da Qiao, with Da Qiao’s prejudice against He Shen as thick as city walls...

Forget it, forget it. He still needs to take his time to make a decision.

“Wait a bit ...” Qiao Shao said euphemistically, “Wait until my dad gets better.”

He meant Da Qiao’s prejudice issue but obviously, He Shen misunderstood. He thought it was his alcohol problem.

You can’t blame Da Qiao for being biased about He Shen, after all, He Shen was also very biased about Da Qiao.

He Shen didn’t force the issue and only said, “Be careful on the road.”

Qiao Shao replied, “See you on Sunday.”

To the end, He Shen was really reluctant to see him leave. “Let me have a kiss.”

He didn’t wait for Qiao Shao’s reaction and gave a slight peck on his lips.

Qiao Shao was given quite the scare. “I told you, not outside ...”

He Shen said, “No one can see us.”

The two of them stood in a corner and no one passed by.

Qiao Shao really should go. He said, “I’m going home now.”

He Shen let go of his hand. “Send me a message when you get home.”

Qiao Shao was also reluctant to leave him. “Okay.”

He Shen added, “And videos.”

Qiao Shao had already gone off a few steps but ran back.

He Shen: “Why? Did you drop something?”

Qiao Shao grabbed his tie, stood slightly on tiptoe and lightly kissed his lips.

He Shen’s heart leapt. He stretched his hand to clasp his waist, and he tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss. Qiao Shao felt his legs go weak, he didn’t even have the strength to remain standing.

In the end, their scruples about doing this in public made them separate after kissing for a moment. Qiao Shao’s entire face was red and he couldn’t lift his head. “This time, I’m really going.”

He Shen said, “If you don’t go now, I really won’t let you go.”

Staying in the corner was indeed safe, because there was a big pine tree blocking them from people’s view. Even if there were passers-by, they would never see them.

However, it wouldn’t block the view of people who were intentionally following and spying on them.

In a sumptuously done-up penthouse, a woman with exquisite makeup sneered at the photo in her hand. “Xie Shen, simply amazing. He dare come back here when he has this kind of scandal.”

Opposite her was a man wearing glasses. He said, “If we let out these photos, Xie Shen is finished.”

The woman sneered. “We have to pick a good time.”

The man said, “Doesn’t he want to hold a birthday banquet for that old fool?”

The woman also thought of this. “Yes, if this gets exposed in front of everyone, even if Xie Yongyi wasn’t old and muddleheaded, he won’t keep him!”

The man said cruelly, “Xie Shen really broke his own arm here. He actually likes men.”

The woman paused and asked, “This boy, are you sure he’s no one important?”

The man said, “What kind of powerful person would attend that lousy high school?”

The woman was relieved. “That’s right. They’re all poor and pedantic types there.”

As soon as Qiao Shao came home, he heard the good news from his father. “Fortunately or unfortunately, after years of not holding it, the Xie Family’s going to hold a birthday banquet for the old man.”

Qiao Shao was glad. “Will it be at the Xie Family’s old house?”

Qiao Zongmin said, “Undoubtedly.”

Qiao Shao was quite puzzled. “Why are they suddenly having a banquet?”

Qiao Zongmin said, “I heard that the Xie Family’s runaway grandson came back home. The old man was coaxed and he recovered by quite a bit so they want to celebrate.”

Qiao Shao didn’t concern himself about these, so long as he could “revisit an old haunt” then it was fine.

Qiao Zongmin also stressed, “When we go there make sure to keep away from the Xie Family’s kid.”

Qiao Shao wasn’t the least bit interested in the Xie Family’s young master. “I don’t know him, of course, I’ll stay away from him.”

Qiao Zongmin said, “I don’t want to interfere with who you make friends with, but there’s something wrong with the entire Xie Family. I think that child’s abnormal.”

When he said this, Qiao Shao turned curious instead. “Why? How is he abnormal? How old is that child?”

Qiao Zongmin thought about it and said, “He should be the same age as you, but I haven’t seen him for many years. He was only about ten years old when I saw him last time.”

Qiao Shao did not approve. He said, “Da Qiao, how can you say that? He was only ten years old.”

Qiao Zongmin said imposingly. “He didn’t look like a kid at all. He could already go to Tsinghua University at the age of ten.”

That was unexpected. Qiao Shao remembered that He Shen once said that he was preparing for the college entrance examination when he was 11 or 12 years old ...

The author has something to say: these fake identities are on the verge of collapse...