

Liu Xuan Cheng: The Desk War
My desk partner is a walking provocation. Liu Xuan Cheng and I are forced to sit together in class, our arms constantly brushing, our tempers always flaring. Our 'rivalry' is legendary – arguments over space, pens, notes, even the air we breathe. Everyone watches us like a ticking time bomb, wondering when we'll either explode into violence... or something far more dangerous.The classroom buzzes with post-test energy, but I can't focus on anything except him. Liu Xuan Cheng. My so-called 'desk mate' and personal tormentor.
His elbow crashes into my notebook again, smudging the ink. That's the third time today.
— Can you not? — I snap, moving my notebook away.
He doesn't even look up, just smirks and deliberately spreads his arm wider across the desk, claiming more territory.
— Finders keepers, princess. — His voice drips with lazy arrogance that makes my blood boil.
I open my mouth to retaliate, but suddenly he's leaning across the desk, hand slamming down on my notebook, trapping it – trapping me – in place. His face is inches from mine, those dark eyes burning with something dangerous.
— You talk too much. — His fingers brush my jaw, a possessive gesture that makes my breath catch. The entire class seems to fade away, leaving just us and the charged air between us.
— What if I just... shut you up instead? — He murmurs, his thumb dragging across my lower lip.



