The moment Wang Zhuo felt the pen move, he exclaimed ‘Hey’ and said quickly, “I didn’t move it. I held it very lightly. You didn’t move it either, did you?”

He Hao lifted an eyebrow. “I didn’t.”

The pen started moving again, drawing a twisting diagonal line on the paper.

“Damn it, you really didn’t do anything?” Wang Zhuo asked to confirm.

“Really,” He Hao said sincerely.

He still thought that the phenomenon he had witnessed was scientifically explainable.

Wang Zhuo quickly glanced over the paper. Now that his idea had come to fruition, he could not think of anything to ask. After a while, he finally forced out, “Pen spirit, you’re here?”

But the pen only continued aimlessly moving over the paper. It went from left to right, then from right back to left. It did not spell out words or intentionally stop on certain markings like the novels and the movies said it would.

“Shall we ask something else?” Seeing that the pen spirit was ignoring him, Wang Zhuo asked He Hao for his opinion.

He Hao did not believe in such things at all and answered, “All right, you ask.”

Wang Zhuo asked, completely sincerely, “Pen spirit, pen spirit...what color underwear is He Hao wearing today?”

The pen continued to draw aimlessly and messily over the paper. He Hao smiled gently. “I’ll answer this for the pen spirit. Black.”

Wang Zhuo was disappointed and said, “I know. I saw when you were changing clothes.”

He Hao: “......”

Wang Zhuo scratched his head with his free hand. He glanced at He Hao and smiled wickedly. “Pen spirit, pen spirit, does He Hao like anyone?”

At this question, the pen which had been moving aimlessly now seemed to have a destination. With a whoosh, it slid over to ‘Yes’.

Wang Zhuo cried out. “Hey, hey! Ritian, you’re really something! You’ve been hiding it so well! Who do you like?”

He Hao smiled a smile that could be described as ‘mysterious and inscrutable’, and said, “Ask the pen spirit.”

“Come in!” Wang Zhuo said.

The door opened. Lin Feiran stood in the doorway with a washbasin. Seeing them sitting at the desk playing the pen spirit game, Lin Feiran’s expression froze for a moment. He said, “Do you have hot water? Lend me some.”

Wang Zhuo twisted his mouth toward the side of the desk. “In the green flask. Take it yourself.”

Lin Feiran hesitated. He stared at the pen in their hands. “You’re summoning pen spirits?”

“Yeah. I was just asking the spirit a question. He really answered,” Wang Zhuo said excitedly.

Lin Feiran glanced at the air above the pen and his mouth twitched. He asked, “...He answers? You’re sure?”

Wang Zhuo said, “Yeah.”

Lin Feiran was surprised. “Surely not. What did you ask?”

Wang Zhuo: “I asked who He Hao is crushing on, and he’s telling me the answer. So far it spells Wang, haha.”

Realization dawned on Lin Feiran’s face and he laughed lightly. He glanced at He Hao, then turned to pour some hot water for himself. He Hao met Lin Feiran’s seemingly all-knowing gaze and coughed uncomfortably, a faint layer of red surfacing on his face.

“What comes after Wang?” Wang Zhuo hurried the pen spirit. “What’s the next word?”

The pen in both their hands now started doodling aimlessly again. He Hao recited the spell to bid the pen spirit farewell, then tossed the pen down. “Never mind asking. The pen spirit just doodles. If you want to know what comes after that, I’ll tell you.”

Lin Feiran put the cap of the thermos back on, then glanced quickly at the pen again and left holding his washbasin.

Seeing that Lin Feiran had left, Wang Zhuo bugged He Hao for a little longer but He Hao wouldn’t say anything. Wang Zhuo teased, “It isn’t me, surely? I knew you were in love with me.”

He Hao smiled good-naturedly. He pinched Wang Zhuo’s face and said lightly, “That’s right, it’s you. I love you to death.”

Wang Zhuo tsked and said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Quick, spill the beans. You won’t tell even me? Are we bros or not?”

He Hao: “We’re not.”

Wang Zhuo: “......”

He Hao glanced at his watch and changed the subject. “Go to sleep. Lights are about to go out and you don’t want to be unable to wake up again tomorrow.”

He Hao’s daily routine already included dragging Wang Zhuo, who slept like the dead, out of his nest of blankets every morning and doing everything possible to wake him up.

Wang Zhuo climbed up to the top bunk like a monkey. Less than three seconds later, he draped himself over the edge like a bat and reminded He Hao, “You owe me a secret. I’ll remember that.”

He Hao smiled, and opened his mouth as if to say something. Just then, the lights went out.

The next morning, as expected, Wang Zhuo was out cold in his bed and wouldn’t get up.

He Hao had a naturally lower requirement for sleep than most people, so he was in the habit of getting up early. At 5:30 in the morning, he quietly washed up and changed clothes. Seeing Wang Zhuo asleep like the dead, he couldn’t bear to wake him up. He went downstairs, bought two sets of breakfast from the cafeteria, and brought them back to the dorm room. After finishing his portion, he got up, went to Wang Zhuo, and said gently, “Wake up. It’s time to get up.”

Wang Zhuo immediately pulled his head back into the blankets and turned a deaf ear!

He Hao gently shoved Wang Zhuo. “We’re about to be late.”

Wang Zhuo was as immovable as a mountain.

He Hao went to the foot of the bed and used a fingernail to gently tickle the sole of Wang Zhuo’s foot. From within the blankets, Wang Zhuo let out a muffled laugh, then, with a whoosh, dragged his foot into the blankets as well. Now that his entire body was inside the blankets, one couldn’t see him at all.

“I bought you breakfast. Quick, get up and eat.” He Hao was patient and had a gentle disposition. Even when he was worked up he would not be fierce to Wang Zhuo. Seeing Wang Zhuo acting so shameless, he had to use his secret foolproof technique. He caught the corner of Wang Zhuo’s blanket and tugged hard...

Wang Zhuo, only wearing a pair of underpants under the blanket, was now exposed to the air.

A single pillar held up the sky!

He Hao swallowed, licked his lips, and said calmly, “Quick, get up.”

“I’m not feeling well.” Nearly naked, Wang Zhuo curled himself into a ball on the bed. His voice was slightly hoarse and he whined nasally, “Wash my face for me?”

“What’s wrong? Have you caught cold?” He Hao reached out to feel Wang Zhuo’s forehead. It was hot to the touch.

Wang Zhuo hemmed and hawed as he pushed his head against He Hao’s cool palm.

“You’re burning up badly. I’ll get some medicine for you.” He Hao turned to look in the drawer.

“Hss.” Wang Zhuo clutched his stomach, expression pained. “My stomach hurts too. Need to go to the toilet.”

“Go quick, and put some clothes on.” He Hao did not even look up as he tossed Wang Zhuo’s pyjamas onto the top bunk. Clearly, he was used to being Wang Zhuo’s servant.

Wang Zhuo whined, “I don’t feel well. I don’t want to move.”

He Hao: “......”

From the depths of his heart, He Hao asked, “Shall I get you a bedpan then?”

Wang Zhuo let out a snort of laughter. He put on his pyjama pants and climbed down from the top bunk. Groaning and still clutching his stomach, he pushed the door open and headed for the toilet.

Several minutes later, he returned, pale-faced, and sank into his chair.

“Definitely a stomach flu. Ate too much ice cream yesterday.” He Hao spread his hands in a shrug. In his hands were a pill and a capsule. Wang Zhuo did not even look twice; he took them and stuffed them in his mouth, swallowing them with water.

He Hao took the opportunity to deliver a lesson. “Are you still going to eat that much ice cream in the future?”

Wang Zhuo was immediately convinced. He caught hold of He Hao’s waist and nudged the side of his face against He Hao’s stomach. “I won’t eat that much again. I’m going to die.”

He Hao could not hold back a laugh. He ruffled Wang Zhuo’s hair. “If you’re feeling that bad, don’t go to class today. I’ll tell the teacher for you. Eat something, then go back to sleep.”

Wang Zhuo drank a mouthful of the beancurd and said, “Baby can’t climb back up to the top bunk.”

He Hao shook out the blanket he had just folded and said gently, “Then sleep on the bottom one.”

Wang Zhuo said, “Baby’s phone is on the top one.”

He Hao reached out and retrieved Wang Zhuo’s phone, then dragged the desk to the side of the bed and put several things Wang Zhuo might need on it. After that, he was finally satisfied. “I’m going to class. I’ll lend you my notes to look through tonight.”

“Go.” Wang Zhuo waved a hand. “In the afternoon...”

He Hao did not need reminding. Very self-aware, he said, “In the afternoon I’ll bring Baby some food.”

Wang Zhuo weakly blew him a kiss. “Love you, muah.”

With practised ease He Hao caught the kiss and pressed it to his cheek, then said playfully, “I love you too.”