Chapter 15 : Who do you like?

He Yi suddenly shuddered all over.

For a moment just now, she inexplicably felt as if the candle flame was about to burn her.

But when she looked closely, the flame still flickered steadily on the candle.

There was some distance between them, so it was actually unlikely that the flame could burn her.

So she just took it as an illusion caused by the atmosphere.

With an expectant gaze, she looked at the pencil that still hadn’t started moving.

Huá Qí’ān was a bit surprised by He Yi’s question.

Although she didn’t particularly like her three roommates, He Yi was definitely the one she viewed most favorably among them.

Most of the time, she was part of Zhao Yingying’s little clique and wouldn’t object when the latter bossed her around…

But at least her attitude toward Huá Qí’ān was much better than the other two.

It was a contrast.

But that didn’t mean Huá Qí’ān had any special affection for her.

He Yi usually appeared as a cheerful, energetic girl and would occasionally complain in the dorm about the troubles her admirers caused her.

Her figure was petite and her personality outgoing, so her admirers were mostly boys.

Huá Qí’ān was simply surprised that this girl actually had someone she liked.

She didn’t think she had ever mentioned it in the dorm.

Judging by Zhao Yingying and Li Xiaozhen’s reactions, her guess was confirmed.

Zhao Yingying looked as if she’d seen a ghost, her eyes wide as she stared at He Yi, who had suddenly become shy.

“I’ve never heard you mention it before.”

“Could it still be someone from our school?”

He Yi just nodded shyly.

Li Xiaozhen tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“Come on, with your image, if you confessed, the other party definitely couldn’t resist, right?”

“You even have love troubles?”

“And it looks like you’re the one taking the initiative?”

He Yi said nothing, but Huá Qí’ān noticed her glancing in her direction.

Was she hoping Huá Qí’ān would say something?

“Hmm…”

“As long as you’re sincere, there’s a chance.”

Love topics were the one thing she was worst at.

After all, she had never had a boyfriend.

Although many had confessed to her before…

She had always just treated them as friends.

In fact, it was their sudden confessions that ruined what should have been long-lasting friendships, which troubled Huá Qí’ān.

She had only done what she thought friends should do.

Hearing Huá Qí’ān’s words, He Yi’s eyes brightened.

Huá Qí’ān guessed she felt comforted.

At the same time, she looked with some puzzlement at the pencil she was holding.

For the previous three questions, the “Pen Spirit” had reacted quickly.

So why was it that for this particular question, it seemed to hesitate for a long time?

Just as she thought this, Huá Qí’ān felt a vibration in her hand.

“Da—”

The pencil tip broke off a piece where it touched the paper.

This usually only happened when pressed down by weight.

“Shasha—”

The pencil began to move.

He Yi swallowed nervously and watched the pencil’s movement.

【No】

Unlike the previous three times, which had only drawn a circle, this nearly black stroke was deeply embedded in the paper.

Huá Qí’ān glanced toward He Yi and saw her complexion had turned pale.

She looked incredulous, her lips quivering, as if on the verge of tears.

The next moment, she lifted her eyes, meeting Huá Qí’ān’s gaze.

Even in the dim light, Huá Qí’ān could see the redness around He Yi’s eyes.

Huá Qí’ān was stunned. Did she want her to comfort her again?

“Um… next one will be better?”

She tilted her head, recalling how others comforted classmates after breakups.

But unexpectedly, He Yi didn’t seem comforted at all.

Huá Qí’ān felt He Yi’s hand beneath hers tighten, as if trying to make a fist.

He Yi lowered her head, staring at the pencil with a disappointed expression, as if trying to pierce through it with her gaze.

“I’m the only one who doesn’t want to hear you say that, Xiao Qian.”

Huh?

What was wrong with her now?

Huá Qí’ān felt innocent.

She had been so cheerful and excited just moments ago, and now she was like this…

It couldn’t be related to her, right?

Zhao Yingying and Li Xiaozhen shot her a look, as if blaming her for not knowing what to say and causing He Yi to be like this.

So baffling.

What else could she have said to comfort her…

That was why she had no good feelings toward any of these three.

Huá Qí’ān put on a wronged expression.

If He Yi was this upset and she acted like nothing was wrong, it would only cause more inexplicable trouble.

Socializing was really troublesome.

But this was just a small incident.

Compared to the others, Zhao Yingying and Li Xiaozhen clearly cared more about the questions they wanted to ask.

“Pen Spirit, Pen Spirit, will I fail any courses this semester?”

Li Xiaozhen asked.

The Pen Spirit seemed to return to normal, casually circling “No.”

Receiving this answer, Li Xiaozhen looked especially satisfied.

Although she wore black-rimmed glasses and looked like a studious girl, she had actually failed four classes last semester.

She was more interested in strange gossip online than in studying.

“That’s really surprising.”

Zhao Yingying smiled mischievously at Li Xiaozhen.

Then she eagerly looked at the pencil in her hand.

She had deliberately prepared such a large sheet of paper, not just wanting a few yes-or-no answers.

“Pen Spirit, Pen Spirit, what kind of gift does Chen Zhiyan like?”

If she could find out what Chen Zhiyan liked through this method, then her confession would be almost guaranteed success.

Zhao Yingying had already begun fantasizing about dating Chen Zhiyan, picturing him lavishly spending money on her and the envious looks from others.

Just thinking about it excited her immensely.

Perhaps because Zhao Yingying and Li Xiaozhen had both gotten the answers they wanted, as time passed, the previously awkward atmosphere slowly faded.

For outgoing people, that was how it went.

If the Pen Spirit could take human form now, Zhao Yingying might even want to casually put an arm around it.

Huá Qí’ān was somewhat speechless.

Could the Pen Spirit really know things like that?

The pencil seemed to ignore Huá Qí’ān’s thoughts and moved decisively in one direction.

“Flower.”

The pencil circled the character for “flower.”

Zhao Yingying nodded thoughtfully.

“So that’s it, flowers for a beauty…”

So, did the Pen Spirit really exist in this world?

Huá Qí’ān stared at the pencil, her mind blank.

She still found it hard to believe.

“Xiao Qian, you haven’t asked any questions yet, why don’t you ask one too?”

Zhao Yingying, probably in a good mood after the previous answer, smiled in Huá Qí’ān’s direction.

Huá Qí’ān nodded, not refusing.

But she didn’t seem to have anything to ask.

There was no reason to reveal her personal matters just by playing a game.

Thinking of Chen Zhiyan, the girl Zhao Yingying had mentioned, Huá Qí’ān decided to ask a question about her.

“Does Chen Zhiyan have someone she likes?”

Although she couldn’t remember what that person looked like.

Zhao Yingying eyed her warily. “What are you trying to do?”

“Compete with me? You’re way too overconfident.”

Huá Qí’ān looked at her helplessly. “I just really don’t know what to ask.”

“I already know you like her. Why would I compete with you?”

After thinking about Huá Qí’ān’s usually soft personality, Zhao Yingying’s suspicion eased.

Indeed, Huá Qí’ān wouldn’t dare go against her.

Zhao Yingying relaxed considerably.

At the same time, she looked expectantly at how the Pen Spirit would respond.

Although annoyed that Huá Qí’ān asked about her goddess, it was still a matter Zhao Yingying was curious about.

Huá Qí’ān originally thought the Pen Spirit would circle “yes” or “no” as before.

But after a long while, the pencil didn’t move at all.

“…”

Huá Qí’ān felt a subtle awkwardness fill the air.

No one spoke up to decide what to do.

Li Xiaozhen, who was actually the one holding the pencil at the center, was already very tired.

She glanced at the four hands stacked on top of hers and was about to suggest ending the game and letting the Pen Spirit leave.

After all, the Pen Spirit didn’t seem willing to answer this question, showing no reaction for so long.

Since it was Huá Qí’ān’s question, no answer was also fine.

She usually didn’t mind small grievances anyway.

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly remembered something and froze.

Her gaze became strange as she stared at the hands holding the pencil.

The candlelight flickered, the orange-red glow dancing across them.

The scene suddenly took on a strange, eerie quality.

The hand stacked on top had slender fingers, neatly trimmed nails.

Under Li Xiaozhen’s watchful eyes, it moved, rubbing the hand it held, then the five fingers slowly slipped between the other hand’s fingers, intertwining.

Somehow intimate, like flirting.

But the other hand showed no reaction.

Li Xiaozhen suddenly looked up, panting, meeting Huá Qí’ān’s confused gaze.

Cold sweat drenched her back. Everything before her made her breathe rapidly and her heart race wildly.

Someone was touching her hand like that, and she didn’t react?

No, no…

The top hand… shouldn’t that be Huá Qí’ān’s?

No! That can’t be!

How could she have four hands stacked on hers?

Including her, there were only four of them—

So whose extra hand was that?

“Ah—!”

Li Xiaozhen screamed in terror, her face turning pale.

Even seeing such a horrifying scene, her brain immediately shut down.

The other three didn’t expect her sudden outburst.

The pencil, once firmly held, was suddenly thrown aside, crashing heavily against the dorm wall.

It landed and broke into two pieces.