The first day’s daily test was earth-shattering.

From the moment Xie Lan took his paper out of the kraft paper bag, his heart had fallen into Avici Hell.

When the bell rang to collect papers, Dou Sheng glanced at Xie Lan’s largely blank answer sheet and fell into deep thought.

Xie Lan handed the answer sheet to Li Yuening, trying hard to ignore the other’s surprised look.

“Did Old Ma say where he is during the provincial training?”

Dou Sheng thought for a moment. “There seems to be only one teacher’s lounge in this building.”

Hearing this, Xie Lan picked up his schoolbag and walked out. “Blocking him.”

Che Ziming shouted from behind, “Hey hey, where are you two going? Want to go eat skewers?!”

Eat skewers my ass. Xie Lan walked indignantly. Someone secretly swapped his ascension manual for a sudden death guide; who could he reason with?

Sure enough, Old Ma was sitting in the lounge writing lesson plans.

Xie Lan knocked on the door. He looked up and laughed. “Came to denounce me for crimes?”

“My paper is different from everyone else’s,” Xie Lan said.

Old Ma smiled and unscrewed his thermos cup, taking a sip of hot water. “How was the daily test? Finished how many out of fifteen questions?”

Just as Xie Lan was about to complain, he hissed again. “I reckon… if you work hard on the first day, you should be able to finish one-third? Is there one-third?”

“…” Xie Lan braked sharply with words on the tip of his tongue, unable to help frowning. “What one-third? I clearly finished seven questions.”

In his peripheral vision, Dou Sheng turned his head toward the window.

Xie Lan looked back and saw him gently raising the corners of his lips.

Old Ma sighed with emotion. “So impressive. Then like this, I believe you will soon fully adapt to running with sandbags tied. I really didn’t misjudge you.”

“Praising me is useless.” Xie Lan frowned, paused. “Today’s questions were too outrageous. What exam tests like this?”

“The questions at the beginning were indeed a bit exaggerated. I’m not good at twists and turns, still groping. Later, I will slowly twist freshly and naturally without affectation.” Old Ma said while flipping through the materials on the table. “I already pulled Teacher Qin in. We are researching together, striving to let you improve your reading ability quickly.”

Hearing this, Dou Sheng raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced back at the lesson plan on the table.

Xie Lan also looked over. On the left of the lesson plan was a stack of competition papers. Old Ma was trying to expand the question stems on the lesson plan.

The original fierce momentum suddenly had nowhere to vent.

He stood in front of the table for a long time, speechless, helpless, and despairing, finally sighing.

“Forget it, thanks for your hard work, Teacher. I’m leaving first.”

Old Ma smiled and asked, “Are you very resistant to doing these questions?”

“Not really.” Xie Lan paused, turned his head to look at the tree shadows hidden in the night outside the window, and whispered after a long time, “Just a bit losing face.”

On the way back to the dorm, Xie Lan was depressed and silent.

In his peripheral vision, his and Dou Sheng’s faces rose and fell with their walking in the GoPro camera frame.

Dou Sheng was talking casually to the camera: “Today is the first day I came to the closed provincial training for math competition with the person I like, Xie Lan. Eleven or twelve hours from morning to night, people are exhausted.”

“He’s not very happy because the teacher gave him special treatment. Couldn’t understand the questions, seems to have lost face.”

Dou Sheng sighed faintly at the camera. “Boyfriend looks a bit cute when depressed.”

Hearing this, Xie Lan looked up. The lens reflected his very helpless face. “Are you going to make this video in VLOG format?”

Dou Sheng hummed. “Daily life of a young couple is the most deadly.”

“Mm…”

But always felt a bit over the top. Didn’t know what everyone’s reaction would be when the video was posted, and what Auntie Zhao’s reaction would be.

Xie Lan sighed, looking at the dim and blurred outlines of the two in the lens, then turned to look at the sky. “So stuffy.”

A gust of wind passed. Dou Sheng casually plucked a phoenix tree leaf from a branch, muttering, “Don’t tell me it’s going to rain. That group buying late-night snacks will get slapped on the road by the rain.”

It seemed it was indeed going to rain.

The air was stuffy and humid, sticking to the skin like a pot of porridge that couldn’t be stirred open. Pitch dark, wind blowing the phoenix tree leaves all over the school rustle rustle, wind-blown flowers and leaves fluttering, swirling in the night.

Xie Lan immediately packed his shower things upon returning to the dorm, planning to finish washing quickly to return to his cultivation world.

Dou Sheng asked, “You wash first?”

Since becoming boyfriends, Dou Sheng and he always tacitly staggered showers, not showering together even if there were free stalls.

Xie Lan hummed. “I’ll be quick.”

“No rush.” Dou Sheng pulled a chair and sat down. “It’s drizzling outside. I’ll ask if they need picking up.”

Xie Lan hummed and walked out holding his washbasin.

A heavy rain was imminent. The doors of the unoccupied dorms on this floor were unlocked year-round, banging clang clang against the frames by the cross-draft, one after another.

Students from other cities for provincial training weren’t in this building. The whole building should only have these six boys from Class 4. At this moment, only he and Dou Sheng were back.

Xie Lan entered the bathroom, hung his bath towel on the rod as a curtain, and turned on the tap to shower in the narrow stall.

Huge splashes poured down on his head. He squeezed a palmful of shampoo, lathered foam on his head, and bent down to rinse under the water.

Eyes closed in the dark, he suddenly heard the filament overhead seem to make two sounds.

Xie Lan didn’t take it seriously until he rinsed his head thoroughly several times and opened his eyes.

Black.

Hot water still poured on him, but there was a quietness in the bathroom. If listening carefully, one could hear the sound of water rushing down the pipes.

He fumbled for the tap to turn off the water, lifted the towel, and glanced out.

The washroom outside was equally pitch black. Further out, there was no light under the door crack. The corridor had a power outage too.

Sigh, bad luck.

Speechless, Xie Lan shrank back, fumbling for the shower gel bottle in the basin, wanting to finish washing quickly and get out.

It was pitch dark; couldn’t see where he had applied shower gel and where he hadn’t. Palms felt slippery everywhere, could only apply make-do.

Xie Lan finished applying shower gel, straightened up, and was about to feel for the tap when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside.

His movements paused.

“Xie Lan?” Dou Sheng’s low voice sounded. “There, right?”

Xie Lan breathed a sigh of relief. “Mm. What’s wrong?”

Separated by a bath towel, Dou Sheng stood still outside, hesitating for a while before saying, “Power outage.”

“Mm. I know.”

Dou Sheng paused. “Afraid you’d be scared, came to find you.”

Xie Lan vaguely distinguished the outline of someone’s calf and foot under the towel, giving an “oh”. “I’m not scared. Going back after washing.”

“Okay.”

Someone said okay, but didn’t leave.

Xie Lan turned and put his hand on the tap, repeating, “I’m going back after washing.”

“Okay.” Dou Sheng said again.

Still not leaving.

Thoughts turning, Xie Lan suddenly understood. “You aren’t scared staying in the room alone, are you?”

The water room was quiet. Dou Sheng fell into a subtle silence for a long time, sighing.

“How about you try?” He muttered speechlessly, “The whole corridor has no people, no sound, no light. Outside it’s raining crash crash. The wind blows the doors banging back and forth. The water room at the end of the corridor has echoes too.”

Xie Lan couldn’t help saying, “That’s not an echo, it’s the sound of water pipes.”

“Who knows if it’s water pipes or ghosts.” Dou Sheng sucked in a breath. “Wash quickly, I’ll wait for you outside.”

Give up.

Xie Lan listened to those footsteps walking out, suddenly lowered his voice, asking very low and coldly, “Then aren’t you curious what I am?”

“…”

Dou Sheng’s voice suddenly rose. “Student Xie Lan, if you want your boyfriend to discipline you properly, continue being wild!”

Xie Lan choked on a breath, coughing twice, laughing, “Get lost quickly.”

He turned on the tap again to rinse. Dou Sheng walked to the washroom outside. Listening to the sound, he went in the opposite direction of the door, towards the balcony.

Separated by a wall, he shouted, “Xie Lan?”

Xie Lan was helpless. “Here.”

Impatient with words, but his movements sped up. Deftly fished out the tooth mug and toothbrush, but couldn’t aim the toothpaste at all. Squeezed for a long time before getting it on the bristles, then stuffed it into his mouth in a panic.

Boom, a thunderclap outside completely covered the sound of water in an instant.

“Xie Lan?”

Xie Lan raised his voice with a mouthful of toothpaste foam: “Here!”

Dou Sheng sighed outside, muttering dissatisfiedly, “Broken school having a power outage during provincial training, not even a warning. Who are they trying to scare to death.”

Xie Lan brushed his teeth quickly without replying. Dou Sheng waited for a while, then started talking to himself again.

The kind talking to the GoPro.

“Friends, the dorm has a power outage now. Guess this segment will be recorded pitch black. It’s fine, just keep me company talking.”

“Visual inspection shows only Xie Lan and I in the whole building. Now he’s showering in the inner stall; I’m waiting for him outside. Can you hear the water sound?”

“Mm, don’t ask why waiting for him. He’s timid, scared. I, the boyfriend, have to accompany and coax him.”

In the dark, Xie Lan rolled a huge eye while spitting bubbles.

Dou Sheng had some magical professional ethics. After saying two sentences to the camera, his tone softened, retrieving his usual lazy tune.

“Oh right, on the whole net, probably only I have the honor to wait outside while Xie Lan showers. No choice, after all, I am the boyfriend. This is boyfriend privilege.”

“Boyfriend showers a bit slow. Must have been ten minutes, still not out.” He sighed lightly. “Truly a young master.”

“Bullet comments must be complaining I bring up ‘boyfriend’ in every sentence. I will bring it up. Click X if you don’t like watching.”

“Heavy rain outside. Originally wanted to go downstairs to buy him a coke, who knew…”

Before the voice fell, Boom! Another thunder.

“Holy sh*t!!”

Crash—

Xie Lan turned off the water, shouting suffocatingly, “GoPro didn’t break, right?”

Dou Sheng’s voice was still shaken: “Can’t see clearly! Indicator light is still recording. Screen feels a bit scratchy… I really give up, why is the thunder endless.”

Xie Lan: “…”

He quickly rinsed his mouth, turned off the tap, pulled down the towel to dry himself while VLOGging in his brain—

Audience friends, see that one outside? Usually acting so cool, not afraid of parents, teachers, friends, fans. Confronts heaven and earth, lazy and fearless everywhere he goes. In reality, timid as a bean. Afraid of dark and ghosts, shivering at thunder.

This is my boyfriend.

Genuine boyfriend, although he is currently engaged in an intelligence-lowering activity of pretending to have a boyfriend.

Xie Lan quickly finished drying himself. Just as he was about to stuff the towel into the washbasin, looking up, he suddenly saw a familiar figure leaning against the door frame.

Pitch dark, only outline visible, but that outline was familiar enough.

His heart tip trembled. Knowing the other party couldn’t see anything, he still uncontrollably burned at the roots of his ears.

“What are you doing?” Xie Lan asked, forcing calm.

Dou Sheng’s voice was low. “Seeing you didn’t make a sound for a long time, came to take a look… cough, I’m going back outside to wait.”

Saying this, he turned and went out.

Footsteps on the water room tiles made some noise. Xie Lan listened to those footsteps going out. Clearly pitch black, yet he could imagine the appearance of that slender figure.

He closed his eyes, Adam’s apple moving slightly.

It’s the boyfriend.

After a long time, he fumbled to put on pajama pants, wearing only a tank top on his upper body, holding the basin coming out.

Smell of shampoo in his nose. He came out of the shower stall, about to call someone, when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

As if having some secret premonition, Xie Lan raised his hand to support the waist of someone leaning over, retreating two steps back, back against the cool tile wall of the bathroom.

Dim and quiet. Dou Sheng cupped Xie Lan’s slender neck and kissed him. Hair wet with water droplets rubbed between their cheeks. The whole corridor was empty. In the distance, only the sound of rain and wind passing through the hall. Sucking sounds carried a faint echo in the empty water room.

Xie Lan’s breathing gradually became heavier. Dou Sheng’s fingers gathered in his hair, holding the back of his head.

After a long time, Xie Lan pushed him breathlessly. He let go, leaning in to bite gently on the tip of Xie Lan’s ear.

The skin on the ear was fair and thin, easily leaving marks. One bite, and hair would have to cover it a bit tomorrow.

Xie Lan was flushed, encircled by Dou Sheng’s arms, whispering in the dark, “GoPro.”

“Turned off long ago.” Dou Sheng pressed his forehead against his, voice carrying the boy’s faint magnetism. “How can real things be put in a pretend video? Fans would profit too much.”

Xie Lan didn’t make a sound. In that narrow space between Dou Sheng and the wall, he turned his head away, attempting to let the draft blowing from the door disperse those flushed agitations.

However, in that instant, his slightly panting voice suddenly stopped.

At the bathroom door, Che Ziming, soaked like a drowned rat, stood there stupidly. The flash of his phone swayed towards the wall behind him, panicking to avoid the bathroom. The leaked light illuminated his dumbfounded expression.

Dou Sheng’s movement encircling Xie Lan stiffened. A moment later, he straightened up slowly.

He raised his hand to smooth the hair messed up by Xie Lan, turning back to lift his eyelids at Che Ziming. “Is it raining outside?”

“…”

Under the gaze of the two, Che Ziming’s mouth, opened in a small ‘o’, expanded slowly into a large ‘O’.

“You guys…”

Dou Sheng said lightly, “Dark moon, high wind, no one for a hundred miles.”

“…”

Che Ziming shut his mouth abruptly. Xie Lan almost heard the clack sound of his upper and lower teeth engaging.

He held it in for a long time, throat seeming to contain a nest of hornets. Wanted to speak but stopped, stopped but wanted to speak. His expression was so distorted Xie Lan wanted to help him open his Ren and Du meridians.

As if a century had passed, Che Ziming finally said, “Holy sht, isn’t your fcking video filming too realistic? National Second-Class Actors ah. Awe… some…”

This step down was terrible. He couldn’t continue himself, laughing dryly twice. “Hahaha problem is this pitch-black segment can’t be recorded either f*ck, can’t be broadcast if recorded, ah hahaha wu wu wu wu…”

Xie Lan: “…”

Che Ziming was soaked through. Laughing and laughing, he started crying, squatting down to hug his body ruthlessly soaked by rain.

“Heavens! Return me a pair of eyes that haven’t seen all this! Return me two brothers who were straighter than the phoenix tree outside the school gate yesterday!”

Xie Lan was deeply shocked.

The panic and anxiety rising in his heart were suppressed by this shock. He tugged at Dou Sheng’s clothes, whispering, “He’s not really crying, is he?”

Dou Sheng hummed. “Always like this, emotional fluctuations are relatively large. Cried when Little Black Cat got pregnant for the first time too. Ignore him.”

“…”

Xie Lan sighed.

Dou Sheng walked to the door and glanced out into the corridor. “Did you come back alone? Where are they? No one else saw, right?”

“No.” Che Ziming gritted his teeth to suppress that momentary emotional breakdown, temporarily stopping the crying sound. “Everyone was blocked by the rainstorm at the barbecue shop. I lost rock-paper-scissors, ran back to get umbrellas to send to them.”

Dou Sheng gave an “oh,” lifted him by the collar, making him stand straight. “Then go. Don’t talk nonsense, you know.”

Che Ziming nodded vigorously. “I haven’t fcking digested it myself, how could I tell others. You two… fck… I’m really f*cked, I…”

Dou Sheng paused. “Mind this?”

Che Ziming hadn’t finished f*cking yet, tongue cramping. “Ah?”

“I asked if you mind this.” Dou Sheng’s tone was faint. “Xie Lan and I are serious. The very serious kind. If you mind this, we’ll stay away from you in the future.”

“Holy sh*t!” Che Ziming went crazy. “Straights are gone, I can’t even keep two bent friends?!”

“…Can keep if you want.” Dou Sheng sighed low. “Let’s go, get umbrellas with you to pick people up.”

“I’ll go too.” Hearing this, Xie Lan followed. Passing by Che Ziming, he endured and endured, but couldn’t help whispering, “Actually… that phoenix tree outside the school gate is probably the most bent one in Yinghua, just short of lying on the ground.”

Che Ziming: “…?”

“Sigh.” Xie Lan sighed.

“We two in the dorm… for so long, Dai You and Wang Gou didn’t discover, yet you bumped into it.”

“You are a bit miserable.”