The night was far too long—so long that time itself seemed to stop flowing. Especially when someone was waiting for a certain outcome, that sense of endlessness grew all the heavier.
After assigning the task, Zheng Qing had wanted to go back to sleep, only to find that the "sense of anticipation" had left him too excited to truly fall asleep. He waited hopefully for over an hour, but Doggy never appeared, and the hands of the clock had silently passed midnight.
The young wizard knew he could not keep waiting.
He still had classes tomorrow.
It took two Sleep-Inducing Talismans to free him from the wild thoughts in his head and send him into a deep sleep.
Magic always worked as one wished. When Zheng Qing opened his eyes again, daylight had already broken. Faint birdsong drifted in from outside the window, and the thin bed curtains swayed gently in the breeze, refreshing anyone who looked upon them.
Zheng Qing stared at the top of his canopy for a few seconds. Once his thoughts gathered again, he abruptly yanked the curtains open.
The dormitory was empty.
As far as the eye can see, there was no dog either.
Two uneven snores drifted from Fatty Xin's bed as usual. The little sprites hung in twos and threes outside Zheng Qing's canopy. Startled by him pulling back the curtains, they made soft chittering sounds. Several energetic sprites were already flapping toward the washroom to prepare hot towels and tea for the young wizard.
Xiao Xiao pulled open his curtains right after Zheng Qing did.
Rubbing his eyes, he gave a huge yawn and squinted as he felt around his desk for his glasses.
After putting them on, he glanced toward Zheng Qing's bed. The young publicly funded student had just shoved