Chapter 28 - Initial Signs

Ruan Nan Zhu really liked the noodles Lin Qiu Shi made. He ate a whole bowl earnestly, not even leaving the soup behind. 

Lin Qiu Shi asked, "Is it that delicious?"

"It's much tastier than the stuff inside the door," Ruan Nan Zhu wiped his mouth and glanced at the time again. "Hurry up and pack up, I'll come to pick you up in the afternoon."

"Okay," Lin Qiu Shi nodded. 

After saying this, Ruan Nan Zhu got up to leave. The cat Chestnut clung to Ruan Nan Zhu's leg with his tail, reluctant to part. Lin Qiu Shi watched this scene jealously. But there was nothing he could do since Chestnut was a cat after all. 

This was also Lin Qiu Shi's rented house. His lease still had half a year left and he didn't plan on giving it up either. He wasn't originally from this city. He had stayed after graduating from the local university and had gotten used to the weather and life here. 

Lin Qiu Shi started packing. He didn't have many clothes so it was quickly done. The most troublesome thing was his work-related books. They were extremely heavy. Looking at these books, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to give them all away to the cleaning auntie downstairs. 

He should do things that made him happy since he was going to die soon anyway. 

After organizing his luggage, Lin Qiu Shi informed his friend Wu Qi that he was moving. 

Upon hearing about his move, Wu Qi insisted on coming over to help. But Lin Qiu Shi declined, saying he had already hired professional movers. 

"Where are you moving to then?" Wu Qi asked.

"The suburbs. I'll invite you over once it's set up," Lin Qiu Shi said. "You should focus on work for now." 

"Remember to send me the new address," Wu Qi said. "Taking time off to relax for a bit is good too. Who can stand working overtime everyday even if we're young. We need to take care of our health too."

"Mm," Lin Qiu Shi agreed.

At 3 pm sharp, Ruan Nan Zhu and Cheng Qian Li arrived to help carry his luggage into the car. The cat Chestnut was also put into a cat carrier and placed on the backseat. 

Lin Qiu Shi asked, "Will you really let me touch Chestnut after we get to the villa?"

Ruan Nan Zhu replied, "Mm." 

Cheng Qian Li said, "Lin Qiu Shi, do you know you look just like a wife abandoned by her husband right now?"

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." No I don't, I don't. 

The car moved forward. The surroundings gradually became desolate before finally exiting the ring road onto the highway, arriving at the lone villa standing in the suburbs. 

This was Lin Qiu Shi's second time here. Carrying his large and small bags, he saw Cheng Yi Xuan in the living room when he entered. 

Cheng Yi Xuan was eating something. Seeing them come in, his expressionless face didn't show any emotion at all. He only gave a cold greeting: "Brother Ruan." 

Lin Qiu Shi reflexively looked at Cheng Qian Li by his side. 

He had to say, although they were twins, these two had very different styles. Cheng Qian Li was lively and outgoing with very exaggerated expressions no matter what he said. Cheng Yi Xuan on the other hand was introverted and cold, looking very unapproachable.

Ruan Nan Zhu asked, "How are the preparations?" 

"Still alright," Cheng Yi Xuan said. "We'll have to go in and take a look at the specifics. When are you leaving?"

"In a few days," Ruan Nan Zhu replied. 

Cheng Yi Xuan nodded and left towards the villa. 

Hearing this, Lin Qiu Shi softly asked, "Are you going in a few days from now?"

"Mm," Ruan Nan Zhu acknowledged. 

"Is it very dangerous?" Lin Qiu Shi asked. The second door was already so terrifying. Ruan Nan Zhu's door must be even more frightening.

"It's fine," Ruan Nan Zhu said mildly as if discussing a vacation trip. He showed no signs of nervousness at all. 

Seeing him so calm, Lin Qiu Shi also settled down. 

After that, Ruan Nan Zhu arranged a room on the third floor hallway for Lin Qiu Shi, directly opposite his own. 

Lin Qiu Shi moved his luggage into his room before eagerly releasing Chestnut from the cat carrier. 

Despite being in an unfamiliar environment, Chestnut showed no signs of wariness at all. He happily wagged his fluffy butt and ran towards Ruan Nan Zhu, rubbing against Ruan Nan Zhu's legs when he reached him, begging to be carried. 

Ruan Nan Zhu bent down and picked up Chestnut, sitting down on the sofa while beckoning to Lin Qiu Shi: "Come over."

Lin Qiu Shi, whose eyes were red with jealousy, ran over excitedly shouting, "Nan Zhu, Nan Zhu...let me sniff him!" 

Cheng Qian Li at the side: "..." Lin Qiu Shi, are you addicted to cats?? 

Ruan Nan Zhu lowered his head looking at Chestnut: "Go ahead and sniff."

Lin Qiu Shi: "Great!" He first reached out to touch Chestnut, realizing Chestnut no longer protested with his claws. This was tremendous progress already. 

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Qiu Shi pounced heavily, shoving his head into Chestnut's soft and fluffy fur.

Chestnut let out a meow. His pink claws softly patted Lin Qiu Shi's head. 

Sniffing cats makes people happy. It's impossible not to sniff cats. It's impossible in this lifetime to not sniff cats. Only by sniffing cats can life go on. Having not touched his beloved cat for months, Lin Qiu Shi finally got his wish today. He was so moved he nearly cried. 

"F*ck, what are you guys doing? Too exciting!" A sudden voice came from the doorway. Before Lin Qiu Shi understood what was happening, he felt Ruan Nan Zhu lightly grab his hair. "Don't kneel to sniff him, Lin Qiu Shi."

"F*ck, kneeling to sniff!" That person exclaimed. "Brother Ruan, you guys really know how to play!" 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." He was silent for three seconds before realizing what had happened. He now saw that Ruan Nan Zhu had placed Chestnut on his lap, while he was half-kneeling in front of Ruan Nan Zhu, blissfully shoving his face into Chestnut's body... This position, no matter how you looked at it, seemed inappropriate. 

Lin Qiu Shi silently stood up to clarify that he was not doing anything indecent to the cat. 

This person was Yi Manman, the man Lin Qiu Shi had seen at the villa before. Perhaps Lin Qiu Shi's resentful gaze was too aggrieved, causing Yi Manman to feel somewhat uneasy. "It's fine, please continue. I'm just passing by," he said.

Ruan Nan Zhu laughed softly. 

Chestnut was still in his arms, completely oblivious. His fur had become messy from Lin Qiu Shi's actions but he still looked extremely cute. 

Lin Qiu Shi got up from the floor and moved to reveal the cat in front, pointing at him to show that he wasn't doing anything indecent. 

"Oh, playing with a cat," Yi Manman said awkwardly. "Sorry, I misunderstood." 

"It's fine," Lin Qiu Shi said. "I shouldn't have gotten overexcited...." 

Cheng Qian Li, who had watched the entire spectacle, could no longer hold back. He slapped the table laughing loudly while taking out his phone for Lin Qiu Shi to see the photo he took. 

Lin Qiu Shi walked over to take a look. He saw himself half-kneeling between Ruan Nan Zhu's legs. Ruan Nan Zhu had a gentle expression, looking at him and even reaching out to lightly grab his hair...

Lin Qiu Shi: "F*ck, when did you take this? Delete it—" 

Cheng Qian Li: "Okay, okay, don't get agitated. I'll delete it right away." He deleted the photo in front of Lin Qiu Shi before the matter was dropped. 

After dealing with it, Lin Qiu Shi wearily sat back down on the sofa. He said it was truly difficult nowadays to simply sniff a cat in peace. 

Just then, Chestnut happily rubbed Ruan Nan Zhu's chest with his head, as if saying "Why haven't you continued sniffing me?"

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." Chestnut, you traitor!!! 

That night, everyone ate dinner together to celebrate Lin Qiu Shi moving in. He also became more familiar with the residents of the villa. 

Yi Manman and Chen Fei were the people he had seen last time. He was told a few others were away for business and would be back after some time. There was also a corgi called Toast being kept at the villa. It was currently hospitalized for illness and would only be brought home tomorrow according to Cheng Qian Li. 

"Won't they fight?" Lin Qiu Shi was a little worried seeing Chestnut. 

"They shouldn't," Cheng Qian Li said. "Your Chestnut has a good temper. My Toast is also quite friendly, just has one bad habit of liking to sniff cat butts."

"Is Toast male or female?" Lin Qiu Shi asked. 

"Male," Cheng Qian Li replied. "When I bring him out for walks, he gets beaten up by stray cats whenever he encounters them. *sigh*" He looked at Chestnut. 

Lin Qiu Shi nodded. "My Chestnut is male too." 

Since this was the case, no inter-species accidents should happen... 

Chen Fei and Yi Manman both toasted Lin Qiu Shi. They welcomed him and said everyone would take care of each other in the future. Lu Yan Xue sat smiling sweetly at the side. She said she was very happy that Lin Qiu Shi had joined them. 

Lin Qiu Shi also drank a little but didn't dare have too much considering his physical condition. 

After dinner ended, Lin Qiu Shi returned to his room. Lying in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. All kinds of strange thoughts swirled chaotically in his mind. 

Unable to sleep, Lin Qiu Shi crawled out of bed wanting to get some air in the hallway. 

But looking out the corridor window, he saw Ruan Nan Zhu talking to Chen Fei in the yard through the glass. 

Both had very serious expressions. There was a black notebook on the table between them. They occasionally wrote or drew in it with a pen. 

Chen Fei looked refined and wore black-framed glasses. Even his smile was gentle. Lin Qiu Shi had heard from Cheng Qian Li that he used to be a teacher but it was unclear how he had joined the group. Cheng Qian Li himself was the last one to enter the villa. 

Logically, Lin Qiu Shi shouldn't have been able to hear anything from such a distance. But as if by miracle, he vaguely made out parts of their conversation, though not very clearly. Still, he could guess one or two things. 

They seemed to be discussing Ruan Nan Zhu's next door—the background, possible hidden clues within...

Just as Lin Qiu Shi wanted to continue eavesdropping, Ruan Nan Zhu below suddenly turned as if eyes had grown on his back, looking directly at him. 

Their eyes met. Embarrassed, Lin Qiu Shi waved awkwardly at him in greeting. 

Ruan Nan Zhu said something to Chen Fei before heading towards the villa. Unsure whether to keep standing there or leave, Lin Qiu Shi could only open his room door and sit by the entrance to wait. 

Soon after, Ruan Nan Zhu appeared at his doorway as expected. 

"Can't sleep?" Ruan Nan Zhu asked.

"Mm," Lin Qiu Shi said. "My mind is chaotic." 

Ruan Nan Zhu said, "Since you can't sleep, let me show you something." He sat down in front of the room's computer and pressed the power button. 

After the startup jingle, the computer screen lit up. Ruan Nan Zhu moved the mouse to open up the first bookmarked link in the browser. 

The link's icon was a black door, almost identical to the iron door Lin Qiu Shi had entered. 

Ruan Nan Zhu logged into an account after opening the website. Shortly after, a blood red forum appeared before Lin Qiu Shi's eyes. 

"This is a forum created by people who have entered the doors. There's a lot of content and information inside. You can browse it when free," Ruan Nan Zhu said. "You can only access this forum on this computer. Don't try entering with other devices."

"Will the location be discovered if other devices are used?" Lin Qiu Shi asked. 

Ruan Nan Zhu nodded. "Bad things will happen if discovered." He paused briefly before stating a shocking fact in a calm tone. "Doors can be seized." 

"What??" Lin Qiu Shi's eyes widened. 

"I've said that doors are not punishments but rewards," Ruan Nan Zhu said. "The dying who enter are granted new life as long as they pass the twelve doors." 

"But how can doors be seized?" Lin Qiu Shi still couldn't understand.

Ruan Nan Zhu explained, "Those without doors need only follow a door owner into the world behind the doors and kill them inside. The door will then switch owners. Of course this is quite difficult in execution but there are always ways for the willing." 

Hearing this, Lin Qiu Shi was stunned for a few seconds. Cold sweat then oozed from his palms as he realized the threat was not limited to just the hellish worlds behind the doors. There were also sinister people coveting them from outside. It was unimaginable—if not for Ruan Nan Zhu, even if he made it out of the doors he would still be in a confused plight. 

He thought about the dead Zhang Zi Shuang from the first door again. It wasn't Zhang Zi Shuang's first time entering. Yet when he had entered, he hadn't even changed into fresh clothes which allowed Lin Qiu Shi to easily identify him after the car accident. 

Looking at the computer screen, Lin Qiu Shi discovered the forum's activity levels were actually very high. It was 2 am now yet there were still over 6000 online users. 

"We also get jobs online but not on this site," Ruan Nan Zhu said. "Since you've just entered, there's no need to understand so much for now. Just read the forum first."

"Oh," Lin Qiu Shi thanked Ruan Nan Zhu. "Thank you." 

Ruan Nan Zhu replied, "No need to thank me. Show it through action instead." 

Lin Qiu Shi said, "Sure...how do you want me to thank you? Or treat you to a meal tomorrow..." He had just started suggesting treating Ruan Nan Zhu to a meal when Ruan Nan Zhu interrupted: "Or find an opportunity to kneel and sniff my cat again?" 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." Is this guy trying to take advantage of me? He's trying to take advantage of me! 

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Alright, I'm joking. You go ahead and read first. I've still got things to do." He paused at the door before leaving. "No more eavesdropping now." 

Lin Qiu Shi mumbled in acknowledgment. 

Ruan Nan Zhu smiled. "Such a good boy." He left after that. 

Watching his retreating back, Lin Qiu Shi felt something was off. After some thought, he realized Ruan Nan Zhu was teasing him. They had been so far away just now. A normal person wouldn't have suspected Lin Qiu Shi of overhearing their conversation at all. Yet Ruan Nan Zhu had suddenly said that line without Lin Qiu Shi even denying it. 

Just what was going on with his hearing...

Full of such doubts, Lin Qiu Shi sat down in front of the computer and started browsing the forum. 

There were many posts on the forum covering a wide range of topics. There was even information for making friends. Having just been warned by Ruan Nan Zhu, he now had no interest in such things at all. Instead, he clicked into some posts speculating on the doors. 

This forum had existed for six years. Users were still discussing what exactly the doors were till this day. 

Were they future technology? Gifts from the gods? Experiments by aliens? Endless guesses yet no answers. None seemed reliable. 

The forum also contained discussions about the world behind the doors. Lin Qiu Shi browsed them briefly but didn't find any particularly useful information. 

After reading for over an hour, drowsiness gradually washed over him. He turned off the computer and returned to bed. 

This time, Lin Qiu Shi fell asleep as soon as he lay down. 

The next sunny morning...

Lin Qiu Shi had just gone downstairs when he saw Cheng Qian Li angrily arguing with his brother, though it was more apt to describe it as endless nagging by himself. 

"I already said I don't eat spicy food. Why did you add spicy stuff? You don't care at all what I actually like. You only care about yourself..." Cheng Qian Li grumbled at the bowl of oil tea in front of him. 

Cheng Yi Xuan sat expressionlessly opposite him. "If you won't eat then scram." 

Cheng Qian Li started bawling pretentiously but still picked up the oil tea and started eating. Lin Qiu Shi had originally thought he couldn't tolerate spicy food, but it turned out the guy was just making noise. His mouth said he didn't want to eat it but his body was very honest, eagerly finishing the entire bowl in no time. 

"I want another bowl," Cheng Qian Li said. "Oh...add more spicy stuff for me."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." You're so amusing.

After breakfast, everyone went about their own business. Lin Qiu Shi had assumed the villa's atmosphere would be tense but he discovered it was actually quite relaxed after observing for a while. The second floor had a gym and game room. The entire fourth floor was a study. There were places to go if you wanted to do anything. 

Cheng Qian Li asked Lin Qiu Shi to go with him to pick up the dog Toast from the hospital. Lin Qiu Shi agreed. 

On the drive there, Lin Qiu Shi tentatively asked if Ruan Nan Zhu was busy preparing to enter a door. 

"Yeah," Cheng Qian Li chewed bubble gum in the passenger seat. "Probably in the next few days. You'll sense it more accurately the further back you go. Basically you'll know when you're about to enter... Of course, it's best if no one reveals the exact timing to others, except the people going in with you."

"Is he going in alone this time? Won't that be very dangerous?" This was Lin Qiu Shi's biggest concern. 

"Dangerous for sure." Cheng Qian Li said. "I heard someone's accompanying Brother Ruan in but I don't know who..." 

"Oh," Lin Qiu Shi said. "Hope I can help in the future..."

Cheng Qian Li smiled at him but didn't say anything. 

In the next few days, Lin Qiu Shi barely saw Ruan Nan Zhu at all. He seemed to be very busy, spending minimal time at the villa. 

On the other hand, Lin Qiu Shi became quite familiar with the villa's other occupants. 

Yi Manman was a 23 year old guy. Like Cheng Qian Li, he was also chatty. Whenever those two got together, they could chatter away an entire day. But Yi Manman was slightly more mature than Cheng Qian Li, rarely losing his temper. Lu Yan Xue was a little older than Yi Manman. She was the only girl in the villa currently. Very ordinary looking, she was usually inconspicuous without much presence. She didn't seem like someone very bold. However, Cheng Qian Li said her performance behind the doors was astonishing. 

As for Cheng Qian Li's brother, Cheng Yi Xuan, in Cheng Qian Li's own words: "Best to keep your distance, he has mental issues..." 

Considering the relationship between the two, Lin Qiu Shi took this view with some skepticism. 

On the fifth day after moving into the villa, Ruan Nan Zhu who had been missing suddenly appeared. Lin Qiu Shi was just about to head upstairs to sleep when a figure suddenly materialized in front of him in the corridor. The figure gave Lin Qiu Shi a huge fright. Taking a closer look, he realized it was Ruan Nan Zhu. 

Ruan Nan Zhu's complexion was very poor, one hand bracing against the wall, seemingly about to collapse at any moment. Lin Qiu Shi quickly went up to support him. "Nan Zhu, are you alright?"

Ruan Nan Zhu shook his head. "Help me to my room." 

"Mm," Lin Qiu Shi supported Ruan Nan Zhu to his bedroom. 

The moment Ruan Nan Zhu touched the bed, he fainted. Shocked, Lin Qiu Shi hurried downstairs to call for help, unsure if Ruan Nan Zhu could be sent directly to a hospital. 

Chen Fei came up and swiftly examined Ruan Nan Zhu's condition. He said it was nothing serious, Ruan Nan Zhu was just too exhausted. However, to be safe, a hospital visit was still necessary. 

Hearing this, Lin Qiu Shi relaxed. 

This was the first time he had seen Ruan Nan Zhu so weak. Ruan Nan Zhu usually gave off an extremely reliable feeling, as if nothing would go wrong as long as he was present. Seeing him in this state now, Lin Qiu Shi inevitably felt somewhat distressed.

Chen Fei drove Ruan Nan Zhu to the hospital with Lin Qiu Shi accompanying them. 

After registering at emergency, the doctor conducted a preliminary diagnosis confirming Ruan Nan Zhu had no external injuries while his vitals were also stable. He had simply fallen asleep. 

"Fortunately it's nothing major," Chen Fei said in relief. "Let's wait for him to wake up before leaving the hospital." 

Lin Qiu Shi nodded. 

Chen Fei went out to make a call. When he returned, his expression had darkened. Lin Qiu Shi asked what was going on. Chen Fei was silent for a while before saying in a low voice, "The person who entered with Brother Ruan...just died."

Lin Qiu Shi's eyes widened. 

"Passed away just now," Chen Fei said. "Jumped down from upstairs..."

Lin Qiu Shi's gaze moved to Ruan Nan Zhu as immense relief suddenly washed over him... At least he was still alive.