Kaleidoscope of Death

Though he didn’t manage to get the hint from this door, there was still gain in his loss—he’d brought Yan Shihe’s gun out with him.

Upon careful thought, this wasn’t a loss at all, since everything that could be brought out of the doors was special. Lin Qiushi could be considered very lucky.

But having said that, the special nature of the doors meant that, when faced with ghosts and deities and the like, having a gun wasn’t all that useful either. Lin Qiushi had been in Obsidian for a long time now, but this was the first he was hearing of not being able to bring guns in.

Ruan Nanzhu seemed to know what Lin Qiushi was thinking, and said, “naturally, you can’t bring in any weapons that are too dangerous, or people always end up going too far.”

Lin Qiushi, “too far?”

Ruan Nanzhu, “someone once tried bringing a rocket launcher inside…”

Lin Qiushi’s expression twisted at this. “Are you serious?” Someone had really tried to bring that sort of thing in? Wasn’t the world of the doors a world of ghosts? Were things like that actually useful?

“I’m serious,” Ruan Nanzhu said. “You can try to imagine, if that kind of thing was really brought inside, then that person aims it at the targeted building…”

Lin Qiushi, “…” Even imagining it, he felt speechless.

Whatever the case, according to Ruan Nanzhu basically no firearms could be brought in. At most, you could have a dagger or something for self-defense.

And so Lin Qiushi once again felt he’d gotten a sweet deal.

Currently, Lin Qiushi was very physically fit. Though he’d gotten shot inside, once outside, he was pretty much recovered after a few days in the hospital.

Back at the mansion, he even received Chestnut’s enthusiastic welcome.

Lin Qiushi picked up his meowing darling kitty, happily petting its soft white tummy and generally looking happy enough to ascend to heaven.

Cheng Qianli watched from the side and said, “Lin Qiushi, you really only get such an incredible expression when you’re petting your cat, huh…”

Lin Qiushi, “do I?”

Cheng Qianli, “you do you do. You never even had such a complicated expression inside the doors.”

Lin Qiushi didn’t know what to say to that, just thought, surely, he wasn’t as excessive as Cheng Qianli was saying.

After he returned, Ruan Nanzhu spoke to Lin Qiushi once in private, primarily to talk about how Lin Qiushi passed the door.

Lin Qiushi told Ruan Nanzhu what had happened inside—told Ruan Nanzhu, and when he got to Gu Longming the “high school girl,” couldn’t help his sub-sonar teeth-grinding.

As Ruan Nanzhu listened, a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. “As if there’d be so many high school girls.”

Lin Qiushi immediately saw through his scheme. “You already knew, didn’t you—”

Ruan Nanzhu, “know what?”

Lin Qiushi, “that there’s a problem with that high school girl!”

Ruan Nanzhu began to laugh. “Yeah, I had someone investigate this case.”

Lin Qiushi, “…” He sank into a deep silence.

Ruan Nanzhu, “basically all gigs from the internet have to be investigated, or it’s easy for accidents to happen. The person you picked up this time was actually pretty reliable, aside from his claim to be a high school girl.”

Lin Qiushi recalled the sight of Gu Longming saying pika pika to him in a miniskirt, and couldn’t figure out exactly what kind of a face to make.

But Gu Longming was just a parenthetical. The important thing was still what happened inside the door.

Lin Qiushi sat on the sofa and snacked on crackers as he told Ruan Nanzhu about the key and door’s situation inside this door.

When Ruan Nanzhu heard about Yan Shihe shooting Lin Qiushi in the leg at the end, his brows—on his mostly expressionless face—furrowed. “He’s called Yan Shihe?”

Lin Qiushi nodded, “Yes.” Then, after some thought, “but the feeling he gave me was a bit familiar…”

Ruan Nanzhu, “familiar?”

Lin Qiushi, “yeah.” He tried to find the words. “I suspect he actually had a detailed hint, like the girl in the Woman in the Rain door who set people up with the picture frames.” The feeling they gave off were similar—Yan Shihe was just a lot more meticulous than the girl had been.

Ruan Nanzhu’s finger tapped the table, looking contemplative.

Lin Qiushi continued, “but he wasn’t as lucky. He got stabbed in the back by the person he brought, and that person even took the hint with her. Speaking of… I’ve suddenly remembered. If someone kills a person the moment before they enter the door, and immediately go into the tunnel—does that mean the victim can’t get revenge?”

This was something he had yet to figure out; judging by Yan Shihe’s personality, why hadn’t he been killed, only injured?

At Lin Qiushi’s question, Ruan Nanzhu’s gaze became a bit peculiar. He said, “someone has tried that. I even witnessed it myself.”

Lin Qiushi, “and?”

Ruan Nanzhu, “and a pair of hands came into the tunnel and dragged that person straight out.”

Lin Qiushi, “…hands?”

Ruan Nanzhu, “yes, a pair of hands.” He changed his position, long legs folding as he leaned into the sofa. He spoke mildly, “that person and I went in the door together. Then, after I left the tunnel, he jumped right in front of me.” He paused for just a beat, then continued, “at the time, we were in an apartment on the 27th floor.”

27th floor. Forget humans—even a cat with all nine lives would be dead after that kind of jump.

Lin Qiushi had thought killing people right before leaving was a loophole, but after hearing this from Ruan Nanzhu, he understood this wasn’t a loophole at all.

It seemed that both Yan Shihe and Xiao Qian knew about this. Yan Shihe hadn’t killed Lin Qiushi, and Xiao Qian hadn’t stabbed Yan Shihe anywhere fatal. Lin Qiushi supposed that Yan Shihe could’ve use his last strength to drag himself into the tunnel. As for how sick he’d get in reality after a wound as serious as that, Lin Qiushi didn’t know.

“You’ve worked hard,” Ruan Nanzhu said. “Your first solo door—any special insights or thoughts?”

Lin Qiushi, “thoughts…” The images of Gu Longming in drag and Ruan Nanzhu in drag appeared in his mind. It’d been fine before, but after the comparison he couldn’t help but shiver—goosebumps even appeared on his arms. But he didn’t dare tell Ruan Nanzhu, only said, “n- no, no thoughts.”

Ruan Nanzhu peered at his arms in suspicion. “If you’re not thinking anything why do you have goosebumps?”

Lin Qiushi hah’d, “it’s a bit chilly.”

Ruan Nanzhu obviously didn’t believe him, but still let Lin Qiushi get away with it. “Alright, since you’ve just recovered, don’t overwork yourself. Go get some rest.”

Lin Qiushi nodded, got up, and left. As he walked out the door he saw Ruan Nanzhu peel the wrapper off a lollipop and cram it into his mouth. It seemed Ruan Nanzhu wanted to smoke, but for the sake of quitting, ate a candy instead.

Lin Qiushi touched where his liver was, and didn’t feel anything off. Most cases of liver cancer were very painful, but he was still as strong as an ox, and was completely unaffected by the cancer cells. Yes the doors were scary, but they also gave him a new chance at life.

The weather was getting warm. Ruan Nanzhu’s wounds from the door before still hadn’t healed, so there was already one patient in the mansion. After Lin Qiushi came out from the fourth door, there were now two patients in the mansion.

Tan Zaozao came to visit a lot. After hearing Lin Qiushi was sick, she brought a bunch of fruits to the mansion, greeting Lin Qiushi the moment she came in the door: “Linlin! Linlin, you’re alright, right?”

Lin Qiushi was lounging on the sofa scritching the cat. He reported, “no major problems, nothing to worry about.”

So Tan Zaozao sat down beside Lin Qiushi and directed Cheng Qianli to go wash the fruits.

Tan Zaozao, “Cheng Qianli’s entering his seventh door soon, right?”

Lin Qiushi counted the timing. “Almost, yeah.”

Tan Zaozao'z volume dropped, and her tone carried a different significance: “Actually… I’m a bit jealous of Cheng Qianli.”

Lin Qiushi peered at Tan Zaozao.

“Sometimes ignorance is bliss.” Tan Zaozao seemed a bit dazed. “My fifth door’s almost here too… And once I’m at the sixth…”

Obsidian didn’t take on high difficulty doors; when the time came, Tan Zaozao would be on her own. She recalled how desperately she fought to survive in her first door. Anxiety in her chest, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this.” Tan Zaozao perked up. “My new movie’s being released soon, you have to come see it.” She fished out two tickets to the premier and handed them to Lin Qiushi, wiggling her eyebrows. “You can even bring a plus-one.”

Lin Qiushi stowed the tickets away, and laughed his agreement.

As the two chatted, the mansion doorbell rang again. Lin Qiushi went to get it, and found it was his friend, Wu Qi.

Ever since he moved here, he and Wu Qi stopped hanging out as much, just had the occasional meal together. Wu Qi’s visit today was unexpected. But Lin Qiushi thought Wu Qi didn’t seem quite right—he looked horribly frail, thin to the point of distortion.

Lin Qiushi opened the door. “Wu Qi, what’s wrong?”

Wu Qi, hoarsely, “Lin Qiushi, my girlfriend, my girlfriend’s dead…”

Lin Qiushi froze, then said, “come in first!”

Wu Qi came inside. When he saw Tan Zaozao sitting on the couch, some shock appeared in his eyes. But very quickly, the shock became pain. He said, “about ten days ago, she jumped right in front of me!”

Lin Qiushi immediately remembered the example case Ruan Nanzhu gave him last night. He lightly swallowed. “Calm down a bit first, and tell me slowly.”

Wu Qi sat down on the sofa. He was trembling as he told Lin Qiushi what had happened.

Ten or so days ago, Wu Qi got home after his night shift, to find his girlfriend silently sitting on the sofa.

When she saw Wu Qi, the girlfriend suddenly began to cry. Wu Qi asked why she was crying, and she shook her head, telling him, “someone sabotaged me, they sabotaged me, they stole my door, they stole my door—”

Wu Qi had thought then that someone did something to her outside, and was just about to ask what happened when he saw her suddenly stand—and throw herself straight out the window. And the window hadn’t been closed. She fell out just like that, and Wu Qi finally snapped to it then.

But everything was already too late.

Wu Qi’s girlfriend fell from the sixteenth floor, and smashed to pieces on the ground.

Wu Qi immediately broke down. He called 120, called the police, but nothing he did could bring his girlfriend back from death’s arms. He’d lost her forever.

The odd death of Wu Qi’s girlfriend—luckily there were security cameras inside the house that recorded everything. Otherwise, Wu Qi couldn’t have explained himself with a million tongues.

“I don’t understand what happened to her,” Wu Qi sobbed. “I’ve been having nightmares all month. Every night I dream of what she’d said. I don’t understand, what did she mean, someone sabotaged her?”

After what happened to his girlfriend, Wu Qi also did a lot of investigating. He’d first thought someone messing with his girlfriend had led to this, but after looking into it, he knew no such person existed. His girlfriend had been very normal. She pretty much only went back and forth between work and home, hadn’t gotten into any arguments with anyone recently, and hadn’t been feuding with anyone.

But even so, she’d still very suddenly died.

When Lin Qiushi and Tan Zaozao heard Wu Qi say that line, “they stole my door,” both their expressions had tightened. They both clearly understood the meaning, but to Wu Qi, Lin Qiushi couldn’t explain.

He didn’t think this kind of thing would happen to his best friend, so didn’t know what to say in the moment.

Lin Qiushi, “Wu Qi…” He wanted to offer comfort, but felt verbal comfort was altogether too useless.

No matter what he said, it wouldn’t make Wu Qi feel better. So the living room sank into silence, leaving only the low sound of Wu Qi’s sobbing.

Tan Zaozao couldn’t bear it. She pulled out a tissue and handed it to Wu Qi to wipe his tears with.

Wu Qi glanced at Tan Zaozao, and dabbing his tears away, he slightly collected himself before saying, “thank you.”

Tan Zaozao, “she’s passed on… She’s at peace now.”

Wu Qi’s smile was pained, clearly unable to let go of his girlfriend’s death.

Lin Qiushi kept quiet as well. He was actually contemplating Wu Qi’s girlfriend’s words; they reminded him of something Ruan Nanzhu once warned him about.

“Don’t let anyone know your identity outside the doors, or someone might steal your door"—was what Ruan Nanzhu had said back then. And judging by what Wu Qi told them, his girlfriend had experienced this very thing.

Wu Qi’s crying gradually stopped. He seemed a bit embarrassed about losing control of his emotions like this, expression going awkward.

So Tan Zaozao stood, said she had something to do, and left. Lin Qiushi bid her goodbye and watched until she was gone.

"How about you, Qiushi?” Wu Qi looked around the living room. “How are you, living here?”

“Pretty good,” Lin Qiushi said. “I like it here a lot.”

“That’s good,” Wu Qi said. “I used to worry for you. Now that I can see you’re living well, I’m relieved.”

Lin Qiushi, “are you busy today? If not, stay for a night. I’ll make you dinner.”

Wu Qi was silent for a moment, then turned down Lin Qiushi’s offer, insisting on leaving. Lin Qiushi repeatedly told Wu Qi to give him a call if anything were to happen. Wu Qi nodded and said yes.

After seeing Wu Qi off, Lin Qiushi stood in the doorway for a long time, unmoving. When he turned, it was to find Cheng Qianli standing behind him holding the plate of fruit, expression a bit concerned. Beside him was Cheng Yixie, mostly expressionless. Though the two were twins, it was easy to tell them apart.

“Lin Qiushi, are you okay?” Cheng Qianli hadn’t come out of the kitchen that whole time, afraid to interrupt Lin Qiushi and Wu Qi’s conversation. They’d heard Wu Qi’s description of events as well, and understood what had happened.

“Fine,” Lin Qiushi said. “I’m fine.” It was Wu Qi who wasn’t okay.

“Does this kind of thing… happen often?”

Slowly, Lin Qiushi walked to the couch, sat, and glanced at Cheng Yixie.

Cheng Yixie, “no. It’s not easy to do.”

Lin Qiushi, “but how did they… do it?”

Cheng Yixie, “usually, people who do this kind of thing know they’re about to die.” He came in front of Lin Qiushi and summarily explained, “they have to find someone with a door, enter with that person, then find an opportunity to kill that person.”

Lin Qiushi, “but doesn’t the person who was followed in know they want to steal their door??”

Cheng Yixie, “there’s always a way.”

By lies, concealment, falsehoods, or force—when a person wanted to survive, there were always a hundred, a thousand methods.

Lin Qiushi’s hand slowly tightened into a fist. He said, “I understand.”

Cheng Qianli came over and patted him on the shoulder, telling him not to be too upset. Lin Qiushi chuckled bitterly, “I’m not the one most upset.”

It was Wu Qi who’d lost his loved one.

Lin Qiushi wasn’t deeply social, with only a handful of friends. Wu Qi was one of them. He didn’t think something like this would happen to Wu Qi.

That night, the atmosphere in the mansion was somber.

Ruan Nanzhu returned from being out, and felt something was wrong when he sat at the dining room table. He asked, “what happened?”

Cheng Qianli peered at Lin Qiushi, so Ruan Nanzhu too looked over at Lin Qiushi. “Lin Qiushi?”

Lin Qiushi, “Wu Qi’s girlfriend died. Seems like it’s because someone stole her door.”

Ruan Nanzhu’s hand, holding chopsticks, stalled for a beat. He glanced at Lin Qiushi. “When did this happen?”

Lin Qiushi, “ten or so days ago.” When he was still in the hospital.

Ruan Nanzhu was silent for a while. “ Wu Qi came to see you then, but you were still unconscious, so he left.” Wu Qi had seemed off then, but Ruan Nanzhu wasn’t someone who cared much for others, so didn’t ask. He’d thought that once Lin Qiushi woke up, Wu Qi would simply contact Lin Qiushi, but he didn’t think this was what had happened.

Lin Qiushi sighed. It was rare that he felt this depressed.

He’d heard Ruan Nanzhu talk about it yes, but only when it actually happened to someone he knew did he understand how words paled in comparison.

He hadn’t been familiar with Wu Qi’s girlfriend; they’d only met twice, and he remembered her name to be He Shuangya. He didn’t know anything else.

And yet, Lin Qiushi still felt he couldn’t accept this.

Lin Qiushi kept his eyes down, and returned to his room after a simple meal.

Not long after, there came a knock at his door. Lin Qiushi called to come in, and saw Ruan Nanzhu push the door open.

Ruan Nanzhu leaned against the doorframe. “About to sleep?”

Lying on the bed, Lin Qiushi shook his head and got up. “Can’t.”

For something like that to have happened during the day, how could he still manage to sleep? At first, he’d thought the door was just something to deal with himself. But then the same thing happened to someone he knew, and she hadn’t been as lucky as he’d been—she didn’t survive it.

Ruan Nanzhu, “what’s on your mind?”

Lin Qiushi watched Ruan Nanzhu steadily, but didn’t speak; he didn’t want to say what was on his mind, but he didn’t want to lie either. Because he had the feeling Ruan Nanzhu could tell anything he lied about.

Ruan Nanzhu spoke slowly, “you’re thinking about Wu Qi’s girlfriend?” As he spoke, his eyes observed Lin Qiushi’s expression.

“Mh,” Lin Qiushi confessed.

The two kept their gazes locked, and silence reigned. Just as Lin Qiushi couldn’t bear anymore, about to shift his gaze, Ruan Nanzhu’s lips parted again. What he said struck straight at Lin Qiushi’s soul: “You’re wondering how she died?”

Lin Qiushi’s lips pressed into a tight curve.

Ruan Nanzhu slowly approached Lin Qiushi and looked down at him from above. “Is that right?”

Lin Qiushi, sighing lowly, “yes.” He was indeed thinking of Wu Qi’s girlfriend. You couldn’t kill inside, yet He Shuangya clearly knew someone had set her up—but why didn’t she successfully turn into a vengeful spirit?

Ruan Nanzhu, “there’s always a way.” He looked skyward, and though his voice remained even, his actual words were bone-chilling: “I’ve been asked before.”

Lin Qiushi froze at this. He thought for a while to confirm he wasn’t misunderstanding Ruan Nanzhu’s meaning: “someone’s asked you to steal a door?”

Ruan Nanzhu nodded, “yes.”

Lin Qiushi didn’t understand. “How is it done?”

Ruan Nanzhu, “it’s actually quite simple.” He sighed, tone becoming just a bit tiresome. “You just have to make sure the person dies confused. Remember the Woman in the Rain world, the lady who killed with the picture frame?”

Lin Qiushi nodded. Of course he remembered.

Ruan Nanzhu scoffed, “if the dead person doesn’t even know how she died, what revenge could she have? Even if she guesses a teammate had done it, a guess doesn’t get you vengeance inside the door. To become a resentful spirit, you have to at least figure out how you died. And people who do this, for safety, usually go in in teams of three.” This way, the suspect pool was larger, and stealing the door was even easier.

Lin Qiushi frowned. “I… want to investigate first.”

“Of course we’ll investigate,” Ruan Nanzhu said. “We never go easy on people who do this kind of business. Lin Qiushi, remember—I, Ruan Nanzhu, am watching over you.”

If he’d heard this on a normal day, Lin Qiushi might not have thought anything of it. But today, he felt inexplicably embarrassed, and so played it cool as he gave Ruan Nanzhu his thanks.

But Ruan Nanzhu’s gaze fell on the tips of Lin Qiushi’s ears. “Hm? Are you shy?” With an outstretched finger, he tapped once on Lin Qiushi’s ear tip. “Hey, it moves.”

Lin Qiushi, “…” Please, will these people let his poor ears live!

Author’s Note:

After careful thought I edited the last bit, and deleted the part where Lin Qiushi wanted revenge. The plot makes more sense this way. Vengeance must be taken, but it still needs an important catalyst.