There were a total of eight chests in the kitchen. Xiao Ji had opened three, and Xiao Mei had opened three. There were two left.
Lin Qiushi went and gave these two chests a listen, confirming that one chest had something inside and the other was empty.
After the contents of the chests were confirmed, things got a lot easier. Lin Qiushi opened the empty chest and made sure the tunnel wasn't inside. Then beside him, Ruan Nanzhu used the wooden stake in his hands on the other chest. He stabbed the stake straight through the top of the chest and then used a dining room stool as a hammer, pounding the stake in inch by inch.
Following the stake's puncturing, an awful scream came from inside the chest. Large quantities of bright red blood seeped forth from the top, soaking the black wood through.
This was a cry they'd heard many times before—the cry of the Hako Onna. It was just that this time, her crying felt somewhat more wretched. Those standing around the chest listened on, silent and numb.
They were already used to death. Facing the Hako Onna once more, their senses of fright had already been sanded down flat. Luck was too large a component of this game; had they not been able to find the wooden stake, or had they not met the self-sacrificing Xiao Mei, this matter likely would've involved a lot more twists and turns, as well as several more victims.
Compared to when they first came in, there was more exhaustion on everybody's faces.
Ruan Nanzhu held Lin Qiushi's hand and stood in front of the wooden chest, listening as the cries inside got weaker and weaker.
"Who's opening it?" Sun Yuanzhou's companion asked once the crying died down.
"I'll do it," Sun Yuanzhou said. "We've been under your care these past few days."
He obviously had some lifesaver item as well. Had Ruan Nanzhu not expended the Hako Onna's power cards, more people likely would've died.
He took a step forward and grabbed hold of the chest. With a light application of force, he lifted the lid.
When he did so everybody held their breaths, but it was about as they expected—the Hako Onna inside the chest had disappeared, leaving behind only a puddle of blood. Behind the blood was a dark cavity, and at the bottom of that cavity there was a long set of stairs leading off into the distance.
The group entered the tunnel and followed the stairs all the way down.
Finally, at the end of the stairs, they saw a black metal door.
Ruan Nanzhu brought out the key, stepped forward, and opened the door. After it opened, he picked up the fallen hint slip.
And so the tenth door ended just like that. Both Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi got out safely and took the tenth door's hint slip with them.
Before taking off, Sun Yuanzhou tactfully expressed to Ruan Nanzhu a desire to work with them again.
Ruan Nanzhu was noncommittal and only took down his contact information. After that, he and Lin Qiushi followed that glowing tunnel into the real world.
Coming back to reality and getting to breathe this air again, Lin Qiushi once again felt the beauty of being alive. He rushed up the stairs, only to find Ruan Nanzhu standing at the other end like he'd just been ready to come down.
Then the two wordlessly caught each other in a hug, taking in the heat that emanated from each other's bodies. Only this way could they be certain that they'd survived the door.
Cheng Qianli just happened to be passing by, and when he saw the two wrapped around each other, he could only swallow the dog food and mutter about how it was the middle of the day, and he was a minor, could you guys please check yourselves.
Ruan Nanzhu shot him a glare and Cheng Qianli scampered away.
"Did you get the hint?" Lin Qiushi asked Ruan Nanzhu.
"I got it," Ruan Nanzhu answered.
"How does it compare to the one you got last time?"
Ruan Nanzhu thought for a moment and, without answering, took the hint slip from his pocket to hand to Lin Qiushi. Lin Qiushi took the hint and read the words on it, expression turning into one of consternation. On the tiny paper hint slip, there were only two words written: No Solution.
"How could this be?!" Lin Qiushi asked, stunned.
From the first through tenth door, the hint that each door offered provided them with some information. But the hint to the eleventh door was somehow "no solution."
He glanced up at Ruan Nanzhu. "The one you got before is the same?"
"Mh," Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
This was why he went through the tenth door again, because the hint he'd gotten last time was utterly useless and wasn't of any help at all.
The eleventh door did not provide them with a hint for use; the hint slip this time proved it hadn't been an anomaly.
Looking at the hint, Lin Qiushi's heart sank. But after some thought, he told Ruan Nanzhu: "That's okay. As long as I'm with you, I don't feel so scared."
Ruan Nanzhu couldn't help but grin, pressing a kiss to Lin Qiushi's forehead.
Though the eleventh door's hint slip was a heavy weight to bear, they had to go on living.
That night, Lin Qiushi saw a piece of news on the television. It said that there had been a serious car accident downtown, and that a bus carrying more than a dozen people drove right off the bridge, resulting in six deaths and over twenty injuries.
In the list of fatalities, Lin Qiushi saw a young man named Li Bomei. It reminded him of something, and he let out a soft breath.
At least Xiao Mei and her lover had one last chance to say goodbye. In reality, they could hold each other and die happy. They might have even been able to give each other one gentle kiss, and make promises for the next life.
Ruan Nanzhu understood as well, but he picked up the remote and changed the channel.
"It's always worse to be the one left behind," Lin Qiushi said. "It's much better if they could leave together."
"It's hard to let that happen though," Ruan Nanzhu said. It was hard to let a lover die; you only hoped he could live on happily.
Lin Qiushi turned around to look at him.
"Then have you thought of the fact that once you come out, you have to face your lover leaving a second time?" And you had to see him die right in front of you. That was surely a bit too cruel.
"True."
Though Ruan Nanzhu's voice was faint, he agreed with what Lin Qiushi said.
There was a long time still between the tenth and the eleventh doors. They didn't have to be in a hurry.
But in a few more months, Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli would be going into their tenth door.
That was why in this period of time, Lin Qiushi basically didn't see the twins at all. It seemed that Cheng Yixie was taking Cheng Qianli through a crazy amount of doors, so many that Cheng Yixie nearly lost his mind.
"Uwaaa why me," Cheng Qianli wept in complaint to Lin Qiushi. "My brother's taking me through a door every three days, I really can't take it anymore!"
Lin Qiushi watched him in sympathy.
"Go on, don't worry about it. I'll take care of Toast for you," he said while he petted Toast's fat little butt.
Cheng Qianli had more to say, but Cheng Yixie came and whisked him away. Watching these brothers, Lin Qiushi thought this was quite funny.
Due to Ruan Nanzhu's presence, Obsidian had always commanded high prices and huge quantities of commissions. Countless people wanted to hire Ruan Nanzhu to take them through their doors.
Gu Longming contacted Lin Qiushi over the internet with a tactful message about how he would like to join Obsidian.
Once Lin Qiushi received Gu Longming's intentions, he went and spoke to Ruan Nanzhu about it.
"What are your thoughts?" Ruan Nanzhu asked Lin Qiushi.
"I think he's got a lot of potential." Lin Qiushi spoke his assessment of Gu Longming. "He's a good seed."
Ruan Nanzhu gave it some thought.
"When's his sixth door?"
"The beginning of next year, I think." Lin Qiushi made some simple calculations. "It should be around new years exactly."
"Don't give him an answer yet," Ruan Nanzhu said. "I want to meet him inside the doors first."
It wouldn't be too late to bring Gu Longming into Obsidian after he made certain Gu Longming had the qualifications. Not just anyone could join Obsidian, after all.
For a while, the mansion stayed busy. Those who did gigs did their gigs and those who trained trained. Only Lin Qiushi had absolutely nothing to do. At first he'd wanted to take some jobs from the forum, but Ruan Nanzhu had stopped him, telling him to wait until after the new year to take jobs. He ought to take this time to rest and replenish his spirits.
When December came, the weather grew cold. A snowstorm came about ten days in.
The heater was on inside the mansion, and Lin Qiushi was curled up on the couch, nodding off.
He didn't know where Ruan Nanzhu had gone off too. Ruan Nanzhu had been busy recently. It seemed to have something to do with White Deer.
Zhuang Rujiao returned to the mansion with snowflakes on her shoulders and hair. When Lin Qiushi heard noise, he looked up, saw her covered in snow, and asked, "you didn't bring an umbrella?"
"I didn't think it'd snow," Zhuang Rujiao said.
At this point, Lin Qiushi could see no hint of Xia Rubei on Zhuang Rujiao still. That cute, innocent scaredy-cat of a girl seemed to have been an illusion; only the woman before him now with the distant eyes was real.
"Something's happened at White Deer," Zhuang Rujiao spoke as she wiped her hair with a towel. "Jin Yurui is dead."
She announced Jin Yurui's death like she was talking about a matter of no importance at all.
Jin Yurui was the one who took over as White Deer's leader after Li Dongyuan's death. Lin Qiushi had only met her once before, and didn't think that she'd be gone not so long after.
"Because of a door?" Lin Qiushi asked.
"Mh," Zhuang Rujiao said. "I'm leaving." She picked up the hot tea on the table, taking a slow and neat sip. "I'll be the leader over at White Deer."
Lin Qiushi: "Can you do it?"
Zhuang Rujiao laughed: "I've got to, even if I can't. You have Ruan Nanzhu to protect you. The one protecting me is gone."
Lin Qiushi was silent.
"I really do envy you two. If I'd been able to become like you sooner, then he might not be dead." Zhuang Rujiao was talking about Li Dongyuan. "But the world never does sell medicine for regrets. I've been in your care these past months, thank you."
Though she'd lived at Obsidian for a while, she'd never truly become part of the group. Clearly, she'd anticipated leaving one day.
Lin Qiushi: "I hope everything goes well."
"Mh," Zhuang Rujiao said. "I'll take your well wishes."
After that, she went upstairs to pack up her stuff. Lin Qiushi went to the doorway and saw through the french windows that Ruan Nanzhu was back as well. Ruan Nanzhu wasn't coming inside though, only stood silently by the car at the front door.
White snowflakes fell on his raven-black hair, and his dark eyes were looking slightly down. His pretty lips were pressed together in a thin, taut line.
Lin Qiushi called out: "Ruan Nanzhu."
Ruan Nanzhu glanced up, and the corners of his mouth flicked up just for Lin Qiushi. Smiling sentiment tinted his eyes—nothing too strong, but plenty enough to warm Lin Qiushi's chest.
Lin Qiushi fetched an umbrella from the side of the door and went outside, opening it beside Ruan Nanzhu.
"Why don't you have an umbrella?"
Snow in the south was different from snow in the north; once fallen, it melted easily on a person. Ruan Nanzhu's shoulders and hair, therefore, all bore traces of wetness.
Ruan Nanzhu: "I forgot."
Lin Qiushi: "Are you driving her there?"
"Mh," Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
"What's the situation like at White Deer?" Lin Qiushi felt that things weren't actually so simple.
"Not great," Ruan Nanzhu said. "I'm not sure if she'll be able to hold it down."
Changing leaders twice in a row was not a good thing for White Deer. Had it been the Zhuang Rujiao of the past, then Ruan Nanzhu would definitely have not agreed to let her go. Now, however, Ruan Nanzhu chose to respect Zhuang Rujiao's wishes. Though Li Dongyuan wanted Zhuang Rujiao to live on well, did this sort of living at some point become a kind of torment?
This was a lesson that Lin Qiushi had taught Ruan Nanzhu, at least.
Zhuang Rujiao quickly packed up her stuff and came out. She did not have much with her; whether coming or going, she seemed like just a passerby.
"Safe travels," Lin Qiushi said to her.
"Thank you," Zhuang Rujiao replied, getting into Ruan Nanzhu's car.
So Lin Qiushi stood under the umbrella and watched as the car disappeared into the snowy distance.
This was the last time he'd see Zhuang Rujiao. Later, he'd learn from Ruan Nanzhu that Zhuang Rujiao did manage to hold White Deer down. She'd perfectly inherit Li Dongyuan's legacy.
"Did she kill Jin Yurui?" Lin Qiushi would ask Ruan Nanzhu when the time came.
"I don't know," Ruan Nanzhu would say. "I'm not sure, so I can't say either way. However, Jin Yurui did fail in a door that she and Zhuang Rujiao were passing together."
"Oh," Lin Qiushi said. "Then how did Li Dongyuan die?"
"Zhuang Rujiao says it has something to do with Jin Yurui. As for the truth, I don't know that either."
"Oh."
Not long after Zhuang Rujiao left, the new year came around. But because Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli were entering a door after the new year, they didn't go very over-the-top with this year's celebrations. The twins who usually headed home didn't go this time either, instead seizing the time to train on more doors.
Gu Longming's sixth door would be after the new year, around the tenth or so. When he learned that Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu were going into his sixth door with him, he was naturally ecstatic.
But Ruan Nanzhu still made it clear to him that they could not be protecting Gu Longming this time, nor could they make any guarantees about Gu Longming's survival, so Gu Longming should prepare himself for any incidents. Reading between the lines, he was basically telling Gu Longming to prepare a will, in case when the time came he'd come out the door, die, and have nothing arranged.
Gu Longming was shocked by how blunt this girl Zhu Meng was, and said Linlin ah, is this your girlfriend?
Lin Qiushi thought for a bit before answering yeah.
Gu Longming: "She's going in with us this time?"
Lin Qiushi: "Yes."
Gu Longming: "Is she good then?"
Lin Qiushi: "Better than me."
Gu Longming nodded, thinking that if she was better than Lin Qiushi, then she really must be amazing. And so he grew much happier.
As for the sixth door's hint, Ruan Nanzhu would be providing it. It was still being selected, and Lin Qiushi wasn't too worried.
The few days around the new year, the mansion was particularly lively.
Cheng Qianli finally got a couple of days off from Cheng Yixie, brazenly dragging Lin Qiushi with him to buy a bunch of fireworks in secret.
Lin Qiushi said, "but isn't it illegal to set off fireworks in this city?"
"We're the suburbs, sub-urban! Nobody cares."
Lin Qiushi looked at him in doubt.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." Cheng Qianli put on a pitiful face. "I've only got this one hobby, can't you indulge me a little bit?"
"Fine fine fine, I'll indulge you."
Then the two found a clearing to start lighting fireworks. Everybody else from the mansion watched from afar, and Lin Qiushi called, "come over and join us."
"That's for kids," Chen Fei said. "Us adults couldn't possibly join you."
Lin Qiushi, "…"
Forget Chen Fei. Even Cheng Yixie beside him had the same sort of expression, the you guys are so childish I don't even want to speak to you kind of look.
Lin Qiushi glanced at Cheng Qianli grinning like a fool beside him and didn't know what to say for a whole minute.
But foolish Cheng Qianli didn't seem to know he was being judged, cackling with his butt stuck out as he lit the fireworks. He watched the fireworks shoot up off the ground and explode open in the night sky, bursting out into laughter.
"It's so pretty." His eyes curved up, grinning like a kid, pupils dyed the fireworks' rich colors.
Lin Qiushi looked over at Ruan Nanzhu, standing far away. Their gazes met, and saw a smile in each other's eyes.
But these smiles only lasted a few seconds before disappearing, because there came the sound of police sirens from the distance.
"Oh shit, run!!" Yi Manman roared. "If we're caught we'll be fined!"
So the group took off, Cheng Qianli darting and leaping like a rabbit. Lu Yanxue, who ran the slowest, was stomping her feet by the end, cursing, "if I'd known I wouldn't have worn heels today!"
They were quick to escape, and luckily did not get caught. They all got back into the mansion, laughing in living room, and Cheng Qianli still had the nerve to pout, complaining that the police came too quickly, he still had a bunch he hadn't lit yet!
"I told you not to get the rocket fireworks, but you wouldn't listen," Chen Fei said. "And look what's happened now."
Cheng Qianli's dream of beautiful fireworks was completely destroyed. The group cooked up the dumplings they'd prepared before and ate while they chatted, passing this lively new year's eve together.
After the countdown, Lin Qiushi snuck into Ruan Nanzhu's room, and the two slept in the same bed all evening.
This was the happiest new year's eve that Lin Qiushi had ever had. Last year, he hadn't been too familiar with Obsidian, but this year, he'd basically made it his home.
Ruan Nanzhu slept on his side with a hand on Lin Qiushi's waist, breaths hitting Lin Qiushi's neck.
It didn't take long for Lin Qiushi to grow sleepy, the two sinking into deep slumber.
The next morning, there were new guests at the mansion. Lin Qiushi first thought it was another organization, but when he went downstairs to look, he found that it was Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli's parents.
They'd brought with them a bunch of local specialties, and were passing them out with big smiles.
Lin Qiushi had heard about his parents from Cheng Qianli before, and that they didn't really know what their sons were doing. Cheng Yixie had lied and told them that they treated hereditary diseases here, but as for how they did so, he'd never told them in detail.
But for a once-hopeless family, the method no longer mattered. Tacitly, the parents didn't ask more questions—as long as their kids could survive, whatever the method, it didn't matter at all.
Cheng Qianli spotted Lin Qiushi standing in the second-floor hallway and waved him over, calling, "Qiushi, come down! My parents brought you a present!"
Lin Qiushi went downstairs and greeted Cheng Qianli's parents. Cheng Qianli stuffed a giant bag of candy into his arms.
"You like candy, don't you? My parents got these just for you."
Lin Qiushi thanked them with sincerity, but the father only gave him a smile filled with gratitude, saying his son's been in their care.
After that they all ate lunch together. Chen Fei had wanted to keep them here for a few more days, but the parents were staunch about still having things to do, so they had to leave first.
Cheng Yixie wanted to say something, but in the end, didn't try to keep them.
"Do they know?"
After they left, Lin Qiushi asked Cheng Yixie this.
"Probably not," Cheng Yixie said. "They seem to think we're doing something bad." Then, after a beat of silence, "but they also don't stop me or anything."
To a mother and father, the survival of their children was the biggest blessing, particularly for a pair of terminally ill twins. It was hard to imagine the sort of difficulty they'd faced when they thought they were losing both of their kids at once.
"Mh," Lin Qiushi said. "Maybe you can explain it to them."
"I have. They don't really believe it." Cheng Yixie glanced at the mansion. "But they should be less worried this time."
"Do they come often?" Lin Qiushi asked.
"Rarely," Cheng Yixie said. "This is the second time."
The first time was when Cheng Yixie brought Cheng Qianli over. Cheng Qianli had been just a kid then, passing his first door on luck and calling his brother in tears. Cheng Yixie rushed home overnight to take his little brother away with him. When his mother had learned what he wanted to do, her gaze had been filled with melancholy. But she hadn't stopped him, asking only: "Can Qianli really survive?"
Cheng Yixie had answered: "I'll do my best."
After that, she never asked again.
Cheng Qianli, who should've died years ago, was still alive and well; Cheng Yixie had kept his promise. He'd gotten that foolish brother of his past the torment of their sickness and made sure he lived on in health.