Li Tao was jolted awake by his phone vibrating. He fumbled for his phone and saw that it was already past ten in the morning. He had been added to a new student group for Chinese international students, which was buzzing with activity.
There were ads for essay writing services, real estate agents, school pick-ups, and vehicle insurance... It seemed like the ads were never-ending, with the group admins furiously @ing people to stop posting ads without red envelopes or be kicked out.
Today was August 30th, and the new student orientation was on September 2nd, with classes starting officially on September 5th. Li Tao set the group to "Do Not Disturb" mode, turned over, and tried to go back to sleep. But his movement pressed against his bladder, and an urgent need to urinate quickly overcame him.
He had no choice but to get up. As he walked to the bathroom, he thought of a saying he'd heard: "What wakes me up every day is not the alarm clock, but my dreams." For him, it seemed that every day, it was not the alarm clock that woke him, but the need to urinate.
As he relieved himself in the bathroom, his mind kept replaying the ads from the group. He thought that while the messages in the group might seem chaotic, there might be some information that could be crucial for his upcoming study abroad life.
Regarding the orientation, Li Tao had originally not planned to attend. At 27, being a graduate student, he didn't want to sit awkwardly among a bunch of younger students like a chaperone. However, now that he was entangled in this bizarre situation, he wasn't sure how long it would take to get out of it and worried it might even affect his studies.
He quickly finished his morning routine and decided to check the group for any useful information. Perhaps he could find a reliable essay writing service or a notary for his driver's license. After going out with Luna for shopping yesterday, Li Tao felt that having a car in Canada was almost as essential as having legs; without one, he felt utterly stranded.
When Li Tao opened his phone and found no useful information, he decided to ask Luna. After all, Luna was his only contact in Canada right now.
When he came downstairs, he saw Luna cooking, while Kiki, looking like she had just eaten, was sitting with her food bowl, staring at Li Tao and wagging her tail.
"Good morning!"
Hearing Li Tao's voice, Luna tilted her head, still busy with her cooking: "Good morning."
"Are you making breakfast or lunch?" Li Tao wanted to help but recalled the rule, "No two people can cook at the same time," and stopped.
"Brunch, it'll be ready soon. Do you need to cook?" Luna also remembered the rule and quickened her pace.
"No, I'm not cooking. I bought some Vietnamese rolls yesterday; I'll just have those," Li Tao quickly said.
Luna nodded and smiled: "Alright, Vietnamese rolls are good. By the way, how did the shopping go yesterday?"
Li Tao sighed: "It was okay, but it would have been much easier with a car. Today I plan to look for someone in the group who can handle driver's license notarization so that I can use the car Alex left behind."
Luna put down the spatula and turned to Li Tao: "I can recommend someone to you. My driving instructor can handle driver's license notarization. You can also take driving lessons with him. If you have a Chinese driver's license, you can directly take the G2 test after passing the G1 here without waiting for eight months. G1 is equivalent to our written test, and G2 is a simple road test. Once you pass, you can drive, though you won't be able to use highways until you get the G license in a few months. Then you'll be all set."
"That sounds great. It seems like getting a driver's license here is quite straightforward," Li Tao said as he took out the Vietnamese rolls and juice from the fridge and sat at the table.
Luna plated some golden fried eggs and sausages, took out two slices of toasted bread from the toaster, and set them on the table. She then joined Li Tao at the table: "Yes, I was very nervous when I took my driving test. A friend joked that if you put a piece of meat on the hood and let a dog sit in the driver's seat, the dog would still be able to drive here. It's that simple."
Clang!
The sudden noise startled both Luna and Li Tao. Kiki stood up, wagging her tail, and walked over to Luna, resting her head on Luna's lap.
"Darling, I was just making a comparison, I wasn't talking about you," Luna said, hugging Kiki's head and feeding her a small piece of egg.
Li Tao laughed at the sight of Kiki bobbing her head and then asked, "We still haven't been able to reach Alex. What about Kiki's dog food and baths?"
Luna took a bite of bread and said, "He told me he left money at the pet store for her food. If it runs out, he said to just go get more. The same goes for baths… But if we really can't reach him and the money runs out, I'll cover Kiki's expenses. I can't just let her go hungry, right, Kiki?"
Kiki nuzzled Luna again, and her tail brushed against Li Tao's leg, making him feel a bit ticklish.
"If you run out of money, let me know. I can also cover Kiki's expenses," Li Tao offered.
Luna smiled as she petted Kiki's head, "Our little Kiki really knows how to charm people. After just one day, we already have a big brother and sister willing to spend money on you."
"What about Darius?" Li Tao suddenly recalled last night and asked, "Has he woken up yet?"
Luna thought for a moment, "He probably hasn't. I didn't see him this morning, and he messaged me at midnight last night with some strange things. He asked if Kiki had been outside. He's probably still asleep. Do you need something from him?"
"Not really. I just heard him fall in the bathroom last night and wanted to check if he's okay," Li Tao replied vaguely.
"Did he leave his room after midnight?" Luna seemed surprised, "Didn't we agree to look for clues today?"
"I guess it wasn't intentional," Li Tao finished his last bite of the Vietnamese roll, "Maybe he lost track of time. By the way, did you hear any strange noises last night?"
"Noises? Not that I recall. Everything seemed normal. I was chatting with friends back home until late, so I didn't notice anything," Luna shook her head.
"Alright, then we'll have to wait until Darius wakes up. Do you have any plans for today?" Li Tao asked.
Luna picked up her empty plate and headed to the sink, "Not really. I start classes on September 9th. Most of my courses are online, with just one in-person class every two weeks, so I don't have much going on."
"I have a few online classes too, but I still have to go to school for two half-days every week, all in the morning," Li Tao said.
Luna dried her hands, "Do you want to go out for a bit? We could get your driver's license notarized, so you can drive yourself. I could also pick up some groceries since I plan to stay home more."
"Aren't you scared? If I could, I'd leave right away, especially at night," Li Tao was a bit surprised, given how scared Luna seemed yesterday.
"I am a bit scared, but during the day it's not too bad. At night, I used to be very frightened, but with Kiki around, I feel less scared, like she's a guardian," Luna explained.
Li Tao looked at Kiki sitting obediently on the floor and felt that she did have a reassuring presence. Kiki's eyes were alert yet gentle, as if seeing right through one's heart.
Li Tao smiled, "Kiki is really a great helper. But last night's events also remind us that this house isn't as simple as it seems."
Luna nodded, her expression becoming slightly serious, "Yes, the rules are really strange. I keep feeling like we're trapped in an invisible trap. The rules seem like some kind of control mechanism, but it's unclear who is controlling it all."
"Anyway, we'll have to wait for Darius to wake up. I'm curious about what he experienced after breaking the rules," Li Tao said, "Let's prepare and leave in ten minutes?"
"Ten minutes is too short. I'll need half an hour," Luna pouted.
"Alright, I'll wait for you downstairs," Li Tao said, recalling his ex-girlfriend who used to take at least an hour to get ready, even for something as simple as picking up a package. She would always argue that it was her way of embracing life and staying refined.
Li Tao sat back on the sofa, opened his phone, and casually browsed the news, but his thoughts couldn't focus. He kept thinking about last night—Jack's call, the thick fog, Darius's fall, and that vague sound—like a thread hanging in the air, tugging at his heart, both elusive and incomprehensible.
He glanced at Kiki, sitting in the sunlight and licking her paw. Her eyes were full of emotion. Li Tao wasn't sure if describing a dog's gaze as filled with emotion was appropriate, but Kiki's eyes did seem to convey a certain feeling.
With nothing else to do, Li Tao decided to check out the hollow wall that Darius had mentioned. Darius had discovered it while he and Luna were walking the dog yesterday. They had planned to investigate today, but with Darius injured and resting, they hadn't had the chance.
Li Tao climbed the stairs, lightly tapping on the wall as he went. "Thud, thud, thud, thud…"
"This must be the spot!" Li Tao thought to himself. It did seem hollow here. He tapped a few more times and pressed hard on the wall, feeling some give, as if it had been sealed off with ordinary drywall.
Since it was sealed from the back, there must be a seam, Li Tao thought, and he pressed his face against the wall, peering closely. Soon, he found a few thin lines that together formed a rectangular shape, like a door.
His heart raced. He felt like he had finally discovered something useful. Just as he was about to use his fingernails to pry open the seam, Kiki suddenly began barking loudly without warning.
"Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof…" The bark was fierce and powerful, as if ready to attack at any moment.
Li Tao was startled and almost lost his balance, nearly falling down the stairs. Turning around, he saw Kiki standing at the bottom of the stairs, glaring intently at the wall.
This was the first time Li Tao had heard Kiki bark so loudly; she was usually very quiet. Li Tao paused, looking at Kiki. What did she mean? Was there really something wrong with the wall? Did Kiki know something?
Li Tao placed his hand back on the wall, trying to understand what was inside.
"Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof…" Kiki barked again.
Is she warning me not to touch it? Li Tao wondered.
Kiki's barking soon drew Luna out. With half of her makeup done, Luna asked, "What's going on?"
Li Tao's hand hovered in the air as he looked at Luna, then at Kiki, hesitating before speaking. "I remembered what Darius said about the hollow wall and was just checking it out when Kiki suddenly started barking, as if warning me not to touch it."
Luna followed Li Tao's gaze to the wall, her brows furrowing slightly. "Did you find anything? Are you sure it's hollow?"
Li Tao nodded. "It looks like it was sealed later on; some areas aren't sealed smoothly." He pointed to the thin seams on the wall. "It seems like a hidden door. Even though it's sealed, I think it should be possible to open it."
Luna's expression grew serious. She walked over to Kiki, crouched down, and gently tried to calm her, but Kiki remained alert, her eyes fixed on the wall without relaxing. Luna looked up at Li Tao and said, "Kiki rarely acts this way. She must have sensed something wrong."
Li Tao hesitated but eventually withdrew his hand from the wall. "I think we should wait until Darius wakes up to check it out together, or get someone else to help. After all, this place is too strange, and there might be danger inside."
Luna nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's best not to handle things alone. Besides, we haven't fully understood the rules of this house. If we open something we shouldn't, the consequences might be worse."
Li Tao nodded silently, taking a deep breath and suppressing his curiosity about the secret behind the wall. He looked at Kiki's alert eyes and suddenly felt that the dog seemed much smarter than they had imagined, almost as if she was silently guarding them.
"Let's wait until Darius wakes up," Li Tao said, turning and heading down the stairs. Kiki's barking gradually stopped, but she remained sitting at the bottom of the stairs, motionless and watching the wall, like a loyal sentinel.
Luna also stood up, looking thoughtfully at Kiki's back. She clapped her hands, trying to lighten her tone. "Alright, don't think too much about it. Let's get your driver's license notarized first, and we'll investigate these things more thoroughly this afternoon."
Li Tao smiled, his anxiety slightly eased. "You're right. Let's take care of what we need to do, and we'll deal with the rest later."
Luna went back to her room to finish her makeup, while Li Tao sat on the sofa, waiting to leave. He held his phone tightly, his mind replaying the recent events. He had a vague sense that Kiki's warning was not random. The secrets hidden in this house might be more than they could imagine, and those rules might be just the tip of the iceberg.
Li Tao glanced at Kiki, still vigilant, and made a silent resolve: no matter how confusing the road ahead might be, he was determined to uncover the truth.
Time passed slowly, and Li Tao stared at his phone, absentmindedly scrolling through social media. He heard the sound of Luna closing her door upstairs; she was finally ready. She had changed into a simple denim jacket, put on sunglasses, and her makeup was both refined and natural.
"Let's go," Luna said cheerfully, carrying a small bag.
Li Tao stood up, and they walked to the door. Kiki followed them, her gaze still alert, as if reluctant to leave their sight.
"Stay here and be good while we're gone, okay?" Luna crouched down and gently patted Kiki's head. Kiki wagged her tail slightly, reluctantly quieting down, but her eyes remained fixed on them, as if seeing them off.
As Li Tao and Luna stepped out the door and shut it behind them, Kiki let out a low whine from inside the house. Li Tao paused, feeling a pang in his heart. He knew that the whine was not just worry but also a reminder to be cautious.
The two of them walked down the steps and stood in the bright sunlight. Suddenly, the house seemed less real, as if turning around might make those hidden secrets vanish without a trace.