Chapter 106: Idle Matters
Tan Zaozao's funeral was held seven days after the award ceremony.
It was already deep summer. The funeral was held in a lush pine forest. The cicadas nestled in the tree trunks, their cacophony of chirping only served to accentuate the stillness. Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu, dressed in formal attire, followed at the rear of the group.
It was a grand funeral. In attendance were Tan Zaozao's colleagues, relatives, friends, and even her fans. The media were blocked outside the cemetery, but some still managed to sneak in, hoping to get firsthand news of the funeral.
Lin Qiushi was silent as he watched Tan Zaozao's ashes being placed in the cemetery and sealed with cement. On the tombstone was a smiling photo of her, her lips rosy and her teeth white, a beaming smile.
Her time was frozen at the moment when she was most beautiful.
All of this was so unreal that Lin Qiushi even felt it was a bad joke. Tan Zaozao would still visit them, bringing a mess of fruits, and lying on the sofa with Cheng Qianli, chatting about this and that.
Cheng Qianli also attended the funeral, standing with Cheng Yixie. Standing at the far end of the crowd, their faces shone with loneliness. Whenever someone died inside, those outside always felt a pang of grief. Because perhaps the next person to lie in that cold coffin would be them.
After the funeral, Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu returned to the villa.
For a period of time, the atmosphere in the villa was very depressing, and almost every TV channel was broadcasting about Tan Zaozao's funeral.
There are many stars who died in accidents, but only Tan Zaozao died at an award ceremony in front of all his fans.
So everything was magnified. People who might not have known Tan Zaozao at all became her fans. The distributor took the opportunity to announce the re-production of Blu-ray discs of Tan Zaozao's early films... The funeral turned into a carnival.
Lin Qiushi was a witness to this carnival.
He sat on the sofa and saw Tan Zaozao's friends being interviewed and questioned, talking about the days when they knew Tan Zaozao. No matter what they thought in their hearts, at least at this moment, they were Tan Zaozao's best friends - although they didn't even know how their friend died.
Cheng Qianli picked up his phone and changed the channel with a gloomy look on his face. He said, "Why is this happening?"
Lin Qiushi touched his head.
"They are so annoying." Cheng Qianli said.
Lin Qiushi said, "Yes, they are so annoying."
In the evening, some guests came to the villa.
Bai Ming and Zhang Yiqing knocked on the door of the villa, and it was Ruan Nanzhu who went over to open the door.
"Nanzhu, long time no see." Bai Ming greeted Ruan Nanzhu with a smile.
Ruan Nanzhu nodded, made room at the door, and motioned for the two to come in.
Lin Qiushi looked up and saw that Zhang Yiqing's face was not looking good. He should be one of Tan Zaozao's few close friends, otherwise Tan Zaozao would not have come forward to ask Ruan Nanzhu to take Zhang Yiqing to marry him.
But now, Tan Zaozao is gone.
"I have something to tell you, and I brought him over to visit." Bai Ming said.
"Let's go." Ruan Nanzhu and Bai Ming went to the study upstairs.
Zhang Yiqing walked to the sofa next to Lin Qiushi and sat down. He looked much thinner than when he was at the funeral, but his temperament was still very sharp, which was out of tune with the surrounding environment.
Lin Qiushi didn't talk to him either, but just ate the snacks on the table.
"Did you accompany Tan Zaozao into the last door?" After a long silence, Zhang Yiqing suddenly spoke.
"No," Lin Qiushi said, "Obsidian doesn't accept the sixth door." After he said this, he thought Zhang Yiqing would continue to ask aggressively, but he didn't expect him to just lower his eyes and say "oh" softly.
Then the atmosphere became quiet again.
According to Lin Qiushi's previous personality, he should have found some topics to ease the awkwardness. But now, he didn't want to say anything and just wanted to sit quietly. As for the awkwardness... just let it go.
Bai Ming and Ruan Nanzhu talked for a long time, and no one knew what they talked about. When they finally came down from the study, Bai Ming was smiling, but Ruan Nanzhu kept his usual expressionless face.
"I won't keep you for dinner." Ruan Nanzhu said.
Bai Ming smiled and nodded, saying, "Let's go, Yi Qing."
Zhang Yiqing nodded, stood up from the sofa and followed Bai Ming.
Lin Qiushi looked at Ruan Nanzhu and said, "Why did he come to see you?"
"He came to buy clues." Ruan Nanzhu said, "He wants to bring Zhang Yiqing to clean the door."
Lin Qiushi: "..." He thought of something.
Ruan Nanzhu said in a calm voice, "Actually, after that, I contacted Tan Zaozao, but she refused."
Lin Qiushi knew what Ruan Nanzhu meant. That time, at the movie premiere, when Tan Zaozao begged Ruan Nanzhu to continue taking her through the gates, Ruan Nanzhu refused. He couldn't afford to risk his own life or the lives of his teammates. The sixth gate had already undergone a qualitative change. A single careless step could lead to death. He couldn't possibly go through with such a fragile teammate.
Tan Zaozao doesn't like going in, which is normal, no one likes going in.
Ruan Nanzhu then asked Tan Zaozao if she had one last chance. She still had a few months to go before her sixth door, and as long as she continued to follow Ruan Nanzhu during that time, Ruan Nanzhu would agree to go through the sixth door with her.
But Tan Zaozao refused.
Lin Qiushi said, “Why would she refuse?”
Ruan Nanzhu said: "Not everyone is as courageous as you. She is just an ordinary person."
Lin Qiushi smiled bitterly.
For some people, entering the door is more painful than death. He did not notice that under Tan Zaozao's beautiful smile, her heart had been eroded by fear.
Even though I have no friends, I still have to live my life.
After Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi got together, they didn't hide anything. They started holding hands, hugging, and doing things that lovers should do in the villa.
The people in the villa were all very smart, so it was impossible for them not to notice such a clear change in the atmosphere. Yi Manman patted Lin Qiushi's shoulder in admiration and said, "That's amazing! You even won Brother Ruan over."
Lin Qiushi smiled and said, "Yeah, that's pretty impressive, right? I think it's pretty impressive too."
Cheng Qianli was the last one to see the truth, and he saw it because one day he caught Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu kissing in the yard.
The atmosphere that day was truly wonderful. The moonlight was bright and the breeze was gentle. Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu sat in the yard chatting, and as they talked, they leaned against each other.
Cheng Qianli had just returned from outside, and as soon as he entered the yard he let out his signature scream—the same tune as a screaming chicken.
"Fuck, fuck, am I dreaming?" Cheng Qianli said, "Fuck, fuck, why did I see Ruan Nanzhu kissing Lin Qiushi?!"
Cheng Yixie stood beside him: "What's your name..."
But it was too late for him to say this. Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi both raised their heads and looked over here.
Cheng Qianli: "They look at me!"
Cheng Yixie: “…” If you scream like that, who else will they look at?
Lin Qiushi smiled and greeted Cheng Qianli. Cheng Qianli was sure he wasn't dreaming, but he was still a little confused. He said, "Oh, Qiushi, good evening. What are you two doing here? The weather is really nice today..."
Cheng Yixie glanced at Cheng Qianli, almost wanting to pry his brother's head open to see if it was stuffed with cotton. He apologized to Lin Qiushi and quickly led Cheng Qianli away. As Cheng Qianli was led away, he was still aggrieved and said, "Brother, can you be gentler?" His wrist was even red from being grabbed.
Cheng Yixie sneered: "Didn't you see your brother Ruan's expression?"
Cheng Qianli: "..."
Cheng Yixie said, "I was afraid that if I took you away later, you would be beaten to death by your brother Ruan on the spot."
Cheng Qianli recalled Ruan Nanzhu's gloomy eyes and felt that what his brother said seemed to make sense.
Lin Qiushi looked at the two men's backs and felt like laughing. He said, "How did Cheng Qianli develop such a personality?"
"It's because of his brother's pampering," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Sooner or later, it will cause trouble."
Lin Qiushi: "Can IQ be lowered?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "This is innate."
Lin Qiushi laughed. He thought Cheng Qianli was adorable, but at the same time, he was a little worried about him. After all, when you get married, those people won't show mercy to you just because they think you're cute.
"When was your eleventh door?" Speaking of entering the door, Lin Qiushi suddenly remembered this incident.
Ruan Nanzhu glanced at Lin Qiushi and said, "It's still early."
Lin Qiushi: "How early is it?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "That's the year after next."
Lin Qiushi thought that was quite early. However, the time interval between the last two doors was indeed quite long. He suddenly thought of something and asked, "Oh, right... I suddenly remembered that if I kept passing through the doors at the slowest possible speed, would I be able to live the longest?"
Ruan Nanzhu felt a little helpless when he heard Lin Qiushi's words: "Why did you only think of this now?"
Lin Qiushi laughed dryly: "Didn't you pay attention to it before?"
"No," Ruan Nanzhu said, "For example, if you jump directly from the third door to the sixth, then the time it takes you to reach the seventh door will be counted from the third door."
Lin Qiushi let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, no wonder so many people want to jump through the door. If they succeed, it's practically equivalent to extending their lives for a significant period, and they won't have to worry about passing through the door during that time. It truly is high risk, high reward.
Lin Qiushi really wanted to ask Ruan Nanzhu what he encountered inside the tenth door, but when he thought about how Ruan Nanzhu had been depressed for a long time after coming out of that door, he felt that it might be inappropriate to ask like that.
"If possible, I would like to enter the tenth door again." Ruan Nanzhu suddenly said.
"What?" Lin Qiushi was a little surprised. "Why do you want to..."
Ruan Nanzhu looked at Lin Qiushi, was silent for a moment, and said, "I got the clue to the eleventh door."
Lin Qiushi still didn't understand. Wasn't it a good thing to get the clue? Why did Ruan Nanzhu take the risk? Could it be that the clue was so difficult that Ruan Nanzhu didn't even dare to try?
"The clue I got is very wrong," Ruan Nanzhu said, "so I want to see if there is something wrong with my door or the clue."
"Okay," Lin Qiushi said. He thought for a moment, then remembered that his next door was the tenth. He asked suspiciously, "Is there really a problem? You weren't saying this on purpose to keep me company, were you?"
Ruan Nanzhu asked, "Am I the kind of person who does good things without leaving a name?"
That's true. Lin Qiushi laughed, "It certainly doesn't look like it."
Lin Qiushi and Cheng Yixie passed through the ninth door together. However, because Lin Qiushi had skipped many doors, it would take a while for him to enter the tenth door. Cheng Yixie's next door would probably be around the beginning of next year. Lin Qiushi asked, "Are we going in with Yixie?"
Ruan Nanzhu shook his head: "No, he won't go in with us."
Lin Qiushi was a little surprised: "Why—"
Ruan Nanzhu: "He wants to take Qianli through the tenth gate alone."
"What?" Lin Qiushi was stunned. He even thought he had misheard. "What did you say?"
"He wants to take Qianli through the tenth gate alone," Ruan Nanzhu repeated. This time, Lin Qiushi heard it clearly. "He'll help Qianli jump directly to the eleventh gate."
Lin Qiushi: "..." He remembered Cheng Qianli's silly look and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"I tried to persuade him," Ruan Nanzhu said, "but he didn't listen, and I don't want to get involved in this anymore."
Lin Qiushi then recalled the previous argument between Ruan Nanzhu and Cheng Yixie. It had been over this very issue, but he couldn't understand why Cheng Yixie had made such a choice. Given Cheng Qianli's strength, wouldn't it be doomed to disaster if he entered the tenth door, where Ruan Nanzhu had already been humiliated?
"He didn't have any other options," Ruan Nanzhu said. "He was afraid that if he died first, he wouldn't be able to protect Cheng Qianli."
Lin Qiushi smiled bitterly.
Before Li Dongyuan died, he did not have a clear understanding of the concept of death. Later, the accidents that happened to Wu Qi and Tan Zaozao made him realize clearly that death was always by his side and could come at any time.
The gift of the door is not unconditional; it may take back everything it gives at any time.
The dead are gone, but the living must go on with their lives.
The impact of Tan Zaozao's death gradually subsided, and people's lives returned to normal.
Lin Qiushi found some time to go back to his hometown. He originally wanted to go back alone, but Ruan Nanzhu insisted on going back with him.
Lin Qiushi originally wanted to refuse, but seeing Ruan Nanzhu's firm attitude, he agreed.
It had been five years since Lin Qiushi last returned to his hometown. The last time he went back was because his grandmother passed away. After that, he almost lost contact with his family.
Lin Qiushi's parents divorced and then each of them started a new family, so Lin Qiushi became a superfluous person. Both sides disliked him, and Lin Qiushi rarely contacted them.
It was already autumn when they returned to Lin Qiushi's hometown. The scorching heat had gradually cooled, and the streets were covered with a blanket of yellow leaves. After leaving the airport, Lin Qiushi looked at the unfamiliar scenery and sighed, "It's been so long since I've been back. I've almost forgotten what my hometown looks like."
Ruan Nanzhu didn't say anything and observed his surroundings.
"Let's go. Let's visit Grandma's grave first." Lin Qiushi had already made plans when he arrived. "Then we'll go visit my mom..." He paused for a moment and smiled, "But I can't quite remember her address."
Ruan Nanzhu looked at him and asked, "Can I help you check?"
Lin Qiushi said, "Wow, you can even find out about this?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "The money is enough, what can't be found?"
Lin Qiushi said, "I was the one who brought you back, so how come you're the one helping me find the way?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "What does that matter?"
He said he was looking for her, took out his phone, dialed a number, and provided the person on the other end with some information. Lin Qiushi was watching him from the side. Although he felt a little embarrassed, he had to admit that Ruan Nanzhu was really good-looking. Even her expressionless face was so attractive. Even those passing by would pretend to glance at her a few more times.
It's like peeking at a big star.
Thinking of this, Lin Qiushi laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Ruan Nanzhu hung up the phone and just happened to see the teasing smile on Lin Qiushi's face.
"No," Lin Qiushi said. "Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" He reached out and tapped Ruan Nanzhu's straight nose with his fingertips. "Very beautiful."
Ruan Nanzhu raised an eyebrow. "So?" He leaned closer to Lin Qiushi. "You mean you like my face better?"
Lin Qiushi's urge to survive made him sense the hidden danger in these words. He said, "No, no, am I that superficial? Of course I'm attracted to your soul!"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Oh."
Lin Qiushi: “…” He was scared to death.
After a while, Ruan Nanzhu was informed that they had found the address of Lin Qiushi's mother.
Lin Qiushi said, "Let's go."
Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
They took a taxi to the address and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing the face of a middle-aged woman. Seeing Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu, she looked puzzled. "Excuse me, who are you?"
Lin Qiushi called out, "Mom."
The woman was stunned for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Are you...Qiu Shi?"
Lin Qiushi nodded. "Yes," he said. "I came back to visit my grandmother's grave and stopped by to see you."
"Oh..." the woman said, "Come in and sit down." She looked at Lin Qiushi with a completely unfamiliar look, as if she had completely forgotten she even had a son like him. It was no wonder. Ever since Lin Qiushi's parents divorced, he had barely lived with his mother, and they had had little contact for several years.
Ruan Nanzhu had always been very curious about how Lin Qiushi developed such a personality. Now that he saw his mother, this doubt was mostly resolved.
Lin's mother politely poured them some tea. A curious face appeared at the bedroom door. She called out, "Mom, who is this?"
"This is your brother, Lin Qiushi," Lin's mother introduced awkwardly. "He came to see Mom."
The girl had heard of this half-brother, but had almost never met Lin Qiushi. She said, "Oh...I see."
"Go and study hard," said Lin's mother. "Midterm exams are coming up soon..." She muttered for a long time before she remembered that there were two guests at home and quickly changed the subject.
They said they were mother and son, but they were more polite than strangers.
Lin Qiushi sat for a while, drank a cup of tea, and then stood up to say goodbye, declining Lin's mother's invitation to have lunch with them.
Ruan Nanzhu didn't say much the whole time. He had such a strong aura and his expressionless face sitting there made Lin's mother dare not talk to him at all.
After he came out, he said, "Do you want to go see your father?"
Lin Qiushi said, "No need." There was not much sadness on his face, but more helplessness. "It seems that I really don't have to worry about this place anymore." They seemed to be living well and did not need an unnecessary son like him.
Ruan Nanzhu reached out and took Lin Qiushi's hand, then gently hooked it into his palm: "If it really doesn't work..."
Lin Qiushi: "Hmm?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Should I humble myself and be your father?"
Lin Qiushi: “…” Ruan Nanzhu, could you please not act like a hooligan with such a serious face?
Seeing Lin Qiushi's expression, Ruan Nanzhu's eyes lit up with a smile: "Why are you so cute?"
Lin Qiushi thought to himself, you have really become bad. You were so serious when you were outside the door before, why are you like this now?
It was already late at night, so the two of them found a roadside stall and ordered some food. Ruan Nanzhu originally didn't allow Lin Qiushi to drink, but Lin Qiushi said that he was as strong as a bull now, and he could easily knock Ruan Nanzhu down, not to mention drinking.
Ruan Nanzhu smiled faintly: "You can drink so well?"
Lin Qiushi's alcohol tolerance was actually quite average, but as a man, he valued appearances, so he gritted his teeth and nodded, "Yes, very good."
"Come on then." Ruan Nanzhu said, "I want to see who falls down first."
So he asked the boss to bring a case of beer, and the two of them started drinking and eating.
This time was so beautiful. The weather was perfect, the sun had just set below the horizon, the wind was cool, and looking up, one could see the red clouds hanging above their heads. The noisy voices around them were not loud, but rather a breath of fresh air.
Lin Qiushi suddenly remembered something.
In this world, apart from life and death, everything is trivial. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Ruan Nanzhu with a smile.
Ruan Nanzhu didn't know what he was laughing at. He was still chewing the freshly grilled meat. The meat was a little spicy, and his lips were bright red, looking delicious and tasty. So Lin Qiushi looked at him and smiled even more brightly. He said, "Ruan Nanzhu."
Ruan Nanzhu looked up at him and nodded.
Lin Qiushi said, "Do you know that you are now..."
Ruan Nanzhu raised his eyebrows.
Lin Qiushi lowered his voice: "Looks delicious?"
Ruan Nanzhu put down the cup in his hand. He knew that Lin Qiushi's claim that he could drink a lot was a lie. He didn't believe that Lin Qiushi would dare to say such a thing when he was sober.
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