Chapter 119 Real Life
There were eight boxes in the kitchen. Xiao Ji opened three and Xiao Mei opened three, so there were two left.
Lin Qiushi listened to the two boxes and confirmed that there was movement in one of them, while the other was empty.
After confirming the contents of the box, things became easier. Lin Qiushi opened the empty box and confirmed there was no tunnel inside. Ruan Nanzhu, standing next to him, then used the white wooden stake in his hand on another box. He drove the stake directly into the top of the box, then used a dining room stool as a hammer, driving the stake in inch by inch.
As the white wooden stake pierced into the box, a shrill howl came from the wooden box, and a large amount of bright red blood overflowed from the top of the box, soaking the black box.
They had heard this cry many times before. It was the cry of the box woman, but this time, her cry had a bit more shrill meaning. Everyone standing next to the box seemed silent and numb when listening to the cry.
They were already accustomed to death, and facing the Box Girl again seemed to have smoothed over their fear. This game relied heavily on luck. If they hadn't gotten the White Wood Tsubaki, or encountered the self-sacrificing Little Rose, their escape would have been far more arduous, with at least a few more casualties.
Compared to when they came in, everyone's faces looked a little more tired.
Ruan Nanzhu held Lin Qiushi's hand and stood in front of the wooden box, waiting for the crying and wailing inside the box to gradually fade away.
"Who will open it?" Sun Yuanzhou's partner asked this question after the crying subsided.
"Let me do it." Sun Yuanzhou said, "Thank you for your care during this period." He obviously also had something to save his life, and if Ruan Nanzhu had not consumed the box girl's skill card, I'm afraid more people would have died.
He took a step forward, grabbed the wooden box with his hands, and with a little force, lifted the lid directly.
After the lid was lifted, everyone held their breath. However, as they expected, the woman inside the box disappeared, leaving only a pool of bright red blood. Behind the blood was a black hole, and underneath the hole was a long staircase leading to the distance.
Everyone entered the cave and went down the stairs.
Finally, at the end of the stairs, they saw a black iron door.
Ruan Nanzhu took out the key, walked forward and opened the iron gate. After the iron gate was opened, he picked up the dropped clues.
The tenth door ended like this. Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi both left safely and took away the clues to the tenth door.
Before leaving, Sun Yuanzhou tactfully expressed to Ruan Nanzhu his desire to cooperate with them.
Ruan Nanzhu didn't comment, but just asked him to leave his contact information. After that, he and Lin Qiushi followed the tunnel emitting light and entered the real world.
Returning to reality and breathing the fresh air again, Lin Qiushi felt the beauty of life once again. He hurried upstairs and saw Ruan Nanzhu standing at the stairs, also looking ready to come down.
Then, the two of them reached out and hugged each other, feeling the warmth coming from each other's bodies. Only in this way could they be sure that they had survived the door.
Cheng Qianli happened to pass by and saw the two people hugging each other. He could only eat a mouthful of dog food and muttered that it was broad daylight here and he was a minor, so you should pay attention to the impact.
Ruan Nanzhu glared at him, and Cheng Qianli quickly turned around and ran away.
"Did you get any clues?" Lin Qiushi asked Ruan Nanzhu.
"I got it." Ruan Nanzhu replied.
"What's the difference between this and the clues you got before?" Lin Qiushi asked.
Ruan Nanzhu pondered for a moment, then didn't answer. He simply reached into his trouser pocket, pulled the clue out, and handed it to Lin Qiushi. Lin Qiushi took the clue, saw the words written on it, and was immediately stunned. The small piece of paper only had two words written on it: "No Solution."
"How could this happen?!" Lin Qiushi asked in surprise.
From the first door to the tenth door, the clues at each door were some information that could provide them with information, but the clue at the eleventh door was actually the word "unsolvable". He looked up at Ruan Nanzhu and asked, "Did you get the same clue before?"
"Yeah." Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
This is why he entered the tenth door again. The clues he got before were useless and of no help at all.
The eleventh door had no clues for them to use, but this time the clues proved that this was not a special case.
Lin Qiushi's heart sank as he looked at the clues. After a moment's thought, he said to Ruan Nanzhu, "It doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you, I'm not that scared anymore."
Ruan Nanzhu laughed when he heard this and kissed Lin Qiushi on the forehead.
Although the clues of the eleventh door make people feel heavy, life must go on.
That evening, Lin Qiushi saw a news report on TV about a serious traffic accident in the city's downtown area. A bus carrying more than a dozen people had crashed off a bridge, resulting in six deaths and more than twenty injuries.
Among the death list, Lin Qiushi saw a young man named Li Bomei. He thought of something and sighed softly.
At least Xiaomei and her lover still had a chance to say their final goodbyes. In reality, they could embrace each other and die happily. Perhaps they could even give each other a gentle kiss and make a promise for the afterlife.
Ruan Nanzhu also understood it, but he picked up the remote control and changed the channel.
"The one left behind is always the most pitiful," Lin Qiushi said. "It would be much better if we both went together."
Ruan Nanzhu said, "I can't bear to let him go." He couldn't bear to let his lover experience death, he just hoped that he would live well.
Lin Qiushi turned his head and looked at him: "Have you ever considered that if you come out, you will have to face your lover's departure a second time?" And watching him die in front of you is a bit too cruel.
"That's right." Ruan Nanzhu said in a faint voice, but agreed with Lin Qiushi's statement.
There is still a long time from the tenth door to the eleventh door, so they don't need to be too anxious.
But in a few months, Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli will enter their tenth door.
So during this period of time, Lin Qiushi basically couldn't see the twins. It seemed that Cheng Yixie was leading Cheng Qianli to slam the door like crazy, which almost made Cheng Qianli collapse.
"Wow, wow, wow, this is so miserable." Cheng Qianli cried and complained to Lin Qiushi, "My brother has to take me in every three days now. I really can't take it anymore."
Lin Qiushi looked at him with pity and said, "Go with peace of mind. I will take good care of Toast for you." As he said that, he touched Toast's chubby little butt.
Cheng Qianli wanted to say a few more words when he was taken away by Cheng Yixie. Lin Qiushi looked at the two brothers and found it really funny.
Because of Ruan Nanzhu's existence, obsidian has always been expensive and in huge demand. Countless people want Ruan Nanzhu to take their orders and bring them to the store.
Gu Longming contacted Lin Qiushi through the website and tactfully expressed his desire to join Obsidian.
After Lin Qiushi knew his thoughts, he talked about it with Ruan Nanzhu.
"What do you think?" Ruan Nanzhu asked Lin Qiushi.
"I think he has great potential," Lin Qiushi said of his evaluation of Gu Longming. "He's a good prospect."
Ruan Nanzhu thought for a moment: "When was his sixth door?"
Lin Qiushi said, "It seems to be the beginning of next year." He did a quick calculation and said, "It should be around the Chinese New Year."
"Don't give him an answer yet." Ruan Nanzhu said, "I want to meet him inside the door." It won't be too late to introduce Gu Longming to Obsidian after confirming that he really has the qualifications. After all, not everyone is qualified to enter Obsidian.
The villa was bustling with activity during this time, with everyone busy taking jobs and cleaning doors. Only Lin Qiushi had nothing to do. He had wanted to take a few more orders on the website, but Ruan Nanzhu stopped him, saying he should wait until after the Lunar New Year and that he should rest well and recuperate during this period.
In December, the weather gradually became colder and around mid-month there was a heavy snowfall.
The heating was on in the villa, and Lin Qiushi curled up on the sofa, drowsy.
No one knew what Ruan Nanzhu was doing. He had been very busy recently, and it seemed like he had something to do with Bai Lu.
Zhuang Rujiao returned to the villa, a few snowflakes floating on her head and shoulders. Lin Qiushi heard her voice, looked up and saw her covered in snow, and said, "Why didn't you bring an umbrella?"
Zhuang Rujiao said, "I didn't expect it to snow."
At this time, Lin Qiushi could no longer see any trace of Xia Rubei in Zhuang Rujiao. That innocent, cute and timid girl seemed to be just his illusion. Only the woman in front of him with cold eyes was real.
"Something happened to Bai Lu." Zhuang Rujiao wiped her hair with a towel, "Jin Yurui is dead." She announced Jin Yurui's death as if it was something insignificant.
Jin Yurui was the person who succeeded the leader of Bailu after Li Dongyuan's death. Lin Qiushi only met her once, but he didn't expect that she would be gone not long after.
"Because of the door?" Lin Qiushi asked.
"Well," Zhuang Rujiao said, "I'm leaving." She picked up the hot tea on the table and took a sip slowly. "I'm going to Bailu to be the leader."
Lin Qiushi asked, "Is it possible?"
Zhuang Rujiao smiled and said, "It has to be done even if it's impossible. You have Ruan Nanzhu to protect you, but the person who protected me is gone."
Lin Qiushi remained silent.
"I really envy you guys. If I had become like you earlier, maybe he wouldn't have died." Zhuang Rujiao was referring to Li Dongyuan. She said, "There's no such thing as regret medicine in the world. Thank you for your care during this time."
Although she had lived in Obsidian for a while, she had never integrated into the group. She had obviously anticipated that one day she would leave.
Lin Qiushi said, "Everything went smoothly."
"Yes." Zhuang Rujiao said, "I appreciate your good words."
After she said this, she went upstairs to pack her luggage. Lin Qiushi stood up and walked to the door. Looking out from the French window, he saw Ruan Nanzhu had also returned. However, he did not come in. Instead, he stood quietly by the car in front of the door.
White snowflakes fell on his hair as black as crow feathers. His black eyes were slightly drooped, and his beautiful lips were pursed into a tight arc.
Lin Qiushi called him, "Ruan Nanzhu."
Ruan Nanzhu raised his eyes and curled the corners of his mouth towards Lin Qiushi. A smile spread across his eyes. It was not strong, but it was enough to warm Lin Qiushi's heart.
Lin Qiushi took an umbrella from the door, walked out, and held it up next to Ruan Nanzhu: "Why don't you hold an umbrella?" The snow in the south is different from that in the north. It melts easily when it falls on people, so there are some wet marks on the ends of the hair and shoulders.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "I forgot."
Lin Qiushi asked, "Do you want to send her there?"
"Yeah." Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
"How's the situation over at Bai Lu?" Lin Qiushi felt that things were not that easy.
"Not very good." Ruan Nanzhu said, "I'm not sure if she can handle it."
Changing leaders twice in a row wasn't a good thing for Bai Lu. If it had been Zhuang Rujiao before, Ruan Nanzhu would have definitely not agreed to let her take on the responsibility, but now, Ruan Nanzhu chose to respect Zhuang Rujiao's opinion. Although Li Dongyuan wanted Zhuang Rujiao to live well, did this kind of life sometimes become a form of torture?
At least this lesson was taught by Lin Qiushi to Ruan Nanzhu.
Zhuang Rujiao quickly packed up her things and walked out. She had very little luggage, and she looked like a passerby when she came and went.
"Have a safe journey." Lin Qiushi said to her.
"Thank you." Zhuang Rujiao thanked Lin Qiushi and got into Ruan Nanzhu's car.
So Lin Qiushi held up his umbrella and watched the car gradually go away in the snow until its shadow disappeared.
This was the last time he and Zhuang Rujiao met. Afterwards, he learned from Ruan Nanzhu that Zhuang Rujiao had stabilized the situation in Bailu and perfectly inherited Li Dongyuan's will.
"Did she kill Jin Yurui?" Lin Qiushi asked Ruan Nanzhu at that time.
"I don't know." Ruan Nanzhu said, "You can't say for sure about something you can't be sure of, but Jin Yurui did fail when she married Zhuang Rujiao."
"Oh," Lin Qiushi said, "Then how did Li Dongyuan die?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Zhuang Rujiao said it was related to Jin Yurui, but as to whether it is true or not, I don't know."
Lin Qiushi said "oh".
Not long after Zhuang Rujiao left, Chinese New Year was approaching. However, because Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli were about to get married, the celebrations weren't particularly lively. Gemini, who usually choose to return to their hometown, didn't leave this time, but instead used the remaining time to continue painting the door.
Gu Longming passed through the sixth gate during the Chinese New Year, around the tenth day of the first lunar month. When he learned that Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu were going to pass through the sixth gate with him, he was naturally ecstatic.
However, Ruan Nanzhu made it clear to him that they couldn't take Gu Longming with them through the sixth door, nor could they guarantee his life. Therefore, he was told to be mentally prepared for any unexpected events. The implication was that he should prepare a suicide note and other items as soon as possible, lest he die without making arrangements for his funeral when he emerged from the door.
Gu Longming was shocked by the straightforwardness of the girl named Zhu Meng and said, Linlin, is this your girlfriend?
Lin Qiushi thought about it and said yes.
Gu Longming: "She's going in with us this time?"
Lin Qiushi: "Yes."
Gu Longming: "Is she powerful?"
Lin Qiushi: "Better than me."
Gu Longming tasted it and felt that it was even more powerful than Lin Qiushi. It must be very powerful, so he felt much happier.
As for the clues to the sixth door, they were provided by Ruan Nanzhu and are still being selected. Lin Qiushi is not very worried.
During the New Year holidays, the villa was particularly lively.
Cheng Qianli was finally given a few days off by Cheng Yixie, and he shamelessly dragged Lin Qiushi to secretly buy a lot of fireworks and firecrackers.
Lin Qiushi said, "But aren't fireworks prohibited in this urban area?"
Cheng Qianli said: "We are in the suburbs, the suburbs! No one cares."
Lin Qiushi looked at him suspiciously: "Are you sure?"
"Sure." Cheng Qianli put on a pitiful look, "That's all I have as a hobby. Can't you indulge me a little?"
Lin Qiushi: "Okay, okay, I'll spoil you."
Then the two of them found an open space and started setting off fireworks. The others in the villa watched from afar. Lin Qiushi said, "Come over and play with us."
Chen Fei said: "This is for children to play, how can we adults have the nerve to participate."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Chen Fei was fine, but Cheng Yixie who was standing next to him had the same expression, as if to say, "You are childish and I don't want to talk to you."
Lin Qiushi glanced at Cheng Qianli, who was grinning like a fool beside him, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
But the idiot Cheng Qianli obviously didn't know that he was being disliked. He still lit the fireworks with a silly smile on his face, watching the fireworks rise from the ground and explode in the dark sky, laughing.
"It's so beautiful." He curled his eyes like a child, and his eyes were also dyed by the gorgeous fireworks.
Lin Qiushi looked towards Ruan Nanzhu in the distance. Their eyes met and they both saw smiles in each other's eyes.
But the smile disappeared within a few minutes because of the sound of sirens in the distance.
"Fuck it! Run!" Yi Manman yelled, "You'll be fined if you get caught!"
So they all turned and ran. Cheng Qianli ran like a rabbit, which made Lu Yanxue, the slowest runner, so angry that she stamped her feet and cursed, "If I had known I wouldn't have worn high heels today!"
They ran away very quickly and at least they were not caught. When they returned to the villa, they were all laughing in the living room. Cheng Qianli was still feeling aggrieved, saying how could they come so quickly and there were still so many things they hadn't released!
"I told you not to let off the fireworks, but you didn't listen," Chen Fei said. "Look, now it's over."
Cheng Qianli's dream of setting off fireworks was completely shattered. Everyone put the dumplings they had prepared into the pot, ate them while chatting, and spent this New Year's Eve together in a lively atmosphere.
After New Year's Eve, Lin Qiushi sneaked into Ruan Nanzhu's room, and the two of them slept together in the same bed all night.
This was the happiest New Year's Eve that Lin Qiushi had ever had. Last year, he and Obsidian were not particularly familiar with each other, but this year he almost treated this place as his home.
Ruan Nanzhu leaned sideways, put his arms around his waist, and breathed on his neck.
Lin Qiushi soon felt sleepy, and the two of them fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, there were new guests in the villa. Lin Qiushi originally thought they were from other organizations, but when he went downstairs, he found that they were actually the parents of Cheng Yixie and Cheng Qianli.
They brought a lot of local specialties and were distributing them to the people in the villa with a smile on their faces.
Lin Qiushi had heard Cheng Qianli talk about his parents before, saying that they didn't know what their son was doing. Cheng Yixie lied and said they were treating genetic diseases here, but he never told his parents in detail how the treatment was done.
But for a family that had already despaired, the method was no longer important. The parents tacitly stopped asking questions - as long as the child could survive, it didn't matter what method was used.
Cheng Qianli spotted Lin Qiushi standing on the second-floor corridor, waved at him, and said, "Qiushi, come down! My parents brought you a gift!"
Lin Qiushi walked downstairs and greeted Cheng Qianli's parents. Cheng Qianli then stuffed a large bag of candy into his hands and said, "Don't you like candy? My parents bought this especially for you."
Lin Qiushi thanked them sincerely, but the father smiled with gratitude and said that his son was very grateful for their care.
Afterwards, everyone had lunch with them. Originally, Chen Fei wanted them to stay here for a few days, but the parents were very stubborn and said that they had something else to do and had to leave first.
Cheng Yixie hesitated to speak, but in the end he did not try to persuade her anymore.
"Do they know?" Lin Qiushi asked Cheng Yixie after they left.
"I don't know." Cheng Yixie said, "They seemed to think we were doing something bad." He was silent for a moment, "But they didn't try to persuade me."
For parents, having their children survive is the greatest blessing, especially when they have a pair of terminally ill twins. It is hard to imagine the difficulties they face when they lose both children at the same time.
"Hmm," Lin Qiushi said, "I can actually explain it."
Cheng Yixie said, "Even after explaining it, they still don't quite believe it." He glanced at the villa, "But they should feel more at ease this time."
Lin Qiushi: "Do they come here often?"
"Rarely." Cheng Yixie said, "This is the second time."
The first time was when Cheng Yixie brought Cheng Qianli over. At that time, Cheng Qianli was still a child. After luckily passing through the first door, he cried and called his brother. Cheng Yixie rushed home overnight and brought his brother over. When his mother knew what he was going to do, her eyes were filled with melancholy. She did not stop him, but only asked: "Can Qianli really survive?"
Cheng Yixie's answer was: "Do my best."
After that, she didn't ask any more questions.
So Cheng Qianli, who should have died a few years ago, is still alive and well. Cheng Yixie fulfilled his promise and helped his silly brother survive the torment of the disease and live healthily.
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