Chapter 138 Twelve
After a long dark night, Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu still had no clue where the key was.
At the same time, however, they noticed that the nights were shortening, from six hours at the beginning to five, then four... This change wasn't noticeable at first, but it became increasingly noticeable. Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu explored the entire campus, even visiting some unique places, but the clues to the key seemed to have vanished, leaving them completely clueless.
If we take the previous door as an example, then the shortening of the night is the hidden limitation of this door. If they can't find the key, will they be trapped inside this door? This is Lin Qiushi's biggest fear - he is afraid of being separated from Ruan Nanzhu and never seeing each other again.
The same was true for Ruan Nanzhu, but their efforts seemed completely meaningless here. Apart from the constant appearance of ghosts at night, there was no pattern at all, and the ghosts almost always changed dramatically every night. Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu became more and more anxious as the nights became shorter.
"Ghosts only appeared three times tonight." That day, nearing dawn, Ruan Nanzhu, candy in hand, analyzed the situation with Lin Qiushi. "The frequency and intensity of their appearances have decreased." A few days ago, the number of ghosts had reached a peak. That night, both Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu were seriously injured, and Lin Qiushi nearly lost his life. But since that day, the number of ghosts has begun to decline rapidly. Lin Qiushi initially thought it was the gate's mercy, but later, after Ruan Nanzhu's analysis, they realized that most of the ghosts within the gate had appeared, and even a small number of the ghosts they had encountered before entering the eleventh gate had begun to appear.
"Is this a good thing?" Lin Qiushi asked, looking at Ruan Nanzhu. "Is this a good thing?"
This should be a good thing. Fewer ghosts means less danger for them, but Lin Qiushi just couldn't be happy.
"I don't know." Ruan Nanzhu's tone was a little depressed. "I'm not sure whether this door has a key." He said, "Or maybe the word 'unsolvable' in the clue we got has a deeper meaning that we haven't understood."
But now they have no idea what this means.
Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu hugged each other. The morning glow, which clearly represented hope, seemed a little heavy in their eyes.
It was almost daytime again, and Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu had to separate. Faced with the increasingly shorter nights, Lin Qiushi even began to worry that he would not be able to see Ruan Nanzhu the next night.
Ruan Nanzhu was obviously worried as well, but he said nothing. He just reached out and hugged Lin Qiushi tightly. The two of them snuggled together, their shadows merging into one on the ground.
Rays of light shot out from the other side of the horizon. Lin Qiushi tried to resist the strong sleepiness, but ultimately failed. He fell into a deep sleep, and Ruan Nanzhu in his arms also began to breathe evenly.
After the nights gradually calmed down, the days became excruciating. Lin Qiushi woke up and sat up in bed, silently sitting by the window for a long time. Then he sat down at the table and began to carefully record something.
There was a sudden knock on the door. Lin Qiushi went to open it and saw Wu Qi outside carrying braised dishes and beer.
"Qiu Shi, are you okay?" Wu Qi looked at him, worry hidden in his expression. "I haven't seen you for over a month. I called you but you didn't answer."
"Nothing," Lin Qiushi said, "I'm just busy with something."
Wu Qi walked into the room and saw the notebook on Lin Qiushi's desk. He was a little puzzled: "What's written in it?"
Lin Qiushi said, "Record something." In fact, he wanted to record everything he and Ruan Nanzhu had experienced... He was afraid that one day he would forget all these things.
Just like Ruan Nanzhu forgot his predecessors.
Lin Qiushi simply cleared the table, and Wu Qi placed the food on it. He looked at Lin Qiushi worriedly and said, "You've been cooped up at home for over a month. What happened? Can't you tell me? I'm so worried about you."
Lin Qiushi replied, "Nothing."
Although Lin Qiushi's tone was obviously perfunctory, he didn't want to say it, and Wu Qi couldn't force him.
So his friends sighed and told Lin Qiushi not to be deceived by some pyramid scheme. These days, pyramid schemes are becoming more and more sophisticated. If Lin Qiushi has any problems, he must speak out...
Lin Qiushi listened to Wu Qi's ramblings, but he didn't feel annoyed. Instead, he felt a surge of nostalgia. In his old world, after Wu Qi left, he hadn't encountered anyone who cared about him in this way for a long time.
While Wu Qi was talking, Lin Qiushi was drinking, and the atmosphere between the two was quite harmonious.
It was not until around nine o'clock in the evening that Wu Qi said goodbye and left. Lin Qiushi looked at his back and sighed softly. In fact, if Ruan Nanzhu was not there, it seemed that staying in this world would not be a bad thing.
But with Ruan Nanzhu, Lin Qiushi wanted to leave this door wholeheartedly.
As soon as twelve o'clock arrived, Lin Qiushi couldn't wait to meet Ruan Nanzhu.
This time, the school where they met was devoid of any ghosts. Instead, the school was empty and dark. Accompanied by the noisy chirping of insects, it looked like an ordinary school at first glance.
"I saw my friend." Ruan Nanzhu, who was walking hand in hand with Lin Qiushi in the school, suddenly said, "My friend who died in the original world."
"You have a good relationship with him?" Lin Qiushi asked.
"Yeah," Ruan Nanzhu said, "We were childhood friends, but he was in a car accident before he entered the door and died."
Lin Qiushi immediately thought of Wu Qi.
Ruan Nanzhu said: "I didn't expect to see him in this world. He is still alive... and doing well."
Lin Qiushi was silent for a moment, his voice a little hoarse, as he expressed his deepest fear. He said, "Nanzhu, is it possible that there is no key to this door at all?"
Ruan Nanzhu paused for breath.
"Is there really a twelfth door?" Lin Qiushi asked, "Can we really get out?"
Ruan Nanzhu tightened his grip on Lin Qiushi's hand.
"No solution, the clue we got is unsolvable..." Lin Qiushi said, "What exactly does the word 'unsolvable' mean?" He initially thought this was a trial, but after discovering that there was no clue to the key no matter what, a more terrifying thought arose in his mind. Unsolvable... did it refer to the existence of the key?
It's a door without a key, and they can never leave.
Ruan Nanzhu also thought of what Lin Qiushi was thinking. He looked at his lover beside him, and there was a hint of sadness in his dark eyes.
"I always think of your predecessors." Lin Qiushi should have been thankful for such a peaceful night, but he couldn't smile at all. Without the ghosts chasing them, they could spend more time thinking about the future. However, the more they thought about it, the more they felt that the future was filled with despair.
"Everyone has forgotten him," Lin Qiushi said slowly, "Will we also forget each other?"
Hearing Lin Qiushi's words, Ruan Nanzhu suddenly grew angry. "I won't forget you!" he shouted angrily. He stood up and circled in circles like a trapped animal. "The key must be hidden somewhere, and we haven't found it yet. We just need to try a little harder—"
Lin Qiushi reached out and hugged him. He kissed his cheek and said, "Okay, let's look for it again."
Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu searched every corner of the school, including the grass, trees, all the buildings, and even the pond, until the sun rose again.
That day, the night lasted only two hours. When sleepiness came, Ruan Nanzhu almost collapsed while holding Lin Qiushi. Their premonition came true. The night was getting shorter and shorter, and might even disappear in the end. When the night disappeared, they would no longer be able to see each other.
"No, I don't want to sleep." Ruan Nanzhu was almost unable to open his eyes, but he refused to give up. He tried to create wounds on his arms to make himself more awake, but it was all in vain.
Ruan Nanzhu fell asleep again.
Lin Qiushi stared at Ruan Nanzhu's sleeping face and held him tightly, refusing to let go. The horrible sleepiness gradually invaded his mind, and he was forced to fall into a dream.
The next day, the weather was sunny.
Lin Qiushi sat up from his bed, walked to the table, and continued writing. The notebook in front of him was already densely packed, recording the story of his and Ruan Nanzhu's encounter, acquaintance, and friendship. Li Zi meowed beside him, then tiptoed onto Lin Qiushi's lap, sharing its warmth. Lin Qiushi stared at the notebook before him, a deep, indescribable pain welling up in his heart.
He just wanted to die with Ruan Nanzhu, but he didn't expect that this wish would be so difficult to achieve in the end.
The notebook contained every detail of his and Ruan Nanzhu's lives, but if he truly forgot, what good would all these details be? Lin Qiushi covered his face.
It's another night, and this time there's only an hour left.
As if it was the final countdown, the door gave them the opportunity to say goodbye to each other.
"The key must exist!" Ruan Nanzhu grabbed Lin Qiushi's hand. "We can't give up. We must get out—Qiushi, don't give up even if there's no night, okay?"
Lin Qiushi said, "Okay."
Ruan Nanzhu was extremely anxious. It was the first time he was so confused. He said, "I don't want to be separated from you. I don't want to be separated from you, Lin Qiushi..." Lin Qiushi looked at his face, leaned over and gave him a soothing kiss until Ruan Nanzhu calmed down.
Lin Qiushi forced a smile and stroked Ruan Nanzhu's cheek with his fingers. He said, "No, facing your face still feels like a crime."
Ruan Nanzhu couldn't laugh. There seemed to be a gleam of water in his eyes, but when he looked closely, he found that it was not water, but more like frozen ice.
"I won't give up. I will definitely continue to look for the key," Lin Qiushi said. "I will still look for you... I won't give up..."
Ruan Nanzhu hugged Lin Qiushi with his backhand.
"Do you like daytime?" Lin Qiushi asked him.
"I don't like it." Ruan Nanzhu said, "There are many good things in the daytime... but... you are not there."
Lin Qiushi stroked Ruan Nanzhu's hair bit by bit, his fingers running through his hair, and looked at Ruan Nanzhu with loving eyes as if he was looking at his own child: "You could have had a better life." Ruan Nanzhu was different from him. He had parents and brothers. If there was no door, he would obviously be happier. He would not have to face the threat of death and would not have to lose so many beloved friends.
"But you're not there," Ruan Nanzhu said desperately. "Lin Qiushi, do you understand? A world without you is fake!"
Lin Qiushi looked at Ruan Nanzhu. He wanted to control his emotions and continue to comfort him, but he found that he couldn't do it. An hour had passed, and they couldn't even be sure if they could see each other tomorrow.
"I..." Lin Qiushi wanted to say something, but tears fell before he could even open his mouth. He reached out and roughly wiped his face, saying, "I... don't want to say goodbye to you."
Ruan Nanzhu kissed Lin Qiushi's eyes, sucking away his tears. He said, "Then we won't say goodbye."
"It's great to meet you." Lin Qiushi said, "I'm not afraid of those things at all, not at all." They sat under the night sky, looking up to see the starry sky, the cool wind blew on their cheeks, and all around them was the quiet chirping of insects.
It seemed as if this was just a quiet night, and they were just lovers who met here to share their feelings with each other.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "I won't give up. We must get out..." He seemed to be sleepy, and his tone gradually became lower. "Lin Qiushi, you have to get out too..."
"Okay." Lin Qiushi said, "I'll go out." After he said this, he uncontrollably closed his eyes along with Ruan Nanzhu.
The two fell into a deep sleep.
This was the last time Lin Qiushi saw Ruan Nanzhu at night.
The next day, as promised, he hid in the school and waited for his watch to point to twelve o'clock, but he did not see Ruan Nanzhu.
His lover disappeared, disappeared in the silent night, disappeared in a different time and space.
Although he had already guessed what was happening from the shrinking night, Lin Qiushi still collapsed. He ran all over the school, constantly shouting Ruan Nanzhu's name until he was kicked out by the school security.
Standing outside the school, he dialed Ruan Nanzhu's number, but found that it was an invalid number - Ruan Nanzhu was missing.
Lin Qiushi squatted on the side of the road, covering his face with his hands to hide his tears.
Lin Qiushi himself couldn't explain how he spent the night. Anyway, when he regained consciousness, he was already lying on a hospital bed, in great pain all over his body. Wu Qi was sitting next to him, looking at him worriedly.
"Qiu Shi, are you okay?" Wu Qi's tone was cautious, as if he was afraid of irritating Lin Qiushi's already sensitive nerves.
"Very well." Lin Qiushi looked at the snow-white ceiling above his head. "I'm fine."
Wu Qi hesitated to speak. It was clear that Lin Qiushi wasn't in good condition. Before being taken to the hospital, he had attempted to rush into a school, clashed with security guards, and was ultimately taken to the hospital by the police...
Lin Qiushi tilted his head to look at Wu Qi. His eyes were strange, as if he was looking at a monster. Wu Qi was terrified by his gaze and whispered his name, "Qiushi?"
"Are you real?" Lin Qiushi asked, "or just an illusion to comfort people?"
Wu Qi was puzzled. He felt a little restless and asked, "Qiu Shi, are you under too much pressure?"
Was the pressure too great? Lin Qiushi wondered, had he gone mad? No, he wasn't mad, it was the world that had gone mad.
After staying in the hospital for more than a week, Lin Qiushi ran out of the hospital with Wu Qi on his back and returned home.
The first thing he did after returning home was to take out his own notebook and carefully read through everything recorded in it.
He has to remember, he must remember.
Senior Ruan Nanzhu might not have even passed through the eleventh door, so naturally he had no idea about the twelfth door. He was trapped inside this door forever, and those outside began to forget him, even his face and name gradually faded. Only those closest to him could barely remember the title of "senior."
But after some time, perhaps no one would even remember the title of "senior," Lin Qiushi thought as he held his notebook.
Since that night, Lin Qiushi never entered the darkness again.
His nights became peaceful and tranquil, with nothing but the chirping of insects. The ghosts disappeared, and along with them, his lover, Ruan Nanzhu, also disappeared.
Lin Qiushi began to search for information about Ruan Nanzhu in reality.
After Wu Qi found out what Lin Qiushi was doing, he initially thought that Lin Qiushi had a mental problem. Later, he found that his good friend was very calm, so calm that he didn't seem like a mental patient at all. So, he had no choice but to let Lin Qiushi go. He even secretly helped Lin Qiushi ask someone to look up the name Ruan Nanzhu in the public security system. Unexpectedly, he actually found some information.
"There's a person named Ruan Nanzhu." Wu Qi brought the news to Lin Qiushi. "He's from our city, a professor of physics at a university..."
When Lin Qiushi heard Wu Qi's words, he initially thought that Wu Qi was joking. Later, after confirming that Wu Qi was serious, he didn't know how to react for a moment.
So the next day, Lin Qiushi rushed to the school that Wu Qi mentioned, wanting to find Ruan Nanzhu.
Unexpectedly, Lin Qiushi actually saw him.
It was just after class when Lin Qiushi spotted a tall, bespectacled man on a side street, dressed simply in a shirt and trousers, who had just gotten off a car. His face was identical to Ruan Nanzhu's. However, compared to Ruan Nanzhu's cold and arrogant demeanor, the man seemed much gentler and more approachable.
The moment Lin Qiushi saw the man, he held his breath. After hesitating for a moment, he quickly walked forward and called out tentatively, "Ruan Nanzhu?"
The man turned around upon hearing the voice and looked at Lin Qiushi. His eyes were unfamiliar and he asked hesitantly, "Who are you?"
Lin Qiushi asked, "Don't you recognize me?"
The man frowned and shook his head: "I'm sorry, I don't remember meeting you."
Lin Qiushi remained silent, staring into the man's eyes. Finally, he turned around and said, "Sorry, I recognized the wrong person."
The man was stunned and wanted to say something, but Lin Qiushi left in such a hurry that he didn't even have the chance to speak. How could he have recognized the wrong person? If he had, would he still be able to call out their name?
Lin Qiushi didn't bother to deal with this loophole. He walked to the school gate and lowered his head to begin peeling the candy wrappers. His movements were a bit flustered, as he stuffed candies one by one into his mouth, trying to find inner peace in the familiar sweet taste.
But it ultimately failed. Candy couldn't comfort Lin Qiushi, and his emotions were on the verge of another breakdown.
Every time Lin Qiushi encountered something related to Ruan Nanzhu, he found it difficult to think calmly, and this time was no exception.
Why did Ruan Nanzhu suddenly appear in the daytime? What did this mean? Did something happen to him? Lin Qiushi crunched the candy in his mouth and turned to look at the school behind him.
This is a nationally renowned university, famous for its science. Being able to be a professor of physics in such a school at Ruan Nanzhu's age must prove that he has made great achievements in academics.
Lin Qiushi thought that this might be what Ruan Nanzhu's life would have been like if he had never encountered the right door, a life of success and fame, with a smooth journey ahead.
He stood up from the ground. Perhaps due to lack of blood, his body shook involuntarily, and he almost fell to the ground. This world was perfect. Except for Lin Qiushi himself, it seemed that everyone had a happy ending.
Lin Qiushi returned home in a mess and fell on the bed. Li Zi jumped on him and meowed, urging Lin Qiushi to add cat food to it.
Lin Qiushi stroked Li Zi's soft fur, looked into its beautiful gem-like eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
The clock struck twelve and woke Lin Qiushi from his dream. He sat up from the bed and stared at the wall clock not far away.
Although he could no longer enter the same night as Ruan Nanzhu, he would still wake up on time at twelve o'clock every day and listen to the night bells ringing in his ears.
Is he really that desperate to leave this door? But didn't Ruan Nanzhu say there's no dead end to the door? Or does it mean that all the rules are no longer applicable after the eleventh door?
With this thought in mind, Lin Qiushi called Ruan Nanzhu again.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service. Please check before redialing." A cold electronic voice echoed from the other end of the line. Lin Qiushi sat in his rented apartment. Everything was eerily quiet, save for the ticking clock on the wall. He shifted his gaze to the clock, watching the pendulum ticking back and forth. The hour hand had passed twelve and was heading towards one.
Lin Qiushi looked at the clock and suddenly thought of the corridor he saw when he entered. There were twelve iron doors on both sides of the corridor. So why was there the number twelve... They seemed to have never thought about this question.
Lin Qiushi shifted his gaze to the clock and saw the twelve numbers painted in black on the clock face. Suddenly, a strange idea popped into his mind.
Lin Qiushi stood up and walked towards the clock.
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