Chapter 40 The Fourth Door
After connecting with Tan Zaozao, Ruan Nanzhu quickly identified clues about Tan Zaozao.
That was Tan Zaozao's third door. Overall, it wasn't very difficult, but you still had to be careful. And this time, the clue was just four words: "Girl in the Rain."
Ruan Nanzhu had already done his homework before giving the clue, briefly giving Lin Qiushi the general information about the Girl in the Rain. The Girl in the Rain was a portrait by a Ukrainian artist, depicting a pale-faced woman wearing a black hat. Her eyes were closed, rain dripping down her cheeks and the brim of her hat. Dressed in black, she looked as if she had just attended a funeral, her expressionless face a cold, winter-like indifference.
Lin Qiushi had also seen the painting. Of course, it was a replica. Although the girl in the painting had her eyes closed, a closer look would give the illusion that she had them open. The entire painting was very dark, with a damp, rain-like quality.
This painting also has a rather unusual background, having passed through three different buyers. All three ultimately returned the painting, each claiming they were haunted by a woman in black, even in their dreams.
The girl began to get closer and closer to them, and they finally couldn't stand this situation anymore and returned the scroll to the painter in a panic.
This painting was indeed not very appealing, so Lin Qiushi closed the webpage after reading it.
Ruan Nanzhu sat next to him, handed him the silver bracelet, and told him to wear it on his wrist for the next few days, but there was one thing he needed to pay attention to, which was that as soon as he entered the door, he must remember to take off the bracelet as soon as possible and not let others see it.
"Are you afraid that people from other organizations will find out?" Lin Qiushi asked.
"Yes." Ruan Nanzhu said, "That's one reason. There's actually another reason."
Lin Qiushi asked, "What?"
Ruan Nanzhu glanced at the bracelet and said, "Because this bracelet is cursed."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Ruan Nanzhu: "Oh, by the way, your earrings are the same, but they're not as effective."
Lin Qiushi instinctively touched the earring on his ear. After being forcefully nailed into his ear by Ruan Nanzhu, it barely had any presence. He had usually not noticed it, so he was a little surprised when he heard Ruan Nanzhu say this: "A cursed thing?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Yeah, but don't worry, this thing is basically useless. It can usually only be used to find people."
After Ruan Nanzhu said this, Lin Qiushi nodded with relief.
However, speaking of cursed objects, Lin Qiushi still couldn't find a way to use the notebook that Ruan Nanzhu brought out from the door. The only thing he could be sure of was that the notebook couldn't record anything, because anything written in it would disappear for no reason.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Don't worry, you can slowly explore the role of the notebook."
Lin Qiushi said yes.
For the next few days, Lin Qiushi focused his attention on clues, but there weren't many regarding the Girl in the Rain. The painting had been banned from exhibition due to numerous emotional fluctuations and even hallucinations among viewers. The artist of the original painting also developed serious mental problems. The official explanation was that the artist had used chemically contaminated materials and canvas when painting the painting—but whether this was actually true remained unknown.
The current location of this painting is still a mystery, but it is likely to have been sealed.
Tan Zaozao also knew the clues about her own sect. She was in a very relaxed mood, completely different from Xu Xiaocheng who burst into tears at the slightest disturbance inside the sect.
Tan Zaozao's explanation for this was her acting skills, and Ruan Nanzhu sneered after hearing it.
"What are you laughing at?" Tan Zaozao was a little embarrassed and angry.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Why, you don't even allow people to laugh?"
Tan Zaozao snorted and said, "You're wearing women's clothes this time?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "No."
Tan Zaozao: "Why not wear it..." She seemed quite disappointed.
Ruan Nanzhu: "No reason."
While the two were chatting, Lin Qiushi was secretly digging into his ice cream nearby. Tan Zaozao turned her gaze to him and said coquettishly, "Linlin, please persuade him to continue wearing women's clothes."
Lin Qiushi: "...Is there any particular reason to wear this?"
Tan Zaozao sighed: "Alas, it's such a pity not to wear women's clothes with such a good foundation."
Lin Qiushi: “…” Why did he feel that Tan Zaozao had other intentions?
Soon, it was time to enter. Since this was only the third door, Tan Zaozao wasn't particularly good at timing. So one night, Lin Qiushi was sleeping in bed when he suddenly woke with a start. He felt a sense of dread, as if his familiar bedroom had transformed into something else.
As expected, when Lin Qiushi opened his eyes, he saw that there were no longer walls around him, but twelve doors. These twelve doors formed a circle, surrounding him with him as the center.
Lin Qiushi climbed out of bed, quickly changed his clothes, found the third door, took a deep breath, and opened the door handle.
The scene changes instantly.
After a dizzy spell, everything around me changed.
A tall ancient castle appeared in front of Lin Qiushi. The castle seemed to be quite old and stood in a dense bush. The bush was surrounded by dense iron fences, enclosing the entire castle.
Lin Qiushi stood beside the bushes, no one around. After entering, he remembered Ruan Nanzhu's instructions and the first thing he did was to remove the bracelet from his wrist.
This was his first time entering the door alone. Fortunately, there were no overly terrifying scenes when he first entered the door. Lin Qiushi walked into the castle while observing the surrounding scenery.
The environment here is very desolate. The bushes have not been trimmed for a long time, and they are dense and lush. Some vines begin to block people's sight. There is a thick fog that seems to have no end in sight on the other side of the iron fence. The fog seems to be a warning to people, making people want to stay away involuntarily.
Lin Qiushi walked to the gate of the ancient castle, but before he entered, he heard howling coming from inside.
"Help, help--" This is the voice of a young girl. She seems to have completely broken down emotionally. Her crying is miserable and hoarse, which makes people feel unbearable.
"Can you please stop crying? You've been crying for over an hour." Someone said impatiently, "If you really don't believe it, go out and see if you can leave here."
When Lin Qiushi heard this, he immediately understood the situation. This was probably another newcomer segment that would appear every time.
People who have just arrived in this world will always feel a little uncomfortable, and all kinds of strange reactions are understandable.
Thinking this, Lin Qiushi pushed open the door of the castle and walked in.
At this time, five people had gathered inside the door, some standing and some sitting in the hall on the first floor of the castle. When they saw Lin Qiushi come in, they didn't say hello, and their expressions were mostly indifference and suspicion.
Lin Qiushi found a place to sit down and began to observe his surroundings. Soon, he found what he was looking for in the crowd.
In the corner of the crowd sat a handsome man in a T-shirt and jeans. Even though he was sitting in the corner, he still caught everyone's attention because he was so beautiful, especially the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye, which added a touch of charm. Although he had a cold expression and a distant temperament, making him seem unapproachable, the people around him couldn't help but cast their eyes on him.
Lin Qiushi vaguely understood another reason why Ruan Nanzhu dressed as a woman. Beautiful women were common, but such a handsome man could easily attract the attention of others, even attracting attention that he shouldn't have.
Ruan Nanzhu also noticed his gaze. He looked at Lin Qiushi coldly and then looked away.
The howling girl was obviously a newcomer. She had just arrived in this world and was temporarily unable to accept this strange scene, so she could only express her fear through crying.
She sat on the sofa, tears streaming down her face, and from time to time she looked at the people around her with fear and suspicion. "Where on earth is this place? Can you please let me go? Is this a TV show? I don't want to play anymore, please—"
"I already told you this isn't a TV show. Are you fucking annoying? You start crying as soon as you get here. It's like your head is going to explode." A young man finally couldn't stand the girl's crying anymore and yelled angrily, "Go ahead and cry if you want to. Wherever you go is your business. Don't bother us here!"
The girl stopped crying when she was yelled at. She looked at the ferocious look of the man and forced herself to hold back her tears. Her whole face turned red.
Faced with this situation, everyone else tacitly pretended not to notice. Actually, accepting reality early on would be the smart thing to do, but unfortunately, faced with such a dramatic change in the environment, most people find it difficult to adapt quickly.
The door of the castle was opened, and more people came in one after another.
Tan Zaozao was the last to enter. She wore an orange dress with a white corsage dangling from her chest. Her expression was pitiful, and she sobbed occasionally. Unfortunately, someone else had taken her place. The new girl had been crying for over an hour, and still hadn't stopped. After being yelled at by the man, she was quiet for no more than five minutes before she started sobbing again. Lin Qiushi's ears were numb from her sobs.
There are ten people in the castle, half men and half women. There are two newcomers, one is the tearful girl who can still hold on after crying for two hours, and the other is the black-haired boy who hid in the corner and shivered after entering.
After everyone arrived, a dull bell rang in the castle, and a man in a black butler's uniform appeared at the corner of the stairs.
The man walked into their midst, smiled amiably, and said, "You are finally here. My master has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come in."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the second floor.
Those with experience knew that this was the time to release clues, and they all followed closely. Although the two newcomers didn't know what was going on, they didn't dare to leave the main group, so they also mixed in with the crowd and walked towards the second floor.
The castle was very large. The staircase to the second floor was extremely long. After walking down the long staircase, there was a narrow corridor. The corridor was dimly lit with only a few weak oil lamps hanging above. Behind the oil lamps were a series of unique oil paintings.
Why is it said that the style of painting is peculiar? Because the subjects in these oil paintings are almost invisible. They look like scenery, but also like people. The colors on the canvas form a distorted posture, giving people a very uncomfortable feeling.
The thick carpet on the floor muffled the sound of everyone's footsteps. The entire corridor was silent, with only a faint light flickering.
At the end of the corridor there was a half-open wooden door. The butler walked to the door, bent down, opened it, and made a gesture of invitation.
Ruan Nanzhu walked in front. He took a step and entered the house.
Lin Qiushi followed closely behind and also saw the scene in the house.
This turned out to be a dining room. In the center of the room sat a massive dining table, laid out with a variety of food. At the end sat the host, as the butler had called him—a long, thin woman wearing a black hat and a long black dress. Her face was pale, almost paper-white, and her black eyes were so large that, under the dim light, they looked like two bottomless black holes. Her lips, painted with bright red lipstick, were slightly parted, offering them a smile—if it could even be called a smile.
This scene was really uncomfortable. Everyone fell silent, even the new girl who had been crying stopped sobbing in fear.
"Please come." The butler's voice came again, "Everyone, please enjoy your meal."
Ruan Nanzhu was the first to move. He found a chair and sat down, then picked up the prepared wet towel and wiped his hands.
Lin Qiushi sat next to him.
The others began to sit down one after another. After everyone was seated, the hostess picked up the bell and rang it, announcing the start of the meal. She didn't say a word from beginning to end, not even her expression changed. She silently picked up her knife and fork and began to slowly eat the food on the table.
Lin Qiushi observed her out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that the woman's hands seemed a little too big, with protruding knuckles and nails that were a dull grayish-white. Those huge hands carefully grasped the cold cutlery, delicately cutting the bloody steak on the plate, then forked the steak and put it into her bloody mouth.
This scene was so unsettling that Lin Qiushi watched for a moment, even beginning to doubt the hostess's humanity. He withdrew his gaze, only to notice that Tan Zaozao, sitting next to him, had also begun to stare at the hostess in a daze... as if possessed.
Lin Qiushi coughed softly, drawing Tan Zaozao's attention back.
"Let's eat." Lin Qiushi whispered.
"Yeah." Tan Zaozao also realized that something was wrong with him. After nodding, he didn't dare to look again and began to cut the steak with his head down.
The meal was actually quite good, whether it was the appetizer, main course or dessert, the flavors were all very authentic. However, in such an environment, no one really had the heart to enjoy the food.
Ruan Nanzhu has always been a carefree person. He did not show any discomfort from beginning to end. He ate all the food, even the fruits.
Later on, everyone was watching him eat, but he didn't feel unnatural. After he finished eating, he wiped his mouth before putting down his knife and fork.
After the last person stopped eating, the hostess stood up and walked out the door.
The butler said, "Please come in, everyone. The master is going to take you to see what you have been waiting for."
Everyone hurried to catch up, following the hostess up the winding staircase.
No one knew how many floors this ancient castle had. Lin Qiushi counted the floors as he climbed up. The hostess finally brought them to the seventh floor.
She walked to the end of the corridor on the seventh floor, opened a door and walked in.
No one dared to go in directly, but chose to observe at the door for a moment.
The room before them must have been a studio, filled with numerous painting tools. But the most eye-catching thing was a painting covered in white cloth in the center. The butler's voice echoed behind them, saying, "In just a few days, the most anticipated painting will be completed. In the remaining days, please suppress your excitement and enjoy the other sights within the castle. Once the master has finished the painting, he will surely give you a good review."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi understood their identities. They were likely here as admirers of the hostess's painting skills, and they needed to endure the few days until her painting was completed. And based on the current information, the key to exit the house might also be related to the hostess's final painting.
"Please do not disturb my master from continuing to create," said the butler. "It's getting late today. Please return to your rooms and rest."
He said and led everyone back downstairs.
They lived on the third floor, each with a room. The room keys were randomly assigned, and the numbers on them corresponded to their respective rooms.
Lin Qiushi was lucky as he happened to live across the street from Ruan Nanzhu. However, Xu Xiaocheng was unlucky and was assigned to a room in a corner. She held the key in her hand and grumbled in dissatisfaction for a long time.
The room was large and beautifully decorated, but the surprisingly large bed and the elaborate dressing table gave off a sense of age.
The owner of the castle must have been quite fond of painting, as there was even a painting hanging in the center of the room. The painting seemed to depict the castle under a curtain of rain, and the tones were very dark. Lin Qiushi took a look at it and then took it down from the wall and covered the ground with it.
Because the clue was the beauty in the rain, Lin Qiushi always felt that the accident must be related to the painting.
After washing up, he went to bed. Before going to bed, he checked his mobile phone as usual and was not surprised to see that there was no signal.
He lay in bed for a while, and when the time was almost up, he got up and knocked quietly on the door opposite.
With a slight creak, Ruan Nanzhu opened the door for Lin Qiushi.
"Nanzhu." After Lin Qiushi entered, he noticed that there was also a painting in Ruan Nanzhu's room. The painting seemed to depict the bushes at the entrance of the ancient castle, and the weather was still rainy.
"Hmm." Ruan Nanzhu seemed to have just washed his hair, which was wet. He wiped his hair while saying, "What did you find?"
"She looks so much like the girl in the rain," Lin Qiushi said. "She almost looks like she stepped out of a painting."
Ruan Nanzhu nodded: "Indeed."
Lin Qiushi was talking about the hostess. Anyone who had seen the painting of the girl among women and then saw the hostess of the ancient castle would definitely connect the two of them together.
Ruan Nanzhu pointed to the painting hanging on the wall and asked, "Do you have one in your room too?"
Lin Qiushi nodded: "Yes, the content is different. It's a painting of an ancient castle."
"Take it off." Ruan Nanzhu said.
"It's already been taken," Lin Qiushi said. "How's Tan Zaozao doing?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "I'll go over and take a look later. If nothing works, I'll take her over to live with me."
Lin Qiushi nodded.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "You don't have anything to say?"
Lin Qiushi thought Ruan Nanzhu was asking him for clues, so he shook his head, saying that he hadn't found anything more and would have to check again tomorrow.
Ruan Nanzhu: "... Never mind, it's nothing."
In reality, if possible, Lin Qiushi would naturally prefer to live with Ruan Nanzhu, as that way they both would have someone to look after. However, this time, he also had Tan Zaozao to look after, so Lin Qiushi had no choice but to make do.
After talking with Ruan Nanzhu for a while, Lin Qiushi returned to his room.
As a result, he was stunned when he entered the room. He saw that the painting he had just taken down from the wall was actually back on the wall...
Lin Qiushi: “…” He was silent for a moment, then walked forward and took the painting down again.
This time he didn't put it in the corner, but opened the drawer and put the painting inside, then propped up the drawer with a stool.
As night fell, the wind began to blow outside the window. Lin Qiushi lay in bed and heard the breeze rustling through the treetops.
A beautiful crystal chandelier hung from the bedroom ceiling. Lin Qiushi stared at it in a daze. He knew it was time for bed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fall asleep. He tried to clear his mind, but his consciousness only grew more and more alert.
The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and Lin Qiushi could smell the fishy smell of rain. It was the unique fishy smell of raindrops falling on the dry earth. The smell should have been very light, but it was getting stronger and stronger, even filling Lin Qiushi's nasal cavity with the damp smell.
Lin Qiushi, who had been staring at the ceiling, suddenly froze. Unbeknownst to him, a noticeable water stain had appeared above his head, standing out against the pristine white wall. He rubbed his eyes vigorously. The stain was indeed still there... He couldn't have been mistaken.
But shouldn't his roof be a room? How could there be a leak? Lin Qiushi felt something was amiss. The water stain was becoming increasingly apparent, a pitch-black mass that seemed to be wriggling and shifting. He didn't dare lie in bed anymore and quickly got up to turn on the light.
After the lights came on, Lin Qiushi looked at the ceiling again, only to find it was empty...there was nothing there.
Was this an illusion? Or perhaps a hint? Lin Qiushi tentatively turned off the lights. Sure enough, after the lights went out, the black stain reappeared. Compared to before, it was larger and began to take on a strange pattern, like... a woman's profile.
Lin Qiushi turned on the light again.
He looked around, got up, walked to the window, pulled it over, and then pulled down the latch to lock it.
It has started raining outside. The rain is not heavy, but the sound is very clear. The raindrops fall on the leaves, making a crisp rhythm.
Lin Qiushi glanced out the window and saw the garden shrouded in rain.
In the deepest part of the garden, a black figure seemed to appear. It was wearing a raincoat and a black round hat, standing quietly in the bushes, staring at the castle in front of it, like a visitor, and like a returning home.
But when Lin Qiushi looked again, the figure had turned into the shadow of a tree again. It was just an illusion caused by his excessive nervousness.
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