Chapter 53 Reality
Some people always dislike the dullness of life, but once they have experienced the world inside the door, they will find that this dullness is a kind of luck.
The traffic, the pedestrians, even the clouds in the sky and the grass along the roadside all looked lovely against the backdrop of the world inside. Lin Qiushi and Cheng Qianli lay on the rooftop chairs, enjoying the warm sunshine.
Toast and Chestnut were also there. Toast was jumping on the rooftop, wagging his tail, while Chestnut was lying next to Lin Qiushi and the others, stretching his body and basking in the sun with them.
Cheng Qianli fell asleep in a short while, and his breathing became steady.
Lin Qiushi was dozing off when he heard an argument downstairs. The noise was quite far away, and would have been inaudible to a normal person, but Lin Qiushi picked up on the barely audible movement.
He originally thought that other people in the villa were arguing, but when he listened carefully, he felt something was wrong, because the voices actually sounded like those of Ruan Nanzhu and Cheng Yixie.
"Why are you doing this, Cheng Yixie? If your brother knew about this, he wouldn't be happy either." This was what Ruan Nanzhu said. Although it sounded calm at first, based on Lin Qiushi's understanding of him during this period, his tone was actually angry.
"So I won't let him know." Cheng Yixie said, "Brother Ruan, I understand what you mean."
Ruan Nanzhu: "Do you understand?"
Cheng Yixie said, "But I have no choice."
Ruan Nanzhu said coldly: "I hope you understand."
Lin Qiushi had never heard Ruan Nanzhu speak in such a cold tone. It seemed as if he was completely disappointed with the person in front of him. He fell silent after he said this, and Cheng Yixie did not explain any further.
This conversation was really confusing. If it weren't for the strange tone of both of them, Lin Qiushi probably wouldn't have thought they were arguing. He thought for a while and guessed that this matter might be related to Cheng Qianli, but he didn't know the answer to the specific matter yet.
The warm sun made him drowsy. As the surroundings quieted down, Lin Qiushi slowly closed his eyes. Just as he was about to drift off, a shadow suddenly cast its shadow before him. Lin Qiushi jolted awake, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Ruan Nanzhu standing beside him, quietly watching him.
Lin Qiushi was startled, climbed up from his chair, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Get ready and go out with me to meet someone."
Lin Qiushi said, "Okay..."
After saying this, Ruan Nanzhu turned around and left without saying why he was going out or who he was going to meet.
But these things would be known sooner or later. Lin Qiushi changed his clothes, got into Ruan Nanzhu's car, and drove towards the city.
When we arrived in the city, the vehicle drove into a secluded residential area. This area seemed a little special and the security was very strict.
Lin Qiushi was a little curious: "Who lives in this community?"
"A wealthy businessman, an influential politician, a famous enough star," Ruan Nanzhu said. "The person I'm meeting later is quite special. You just need to listen from the side."
"Okay." Lin Qiushi nodded.
After parking the car, Ruan Nanzhu took Lin Qiushi into a beautiful white villa.
Upon entering the villa, Lin Qiushi spotted an acquaintance: none other than Tan Zaozao, whom he had met before. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and sitting elegantly on the sofa, a glass of red wine in her hand. She smiled reservedly at the sight of them.
It has to be said that Tan Zaozao's aura still looked very strong, but Lin Qiushi had already seen her appearance inside the door, so he did not feel any sense of oppression at all.
"Qiu Shi, you're here." Tan Zaozao smiled at him, "Brother Ruan..."
"Where are the people?" Ruan Nanzhu walked up to her and got straight to the point.
Tan Zaozao said, "He hasn't come yet. He's a proud man, so don't mind if his words are unpleasant to the ear. I will try to persuade him."
Ruan Nanzhu sat down next to her with a cold expression.
"He doesn't really believe in ghosts or gods." Tan Zaozao said, "I didn't expect he would encounter a door..."
Ruan Nanzhu: "Did he tell you himself?"
Tan Zaozao: "Yes, he thought he was dreaming, so...Brother Ruan, do you think you can take this job?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Let's talk about it after we meet the person first."
Tan Zaozao nodded.
As they were talking, a man walked in. Lin Qiushi took one look and was surprised. He knew this man. Or rather, eighty percent of the country knew him. He was one of the most popular actors in China. Unlike ordinary stars, his acting skills were top-notch, and he had already made the leap from domestic to international fame. He was currently transitioning to directing, having helmed several critically acclaimed films.
Even someone like Lin Qiushi, who doesn't care much about the entertainment industry, has seen the films he starred in.
"Zhang Yiqing." Tan Zaozao called out his name.
"Zao Zao." Zhang Yiqing is Tan Zaozao's senior in terms of age, not to mention his status in the entertainment industry. He has an aggressive and sharp appearance, and people will find him very difficult to get along with at first sight.
And according to Tan Zaozao, he is indeed such a person.
"This is Ruan Nanzhu, and this is Lin Qiushi." Tan Zaozao introduced them with a smile, "They're the people I told you about before..."
Zhang Yiqing greeted Ruan Nanzhu and the others with a lukewarm attitude.
"My previous sect was brought here by them. Brother Ruan is very reliable and a hard-to-hire person in the circle." Tan Zaozao said, "With them, you will definitely not..."
Before she finished speaking, Zhang Yiqing made a stop gesture and said, "I already know."
Tan Zaozao: "Then you..."
Zhang Yiqing: "I need to think about it again." He looked at Ruan Nanzhu sharply for a moment. Both of them were not good-tempered people, and there was a bit of lightning in their glance.
Tan Zaozao was stunned: "But your next door is about to open. If then..."
Zhang Yiqing said: "There are other organizations that have contacted me."
Ruan Nanzhu: "White Deer?"
Zhang Yiqing asked, "Do you know?"
Ruan Nanzhu smiled contemptuously. He stood up and said to Lin Qiushi, "Qiushi, let's go."
Lin Qiushi nodded and followed Ruan Nanzhu, ready to leave.
Tan Zaozao panicked when she saw this and said, "Yi Qing, why are you looking for Bai Lu? Obsidian is the most reliable person in the circle right now. I finally..."
Zhang Yiqing said, "How can I know which one is the most reliable if I haven't tried it yet?"
Tan Zaozao was a little angry when he heard this: "Didn't I just risk my life? What's wrong with you? What did Bai Lu's people say to you——"
Ruan Nanzhu left as soon as he said he would, without any hesitation. From the moment he left until he left the house, he completely ignored Tan Zaozao's call and didn't even turn his head back once.
Tan Zaozao was so anxious that she had no choice but to watch Ruan Nanzhu leave.
After the two of them got in the car, Lin Qiushi was a little curious, "Nanzhu, are we leaving just like that?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Let's go."
Lin Qiushi: "Did Li Dongyuan do it?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Who else could it be besides him?" He smiled, his expression not as tense as it had been in the room earlier. "But this guy is a bit difficult to deal with. If we mess up, it will be a big hassle. It's no big deal to leave it to Li Dongyuan."
Lin Qiushi recalled Zhang Yiqing's haughty expression and felt that Ruan Nanzhu's words made sense. It was obvious that Zhang Yiqing was not an easy person to get along with, whether he was watching him on the big screen or meeting him face to face.
But then again, Lin Qiushi initially thought Bai Lu had stolen their business, but the more he looked at Ruan Nanzhu, the more he felt something was amiss. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Nanzhu, didn't you deliberately spread the news to Bai Lu?"
Ruan Nanzhu was driving, and his hand holding the steering wheel paused slightly when he heard this.
"Really?" Lin Qiushi immediately caught the subtle details in his expression and confirmed his guess. "Did you really tell Bai Lu about it?"
Ruan Nanzhu: “Yeah.”
Lin Qiushi: "Why..."
Ruan Nanzhu answered Lin Qiushi's question slowly, saying, "Because I don't like his movies."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
"Okay, I was just joking." Ruan Nanzhu laughed, "You're not taking it seriously, are you?"
Lin Qiushi: “…” Why did he feel that Ruan Nanzhu was serious?
"After all, it was Tan Zaozao who introduced her," Ruan Nanzhu said. "I have to give her some face. But since he himself is unwilling to accept the obsidian, it has nothing to do with me."
Lin Qiushi: "So how did Bai Lu impress Zhang Yiqing?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Who knows?" He didn't care at all.
Not long after they returned home, Lin Qiushi received a call from Tan Zaozao. She sincerely apologized for the incident and asked Lin Qiushi to persuade Ruan Nanzhu to calm down.
Lin Qiushi: "Why don't you call him yourself?"
Tan Zaozao: "I'm afraid..."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Tan Zaozao: "Aren't you afraid of Brother Ruan?"
Lin Qiushi: "I was a little scared at first, but now I'm okay." Ruan Nanzhu's cold demeanor did make people feel that he was difficult to get along with, but with the preparation inside the door, Lin Qiushi felt that it was okay.
"You're amazing then." Tan Zaozao sighed, "I still prefer him when he wears women's clothes..."
Lin Qiushi thought secretly in his heart, who wouldn’t like that?
The next door was Lin Qiushi's sixth. Ruan Nanzhu mentioned that he might have entered with Cheng Qianli. However, it was still early, and the specific situation had not been confirmed. Ruan Nanzhu simply told Lin Qiushi to rest well and not to overthink it.
Qin Budai, the problematic newcomer Yi Manman had brought back earlier, had passed through the second door and fallen into a state of depression. He didn't like to eat or move, and sat in the living room every day. Over the past few days, he had lost a lot of weight.
Lin Qiushi was a little worried about him, but Chen Fei told him not to be too nervous, saying that this was a process every newcomer had to go through.
Lin Qiushi was a little puzzled when he heard this: "Is this a necessary process?"
Chen Fei: "Yes, basically everyone will be depressed for a period of time, usually between the second and third doors. If you can make it through, you'll be fine. If you can't, you're doomed."
Lin Qiushi: "...Then why don't I have it?"
Chen Fei glanced at him and said, "Maybe he's just a bit nervous."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Chen Fei said, "I've only seen two people who didn't react to the door at all, and accepted it calmly. One of them is you."
Lin Qiushi: "One is Ruan Nanzhu?"
Who knew Chen Fei shook his head: "One is Cheng Qianli."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Chen Fei: "Later we discussed it and felt that his IQ was too low to understand what was going on inside the sect."
Lin Qiushi recalled the expression on Cheng Qianli's face as he chased after Toast, and actually felt that the results of Chen Fei and the others' discussion were quite reliable.
"Has Ruan Nanzhu also experienced depression?" This was a question that Lin Qiushi was quite curious about.
"He must have been depressed," Chen Fei said. "We weren't there at the time, so we don't know the details. But I heard from an old man that Brother Ruan was indeed depressed for a while, but he recovered later."
Lin Qiushi: "Where's that old man?"
Chen Fei was silent for a moment: "He died. He died when he entered the ninth door with Brother Ruan."
Lin Qiushi felt his breath catch.
Chen Fei didn't seem to want to talk about this topic any further. He waved his hand and told Lin Qiushi not to think too much about it. After all, they were only one step away from death, so they might as well enjoy themselves and savor the present time.
Indeed, Lin Qiushi sighed in his heart, in fact, everyone in this room has very strong psychological qualities.
While Lin Qiushi was resting, Ruan Nanzhu didn't slow down at all. He seemed to have gotten used to frequenting the gate, entering at least two or three times a week.
According to him, if you enter more doors, you will always figure out some patterns, just like a conditioned reflex, and the answer will appear when you see the picture.
Of course, only Ruan Nanzhu would dare to do this. After all, every door carries risks, and even a veteran cannot guarantee that he can come out safely every time.
That day, Lin Qiushi and Cheng Qianli went to the supermarket together to buy some ingredients, planning to make hot pot in the evening. On the way back, they received a call from Wu Qi, asking him to come out for dinner.
"I've already bought the ingredients. Why don't you come over and eat?" Lin Qiushi said, "I made some bone soup and plan to make hot pot."
"Sure." Wu Qi had always liked Lin Qiushi's cooking. Besides, he hadn't eaten at Lin Qiushi's house for a long time since Lin Qiushi moved. "I'll come over later. Do you need anything to bring?"
Lin Qiushi: "Just bring a mouth."
"Okay." Wu Qi was very happy.
Lin Qiushi returned to the villa, carried the ingredients into the kitchen, and began to simmer the soup base. Cheng Qianli and Chen Fei helped him prepare the vegetables and meat. Lin Qiushi and Lu Yanxue were the only two people in the house who could cook. Lu Yanxue had been traveling for the past few days, so the responsibility of cooking fell to Lin Qiushi.
Fortunately, Lin Qiushi didn't hate cooking, so he had a pretty good time.
When the hot pot was almost done, the doorbell rang. Lin Qiushi went to open the door and saw Wu Qi standing outside with a box of beer.
"Hey, I brought you some wine." Wu Qi said.
"Okay, come in." Lin Qiushi made way to let Wu Qi in.
Put the induction cooker on the table in the living room, put the pot on it, and you can start eating.
Lin Qiushi set the table and said, "Is Nanzhu upstairs? I'll go call him."
"Here." Chen Fei said, "I didn't see him go out today."
Lin Qiushi was about to go upstairs to call Ruan Nanzhu when he saw a tall beauty walking down from the upper floor. This beauty was wearing light makeup, a plain white shirt, and straight black trousers. At first glance, it was really hard to tell whether she was a man or a woman. Her cascading green hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head, leaving a few strands dangling by her ears.
Wu Qi stared at this man with wide eyes. He reached out and poked Lin Qiushi in the ribs: "Qiushi...you are so mean. You didn't tell me that you have such a beautiful girl here?"
Lin Qiushi: "..." His expression was extremely complicated—this beauty was Ruan Nanzhu. Perhaps because she had just emerged from the room, Ruan Nanzhu hadn't removed her makeup. Because makeup blurred the sharp features of her face, her entire body exuded an androgynous beauty.
He was usually very eye-catching, but at this moment, he was simply impossible to look away from.
Looking at Wu Qi's expression, he almost wanted to rush up to him, strike up a conversation, and ask for his phone number.
Ruan Nanzhu also saw Wu Qi. He raised his eyebrow and pretended not to see him. He sat down next to Lin Qiushi and lazily picked up the dishes in front of him.
"I didn't put too much chili in. If you think it's not enough, add some sauce." Lin Qiushi knew Ruan Nanzhu couldn't handle spicy food. "Hey, sauce."
Ruan Nanzhu nodded, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
If a person is good-looking, then everything he does will be pleasing to the eye. Ruan Nanzhu opened his mouth slightly, and the way he chewed food was inexplicably elegant.
Wu Qi was so tempted that he couldn't bear it, but he was too embarrassed to keep staring at him, so he kept stealing glances at him like a young boy.
Lin Qiushi looked at him like this, feeling a bit amused and helpless.
Ruan Nanzhu was wearing a wig outside the door, but when he entered the door, the wig turned into real hair. He obviously noticed Wu Qi's gaze and stopped his hand movements.
Lin Qiushi was startled when he saw this, thinking Ruan Nanzhu was angry. Who knew his next move would be to reach out and grab his hair, then pull hard—
Revealing her short hair.
"Poof!!" Wu Qi almost choked to death on his own saliva.
Ruan Nanzhu raised his eyebrows, threw the wig aside, and continued to eat with a cold expression.
"What the hell, what the hell..." Wu Qi muttered softly, looking at Lin Qiushi excitedly, "Qiushi, is this a girl or a man?"
He was probably too stimulated and said it in front of Ruan Nanzhu.
Lin Qiushi looked at him with pity: "Man."
Wu Qi: "..." He wiped his face heavily.
Lin Qiushi: "A man taller than you."
Wu Qi was about to cry. He felt that recognizing the wrong person was not the worst thing. The worst thing was that the person in front of him pulled off his wig, but he still thought he was extremely handsome.
Lin Qiushi said, "Stop looking and eat the meatballs." He stuffed a beef ball into Wu Qi's hand to comfort his heart, which was on the verge of collapse.
Wu Qi withdrew his gaze, chewed the beef balls while silently crying in his heart, and looked absent-minded the whole time.
Ruan Nanzhu was quite happy with his meal. After finishing his meal, he went upstairs to change his clothes and remove his makeup, then came down again.
When Wu Qi saw him in men's clothing, he realized that he looked familiar. He said in a daze, "Qiu Shi, why do I still think he is so handsome?"
Lin Qiushi: "Because he is indeed very good-looking."
Wu Qi: "Then do you like him?"
His voice was probably a little loud, and Ruan Nanzhu, who was sitting on the other side of the sofa, suddenly turned his head and looked at Lin Qiushi.
Lin Qiushi: “…I like him.” How could he not like him? The person who dared to say bad things about him in front of Ruan Nanzhu had probably not been born yet.
Wu Qi: "I like woooooooo too."
Lin Qiushi: “…” Ruan Nanzhu, the nemesis of those obsessed with looks.
Wu Qi had suffered a severe blow that day, and he looked utterly dazed as he left. Lin Qiushi didn't dare let him drive away on his own, so he drove him back himself.
When they arrived at Wu Qi's residence, he stood by the car and smoked for a long time after getting out. Finally, he said bitterly, "Qiu Shi, if you live with someone like this for a long time, will you really not become gay?"
Lin Qiushi was puzzled: "Bend, what bend?"
Wu Qi: "..."
Lin Qiushi: "What do you mean by 'bend'?"
Wu Qi: "It's just... falling in love with men."
Lin Qiushi: "Falling in love with a man?" He thought for a moment before realizing what Wu Qi meant. "How could that be? Aren't there beautiful girls out there?"
Wu Qi: "Ah? There are beautiful girls? Why didn't I see them?" The room was clearly full of male creatures.
Lin Qiushi calmed down for a moment and realized that something seemed to be wrong. When he mentioned the beautiful girl, Zhu Meng's face appeared in his mind, but Zhu Meng... forget it.
"I'm leaving, take care." Wu Qi waved at Lin Qiushi and went upstairs dejectedly.
Lin Qiushi looked at his back and fell into deep thought.
Back at the villa, Cheng Qianli, Ruan Nanzhu and others were sitting on the sofa, eating melon seeds and playing cards.
Cheng Qianli was holding two cards in his hand with a very painful expression.
Lin Qiushi leaned over to take a look and discovered that this guy had a pair of three in his hands.
Lin Qiushi: "..." He began to doubt Cheng Qianli's intelligence again.
Ruan Nanzhu casually discarded the cards in his hand and asked, "Sent them back?"
Lin Qiushi knew he was asking Wu Qi: "Hmm."
Ruan Nanzhu: "He's quite fragile mentally."
Lin Qiushi didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "...It's okay." Could most people be as thick-skinned as Cheng Qianli?
Ruan Nanzhu: "So what were you thinking when you knew I was Ruan Baijie?"
Lin Qiushi recalled: "Nothing." He seemed to accept this fact very calmly at the time.
"Not bad." Ruan Nanzhu patted the melon seed shells off his hands.
Lin Qiushi felt a bit embarrassed after being praised for no apparent reason. He asked a question he had been wanting to ask for a long time: "Brother Ruan, do you really enjoy dressing up as a woman?"
Ruan Nanzhu didn't answer. He suddenly reached out and pinched Lin Qiushi's chin, then turned Lin Qiushi's face: "Look closely, you have a good foundation."
Lin Qiushi: “Huh?”
Ruan Nanzhu: "You can try next time." He let go of her hand, stood up, and smiled with an ambiguous smile, "Life is short, enjoy it while you can."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
He looked confused, but Cheng Qianli and Chen Fei beside him had already cast sympathetic glances at him.
Ruan Nanzhu turned and left. Lin Qiushi was patted on the shoulder by Chen Fei. Chen Fei said, "Why are you so pessimistic as to ask such a question..."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Chen Fei: "Is that all right now?"
Lin Qiushi was a little terrified, feeling as if he had done something he shouldn't have. He looked at Cheng Qianli, only to see him say painfully, "It's okay. Just get through it. We've all been through this."
Lin Qiushi: “…” So, what exactly do you mean?
But Chen Fei and the others didn't explain at all and just turned and left.
The author has something to say: Hahahahahahaha, does anyone want to see Lin Qiushi in women's clothing?
Ruan Nanzhu: Didn’t you ask me whether I was happy or not? Try it yourself next time.
Lin Qiushi: Huh?
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