Chapter 54 The Sixth Door
After a few months, Lin Qiushi is about to face his sixth door.
He thought that based on the last situation, Ruan Nanzhu would let him enter the door together with Cheng Qianli, who also passed through the sixth door. Unexpectedly, Ruan Nanzhu deliberately separated them this time.
Although he didn't know why, Ruan Nanzhu always had his own reasons for doing things, so Lin Qiushi didn't ask any further questions.
With about ten days left, Cheng Qianli received his clue. Normally, everyone would help look up the information related to the clue, but this time, Cheng Qianli's clue remained confidential. Only he and his brother knew about it in the villa.
Cheng Qianli was quite happy to get the clue. Lin Qiushi asked him what he was so happy about. Cheng Qianli said, "Hehehe, my brother won't let me tell you."
Lin Qiushi: “…” Although Cheng Qianli was sometimes silly, he was still very obedient and listened to his brother on important matters.
Cheng Qianli finished his silly grin and said to Lin Qiushi, "I'll tell you quietly when I get out. Did you get the clue?"
Lin Qiushi shook his head: "Not yet." Ruan Nanzhu hadn't given him any clues yet, as if he was considering something.
Cheng Qianli said: "Don't worry, Brother Ruan is with you, nothing will happen."
"Yes." Lin Qiushi nodded. "I hope everything goes well for us."
"Everything went well." Cheng Qianli continued to smile heartlessly.
A few days later, Lin Qiushi finally got the clue to his next door. This time the clue was just four words: Slender Ghost.
"What is this?" Lin Qiushi, who had just received the clue, was a little confused. "Is this a legend?"
"It's an urban legend from abroad," Ruan Nanzhu said. "It's also known as the Noodle Man. Have you heard of it?"
Lin Qiushi thought for a moment and nodded, "I seem to have some impression." He remembered that he had seen movies of this type.
Ruan Nanzhu tossed a file to Lin Qiushi: "Take a look first. Although there isn't much information, it's better than nothing."
Lin Qiushi picked up the information and began to read it.
This document details the Slender Shadow, an urban legend centered on a faceless, humanoid monster with elongated limbs. With its elongated arms and legs, it resembles a spider at first glance. It typically roams the wilderness and small towns, primarily preying on lone children, though it also targets adults. Children targeted by it vanish innocently, while adults also experience strange symptoms, such as persistent nosebleeds, nightmares, and even visions of their worst fears.
The information also explains in detail some of the Slender Man's killing methods and characteristics, such as they like to impale people on tree branches and wait for them to bleed to death, and they also like to take out their internal organs from their bodies and put them in plastic bags... In short, even if this folk legend is not placed in the world inside the door, most timid people would probably be a little scared after reading it.
Lin Qiushi finished reading the information quickly. He originally thought that this was all the preparation work, but then he found out that Ruan Nanzhu suddenly offered to take him clothes shopping.
Lin Qiushi was puzzled: "Buying clothes? What clothes?"
Ruan Nanzhu smiled and said, "The clothes you wear inside the door."
Then, under the pitying gazes of everyone in the villa, Ruan Nanzhu took the bewildered Lin Qiushi to the mall. At first, the few pieces of clothing he bought were normal men's clothing, but later, the two of them wandered into the women's clothing section...
Ruan Nanzhu was obviously familiar with the place. He said he was buying clothes for his girlfriend, but his eyes were glancing at Lin Qiushi.
Lin Qiushi didn't understand at first and said foolishly, "Nanzhu, you have a girlfriend?"
Ruan Nanzhu: “No.”
Lin Qiushi: "Then why did you buy women's clothing?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "I didn't buy it, you bought it."
Lin Qiushi: "But I don't have a girlfriend either..."
Ruan Nanzhu was walking in front, carrying a few bags. Upon hearing this, he turned around and said, "These are all your clothes. Why do you need a girlfriend?"
Lin Qiushi's mind froze for three seconds before he finally realized what was happening. He revealed a look of immense horror: "Nanzhu—I wear it? I? Wear it?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Yes, you wear it."
Lin Qiushi: "But—can I wear women's clothes like this—"
Ruan Nanzhu looked a little strange: "What do you think of your appearance?"
Lin Qiushi: "He looks just like an ordinary person."
Ruan Nanzhu fell silent, his gaze towards Lin Qiushi becoming increasingly strange. Lin Qiushi felt his hair stand on end under his gaze, and dared not ask any further questions. He obediently followed him back to the villa.
On the third day, Ruan Nanzhu pulled Lin Qiushi out of the room and began to change his clothes.
Lin Qiushi spent a lot of time in the office, so he wasn't particularly strong, having just an average male build. His face was also that of a non-aggressive, elegant demeanor, with double eyelids and not very large eyes, but a beautiful smile. Ruan Nanzhu sat Lin Qiushi down, took out his tools, and began to apply his makeup.
Lin Qiushi was so frightened that his eyes widened: "Nanzhu...can we discuss this?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "What are you discussing?"
Lin Qiushi whispered, "Can we not do this?"
Ruan Nanzhu had a deadpan expression on his face. "Didn't you ask me if I was happy dressing up as a woman? No matter how much I tell you, it won't be as good as you experiencing it yourself." He curled his eyes, a smile that looked fake. "Don't worry, I'll protect you well once we get in."
Lin Qiushi almost cried.
He didn't recognize any of the cosmetics in front of him. It felt like Ruan Nanzhu was applying them on his face for a long time, so long that he was almost falling asleep. Only then did Ruan Nanzhu straighten up and clapped his hands: "Alright."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Ruan Nanzhu handed the mirror to Lin Qiushi: "Take a look first, then choose a hairstyle you like."
Lin Qiushi took the mirror and took a look, feeling a little dazed. He saw a woman's face in the mirror. It was not dazzlingly beautiful, but eye-catching enough. The face had a gentle temperament, perhaps a little aggrieved, which made "her" look more pitiful.
Lin Qiushi couldn't help but say "Fuck".
"What dirty words do girls use?" Ruan Nanzhu asked, "Do you prefer long hair or short hair?"
Lin Qiushi: "Long hair..." He originally wanted to express that he liked girls with long hair, but Ruan Nanzhu picked up a wig and started putting it on his head.
Lin Qiushi: “…”
After putting it on, Ruan Nanzhu put the finishing touches on Lin Qiushi. He probably wanted Lin Qiushi to wear a skirt, but seeing that Lin Qiushi looked terrified and about to faint at any moment, he chose not to stimulate him so much the first time, but instead chose a more neutral set of clothes for him.
Lin Qiushi was forced to put it on and almost wanted to turn around and run away - he would not say anything more.
Everything was ready. Ruan Nanzhu looked at the person before him with a satisfied expression. Lin Qiushi had a handsome face, with soft, undefined features. This makeup was enough to smooth out any discord, and paired with Lin Qiushi's naturally gentle temperament, it was a perfect match.
"Am I supposed to wear this?" Facing the boss, Lin Qiushi dared not speak out in anger. He could only try to persuade Ruan Nanzhu with grievance, "Nanzhu, I know I was wrong. Can you..."
Ruan Nanzhu raised an eyebrow: "No."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Lin Qiushi: "But I don't know how to speak with a false voice." Although Ruan Nanzhu's voice was a bit neutral from inside the door, it definitely didn't make people think he was a boy.
Ruan Nanzhu: "Just practice."
Lin Qiushi: "It's only a dozen days away from being incarcerated..."
Ruan Nanzhu said with a half-smile: "Take your time, there's no rush. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. As for this time, if you can't speak, you can just pretend to be dumb."
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Ruan Nanzhu tapped the table with his finger: "A delicate mute girl, isn't this role quite interesting?"
Lin Qiushi: "..." Tan Zaozao, come and take him away and bring him into the entertainment industry. The next Oscar will definitely go to China.
Although Ruan Nanzhu said this, in the end he was still "considerate" and gave Lin Qiushi a backup option, saying that it was okay if he didn't want to pretend to be mute, he could also be a man with a cross-dressing fetish.
Lin Qiushi finally swallowed the humiliation and decided to pretend to be mute. He didn't want to be looked at strangely by others.
Because of this women's clothing, Lin Qiushi was ridiculed by other people in the villa.
"Hahahaha, Lin Qiushi, you've finally met this day." Cheng Qianli was the one who was least willing to give face. "But you look good like this, much better than Chen Fei."
Lin Qiushi: “Huh?”
Chen Fei said with a gloomy face: "How dare you say that to me, Cheng Qianli, why don't you look at yourself in the mirror."
Cheng Qianli: "Humph, even if I become a girl, I will still be a peerless beauty."
Ruan Nanzhu: "Really?"
Cheng Qianli shuddered when he heard Ruan Nanzhu's voice and said, "No, no, no, Brother Ruan, I was just kidding."
Ruan Nanzhu glanced at him and sat down at the table: "How are you and your brother's preparations going?"
Cheng Qianli: "It's good." He took a bite of his food, "The world seems simple this time."
Ruan Nanzhu hummed casually and stopped asking questions. He seemed to be very confident in Cheng Yixie, but he didn't know what the quarrel that Lin Qiushi heard on the roof that day was about.
Judging from Cheng Yixie's personality, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would easily argue with others.
However, Lin Qiushi didn't know all this because the time to enter the house soon arrived.
One afternoon a dozen days ago, Lin Qiushi was eating snacks with Cheng Qianli in the living room. As they were eating, he turned around and found that Cheng Qianli was nowhere to be seen.
His first reaction was that Cheng Qianli had gone to the bathroom, but after waiting for a while and seeing Cheng Qianli still not coming back, he realized that Cheng Qianli seemed to have entered the door.
About half an hour later, Cheng Qianli suddenly appeared on the sofa.
His face was pale, and he was clutching his chest and breathing heavily. Seeing him like this, Lin Qiushi quickly asked, "Are you okay, Qianli?"
Cheng Qianli glanced at Lin Qiushi in panic, said nothing, and ran upstairs.
Lin Qiushi saw his panic and hurriedly followed behind him.
Cheng Qianli went straight to Cheng Yixie's bedroom, without knocking, and turned the handle directly.
The door opened, revealing Cheng Yixie sitting on the bed behind it. He seemed to have just returned, and his face was still expressionless. He looked up at the flustered Cheng Qianli and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Brother——" Cheng Qianli rushed over and grabbed Cheng Yixie tightly, "I thought you couldn't get out, I thought you couldn't get out——"
Cheng Yixie didn't say anything, but gently patted Cheng Qianli's back to calm him down.
It seemed that Cheng Qianli was really scared. His face was pale and looked even uglier than Cheng Yixie's.
The two brothers hugged for a while, and after their emotions calmed down, Cheng Qianli felt a little embarrassed again. He climbed out of Cheng Yixie's arms shyly, touching his nose and said, "I'm hungry. I'm going to eat something first."
Cheng Yixie didn't stop him and watched him leave.
Seeing that it was nothing serious, Lin Qiushi was about to leave, but Cheng Yixie's voice came from behind him. He said, "Lin Qiushi, if something happens to me in the future, will you help Cheng Qianli?"
Lin Qiushi was stunned.
"Forget it, it's nothing." Cheng Yixie said, "You go ahead."
He closed the door after he finished speaking, without giving Lin Qiushi a chance to react.
To be honest, Cheng Yixie usually doesn't behave like a sixteen-year-old boy at all. He is cold and calm, more similar to Ruan Nanzhu. Perhaps the sixth door is too dangerous, which made him suddenly say such a thing.
Lin Qiushi felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
Back in the living room, Cheng Qianli started eating snacks again, but this time he had no appetite and his face was tired.
After asking a few questions, Lin Qiushi learned that the world within their sect was actually an ancient battlefield where a war had just been fought, and they had encountered many dangerous things.
Fortunately, they managed to escape in the end.
"My brother and I both have a genetic disease." Cheng Qianli ate snacks and talked about a topic they had never talked about before. "We can't exercise. When it's serious, we can't even walk. The doctor said that neither of us will live past the age of 18."
Lin Qiushi listened.
"Later, my brother went in first," Cheng Qianli said. "His condition started to improve... and then I went in too." He scratched his head and smiled. "Sometimes I think, there's nothing to be afraid of about doors. If there weren't doors, I wouldn't be able to live like a normal person, and I wouldn't be alive today. I'm already quite content."
Lin Qiushi said, "Don't think like that. We still have a long way to go."
"Yes, it's still long." Cheng Qianli's eyes became a little dazed, "I don't know how I will end my life."
Lin Qiushi couldn't bear to hear this. Only then did he realize that everyone in this villa was about to die. Some were mentally prepared, some were not, but without exception, they had all smelled the scent of death.
"I wish you good luck on the next door." Cheng Qianli stood up. "I'm going to rest for a while. I'm so tired..."
Lin Qiushi nodded and watched him yawn as he walked up the stairs.
Perhaps because he had no particular obsession in his heart, Lin Qiushi was quite calm when he entered the room. He could accept death and was willing to welcome a new life.
The time difference between Lin Qiushi's door and Cheng Qianli's door was not far apart. On the night when Cheng Qianli came out of the door, Lin Qiushi woke up from his bed in the middle of the night. After opening the bedroom door, he saw the twelve iron doors appear in the corridor again.
The first five iron doors were sealed, and the last six could not be opened. Only the sixth iron door was easily opened by Lin Qiushi.
After a familiar whirlwind of feeling, Lin Qiushi emerged onto a petroleum-lined road. The road was completely empty, save for a single black sign pointing the way ahead. Inscribed on it were three faintly written characters: Tongshui Town.
It was a bit chilly around here. Lin Qiushi wrapped himself tightly in his clothes and slowly walked ahead. The road was wide and shrouded in thick fog. He walked for about six or seven minutes before finally seeing other people ahead. The figure looked familiar, and Lin Qiushi's eyes lit up when he saw it. He called out, "Mengmeng—"
The person in front turned around and saw a strange face, but the temperament was familiar. He said, "Candy?"
Lin Qiushi: "Eat, eat, eat. I like mint-flavored strawberry candy."
He replied, "I don't like it because my fourth tooth hurts."
After exchanging secret codes and confirming the identity of the person before him, Lin Qiushi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "I didn't expect to meet him right up front... Wait, why are you wearing men's clothes?" His eyes widened.
Ruan Nanzhu asked, "Did I say I'd wear women's clothes with you?"
Lin Qiushi: “…”
Ruan Nanzhu made a shushing gesture and laughed, "A mute shouldn't talk so much."
Lin Qiushi was at a loss for words: "Can I..."
"No." Ruan Nanzhu already knew what Lin Qiushi wanted to ask and ruthlessly rejected him. "Just be a good girl."
Lin Qiushi: “…” He tugged at his long hair and discovered that it had indeed become real. And for some reason, he was shorter inside the door than outside.
"Let's go, let's find someone first." Ruan Nanzhu looked around, "This fog makes me feel really uncomfortable."
So the two continued forward.
Lin Qiushi walked behind Ruan Nanzhu, quietly unzipped his pants to take a look, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that some of his organs were still intact.
Fortunately, only his hair changed and nothing else, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to cry.
The two kept going forward, and finally saw another scene in the fog. A dilapidated town appeared before them. This town was full of Western style, but most of the signs were still in Chinese.
Lin Qiushi suddenly became curious: "Have you ever encountered foreign scenes?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "I've encountered it before. Isn't it right in front of me?"
Lin Qiushi said, "But the sign is in Chinese."
Ruan Nanzhu: "Perhaps because of their cultural level, they didn't dare to write it in English." He glanced at Lin Qiushi, "After all, some people don't even know Chinese."
Lin Qiushi knew he was teasing him about pretending to be illiterate. He said awkwardly, "Isn't that a special situation..."
They walked into the town and saw a group of people gathered in the town's not very wide square.
Ruan Nanzhu took a quick glance and counted the number of people: "Eight."
Lin Qiushi had already started to pretend to be mute and didn't say a word.
The two of them walked out of the thick fog, attracting some attention. Some eyes fell on the handsome Ruan Nanzhu, while some eyes fell on Lin Qiushi.
Lin Qiushi's hair was long, and his clothes looked a little loose due to his shorter stature. His face was pale and he looked frightened. His black eyes cast a helpless look at Ruan Nanzhu. This was the scene from an outsider's perspective, but in reality...
Lin Qiushi: Holy shit, holy shit, they’re all looking at me.
Ruan Nanzhu: Just look, you won’t lose any meat.
Lin Qiushi: What if they find out I’m a man?
Ruan Nanzhu: Take out the big gun on the spot and scare them to death.
Lin Qiushi: ...
The above is the content of the eye contact between the two people. Lin Qiushi said that he had nothing to say.
Someone was walking towards them. Perhaps because Ruan Nanzhu seemed difficult to get along with, that person set his sights on Lin Qiushi, who looked pitiful, weak, and helpless.
Before Lin Qiushi could react, Ruan Nanzhu reached out and stopped him: "What's wrong?"
"It's okay." The visitor was a handsome young man in his twenties, wearing trendy clothes. He seemed very interested in Lin Qiushi. "I wanted to ask if you needed any help."
"He doesn't seem to be able to speak." Ruan Nanzhu looked at him and stood in front of Lin Qiushi.
"Can't speak?" The man seemed to find it even more amusing. He said, "Hello, my name is Wang Tianxin."
Ruan Nanzhu: "Lu Meng."
Wang Tianxin noticed that Ruan Nanzhu seemed to be protecting someone, so he smiled and asked, "Do you two know each other?"
Ruan Nanzhu said: "We didn't know each other, but we met as soon as we came in. It must be fate."
Lin Qiushi took out his cell phone and typed on it: My name is Yu Qiuqiu, nice to meet you.
They both saw the words on Lin Qiushi's phone. Wang Tianxin said, "Oh, so your name is Yu Qiuqiu. What a lovely name." He was slightly shorter than Ruan Nanzhu. He bent down slightly and put on a gentle expression. "My name is Wang Tianxin. If possible, I'd like to be friends with you."
Lin Qiushi feigned fear, ducking slightly behind Ruan Nanzhu. He was either a traitor or a thief when he showed such eagerness to a stranger he had just met. Wang Tianxin's sudden enthusiasm for a stranger clearly indicated a hidden agenda. While he wasn't afraid of him, he wasn't foolish enough to approach him and allow him to scheme against him.
Ruan Nanzhu was also very rude and said, "He seems a little afraid of you, you should stay away from him."
Wang Tianxin glanced at Ruan Nanzhu and actually turned around and left.
Lin Qiushi didn't expect him to give up so easily, but Ruan Nanzhu sneered, as if he had guessed what Wang Tianxin was going to do.
The people in the team gradually gathered.
There were still two newcomers this time, both men. One of them behaved relatively calmly, while the other one had an emotional breakdown and cried all the way.
Fortunately, apart from crying, the newcomer did not do anything other extreme.
After giving up on Lin Qiushi, Wang Tianxin quickly found another girl. Within a short time, the girl and Wang Tianxin seemed to be familiar with each other, chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was very good.
Lin Qiushi glanced at Ruan Nanzhu.
Ruan Nanzhu knew what he wanted to ask and whispered, "There's a certain type of person in the sect who always likes to team up with others. Of course, this teammate might be more than just a teammate; they can be used for other things."
Lin Qiushi: For example?
Ruan Nanzhu looked at him, smiling meaningfully, but said nothing.
Lin Qiushi shuddered at Ruan Nanzhu's laughter.
Wang Tianxin was obviously very skilled in this and his aim was very precise. When they met, he showed concern for those girls who looked extremely weak and easily gained their trust.
Lin Qiushi, the physically disabled mute girl, was obviously his favorite, but his plans were ruined by Ruan Nanzhu, so he had to find another target.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "You must follow me carefully and don't get fooled by others."
Lin Qiushi glanced at him and thought, it didn't matter if he was lying, at worst they could just take off their skirts and compare sizes...
The author has something to say: Ruan Nanzhu: It is impossible not to act. If I don’t act myself, I have to watch others act.
Lin Qiushi: ...
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