Chapter 53 - Reality

Some people always complain about the dullness of life, but only after experiencing the world behind the doors would they realize that such dullness is a kind of blessing. 

The traffic, pedestrians, even the clouds in the sky and grass by the roadside, all become lovely under the contrast of the world behind the doors. Lin Qiu Shi and Cheng Qian Li lay on the deck chairs on the roof, enjoying the warm sunshine. 

Toast and Chestnut were also nearby. Toast wagged his tail and hopped around on the roof while Chestnut lay next to Lin Qiu Shi and Cheng Qian Li, stretching his body to bask in the sun with them.

After a while, Cheng Qian Li fell asleep, his breathing becoming steady. 

When Lin Qiu Shi was about to doze off, he suddenly heard the sound of quarreling from downstairs. The voice was somewhat distant from him. With normal human hearing, it would definitely be inaudible, but Lin Qiu Shi caught this faint sound. 

He thought it was other people in the villa arguing at first, but when he listened carefully, he felt something was wrong, because the voices sounded like Ruan Nan Zhu and Cheng Yi Xuan.

"Why did you do this, Cheng Yi Xuan? Your brother wouldn't be happy if he knew about it either." Although Ruan Nan Zhu's tone sounded quite calm at first listen, based on Lin Qiu Shi's understanding of him over this period, he was actually angry. 

"So I won't let him know," Cheng Yi Xuan said. "Brother Ruan, I understand what you mean."

Ruan Nan Zhu: "You understand?"

Cheng Yi Xuan said: "But I have no other choice."

Ruan Nan Zhu coldly said: "I hope you do understand." 

Lin Qiu Shi had never heard such a cold tone from Ruan Nan Zhu before, as if he was completely disappointed with the person in front of him. After saying this, Ruan fell silent, and Cheng Yi Xuan did not explain further either. 

Their conversation was cryptic. If not for both sounding quite strange, Lin Qiu Shi would not have felt they were quarreling. He thought about it for a while and guessed that the matter might be related to Cheng Qian Li, but he did not know the specifics yet.

The warm sunshine made people drowsy. After it quieted down, Lin Qiu Shi slowly closed his eyes. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a shadow suddenly shone in front of him. Lin Qiu Shi was shocked awake, opened his eyes, and saw Ruan Nan Zhu standing next to him, just looking at him quietly. 

Lin Qiu Shi was startled and got up from his chair, "What's up?"

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Get ready, go out with me to see someone." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "Okay..."

After saying this, Ruan Nan Zhu turned and left without explaining where they were going or who they were meeting. 

But Lin Qiu Shi would find out sooner or later. He changed his clothes and got into Ruan Nan Zhu's car, heading towards the city center.

The car drove into a secluded community in the city center. This community seemed a bit special with very strict security. 

Lin Qiu Shi was a little curious: "What kind of people live here?"

"Rich businessmen, influential politicians, big stars who are popular enough." Ruan Nan Zhu said, "The person we're meeting soon is quite special. Just listen next to me later."

"Okay." Lin Qiu Shi nodded.

After parking the car, Ruan Nan Zhu took Lin Qiu Shi into a beautiful white villa. 

As soon as they entered the villa, Lin Qiu Shi saw someone familiar – Tang Zao Zao, whom he had met before. At the moment, she was wearing a beautiful long white dress, sitting elegantly on the sofa with a glass of red wine in her hand. Seeing them, she revealed a graceful smile. 

It had to be said, Tang Zao Zao looked quite imposing like this, but having seen her appearance behind the doors, Lin Qiu Shi did not feel any sense of oppression at all.

"Qiu Shi, you came." Tang Zao Zao smiled at him, then said: "Brother Ruan..." 

"Where is he?" Ruan Nan Zhu walked up to her and got straight to the point. 

Tang Zao Zao said, "He's not here yet. He has a proud temper. Don't mind if he says something unpleasant. I'll persuade him well."

Ruan Nan Zhu sat down beside her with an indifferent expression. 

"He doesn't really believe in ghosts and supernatural things." Tang Zao Zao said, "I didn't expect him to encounter the doors either..."

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Did he tell you himself?"

Tang Zao Zao: "Yes. At first he thought it was just a dream..." 

"Brother Ruan, do you think you can take this job?" Tang Zao Zao asked expectantly.

Ruan Nan Zhu said: "Let's see after meeting him first."

Tang Zao Zao nodded. 

While they were talking, a man walked in from outside. With just one glance, Lin Qiu Shi revealed a surprised expression - he recognized this person. To put it another way, 80% of people across the country would recognize him. He was currently the hottest actor domestically, with first-rate acting skills. He had crossed over from domestic to international success and was currently transitioning into directing. He had directed several critically and commercially acclaimed films himself. 

Even Lin Qiu Shi, who did not pay much attention to the entertainment industry, had seen the movies he starred in. 

"Zhang Yi Qing." Tang Zao Zao called out his name. 

"Zao Zao." Zhang Yi Qing was Tang Zao Zao's senior in terms of age and status in the entertainment industry. With sharp, aggressive features, one's first impression would be that he was not easy to get along with at all.

According to Tang Zao Zao's words, he was indeed such a person. 

"This is Ruan Nan Zhu, and this is Lin Qiu Shi..." Tang Zao Zao introduced them with a smile, "They are the people I told you about before..."

Zhang Yi Qing greeted Ruan Nan Zhu and Lin Qiu Shi in an neither cold nor warm manner. 

"The door I went through last time was brought by them. Brother Ruan is very reliable in the circle and not many can ask for his help." Tang Zao Zao said, "With them, you will definitely not..."

Before she could finish, Zhang Yi Qing made a stop gesture and said, "I already know." 

Tang Zao Zao: "Then you..."

Zhang Yi Qing: "I need to think more about it." His sharp eyes glanced at Ruan Nan Zhu for a moment. Neither were good-tempered people, so the look was a bit confrontational. 

Tang Zao Zao was surprised: "But your next door is about to open. If something happens then..."

Zhang Yi Qing said: "Other organizations have also contacted me." 

Ruan Nan Zhu: "White Deer?"

Zhang Yi Qing: "You know about them?"

Ruan Nan Zhu sneered contemptuously. He stood up and said to Lin Qiu Shi, "Qiu Shi, let's go." 

Lin Qiu Shi responded and followed behind Ruan Nan Zhu, preparing to just leave like this. 

Seeing this, Tang Zao Zao panicked and said, "Yi Qing, why did you look for White Deer? Black Obsidian is the most reliable in the circle now. I tried so hard to..." 

Zhang Yi Qing said: "How do I know who is most reliable without trying them all?"

Hearing this, Tang Zao Zao got a little angry: "Haven't I tried with my life on the line? What's wrong with you? What did the people at White Deer say to you—" 

Ruan Nan Zhu left as soon as he said he would leave, completely ignoring Tang Zao Zao's calls without even turning his head back once. 

Tang Zao Zao anxiously tried but could only watch Ruan Nan Zhu leave helplessly.

After getting in the car, Lin Qiu Shi was a little curious: "Nan Zhu, we just left like that?"

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Yes." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "Was this Li Dongyuan's doing?" 

Ruan Nan Zhu smiled ambiguously: "Who else could it be?" He didn't seem as tense as he was in the house just now. "But this guy's a bit hard to deal with, it would be troublesome if things go wrong. Let Li Dongyuan's side handle it, no big deal." 

Recalling Zhang Yi Qing's arrogant demeanor, Lin Qiu Shi felt Ruan Nan Zhu made a lot of sense. This Zhang Yi Qing was clearly not an easy person to get along with, whether seen on the big screen or in person. 

However, the more Lin Qiu Shi looked at Ruan Nan Zhu's expression, the more he felt something was off. Finally, he could not help but ask: "Nan Zhu, did you deliberately leak the news to White Deer?"

Ruan Nan Zhu was driving. Hearing this question, his hands on the steering wheel paused slightly. 

"I knew it!" Lin Qiu Shi immediately grasped the subtle emotional changes in his expression and confirmed his guess. "You really leaked it to White Deer?"

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Mm-hmm." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "Why did you..."

Ruan Nan Zhu answered Lin Qiu Shi's question very slowly, "Because I don't like his movies." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." 

"Okay, I'm joking." Ruan Nan Zhu laughed. "Don't take it seriously." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." Why did he feel that Ruan Nan Zhu was serious?

"After all, it was someone introduced by Tang Zao Zao." Ruan Nan Zhu said, "I had to give her some face. But since he was unwilling to accept Black Obsidian himself, then it has nothing to do with me." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "So how did White Deer persuade Zhang Yi Qing?" 

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Who knows?" He didn't care at all. 

Not long after the two returned home, Lin Qiu Shi received a phone call from Tang Zao Zao. On the phone, she sincerely apologized for the matter and asked Lin Qiu Shi to persuade Ruan Nan Zhu not to be angry anymore. 

Lin Qiu Shi: "Why don't you call him yourself?" 

Tang Zao Zao: "I'm afraid..."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." 

Tang Zao Zao: "Aren't you afraid of Brother Ruan?"

Lin Qiu Shi: "I was a little afraid at the beginning, but it's fine now." Ruan Nan Zhu's cold appearance did make people feel he was not easy to get along with at first. But with the foreshadowing from behind the doors, Lin Qiu Shi felt it was not bad. 

"You really are capable." Tang Zao Zao marveled. "I still prefer him in female clothing..." 

In his heart, Lin Qiu Shi secretly thought, who doesn't?

Lin Qiu Shi was resting, but Ruan Nan Zhu did not slow down at all. He seemed to have gotten used to frequently entering the world behind the doors, going in at least two or three times a week. 

According to him, the more doors he entered, the more patterns he could figure out, just like conditioned reflexes - solutions would appear upon seeing the scenes. 

Of course, probably only Ruan Nan Zhu dared to do this. After all, every door carried risks. Even veterans could not guarantee their own safety every time.

These days, the problematic newcomer Qin Bu Dai brought back by Yi Man Man had passed his second door, then fell into a state of depression where he did not want to live. He did not want to eat or move, losing a circle from sitting in the living room all day. 

Lin Qiu Shi was a little worried about him, but Chen Fei told him not to fret too much. This was a necessary process every newcomer had to go through. 

Lin Qiu Shi found this a bit strange: "A necessary process?"

Chen Fei: "Yes! Basically everyone will be depressed for a period of time, mostly between the second and third doors. Once they get through it, things will be fine. If not, they die." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "How come I didn't go through this?" 

Chen Fei glanced at him: "Maybe you're just thick-skinned." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." 

Chen Fei said: "I've only seen two people who showed no reaction to the doors - calm and accepting it peacefully. One is you..."

Lin Qiu Shi: "The other one is Ruan Nan Zhu?" 

To his surprise, Chen Fei shook his head: "The other one is Cheng Qian Li."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." 

Chen Fei: "Later we discussed and felt his IQ was too low to understand things behind the doors." 

Recalling Cheng Qian Li chasing Toast's butt, Lin Qiu Shi felt their conclusion was quite reliable indeed. 

"Did Ruan Nan Zhu go through depression too?" This was a question Lin Qiu Shi was more curious about. 

"He should have gone through it." Chen Fei said, "But we weren't there at the time, so the details are unclear. However, I heard it from an elder that Ruan did fall into depression for a period before getting better."

Lin Qiu Shi: "Where is that elder now?"

Chen Fei was silent for a moment: "Dead. He died with Ruan when they went through the ninth door together." 

Lin Qiu Shi felt his breath hitch. 

Chen Fei seemed unwilling to dwell on this topic either. He waved his hand to tell Lin Qiu Shi not to overthink it - they were always only one step away from death anyway, so they might as well enjoy the present. 

Indeed, Lin Qiu Shi sighed inwardly. The psychological resilience of everyone in this house was actually quite strong. 

But while Lin Qiu Shi was resting, Ruan Nan Zhu did not stop at all...

Wu Qi's eyes were fixed on him the whole time. Like an infatuated teenager, he kept sneaking glances when he didn't dare to stare for too long. 

Lin Qiu Shi saw his manner and felt somewhat helpless. 

After eating, Ruan Nan Zhu went upstairs to change his clothes and remove his makeup before coming back down.

Seeing him in men's clothing, Wu Qi finally realized why he still found this person so good-looking. He said in bewilderment to Lin Qiu Shi: "Qiu Shi, why do I still feel he is very attractive?"

Lin Qiu Shi: "Because he is indeed very good-looking." 

Wu Qi: "So do you like him?"

His voice was probably too loud. Ruan Nan Zhu, who was sitting on the sofa across the room, suddenly turned his head to look at Lin Qiu Shi.

Lin Qiu Shi: "...I like him." Who wouldn't? How could anyone dare say anything bad about Ruan Nan Zhu in front of him?

Wu Qi: "I like him too, wuwuwuwu..." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." Ruan Nan Zhu, the nemesis of aesthetes. 

It was a day of great shock for Wu Qi. By the time he left, he was still in a daze, his soul seemingly separated from his body. Lin Qiu Shi didn't dare let him drive himself and drove to send Wu Qi back.

When they arrived at Wu Qi's place, after getting out of the car, Wu Qi stood by the car smoking for quite a while. Finally he woefully said to Lin Qiu Shi: "Qiu Shi, after living with such a person for a long time, will you really not turn gay?"

Lin Qiu Shi was puzzled: "Turn what?"

Wu Qi: "..."

Lin Qiu Shi: "What do you mean by 'turn'?"

Wu Qi: "That is...start to like men."

Lin Qiu Shi thought about it for a moment before reacting to what Wu Qi meant. "Why would that happen? Aren't there beautiful girls too?"

Wu Qi: "Ah? There are beautiful girls too? I didn't see any!" There seemed to be only males in that house.

Lin Qiu Shi calmed down for a bit and felt something was not right. When he mentioned beautiful girls, the face that appeared in his mind was Zhu Meng's. But Zhu Meng was...never mind. 

"I'm leaving, take care." Wu Qi waved at Lin Qiu Shi and walked upstairs very dejectedly. 

Lin Qiu Shi watched his receding figure and fell into thought.

Returning to the villa, Cheng Qian Li and Ruan Nan Zhu were on the sofa cracking melon seeds while playing cards. 

Cheng Qian Li was holding two cards in his hand, his expression very anguished. 

Lin Qiu Shi took a look – this guy was holding a pair of threes. 

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." He began suspecting Cheng Qian Li's IQ again.

Ruan Nan Zhu easily threw out the cards in his hand and said, "Sent him back?" 

Lin Qiu Shi knew he was asking about Wu Qi: "Mm."

Ruan Nan Zhu: "Quite fragile mentally." 

Lin Qiu Shi smiled wryly: "...He's fine." Compared to Cheng Qian Li's nerves, who was normal?

Ruan Nan Zhu said: "So what were you thinking when you found out I was Ruan Bai Jie?" 

Lin Qiu Shi recalled and said: "Nothing special." He seemed to have accepted the fact very calmly at that time.

"Not bad." Ruan Nan Zhu flicked off the melon seed skins on his hands. 

Lin Qiu Shi was inexplicably praised, feeling a little embarrassed. He asked a question he had been wanting to ask for a long time: "Brother Ruan, do you just really like crossdressing that much?"

Ruan Nan Zhu didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly reached out and pinched Lin Qiu Shi's chin, then sized up Lin Qiu Shi's face: "Your fundamentals are not bad either." 

Lin Qiu Shi: "Ah??" 

Ruan Nan Zhu let go and stood up, revealing an ambiguous smile. "Try it next time. Life is short, we should enjoy the present."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..."

He was completely confused, while Cheng Qian Li and Chen Fei next to him had already cast sympathetic looks his way. 

Ruan Nan Zhu turned and left. Lin Qiu Shi was patted on the shoulder by Chen Fei, who said: "Why did you have to ask that question..."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..."

Chen Fei: "Well, now you've done it."

Lin Qiu Shi was slightly panicked, feeling like he had done something he should not have. Looking at Cheng Qian Li, he saw Cheng Qian Li painfully say: "It's okay, just bear with it. We all came through it."

Lin Qiu Shi: "..." So what do you guys mean?

But Chen Fei and the others simply didn't explain. They also turned and left.