Kaleidoscope of Death

Chapter 106: Idle Matters

"Come on." Ruan Nanzhu and Bai Ming headed upstairs for the study.

Zhang Yiqing came to sit down on the sofa beside Lin Qiushi. He seemed much thinner than he'd been at the funeral, but his disposition was still sharp as ever, a mismatch for his surroundings.

Lin Qiushi didn't speak to him, just idly took bites of the snacks on the table.

"Tan Zaozao's last door, was it you guys who went in with her?" Zhang Yiqing suddenly asked after a long silence.

"No," Lin Qiushi said. "Obsidian doesn't take the sixth door." After saying this, he expected Zhang Yiqing to aggressively grill him—but Zhang Yiqing only lowered his gaze and uttered a low, oh.

So the atmosphere quieted down again.

By Lin Qiushi's previous standards, he should've found some conversation topic to dispel the awkwardness. But the him right now didn't want to say anything, only to sit in silence. As for the awkwardness... whatever.

Bai Ming and Ruan Nanzhu spoke for a very long time. Who knew what they'd talked about? In the end, Bai Ming came down from the study smiling, while Ruan Nanzhu maintained his typical impassivity.

"I won't keep you for dinner," Ruan Nanzhu said.

Bai Ming nodded, grinning. "Let's go, Yiqing."

Zhang Yiqing made a sound of agreement, got up from the sofa, and left with Bai Ming.

Lin Qiushi looked toward Ruan Nanzhu and asked, "what did he come to you for?"

"To buy hints," Ruan Nanzhu said. "He's taking Zhang Yiqing door-training."

Lin Qiushi, "..." He'd recalled something.

Ruan Nanzhu spoke lightly: "actually, after that time, I contacted Tan Zaozao. She refused."

Lin Qiushi knew what Ruan Nanzhu meant—after that movie premiere, Tan Zaozao had begged Ruan Nanzhu to keep taking her through the doors. Ruan Nanzhu hadn't agreed—he wouldn't put his own and his members' lives on the line like that. The sixth door on, there was a qualitative change, and any misstep could mean you died inside. He couldn't possibly bring along a weak teammate.

Tan Zaozao didn't like entering the doors. This was normal. Nobody liked entering the doors.

Ruan Nanzhu had asked Tan Zaozao afterwards. She'd had that last chance. There had still been a few months until her sixth door. If she would take the time to continue entering doors with Ruan Nanzhu, Ruan Nanzhu would agree to take her through her sixth door.

But Tan Zaozao had refused.

Lin Qiushi, "why did she refuse?"

Ruan Nanzhu, "not everybody's got your bravery. She was normal."

Lin Qiushi's smile was bitter.

For some people, entering the doors was harder to bear than death. He hadn't noticed that underneath Tan Zaozao's blooming smiles, there was a heart already festered with fear.

His friend was gone, but he still had to live his days.

After getting together, Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu didn't particularly try to hide it. The two openly began to hold hands, hug, do the things that lovers did.

They were all clever inside the mansion, and this clear change in atmosphere couldn't possibly go unnoticed. Yi Manman patted Lin Qiushi's shoulder in admiration. "Nice. You even managed to snag Ruan-ge."

Lin Qiushi laughed. "Yeah, pretty good, aren't I? I think so too."

Cheng Qianli was the last to figure it out, and he only figured it out after running into Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu kissing in the front yard one day.