Kaleidoscope of Death

“Tang Yaoyao…” Xu Xiaocheng was aghast at the scene. The look of sheer terror filling her eyes became more intense the longer she gaped at Tang Yaoyao. “What’s going on with your body?”

At the other’s words, Tang Yaoyao lowered her head and suspiciously glanced down at her own body, only to finally see what was happening to her. She could only stare in horror as the skin on her whole body turned glaringly red, as if the boiling blood underneath her skin was seconds away from overflowing and messily splashing the entire ground.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” Issuing the most blood-curdling shriek, Tang Yaoyao frantically began rubbing and scratching her body, digging her nails into her skin, as if her actions would somehow stop the redness from growing; however, to her dismay, her actions only caused the crimson marks to spread even faster, until her entire body eventually became red through and through.

“Ahhhhhhhhh! Save me ah! Somebody save me!!! Ackkkkkkk—” As ceaseless, plaintive screeches spilled from her mouth, Tang Yaoyao’s body began to exhibit more changes. Her skin and muscles started turning stiff, as if rigor mortis had set in, and she soon collapsed to the floor like a mannequin.

All of this happened in a blink of an eye. No one could hardly process what they’d just witnessed. By the time they were able to react, the tragedy that befell Tang Yaoyao had already passed. Tang Yaoyao’s body was sprawled across the floor, her wide eyes were staring vacantly at the ceiling, and she had lost all signs of life. It looked as though her entire body had been dipped into crimson paint; even the whites of her manic eyes had been stained by that diabolical red tint.

Utterly frightened out of her wits, Xu Xiaocheng started bawling outrageously. Lin Qiushi was also struck dumb by this scene; his words escaped him, and all that was left behind in his mouth was a bitter taste.

Zhang Xinghuo exhaled the breath he had been holding in and foolishly remarked, “There goes another one. Will all of us really be able to live through this?”

His question was met with deathly silence. With the exception of the group’s labored breaths, there wasn’t a sound heard. Everyone in the room remained tight-lipped and tense.

Tang Yaoyao’s corpse was lying stiffly on the ground. Lin Qiushi didn’t dare stare at it for a long time, but he couldn’t help but notice that there was something oddly fishy with her corpse. Compared to those individuals who had died before, Tang Yaoyao’s corpse did not lack any body parts; that was to say, nothing was missing and no part of her seemed to vanish with her death. Rather, she just dropped dead in front of the other just like that, without any warning and with all of her parts intact.

While the group was at a standstill, still trying to process what had just transpired, the hostess, who always seemed to be occupied with something in the kitchen every time they saw her, soon appeared again. She stood at the doorway, smiling at the crowd and lightly wiping her hands on her apron, and said, “I made you all something absolutely scrumptious! How about a taste, yes?”

Naturally, no one answered to her.

“Aiya, aiya.” The woman chuckled. “Why the long faces, everyone? The time to celebrate the birthday party is approaching fast. When the time comes, those frowns will surely be turned upside down; you will definitely be jumping in joy!” She tittered endlessly, until she could no longer suppress her giggles and began cackling disturbingly. Her eerie laughter was particularly horrifying, chilling everyone down to their very bones. After making this announcement, the woman swiveled on her heels and sashayed back into the kitchen to continue doing God-knows-what.

“Wait.” After a long time, Ruan Nanzhu finally broke the silence. His voice didn’t carry a hint of panic or apprehension; in fact, his tone was incredibly calm and composed. “There shouldn’t be any more deaths now.”

“How do you know?” Xu Xiaocheng tentatively inquired.

“Intuition.” Ruan Nanzhu flashed her a grin. “My intuition never lies.”

Having heard what Ruan Nanzhu stated, Zhang Xinghuo, who was standing beside them, scrunched his face in thoughtfulness. “I seriously hope you’re right. Then again, a woman’s intuition is usually accurate—scarily accurate, in fact—especially a beautiful woman’s…”

The queenly Ruan Nanzhu hummed in approval, “You have good eyes.”

Lin Qiushi: “…” What are you looking all confident and poised for? Just how thick is your skin? How in the world can you still respond to him like that without feeling ashamed of yourself, huh?

Nevertheless, even though Ruan Nanzhu was not a woman, his intuition was certainly just as accurate, if not more. There weren’t any deaths that came about in the next two days. Like maltreated prisoners awaiting their verdict, the four individuals could only struggle to swallow that tasteless bread as they waited for the upcoming birthday party.

On the eve of the birthday party, Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi decided to go back to the roof to check out the situation again. When they went this time, they actually found something odd in the rooftop equipment shelter.

“What’s this?” Having spotted these objects, Lin Qiushi didn’t give much of a reaction; he simply strolled over to inspect them more closely. Placed before him were several large containers. Some of the containers contained white liquid, and others contained red, meat-like substances. But it was only after he observed what was next to these containers that he gasped in realization. A glass jar was neatly lined up with the containers and stuffed with what seemed to be a small, circular objects. But if one examined this jar carefully, one would discover that what seemed to be normal orbs were actually human eyeballs.

Looking at these eyeballs, Lin Qiushi thought of the young man on the fourth floor who was brutally murdered. Based on these observations, it wasn’t difficult to guess that most of these unrecognizable objects and substances actually belonged to the members of their group.

Zeng Ruguo’s brain. Zhong Chengjian’s flesh and innards. And Tang Yaoyao’s bloodstained bones…

“Don’t tell me these are…” Lin Qiushi faced Ruan Nanzhu.

“They probably are,” replied Ruan Nanzhu.

Lin Qiushi was rendered speechless.

“Let’s go.” Ruan Nanzhu said. “We’ll get all the answers we want tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Lin Qiushi nodded.

And once again, another night passed just like that. Eventually, the noise from alarm clock roused them from their sleep. Awakening to utter darkness, Lin Qiushi could hardly believe it was already morning. He thought it was still nighttime because the surroundings were practically pitch-black and the light from the sun was completely shrouded by the thick, gloomy clouds.

On the other hand, Ruan Nanzhu was already awake. He was leaning against the headboard of the bed and appeared to be deep in thought.

“It’s already morning?” Lin Qiushi climbed out of bed and checked the time just to make sure.

“Yeah.” Ruan Nanzhu cleared his doubts. “It hasn’t been bright out at all today.”

Although the days here were usually overcast, there was still the occasional light. But today, there truly wasn’t a single ray of sunshine. Everything was enveloped by the darkness; only the dim, yellow glow of their lamps provided them with a faint light to see.

Lin Qiushi soon got dressed and left the room with Ruan Nanzhu.

The triplet’s birthday party was to take place at noon today, and if Ruan Nanzhu’s speculation was correct, something was bound to happen. The moment the two stepped foot outside of their room, they caught sight of Xu Xiaocheng and Zhang Xinghuo standing in the hallway. The two stood at the entrance of the corridor and didn’t dare enter the woman’s place.

“Looks like we’re all here,” As of this moment, there were only four people remaining on the team. Now that everyone had gathered together, Ruan Nanzhu declared, “Let’s head in now.” And with that, he took the first step.

Only a small lamp was turned on, weakly illuminating their surroundings, but Lin Qiushi could still clearly make out the changes in the room. It was as though someone had thoughtfully decorated the entire place. Colorful ribbons hung on the wall, glittery confetti sprinkled the floors, and several huge plush dolls sat on the sofa. It was truly a beautiful scene of celebration, a picturesque view of an ideal birthday party.

As soon as they entered the residence, they heard a familiar melody coming from the bedroom. “Happy Birthday” was being sung in English. But the soft voice that was singing sounded too mechanical and off-tune, awfully eerie and disturbing.

Wearing a pretty red dress and clutching a doll in her arms, the last of the triplets sat mutely on the corner of the sofa. She impassively watched the four individuals enter the room.

“Who am I?” The little girl suddenly demanded.

Ruan Nanzhu didn’t miss a beat, and he calmly answered, “You are Xiaotu.”

“Have you seen my older sisters?” The little girl proceeded to ask. “They are supposed to celebrate the birthday party with me, but they haven’t come back yet.”

“I have seen them.” Ruan Nanzhu told her. “They are dead.”

The little girl slowly blinked her eyes. She silently stared at Ruan Nanzhu then turned toward the others; her beady eyes gradually scanned the four individuals before her. Lin Qiushi expected her to continue asking questions, but he certainly did not expect her to nod, then quietly confess, “I know.”

Just as she finished asking her questions, the sound of footsteps started to grow louder. This time, it appeared to be coming from the kitchen. The woman was humming happily, and she seemed to be in an extremely cheerful mood. It wasn’t long before she emerged from the kitchen, whistling joyously and pushing a huge object towards the living room.

When she entered the living room, Lin Qiushi finally recognized what she brought with her.

It was an enormous birthday cake, and with just one glance, everyone could tell that it was a beautiful masterpiece. The cake had a total of three fluffy layers. Fresh buttercream frosting coated the cake, like a blanket of pure white snow, handfuls of glossy red fruits of unknown origin decorated the sides of the cake, and three big candles were lit on the top of the cake, flickering dimly.

“Happy birthday, my sweet child.” The woman congratulated, beaming brightly.

The little girl stood up and stared at her wordlessly.

The woman pressed forward, “Quickly, sing the song. That way we can eat the cake once you finish singing.” She then let out a merry laugh. “And remember to offer our dear neighbors a few pieces.”

The little girl hugged the doll closer to her chest and began to sing “Happy Birthday” aloud. The soft and immature child-like voice echoed in the dimly-lit room, emphasizing the indescribable abnormality of this freakish atmosphere.

When the birthday song ended, the little girl stood on her tiptoes and blew out the candles. The woman tittered gleefully and handed the cake knife to the little girl, before saying, “My darling daughter, cut the cake.”

The little girl took the knife given to her, and placing the knife on the edge of the cake, she pushed down hard and started to cut the cake. The snow-white cream frosting was neatly sliced with the pressure of the smooth blade, exposing the red cake on the inside.

Sighing in awe and desire, Xu Xiaocheng, who hadn’t eaten to her satisfaction for a long time, drooled at the sight of the cake. She wiped her mouth, swallowed hard, and mumbled while licking her lips, “It’s even red velvet! My favorite…”

Although the cake looked mesmerizingly delectable with its mouthwatering moistness, irresistible fluffiness and rich frosting, because of what he saw last night, Lin Qiushi lost all of his appetite and didn’t even want a slice of the cake.

“Go on. Offer them a piece.” The woman urged. “Let them have a taste of Mama’s creation.”

At her mother’s encouragement, the little girl divided the cake into several large pieces, placed each slice on a plate, then handed them out to everyone.

Zhang Xinghuo and Xu Xiaocheng enthusiastically received their plates without any hesitation, but the two still didn’t dare to eat just yet; they just eagerly gazed at the large dessert plate in their hands. The rapacious and impatient expression coloring their faces was even fiercer than those of ravenous wolves.

However, when the little girl offered Ruan Nanzhu a plate, he didn’t reach out to accept it. The air around him turned frosty and he grew increasingly indifferent. Not even bothering to mask his hostility, he looked down at the little girl with cold eyes.

“Eat cake,” uttered the little girl.

“Don’t want to eat.” Ruan Nanzhu aloofy responded. “Not interested.”

The little girl continued to pester him in that same monotonous voice, “Eat cake.”

Ruan Nanzhu assertively repeated, “I do not want to eat.” His stern voice showed just how adamant he was; there was simply no room for compromise.

Because of his stubborn refusal, the mother’s eyes were soon filled with a hint of madness. The woman inquired, “Oh, why exactly don’t you want to eat?”

“Just don’t want to eat.” Ruan Nanzhu shrugged. “There’s no other reason.”

The woman: “You—”

Just when she planned to say something, Ruan Nanzhu suddenly stepped forward. No one could possibly guess what he was thinking, which is why his next move came off as a shock to all. To everyone’s surprise, he actually raised his hand and brusquely overturned the table holding the cake.

The majestic, pure white cake fell to the floor, not a crumb was saved from Ruan Nanzhu’s savagery; the entire cake fell splat onto the floor the instant he flipped the table. The salivating Xu Xiaocheng and Zhang Xinghuo, who stood at the side, unable to do anything as this scene unfolded right before their eyes, had no time to feel distressed or grieve for the life of the lost cake, because the moment the cake hit the ground, an extremely pungent and unbelievably foul odor assaulted their nostrils. The two bowed their heads and looked down, only to discover that the appearance of cake in their hands had completely changed literally right under their very noses.

The appetizing red velvet cake transformed into putrid ground flesh. The luscious white frosting turned into a nauseating, pulpy mass of brains. The round, lovely exotic fruits that decorated the cake became sickening human eyeballs. And lastly, the three big candles that had just been extinguished turned out to be three ghastly blood-stained bones.

“Holy shit!” Utterly frightened and revolted, Xu Xiaocheng immediately flung the dish out of her hand.

When the woman saw this, her expression twisted instantaneously. The forced smile on her face collapsed, and all that remained was a demented look of wrath and insanity. However, before she could do anything, Ruan Nanzhu advanced towards her and stabbed her body with a knife.

Everyone was shocked by Ruan Nanzhu’s violent actions and Lin Qiushi wasn’t an exception. He stared at Ruan Nanzhu with wide eyes as the other ruthlessly hacked at the women with a knife he obtained from God-knows-where. His ferocious attack was beyond cruel and vicious, without any mercy.

“Teeheehee!” Upon witnessing this scene, the little girl who was standing next to them began to giggle rejoicefully. She tossed the doll in her hand away and simply stood in place, clapping and laughing rapturously. “Mama is dead! Mama is dead!!!”

In mere seconds, Ruan Nanzhu dismembered the woman into several pieces. His entire body was soon covered in blood.

Xu Xiaocheng and Zhang Xinghuo thought Ruan Nanzhu was out of his mind. Terror-stricken, they whirled on their heels and bolted out of the door without turning back. Only Lin Qiushi showed some concern for him. He worriedly asked, “Are you okay—”

Ruan Nanzhu turned around to look at him. His entire face was splattered in blood and he looked just like Death himself; it was only natural that the two biggest cowards would run away from him. Unconcerned and rather nonchalant about the two’s reaction, he snorted in amusement then smirked, “You’re not afraid of me?”

Lin Qiushi stretched out his hand and gently wiped the blood off his face. “Not afraid.”

Ruan Nanzhu: “You even have the courage to touch this blood. Are you not afraid you’ll be stained by this blood?”

Lin Qiushi: “Haven’t you already touched this blood, too?” He was well-aware of how the plot of the fairy tale progressed, but he wholly believed that Ruan Nanzhu would never act like this without reason. So, although he was quite surprised at the very beginning, he quickly composed himself and instead began contemplating the reason behind Ruan Nanzhu’s actions.

“Well…” Ruan Nanzhu murmured. “A while ago, I realized that the key wasn’t inside the cake.”

Lin Qiushi frowned, “It wasn’t?”

He had discussed this with Ruan Nanzhu the night before, and they both agreed that the key was most likely hidden within the cake. Obviously, Ruan Nanzhu’s first action was executed to confirm their suspicions. But even after the cake had been destroyed, they still couldn’t find a trace of the key.

Ruan Nanzhu slowly extended his hand and said, “Here it is.” In the palm of his hand lay a beautiful bronze key, stained with blood. Judging from Ruan Nanzhu’s later unexpected actions, Lin Qiushi was able to guess the source of the key. He slightly widened his eyes and softly exclaimed, “The key was in her body…?”

“That’s right.” Ruan Nanzhu patted his knees then straightened his back. “I’ll explain it to you in detail later. For now, we need to leave. Fast.”

Lin Qiushi nodded, and together, they hurried out of the residence.

As they exited the room, the mutilated corpse of the mother twitched. All of a sudden, her scattered body parts began to reassemble at an extremely rapid speed. It wasn’t long before a gangling woman, wearing a deranged expression on her face and dripping in blood from head to toe, appeared in the middle of the room. She ever so slowly raised her hands to her head and cracked her neck, twisting her head into angles unimaginable to humans. With a hoarse voice, she hysterically screeched, “Where are you all going? Why won’t you eat my cake? You all had better come back—” She grabbed the sharp knife that was used to cut the cake, and without adjusting her contorted limbs, she rushed out of the room to chase after the others.

Ruan Nanzhu seemed to have already predicted all of this. With Lin Qiushi’s hand grasped tightly in his own, he pulled the other along and ran upstairs.

Xu Xiaocheng and Zhang Xinghuo were clueless as to what was going on, but the instant they spotted the bronze key in Ruan Nanzhu’s hand, the fear on their faces turned into a mixture of disbelief, excitement and relief. The two followed Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu on their heels and dashed to the roof of the building.

“I’ll open the door. You guys distract her—” Ruan Nanzhu seized the iron lock to the roof and began fiddling with it.

Lin Qiushi expressed his assent and stood behind him, keeping watch. He heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming from underneath, and in the next moment, the frenzied woman who had just been chopped to pieces just seconds before appeared before them. Her expression was warped and her eyes were manic; with the sharp knife gripped in her hand, she started crawling up the stairs. Perhaps it was because her body had only recently been reassembled that her movements were rather sluggish, stiff and awkward. Like a newborn, she crookedly dragged herself up the stairs, crumpling and bending abnormally with every step. Fortunately for them, she wasn’t very fast.

Under such stressful circumstances, the average person would’ve long lost their cool, but Ruan Nanzhu’s hands didn’t even tremble as he concentrated on picking the lock. He shouted, “Just give me another ten seconds!”

Lin Qiushi knew that Ruan Nanzhu absolutely could not afford to be distracted at this crucial moment. And so, while taking a deep, determined breath, he stepped forward, fished out his mobile phone, and forcefully slammed it down on the woman’s skull.  The woman lost her balance when his cellphone hit her head, and Lin Qiushi immediately grabbed that opportunity, raising his leg and kicking that woman as hard as he could. This one kick exhausted all of his strength, and, as if he was kicking a brick wall instead, he nearly sprained his ankle.

But fortunately, the woman stumbled back a bit. And just as she was getting ready to move forward, the sound of a lock falling to the ground clanged behind Lin Qiushi.

“Go!” Ruan Nanzhu roared as he pulled the door open.

Zhang Xinghuo and Xu Xiaocheng wildly sprinted behind Ruan Nanzhu. Lin Qiushi also ran behind them with urgent haste, but the woman seemed to have finally realized they were planning to escape, so she frantically charged at Lin Qiushi with all her might.

Lin Qiushi managed to evade her by ducking to the side, but his arm was still slashed by her blade.

By now, the disposable black bags that were piled up on the roof began to wriggle around. In fact, some of the bags gradually grew taller, taking the shape of a human, and even scurried away from the large heap of black bags.

Ruan Nanzhu took the lead and hurried up front. He reached the black iron door and immediately unlocked it. The heavy door groaned and creaked as he firmly pulled on it; no sooner, a brilliant halo of light shined from within the open door.

Nodding at Zhang Xinghuo and Xu Xiaocheng, Ruan Nanzhu ordered, “You guys go first.”

Refusing to stay at this place any longer, the two of them gladly complied. They leaped through the glowing doorway without a second thought.

Ruan Nanzhu then turned to face Lin Qiushi and held out his hand, “Come here, quickly—”

Lin Qiushi dashed madly towards the other. When Lin Qiushi finally closed the distance between him and Ruan Nanzhu, Ruan Nanzhu promptly grabbed his hand and pulled him sharply, drawing the other close into his strong embrace. With their bodies wrapped around each other, they both fell backwards into the door behind them.

Lin Qiushi didn’t know if it was merely a figment of his imagination, but he felt as though something struck the back of his head the minute he passed through the door.

As they fell, the two were gently enveloped by the warm, soft glow. The shadows around them were soon expelled by the light, and the blood on Ruan Nanzhu’s body gradually faded, as well.

Inside the door was a tunnel that appeared to stretch endlessly into an unknown void; it was the same scenery as before. With this, they knew they had finally escaped from the nightmarish world of the door.

Ruan Nanzhu took Lin Qiushi’s hand and walked straight ahead. The two didn’t speak at all; there were no words needed. They just advanced onwards together, harmoniously and hand-in-hand, until that familiar sensation of dizziness assaulted them, once again.

When Lin Qiushi finally opened his eyes, he was met with the familiar view of his own door and ordinary walls around him.

Standing at his side, Ruan Nanzhu gazed at him in silence.

After a great deal of effort, Lin Qiushi uncertainly questioned, “Are we out?”

“Yeah.” Ruan Nanzhu shoved something into his pocket. “Come, go into the room.”

Lin Qiushi decided to move his body, but the moment he took a step, he was hit by spasm of vertigo. His entire vision began to spin and he realized his body was going to fall to the ground, so he shut his eyes and steeled himself for the impact. But instead of crashing against the cold floor, he fell into a warm embrace.

“Did you receive any injuries inside the door world?” Ruan Nanzhu asked.

“En.” Lin Qiushi wearily slurred. It was as if all strength had left Lin Qiushi’s body; he didn’t even have the energy to reply.

Ruan Nanzhu grew quiet and didn’t wait any longer. Without pause, he directly lifted Lin Qiushi, carrying him bridal style, and headed inside. Ruan Nanzhu was currently holding a man who was 180 centimeters tall and who weighed more than 70 kilograms in his arms, yet he didn’t even break a sweat. When the two entered the bedroom, Ruan Nanzhu gently set Lin Qiushi’s body down on the bed and said, “You should sleep first.”

Lin Qiushi was no longer able to speak, much less open his mouth. He simply closed his eyes and let his consciousness slip away from him, succumbing to a deep sleep.

Lin Qiushi didn’t know how long he had slept for, but when he woke up, a white flower was placed next to his bedside and the smell of disinfectants lingered in the air. He was tormented by a myriad of strange dreams. Chaotic images would flash in his mind intermittently; one blurry image would vanish, only to be replaced with a new disorderly scene. Sometimes he would hear someone screaming and wailing in anguish; other times, he would catch a glimpse of someone taking their own life. It was all so bizarre, yet strangely familiar. Because of these sporadic, chilling dreams, Lin Qiushi was muddleheaded for a few minutes. It took him a good while, before he finally snapped out of his daze and realized he had already escaped the door world and was now lying down on a hospital bed with an IV drip inserted into his arm.

Seated near him was a spirited youth, the young boy he had frequently seen back in the villa, Cheng Qianli. Upon seeing Lin Qiushi open his eyes, Cheng Qianli skipped over and greeted the other, “Lin Qiushi, you’re up! How are you feeling?”

Lin Qiushi felt like he had gone to hell and back. His entire body was aching, and he was drained of his energy. He groggily wondered, “How long have I slept for…”

Cheng Qianli answered, “Not that long. Why? Is there something wrong?”

Lin Qiushi: “My cat…”

Cheng Qianli: “…” Goddamn. Is he serious right now? This guy is honestly like a one of those crazy cat ladies whose only purpose in life is to obsess over cats. Every single day, the only thing he thinks of is cats, cats, cats, ah! It’s like his entire life revolves around cats! He can’t even forget about them for a second! Look at him—he literally just woke up, but he didn’t forget to mention his cat!

“Everything’s fine. You only slept for half a day.” Cheng Qianli said. “And your cat’s fine, too.”

Lin Qiushi breathed out a sigh of relief, then finally asked, “So, what happened to me?”

“You got sick.” Cheng Qianli replied. “It was just a high fever, nothing overly severe. Did you get hurt inside the door?”

“Yeah.” Lin Qiushi admitted, “My arm was injured by a knife.”

Cheng Qianli hummed, “Well, no matter, it’s all fine. Luckily, it was just a fever this time. Just remember to try not to get injured in the door worlds. Even insignificant wounds received inside the door world can be fatal to people the moment they step outside of that world.”

Lin Qiushi nodded his head. “What about Nanzhu?”

Cheng Qianli said, “Big brother Ruan had something to take care of, so he left a while earlier, but not before telling me to look after you. Anyways, how was it? How did it feel to experience the world of the door for a second time?”

Lin Qiushi answered honestly, “Not too bad.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “It was quite the close call though; I almost didn’t come out.” Shivers ran down Lin Qiushi’s spine at the thought of woman with the knife. Now that he was thinking back on it, it truly was a close call.

“Geez, what’s with that ‘I almost didn’t come out.’ Didn’t you manage to escape pretty safe and sound?” Cheng Qianli huffed. “Besides, big brother Ruan followed you inside, so nothing too serious would probably ever happen to you.” He then switched topics, “So, how about it? Want an apple? I’ll peel one for you!”

Lin Qiushi couldn’t keep up with this youngster’s liveliness, so he just nodded silently, gladly accepting Cheng Qianli’s kindness.

He had to say, after coming out of the door world, he felt as though he had been reborn into a new person, as if he discovered a newfound sense of life and renewal. Whether it was the brilliant sunshine, or the scorching temperature, or even the loud and clamorous voices of the people, all of it filled him with sheer contentment, and he couldn’t have loved life even more.

Lin Qiushi happily munched on the tangy apple, and he felt like he was on cloud nine. As a person who despised hospitals, he even found that this hospital, which he would normally dread going to, didn’t seem as unpleasant now.

Cheng Qianli sat beside him, playing games and casually chatting with Lin Qiushi from time to time.

Having talked and chatted nonstop, Lin Qiushi soon became drowsy. Just when he was about to close his eyes, he heard some shuffling coming from his side. He instinctively opened his eyes, only to see Ruan Nanzhu in front of him.

Ruan Nanzhu’s back was facing the light and shadows were obscuring his features, so Lin Qiushi couldn’t make out the expression on the other’s face. But his voice extremely tender, ever so soothing, “You woke up?”

Lin Qiushi softly called out his name, “Nanzhu…”

Ruan Nanzhu stroked his forehead affectionately and gently whispered, “Sleep peacefully. We’re out now; we’ve come back.”

The instant Lin Qiushi heard Ruan Nanzhu’s voice and word, his racing heart miraculously calmed down. His eyes fluttered closed and, once again, he sank into a deep slumber. This time, those strange nightmares didn’t plague him as he slept. There was nothing but the tranquility of the serene night surrounding him, allowing him to sleep peacefully and comfortably.

Author’s Comment:

Lin Qiushi: I love cats so much.

Ruan Nanzhu thought for a moment: Meow~

Lin Qiushi: …You don’t have any hair.

Feeling wronged, Ruan Nanzhu pulled down the zipper of his trousers: But I do…

Translator’s Comment:

First off, Volume 2 of KoD has finally been published! Only 2 more volumes left to go! But, speaking of Volume 2, the cover literally devastated me. I legit screamed, and it was most certainly not out of joy—well, maybe half of it was because the volume is now out, but the other half was because RNZ’s character art is extremely arghdjsafkdaslh (disappointing)! But, of course, that won’t stop me from purchasing the novel when I can lol.

That aside, I’ve received the hardcopy of Volume 1 for KoD. And here’s the thing, Volume 1 has four new extras not available on the web version—the first three extras have several parts to them and are more like the short skits (小剧场) under the ‘the author has something to say’ sections, while the fourth extra is just one long extra about Qiushi and his cat. (Volume 2 apparently has 4 new extras as well, and it concludes with the Door 8; that’s all I know about it though, because I don’t have the actual volume yet.)

I just wanted to know if you guys would rather I translate the extras and place them after Door 4, which is where they are placed in Volume 1, since Volume 1 concludes at Door 4 OR wait until I receive the remaining 3 volumes, then combine all the extras at the very end of the novel, along with the extras found in the web version of the novel? I would appreciate if you guys shared your thoughts; otherwise, I’ll probably skip over translating these new extras because I wouldn’t know the best place to add the extras (or if you guys even want to read them).