Are You Eating Vinegar?

Zhang Mian appeared to have a very easy-going and friendly personality, and his innocent baby face only served to emphasize his adorable nature. Every time he smiled, two charming dimples would cutely peek out from the corners of his mouth, making him look so sweet and angelic.

Everyone in the villa was rather welcoming towards him, except for Cheng Qianli.

"I don't like that guy one bit." The day after Zhang Mian's arrival, Cheng Qianli immediately sought out Lin Qiushi to nag and whine. Like a broken record, he listed off all of his complaints and vented all of his dissatisfactions.

Lin Qiushi, on the other hand, had a rather good impression of Zhang Mian. "Why don't you like him?"

"Haven't you noticed that big brother Ruan has only been paying attention to him ever since he came?" Cheng Qianli grumbled. "He doesn't even take us inside the doors with him anymore…"

Lin Qiushi grew silent.

Cheng Qianli impatiently stared at Lin Qiushi, waiting for the other to agree with him, "Don't you think so?"

"Not at all." Lin Qiushi candidly replied. "Besides, isn't it better for us if he doesn't take us with him all the time? Unless you'd rather enter the door worlds that often?"

Cheng Qianli: "…" Thinking about it…that was actually true.

But, honestly speaking, Ruan Nanzhu really did treat Zhang Mian rather specially. Ever since he arrived, Ruan Nanzhu took the other with him to the door worlds at least three to four times a week, and Zhang Mian also adapted fairly well; he adjusted to the changes between reality and the door worlds very quickly.

As for Lin Qiushi, Ruan Nanzhu would simply tell him to take care of his body or get some rest.

From an outsider's perspective, Ruan Nanzhu seemed to want to train Zhang Mian, to polish him up, which would explain why he went so far as to bringing the other everywhere, risking their lives in the process. However, from Lin Qiushi's point of view, Ruan Nanzhu's current actions were strangely odd. Yet, he couldn't exactly pinpoint where this inexplicable sense of oddity came from at the moment.

One morning, Zhang Main greeted Lin Qiushi out of nowhere, subtly asking whether there were any other people here that he hadn't met yet.

Lin Qiushi, who was eating his breakfast at the time, was more than taken aback at the other's random question, "Other people? What do you mean?"

Zhang Mian restated, "I mean, are there other members in this organization." He then laughed brightly, revealing two lovely dimples and looking particularly cute, "Have you not seen them either?"

Lin Qiushi shook his head.

"Oh, Brother Ruan took me to meet some more members yesterday." Zhang Mian continued, "So, I was just a little curious about how many members are in our team."

This matter was rather sensitive, so even if Lin Qiushi was aware of it, he wouldn't be able to tell him. In any case, though, he genuinely didn't know much, since he was kept in the dark half of the time and didn't bother to ask unnecessary questions. That being said, he could only shake his head in the end, indicating he didn't know.

Zhang Mian hummed in understanding, and no longer probed the other for answers.

Meanwhile, the others gradually began filling the open seats at the table; each and every one of them greeted Zhang Mian as they sat themselves down. No sooner, Lin Qiushi was met with the most bizarre sight ever. With the exception of a few people in the room, everyone was laughing and chatting happily with Zhang Mian.

Cheng Fei was smiling, Yi Manman was smiling, and even Lu Yanxue was smiling; everyone had particularly wide and brilliant smiles etched onto their faces. The strange sight left Lin Qiushi tilting his head in sheer puzzlement.

Excluding that brat, Cheng Qianli, the only other person in the room who didn't smile when he saw Zhang Mian was the ever-expressionless Cheng Yixie.

Lin Qiushi was at an utter loss. For a while, he couldn't process the situation; he didn't know what came over everyone in this room.

Ruan Nanzhu and Zhang Mian were still working closely together for the next couple of weeks, with both individuals simultaneously disappearing for long periods of time.

One day, Cheng Qianli approached Lin Qiushi in private and asked him, "Are you eating vinegar?1"

Lin Qiushi was busy browsing the forum at the time. Having heard Cheng Qianli's question in the passing, his first response was, "Eating vinegar? What kind of vinegar? Am I supposed to be eating vinegar right now? Did you guys make dumplings or something?"

Cheng Qianli: "…" Lin Qiushi, are you okay?

Seeing that Lin Qiushi truly didn't understand him, Cheng Qianli clarified, "Aren't you frustrated or annoyed that big brother Ruan is only paying attention to that newcomer? I mean, the first one who did extremely well in the door world and the first one big brother Ruan ever acknowledged and paid special attention to was obviously you, but now…"

Dumbfounded, Lin Qiushi replied, "It's not like we're dating or anything though? Are you saying that the amount of attention he gives people should be on a first-come, first-served basis?"

Cheng Qianli was stumped, "…Are you seriously not jealous?"

Lin Qiushi stared at Cheng Qianli skeptically, before suggesting, "Would you like for me to call your older brother, and ask him to take out that loose screw in your head?"

"No thanks," blurted Cheng Qianli. At the mention of his older brother, Cheng Qianli instantly grew pale in the face, and, within seconds, he turned around and slipped away.

Who knew whether Cheng Qianli went to talk to Ruan Nanzhu about the matter, but after they finished eating their dinner, Ruan Nanzhu unexpectedly called Lin Qiushi over to the corridor.

As he lit a cigarette, he offered one to Lin Qiushi.

Lin Qiushi politely declined, "I have liver cancer…." Though, admittingly, he had completely forgotten about his own liver cancer up until now.

"Oh, sorry." Ruan Nanzhu then put out his cigarette. "Bear with it for just a little longer."

Lin Qiushi: "Huh?"

Ruan Nanzhu: "It should be no more than a week."

Lin Qiushi: "…" He couldn't keep up with what the other was saying.

Ruan Nanzhu no longer spoke. As the light in his eyes grew colder, he turned to look at Zhang Mian, who was smiling cheerfully, relaxedly chatting with everyone in the room. He then raised his hand and tenderly rested it on Lin Qiushi's head for but a moment, before silently turning on his heels and walking away.

If Lin Qiushi was only slightly confused at first, he was utterly bewildered by the end. Even after replaying their brief interaction in his mind countless times, he still didn't have a single clue as to what Ruan Nanzhu was talking about.

Because of the frequent trips he had taken to the door worlds without a break, Zhang Mian's body seemed to be on the verge of collapse, barely able to withstand the relentless perils of the door worlds. His most recent trip was by far the worst, with him being sent to the hospital for his injuries.

Everyone in the villa paid him a visit and expressed their heartfelt admiration for him.

Chen Fei and Lin Qiushi both visited to the hospital together. Before making their way inside, Chen Fei bought a basket of fruits at the gate of the hospital; although Lin Qiushi wanted to be the one to buy it, he was blocked by Chen Fei.

"Don't buy it." Chen Fei stopped him. "Your role in this is different, is it not?"

Lin Qiushi: "???…Role?"

Chen Fei momentarily froze at the sight of Lin Qiushi perplexed expression, "Brother Ruan didn't tell you anything?"

Lin Qiushi: "…Tell me what?" Right now, Lin Qiushi truly felt that everyone's behavior was even odder than usual.

"Forget it. It's nothing serious." Chen Fei seemed to have an epiphany after seeing the dazed look on Lin Qiushi's face. Sighing heavily, he dismissed it with the wave of his hand, "Give it one more week. It'll be over by then."

Lin Qiushi: "…" Seriously, what are you even talking about? He was beyond baffled at this point.

Fortunately, Zhang Mian's injuries weren't life-threatening. When Chen Fei and Lin Qiushi went to see him, they bumped into Ruan Nanzhu, who was sitting by the hospital bed, watching over the other.

Upon seeing Chen Fei and the other enter the ward, Zhang Mian smiled weakly.

Chen Fei immediately began pampering the other, inquiring about his well-being and asking whether he was comfortable. He even expressed great worry for the other, saying that if he truly could not handle the risk anymore, he should let Brother Ruan know; although this was necessary step for all newcomers wanting to join the organization, they could also make an exception for him and let him in through the back door.

Zhang Mian insisted that he could still keep up with Ruan Nanzhu's pace, and expressed that he hoped to become an official member of the team as soon as possible.

Hearing this, Chen Fei smiled in deep appreciation, revealing that they hadn't come across such a capable newcomer with great potential like him in quite a long time, "You'll surely be the backbone of our team in the future."

Lin Qiushi, who was quietly listening to them from the side, didn't dare utter a word. Compared to the Zhang Mian, who not only had the resolve to enter through the door worlds but the ability to pass through advanced boss levels with flying colours, he was like a headless chicken, merely scrambling around trying to defeat low-tiered monsters in the novice village…

After checking up on Zhang Mian, Lin Qiushi thought that days like now would persist for a long while. After all, Ruan Nanzhu seemed especially interested in Zhang Mian. However, he certainly didn't expect that six days after Zhang Mian had returned to the villa from the hospital, he suddenly vanished into thin air.

That morning, Lin Qiushi went downstairs to have breakfast as usual, but he didn't find a trace of Zhang Mian. As he waited, he noticed everyone else acting normally, as if there nothing was out of the ordinary, "What happened to Zhang Mian? I haven't seen him at all today for some reason?"

Munching on the pancakes Cheng Yixie made, Chen Fei casually replied, "He escaped last night."

"Escaped?" Lin Qiushi was stunned. "What do you mean he escaped?" It wasn't like they were some sort of trafficking organization, so what in the world did he mean by "he escaped"?

Chen Fei nonchalantly responded, "It's just as I said. He simply couldn't stand working like a dog under Brother Ruan anymore, so he fled."

Lin Qiushi: "…" Why did he feel like this wasn't the full story, like he was still missing something very important?

Just then, Ruan Nanzhu happened to come downstairs. Ever so naturally, he slid into the seat beside Lin Qiushi and grabbed a plate of pancakes, taking big, slow bites and chewing relaxedly.

Lin Qiushi stared at him in confusion the whole time, countless questions running through his mind. At long last, Ruan Nanzhu finished eating his pancakes. After wiping his hands and mouth, he carefully explained, "He came to infiltrate us."

"…Infiltrate?" Lin Qiushi was struck speechless.

"He's with White Deer." Ruan Nanzhu continued, "Our dear friend, Li Dongyuan."

He always had a way with words and people, always speaking so eloquently and tactfully, but to think the other had calculated every action; it was exactly like that person. Everything seemed to click in that instant, and Lin Qiushi finally understood what was going on in that moment. His eyes widened, and incredulity was written all over his face; he simply couldn't believe it. "Li Dongyuan??? That man was Li Dongyuan?!"

Ruan Nanzhu gave a brisk nod.

Lin Qiushi: "…"

Ruan Nanzhu warned, "The matter isn't over just yet, so be sure not to reveal anything."

Everyone at the table readily nodded. With that mystery now solved, Lin Qiushi soon figured out the reason they were always smiling at the sight of Zhang Mian.

Ruan Nanzhu fetched out a handful of slips of paper from his pocket. Those small notes were awfully familiar to those who had seen them previously; in fact, anyone who had laid eyes on such notes would never able to forget them for as long as they lived—after all, those were the one and only clues to the worlds beyond the doors. As of this very moment, several clues were piled together in the center of Ruan Nanzhu's palm, as though they were being showcased.

Lin Qiushi stared at the piled of notes for a long time and had nothing to say. To think the man came to us as a spy, only to be worked like a dog; I suppose housing an infiltrator does have its perks.2

"So then, what the hell was he here for in the first place?" Lin Qiushi couldn't comprehend Li Dongyuan's thought process.

"To find someone." Chen Fei directed a meaningful grin at Ruan Nanzhu. "He was looking for Zhu Meng…"

Lin Qiushi: "Cough! Cough! Cough!!" Nearly choking to death on his saliva, he spluttered everywhere.

"By the time he realized he couldn't find her at all, he was already mercilessly exploited by Brother Ruan, completely squeezed dry… Having grasped he had long screwed up and that the situation wasn't looking too good for him, he stole the box in Brother Ruan's room and escaped." Chen Fei sniggered, "Let's hope he truly doesn't believe the case he stole holds a real clue."

Ruan Nanzhu's lips curled up into a callous sneer.

Having caught sight of that cold smile on his face, Lin Qiushi suddenly recalled Ruan Nanzhu's face after he discovered Li Dongyuan deceived them by giving them a counterfeit key. The chilling expression currently marking his face was nearly identical to the one he wore back then.

"So, that's what was going on! Why didn't anyone tell me?" Cheng Qianli was pissed after learning about the entire truth. "It's not fair that you guys got to hog all the fun! Why didn't I also get a role in this?"

At his question, Cheng Yixie shot an impassive glance at Cheng Qianli. Frighteningly deadpan, he bluntly responded, "Because your IQ is beyond saving, making you completely unqualified to carry out the plans."

Cheng Qianli: "…"

Cheng Yixie: "You have something to say?"

Feeling extremely wronged, Cheng Qianli dejectedly shook his head and lowered his head again, tearfully nibbling on his pancakes.

Cheng Qianli and Lin Qiushi seemed to be the only people in the villa who were unaware of the whole situation. According to their words, Cheng Qianli was, to put it simply, too stupid to handle such matters. But, if that was the case, did that mean they were also doubting his own intelligence?

While Lin Qiushi brooded over being grouped together with the simple-minded Cheng Qianli, Ruan Nanzhu, who seemed to have read his thoughts, assured, "There just wasn't enough time."

Lin Qiushi: "…" My ass. There was more than enough time to tell me.

Although Zhang Mian had disappeared, their job wasn't over just yet. After all, they still had to make it seem as though they were immensely furious that Zhang Mian ran away with the note. And with that, Obsidian, the official organization led by Ruan Nanzhu, began their counterattack and started investigating Zhang Mian's whereabouts.

Of course, the drama didn't play out for long in the end. Shortly afterwards, Li Dongyuan of White Deer discovered that the note he stole was a complete fake. On top of that, he was now well-aware that his identity had long been exposed and he was merely being used as free labour for weeks on end. Even though he didn't find Zhu Meng in the end, the fact that he was still made a fool of and disgracefully played like a fiddle infuriated him.

Li Dongyuan angrily phoned Ruan Nanzhu, and began attacking and cursing him relentlessly, when all of a sudden, Ruan Nanzhu casually mentioned that Zhu Meng was there.

In an instant, that raging, cursing demon transformed into a respectful and sweet gentleman. Li Dongyuan affectionately purred, "Ah, my dear Meng! How old are you? Are you married or not? Let's meet up, my dear. I fell in love with you at first sight."

Lin Qiushi, who was present at the time, grew goosebumps all over after hearing Li Dongyuan's sickly-sweet voice that dripping with honey.

Right away, Ruan Nanzhu set the phone to mute. God knows how long Li Dongyuan was blabbering to himself before he realized.

"To think he actually fell for Zhu Meng." Lin Qiushi glanced at the indifferent Ruan Nanzhu before him, and suddenly felt a deep sense of pity and remorse for Li Dongyuan's doomed love story that would never come to fruition.

"You don't think Zhu Meng is good enough?" questioned Ruan Nanzhu.

"She's perfect." Lin Qiushi unhesitatingly corrected himself. When all was said and done, that very Zhu Meng was literally right in front of him, so he couldn't possibly badmouth the other. "Who wouldn't fall in love with Zhu Meng?"

"Then who's better—Zhu Meng or me?" Ruan Nanzhu's way of thinking was a tad strange.

Lin Qiushi has certainly seen countless people compare themselves to others, but this is the first time he's ever seen someone do so with himself. Confronted with Ruan Nanzhu's solemn expression, he could only tactfully express that each of them had their own merits, and there was no need to make any comparisons between the two. Besides, no matter who was better, they were ultimately one and the same person.

Ruan Nanzhu hummed in satisfaction, before walking away.

At a loss for words, Lin Qiushi simply stared at his retreating back, genuinely wondering whether the man was okay in the head.

Ruan Nanzhu seemed to have made Li Dongyuan's life extremely miserable, a living hell, to be precise. When Li Dongyuan first took the note, he mistakenly believed it to be genuine hint and ended up accepting a job request. Yet, that wasn't the worst of it. As a matter of fact, the note's contents coincidentally corresponded with the circumstances of the door world he had entered, and he nearly met a tragic end due to the unexpected turn of events.

After that, Li Dongyuan began harassing Ruan Nanzhu with phone calls every day, personally attacking him for this grudge. However, each time he called, Ruan Nanzhu would threaten to have Zhu Meng block him; thereupon, Li Dongyuan would give up.

From this alone, it was concluded that Li Dongyuan was, indeed, a love-sick man who was deeply infatuated with a woman he had never before met in real life.

Lin Qiushi felt pity for him, but he couldn't help but want to see his expression the moment he realized his lovely Zhu Meng was the cold man currently in front of Lin Qiushi.

Thanks to Li Dongyuan, they managed to obtain a lot of clues for the door worlds. Because Lin Qiushi didn't exactly know how these clues worked, Chen Fei explained it to him.

Under normal circumstances, people with notes would be sent to separate door worlds. In other words, at most, only one person who holds a clue would generally appear in every world. Of course, there were exceptions to this. However, Chen Fei did not elaborate on those specific exceptions; presumably, they only appeared under very rare, special circumstances.

Now, people with notes usually entered the door that corresponded to the hint they received. That being said, those slips of paper were quite vital to one's survival. However, clues were also divided by the level of difficulty. Take, for instance, the recent period in time when Ruan Nanzhu strung Li Dongyuan along for a wild goose-chase, working him to the bone. All the doors they entered were relatively easy and lower in level, so the respective door clues were also fairly simple and lower in level. On the other hand, if Lin Qiushi wanted to enter his sixth door, he would have to use the note Ruan Nanzhu previously obtained in the fifth door. If he ended up bringing a lower-level hint obtained in the second door to his sixth door, there's a possibility that the hint would not correspond to that door's theme, rendering it utterly useless.

It was for this very reason Ruan Nanzhu frequently picked up requests; in order to ensure the safety of his next clients, he constantly had to enter the door worlds to receive more hints.

The risks and dangers associated with this job were no joke. Fortunately, Ruan Nanzhu was already well-versed in this area.

Li Dongyuan had been made a complete ass of, having been shamefully outsmarted and viciously plotted against, so it was reasonable to say that White Deer and Obsidian now held a deep enmity towards each other. The only thing keeping Li Dongyuan from shedding all pretenses and waging an all-out war against Ruan Nanzhu was Zhu Meng. In fact, Li Dongyuan even subtly indicated that he wasn't against any collaborations, and that he would gladly cooperate with them, so long as Zhu Meng was always around.

"Sounds good." Ruan Nanzhu apathetically agreed. Li Dongyuan was someone who had already passed his eight door, so his qualifications and skills were more than just satisfactory; he certainly wasn't one to be underestimated. With that in mind, it wasn't necessarily a disadvantage to have someone of his caliber as an ally. As for whether the other would ever get to see Zhu Meng…it all depended on his mood.

After resting for three full months, Lin Qiushi was almost fully recovered.

Having been unemployed for quite a while, he was rather worried for his livelihood, so he planned to find a temporary job. Yet, who could've known that Ruan Nanzhu would suddenly ask him for his card and transfer half a million into his account.

Lin Qiushi stared blankly at shocking amount that had popped up as a message, and stammered, "N-Nanzhu, what's this for?"

Ruan Nanzhu: "Living expenses."

Lin Qiushi: "…Aren't I supposed to be responsible for my own living expenses?"

Ruan Nanzhu: "Naturally, this isn't merely for nothing. A client of mine is about to enter her next door, and I plan on bringing you along with us."

Lin Qiushi: "You're bringing me along with you?" He felt a tad awkward, "But I'm afraid I'll just drag you down."

"Before defeating the BOSS of any game, you always have to gain more experience points and level up your character." Ruan Nanzhu continued, "In the same sense, the more you enter the door worlds, the more experience you'll gain and more accustomed you'll become to those situations."

Lin Qiushi: "…" He dubiously glanced at Cheng Qianli, who was currently reading a horror novel with an ugly expression, his face cringing and distorting ever so often.

Ruan Nanzhu: "Don't take Cheng Qianli as an example."

Upon hearing his name being mentioned by Ruan Nanzhu, Cheng Qianli turned his head around in question, "Big brother Ruan, did you call me?"

A lying Ruan Nanzhu: "Mhm, I'm just praising you."

A pleased Cheng Qianli: "Oh, ehehehe."

Lin Qiushi could barely look at Cheng Qianli's foolish face without feeling awfully embarrassed for the boy. Just how could he be so stupid?

Although it was only inevitable that he was overcome with a sense of unease and hesitation, Ruan Nanzhu's composed attitude managed to reassure Lin Qiushi and dispel any lingering doubts he had in his heart.

Now that the matter with Lin Qiushi was completely settled, Ruan Nanzhu took him to meet the client the following afternoon.

Lin Qiushi had originally thought the client would be an ordinary person, but he certainly never imagined it would be Xu Xiaocheng, who he had previously met in the second door world. Yes, the very Xu Xiaocheng who was, in reality, the hottest female celebrity making headlines right now, Tan Zaozao.

Unlike the excessively meek Xu Xiaocheng of the door worlds, the Tan Zaozao of the real world was a gorgeous, mature woman who exuded confidence and sex appeal. Her thick, long hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves, and her elegant scarlet dress hugged the curves of her hourglass body, emphasizing her bewitching beauty and turning heads.

Her presence was tremendously overwhelming; it was difficult for others to compete head-to-head with her. However, Ruan Nanzhu wasn't in the slightest inferior to her. As the two sat side-by-side one another, they painted a dangerously seductive and stunningly regal picture for onlookers, attracting even more attention.

"You're as handsome and impeccable, as always. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider entering the entertainment industry?" This was the first sentence that came out of Tan Zaozao's mouth.

"There's nothing to reconsider if the entertainment industry hasn't reached out to me in the first place." Ruan Nanzhu casually dismissed. "Now, this here is someone you've met before, Yu Linlin."

From the very beginning, Tan Zaozao didn't even bother glancing at Lin Qiushi; that was until she heard Yu Linlin's name. Almost immediately, she directed all of her attention to Lin Qiushi. The look in her eyes became ever so gentle as she reminisced about their shared experience in the door world, "You're much cuter now than in the door world."

Lin Qiushi: "…Thank you." As a full-fledged adult male, he wasn't that happy at being called "cute" by a girl.

"He's coming in with us." Ruan Nanzhu said. "Is that fine with you?"

"If it's no problem for you, it's certainly no problem for me." Tan Zaozao replied. "Once again, I look forward to our cooperation."

Ruan Nanzhu nodded.

The two began discussing business amongst themselves, from negotiating prices to arranging who would be holding onto the door clue. After they finished deliberating, and came to an agreement, Tan Zaozao invited them out for a meal.

It was quite obvious that Tan Zaozao was particularly interested in Lin Qiushi. All of their talks during the meal revolved around Lin Qiushi.

At this point, Ruan Nanzhu seemed rather upset. He interrupted Tan Zaozao in the middle of her chat, and brusquely stated, "If you have any questions, just ask me. Everyone else is merely cooperating with you under my orders; there's no need to engage in small talk and interrogate about their life."

Although Tan Zaozao's lips were curved up, her eyes weren't smiling at all, "But I want to get to know Linlin better."

Ruan Nanzhu put down his knife and fork, "I'm full."

Lin Qiushi: "…" But you only took one bite of the steak in front of you.

Tan Zaozao: "…" Ruan Nanzhu, you're honestly so petty.

At any rate, once Ruan Nanzhu said that he was full, that was the end of it; there was no room to argue, and there was nothing else that could be done. Yet, the moment they exited the steakhouse, Ruan Nanzhu dragged Lin Qiushi over to a nearby restaurant and ordered a table's worth full of dishes.

Lin Qiushi: "…I thought you were full?"

Ruan Nanzhu: "I became hungry again."

Lin Qiushi: "…" Just how can you speak so shamelessly?

Ruan Nanzhu was so childish at times. Rather than interacting with a grown man, Lin Qiushi felt as though he was pampering a spoiled child and going along with their whimsical wishes. Lin Qiushi sighed helplessly, but no longer dwelled on the issue.

As they ate, Ruan Nanzhu revealed that Tan Zaozao was treated differently from his other clients. Generally, whenever they picked up requests, they would not meet with the clients face-to-face in the real world; however, Tan Zaozao was the only exception. She was originally introduced to him by a mutual acquaintance, not to mention her identity and status was a bit more special than most people, which is why he interacted with her in real life.

"But if you don't meet up your clients, how do you know that you'll enter the same door as them?" This was the only point Lin Qiushi couldn't seem to wrap his mind around.

Ruan Nanzhu took out a few silver bracelets from his pocket and said, "Because of this."

The silver bracelets looked quite ordinary, other than the indecipherable runes carved into them. Lin Qiushi didn't recognize any of the scrawled characters. Slowly reaching out, he lightly touched one of the ornaments, when a glacial sensation sparked at his fingertips, running down his entire arm; the frostiness from the bracelet made it seem as though it was crafted out of blazing ice.

"This bracelet…" started Lin Qiushi. "Did you get it from inside the door?"

Ruan Nanzhu hummed, "From one of the worlds."

Lin Qiushi muttered, "I see," before withdrawing his hand.

"One can usually request assistance in the underground forum, but in order for us to receive a task, the other party must first pay a large sum of money for a security deposit." Ruan Nanzhu explicated. "In addition to the security deposit, the other party must pay a service fee, which would then be refunded to the client, once the client returns the bracelet."

Lin Qiushi: "…Are you trying to dominate the industry value chain or something?"

Ruan Nanzhu spread out his palm wide and shrugged, "Life isn't free. It's only natural that we need to make a livelihood, as well; we wouldn't want to end up destitute, after all."

That was quite reasonable. Lin Qiushi nodded to himself. "But half a million is too much, I—"

Just when Lin Qiushi was about to say he didn't need that much money, he was cut off by Ruan Nanzhu, "That's the price for your life. You're saying your precious life's worth far less than a measly half a million?"

Lin Qiushi was struck dumb.

Ruan Nanzhu continued on, "Every time someone enters through those doors, they're putting their life at a huge risk. There's even the possibility of them never making it out alive. Even after they die, they still wish to leave something behind for the living people in the real world, the people they wish to protect."

Such was the truth. Although Lin Qiushi himself didn't necessarily have a care for the world, given that he didn't really have any other ties that held him down to this place anymore, he understood where Ruan Nanzhu was coming from. Those who knew they were going to die, would always worry about the people around them. Their children. Their partners. Their parents. It was only natural that if they died, they'd still want to continue protecting those people, even if the last thing they did was leave their loved ones with everything they gained in life to secure their livelihood.

Taking that into account, Lin Qiushi gladly accepted Ruan Nanzhu's generosity.

"This will be Tan Zaozao's third door. We will be entering in a week's time." Ruan Nanzhu added, "I will notify you about the clue tomorrow morning."

Lin Qiushi grunted in understanding.

"It'll be a pleasure working with you." Ruan Nanzhu extended his hand towards Lin Qiushi.

"The pleasure is all mine. I look forward to us finally working together." Chuckling, Lin Qiushi received the other's hand in his own.

The past few times, Ruan Nanzhu merely brought Lin Qiushi along with him into the door worlds; it was he who was helping Lin Qiushi. However, this time, they would officially be working together, as equals. Although Lin Qiushi couldn't help but feel a tad apprehensive, that feeling of worry was eclipsed by the inexplicable and faint rush of excitement that stirred within the pit of his stomach.

Indeed, the worlds beyond those doors were cruel and bleak, insufferably frightening and dreadful. But knowing that there were people around who cared for him, that there was always someone who'd stand right beside him through thick-and-thin, all of his fears vanished.

It didn't matter whether he stood before a god or a devil, or whether he was confronted by Death itself. It was as if all the despair in the world ceased to exist, replaced by a halo of hope heroically glistening in the desolate shadows, like a pure, beautiful flower that would forever bloom in the dark pits of hell.

Author's Comment:

I don't tend to write about love triangles in my stories, so there's no need to worry.

T/N: For those unfamiliar with this expression, "Eating vinegar" is another way of expressing jealousy.