40 The Fourth Door

After discussing matters with Tan Zaozao, Ruan Nanzhu immediately began looking into the contents of the note to Tan Zaozao's door.

This was to be Tan Zaozao's third door. With that in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult to solve, but taking precautions never hurt; after all, it was always better to safe than sorry. As of right now, the note before them had five words written on it—The Woman of the Rain.

Only after he finished investigating more about the hint, did Ruan Nanzhu inform Lin Qiushi on what was to be expected, briefly explaining the background of The Woman of the Rain. The Woman of the Rain was a portrait painted by a Ukrainian artist. This painting depicted a ghostly-pale lady, donning a large black hat; her eyes were lightly closed, and droplets of rain fell from the brim of her hat, trickling down her cheeks. Her appearance made it seem as though she had just attended a funeral, for her garments were blacker than a silhouette, and the expression on her face was ever so solemn, cold and detached, frostier than a wintry night shrouded by dark clouds.

Lin Qiushi had seen this painting before. Granted, what he saw was only a replica; however, he was still quite familiar with this art piece. Although the mysterious woman in the portrait had her eyes closed, the longer one continued to observe her, the wider her eyes seemed to become, opening ever so gradually and staring directly into one's soul.

The tone of the whole piece was dark and ominous, with the cooler colors of the flowing rain blending with the inky shades of the dreary clouds, creating a touch of disharmony and anxiety, a sense of melancholy and dread.

If not all, the history of this painting was quite peculiar. This work of art was bought by three separate individuals, only to be returned by all three in the end. According to the reports, all buyers claimed that after they purchased the painting, odd things began to happen. The feeling of being followed by that lady in black kept plaguing them; she was like a shadow that attached itself to one's body. Even in their dreams, they could never escape her haunting figure.

Every night, the woman appeared to be getting closer and closer to them, nearer and nearer… At long last, the buyers weren't able to bear that tormenting situation anymore, so they anxiously returned the painting to its original owner.

Indeed, this surreal painting gave off nothing but bad vibes. Lin Qiushi then closed the webpage after reading.

Ruan Nanzhu, who was sitting beside him, handed him a silver bracelet and told him to wear it on his wrist for the next few days. In addition, he gave the other a warning, reminding him to remove and hide the bracelet immediately upon entering the door, so that others won't catch sight of it.

Lin Qiushi asked, "Are you worried that other organizations might find out about it?"

"Well," replied Ruan Nanzhu, "While that is one of the reasons, there's actually another reason for doing this."

Lin Qiushi wondered, "What other reason?"

Ruan Nanzhu glanced at the bracelet, "Because the bracelet is cursed."

Lin Qiushi: "…"

Ruan Nanzhu continued, "Oh, by the way, the earring that you're currently wearing is also cursed. Its effects aren't as intense though."

Lin Qiushi reflexively touched the ruby stud on his earlobe. After it had been forcibly pierced into his ear by Ruan Nanzhu, he had completely forgotten about it, as if it never existed in the first place. To say he was a tad surprised at Ruan Nanzhu's statement would be an understatement, "It's cursed?"

Ruan Nanzhu responded, "Yes, but you have nothing to worry about. Aside from the fact that it can be used to find people, it's practically useless."

Having been reassured by Ruan Nanzhu, Lin Qiushi nodded in relief.

Speaking of cursed items, Lin Qiushi had yet to find out how to use the diary Ruan Nanzhu brought out of the previous door. The one thing he did figure out was that the journal couldn't be used as to record stuff down like a normal notebook, because anything written on it would magically vanish.

Ruan Nanzhu said, "There's no need to fret. You have plenty of time to find out what the journal can be used for."

Lin Qiushi grunted in assent.

Lin Qiushi used up all of his time in the coming days to research more about the clue they received. Yet, it didn't matter how much he scoured the web, for there wasn't much information on The Woman of the Rain in the first place. This painting had long been banned from art galleries and prohibited from exhibition, on the grounds that whenever this painting was put on display, viewers would experience emotional distress, and, in many cases, hallucinations.

It was said that the original artist of this portrait suffered from severe mental disorders, which led to the manifestation of this haunting painting imbued with all of her afflictions. Of course, the official statement released to the public was that these incidents were merely attributed to the fact that the artist used harmful products—contaminated paints and an unsanitary canvas—when painting. But whether this was the truth, no one knew the answer.

What became of this painting at present time has remained a complete mystery. But, allegedly, it's been locked away, far from everyone's sight.

Tan Zaozao was also aware of the hint pertaining to her door. Her state of mind was imperturbable, and her being, confident and composed. She was like a completely different person from the Xu Xiaocheng of the previous door world, who would cry and scream at the smallest things possible, from the light breeze of the wind to the slight rustle of the grass.

Tan Zaozao professed that it was all a part of her act, at which Ruan Nanzhu scoffed contemptuously.

"What are you laughing at?" Blushing red with humiliation, Tan Zaozao flew into a fit of rage.

Ruan Nanzhu retorted, "What? Am I not allowed to laugh if someone cracks a funny joke?"

Tan Zaozao humphed loudly, before saying, "Are you going to dress up as a woman this time?"

Ruan Nanzhu: "I won't dress up this time."

Tan Zaozao: "Why not…" She seemed awfully disappointed.

Ruan Nanzhu: "Just because."

As the two continued on with their exchange, Lin Qiushi absently poked at his ice cream at the side, scooping up mouthfuls from time to time. Moments later, Tan Zaozao shifted her gaze towards him, and endearingly pouted, "Linlin, please convince him to dress up as woman."

Lin Qiushi: "…Is it really that big of a deal whether or not he dresses up as a woman?"

Tan Zaozao heaved a heavy sigh, "Ah, of course it is! It's such a pity to not wear women's clothes, considering how great he looks in them!"

Lin Qiushi: "…" Why did he even believe for a second that Tan Zaozao might've had a legitimate reason?

The moment to enter the doors was close at hand. Because it was only her third door, Tan Zaozao's sense of time for the doors' arrival wasn't particularly the best. As a result, Lin Qiushi, who was sleeping peacefully in bed one night, was started awake at an ungodly hour. A feeling of alarm and trepidation suddenly washed over him, and before he knew it, the bedroom he was familiar with began distorting into another image.

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Qiushi opened his eyes, he saw that the walls around him had vanished, and in their place were twelve portentous doors. The twelve doors formed a ring around him, with him positioned at the very heart.

Lin Qiushi climbed up from his bed and quickly changed his clothes, before approaching the third door. He took a long, deep breath, steeling his heart for what was to come, then pulled open the door.

With a flash, the scenery changed.

Once the waves of nausea receded and his vision cleared, he became fully conscious of the new world he arrived at.

Towering before Lin Qiushi's eyes was a glorious ancient castle, seemingly centuries old. It stood imposingly tall and upright in the midst of a remote field, enclosed by impregnable iron fences.

Lin Qiushi stood all alone beside a patch of shrubs. The barren grasslands extended as far as the eye could see; there wasn't a single soul in sight. Having kept Ruan Nanzhu's instructions in mind, the first thing he did after entering this world was take the bracelet off of his wrist.

Unlike the previous times, where he somehow ran into other people within the first few minutes of his arrival, this was the first time he was truly by himself, completely isolated and unaccompanied, after entering the door world. Fortunately, he hadn't been met with any horrors or tragedies upon arriving here, and he could only hope that his luck lasted until he encountered other living people.

As he made his way towards the gates of the castle, Lin Qiushi took in the somber scenery.

The castle grounds were beyond derelict and desolate, surrounded by unkempt bushes that hadn't been trimmed in what seemed like forever and wild weeds that had grown uncontrollable. The greenery was so dense, with ivies sprouting all over, thickly enwreathing everything in its path and obstructing visitors' line of sight. Past the iron fence existed boundless, stifling fog, treacherously cloaking the area and seeming to threaten intruders. Just a mere glance left visitors ill at ease, wanting to stay far away from the foreboding fog.

Lin Qiushi gradually bridged the distance between him and the castle doors. Yet, before he could step foot inside, he heard piercing wails of lamentation coming from within.

"Help! Help me, ah—" It was the cry of a young woman. Having lost her grasp on reality, she seemed to have collapsed to the ground, her mind, completely broken. Her screams were so wretched and hoarse, excruciatingly unbearable to the ears of others.

"Can you just stop crying? You've been crying like this for over an hour." Someone in the crowd berated, their patience for her agonizing squawking running thin. "If you don't believe us, then go out and have a look. See for yourself whether you can actually leave this place."

Lin Qiushi instantly recognized the situation when he heard this. It was a common and inevitable occurrence that happened every time he entered the door worlds—a newcomer had appeared.

Those who've arrived to this world for the first time were always in a state of delirium and denial, always trying to rationalize the impossible; however, their reactions were only expected.

As he thought this to himself, Lin Qiushi pushed open the massive doors to the castle and strolled inside.

As of right now, only five individuals had gathered in this world, lounging around or standing idly in the hall of the first floor of the castle. Despite seeing Lin Qiushi enter, they didn't greet him; they either looked at him aloofly or eyeballed him warily.

Lin Qiushi casually found a spot to sit down and began scanning his surroundings. Within moments, he found what he had been searching for in the crowd.

Located at a distance from the crowd, was an attractive man wearing a simple T-shirt and denim jeans. Although the man was simply sitting at an inconspicuous corner, he still attracted quite a lot of attention. Just his breathtaking appearance alone was enough to enrapture onlookers, and that amorous teardrop-like beauty mark at the corner of his eye only emphasized his sensual charm. The expression on his face was cold and his aura was oppressive, incredibly unapproachable, yet the people around him couldn't help but throw glances his way ever so often.

Only now did Lin Qiushi vaguely understand why Ruan Nanzhu preferred to cross-dress. Though beautiful women were naturally eye-catching, the sight of them was fairly common. However, a beautiful man of his caliber was a rare sight that was bound to draw unnecessary attention; not only would he attract attention from other people, but there was even the possibility of him attracting the wrong attention from things he shouldn't.

Ruan Nanzhu perceived the other's gaze. He cast Lin Qiushi a hard, indifferent glance, before looking away.

The bawling girl was obviously a newcomer, someone who had just arrived in this world. She couldn't seem to accept the illogical situation she had been thrown into, and could only lament her wretched fate with bitter cries.

She slouched on the sofa, and her tears overflowed from her red eyes filled with terror and suspicion. She constantly peered at the others and fretfully stammered, "Where is this place? Can you please just let me go? This is just a TV program, isn't it? I really don't want to participate in this, I beg of you—"

"This isn't some TV show! Argh, goddammit, you're so fucking annoying! All you been doing is crying and screaming nonstop! For fuck's sake, just shut up! My brain's literally going to explode because of your damned crying!" The last string keeping his anger suppressed had snapped, and the young man who could no longer endure the girl's sobbing finally erupted, bellowing violently. "If you want to cry, go right ahead, but leave us out of it and get the fuck out of here first! Wherever you go is your own damn business; just stop bothering us!"

The girl's tears abruptly stopped at the man's ferocious roars. She looked at the man's aggressive stance, and hiccupped in shock. Her face turned a bright shade of red, as she swallowed down the yelps threatening to escape her lips.

In spite of how loud the commotion was, everyone in the room turned a blind eye to it, pretending to not have witnessed anything. Truthfully speaking, it was better to accept the reality of the situation as early as possible; unfortunately, when confronted by such great, harrowing changes, most people refused to accept or adapt to the circumstances.

With a bang, the castle doors slammed wide opened, and a group of people successively entered the venue.

Tan Zaozao was the last one to come inside. She was wearing a soft, orange-tinted dress, and a pure white corsage was pinned to her chest. Her expression was delicate, ever so heartrending, and, from time to time, she let out faint sobs, sniveling weakly.

It was quite a pity that someone already stole her role before she could even show off the extent of her acting skills. The rookie girl had been crying for more than an hour, but she still didn't show any signs of ceasing. After being yelled at by the young man, she became quiet for less than five minutes, then started wailing loudly again, her body quaking with spasmodic sobs. Lin Qiushi's ears had long grown numb to her incessant whining.

With exactly five men and five women, there was a total of ten people within the castle grounds. Among them were two newcomers—a tragic heroine, whose tear ducts didn't seem to function properly given that she wept for hours on end, and a shivering black-haired youth, who shrank into the corner like a smudge of mold ever since he came in.

Once all individuals gathered together, the dull sound of a bell rang within the castle halls. Before long, a gentleman in a black suit appeared at the foot of the stairway.

The man walked towards them with light, graceful steps, and greeted them with a courteous smile, "You have finally arrived. My master has been awaiting your presence for quite a long time. Now, if you will."

With that, he swiveled on his heels and made his way to the second floor.

Those who were familiar with these kinds of situations knew that this was a signal, a possible lead, so they followed the steward closely. As for the two rookies, although they didn't have a single clue as to what was going on, they didn't dare stray from the crowd. In the end, they huddled with the others and also advanced to the second floor.

The interior of the castle was quite grand and spacious, and the staircase leading to the second floor was infinitely long, seemingly extending without end. After passing through the eternal stairway, they shuffled along a boundless, narrow corridor. The few oil lamps that hung in the corridor dimly illuminated their path, flickering ever so often. And suspended below every faint source of light were oddly peculiar oil paintings.

Just why exactly did he find these paintings to be so peculiar? Well, it was precisely because the subject of the work wasn't nearly recognizable in any of the oil paintings. One minute, the painting seemed to encapsulate a scenery, and in the next, it gave life to the figure of a human being. The erratic clash of colors haphazardly streaking the canvas produced a warped image, arousing a sense of perturbation and discomfort in people.

The thick carpet on the floors of the castle muffled the sound of everyone's footsteps. Aside from the hazy whispers of the glimmering flames, the entire corridor was disconcertingly still, void of any noise or voice.

At the end of the corridor was a slightly ajar wooden door. The steward walked over to the door and pulled it open. He then turned around and gave a deep bow, politely holding out his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Ruan Nanzhu stepped forward, taking the lead, and entered the room.

Lin Qiushi followed after him, only to soon be met with a sight to behold.

As it turned out, the door had actually opened up to a dining hall. At the center of the room was a grand dining table, on which various scrumptious dishes had been arranged. And at the very end of the dining table sat their hostess, the mistress of the castle according to the steward's words.

A slender woman dressed in gothic attire; all of her garments, from her long, flowing dress to the massive hat resting on her head, were pitch-black. Her complexion was of the ashen hue of a corpse, almost as deathly white as a ghost. Her deep inky eyes were unnervingly large; under the dim lights, those soulless eyes of hers resembled a dark, inescapable abyss. Her thin lips, which were caked in rouge lipstick, were curved up into a subtle smile—if that could even be considered a smile.

The disturbing sight of her made the crowd's skin crawl. A strained silence fell over everyone in the room; not a single person dared to utter a sound. Even the newcomer, who was ceaselessly sobbing just minutes ago, had stopped crying out of fear.

"Please, after you." The steward's voice echoed within the dreary halls. "Do enjoy this delectable feast to the fullest."

As usual, Ruan Nanzhu was the first to react. He found a random chair to sit in, then reached for the wet hand towel that had been served, and cleaned his hands.

Lin Qiushi took a seat beside him.

One after another, the others began filling up the unoccupied spaces. Once everyone was seated, the hostess raised a small bell and rang it, signaling the start of the meal. From beginning to end, she didn't say a word; her eerie expression didn't even change in the slightest either. She silently picked up her knife and fork and slowly began engorging herself on the food before her.

Lin Qiushi observed her from the corner of his eyes. He noticed the lady's hands were a little too big in proportion to her emaciated figure. Her knuckles were protruding, and her brittle fingernails were a pale blue-grey colour. With those gnarled hands, she elegantly gripped onto the cold cutlery and neatly sliced into the rare steak on her plate, before stabbing a piece with her fork. She then carefully brought the fork to her wide, scarlet mouth, blood from the meat dripping from her lips.

What he had just witnessed was far too nauseating that it immediately caused Lin Qiushi to harbor qualms over whether the hostess was even human. No longer able to endure that sickening scene, Lin Qiushi averted his eyes, only to notice that Tan Zaozao, who was sitting next to him, was staring obsessively at the mistress…it was as if she had been bewitched by the devil.

Lin Qiushi coughed lowly, drawing Tan Zaozao's attention back to the present.

"Eat," murmured Lin Qiushi.

"En." Tan Zaozao seemed to have become aware of her own abnormal behaviour. After giving him a slight nod, she lowered her head and proceeded to cut into her steak, refusing to stare at the other anymore.

The meal was surprisingly delicious. Every dish, from the appetizers to the desserts, burst with rich, tantalizing flavors. If not for their current predicament, they would've undoubtedly savored every bite of the fine delicacies in front of them; unfortunately, no one really had the appetite to relish such gourmet food right now.

Of course, the only exception was Ruan Nanzhu, whose guts were as big as ever. He didn't express the slightest discomfort or disinclination at eating, ever since he sat down at the table. In fact, he gobbled up all the food, licking all the plates spotless, and still had space for fruits.

Eventually, the situation turned into one where everyone simply gaped at Ruan Nanzhu's great appetite. Yet, as if he didn't perceive anything unnatural or awkward about the current mood, he simply continued stuffing himself to his heart's content.

Once he was done eating, he calmly placed his knife and fork down and wiped his mouth clean.

Only after the last person finished their meal, did their hostess quietly stand up from her chair and saunter out the door.

The steward announced, "Dear guests, my master shall now escort you all to what you have long awaited. If you will, do follow her."

The crowd hurried after the madame, ascending the ever-winding staircase.

God knew just how many levels existed in the ancient castle. As he climbed up the stairs, Lin Qiushi kept count of the floors he had passed; the hostess led them to the seventh floor in the end.

She swiftly advanced to the end of the hall of the seventh floor, opened a door, and stepped inside.

Not daring to follow her in, everyone chose to observe the situation from outside the door.

Judging from the interior, the room before their eyes was most likely a studio. There were countless painting tools—brushes of various sizes, wooden pallets to blend pigments, scattered sketches, containers of paint, stained drop cloths, and more—but the most eye-catching of them all was the standing canvas that was veiled by a cotton tarp, conspicuously situated at the center of the room.

Just then, the steward's voice rang out from behind them, "The long-anticipated painting will be completed in a couple of days. During this period, please keep your inquisitiveness in check; we would appreciate if you did not run amok. Take this time to admire the ravishing view of this majestic castle instead, if you will. Once my master has completed the painting, you will be able to appraise it with your very own eyes."

Upon hearing the other's speech, Lin Qiushi finally identified their roles. According to the steward, they were patrons who admired the madame's painting skills, and they were to spend a few days in this castle, until the mistress' art piece was completed. Given this information, he suspected that the key to leave had something to do with the mistress' final painting.

"You mustn't disturb my master while she creates her masterpiece," informed the steward. "Now, the day is growing darker, so please return to your respective chambers to rest."

With that, he ushered everyone back downstairs.

Their living quarters were located on the third floor, with one room per person. The keys were randomly assigned to individuals, and the printed numbers on the keys corresponded to room numbers of their new lodgings.

Lin Qiushi was quite lucky, for his bedroom was directly across from Ruan Nanzhu's. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Xu Xiaocheng. Seeing that she was the only one assigned to a room in the far corner, she bitterly clutched the key in her hand and disgruntledly grumbled to herself for hours.

The bedroom was quite large and spacious, furnished with beautiful decorations. Whether it was the cozy bed that was of an incredible size, or that ornate dressing table that was designed intricately, everything was simply breathtaking. The whole bedroom reflected a touch of old times, transporting him back to the Age of Renaissance.

The mistress of the castle seemed to be very fond of paintings, to the point she even put up a painting in the middle of the room. The art depicted a desolate castle assailed by an obscuring curtain of rain; the mood of the painting was quite dark and unsettling. Lin Qiushi looked at the painting for but a moment, before removing it from the wall, placing it on the ground, and covering it with a cloth.

Because the clue they received was The Woman of The Rain, Lin Qiushi had reason to believe that all paintings in this world were ill-omened.

After washing up, he returned to his bed. Before going to sleep, he checked his phone out of habit; unsurprisingly, there was no signal.

He then lay in bed for a while. Time ticked by, infinitely slowly. At long last, Lin Qiushi got up and headed to the room across from his, knocking lightly on the door.

With a creak, Ruan Nanzhu opened the door for Lin Qiushi.

"Nanzhu." Lin Qiushi stepped inside, only to notice there was also a painting in Ruan Nanzhu's room. The art piece seemed to emphasize the shrubs at the gate of the castle, and just like the painting in his own room, the weather was rainy and gloomy.

"Well then." Ruan Nanzhu returned to Lin Qiushi's side after washing his hair; water droplets clung to his hair, gradually trailing down his neck. As he dried off his damp hair, he asked, "What'd you find?"

"She looks too similar to The Woman of the Rain." Lin Qiushi started. "It's as though she came straight out of the painting itself."

Ruan Nanzhu mused thoughtfully, "Indeed."

Although he hadn't stated it outright, it was clear that Lin Qiushi was referring to the hostess. Anyone who laid eyes on both The Woman of the Rain and the mistress of this ancient castle, would surely associate them to each other; the resemblance was simply too uncanny.

Ruan Nanzhu pointed towards the painting hanging on the wall, "Do you also have one in your room?"

Lin Qiushi nodded, "Yes. But the image is completely different. It's a painting of an old castle."

"Remove it," instructed Ruan Nanzhu.

"I've already done so." Lin Qiushi replied. "What about Tan Zaozao?"

Ruan Nanzhu said, "I'll go over and check on her later. If anything, I might tell her to come over and sleep here for the night instead."

Lin Qiushi hummed in understanding.

Ruan Nanzhu: "You don't have anything to say?"

Lin Qiushi thought Ruan Nanzhu was inquiring about any clues, so he simply shook his head, indicating that he hadn't found any other leads, and said that he'd look again tomorrow.

Ruan Nanzhu: "…Forget it, it doesn't matter."

Truthfully speaking, if he had a choice in the matter, Lin Qiushi would rather live with Ruan Nanzhu right now, because the both of them tended to depend on each other, take care of one another. However, he still had to take into consideration Tan Zaozao, who genuinely needed to be looked after and protected. With that in mind, Lin Qiushi had no choice but to suck it up and yieldingly accept current arrangements.

After chatting with Ruan Nanzhu for some time, Lin Qiushi returned to his own room.

But upon entering the room, he was paralyzed to the spot, unable to take his eyes off the painting on the wall—the very painting that was now back it its original position despite having been removed from the wall a while ago…

"…" After a long, painful second of silence, Lin Qiushi stepped forward to take the picture off the wall, once again.

This time, he didn't merely push it to the corner of the room and drape a cloth over it; rather, he stuffed the painting inside a drawer, before propping a bulky stool against it.

As the night fell, the whispers of a tempestuous storm arrived. Lin Qiushi lay in bed, listening to the bitter cries of the slight breeze blowing relentlessly, rustling the leaves at the treetops.

A magnificent crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling of his bedroom. Plague by insomnia, Lin Qiushi stared vacantly at the unlit chandelier above, his mind beginning to wander elsewhere. He knew that he should go to sleep, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep at all. He just wished he could empty all of his thoughts and knock himself unconscious, but with each passing second, he became restless, even more awake.

The wind outside grew stronger; its ominous howls grew louder and louder, more alarming. Lin Qiushi suddenly caught the faint scent of rain in the air, that uniquely fresh and earthy fragrance produced when smatterings of rain fell on dry soil. At first, the smell was quite mild, but it grew even more intense, eventually pervading every corner of his room. Within moments, Lin Qiushi's nostrils were violently assaulted by that overbearingly thick, damp odour.

Lin Qiushi had been staring fixedly at the ceiling for ages, and before he knew it, a dark patch of water started to appear above his head, clearly visible against the white walls. He vigorously rubbed at his eyes, believing they were playing tricks on him. Yet, the damp stains were still there, in the same exact spot…clearly, this wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

Shouldn't there have been another room above his own? How could water be leaking? A dreadful feeling of unease washed over Lin Qiushi, as he gradually became aware of the foreboding situation. The murky water stains grew darker and more pronounced, seemingly distorting right before his eyes. Not daring to continue lying down in bed anymore, he quickly got up and switched on the lights.

With a flash, the whole room lit up. As soon as the lights came on, Lin Qiushi looked back at the ceiling, only to find that it was utterly spotless…there was nothing there.

Was it merely a hallucination? Or a foreboding sign? Lin Qiushi decided to turn the lights back off. Sure enough, the black stains reappeared in the darkness. The spatters were much larger than before, and they soon began warping bizarrely, taking shape…of a woman's profile.

Lin Qiushi flicked the lights back on.

He scanned the area, then walked over to the window, unlocking it and pulling it open.

It had begun showering outside. The falling rain wasn't particularly heavy, but its dainty pitter-patters were loud and clear; the cool droplets hit the leaves ever so often, producing a crisp, steady rhythm.

Lin Qiushi peered at the scenery outside the window, focusing on the hazy garden veiled by the delicate curtain of rain.

Hidden within the obscuring depths of the garden was a dark figure, wearing a raincoat and bucket hat. It stood still in the midst of the shrubbery and silently gazed at the old castle, like a lingering guest waiting to enter the premises, like a secretive owner inspecting their own home.

But a closer look at the indistinct figure revealed that it was merely the shadow of a tree; the human-like shape grew vague and blurry, soon vanishing completely as it faded into the tree's silhouette.

It seemed that Lin Qiushi's nerves were starting to get the best of him, conjuring rather frightful illusions that deceived his mind.