Chapter 41: The Framed Painting

Chapter 41: The Framed Painting

If one had encountered such a situation in the real world, they probably wouldve brushed it off, thinking they were being overly sensitive, fretting over nothing. Alas, this wasnt the real world but the treacherous world beyond the door. As a result, Lin Qiushi couldnt help but overthink the situation, even if it merely turned out to be a part of his own delusions.

He carefully scrutinized the scenery outside the window, confirming that the dark figure within the garden had truly vanished, before returning to bed. He didnt dare turn off the lights this time, and in the brightness of the room, he tried falling asleep.

Lin Qiushi was still plagued by restlessness for a while, but once he recalled that serene sensation that spread through his body every time he slept next to Ruan Nanzhu, his consciousness began to grow hazy and his eyelids fluttered slightly. Ruan Nanzhu truly was the only drug that could cure him of his insomnia, Lin Qiushi vaguely thought as he drifted off to shallow sleep.

The following morning, Lin Qiushi awakened to the chimes of the clock. Now that it was bright and early, he planned to find Ruan Nanzhu after washing up and getting ready.

It was obvious that Lin Qiushi did not sleep well last night, and the massive dark circles underneath his eyes served as proof of that. He stared into the mirror, gawking at the unfamiliar man before him. Although the face was different, the aura around him was quite similar; if not all, the more he studied himself, the more similarities he could spot between his current appearance and his original one. Once he finished changing his clothes, Lin Qiushi exited his room and knocked on Ruan Nanzhus door.

The door slowly opened with a creak, but, contrary to expectations, the one behind it was actually Tan Zaozao. Her face was even uglier than Lin Qiushis right now; she looked as though she didnt get a wink of sleep last night. Upon seeing Lin Qiushi, she grouchily greeted him with a monotone Good morning.

Ruan Nanzhu had also got out of bed to wash up, and he had just walked out of the bathroom when he heard Lin Qiushis voice. With glimmering water droplets still clinging to his damp hair, smoothly sliding down his sharp jawline, he turned around and pleasantly greeted the other, Morning.

Glaring hatefully, Tan Zaozao huffed with raged and stomped towards the unoccupied bathroom.

Lin Qiushi was rather puzzled at her angry behaviour, but he soon discovered the reason for Tan Zaozaos grumpinessthe girl had actually slept on the floor of the room for the whole night. Her pitiful-looking bed was arranged right next to Ruan Nanzhus large, incredibly comfy bed.

You made her sleep on the floor? Lin Qiushi stared incredulously at the ground for a few minutes.

Where else would I let her sleep? Ruan Nanzhu shrugged nonchalantly. I dont like sleeping in the bed with others.

Lin Qiushi: He thought back on the countless nights he spent sleeping in the others bed, snuggling right up to him, hugging him tightly Perhaps he heard incorrectly, because Ruan Nanzhus statement made absolutely no sense.

Ruan Nanzhu added, Youre the only exception. Yep, he really must be hearing things, because the other was still speaking nonsense.

At Ruan Nanzhus awfully suggestive and brazen statement, Lin Qiushi awkwardly changed the subject, Ahem, so did you sleep well last night?

Extremely well. Ruan Nanzhu replied. The bed was quite comfortable.

The huge bed was truly too snug; anyone who experienced its soft coziness would never want to leave. Yet, no matter how comfortable the mattress was, Lin Qiushi doubted anyone in this situation had the heart to genuinely appreciate it like Ruan Nanzhu.

After she finished brushing and washing, Tan Zanzao came out of the bathroom and began grumbling about how cruel Ruan Nanzhu was, how he couldnt even be considered human. To think he actually told a frail lady like her to sleep on the floor; because of him, her entire boy was now aching

At first, Ruan Nanzhu blatantly ignored her, but seeing that she wouldnt stop whining anytime soon, he then said, Would you like to sleep on the bed tonight?

A pleasantly-surprised Tan Zaozao: Really? Do you really mean it?

A calm Ruan Nanzhu: I can just sleep with Linlin.

Tan Zaozao: You shameless, shitty couple. Of course, when it came down to it, even if she hated sleeping on the floor, she didnt dare accept his offer. Yesterday, she felt that something was terribly amiss, so she immediately dashed for Ruan Nanzhus room out of fear, deciding to stay the night no matter what. If she truly dared to sleep alone, why in the world would she run to this bastards room and suffer sleeping on the floor in the first place?

Breakfast took place upstairs. Lin Qiushi had originally assumed that the mistress and the steward were the only residents of this castle, so he didnt expect there to be other servants, as well. After bringing in their meals, the servants withdrew from the area, ever so quickly and quietly. They didnt carry the slightest expression on their faces throughout the entire time. With those wooden looks on their faces, they resembled blank marionettes that were unable to move on their own accord, mere emotionless puppets whose actions were prompted and manipulated anothers hands.

The mistress of the castle, who they had met the evening before, also appeared in time for breakfast. Still dressed in her sleek black dress and gaudy black hat, she sat silently by the arched window, indolently degusting the exquisite meal, her grey, contorted hands gracefully bringing the food to her rouge-stained mouth.

A stifling silence plagued the mood of the dining hall; the atmosphere was frighteningly solemn. Not a single person dared to utter a word, much less initiate a conversation with the reserved madame.

Fortunately, once the meal ended, the mistress noiselessly drifted out as before, once again vanishing from their sight. According to the steward, she had departed for the atelier at the top of the castle. The steward then informed them of a few places they were forbidden from entering. The first place that was off-limits was the art studio at the top of the castle, the very one the mistress left for. The second place that was prohibited from them was the warehouse on the sixth floor, where all unfinished paintings were stored. Apart from those two places, they were free to venture wherever they desired. However, they should, at all times, keep in mind that the mistress detested it when others touched her precious paintings

Everyone carefully etched the stewards reminder into their minds, with some even going as far as to precisely writing down his notice in their journal, lest they should miss a word and make a grave mistake.

After delivering his word of advice to the guests, the steward then excused himself, leaving the ten silent individuals in the quiet dining hall.

Im going to check out the situation. Anyone want to come along with me? Someone in the crowd finally proposed, wanting to find any possible clues on the key.

At once, everyone began looking for a partner to team up with, with all individuals forming groups of two.

Just when Lin Qiushi was about to ask Ruan Nanzhu if he wanted to pair up, he saw the weeping newcomer shyly approach Ruan Nanzhu and tentatively whisper, Brother, do you have a partner? Can you take me along with you? Im so scared

The young lady wasnt lacking in appearance at all. Her delicate and lovely features made onlookers hearts clench with pity, making it hard to them to refuse any of her requests.

But who exactly was Ruan Nanzhu? He was a professional crossdresser; a through-and-through male who was even more feminine than any female; a man who would very much rather play the role of a drama queen than a chivalrous prince. Put simply, he was someone who played the role of a tragic heroine far better than the sniveling girl before him.

That being said, even Lin Qiushi could clearly tell Ruan Nanzhus heart wasnt moved in the slightest; in fact, the man actually looked rather repulsed, as though he had just swallowed something utterly unpalatable.

No. Ruan Nanzhu rejected, awfully bluntly.

Once again, the young woman began to cry waterfalls, But Im so scared. Ill try not to hold you back.

Ruan Nanzhu quirked a brow, before furtively casting a meaningful glance at Tan Zaozao.

Tan Zaozaos eyes glinted with understanding. Immediately, she stood up, walked over to the girl, and said, Sorry, but I already asked him yesterday. You should probably look for someone else.

A trace of resentment flashed in the young womans eyes when she saw Tan Zaozao. She seemed to want to say more, but Ruan Nanzhu abruptly got up and beckoned Tan Zaozao over, signaling it was time for them to leave.

Tan Zaozao unhesitatingly followed him out the door.

Lin Qiushi, who was sitting at the sidelines the entire time, also left the room soon after, under the pretense of having something to do.

It seemed that there were many advantages to Ruan Nanzhu cross-dressing. At least, he didnt have to worry about being approached by a pitiable girl who wanted to team up with him.

Theres something off about that newcomer, stated Ruan Nanzhu, after stepping out.

Why, whats wrong with her? Tan Zaozao, on the other hand, thought the girl was quite normal. All she did was cry so miserably yesterday

Ruan Nanzhu glanced at Tan Zaozao, So you dont think it isnt strange that someone who cowers and cries at every little thing has the courage to approach me like that and suggest that we team up?

Tan Zaozao raised her eyebrows, That is true.

Ruan Nanzhus divine beauty could rival that of a great god, but the diabolic aura he radiated was far from that of a benevolent saint. He was practically the living embodiment of despotism and antagonism. Like a bewitching flower hidden within the depths of the jungle, he was a gorgeous existence that warned others not to draw too close unless they wished to be pricked by its poisonous thorns. He mightve displayed signs of weakness while disguised as a woman; however, dressed as a man, there was absolutely nothing about him that was weak.

Just the mere sight of him casually sitting down with arched brows, caused people to shrink back, not daring to approach him. Even Lin Qiushi couldnt even imagine having the courage to ask such a domineering man to partner up with him.

Maybe lust won over her in the end. As Tan Zaozao and the others walked through the shadowy corridor, they observed the paintings at the side. Again, its only a maybe.

Ruan Nanzhu nonchalantly replied, No more than ten people have ever taken the initiative to ask me to team up with them, and not a single one of them was a rookie. Likewise, she isnt an exception.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Pretending to be a complete novice had both its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, other people were more likely to let their guard down around them. On the other hand, if their lies were ever seen through, they would undoubtedly become an outcast rejected by the entire team, the target of everyones negativity and suspicion; after all, the others wouldnt know why that person disguised themselves as a newcomer, or what their true intentions were.

The castle was of such gigantic size that someone was bound to get lost in it; just the second floor alone had countless rooms spread throughout the dim halls. As they made their way from the second floor to the third floor, quietly taking in the melancholy splendor and artistic ambiance, they noticed that the one thing the floors of this castle had in common was the various abstract paintings decorating every part of the castles interior; there was even one in the lavatory.

Lin Qiushi wasnt, by any means, an art aficionado; he didnt know much about art, nor did he know how or why artists created the pieces they did. Nevertheless, if there was one thing that he did know for certain, it was that these distorted paintings before his eyes gave rise to a terrible sense of dread and unease within him. If he could, hed rather cover those unsettling paintings with a white drop cloth, completely burying them out of sight.

We arent allowed to touch those paintings, isnt that right? Tan Zaozao recalled the stewards words.

No, not exactly. Ruan Nanzhu responded. Did you pay attention to what he said?

Xiao Xu shuddered violently. She opened her mouth, but it was as if her voice was clogged in her throat. No matter how much she wanted to scream for her life, she simply could not. Anxiously mustering the last of her strength, she let out a strangled cry and agonizingly crawled forward with her hands and feet.

Clack. Clack. Clack. The sharp clopping of brisk footsteps echoed in the stairway once again. Except, this time, the footsteps were awfully unhurried, dreadfully calm, tormentingly slowly drawing nearer to Xiao Su.

As if a freezing bucket of water had been poured on top of her, Xiao Sus body was soaked in cold sweat. The last of her strength had been exhausted, completely extinguished like a weak flame. She could only sink helplessly to the ground, and lie there like a mired puddle.

The woman stoically strode towards Xiao Su, eventually halting right before her and blankly staring down at her. Despite their surroundings being grey and desiccated, water continuously flowed down her lanky figure, occasionally dripping onto Xiao Sus body.

Xiao Su peered up feebly and saw the other slowly raise the picture frame. An indescribably crooked smile soon crept onto the womans pale, emotionless face; her garish scarlet lips eerily curved up, soon splitting across her colorless cheeks into a disturbingly wide arc. With a flourish of her sleeves, the grinning woman swung the frame down, mercilessly smashing it against the powerless girl.

Ahhhhhhhhh!!! A raw, wretched shriek ripped from Xiao Sus throat. Ominous darkness loomed threateningly over her, drowning her in murkiness. Her body started to turn cold, her consciousness began to blur, and everything around began to melt into the shadows And then, the world went black.

*****

The male partner, who was downstairs, quickly rushed to the top floor of the castle and soon confirmed Lin Qiushi and the others suspicions.

Thats her! Thats her!!! Upon seeing the image, the man started yelling hysterically; pure terror dyed his features. This is what she was wearing!

What if this picture was painted yesterday? A quivering voice sounded from the crowd. How can you be so sure?

It cant be yesterday!! The man was utterly devastated; his expression crumbled apart, and his body looked to be seconds away from collapsing. He wanted to touch the painting, but he dared not reached out. She wasnt wearing these clothes yesterday!! She changed into these clothes today!!

The castle did, indeed, provide them with new clothes to change into, and every outfit was absolutely stunning. Lin Qiushi also saw fresh, fancy clothes in his own drawer, but like the others on the team, he didnt dare change into themafter all, this was a world of horrors; who knew what could happen if they changed into those clothes.

The one thing no one could understand though, was why the girl named Xiao Su suddenly wore these clothes.

She was turned into a painting The man began mumbling to himself, unintelligibly repeating the same sentence. She was turned into a painting

What were you doing before she went to the bathroom? Despite having realized the gravity of the situation, Ruan Nanzhu was still cool and collected. He calmly urged, Tell it to me carefully.

The man shivered, We didnt do anything. We didnt do anything. We just came up here to look at the paintings, and then she went off to the bathroom

Ruan Nanzhu continued, Were there any particular paintings that struck out to you?

The man shook his head.

Ruan Nanzhu then said, Come. Lets go take a look at the bathroom on the sixth floor.

With that, they all headed for the females restroom on the sixth floor.

A round of inspections revealed there to be nothing particularly noteworthy in the bathroom. However, a haunting sense of incongruity kept pricking the back of Lin Qiushis mind. Ruan Nanzhus brows were also knitted into a frown, clearly indicating that he felt something was amiss.

Wait a minute. Lin Qiushi suddenly realized something. He scanned the area once more, and finally pinpointed the source of oddity. Why are there no paintings in this room?

As soon as he said this, everyone noticed that something was wrong.

Almost every spot in this castle displayed paintings. Whether in the washrooms, bedrooms, studios, corridor, practically every imaginable nook and cranny within these castle grounds, there was at least one framed painting that was bound to be hung up.

Yet, there were no paintings in the washroom they were inside. The entire area was scoured, but there wasnt a single trace of a painting.

That is certainly the case. Ruan Nanzhu mused. Or is it not that there was never one in here in the first place, but that the painting was taken away?

No one had the answer to this question. And the only person who knew the truth had long become an unmoving painting.

Deafening silence fell over the crowd, like a suffocating blanket.

The dull chimes of the castle bells shattered the dead stillness, signaling the time for lunch. Thereupon, the crowd began making their way towards the second floor.

Although the atmosphere was beyond foul and despondent, they still had to fill their stomachs, and rest their bodies and minds.

The meal for today was, once again, steak.

With the exception of Ruan Nanzhu, no one was in the mood to eat.

Ruan Nanzhus movements were very elegant and neat. The graceful manner in which he cut into his steak was simply a work of art, like a magnificent picture of royalty.

Perhaps it was because he was the only person in the room eating with such relish, everyones eyes were focused on him. Nonetheless, Ruan Nanzhu was already used to having attention, so the stares he received didnt bother him in the slightest. He calmly finished the last bite of his steak, and wiped his mouth, before asking, Whats the matter? Does it not suit your taste?

Lin Qiushi: Its not thatI just dont have much of an appetite right now.

Its delicious. Ruan Nanzhu looked around and chuckled pleasantly, It may very well be our last supper.

Everyone else:

Lin Qiushi helplessly sighed, Its bad luck to say something like that.

So, youre telling me a few auspicious words will stop one from dying? Ruan Nanzhu said. Perhaps I shouldve said something else then. May you have a prosperous year? Hope you live a long, blessed life? Cheers to you and your great health?

Lin Qiushi didnt know whether to laugh or cry. Regardless, what Ruan Nanzhu just said make complete sense. Death never picked favourites; those who were bound to die would, inevitably, die. It was better to just accept this and enjoy every second of life without regrets. But, unfortunately, such a thing was much easier said than done.

Faced with Ruan Nanzhus good intent, Lin Qiushi had no choice but to take a few bites of his meal.

The mistress did not join them for lunch this time. It was only after everyone had gotten up from their seats, did she leisurely stroll into the hall, swiftly passing everyone by. Although he only caught sight of her side profile, Lin Qiushi noticed that her pale face had become slightly brighter and fuller, as if she had just finished having an immensely satisfying meal. Her eyebrows were raised, and the corners of her eyes crinkled in sheer delight. Her deep pleasure jarred with her ghastly face, making the sight all the more terrifying.

Lets take a nap. Ruan Nanzhu suggested after lunch.

Okay. Because Tan Zaozao didnt get enough sleep the night before, she woke up completely listless today.

Who couldve known that Ruan Nanzhu would shoot her an insipid glance from the corner of his eyes and say, Youre still sleeping on the floor though.

Tan Zaozao: Cant you cut me some slack and let me sleep in the bed?

You are free to sleep in the bed of your own room. As for my bed Ruan Nanzhus tone was cool and unsympathetic. You arent qualified.

Tan Zaozao: Ruan Nanzhu, you lousy son of a bitch.

Authors Comment:

Tan Zaozao: What exactly do you have against me? Why are you always so nasty to me?

Ruan Nanzhu: Who wouldnt be in a shitty mood if they cant be pampered?

Tan Zaozao: Thats why I told you to dress as a girl!

Ruan Nanzhu: Well, I want him to like me regardless whether or not I dress as a girl.

Lin Qiushi: What the hell are you guys talking about??