Chapter 29: Days with Doll
Irene quickly grasped what Yu Sheng meant by ‘Rule System.’
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure,” Doll in the painting spoke slowly, pointing to her head. “I told you before, much of my memory is hazy, including some of the most basic knowledge. The influence of this painting on me goes beyond mere memory loss—it has dismantled my thoughts over countless years. As for the traits of ‘Hunger,’ most of what I know is just a vague impression that I’ve pieced together. You should only take it as a reference.”
“…Regardless, that thing is indeed difficult to deal with,” Yu Sheng muttered after a moment of contemplation, nodding. “We need an alternative plan. If we can’t handle that monster, we should at least find a way to bring Foxy out of that Valley. By the way, if we manage to get her out of the Otherworld, would that also free her from ‘Hunger’s’ influence?”
“It should,” Irene pondered aloud. “The influence of the Otherworld can’t extend to reality. But to be honest, just getting another person out of the Otherworld under the blockade of ‘Hunger’ is absurdly difficult.”
Thinking it over, Irene suddenly looked up and stared intently at Yu Sheng. “Wait—are you really planning to handle that thing by yourself? I mean… even if you manage to deal with it, how are you sure you can even get back to that Valley?”
“Didn’t you say that once a person makes contact with the Otherworld, they can never break free from that connection?” Yu Sheng replied casually. “I figured it’s like falling into quicksand—you can struggle to climb out for a bit, but you’re still sinking in the end.”
Irene’s crimson eyes widened. “That’s what I said, but I meant that once you’ve encountered the Otherworld, you’ll be more likely to encounter other Otherworlds or supernatural phenomena—not necessarily the same one you first encountered! It’s totally random!”
Yu Sheng looked into her eyes seriously. “But I have a feeling I’ll meet that monster again soon… and I’ll return to that Valley. It’s as if I haven’t completely ‘disconnected’ from it… like it’s waiting for me.”
A flicker of solemnity appeared in Irene’s scarlet gaze. After a pause, she spoke uncertainly. “…Spiritual Intuition?”
“I’m not sure if it’s what you call ‘Spiritual Intuition,'” Yu Sheng shrugged. “But ever since I encountered that monster, I’ve been able to vaguely ‘sense’ certain things. It’s hazy but seems accurate.”
“It’s rare for ordinary people to develop Spiritual Intuition even after significant stimuli, let alone control and utilize it within such a short time,” Irene eyed him up and down in amazement. “Maybe you’re born with the physique of an Investigator…”
Yu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “Is that a good thing?”
Irene thought for a moment and spoke bluntly as usual. “Investigators tend to have a high mortality rate.”
Yu Sheng: “…”
Before he could retort, Irene continued, completely deadpan. “But normal people who contact the Otherworld without developing Spiritual Intuition have an even higher mortality rate.”
Yu Sheng twitched his lips. “Well, that’s not too big of a problem, I guess.”
Irene marveled at Yu Sheng’s incredible ability to stay calm, while Yu Sheng merely shook his head and rose from the dining table.
The Doll’s voice came from the painting immediately. “Hey, where are you going?”
“Kitchen! I’ve been sleeping all day—haven’t even thought about dinner!” Yu Sheng glanced at Irene. “Why are you so jumpy every time I move? It’s like you’re afraid I’ll abandon you or something.”
“Obviously! I can’t move on my own, you know! It’s nerve-wracking! Besides, with you being able to fall into the Otherworld just by stepping out the door, how do I know you won’t disappear the next time you get up, leaving me stuck here forever…”
Irene’s usual mouthiness was present, but Yu Sheng just furrowed his brows, realizing that her words carried a hint of genuine concern. He also sensed the Doll’s helplessness from being trapped in a painting and her fear of losing the only person she could communicate with.
After a moment’s thought, Yu Sheng picked up the painting with Irene inside.
The Doll instantly cried out. “Hey! What are you doing? I… I was watching TV! Don’t you dare hang me back in that room upstairs! I… Fine, I won’t talk. Just put me back down…”
“Cooking alone is boring. You’re not doing anything anyway, so come to the kitchen and keep me company.”
Irene froze for a moment, secretly observing Yu Sheng’s expression from the edge of the picture frame. He seemed a little incredulous, but quickly nodded with a huff. “Sure! Sure!”
Yu Sheng clicked his tongue, grabbed Irene, and walked into the kitchen, casually placing her on the windowsill. Then he turned and opened the fridge, checking the ingredients for dinner.
Foxy’s figure appeared in his mind—the moment he saw the food, he couldn’t help but recall that Demon Fox Maiden squatting amidst the ruins of the broken temple, gnawing on a wilted vegetable leaf while staring at him from afar.
She was still hungry.
Yu Sheng pursed his lips, suppressing his swirling thoughts, and took out the leftover braised meat and two steamed breads from the morning. Dinner would be simple—just reheating the leftovers with steamed bread and making a bit of porridge.
Placing the steamed bread and braised meat into the microwave, he started washing rice to prepare the porridge. Silent and focused, he soon regretted bringing Irene into the kitchen.
From the moment he opened the fridge, this chattering little doll hadn’t stopped!
“Wow, your fridge is huge! Can one person even use such a big fridge?
“That’s the braised meat from this morning, right? Gotta admit, after processing that ‘specialty’ ingredient, it actually looks pretty normal… But are you sure it won’t suddenly come to life in the bowl?
“Just making porridge? There’s not much to see here. How about carving a flower out of a radish? Or maybe make a stamp.
“Why don’t you turn on the range hood? Oh, you’re not frying anything.
“Is it getting dark outside? Turn me around so I can see the street… Oh, fine if you won’t.
“What’s your mom’s last name?”
Finally reaching his limit, Yu Sheng picked up Irene and held her near the sink. “Do you believe I’ll soak you right now? I’ll scrub you with dish soap until your paint comes off, you believe that?”
Irene shrank back immediately, clutching her teddy bear as she sat down in the chair. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop talking…”
At last, peace returned.
Irene sat back on the windowsill, hugging her teddy bear and watching Yu Sheng, who leaned against the stove, lost in thought. Neither spoke for a long time.
Eventually, Irene broke the silence. “I still think it’s too dangerous to face ‘Hunger’ alone. I can’t quite remember how powerful that Entity is, but it’s definitely not something an ordinary person can handle. You… could die.”
“I’ll come back to life.”
“I’m being serious!”
“So am I.”
Irene glared at him, looking genuinely upset for a few seconds before sighing.
“Really, think of another way. Try to reach out to the people in this city who specialize in dealing with the Otherworld. Don’t take unnecessary risks.”
“I’m not looking for danger—it just seems to find me,” Yu Sheng shook his head. “But I get what you mean. I won’t throw my life away needlessly. As for the ‘professionals’ you mentioned, I’ll look for them.”
“Oh, good.”
Dinner passed peacefully, with Irene critiquing the mindless urban drama on TV while Yu Sheng ate intently, occasionally acknowledging her chatter.
By the end of the meal, Yu Sheng had cleaned his plate so thoroughly that even the last bit of meat sauce was wiped away with steamed bread.
“I’m going out for a bit,” he said casually, changing into his outdoor clothes.
Irene, watching TV, immediately looked up with a hint of panic. “Where are you going?!”
“To the small supermarket at the corner to buy some food. It’s not far,” Yu Sheng replied, noticing her worried expression. He couldn’t help but smile. “Relax. Just because I walk out the door doesn’t mean I’ll fall into the Otherworld every time… Don’t worry. This house may be weird, but I always check outside before stepping out.”
“Oh, right,” Irene scratched her head, still somewhat skeptical. “But I thought the fridge was pretty full earlier.”
“I’m getting things that don’t need refrigeration—something convenient and ready to eat,” Yu Sheng explained.
“Oh, got it. Be careful when you go out… and definitely check outside before stepping through the door!”
Yu Sheng chuckled. It had been a long time since anyone told him to be careful when going out. Even though the one saying it was a doll known for her foul mouth, it felt nice.
After making sure he had plenty of bread and biscuits in his pockets, Yu Sheng approached the large door, taking a deep breath as his hand touched the handle.
Ever since his last trip through this door landed him straight into the Otherworld, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear.
But he couldn’t just stay inside forever.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Sheng cautiously pushed the door open—a crack at first, then a bit wider—carefully inspecting the outside.
After confirming several times that it was safe, he finally exhaled and stepped out.
Luckily, the door wasn’t always that ominous.
Perhaps leaving that old manor and falling into the Otherworld wasn’t a high-probability event. Maybe it required specific conditions, or the door had some hidden ‘effect’ that only activated under certain circumstances?
With a slightly more relaxed mind, Yu Sheng walked down the nearly deserted street with a light step and soon reached the corner supermarket. He pushed the door open—
Heat blasted his face. On the other side of the door was scorched ground steaming with heat, and a crashed flying machine spewing thick smoke on a distant hill. Two fully armed individuals, clad in sleek black powered armor reminiscent of alien mercenaries, were grappling. Suddenly, one raised a hand, and with a sharp hiss, a plasma blade ignited, thrusting toward the other.
Then, as if sensing his gaze, both mercenaries simultaneously turned to look at Yu Sheng. The dark red glow from their visor sensors flickered ominously.
Yu Sheng: “…?”
He instantly took a step back and slammed the door shut.