Chapter 64: A Future Worth Anticipating
Foxy soon drifted into a drowsy sleep—though just a moment earlier, she had been chatting with Yu Sheng, full of curiosity and excitement, as if the new environment had stirred her so much that sleep seemed impossible. Yet, almost in the blink of an eye, Yu Sheng and Irene heard only the soft, rhythmic sound of gentle snoring coming from the bed.
Irene sat by Foxy’s bedside, watching the Demon Fox Maiden who had already slipped into Dream Entry.
“She sure fell asleep fast… already dreaming. Hmm, not bad—seems like a peaceful dream.”
“She probably hasn’t had a proper rest for a long time,” Yu Sheng muttered, instinctively lowering his voice. “I was worried she wouldn’t be able to sleep here since the environment changed so suddenly, and the place she stayed before didn’t even have a bed.”
Irene got up from the edge of the bed and moved closer to adjust Foxy’s blanket, speaking with professional ease, “She must feel safe here—she told me that Fox intuition is spot on…”
Just as Irene finished speaking, Foxy rolled over in her sleep, and in the next moment, Yu Sheng’s vision blurred—a massive, fluffy tail burst out, sweeping Irene clean off her feet. The Doll Lady let out a startled cry as she was catapulted into the wall, hitting it with a thud, painting and all.
Yu Sheng shouted an incredulous, “What the—!” and dashed over to scoop up the dazed Irene as she slid down the wall. As soon as Irene opened her mouth, a colorful array of curses filled the room.
Meanwhile, Foxy remained sound asleep, only mumbling something incoherent before curling up even more comfortably, wrapping herself up with two of her tails while the remaining ones bundled around her like a fuzzy cocoon, perfectly replacing the blanket that had been thrown off.
In less than two seconds, she had turned into a fluffy fox ball.
“Damn tail monster! I was just trying to be nice and—!” Irene hung off Yu Sheng’s arm, still spouting curses. Then she suddenly whipped her head around to face Yu Sheng. “You know what? Don’t bother buying her a blanket tomorrow. Clearly, she doesn’t need one!”
Yu Sheng quickly hauled the cursing Doll out of the room, only exhaling in relief once they reached the corridor. He shot an exasperated glance back at the door, muttering, “Guess it’ll take some time to get used to this… You alright, Irene?”
“Does wounded pride count as an injury?” Irene rolled her eyes dramatically, crawling up Yu Sheng’s arm to perch on his shoulder. “If I still had my old body, I wouldn’t be putting up with this! You have no idea how badass I used to be—I was… just awesome!”
“Yeah, yeah, I believe you…” Yu Sheng replied, humoring her as he carried her back to his own room.
Surprisingly, Irene didn’t snap back at his dismissive response, which caught Yu Sheng off guard. Curious, he glanced up to see the Doll deep in thought, her head lowered slightly.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I was just thinking… about your plan to have Foxy fight for you,” Irene said seriously, an unusual tone for her. “It looks like you’ve already made up your mind to keep dealing with the Otherworld, right? Not just as someone caught up in it, but actively seeking trouble?”
Yu Sheng remained silent for a moment—his lack of response was answer enough.
“Why?” Irene asked, genuinely curious. “You’ve already saved Foxy. There’s no need to deliberately look for more problems. Sure, anyone who’s been exposed to the Otherworld is bound to encounter it again, but you could just work with the Special Affairs Bureau and learn techniques to minimize future encounters. It would be a lot safer—far more stable than those Spirit Realm Detectives and Investigators.”
Yu Sheng thought about it, then grinned at Irene. “What if I said it’s because I’m curious? That the bizarre phenomena of the Otherworld spark my curiosity, and I just want a bit of thrill…”
The little doll immediately tugged at his hair, making it a tangled mess. “You’re serious? Are you serious?!”
Yu Sheng quickly grabbed her hands to stop the assault, blurting out, “Alright, alright—half of that is serious!”
Irene stopped messing with his hair and just stared at him, wide-eyed, clearly caught between disbelief and intrigue.
Yu Sheng took a deep breath, his expression growing serious. “Curiosity, that’s part of it, I’m not joking,” he said. “Do you remember that night when I took you through one Door after another? Those… scenes behind the big Doors, do you remember them?”
“…I remember.”
“I remember too, vividly,” Yu Sheng replied, slowly sinking into the chair. “So many ‘distant places’… We even seriously discussed that glowing peak… Irene, don’t you want to see it? And that city floating in the sky, those birds soaring over the rift…”
“And the Eldest Senior Brother hanging from the beam.”
“…Yeah, and the Eldest Senior Brother hanging from the beam,” Yu Sheng shook his head with a smile. “Irene, whether they’re some ‘faraway place’ or an ‘Otherworld,’ I was genuinely captivated by those sights. You tell me, I’ve opened so many Doors, and I can open them again whenever I want. I already know how vast the world beyond Boundary City is—how can I just stay put here in the Borderland and live a ‘peaceful life’ like you said?”
He exhaled lightly, a hint of resolve appearing in his gaze. “As long as I keep opening Doors, I will inevitably encounter those ‘landscapes’ again—and this Door is already open.”
“That makes sense,” Irene said, hugging Yu Sheng’s head, her fingers carefully smoothing back his messy hair from earlier. “If I were you, I’d be even more reckless—I’d probably have even crazier ideas.”
The little doll paused for a moment before asking, “Then what’s the other part of your reason?”
Yu Sheng fell silent, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Memories surfaced in his mind—sunlight flowing through old alleys, a reddened sky, cloud mist like water—a familiar and endearing “Coastal City.”
“There’s a place… I want to find it,” Yu Sheng whispered.
He felt the small hands playing with his hair suddenly stop.
“I get the feeling…” Irene bent down, staring intently at his face with her crimson eyes. “You’re planning to go somewhere… and not come back, aren’t you?”
Yu Sheng opened his eyes to meet her piercing gaze, those crimson pupils almost making his heart waver.
“…No, I just want to find that place, take a look, and then come back,” he replied, forcing a casual tone.
“Really?” Irene’s expression was skeptical.
“Really,” Yu Sheng nodded, pausing thoughtfully before repeating, “It’s true.”
“Hmm… seems like you’re not lying,” Irene tilted her head, appearing to accept his words, but quickly shook her head. “Whatever, even if you’re lying, there’s nothing I can do about it. The ability to open Doors is yours… So, have you thought about how to start? Are you going to be a Spirit Realm Detective and take commissions related to the Otherworld? Or be a lone Investigator, searching for clues in remote corners? Or… just randomly open a Door every day and dive into chaos?”
“Let’s not consider that last one,” Yu Sheng quickly dismissed with a wave. “I’m not afraid of death, but I’m not reckless enough to jump blindly into something I can’t handle… if I end up encountering something too powerful to fight or escape from, that’s it for me.”
“Oh, at least you’re not completely insane,” Irene said cheerfully, shaking her head. “So, you’re deciding between being a Spirit Realm Detective or an Investigator? The former is more stable but restricted by job commissions, while the latter is all about freedom and the thrill of unexpected surprises…”
Yu Sheng thought for a moment. “That Little Red Riding Hood—which kind is she?”
“Definitely a Spirit Realm Detective,” Irene replied with a wave. “She’s a student doing part-time work for the Special Affairs Bureau. Though according to her, she’s also affiliated with some organization called ‘Fairy Tale’ or something…”
Yu Sheng’s mind started to work. “An organization… Does it need registration?”
“…Probably?” Irene scratched her head. “How would I know? I forgot most of that stuff! But it makes sense that it would, right? The Special Affairs Bureau is in charge of monitoring Doors, and if you gather a bunch of specialized Otherworld experts without registration, that would probably count as an ‘active but illegal social group.’”
She suddenly paused, her expression puzzled. “Wait… Are you thinking of forming an organization? We’re just three people, counting that Fox, and she doesn’t even have an ID… Actually, I don’t either. Hey, doesn’t that make you the only real ‘person’ in this house?”
“That… actually sounds right,” Yu Sheng muttered awkwardly, rubbing his nose as he realized the truth. “Where on earth do I get an ID for Foxy?”
“Next time someone from the Special Affairs Bureau shows up, ask them about it,” Irene suggested. “It’s a small favor—they probably wouldn’t mind helping.”
“…Are they from the same unit?”
“Asking doesn’t cost anything.”
“Fine, you’re right.” Yu Sheng scratched his head, only to suddenly realize something else.
“Wait, Irene, are you planning to stay in my room again today?!”
“Of course! My room’s got that creepy Door!”
“You’re just as creepy as that Door—get back to your own room!”
“No way!”