Chapter 029

Chapter 29: Days with the Doll

Irene quickly understood what he meant by a “rules type.”

“I’m not very sure either,” she said. “I told you, my memory is blurry, even basic facts. This Painting didn’t just wipe me a bit. Over a long time it took apart my thinking.” The Portrait Doll tapped her temple and spoke slowly. “What I said about Hunger is mostly shallow impressions I pieced together. Treat it as reference.”

“Either way, that thing is hard to handle,” Yu Sheng said after a moment. He nodded. “We need a backup plan. If I can’t deal with the monster, I should try to pull Foxy out of the Valley. If she leaves the Otherworld, she should break free from Hunger, right?”

“That should work. The Otherworld’s influence cannot spread into reality. But getting someone out of the Otherworld when Hunger is sealing the way is very hard.”

Irene thought, then suddenly stared straight at Yu Sheng: “Wait. You really plan to deal with that thing yourself… No, forget how you will deal with it. How do you know you can even get back to that Valley?”

“You told me once that once people touch the Otherworld, they can never shake the link,” Yu Sheng said. “I think it’s like stepping in quicksand. You keep sinking. Even if you climb out for a bit, you are still going down the whole time.”

“I did say that,” Irene answered, eyes wide, “but I meant once you deal with the Otherworld, you form a link to the whole Domain beyond reason. You are more likely to meet other Otherworlds or supernatural events. It does not mean you will return to the first Otherworld you met. That part is random.”

“I have a feeling I’ll see that monster again. And that Valley,” Yu Sheng said, meeting her eyes, serious. “I haven’t fully ‘disconnected’ from that place. It feels like it is waiting for me to come back.”

A somber light crossed Irene’s crimson eyes. She thought, then said, not fully sure: “Spiritual Intuition?”

“I don’t know if that’s what you mean,” Yu Sheng said, palms up. “But ever since I crossed that monster, I can ‘feel’ some things. It’s blurry, but it seems on point.”

“Most people, even after a shock, can’t get Spiritual Intuition so fast, much less control and use it,” Irene said, looking him up and down with a bit of awe. “Maybe you were born to be an Investigator.”

“Is that good?” Yu Sheng asked.

“Investigators have a high death rate.”

“…”

Before he could say anything, Irene added: “But people who meet the Otherworld and cannot gain Spiritual Intuition die even more.”

Yu Sheng’s mouth twitched: “Okay. Not a big problem then.”

Irene was stunned by how calm he was. He only shook his head and stood from the table.

“What are you doing?” the Painting called at once.

“The kitchen. I slept all day. We still need dinner,” Yu Sheng said, giving Irene a look. “Why do you get so jumpy whenever I move, like I’m about to toss you?”

“Of course I’m jumpy. I can’t even move myself. Do you know how unsafe that feels? And with you, a person who can fall into the Otherworld the second you step out the door, how do I know you won’t stand up and vanish, and then we’re separated forever…”

Her mouth was as annoying as ever, but Yu Sheng only frowned a little and sensed she was actually worried about him.

He also saw the Doll’s state: trapped in a Painting, unable to control her own situation, and after finally finding someone to talk to, scared of losing him.

He thought for a moment, then picked up Irene from the table.

“Hey, what are you doing? I was watching TV. Warning you, don’t you hang me back in that upstairs room. I… fine, I won’t talk. Just put me back,” she yelped.

“Cooking alone is boring. You’re idle anyway. Come keep me company.”

Irene froze, peeking at his face from the frame’s edge, not quite believing it. Then she nodded quickly: “Okay, okay.”

Yu Sheng smirked, carried Irene into the kitchen, set her on the windowsill, then opened the fridge to check dinner.

Foxy’s image rose in his mind. The second he saw the food, he remembered the Fox Maiden crouching in the ruins of that broken temple, holding a wilted leaf in her mouth, staring at him from far away.

She was still hungry.

Yu Sheng pressed his lips together, pushed those thoughts down, and took out the morning’s leftover stew and two steamed buns.

He would reheat the leftovers, add the buns, and boil some porridge.

He put the buns and stew in the microwave, rinsed rice, and started a pot. He worked in silence. Half a minute later, he regretted bringing Irene to the kitchen.

From the moment he opened the fridge, this chatterbox did not stop: “Hey, your fridge is pretty big. Can one person use a fridge this big? That looks like the meat you stewed this morning. You know, after cooking, that ‘local specialty’ really does look normal. Do you think it will suddenly come alive in the bowl? You’re just making porridge? Nothing to watch then. Carve a flower out of a radish. Or carve a stamp. Why don’t you turn on the range hood… oh, you’re not frying anything. Is it getting dark outside? Turn me to the street. No? Fine. What is your mom’s last name?”

Yu Sheng finally snapped. He grabbed Irene and held her over the sink: “Believe it or not, I’ll dunk you right now. I’ll scrub you with dish soap until your colors run.”

Irene shrank her neck at once and sat back in the chair with her teddy bear: “I’ll be quiet…”

Peace returned.

Back on the windowsill, Irene hugged her bear and watched Yu Sheng lean on the stove and zone out. Neither spoke.

After a while, Irene broke the silence: “I still think it’s too dangerous to face Hunger alone. I don’t remember exactly how strong that Entity is, but I’m sure it isn’t something a normal person can handle. You… will die.”

“I’ll revive.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

Irene glared, looking a bit mad at him. She only stayed angry a few seconds, then sighed.

“Really, think of another plan. Try to contact the people in this city who fight the Otherworld for a living. Don’t take risks.”

“I don’t want to take risks. I just think the risk will find me,” Yu Sheng said, shaking his head. “But I get what you mean. I won’t throw my life away. As for those ‘professionals,’ I’ll look for them.”

“Good,” she said.

Dinner passed calmly. Irene watched a pointless city drama on TV and sometimes judged the people on screen. Yu Sheng ate carefully and answered her now and then.

He cleaned his plate, even wiped the last bit of broth with his bun.

“I’m stepping out,” he said after he cleaned the kitchen and dining room. He changed clothes for going out and spoke to Irene.

She looked up at once, a flash of panic on her face: “Where are you going?”

“To the corner market to buy more food. It’s not far,” he said. He noticed her expression and couldn’t help a smile. “Don’t be so nervous. I don’t fall into the Otherworld every time I step out the door. Relax. The house is weird, sure, but from now on I’ll always check after opening the door.”

“Okay,” Irene scratched her hair, still puzzled. “But I saw the fridge. It’s pretty full.”

“I’m buying more,” Yu Sheng said. “Stuff that doesn’t need the fridge. Easy to eat.”

Irene understood. “Got it. Then be careful when you go out. After opening the door, don’t step out right away. Look first.”

Yu Sheng laughed.

No one had told him “be careful going out” in a long time. Even if it came from a Doll who usually talked trash, it felt nice.

He finished dressing, then stuffed a few pieces of bread and some crackers into his pockets. He walked to the door, placed his hand on the knob, and drew a breath.

To be honest, after last time, he did have a shadow in his heart about this door.

But he could not stay inside forever.

He gritted his teeth and pushed the door.

He opened a crack, then a bit more, careful as he looked outside.

After checking again and again, he let out a long breath and stepped out.

Thankfully, this door wasn’t that cursed.

It seemed the chance of falling into the Otherworld after leaving the house was not that high. Maybe it needed special conditions to trigger the door’s ‘effect.’ Maybe it took several openings. Or a certain time of day.

As he walked down the street, his heart eased and he started to think all kinds of things. Either way, he felt relieved.

He moved at a light pace along the nearly empty street, reached the corner market, and pushed the door.

The instant he pushed it, his heart gave a jolt.

Heat blasted his face. On the other side of the door, scorched ground steamed. A crashed aircraft burned on a hill in the distance. Two people in pitch black power armor wrestled nearby like mercenaries from the stars. One lifted a hand. With a hiss, a Plasma Blade flared from the wrist and stabbed forward.

Then both of the tin-can looking fighters seemed to notice the eyes on them. They snapped their heads toward Yu Sheng. A red glow flickered on the faceplates.

“…?” said Yu Sheng.

He stumbled back a step and slammed the door shut.