Chapter 131: Maze of Doors

A long corridor, illuminated by an unknown light, filled the entire space.

At a glance, both sides were lined with identical doors, stretching forward endlessly, as if without an end.

Zhu Ying stood there in a daze and pushed open the door next to her. Inside was the same corridor, with even more doors.

It seemed like a cycle from which one could never escape.

Doors linked to doors, without end.

She tried pushing another door and saw her own back as she pushed it.

She rushed out after that figure, while the ‘herself’ who had been standing by the door also dashed into another one…

It was as if she was searching for an exit, yet also chasing after herself.

“Xiao Jing… Xiao Jing—where are you?”

Clutching her chest, she called out An Jing’s name loudly, but in this empty yet crowded space, no one answered her.

“Xiao Ying?”

Just as Zhu Ying collapsed helplessly to the ground, An Jing’s voice echoed as if from beyond the heavens, fuzzy and indistinct.

“Xiao Jing!”

“Click.”

The door at her side was gently pushed open, and a petite figure poked her head out from behind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Phew… is it Xiao Jing?”

“It’s me.”

“Are you the real Xiao Jing?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I can’t get out…”

“Then just stay here, you’ll never get out, hahahaha—!!”

The An Jing who had been smiling so serenely suddenly burst into a wild, derisive laughter, her entire figure twisting and dissolving into the bleak white space.

Zhu Ying suddenly sat up, gasping for air, drenched in sweat. “Hah… ha…”

Beside her, An Jing was still sound asleep, her lips smacking unconsciously, lost in some sweet dream.

Outside the window, a shroud of black still draped the world—it seemed it was still early.

Zhu Ying gently patted her chest, slowly extended her right leg from under the blanket, and carefully slid off the bed.

It seemed that every time she woke up from a nightmare, she would have the urge to use the restroom—otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to rest easy and fall back asleep.

She walked to the door, tried to steel herself for a long time, hesitated as she cracked the door open, but then closed it again.

She hurried back to the bed and shook An Jing forcefully: “Xiao Jing… Xiao Jing?” “Mmm? Hm… mm…”

“Xiao Jing, wake up, wake up—”

“Mm—? Is it morning already…? Are we leaving…?”

An Jing squinted open her eyes sleepily.

“So sleepy…”

“Will you come to the restroom with me?”

“No way… Can’t you just go by yourself…?”

“No, I want Xiao Jing to come with me.”

“Ah… ah.”

An Jing was dragged out of bed, reluctantly sitting up.

“Alright, alright. I’ll go with you…”

***

An Jing stood at the bathroom door, leaning against the wall, letting the moonlight wash over her face as she couldn’t stop yawning.

“Did you have a nightmare again?”

“Yeah, the same one.”

“What dream… ha…”

An Jing rubbed her eyes.

“So sleepy.”

“In that ten-year dream, in the end, I was trapped in that maze of doors, never able to get out, and I couldn’t find you…”

“Ah… ha… but you got out in the end, so there’s no need to be scared anymore…”

“But I don’t remember how I got out,” Zhu Ying murmured quietly.

“So, whenever I dream of that place again, I still feel uneasy.”

“Huh, you lost the memory of how you left the dream?”

“Mm…”

“Ha~ I know! I must have descended like a hero, smashed the doors open, and rescued you!”

“In that space full of doors, every An Jing I saw was so vicious.”

“Ah, then they must have been fake.”

An Jing replied confidently.

“In the end, the real me definitely came to save you.”

“If that’s so, then next time I have such a nightmare, hurry up and come rescue me, okay?”

“Cough… But I don’t always go into that state when I sleep…”

“Xiao Jing, do you think I might still be dreaming now?”

“How could that be?”

“Mm… but it’s been a long time since I sensed your thoughts—has your superpower recovered?”

“Me? Hmm, I seem to be back to normal—ever since my hearing recovered.”

“Then why haven’t I…?”

“Uh, maybe it’s delayed?”

“Will I never be able to hear your thoughts again?”

“That wouldn’t be so ba—cough! I mean… it shouldn’t be.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely just an upgrade. Upgrades take time, but in the end, it’ll become a super amazing superpower.”

“Will I be able to know what you’re thinking 24/7?”

“That—that would be too much—!”

“If it really turns out like that, I wouldn’t mind waiting a while longer~”

“Eek, that’s scary!”

Zhu Ying giggled, and soon the sound of rushing water came from inside.

A few seconds later, Zhu Ying opened the door, pressing her cold, wet hand to An Jing’s cheek.

“Eek!”

An Jing shuddered, jumping back several steps.

“Stop it, I still want to sleep…”

“It’s not that early, it’s already after four.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t believe me? Check the time yourself.”

“But it’s still so dark outside….”

“Probably because it’s raining?”

“Uh… maybe.”

An Jing scratched her head.

“Want to go to school early?”

“Going to school this early? And it’s raining too.”

“We’re already awake, might as well go early. Don’t you think it’s interesting? Much more interesting than usual!”

An Jing wiped the cold water from her face, then leaned on the hallway window to look outside.

The glass was fogged with moisture, the glow of the streetlights dim and blurry, unable to drive away the rain-soaked night where the sun never seemed to rise.

“Well… okay.”

An Jing finally agreed, but when she turned, Zhu Ying was nowhere to be seen.

“Where…?”

Muttering to herself, she pushed open the bedroom door, only to find that the one who had been talking about heading out early had crawled back under the covers and fallen asleep.

“Hey—! That’s not fair, I was ready to go and you’re sleeping!”

“Xiao Jing got tricked, it’s only two in the morning…”

An Jing was stunned, quickly grabbing her phone for a look.

“Who are you fooling, it’s almost five!”

“Nooo, it’s so warm under the blanket, I want to sleep…”

“Who was the one saying let’s go to school now?!”

An Jing fumed with laughter.

“Come on, get up!”

“No~”

“Get up, I’m going to wash up now!”

“Kiss me and I’ll get up?”

“Not the cheek.”

“…But I haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“It’s fine, you brushed last night.”

Zhu Ying grinned mischievously, opening one eye.

“Hmm~ not the lips, either.”

“Then where?”

“The neck~”

“…Weird request.”

An Jing breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned down and pressed her soft lips gently to Zhu Ying’s fair neck.

“There, happy now?”

“Okay~ getting up! But keep it quiet.”

“You’re the one who’s the loudest, okay…”

***

The sky was still dark, the lights in the living room were off.

The two girls, washed up and in their uniforms with backpacks, tiptoed to the door.

An Jing bent down to slip her heel into her sneakers.

“Is it okay to leave without telling your parents?”

“It’s fine, I’ll text them when we get to school.”

“You’re as casual as my cousin…”

“What about your parents? Are they not strict?”

“Of course not.”

“But you don’t live with them anymore, right? It’s different now that you’re grown up. They probably aren’t as strict as before.”

“Really? When I saw my mom at New Year’s, she still nagged a lot.”

An Jing muttered softly, straightening up and stomping her feet.

“Buy breakfast outside?”

“Yeah! There should be breakfast at five, right?”

“Probably, but maybe not much to choose from.”

Zhu Ying picked up the folding umbrella they’d left at the door last night, flicking off the droplets that hadn’t fully dried.

“Or we could take a detour and get something else to eat?”

“Better not go too far, or our shoes will get soaked.”

An Jing shook her head.

“I just want to get some food and eat in the classroom, then take another nap.”

“It’s rare to be this early, shouldn’t we do something romantic!”

“Romantic…?”

An Jing blushed, but what she thought of wasn’t kissing, but something much worse—and she’d actually seen that kind of thing in those short videos.

Zhu Ying suddenly stared at An Jing, the corners of her lips curling up.

“Xiao Jing, are you thinking something naughty~?”

“No, absolutely not!”

“Hehehe~”

“Come on, let’s go—”

“Then let’s share an umbrella, okay?”

“Ah, sure…”

Zhu Ying quietly closed the front door.

The hallway light clicked on, illuminating the wide staircase, but making the outside seem even darker.

Even though it was raining and so early in the morning, the wind blowing in didn’t feel cold at all—instead, it carried the warmth and humidity unique to spring.

“Will it rain all day?”

“The forecast said light rain turning to cloudy.”

Zhu Ying walked ahead, her footsteps triggering the next hallway light to come on below.

“Is that so? But spring rain isn’t so bad.”

“Why?”

“Fine and drizzly, feels light and floaty. It’s damp, but it dries fast, unlike winter when it’s wet and freezing.”

“Is that so? Then do you prefer spring rain or autumn rain?”

“I pick summer rain.”

“Really? Then I like spring rain.”

“Why?”

“Maybe because it means winter is still far, far away!”

“I see… Mm… eh, why won’t this door open?” “Just turn it.”

“I did, but it won’t open…”

“Silly Xiao Jing, pull it in a bit before you push out.”

“Ah…? Uh… still won’t budge.”

“So dumb, let me!”

Zhu Ying pushed open the big iron gate downstairs with a click.

“See? It opens.”

“Your building’s door is really complicated.”

“You’re just slow.”

“No, you are!”

“No, it’s you~”

“You!”

“Silly Xiao Jing!”

“Tsk!!”