Ailin quickly understood what Yu Sheng meant by "the realm of rules."
"Honestly, I’m not quite sure either. I told you, my memories are all fuzzy now, even the most basic knowledge—it's not just that this painting has affected my memory. It has dismantled my thinking over a long period," the doll in the painting pointed at its head and spoke slowly.
"Many characteristics about 'hunger' are just shallow impressions that I’ve rearranged based on my understanding. You’d best just treat it as a reference."
"…Regardless, that thing's hard to deal with," Yu Sheng pondered for a moment before nodding.
"It seems we need a backup plan. If we can’t handle that monster, we’ll find a way to bring Hu Li out of that valley—by the way, once we get her out of that foreign domain, she should be free from the influence of ‘hunger’, right?"
"That should be possible. The effects of the foreign domain can’t spread to reality, but honestly, getting another person out from under 'hunger’s' blockade is no easy feat."
As Ailin thought, she suddenly looked up and stared intently at Yu Sheng. “Wait, are you really planning to solve that thing by yourself… no, before we get to how you plan to deal with it, how do you know you can return to that valley?”
"Didn’t you say that once someone has contact with a foreign domain, they'll never break free from that connection?" Yu Sheng replied casually.
"I understand it as being stuck in quicksand. You can only keep sinking deeper. Even if you manage to escape temporarily, you’re just holding on for a while in the process of sinking..."
Ailin’s eyes widened.
"I did say that, but what I meant was that once you interact with the foreign domain, you establish a connection with the entire realm beyond 'reason'. You’ll have a higher chance of contacting other foreign domains or supernatural phenomena—not that you’re guaranteed to return to the first foreign domain you encountered. It’s completely random!"
"But I have a feeling that I’ll see that monster and that valley again soon," Yu Sheng replied seriously, meeting Ailin’s gaze.
"I haven’t completely ‘cut off’ from that place. It... seems to be waiting for my return."
A serious expression flashed in Ailin's crimson eyes.
After a moment of thought, she hesitantly spoke, "…A spiritual intuition?"
"I don’t know if that’s what you mean by spiritual intuition," Yu Sheng shrugged.
"But since I interacted with that monster, I do feel like I can 'sense' some things. It’s vague, but it seems accurate."
"…Ordinary people find it hard to develop spiritual intuition even after stimulation, let alone control and utilize it to a certain extent."
Ailin couldn’t help but look Yu Sheng up and down, her expression a mix of astonishment.
"Could it be you possess some innate investigative talent…?"
Yu Sheng opened his mouth.
"Uh, is that a good thing?"
Ailin pondered for a moment, her cheeky nature apparent as always.
"Investigator death rates are pretty high."
Yu Sheng, taken aback, responded, "…"
Before he could say anything, Ailin added, "But ordinary people who have contact with foreign domains and cannot develop spiritual intuition have an even higher death rate."
Yu Sheng's lips twitched.
"Alright, I guess that’s not a major issue."
Ailin was astounded by how calm Yu Sheng seemed under these circumstances, while Yu Sheng simply shook his head and stood up from the dining table.
A voice suddenly came from the painting, "Hey, where are you going?"
"To the kitchen! I’ve slept all day, and there’s still no dinner!" Yu Sheng turned to give Ailin a glare.
"By the way, why do you get so nervous whenever I move? It’s like you think I’m going to toss you out!"
"Well, it’s obvious! Moving by myself is already a problem. Do you have any idea how unsteady I feel? Especially with you being someone who can easily fall into a foreign domain. How do I know that next time you get up, you won’t just disappear and we lose contact forever…"
Ailin's teasing tone was apparent, but Yu Sheng frowned, sensing that she was genuinely worried about him.
He also recognized the helplessness stemming from her being trapped inside a painting and finally finding someone to communicate with, creating a tension of attachment and fear of loss.
After some thought, he stood up and picked Ailin up from the table.
Startled, she exclaimed, "Hey, what are you doing? I… I was still watching TV! Don’t you dare put me back in that room on the second floor! I… I can just stop talking, just put me back…"
"Cooking alone is boring, and since you’re idle, come to the kitchen and keep me company," he said.
Ailin was taken aback, watching Yu Sheng's expression from the edge of the frame, seemingly incredulous, but soon she nodded vigorously, "Okay, okay!"
Yu Sheng scoffed, carrying Ailin into the kitchen, casually propping her up on the windowsill before turning to check the ingredients in the fridge for dinner.
However, a figure of Hu Li suddenly flashed through his mind—at the moment he saw the food, he couldn’t help but remember the fox spirit girl in tatters, sitting in the ruins of a dilapidated temple, gazing at him while nibbling on a piece of rotten vegetable leaf.
She’s still hungry.
Yu Sheng pressed his lips together, forcefully suppressing many thoughts in his heart, taking out the leftover braised meat and two steamed buns from this morning.
Tonight, he would simply heat up the leftovers and pair them with steamed buns, maybe cook some porridge as well.
He placed the buns and the braised meat in the microwave and began rinsing rice for porridge.
Shortly after, he regretted taking Ailin into the kitchen—the chatterbox wouldn’t stop the moment he opened the fridge!
"Hey, your fridge is pretty big! Do you really need such a large fridge for just yourself?"
Is that the meat you stewed this morning? …I can't deny, that 'local specialty' looks pretty normal after processing...
But tell me, it won't suddenly come alive in the bowl, right?
"You're just making porridge? Then there's nothing really exciting to see. How about carving a flower out of a radish or something?"
Why aren’t you turning on the range hood… Oh, I see, you didn’t stir fry anything.
"Is it getting dark outside? You should turn me so I can see the street... If it’s a no, then it's a no."Okay, what's your mother's surname?
"Finally unable to tolerate it any longer, Yu Sheng pulled Ailin closer to the sink, gritting his teeth,"Do you believe I’ll just soak you in there right now?
Do you trust I’ll scrub you until you lose color?!
"Ailin instantly shrank her neck and returned to her seat with her teddy bear,"Fine, I won't say anything….
"Finally, the world quieted down. Ailin settled back at the windowsill, hugging her teddy bear and sitting on a chair, watching Yu Sheng. He stood absentmindedly by the stove, and neither of them spoke. After an unknown amount of time, Ailin finally broke the silence first:"I still think it's dangerous to deal with ‘hunger’ alone.
Although I can’t recall how powerful that entity was anymore, it’s definitely not something an ordinary person can handle.
You… could end up dead.
""I'll revive.
""I'm being serious!
""So am I."Ailin glared at Yu Sheng, her gaze almost angry. But after just a few seconds, she sighed."
Honestly, think of other ways.
Try to contact that group in the city that specializes in combating foreign domains.
Don’t take unnecessary risks.
""I don't want to take risks; I feel like ‘danger’ is coming for me,"Yu Sheng shook his head."
But I get what you mean.
I won't throw my life away.
As for those 'professionals' you mentioned, I’ll look for them.
""Oh, that’s good.
"Dinner passed quietly. Ailin watched a mindless urban drama on TV, occasionally giving her opinions on the characters and events. Yu Sheng ate earnestly, responding occasionally to Ailin’s chatter. He finished his meal cleanly, even wiping the last bit of broth from the bowl with a bun until it was spotless."
I’m going out for a bit.
"After cleaning up the dining room and kitchen, Yu Sheng changed into his outdoor clothes and casually told Ailin. Ailin, still watching TV, suddenly looked up, her expression filled with a hint of panic."
Where are you going?!
""To the little supermarket at the corner to buy some food, it's not far,"Yu Sheng said. Noticing Ailin’s expression, he couldn't help but chuckle,"Don’t be so nervous.
It’s not like I’ll fall into a foreign domain every time I step outside...
Don’t worry, though this house is a bit unusual, I’ll observe first whenever I open the door."
"Um, fine,"Ailin scratched her head, looking a bit puzzled.
"But I thought there were still plenty of things in the fridge."
"I'll get some more,"Yu Sheng said,"things that don’t require refrigeration, easy to eat."
Ailin got the hint.
"Oh, good! Just be careful… remember to look outside before leaving after you open the door!"
Yu Sheng laughed. It had been a long time since someone had told him to"be careful when going out." Though the one saying it was a usual chatty doll, it felt nice.
He finished changing his clothes, thought for a moment, and stuffed several pieces of bread and biscuits into his pocket before heading to the front door. Grasping the doorknob, he took a deep breath. Honestly, ever since the last time he opened this door and fell into a foreign domain, he had developed a bit of… hesitation toward it.
But he can’t let that stop him from leaving this house forever. Yu Sheng gritted his teeth and slowly pushed the door open. First, he opened it a crack, then wider, cautiously observing the situation outside.
After confirming for quite a while, he finally exhaled deeply and stepped outside. Fortunately, the door didn't seem that sinister. It looked like stepping out of the house didn’t lead him directly into the foreign domain which wasn’t highly probable.
Perhaps specific conditions had to be met to trigger a certain"effect"of the door? Maybe it required opening a few times or specific timing? As Yu Sheng walked down the street, his heart calmed slightly, and he couldn't help but let his mind wander.
Regardless, he felt a sense of relief. In this manner, he skipped down a nearly deserted street, soon arriving at the small supermarket on the corner and pushing the door open.
The moment he pushed the door, he felt a jolt surge through him, and then— A hot wind hit him in the face, the parched earth across from the door steaming in the heat.
A downed aircraft billowed thick smoke on a hill in the distance, while two fully armed figures in what seemed to be otherworldly combat armor engaged in a fierce battle. One of them suddenly raised their arm, a plasma blade igniting from the wrist with a"hiss,"aiming directly at the opposite combatant.
The two individuals, appearing like otherworldly mercenaries, seemed to notice his presence simultaneously and turned to gaze at Yu Sheng, their dark red visor flickering with light.
Yu Sheng:"…?"
He instinctively stepped back and slammed the door shut with a bang.
(End of this chapter)