“Can you two see that house in front?” Standing in front of the old building at No. 66 Wutong Road, Yu Sheng pointed at the decrepit little building and spoke to Hu Li, who was holding Erin in her arms.
“Yeah,” Hu Li nodded without hesitation, “It's right in front of us. We can see it when we leave and when we come back.”
Yu Sheng nodded and turned to Little Red Riding Hood, who had come along: “Can you see it?”
Little Red Riding Hood widened her eyes, gazing at the empty area ahead and the low wall at the end of the lot.
She then turned her head, looking at Hu Li and Erin with suspicion: “You two can really see it?”
“It seems you can't see it,” Yu Sheng concluded after observing the situation. “Even if I extended an 'invitation' to you, you still wouldn’t be able to see it from here.”
Little Red Riding Hood shrugged her shoulders.
Yu Sheng began to ponder.
He had many questions about the things that were connected to the ‘other world’—the Special Operations Bureau, and the Nightfall Valley as well, of course, including the odd mansion he had lived in for the past two months.
Out of a bit of “necessary research spirit,” he had invited Little Red Riding Hood home today to test how much strangeness “non-existent No. 66 Wutong Road” really had.
Now, he had obtained some preliminary results from his experiment.
Hu Li and Erin could see Wutong Road No. 66, while Little Red Riding Hood could not, despite receiving an “invitation” from the “owner of the house,” she was unable to perceive its existence.
Yu Sheng thought for a moment and found the biggest difference between Little Red Riding Hood and Hu Li and Erin.
“So… it should be a ‘blood’ issue?” He raised his head thoughtfully, shifting his gaze between Little Red Riding Hood and Hu Li, Erin.
Both Hu Li and Erin had “received” his blood, establishing a subtle “connection” between them, allowing them to sense his “rebirth.” Little Red Riding Hood, however, had never had such an experience.
This was the most plausible explanation Yu Sheng could think of at the moment.
Little Red Riding Hood did not notice the change in Yu Sheng's expression.
She was busy curiously looking around.
The sun was gradually setting, and the shadows of the buildings along the roadside made the outlines of wolves appear and disappear, as they observed the movements of the whole street, acting as the girl’s eyes and ears.
She noticed something: as they entered Wutong Road, the closer they got to this secluded empty area, the fewer pedestrians there were.
By the time they arrived at the lot where "No. 66 Wutong Road" stood, there were no passersby to be seen at all.
It was as if an invisible force was driving ordinary people away from this mansion.
However, even her wolf pack could not sense how this force worked; the whole street's “environment” felt extraordinarily “clean.” Under the scrutiny of extraordinary powers, it seemed as spotless as a vacuum.
Just then, Little Red Riding Hood suddenly noticed a gaze resting on her.
She turned her head and saw Yu Sheng looking at her intently.
She felt a bit awkward: “Um… is there something wrong?”
Then she saw Yu Sheng extend his hand toward her: “Want to take a bite?”
Little Red Riding Hood was taken aback: “... Huh?”
“Blood. Erin and Hu Li both had contact with my blood, and after that, they experienced some changes. Now, they can still see Wutong Road No. 66,” Yu Sheng explained earnestly, “So I was thinking, do you want to give it a try? Just as an experiment…”
Little Red Riding Hood's expression turned visibly strange; she even took half a step back, looking at him like a wary wolfdog.
Only after confirming that Yu Sheng was purely being scientific did she relax slightly, yet still looked disapproving: “No way!”
“You won’t get a tummy ache,” Yu Sheng had anticipated such a reaction.
After all, inviting someone to take a bite of himself sounded quite sudden, but he still wanted to persuade a bit more. “Don't you want to see what No. 66 Wutong Road looks like from the outside?”
“I’m not a cat! Why would I have such curiosity?” Little Red Riding Hood took another step back, turning to Hu Li and Erin, “What’s with him, always thinking out loud?”
In Hu Li’s arms, Erin wiggled a bit, confirming no one was around, she finally got a chance to speak: “That’s just how he is. He thinks out loud and says it’s for ‘research.’ Just ignore him.”
“Why would you say that?” Yu Sheng protested, feeling unsatisfied. “Am I really that serious?”
Erin remained silent, quietly exuding a scent of lotus while nestled in Hu Li’s embrace.
Yu Sheng sighed: “Fine, if you don’t want to, I won’t push.” After awkwardly dissolving into silence for a few seconds, he forced a laugh, waving his hand at Little Red Riding Hood, then stepped toward the door.
But just as he was about to unlock and enter, he suddenly remembered something.
He stepped aside and called to the fox girl trailing behind him, “Come see if you can open this door.”
“Ah? Okay.” Hu Li was momentarily surprised but nodded, stepping up to grasp the handle of the door.
With a click, the unlocked entrance door opened easily.
To Little Red Riding Hood’s eyes, it appeared as if a door had materialized out of thin air, hovering near the low wall with abstract graffiti. “Great, now at least you and Erin can come and go without needing me to open the door,” Yu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon realizing that Wutong Road No. 66 was a place outsiders could neither see nor enter, he had many worries about the details—like how takeout couldn’t be delivered, home appliances couldn’t arrive, online purchases couldn’t be addressed, and the two residents inside couldn’t come and go freely.
But now, at least one of these troubles had been lifted.
“Come in and sit for a while,” Yu Sheng smiled, extending his hand to Little Red Riding Hood. “I’ll cook soon, and we can have dinner together. It’s my way of thanking you for keeping Hu Li and Erin company all day.”
“It’s nothing. You’ve already helped me with half of my homework,” Little Red Riding Hood replied, but still stepped into the strange mansion that didn’t exist in the real world.
Yu Sheng turned on the living room light, bringing brightness to the dim evening and warming the cold atmosphere of the room.
He quickly tidied up the things he had brought home, sorting out the ingredients for that night’s meal, and told Little Red Riding Hood he would find a place to sit before heading into the kitchen.
Little Red Riding Hood felt a mix of unease and curiosity, cautiously surveying her surroundings.
This was her second time in this place, and this time she was visiting as an “invited guest.”
She seldom visited others’ homes, and her travels to various otherworlds far outnumbered stepping into someone else's door.
Yet on the other hand, she clearly recognized that this seemingly ordinary house was actually an “otherworld.” Today’s “visit”… was essentially an adventure into another realm.
This was truly the strangest “adventure” experience since she had become a spiritual detective.
There were no bizarre and twisted sights, no all-pervasive pollution, and no illusions masquerading as teammates.
Just bright lights, a warm environment, a gentle and friendly fox spirit beside her, and a cheerful little puppet running off to turn on the television, while the entity in this otherworld—the powerful entity capable of devouring “hunger”—was cooking in the kitchen.
She could even sit at the dining table and write homework while waiting for the food to be ready.
There were too many discordant things; she didn’t even know which one to complain about first.
However, the noisy Erin soon distracted her thoughts—little puppet’s chatter echoed from the living room: “Come watch TV! The one in the living room is bigger than the one in the dining room!”
“I need to finish my homework,” Little Red Riding Hood shook her head, casually responding as she walked towards the table. “I still have half a book left!”
“Hey, humans are tiring,” Erin exclaimed from the sofa, “Fox, are you coming?”
Hu Li waved her hand dismissively, strolling towards the kitchen: “I want to see if the master needs any help…”
She went into the kitchen, and not two minutes later, she re-emerged through the door, gnawing on a marinated chicken leg.
Little Red Riding Hood was taken aback when she saw this scene: “... How did you come back out?”
“I was kicked out because the master said if I keep snacking on the seasonings, there will be nothing left for the stew,” Hu Li said innocently, then proudly raised her chicken leg, “But the master gave me a drumstick. Want some?”
Little Red Riding Hood hesitated: “Um... I just…”
Hu Li instantly pulled the chicken leg back: “If you won’t eat it, I’ll just eat it all!”
Little Red Riding Hood: “…”
At this moment, a fragrant smell wafted in from the kitchen, tantalizing their appetites.
After pondering for a moment, Little Red Riding Hood took out her phone and dialed a number.
“It’s me. I won't be home for dinner tonight; I’m at a friend’s house—Hey, someone new I met, it’s safe, safe. I’ll tell you more when I get back, I’ll definitely be home before ten. Hang up, bye…”
After hanging up, Little Red Riding Hood turned around and found Hu Li staring at her intently, not stopping her munching on the chicken leg.
“You can’t eat that.” Little Red Riding Hood instinctively covered her phone.
She didn’t even know why she said that.
Hu Li, however, didn’t mind it.
She asked curiously, “Were you just in contact with your family?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it your parents?”
Little Red Riding Hood’s expression turned a bit awkward: “Um… my parents passed away early; I was talking with someone else in the family.”
“Oh,” Hu Li nodded.
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t know what this fox girl had been thinking in those few seconds when she suddenly held out the almost-finished chicken leg and asked, “Want a bite? Just a tiny bite.”
Little Red Riding Hood: “...?”
She really found it difficult to understand these “strange people” living in another world.
(End of chapter)