chapter 6

A little after one in the morning, Li Wenzhou suddenly woke up and began to walk down the stairs, step by step.

Is he coming to find me?

Is he going to enter my Study?

My heart skipped a beat, pounding straight up into my throat.

Right now, I wished a secret passage would appear out of thin air, connecting directly to my Study.

But his footsteps weren’t growing more distant-they were getting closer.

He was heading toward this Study.

For a moment, I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or afraid. In fact, whichever direction he went, it wouldn’t be good for me.

I had no other choice but to close the Bathroom door and hide inside.

Almost the very next second, he pushed the door open and came in.

I held my breath, pressing my heaving chest, listening against the door.

He seemed to walk over to the desk and pull open a drawer.

Then came the sound of a box opening, and the foil of a pill packet being pierced.

He was taking medicine-some kind of sedative, a psychiatric drug. For an artist like him, having some mental troubles was normal.

So, had he been asleep upstairs just now?

Did he hear my scream?

My mind was in chaos.

“Alright… alright…”

He suddenly spoke, then chuckled quietly.

I jumped, then realized he was talking to himself.

But it also sounded like he was speaking to someone.

The next second, footsteps approached.

I pressed my forehead. If only I could disappear on the spot.

He was coming toward the Bathroom.

I quietly pressed harder, trying to hold the door shut as tightly as possible.

But it was a futile effort.

Luckily, he stopped at the doorway, seemingly not intending to come in.

He leaned in, speaking in a low voice through the door: “Once I finish writing this scene, I’ll send you on your way.”

It sounded like a demon’s whisper.

My hair stood on end, and I was utterly confused.

“Finish writing this scene”-was he talking about the script he was working on?

“Send you on your way”-what did that mean? Who was “you”?

Was it the person in the Secret Room?

My mind was a mess.

I couldn’t worry about all that now-I could barely protect myself.

After saying this, he walked toward the door, still muttering to himself, a hint of complaint in his tone: “This kid, still working so hard…”

He pushed the door open and left.

He was going to my Study to look for me.

I was utterly desperate.

It was only a matter of time. What should I do? This time, I really was going to be exposed.

How could I explain that not only had I entered his Study, but I’d also picked the lock to the Bathroom?

Had I touched a secret I shouldn’t have?

The truth hadn’t even been revealed, and I was already about to give myself away.

I didn’t want this-

Please, just this once-

Let me escape this disaster!

I’d never believed in ghosts or gods, but at the brink of life and death, I couldn’t help but pray to heaven.

Just this once, I’ll behave from now on, never crossing the line again!

Please-

As soon as Li Wenzhou left, I slipped out of the Bathroom and closed the door behind me.

I hurried forward and gently opened the door to the Study.

Then I saw the kitchen light was on.

-He was in the kitchen; he hadn’t gone to my room yet!

I quickly stepped out of the Study, bent low, and quietly closed the door.

Like a cat, I darted swiftly and silently across the Living Room.

It felt like needles pricking my back.

I could almost sense him watching me from behind.

This path felt as long as a light-year.

Finally, I stood in front of my Study.

I straightened up and let out a slow breath.

Then I twisted the doorknob, making a sound, pretending I’d just come out from inside.

Li Wenzhou heard it and poked his head out from the kitchen, “How’s the writing going?”

I rubbed my eyes, yawned, and walked toward the kitchen: “Almost done, I’ll revise it tomorrow. Teacher, why are you up?”

“If you’re not sleeping, I can’t sleep well either,” Li Wenzhou said, handing me a cup of hot milk.

My hands were clammy with cold sweat; I hid them behind my back and wiped them on my pants before taking the milk and drinking it down in one gulp.

“Why aren’t you wearing shoes, child?” Li Wenzhou asked kindly, smiling.

I shivered and mumbled, “…I was in a hurry to come find you.”

I decided I would never try to uncover the Secret Room’s secrets again.