Chapter 325: Chapter 325 Cage of Fools (19)_1
Not a single one of these five sisters is normal!
Watching Souffle’s unusually serious face, Fu Qian silently mused.
Although Souffle’s understanding was a bit off, there was at least one thing she hadn’t gotten wrong: this place definitely had a problem.
“How could this happen, I still find it a bit hard to believe, you…”
Though he thought this way, to match Souffle’s emotions, Fu Qian still looked up and made a perfect expression of shock, as if he were at a loss for words.
“Are you worried that I’ve become like Margaret?”
...
Souffle intuitively understood, revealing a bitter smile.
“I would rather it were that, but unfortunately… follow me.”
After observing for a while and confirming there was no one around, Souffle took the lead, bringing Fu Qian to the second floor of a roadside building.
This place was a bit distant from where she had sat during the day, enough to reflect her cautiousness.
“Follow me!”
Once they reached the edge of a certain balcony, Souffle whispered an instruction, then stepped forward.
The next moment, Souffle stood midair as if stepping on air.
This—
While shocked, Fu Qian followed her actions, stepping forward.
It turned out that although it appeared there was nothing underfoot, there was indeed something solid when he stepped on it.
“Good! You’re braver than I thought,” Souffle said with approval, grabbing his hand.
She was obviously well-practiced, and although there appeared to be nothing in front of her, she continued to stride forward until within the wall’s cover, a door’s outline emerged.
This location was very hidden, belonging to a place one couldn’t normally reach. If one didn’t stand here, they would never imagine a door existed.
Without hesitation, Souffle pressed her hand against it and slowly pushed inward.
The wall silently opened, revealing a descending staircase.
Though it looked very deep, this time it wasn’t transparent.
Following the spiral staircase down, when they finally reached the bottom, they stopped in front of a red door.
Fu Qian touched it; it was cold to the touch, a genuine metal door.
Even on one side of the door, there was an old-fashioned electronic keypad lock.
“Wait a moment,” Souffle paused, glancing at Fu Qian.
“When I first discovered this place, I doubted my own sanity for a while too.”
Click!
Before he could reply, Souffle quickly worked on the keypad, and the door opened in response.
Wasn’t this password a little too simple?
Fu Qian stood beside her, watching clearly as Souffle entered a single number for the access code.
And it was obviously the correct one; the door in front of them had already opened, pushed inward by Souffle.
Nothing was visible inside the door that opened, the darkness churned as if it were substantial, with no light leaking out.
“This is it.”
“It really is a strange door. How did you discover this place? And that password?” Fu Qian asked while looking around.
“Discovering this place was purely accidental, but not the password,” Souffle sighed deeply, her voice low.
“In fact, I knew the password before I found this place.”
“There is something I’ve never told you. I’ve fallen asleep too.”
“And sometimes, I have some rather special dreams.”
“In that kind of dream, there’s no need to desperately search for a way out, and no monster trying to keep you trapped forever. I’m just always looking for a number, and every time the result is the same.”
“After repeating it so many times, I couldn’t help but ponder the meaning behind the number. It’s a pity that I could never figure it out, until one day I found this place.”
She pointed at the code lock beside her.
“After the shock, I tried it randomly, and to my surprise, it actually opened!”
“At that moment, I couldn’t help thinking that the dream that guided me to the number might have come from my mother!”
…
Can passwords really work like this?
After listening to Souffle’s experience, Fu Qian was at a loss for words.
He had reason to believe that this place could very well be a passage to escape the cage.
But the way Souffle deciphered the code was a bit too legendary.
Additionally, he could understand why Souffle had thoughts similar to “The Truman World”; the scene before them could indeed shatter one’s worldview.
“The first time I opened this door, I was more surprised than you are.”
Seeing that Fu Qian remained silent, Souffle chuckled softly and continued.
“I hesitated for a long time, but I was worried about your reactions if you knew, so I kept it to myself.”
“You’ve been inside?”
Fu Qian nodded, pointing towards the dark expanse ahead.
“Yes, but it’s almost impossible to discern directions inside.”
“Taking just one or two steps deeper gives you a feeling that you might never come back. I tried many times, but I always turned back after not going very far, and till now, I still don’t know where it actually leads.”
“So during the day, you were looking for an opportunity to go in again?”
“Yes, I wanted to see if there was any difference during the daytime, but there were always people passing by, and I didn’t want to arouse any suspicions, so it was hard to find the chance.”
That explained it.
As for Souffle’s thoughts, Fu Qian found them not at all strange.
“Okay, does this satisfy your curiosity now?”
Souffle patted her hands and crouched down.
“I wasn’t deliberately keeping it from you guys, I just didn’t want to add more troubles to you all before figuring things out.”
“So after you go back, don’t tell Bella and the others yet, okay? Let’s keep this as our little secret between us.”
“This is also why you don’t need to worry too much. I believe things will get better for Margaret and you once we leave this place together.”
“I understand that, but I think… maybe I should give it a try.”
Unexpectedly, Fu Qian suddenly moved out from under her palm and gazed at the door beside him.
“What did you say?”
Souffle’s tone was instantly filled with surprise.
“I’m clear about my own situation; my conscious moments are getting shorter and shorter.”
Fu Qian’s face held a smile.
“Actually, I haven’t told you, even though you reminded me many times, I can’t even remember to follow the Scarecrow anymore. If it weren’t for a friend’s help, I wouldn’t have made it back the last time.”
“So I think I can try it. If it’s a success, I’ll definitely take you all out with me.”
…
“Violetta, don’t get any wild ideas!”
After Fu Qian spoke, Souffle remained silent for a long time, finally shaking her head firmly.
“I will never let you take that risk, and you shouldn’t lose hope; we still have time.”
“Really? Look at Margaret, look at everyone, how much time do we have left?”
Fu Qian didn’t give Souffle the chance to lie to herself.
“Have you ever thought that by bringing me here today and showing me this door, your subconscious might have been thinking that all along?”