Luò Wǎn looked so small and powerless in Xiǎomù's arms. She finally understood why so many women were in this studio—because Xiǎomù's charm was irresistible. His gaze was like a knife coated with poison, slowly stabbing into a woman's soul. Even in death, there was a faint smile, just like Chǔ Yīng.
"Luò Wǎn, Luò Wǎn"
Xiǎomù called her name fervently, bending down to come closer. His gentle lips lightly brushed against the corner of Luò Wǎn's mouth, with a tenderness so delicate that a subtle, elusive fragrance seemed to emanate. Luò Wǎn felt a wave of dizziness, and her vision gradually blurred. Xiǎomù's voice, as if coming from the heavens, was soft and gentle like falling snow. "Get a good sleep. When you wake up, it will be eternal."
Luò Wǎn's body swayed, and she was rendered unconscious by the enchanting fragrance from Xiǎomù's lips. In the studio, the soprano's breathless opera echoed, If your lips are the most lethal poison, then our deaths might be the most beautiful destination."
"Where is this?" Luò Wǎn opened her eyes and saw an angel smiling as it approached her, stepped on white clouds and playing beside the Virgin Mary.
It felt so comforting, like being immersed in warm spring water. The world seemed to slowly fade away, and she felt she could merge into heaven itself.
"Xiǎomù! Suddenly, Luò Wǎn's mind flashed with Xiǎomù's smile, and she realized where she was. She turned her head and discovered that she was in the very center of the studio, inside a very large transparent bathtub. The most terrifying part was that the faucet in the bathtub was running water right beneath her feet—warm water, but also deadly.
She tried to sit up, but her body was too weak, lacking any strength, not even enough to lift her head. Death suddenly felt so close. Lying flat, she watched as the water slowly rose over her eyes and nose until it covered her head. All her attempts to struggle were in vain; she was powerless against death.
A hand reached down from above, gently caressing her face. Xiǎomù's stunning face reappeared in her field of vision. She looked at him, only able to gaze at him without the strength to speak. Her eyes held no plea for mercy, only an overwhelming despair more painful than death
Inside the glass container, Shěn Jī watched this scene, knowing she had no chance of survival. She had stopped struggling and quietly observed this horrifying moment behind an oil painting.
"Luò Wǎn, you can't imagine how beautiful you look when you're silent. So beautiful that I would rather die with you."
Xiǎomù's hand continuously traced her face, her nose, her mouth, and her eyes, exploring every inch, feeling the faint warmth. "You don't need to be afraid. Soon, you will become an eternal, immortal being. I've developed this elixir that will prevent the body from decomposing and will preserve you as vividly as you were before death. You don't need to worry about time turning you into an old, ugly hag, or about decaying into mud or burning to ashes. You will always be beautiful, hanging on the other side of time, becoming an eternal legend."
The more Xiǎomù spoke, the more excited he became. Standing up, he looked at the women trapped in the glass containers hanging on the wall and said with a smile,
"Look, they are all eternal now. It's because I loved them that I granted them eternity—forever young, forever beautiful, with unchanging skin and eyes."
Luò Wǎn sadly closed her eyes, feeling the water already rising past her ears. Death was imminent, but perhaps death would be a welcome release.
Lǐ Dàlù stood in front of Shàngguān Liúyún once again. They stared at each other like rivals, yet both asked the same question, "Where is Luò Wǎn?" After saying this, both turned away and smiled, feeling a sense of childishness.
Lǐ Dàlù's view of where Luò Wǎn was staying became increasingly clear. The building was so familiar—it was the finest structure in the city.
Shàngguān Liúyún drove quietly as usual, but he was going fast now. He had come to trust Lǐ Dàlù's instincts, and Lǐ Dàlù's expression still conveyed that Luo Wan was in danger.
"Damn it, why can't any of us find even a bit of happiness? Do we have to keep struggling like this?" Shàngguān Liúyún asked himself, questioning fate, but no one was there to answer him.
"Why are we here?" Shàngguān Liúyún asked, looking at them as they arrived in front of his building.
"Don't ask, just hurry up," Lǐ Dàlù said.
Lǐ Dàlù wasn't sure whether he should tell Shàngguān Liúyún about Xiǎomù at this moment. However, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he hesitated to speak. If Xiǎomù was truly as Grandma had described, then it might be better for Shàngguān Liúyún to remain unaware. It might bring him more happiness that way.
The studio remained as quiet as ever, with only the sound of flowing water in Luò Wǎn's ears. The sensation of being submerged in the bathtub was uncomfortable, but she couldn't escape it.
When facing death, one's mind often becomes clear and serene. Some truly cherished people and moments appear before one's eyes. Luò Wǎn smiled bitterly to herself, thinking that she always imagined she would die searching for the Green Door, but instead, she was dying in this warm bathtub. She didn´t want to look back at Xiǎomù to avoid causing herself more pain.
At this moment, what she thought about the most was actually an opera her mother used to sing repeatedly during her childhood.
"When will the flowers of spring and the moon of autumn end? How much do we know about the past…?
Her mother sang this song beautifully. Whenever she was ill, her mother would hold her close and sing this song, and she would learn it by heart, echoing her mother´s melodious voice.
If her mother hadn't passed away, would fate have been rewritten? If her mother hadn´t died that year, perhaps her life wouldn´t have been filled with so many stories, experiences, and hardships.
When people die, what they think of the most is often their mother´s embrace.
She remained quietly still. Xiǎomù turned around and asked her, "Do you know why you're not in one of the glass containers? It's because I love you the most, so I placed you in the bathtub instead."
The door was suddenly pushed open, and a cold voice rang out, "Nonsense! It's because you think she's like your mother that you're planning to make her die all over again."
Xiǎomù stood up, looking at the person who entered through the door from outside. With a sneer, he said, "Lǐ Dàlù, you really have some skills to find your way here! It seems that the blind man is truly exceptional."
