The weary young man pushed the door open and left, leaving the living room in silence.
After a few seconds, Yu Sheng broke the quiet first: “He’s clearly making things easier for us… So, where should we start?”
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t reply but stood up and approached a low cabinet. She carefully picked up an urn placed on top of it. “Let’s try.”
This time, Yu Sheng hesitated at her suggestion. “…Do we really have to try?”
“This is for Old Zheng,” she said calmly. “If he really had something important left unsaid, this might be the only chance to find out.”
Looking at her serious expression, Yu Sheng sighed softly, pushing aside his hesitation. He reached out toward the urn…
After a moment, he shook his head gently.
“As expected, nothing happened…” Little Red Riding Hood blinked, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment. However, she quickly let out a resigned breath. “Well, it’s not like everything in life comes easily.”
She turned and placed the urn back into the cabinet with care, then bowed deeply toward it before facing Yu Sheng again. “I’m a bit surprised, though. You usually act without thinking about consequences, even risking your life at times. Why are you being so cautious and serious now?”
Little Red Riding Hood stared at Yu Sheng for a few seconds, as if reevaluating him. After a while, she looked away and gestured toward the bedroom. “Let’s check what’s in there.”
The two entered the room and soon found the items the young man mentioned—on a desk by the window sat a stack of old books, several notebooks, and a mix of tags, letters, and scraps of paper.
Yu Sheng picked up a notebook, flipping through its pages. The handwriting was neat and meticulous, hinting at the writer’s personality and habits.
He looked up and noticed a series of neatly arranged wooden shelves along the wall. The shelves held various crafts, including ceramic pieces, metal ornaments… and even two anime figurines.
Little Red Riding Hood followed his gaze, glanced at the shelves, and waved dismissively. “Don’t bother. Something like the Weeping One Statue, an ‘abnormal collection item,’ wouldn’t be left here. In fact, that statue’s whereabouts are currently unknown. The Association of Strange Objects is looking for it. It’s either hidden in one of Old Zheng’s secret stashes or already on the black market.”
“I was just amazed at how broad Old Zheng’s hobbies were,” Yu Sheng said with a shake of his head. “Those figurines don’t look cheap.”
“…I don’t get it,” Little Red Riding Hood muttered, turning her attention back to the books and notes.
Yu Sheng focused as well, flipping through the materials. Most of the books were about art and collectibles. Two heavily annotated ones contained Old Zheng’s personal insights on topics he found interesting. The notes, however, were scattered and mundane, ranging from daily life details to work memos, with nothing particularly remarkable.
Yu Sheng’s gaze shifted to the scraps of paper and letters.
He was surprised to see handwritten letters in an era dominated by digital communication. Some of the letters appeared quite recent, clearly sent not long ago.
He picked up the most recent one, its date marked just three days ago. The paper was slightly crumpled at the edges, as if someone had gripped it tightly. Yet the contents were unremarkable—just some casual greetings and discussions about collectibles. The sender’s name was obviously a pseudonym.
“Anything unusual about this letter?” Little Red Riding Hood asked curiously.
“The content seems fine…” Yu Sheng muttered, frowning. Something about the letter nagged at him, though he couldn’t pinpoint what. He turned it over repeatedly, unable to find anything unusual.
However, his intuition wouldn’t let him ignore the sense of something being off.
“Maybe try burning it? Or soaking it in water?” Little Red Riding Hood suggested, thinking aloud. “Classic encryption methods for letters…”
“No way. If this is really a Secret Letter, it might have important clues that could be destroyed,” Yu Sheng said, frowning deeper. “Now that I think about it, we should’ve brought Irene along. She’s always good with weird occult stuff.”
Little Red Riding Hood considered this and hesitantly suggested, “Should we fetch her now? Your ‘door’ ability would make it easy.”
Yu Sheng, caught in his own thoughts, realized she was right. “Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”
Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone, notified the Special Affairs Bureau, then raised his hand and opened a smaller-than-usual Phantom Door in the air. Beyond the door was the living room of Wutong Road No. 66, where Irene sat on a couch, staring blankly. “…Huh? What’s going on?”
“Come help,” Yu Sheng said, reaching through to grab the little doll.
“Hey! I was watching TV—”
Her protest was cut short as she was placed on the desk. The abrupt scene change left her momentarily stunned.
But within moments, she snapped out of it, glaring. “Yu Sheng, you jerk! You can’t just yank me out of nowhere! I was watching TV, right at the crucial part where—”
Yu Sheng interrupted her rant, speaking quickly, “Those two idiots you’re watching both die soon, but a dumber villain appears next. You’ll be even angrier. The female lead ends up sacrificing herself with the male lead’s cousin, while the male lead and the female lead’s cousin cling to each other. In the spin-off, they die too.”
Irene froze, her expression blank. Then she exploded, “What kind of trashy show is this?!”
Before she could continue her outburst, Yu Sheng pressed her back down. “This is serious. I need your help.”
His grave tone instantly deflated her anger. Irene puffed up her chest proudly. “I knew you couldn’t manage without me—what’s the issue?”
Yu Sheng pointed to the desk. “These letters. My gut says there’s something wrong with them, but I can’t figure out what.”
Irene glanced at the papers and looked puzzled. “Well, did you unfold it yet?”
Both Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood stared blankly. “Unfold?”
With an exasperated sigh, Irene picked up the letter. “This paper is folded, can’t you tell?” She held the edges of the letter and gently pulled.
A faint sound of paper rubbing filled the room.
Phantom flames danced on the surface of the letter.
The seemingly ordinary sheet of paper began to “unfold,” revealing lines of previously invisible text. Yu Sheng’s eyes widened in shock as new words gradually appeared among the old ones.
However, before the entire message became clear, the unfolding stopped abruptly.
Yu Sheng looked up, confused. “Why’d you stop?”
Irene grimaced. “…My arms are too short.”
Yu Sheng’s eye twitched. “Fine. I’ll grab another one of you to help.”
“No need! I’m in the middle of a raid back there,” Irene quickly stopped him. “You do it. Just pull gently. No special technique required. Even an ordinary person can do it. Go slow, though—this paper feels fragile. Pull too hard, and it’ll tear.”
Following her instructions, Yu Sheng carefully unfolded the letter. Finally, the hidden message was fully revealed:
“…Before X date, make sure she enters the White Exhibition Hall. Miracles and blessings await her there. The curse she bears will be lifted, granting her freedom of body and soul…
“We have prepared the ritual; there’s no need to worry about safety. Just as you care for those children, we too aim to use the safest and most effective method to dispel the malicious curse of the ‘Fairy Tale.’
“We understand your doubts. People often misunderstand us. Yes, there are misguided believers—those seduced by power or driven by ignorance. These fools have distorted the envoy’s intentions, and some even follow false envoys. They commit heinous acts, tarnishing our reputation. This is tragic and unjust.
“But you have seen the truth. You have witnessed the purity and benevolence of the envoy. We showed you its power and intent. You heard it speak, saw its miracles, and acknowledged its sincerity. Let go of your doubts.
“If you decide to proceed, ignite the blank letter we left you. Use a scented candle infused with rose essence.
“P.S.: Do not buy from ‘Exquisite Pavilion.’ They are disgraceful frauds. The envoy’s wrath will eventually fall upon such despicable, greedy merchants.
“—Humbly and truthfully, Servant of the Angel.”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation