He stepped one foot into the wardrobe, leaving the other outside, gripping the wooden frame on either side. Turning back to me, he said, "At that moment, I was preparing to pry open the back panel of the wardrobe, intending to see what the corridor behind it looked like first. I expected it would take considerable effort to pull the panel off, but as soon as my hands touched the wood, a blast of hot air surged out, pushing me backward with a whoosh. I was instantly flung backward, suspended in the air for a few seconds, before my back slammed against the door with a thwack. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I nearly choked for breath. When I finally cleared my head, I saw that the back panel of the wardrobe was completely gone—not a splinter remained anywhere in the room. And just like that, the corridor was revealed before me."

With that, Xiao Shu took my hand and strode toward the passage. I recalled the corridor that led to the Sea of Spirits; at first glance, it seemed ordinary, but stepping inside revealed walls thickly, densely writhing with flesh-eating Nether-worms. Would this corridor be the same? A giant question mark bloomed in my mind, and I hesitated to rush in. Thus, when Xiao Shu pulled me, I instinctively flinched back.

"Don't be afraid. There's nothing here; it’s just a passage. You could walk to the end with your eyes closed," he sensed my hesitation and comforted me in a soft, gentle voice.

I offered a self-deprecating chuckle. "Two grown men, what is there to be scared of?"

Just as he said, we proceeded down the passage without incident. Before long, we saw a faint, flickering light not far ahead, pulsing dimly, appearing and disappearing.

"What is that?" I asked, feeling a slight unease. Only when we approached did I make out that the object resembled a firefly, its tiny tail flashing brightly from beneath its two wings.

Xiao Shu delicately plucked one up and held it in his palm for me to see. "It looks much like a firefly, doesn't it? This is a Soul Bug; there are many such little things here. I once read in a book at the villa that when a child dies with an unfulfilled wish, a portion of their spirit, tied to that desire, transforms into a Soul Bug, lingering between the Yin and Yang realms. If the wish is ever granted, the Soul Bug will fly toward the sky to merge with the rest of the spirit, ensuring their next life is without regret."

"Are there many books like that in the villa?" Hearing Xiao Shu mention the villa again, I grew curious about the difference between his half of the villa and Li Xiaohao's. In Li Xiaohao’s section, apart from stamps and a few magazines, I hadn't noticed many books.

"You’ll know when we get there," Xiao Shu released the Soul Bug, which fluttered its wings and flew off toward where we had come from. The scene ahead immediately reverted to pitch blackness, where one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.

After perhaps another fifty paces, Xiao Shu stopped. It was still utterly dark ahead. I reached out and touched something; it seemed to be a wooden board blocking the path. Xiao Shu squatted down and dug at the ground with his hands for quite a while. Finally, there was a soft click, and a gap opened beneath the board, allowing a sliver of sunlight to shine through.

Xiao Shu pinched his nose, held his breath, pushed the board aside, and dropped down. A loud splash followed immediately, sending water splashing upward. Following the displaced board with my eyes, I saw that directly below was the shimmering surface of a lake. And just a short distance to the east, a small building stood isolated on an islet in the water. I had indeed returned to the villa.