Hui Xiang

Browser lacks capabilities required to play.

Upgrade or switch to another browser.

Loading…

<img src="hui xiang images/ein arriving in front of gate.jpg" alt="page1" /> [[Start Game!|begin]] <<set $meanCouplet to false>><<set $meanLangkawi to false>><<set $meanGuanyin to false>><<set $meanGula to false>><<set $meanCat to false>><<set $meanDragon to false>><<set $meanMuruku to false>><<set $meanSambal to false>><<set $meanBM to false>><<set $meanKokko to false>><<set $meanHuatkueh to false>><<set $mean100 to false>>

Switch to first person MORNING Ein arrives at Bandar Esok. Brief description of the town. Its already april but there are still lanterns. Hot weather. Reach Lei's house, or rather Ein's old home. Describe Lei. Lei is much older than Ein. Ein is 25 and Lei is 32. Havent seen them in person since moving out. Lei used to live in this house as well. Ein calls Lei "Ah Lei" Lei asked Ein who they are. "Who do think I am?" "I'm not sure, that's why im asking." Ein rolls their eyes "It's me, Ein. I'm supposed to move in today, remember?" "Oh yeah! I remember something like that." Lei laughs Conversation with Lei. Ein greets Lei. Lei comments on how Ein has changed. On the other hand, Ein thinks about how Lei looks almost exactly the same as they remembered. Describe Lei. Nine years is a long time right? Maybe Lei was just lucky. Ein discards the thought. Lei was walking backwards when they were talking, bumps elbow (left) on side table. Lei's reaction is suspiciouly mild, Ein doesnt notice. Has a bruise. Ein gets worried, but Lei says its okay. Lei says Ein can take whatever room they want, and proceeds to go watch tv. [[explore evening downstairs]]

Make intro purple (light lavender??) Ein's self introduction as the main character. Addresses player directly. Conversational. Player can ask questions (with option to skip). Skipping will provide different dialogue. add portrait. - moving into a new place. Well.. its actually their childhood home. They moved to a new country nine years ago. - dropped out of fine arts degree. felt directionless. What were they even going to use the degree for? - parents decide to sell old house and give up citizenship, cutting ties with home country. Ein was scared, things were moving too fast. Cant keep up. - then, received text from cousin (Gui Lei). Cousin occasionally checks in with Ein. Phone calls and texts. Ein winds up complaining alot. Cousin would just listen. Ein feels like they understood. Ein doesn't have other friends -They texted Ein that they were buying the old house, invites Ein to live with them. They were renting the house until now. - Ein needs somewhere to slow down and figure out themself. They accept. [[gameBegin]]

[[Glossary]] [[Inventory]] [[Map]]

Press the back arrow on the side bar to exit glossary. <<if $meanCouplet is true>>1. Red Spring Couplet (春联) - Spring couplets are composed of a pair of poetry lines vertically pasted on both sides of the front door. It is a Chinese New Year custom. - My family usually just sticks up the ones we get for free from dad's workplace. <<elseif $meanCouplet is false>><</if>> <<if $meanLangkawi is true>>2. Pulau Langkawi - The main island of Langkawi, which is an archipelago of 104 islands, located in Kedah (northwestern state in Malaysia). A famous tourist destination. - Pulau means island - My parents have a bad habit of buying souvenir shirts, wearing them a couple times, and then letting them rot in the wardrobe. Most of them have been passed down to me for pyjama usage. <<elseif $meanLangkawi is false>><</if>> <<if $meanGuanyin is true>>3. Guan Yin (观音) - The chinese name of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, who represents compassion. - Guan Yin in chinese means “Perceiver of all Sounds,” which refers to the way in which Guanyin is able to hear all prayers and cries for help. [citation - essay by Mei Mei Chan. Originally published by The Dunhuang Foundation.] - I think it's cool how different family altars have different statues. <<elseif $meanGuanyin is false>><</if>> <<if $meanGula is true>>4. Gula Melaka - Coconut palm sugar. I usually see them sold in solidified bricks. Used in alot of Malaysian sweets and drinks. <<elseif $meanGula is false>><</if>> <<if $meanCat is true>>5. Cat's Ears (猫耳朵） - New year cookies that look like cat ears. I remember them being quite hard. <<elseif $meanCat is false>><</if>> <<if $meanDragon is true>>6. Dragon Cookies (龙饼） - A milky melt-in-your mouth cookie shaped like a dragon (or a worm). Tastes like milk powder. <<elseif $meanDragon is false>><</if>> <<if $meanMuruku is true>>7. Muruku - A hard, crunchy indian snack that is also a Chinese New Year staple. The taste is very yummy, but the spiky parts can easily cut your mouth. <<elseif $meanMuruku is false>><</if>> <<if $meanSambal is true>>8. Sambal - A spicy condiment common in Malaysian dishes. Commonly accompanies nasi lemak. I personally prefer them to be less sweet. <<elseif $meanSambal is false>><</if>> <<if $meanBM is true>>9. BM - Short for "Bahasa Melayu", which means Malay Language. A compulsory subject in school. This has always been my worst language. <<elseif $meanBM is false>><</if>> <<if $meanHuatkueh is true>>10. Huat Kueh (发糕) - A steamed cake made with a sugar (gula melaka tastes the best). Can be eaten or used as an offering. Usually comes in brown, white or pink. <<elseif $meanHuatkueh is false>><</if>> <<if $mean100 is true>>11. 100 Plus - An isotonic sports drink made in Malaysia and Singapore. I just treat it as a regular soft drink. <<elseif $mean100 is false>><</if>> <<if $meanKokko is true>>12. "Kokko and May" (哥妹俩） - Created by Eddie See (徐有利). A local slice of life comic about a pair of siblings and their interactions with family and friends. It was marketed to chinese primary school students. Each story are centered around a moral message. - I remember buying a subscription to this comic through my primary school. We would get our monthly issues in the middle of class. It was always the highlight of my day. <<elseif $meanKokko is false>><</if>>

- Ein tries out different rooms. Player picks different rooms? -Ein cant speak fluent chinese anymore. Lei comments on how Ein cant even string together a complete chinese sentence. - Ein barrs the mb door after arm encounter. uses nearby shelf. door swings outward. Lei stays in there until Ein enters the secret room and inspects paint(?), then Lei appears behind at the doorway. Lei wants to assenble themself before facing Ein. If Ein has all clues, good end. Ein confronts Lei with all clues, is confident that there is something wrong. Lei leads Ein to the Master bedroom to explain everything. Ein decides to stay. Not enough clues, bad end. Lei walks up to Ein. Ein is scared. Lei convinces Ein is paranoid because of fatigue. Ein is successfully gaslit, gets the wifi password and goes back to bed. -Lei has a spare house key in the master bedroom. Jumped out the window and reentered the house when ein was fiddling with the router int the secret room. -Lei has a puppet body. Can only taste things they remember. Senses are all affected. Can't see Ein clearly. To them, Ein looks like a ghost. Can't hear new words. Cant hear memes/current slang. Through community, found ways to deal with it. -Lei was a journalist before the accident. -wifi router is in secret room. not connected. Lei doesnt' use the internet.

Player has free reign to explore. Scene ends when Ein picks a room. Ein leaves lugguage at the doorway. ------------------------------------------------------- -look around doorway Looking straight ahead, Ein sees the family altar. On top of the red altar shelf is a Guan Yin statue and an ancestral tablet, each are framed by LED candles. In front of these are a pot of lucky bamboo, a small incense pot and a plate of food offerings. /--take a deep breath The smell of incense fills the air, even though it is smoky, it still had a calming effect on Ein. It reminded them of new years eve when thier parents would cleanse the house with incense. New years eve meant reunion dinners. Extended family members would gather in the house to have a huge meal together. There were so many people the house had hardly enough space. Ein remembered having to sit in the living room to eat dinner with their cousins. But those days are far behind them and will unfortunately stay that way. /--look at food offereing There on the offerings plate sits three brown steamed cake. Its pillowy soft texture and gula melaka scent beckons Ein. I'm sure the ancestors can spare one cake right? Ein's stomach growls As Ein reaches out for the cakes, they hear Lei's voice "Hey! Those offerings aren't for you, no matter how much you look the part. There's some more huat kueh on the dining table." Ein, embarrased, withdraws their hand. 'looks the part'? Ein uses the front camera of their phone to check their appearance. Wow. They look terrible. They better go take a shower and freshen up soon. -------------------------------------------- - Living area Ein goes into the living room area right next to the doorway. There are two long sofas and a black coffee table with a glass top. Ein remembers the countless times they stubbed their toes on the table legs. On top of the coffee table are three cylindrical clear containers with red lids, inside are various snacks - cat's ears, dragon cookies and muruku The 40 inch LCD TV sits on a long TV shelf. Lei lounges on the black sofa, lazily changing the channel with the tv remote while snacking on something crunchy, completely ignoring thier guest. /-- Sit next to Lei Ein plops down next to Lei on the sofa. The sudden impact on the black leather seat caused Lei's form to bob up a bit, catching their attention. "Shouldn't you be taking a shower or something? Your clothes are still dirty." "I'm so tired..." Ein sighs "I had to walk all the way here. I got lost a few times. "If only SOMEONE could have picked me up at the train station." "Sorry, cars and me don't mix well." Lei smirks Ein realises that there weren't any cars parked in front of the house. Strange. Does Lei walk everywhere? "You didn't take a bus?" Lei asks "I didn't know what bus went where." "Haha! You really have forgotten all about your hometown. Nothing has changed and you still dont know how to come home." Lei's eyes wander back to the tv. ..."forgot" that word pierced Ein's heart like a needle. A small prick, enough to draw blood, but not enough to really hurt. Ein bit their lower lip and looked down at their hands, unable to face their cousin. Lei, noticing Ein's slight distress, thrusts a clear container of snacks in front of Ein's vision. "Hey, want some?" Before Ein even registers how the snack looked like, a strong mixture of sambal and dried shrimp assaults their nose. Dried shrimp rolls! Ein's favourite new year snack! Ein quickly reaches into the container and took one. They waste no time putting one inside their mouth. As Ein bites into the crispy spring roll skin, an explosion of spicy shrimpy goodness fills thier mouth. Ein unconciously smile as they chew their snack. Seeing this, Lei places the container of treats in between the two of them on the seat. "Have as many as you want." They smile briefly and, once again, turned their attention back to the colourful flashing screen. /\--- Look at Lei's arm Ein is still worried about Lei's bruise (left arm). While Lei is watching tv, Ein looks down at the arm. There doesn't seem to be any redness at the area of impact. It's probably going to develop into a blue-black spot later on. Thinking about it makes Ein subconciously rub their left elbow as well. /\---Get up from sofa /-- Look at TV shelf Ein goes towards the tv and squats down to look at the shelf under the tv, careful to not block Lei's view. --- look at drawers under the TV. Ein opens the far left drawer, the action feels very familiar. This where where Ein would keep their school books. The textbooks and workbooks were messily piled on top of each other. Every morning, Ein would place thier open school bag next to the drawer. With a creased class timetable on one hand, they would swap out books from yesterday's classes for today's. The timetable may change every year, but the routine stayed the same. Until Ein moved away. Science, Bahasa Melayu, Spelling, Hikayat Hang Tuah, 参考资料, Civics, Moral, 生字，Mathematics... As Ein digs through different school books throughout their childhood, they see three much thicker tomes buried in the corner. These are dictionaries! One is a 现代汉语词典。Its the thickest one and has a red cover. Ein remembers that it's a chinese dictionary. It is filled with chinese characters. If dont understand chinese this dictionary is pretty useless. It used to get alot of use, as evident by the loose spine, but not anymore. Then there is the "Kamus Bahasa Melayu". This one has a black cover and is the second thickest. It's a BM dictionary. This tome was a constant companion whenever Ein did homework, especially when they entered a national high school. Bahasa has never been Ein strong suit, but now it might as well be an alien language. The third one is a book that's 2/3 of the previous two's size. It has a deep blue cover and the english title is "Oxford Chinese Dictionary". It has english definitions for chinese phrases. Ein doesnt remember using it much back then, compared to the others. But somehow, Ein feels much more comfortable looking at it. Ein doesn't want to think about it too deeply. When Ein reaches the bottom of the drawer, they haphazardly put the books back and close the drawer. ------------------------------------------ - Dining area Ein walks to the dining area right next to the living area. In the middle sits a large rectangular black dining table with a glass top surrounded by 8 seats. The dining table looks pretty similar to the coffee table in the living room. Maybe they were from the same set? A blue striped grocery bag sits on top of the table. A tall ornamental pot snugly sits in the far corner of the space. /--look in grocery bag Ein looks inside the grocery bag. There is a box of huat kueh! "Ah Lei!" Ein shouts "Can I have one of these?" Ein raises one of the brown cakes. "Sure!" Ein digs in, making sure not to drop any crumbs. While eating, Ein notices a piece of paper under the box. It is neatly folded in half. There is also a pen next to it. Ein ignores it, it isn't polite to read other people's stuff /-- cabinet Ein walks up to the cabinet on their left. On top, there is a large wooden bowl containing keys. Ein sees their parent's old car keys here. Didn't they give the car to Lei? (if triggered 'sit next to Lei' before) Did they sell it? But if Lei sold the car, why is the key still here? There are also various keys for different rooms in the house. Ein has never found the need to use any of them. /\---Open cabinet drawer Ein sees a pack of playing cards. The sleeve is battered, enforced with clear tape multiple times. The cards were well loved. Ein remembers when everybody would play blackjack after the reunion dinner. The adults would sit around the dinner table. Those who weren't fast enough to get a dining chair would have to sit on the red plastic stools they kept in the storeroom. Ein remembers being responsible for taking them out. While the adults were busy gambling, the younger people would play hide and seek throughout the house. There were a suprising number of hiding spots in the house. As a long time resident, Ein always had the advantage, but they would somehow lose quite often. Ein smiled reminiscing about those times. If only Ein's parents never found out about the inheritance, maybe they would still be on speaking terms with the extended family. Maybe these celebrations could have continued. /-- Kitchen Ein walked past the dining area and turned left into the kitchen. The kitchen is split into two sections. The 'dry kitchen', where Ein is standing, is where all the ingredients and food are kept. There was also a sink and a microwave here. The inner section is the 'wet kitchen', which is where the cooking happens, no need to go in there. /\---small row of books At the end of the counter top, there is a row of ringbound books nestled between two bookends. Ein takes one of the books out. It seems to be a handmade cookbook with refillable pages. Ein flips throught the pages. Ein recognises every dish in the book, alot of them were dishes their parents would cook, and others were frequently ordered dishes from nearby restaurants. Ein starts salivating. Better stop looking or they'll get hungry again. /\---Fridge When you enter the kitchen on hot day, what do you open first? The fridge, obviously! Ein opens the fridge, a gust of cool air caresses their body. Aaahh that feels better. Ein scans the fridge and sees a bottle of 100 plus. A cold drink would hit the spot right about now. Ein takes the bottle and closes the fridge. They step out of the kitchen and yells at Lei while holding the cold bottle high. "Can I drink some of this?" Ein lazily turns to Ein "You live here now, take whatever you want." "Thanks!" Ein goes back to the kitchen and pours out a cup. Ein drinks it. Its not too sweet and the fizz pleasantly tickles their mouth. Ein puts the drink back into the fridge. But as Ein was about to close the fridge door, they see a small ornate glass bottle. The surface is tinted so they can't see the colour of what's inside, but there is a label across the side of the bottle. "修皮媒介“ Ein can't understand it. They have faint recollections of the characters' form, but can't connect them with a pronounciation or meaning. Ein felt horrible. It has been eight years since they had a chinese class. Ever since they moved, Ein has barely used the language and made no effort to maintain any sort of fluency. Its like a core part of their culture is slowly slipping through thier grasp like sand. It is a part of themself that they remain in denial of, but looking at these four characters feels like a wake-up slap across the face. Ein decides that they dont want to deal with this today, and shuts the fridge door. -- (End scene) Carry lugguage up staircase (need to see all areas [at the moment]) Ein decides to go upstairs. They carry their lugguage bag from the doorway and slowly lug it up the stairs. Ein has to stop and rest every two steps. When they finally reached the top, Ein remembered that they should send a text to their parents to tell them that they made it here safely. Ein puts their thumb at the bottom of their phone screen. Darkness. The phone is dead. Well, Ein will just have to text them later. Its time to find their room. [[explore evening upstairs]]

#PIECE OF PAPER IN GROCERY BAG --Lei writing down possible ways of breaking it to ein (crossed out words) wrote it while waiting for meal at restaurant ~Ein i need to tell you something important Ein, if you have the time, could I talk to you? Ein, do you have time? Ein are you doing anything tomorrow? Ein dont be afraid, I am still the same as you remembered I am still human #KEY ON CABINET DOWNSTAIRS #"修皮媒介“ bottle in fridge - skin repair medium. A paint medium to make any paint suitable to repair 'Immortals'' skin #OLD PHOTO - photo of Ein's family with Lei. Taken right before they emigrated. Ein looks younger and has different hairstyle, Lei looks the same. #DIARY (dated 20xx - eight years ago) -talk about meetings with a group called "The Immortals". Ein thinks is cult. - talk about being excited and worried about ein's arrival. Will they be unable to sense even more things. But also happy to have some company. Write about how they hope Ein will be able to work out their issues. #BOOK ABOUT兽眠城 -the beast fell asleep 8 years ago #BOOK OF MEMORIES - a refillable ring-bound notebook. - has a comprehensive list of things lei has experienced, all seemingly written retroactively. Book is split into sections - food, drink, smell, touch, sound, people etc. #LEI'S ARM

"me and cars dont mix well" Lei mentions that Ein looks like a ghost. Ein thinks Lei meant they look terribe, but means literally. Ein find keys to Lei's car, but the car is no there. Lei sold the car for scrap after the accident. Kept the key as momento. the house has a suprising number of hiding spots cookbook of familiar dishes in kitchen book of memories has more english towards the end so Lei can let Ein read it

Ein was too tired to do any more exploring. Since they'll be living here for the forseeable future, they will have plenty of time to do that later. They make a beeline down the familiar curved hallway. Passing by the master bedroom, a study area and what Ein assumes to still be Lei's room. At the very end is their old room. The front of their door is still decorated with a terrible self portrait they made in kindergarten. Ein smiles as thier childhood greets them, and opens the door. Everything is as Ein remembers. The blue and yellow two toned walls, the furniture, the plush animals Ein was not able to bring along, and even the little parchute nightlight that hangs above the bed. This is exactly why Ein wanted to come back. Everything seemed much happier and fun when they were a kid. All they had to do was go to school and come home. They didn't need to think about their future. It was also so much easier to make friends, now Lei is the only person Ein can confide in. Life right now is moving too fast, Ein feels like they're losing their identity in order to keep up. Ein dropped their degree because they couldnt take it anymore, and came here. Besides the dust that Ein expected to have covered the room (Lei probably cleaned it off), everything looks untouched. There's even a faint scent of lemon from what Ein presumes to be cleaning spray. It's actually kind of weird. Even downstairs, why didn't Lei clear out the stuff that they obviously didn't need? The could have maybe put them in a box somewhere to make space for their personal stuff. Ein's parents already made it clear that they won't be returning to the house much anymore, and Lei could do whatever they wanted with it. Is it because Ein was arriving? Did they do it out of consideration for Ein's feelings? No, Ein doubts it. Its probably the fatigue that's making them overthink. Just be glad that you get to sleep in your childhood bedroom. Ein lays down thier lugguage bag and unzips it to get some fresh clothes. Its time to shower! [[nigttime begin]]

- PHONE <<if $keyring is true>>- RING OF KEYS LABELLED "UPSTAIRS" <<elseif $keyring is false>> <</if>> <<if $dictionary is true>>- DICTIONARY <<elseif $dictionary is false>> <</if>>

After showering, Ein had dinner with Lei. Lei made many of familiar dishes. They enjoyed the meal alot. Now, Ein is lounging on their bed and flicking through some old "Kokko and May" comics. Some of them were translated to english, but most of them were original issues, meaning they were in chinese. Ein remembers loving these as a kid, but they don't have the same impact now. Maybe the meanings are lost in translation, the originals might be better.f Maybe Ein could translate some of the words with their phone! They also need to text their famiy. Ein unplugs their phone from its charging cable. It's 11pm now. 44% ..eh good enough. Ein opens the google translate app. Oh no! The translater needs internet, meaning that Ein needs the wifi password. Looks like they have to find Lei. Hope they're not asleep. --------------- Ein walks out of their room, with their phone in hand. The hallway was dark. Using thier phone's light as a guide, Ein walked down the hallway looking for the switch. Lei's room light isn't on. Are they asleep? Ein reaches to the door knob and turns it. Its locked. Ein knocks on the door. No response. Ein can't tell if anyone's in there. Might as well check the rest of the house. ----=---------- Ein continues down the hallway. Where is that darn switch?? After turning the second corner, they notice light coming out from the slightly open master bedroom door. Lei must be in there! Looks like they're awake too! Lucky! Lei pulls the door and enters the master bedroom. [[Master bedroom arm

You walk into the brightly lit master bedroom. "Ah Lei! Are you here?" you shout. You hear shower sounds from the bathroom. It's a bit late for showering, isn't it? Your eyes natuarally move towards the queen sized bed in the middle of the room. It used to belong to your parents. ...but there seems to be something on top of the white sheets. Some strange bent object. [[You walk closer to take a look.]]

You leave the room and shut the door as quietly as possible. Okay. Its dark outside, you aren't going to run out of the house in a neighbourhood you barely know anymore. You have to call for help. But who? The police? ...what's police number in this country again? Your parents? But they're so far away, how can they help? Urgh whatever, its not like you have any other choice at this point. As you are about to call your parents, you realise that you don't have a sim card or wifi connection. The wifi password! Argh! Obviously you can't ask Lei. But they must have written it down somewhere! Maybe a diary? Hopefully its not in thier phone or something. Or! You could look for the wifi router, the password should be somewhere on it! The default one, at least. Ein hears the shower sound start up again. Well, its better than nothing. Time to look for it! [[Investigate]] <<set $barred to false>> <<set $seenComputer to false>><<set $seenBookshelves to false>><<set $seenThinBookshelf to false>><<set $seenDesk to false>><<set $seenSecretDoor to false>><<set $seenleiRoom to false>><<set $seeneinRoom to false>><<set $seenDownstairsLight>><<set $seengroceryBag to false>><<set $seencabinet to false>><<set $seenfridge to false>><<set $seensmallRowBooks to false>><<set $seentvShelf to false>><<set $seenwoodenBowl to false>><<set $seendrawers to false>><<set $seensofa to false>><<set $seendiary to false>><<set $seencorkboard to false>><<set $seeninsideLeiRoom to false>><<set $seenComputer to false>> <<set $dictionary to false>><<set $keyring to false>><<set $cityBook to false>><<set $beastNote to false>><<set $bottleClue to false>><<set $resurrectedClue to false>> <<set $clues to 0>> <<set $confrontBottle to false>><<set $confrontNote to false>><<set $confrontBooks to false>><<set $confrontResurrection to false>>

<<if $barred is false>>You scan the top of the shelf and check the drawers. No password. Then, you have an idea. What's stopping Lei from chasing after you after they finish showering? It's not like you can escape. Unless you trap Lei in the room! Remembering that the doors in this house swing outwards, you push the shelf in front of the master bedroom door. Hopefully this will stop them for awhile. [[Investigate]] <<set $barred to true>> <<elseif $barred is true>> The shelf is blocking the door. You can still hear the shower running. There is nothing else to do here. [[Go Back|Investigate]] <</if>>

You have a few option. Where should you go? [[Go towards nearby shelf]] [[Study area]] [[Lei's room]] [[Ein's room]] [[Go downstairs]]

The thumping of rushed footsteps behind you get louder and louder. You are frozen in fear. You can't move. Then, the thumping stops. "Ah- Ein!" You turn around. !!! You see what seems to be Lei's figure. A bath towel is wrapped around their waist. Their usual tied back hair now limply frame their anxious face. But, most shockingly, one of their arms are missing. Their left arm. "Ein! L-let me explain-" You don't even register any words that followed. This is too much. Your body goes weak. And then... [[Darkness.|bad end 1 explain]]

<<if $barred is true>>You pass the master bedroom slowly. The shower is still running. Good. You make your way downstairs. [[Dining area|Dining Area]] [[Living area|Living Area]] [[Go back upstairs|Investigate]] <<elseif $barred is false>> As you are about to investigate, [[you hear the sound of a door opening|bad end 1]]. <</if>>

<<if $barred is true>> You turn the corner and walks towards the study area. This is where your parents would do thier work. On the right, there are [[bookshelves]], an [[old desktop computer]] and a [[study desk]]. And on the left, there is a [[thinner bookshelf]] and [[a door|secret room door]]. [[Go back|Investigate]] <<elseif $barred is false>> As you are about to investigate, [[you hear the sound of a door opening|bad end 1]]. <</if>>

<<if $barred is true>><<if $keyring is false and $seenleiRoom is false >><<set $seenleiRoom to true>>If you want to look for the wifi password, your best bet at the moment would be Lei's bedroom. As you turn the door knob to enter, you realise the door is locked. Oh right! Shouldn't you already know this? You tried to open this door before. You can't believe you forgot! You decide to investigate elsewhere. You should try to find a way to unlock the door [[Go Back|Investigate]] <<elseif $keyring is false and $seenleiRoom is true>>Without thinking you try to open the door, forgetting yet again that it is locked. Embarrased, you resume your search for the key. [[Go Back|Investigate]] <<elseif $keyring is true and $seenleiRoom is false>><<set $seenleiRoom to true>>If you want to look for the wifi password, your best bet at the moment would be Lei's bedroom. Remembering that the door was locked the last time you checked, you use the keys to unlock the door. You try a few keys before finding the one that fits. //Click!// You brace yourself and [[enter the room|inside Lei's room]]. <<elseif $keyring is true and $seenleiRoom is true>>You return to this door yet again. But this time, you come prepared. You use the keys to unlock the door. You try a few keys before finding the one that fits. //Click!// You brace yourself and [[enter the room|inside Lei's room]]. <</if>> <<elseif $barred is false>> As you are about to investigate, [[you hear the sound of a door opening|bad end 1]]. <</if>>

<<if $barred is true>><<if $seeneinRoom is true>> Like a moth attracted to light, You once again enter your bedroom. Surrounded by your childhood possesions and bathed in warm yellow light, this room feels like the only safe haven in this house. The only place you can understand. You can feel your anxiety melt away just a little. ...you know, you could just go to sleep and forget all this. It's getting late. None of this feels real anyway. Maybe if you go to sleep, everything will be fine when you wake up. [[Prepare to go to bed|bad end 2]] [[No! You need to keep investigating!|Investigate]] <<elseif $seeneinRoom is false>><<set $seeneinRoom to true>>You return to the comfort of your bedroom. Surrounded by your childhood possesions and bathed in warm yellow light, this room feels like the only safe haven in this house. The only place you can understand. You can feel your anxiety melt away just a little. ...you know, you could just go to sleep and forget all this. It's getting late. None of this feels real anyway. Maybe if you go to sleep, everything will be fine when you wake up. [[Prepare to go to bed|bad end 2]] [[No! You need to keep investigating!|Investigate]] <</if>> <<elseif $barred is false>> As you are about to investigate, [[you hear the sound of a door opening|bad end 1]]. <</if>>

<<if $seenBookshelves is true>>You look through Lei's portion fo the bookshelf again. You can't find anything useful. There is nothing else to do here. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenBookshelves is false>> <<set $seenBookshelves to true>> Framing the desk and computer are two large bookshelves. Each member of the household had a section of the bookshelf. Your parents had the left bookshelf, while Lei and you had the right side. You walk to your section. As expected, the books are not arranged in any particular order and are stacked vertically. The odd stationary case and paint tube is stuffed in there as well. You definitely made the most of the space given. On the other hand, [[Lei's section is much neater.]] <</if>>

<<if $seenComputer is true>>The old computer sits there. Any trace of life it once had is now gone. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenComputer is false>> <<set $seenComputer to true>> To the right of the study desk sits an old computer. Its once white chassis is now yellowed over. Wait! The computer should be connected to the internet, right? You squat down and check that the computer is connected. Now where is the power button? ...Aha! You find a smooth indent on the rectangular cpu. Bracing for the loud startup sound, you press the button. //Press.// //Press. Press.// //Press. Press. Press. Press. Press.// ...its not turning on. You guess that it's probably too old. Besides, now that you think about it, why would Lei use such an ancient machine? Looks like things aren't going to be that easy. [[Go back|Study area]] <</if>>

<<if $seenDesk is true>>The once warm family photo now gives you an uneasy feeling. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenDesk is false>> <<set $seenDesk to true>> The long white study desk stands proudly next to its partner, the old computer. Your parents bought it to visually complement the latter. The table top is empty save for a framed photo. It is a photo of your family and Lei right before the former moved. Your parents are sitting on the living room couch while you and Lei sit on the ground below them. Everyone is smiling. You cringe when you see your own awkward closed mouth smile. Back then, you were quite conscious of smilling with your teeth, thinking it was ugly. Now, you realise that forcing your mouth shut when smilling probably looks worse. Other than that, you also grew your hair out. Though your old buzz cut isn't exactly your style anymore, it looks pretty confortable in this hot and humid weather. Your eyes now fall on Lei. Thier face, their hair, their body... Their appearance is completely unchanged, eeriely so. //That severed arm on the bed...// Lei can't be a normal person, at least not anymore. They must have found a way to stop aging or something. Did they find the fountain of youth? Or maybe a philosopher's stone? ... <<set $clues to $clues +1>> [[Go back|Study area]] <</if>>

<<if $seenSecretDoor is true and $cityBook is false>>The door is still locked. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenSecretDoor is false and $cityBook is false>> <<set $seenSecretDoor to true>> Next to the thin bookshelf is a door. The knob is round and doesn't have a keyhole. Back when you still lived here, this led to a storage closet. Things like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and rarely used appliances were kept here. The door was always left slightly opened. It is jarring seeing it completely shut now. You walk up and turn the door handle. It doesn't turn. Or rather, it can't. You pull on the door. It doesn't even budge. The door knob does not have a key hole. What horribly designed door! Is this why it was always kept open back then? There must be a way to open it! ...but you doubt that the wifi password would be here. There's no way Lei would put the router in this locked room either. Time to look elsewhere for now. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenSecretDoor is false and $cityBook is true>> <<set $seenThinBookshelf to true>> The door is ajar, just like how it always was back when you lived here. Curiosity overtakes you. WARNING!! Entering the room leads to the ending. Make sure to take care of any unfinished business! [[Enter|inside secret room]] [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenSecretDoor is true and $cityBook is true>>The door is now ajar, just like how it always was back then. Curiosity overtakes you. WARNING!! Entering the room leads to the ending. Make sure to take care of any unfinished business! [[Enter|inside secret room]] [[Go back|Study area]] <</if>>

<<if $seenThinBookshelf is true and $beastNote is false and $dictionary is false>>You still can't understand anything written here. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenThinBookshelf is true and $beastNote is false and $dictionary is true>>There an intimidationg amount of chinese texts here to translate. Nothing here really caught your eye. Better save this as a last resort. [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenThinBookshelf is false and $beastNote is false>> <<set $seenThinBookshelf to true>>This five tiered bookshelf looks different from the others. Besides its width, it is marine themed. The surface is painted with an ultramarine blue. Coral, fishes, seaweed, an ocean bed, and bubbles made of glazed polymer clay decorate the wooden canvas. This must have been an art project Lei did after your family moved out. Upon inspection, the 'books' on the shelf are actually labelled office binders. The first three rows are uniform and packed, the paper contents of each binder threatening to spill out if disturbed. The fourth row is more of a mixture in terms of binder 'fullness', there is enough space for a couple of binders to rest horizontally. The bottom row is unoccupied. Hey! You completely neglected to read the binder labels! That's because it's all in chinese, written in Lei's signature tiny messy handwriting. Just looking at it is giving you a headache. You take the leftmost binder from the third row and open it. There are newspaper clippings stuck on A4 copy paper. And, as expected, [[the page is covered in chinese characters.|thinner bookshelf 2]] <<elseif $seenThinBookshelf is true and $beastNote is true>> <<set $seenThinBookshelf to true>>"The beast slumbers in the deep sea". This must be it! This marine themed bookshelf is likely the only "deep sea" related thing in this house. Now, how do you "wake up" the "beast"? The office binders that inhabit the shelf are labeled in chinese. The fuller binders have "报纸文章“ written on them. "Newspaper article" The emptier binders on the fourth row all have different labels. [[小说草稿]] [[成员资料]] [[兽眠城]] [[Go back|Study area]] <<elseif $seenThinBookshelf is false and $beastNote is true>> <<set $seenThinBookshelf to true>>This five tiered bookshelf looks different from the others. Besides its width, it is marine themed. The surface is painted with an ultramarine blue. Coral, fishes, seaweed, an ocean bed, and bubbles made of glazed polymer clay decorate the wooden canvas. This must have been an art project Lei did after your family moved out. This must be it! This bookshelf is likely the only "deep sea" related thing in this house. Now, how do you "wake up" the "beast"? Upon inspection, the 'books' on the shelf are actually labelled office binders. The first three rows are uniform and packed, the paper contents of each binder threatening to spill out if disturbed. "报纸文章“ or "Newspaper article" is written on them with Lei's signature tiny messy handwriting. The fourth row is more of a mixture in terms of binder 'fullness', there is enough space for a couple of binders to rest horizontally. The bottom row is unoccupied. You take the leftmost binder from the third row and open it. There are newspaper clippings stuck on A4 copy paper. And, as expected, [[the page is covered in chinese characters.|thinner bookshelf 3]] <</if>>

Swinging open the door, the room lets out a musty sigh, relieved of its burden of secrecy. You catch a hint of linseed oil in the air. You step in. Pointing your phone light forward, in their periphery, you see the expected shelf of cleaning supplies, resealed boxes and stack of newspapers. There is a new shelf too. It is occupied by buckets of paint and a collection of brushes. Though unfamiliar, [[it is far from the most interesting thing in this room|inside secret room 2]].

BAD ENDING 1 You fainted without finding out the truth. [[Go back|Investigate]]

<<if $seeninsideLeiRoom is true>>The room is covered in neutral tones, mainly off white and dark brown. There isn't much furniture, just the bare basics - a cupboard, a desk and a bed. The large square carpet in the middle of the room brings everything together. You check under the bed and inside the cupboard. Nothing was of note other than the fact that it is neat and clean. However, some things catch your eye at the desk. There is a [[corkboard]] with a few bits of paper stuck to it and an [[opened book|diary]] with a pen nesting between the pages. [[Go back out|Investigate]] <<elseif $seeninsideLeiRoom is false>><<set $seeninsideLeiRoom to true>>Your heart start racing even more as you step into Lei's bedroom. It feels like you're invading your cousin's privacy. Even back then, teenage Lei would get uncharacteristically angry when you trespassed into their space. But this time, you're here for a good reason! ''You'' aren't the one displaying your severed arm on a bed! You have the right to find out the truth! After sufficient mental assurance, you explore the unknown area. The room is covered in neutral tones, mainly off white and dark brown. There isn't much furniture, just the bare basics - a cupboard, a desk and a bed. The large square carpet in the middle of the room brings everything together. You check under the bed and inside the cupboard. Nothing was of note other than the fact that it is neat and clean. However, some things catch your eye at the desk. There is a [[corkboard]] with a few bits of paper stuck to it and an [[opened book|diary]] with a pen nesting between the pages. [[Go back out|Investigate]] <</if>>

You decide to suppress what you saw in the master bedroom and prepare to turn in for the night. After locking your room door, you go into the bathroom to clean your teeth and face. Then, finally, you turn off the lights and collapse on the bed, [[giving in to your fatigue.|bad end 2.1]]

BAD ENDING 2 Sometimes it's safer to just stay still. [[Go Back|Ein's room]]

Upon reaching downstairs, you immediately arrive at the dining area. The peaceful dinner you had with Lei a few hours ago feels so far away. What should you do? [[Look in grocery bag on dining table|grocery bag]] [[Check cabinet|cabinet]] [[Go to kitchen|kitchen]] [[Search other areas|Go downstairs]]

You walk towards the living area. The usual light and airy atmosphere now feels eerie at this time of the night. Time to... [[Check the TV shelf|tv shelf]] [[Check the sofas|sofa]] [[Search somewhere else|Go downstairs]]

<<if $seengroceryBag is true>>The lonely note sits on top of the huat kueh box. Thanks to you, it has finally been freed from underneath the box. Despite finally being able to breathe fresh air, its crease serves as a constant reminder of its subjugation and subsequent imprisonment, robbing the receipt of it's ability to lay completely flat ever agian. You leave the receipt to its freedom. [[Go back|Dining Area]] <<elseif $seengroceryBag is false>><<set $seengroceryBag to true>>The grocery bag now sits towards the left edge of the dining table. You remember seeing a small piece of paper inside, under the box of huat kueh. Removing the almost empty cake box, you fish out the folded paper from the bottom of the bag. The paper is actually a receipt for the cakes. Opening it, you see some words written at the back. <strike>hey ein do you have a minute</strike> <strike>can I have some of your time later</strike> <strike>look ein i have something important to say</strike> <strike>can i talk to you privately this is importa</strike> <strike>ein dont be afraid, I am still the same as you remembered I am still human</strike> how do i tell them?????? need to find right opportunity this is <strike>fragile</strike> delicate subject. dont want to upset them 怎么办？？？？？？( ; ω ; ) Based on the note, it seems Lei was struggling on how to bring something up with you. What did they want to talk about? The removable arm??? And what the hell does "I am still human" mean????? Even though you're still scared of Lei, your impression of them softens a little knowing that they cared about your feelings. Still, somthing isn't right with Lei, and you need an exit plan. <<set $clues to $clues +1>> You fold the note again and put it back in the bag. [[Go Back|Dining Area]] <</if>>

You turn left into the kitchen. Could there be any clues hidden in here? [[Check row of books|book of memories]] [[Open fridge|fridge night]] [[Go back out|Dining Area]]

You go towards the cabinet to your right. It looks the same as before. [[Check wooden bowl|wooden bowl]] [[Open drawers|open drawers]] [[Check other places|Dining Area]]

<<if $seendrawers is true>> You see the drawers again, the sickeningly lemony smell still lingers in your mind. There is nothing else to do here. [[Go back|cabinet]] <<elseif $seendrawers is false>><<set $seendrawers to true>>You open the drawers looking for anything useful. Other than those playing cards, there are some other miscellaneous items like complementary hotel stationary, some loose AA batteries and an empty glasses case. These must have been here for quite awhile. You pick up a battery. This is expired! You pick up another one. Also expired! Why is Lei keeping these? Did they forget about them? ...and why do they have a familiar lemony smell? //Sniff sniff sniff// You begin smelling each object in the drawer. They all have the same scent! It's cleaning spray! Lei not only knowingly left expired batteries here, they even cleaned them?!? You would understand taking care of other people's belongings, like the things in your bedroom. But this is trash! Why is Lei keeping these? It's like Lei is preserving them for some reason. Was your room also "preserved" for the same reason? Did Lei have some ulterior motive when they invited you to stay? Maybe it's the unbelievable situation that you are in, but panic starts to set in as you fail to find ways to convincingly rationalise what you've disovered. You close the drawer and steel your resolve. You have to get out of here! [[Go back|cabinet]] <</if>>

<<if $seenwoodenBowl is true>>You have no need for any more keys. [[Go back|cabinet]] <<elseif $seenwoodenBowl is false>><<set $seenwoodenBowl to true>>There is a mixture of various different keys inside the wooden bowl. This might be the first time you are touching any of these keys. There was never a need to open a locked door from the outside. Luckily, it seems someone else also shares the sentiment, since there are convenient tags on each keyring. You could only think of one place that is locked. You pick up the one labelled "upstairs", which has 3 keys attached. <<set $keyring to true>> [[Go back|cabinet]] <</if>>

?!!! Your eyes widened. It looks like a life-sized doll arm! ...wait. There's some reddish mark on the elbow. And a familiar jade bracelet around the wrist. That could only be... Upon the realisation, you let out an involuntary yelp. The shower sound stops, and a voice soon replaces it. "Ein?" Your heart stops. //no no no no no no no no no no no no no no!// You have to get out of there! You run out of the master bedroom. [[W-what's happening??!!?!|reason for investigating]]

<<if $seensmallRowBooks is true>>Two books sit upright on the kitchen counter. [[Go back|kitchen]] <<elseif $seensmallRowBooks is false>><<set $seensmallRowBooks to true>>A row of books sit on the counter. Last you checked, one of them was a cookbook of familiar recipes. Not sure about the others. Maybe the wifi password is hidden here? You start skimming the cookbook. It seems normal enough. The pages are crinkled from repeated use and there is the odd food stain. You even ate some of these dishes a few hours ago. No password though. You put it back and try to pull out the next book, but are surprised when the remaining two books followed it. They're stuck together! With duct tape! You open the massive frankensteined book. It is made out of several lined notebook, all of the same type and contain the same handwriting. The contents are in chinese for the first two notebooks, and in english for the third. Each is split into several tabbed sections - taste, touch, smell, sound, people, places and misc., which are filled with a conprehensive list of...things. You have no other way of describing it. In the "taste" section , there is anything from cheese and coconut to blood and vomit. The same went for the other sections. Every little mundane thing was recorded. In the "people" section, there is a list people, some you recognise, some you didn't. Beside each name is a short description of the person in bullet points. [[You find your name in one of the earlier entries in the section.|book of memories2]] <</if>>

<<if $seenfridge is true and $dictionary is false and $bottleClue is false>>You open the fridge yet again. Did you miss something? not really. Then why did you open the fridge again? You don't know. It's like some strange force is compelling you to pull on the door whenever the fridge enters your sight. Your eyes scan the interior as bright light illuminates your form, not looking for anything in particular. Then, you close the fridge, satisfied. At least the cold air was nice. [[Back to finding a way to translate the bottle's label.|kitchen]] <<elseif $seenfridge is false and $dictionary is false and $bottleClue is false>><<set $seenfridge to true>>You walk up to the fridge and open it. It is like an automatic action. There's no way anything related to the wifi could be in here. But opening it just feels right. The fridge contents are about the same as before, aside from some leftover dinner. That strange bottle is still there too. “修皮媒介” You still can't understand it. ...but wait! Isn't there less liquid inside than before? W-was it in the food??!? Now you ''have'' to find out what the label says! Translator app isn't working, so you need to find another way. [[Go back|kitchen]] <<elseif $seenfridge is false and $dictionary is true and $bottleClue is false>><<set $seenfridge to true>><<set $bottleClue to true>><<set $clues to $clues+1>>You walk up to the fridge and open it. It is like an automatic action. There's no way anything related to the wifi could be in here. But opening it just feels right. The fridge contents are about the same as before, aside from some leftover dinner. That strange bottle is still there too. “修皮媒介” An old enemy. It may have stumped you a few hours ago, but now you return prepared. You excitedly flip open the dictionary and look up the characters. The process was slow. Much slower than writing it in a translation app. However, with each mysterious character matched with a familiar English word, you feel an increasing sense of triumph. ... mend...skin...medium...between...? A skin mending medium? As in a paint medium for mending skin? That doesn't make any sense. It's probably supposed to be some ointment for wounds. You take the bottle and lightly shake it. The liquid barely moves. ...Speaking of, isn't there less liquid inside than before? Did Lei use it at some point? Well, whatever the answer is, this doesn't help your current situation. [[Time to look elsewhere|kitchen]] <<elseif $seenfridge is true and $dictionary is true and $bottleClue is false>><<set $bottleClue to true>><<set $clues to $clues+1>>You return to the fridge. This time, with some newfound confidence. “修皮媒介” You excitedly flip open the dictionary and look up the characters. The process was slow. Much slower than writing it in a translation app. However, with each mysterious character matched with a familiar English word, you feel an increasing sense of triumph. ... mend...skin...medium...between...? A skin mending medium? As in a paint medium for mending skin? That doesn't make any sense. It's probably supposed to be some ointment for wounds. You take the bottle and lightly shake it. The liquid barely moves. Did Lei use it at some point? One mystery solved and another rises in its place. Well, at least it's unlikely that it was used as poison at dinner. [[Time to get back on track.|kitchen]] <<elseif $seenfridge is true and $dictionary is true and $bottleClue is true>>One more time. Just one more time. You open the fridge. Did you miss something? ...no. You already figured out that the bottle contains a "skin mending medium". Then why did you open the fridge again? just for fun. After enjoying the cool air for a bit, you close the fridge. [[Time to go.|kitchen]] <</if>>

Add things to this "safe" list as you remember them. Translating chinese entries into english. Losing memories results in loss of senses and identity. Need to be careful. It feels like Lei is clinging to the past, making sure that none of it gets buried under the sands of time. Also, the password isn't here.<<set $clues to $clues+1>> [[Time to look somewhere else|kitchen]]

<<if $seentvShelf is true>>You return to the drawer once again and crouch down. You were so preoccupied with finding the dictionary that you didn't bother checking if the password is here. Leave no stone unturned! You put the dictionary on the floor beside you and begin flicking through pages of each book. As you are going through your old school material, your old handwriting catches your eye. Wow... You used to have such terrible handwriting! You start to think about school and your old friends. //Ahh// those were good times. Suddenly, you feel the cool marble floor on your thighs and calves. This is no time for reminiscing! You close the drawer and stand back up, dictionary in hand. [[Go back|Living Area]] <<elseif $seentvShelf is false>><<set $seentvShelf to true>>You crouch down and open the far left drawer containing your old school materials. The wifi password most likely isn't here. But! There is something useful in here. You remember seeing it in the evening. Hmmm where is it...? You rummage through the messy pile of books. not here... ... Found it! A patch of deep blue peeks out from the canyon formed by the pushed-aside books. You fish out your prize. "Oxford Chinese Dictionary"<<set $dictionary to true>> Now you can translate chinese words! You holds your new key item close to you and [[continue exploring.|Living Area]] <</if>>

<<if $seensofa is true>>Knowing that there are items hidden within those cushion-y walls, you start to regard this humble sofa in a different light. There is nothing else to do here. [[Go back|Living Area]] <<elseif $seensofa is false>><<set $seensofa to true>>You wonder if there is anything hidden in the sofa. After mentally preparing yourself for the inevitable dust and grime, you stick your hand in between the sofa cushions. Unfortunately the cushions don't come off, so this is the only option. You manage to fish out a tv remote, a few coins and a hair tie. Strangely, your hand would emerge from its multiple excusions totally free of dust or grime. The buried treasures are also equally spotless. Though thankful, you also feel a little unsettled and decide to put the items back into the clean abyss. No wifi passwords here. [[Time to look elsewhere.|Living Area]] <</if>>

<<set $barred to true>> <<set $seenComputer to false>><<set $seenBookshelves to false>><<set $seenThinBookshelf to true>><<set $seenDesk to false>><<set $seenSecretDoor to false>><<set $seenleiRoom to false>><<set $seeneinRoom to false>><<set $seenDownstairsLight>><<set $seengroceryBag to false>><<set $seencabinet to false>><<set $seenfridge to false>><<set $seensmallRowBooks to false>><<set $seentvShelf to false>><<set $seenwoodenBowl to false>><<set $seendrawers to false>><<set $seensofa to false>><<set $seendiary to false>><<set $seencorkboard to false>><<set $seeninsideLeiRoom to false>><<set $seenComputer to false>> <<set $dictionary to true>><<set $keyring to false>><<set $cityBook to false>><<set $beastNote to true>><<set $bottleClue to false>><<set $resurrectedClue to false>> <<set $clues to 0>> <<set $confrontBottle to false>><<set $confrontNote to false>><<set $confrontBooks to false>><<set $confrontResurrection to false>> [[Lei's room]] [[diary]] [[corkboard]] [[thinner bookshelf]] [[inside secret room]] [[true end 5]]

<<if $seencorkboard is true and $dictionary is false and $beastNote is false>>怪兽沉眠与深海。请叫醒它。 You still can't understand this. [[Need to find a way to translate this.|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seencorkboard is false and $dictionary is false and $beastNote is false>><<set $seencorkboard to true>>You look up at the corkboard hanging above the desk. There are some old photos hanging on the string across the top. You catch your young self in a few of them. Below, there are pamphlets for an art exhibition, a book club and a music event. The dates on each have already passed. Did Lei attend these? There is a small blue post-it note that seems out of place. 怪兽沉眠与深海。请叫醒它。 More chinese... It's so frustrating not being able to understand any of this. This might be important! [[You need to find a way to translate this!|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seencorkboard is true and $dictionary is true and $beastNote is false>><<set $beastNote to true>><<set $clues to $clues+1>>Okay! Time to translate this thing. Please be something useful! 怪兽沉眠与深海。请叫醒它。 The beast slumbers in the deep sea. Please wake it up. ... Lei wouldn't hide their wifi password behind a riddle. ...would they? Honestly, anything is possible at this point. Deep sea... Something is tugging in your mind. [[Why does that ring a bell?|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seencorkboard is false and $dictionary is true and $beastNote is false>><<set $seencorkboard to true>><<set $beastNote to true>><<set $clues to $clues+1>>You look up at the corkboard hanging above the desk. There are some old photos hanging on the string across the top. You catch your young self in a few of them. Below, there are pamphlets for an art exhibition, a book club and a music event. The dates on each have already passed. Did Lei attend these? There is a small blue post-it note that seems out of place. 怪兽沉眠与深海。请叫醒它。 The beast slumbers in the deep sea. Please wake it up. ... Lei wouldn't hide their wifi password behind a riddle. ...would they? Honestly, anything is possible at this point. Deep sea... Something is tugging in your mind. [[Why does that ring a bell?|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seencorkboard is true and $dictionary is true and $beastNote is true>>What did the note say again? 怪兽沉眠与深海。请叫醒它。 The beast slumbers in the deep sea. Please wake it up. Deep sea... [[That word is still tugging at your mind.|inside Lei's room]] <</if>>

<<if $seendiary is true and $dictionary is false and $resurrectedClue is false>>You flip through the diary again. You just had an idea. Aren't chinese characters pictographic? They're basically like stylised drawings of objects, right? Maybe you could decipher the text if you just look really hard. Ah! There are three characters that keep showing up throughout the entries! "回生社“ These ones don't look too intimidating! . .. ... nope. nothing. All you see are a bunch of squares, lines and dots. They don't resemble anything. You'd think a former art student would be more creative. But no. Looks like there's no way around it. [[You have to find another way to translate them.|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seendiary is false and $dictionary is false and $resurrectedClue is false>><<set $seendiary to true>>The opened pages of the lined notebook are blank save for today's date on the top right. You grab some pages and flip back. Along with a date at a similar location, there are also blocks of chinese text filling the rest of the page. This is Lei's diary! Now this is an ACTUAL invasion of privacy! But desperate times calls for desperate measures. You continue to flip back the pages of the diary. Apart from the occasional english word, the entries are written entirely in chinese. [[You need to find a way to translate it.|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seendiary is true and $dictionary is true and $resurrectedClue is false>>You return to Lei's diary. You flip back the pages once more, with your knowledgeable paper companion eagerly waiting for their time to shine. You can't possibly translate everything, so you have to be selective. There is a polaroid of a group of people playing mahjong with a chinese phrase written at the bottom. Lei can be clearly seen in the shot. [[This chinese phrase seem to come up pretty often throughout the entries.|hui sheng club]] There is also [[a relatively short entry|diary entry]] that you can translate. Other than these, there doesn't seem to be anything else of note. You combed through every inch of this diary and still can't find anything that might be a password. You try some obvious ones like birthdays, names and nicknames, and also the odd english word that pops up in the diary entries. Nothing. [[Where is this stupid password?!|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seendiary is false and $dictionary is true and $resurrectedClue is false>><<set $seendiary to true>>The opened pages of the lined notebook are blank save for today's date on the top right. You grab some pages and flip back. Along with a date at a similar location, there are also blocks of chinese text filling the rest of the page. This is Lei's diary! Now this is an ACTUAL invasion of privacy! But desperate times calls for desperate measures. You continue to flip back the pages of the diary. You can't possibly translate everything, so you have to be selective. There is a polaroid of a group of people playing mahjong with a chinese phrase written at the bottom. Lei can be clearly seen in the shot. [[This chinese phrase seem to come up pretty often throughout the entries.|hui sheng club]] There is also [[a relatively short entry|diary entry]] that you can translate. Other than these, there doesn't seem to be anything else of note. You combed through every inch of this diary and still can't find anything that might be a password. You try some obvious ones like birthdays, names and nicknames, and also the odd english word that pops up in the diary entries. Nothing. [[Where is this stupid password?!|inside Lei's room]] <<elseif $seendiary is true and $dictionary is true and $resurrectedClue is true>>You return to Lei's diary. You flip back the pages once more, with your knowledgeable paper companion eagerly waiting for their time to shine. You can't possibly translate everything, so you have to be selective. There is a polaroid of Lei and a group of people playing mahjong with "回生社“ written at the bottom. There is also [[a relatively short entry|diary entry]] that you can translate. Other than these, there doesn't seem to be anything else of note. You combed through every inch of this diary and still can't find anything that might be a password. You try some obvious ones like birthdays, names and nicknames, and also the odd english word that pops up in the diary entries. Nothing. [[Where is this stupid password?!|inside Lei's room]] <</if>>

"回生社“<<set $clues to $clues+1>><<set $resurrectedClue to true>> return...life...society "Ressurection Society"? ...! Why is Lei involved is something like this? Did something get lost in translation? haha...maybe this is just some creative writing exercise. Lei enjoys writing, right? Or! This might be a community project! Like reviving an community centre or park or- ... With each futile attempt to rationalise this discovery, the image of Lei's detached arm only grows more vivid in your mind. [[...What are they trying to ressurect?]]

今天，我在那个画展又碰到一个我忘却的人。他的样子模模糊糊看不清楚。他一直和我谈话，但我什么都听不出来！至少他听起来挺高兴。好像听他说什么“同学”。幸亏，这次还平安过关！＼(٥⁀▽⁀ )／到现在我还想不起他的身份。或许不是我记忆的问题，而是他自己改变了太多。画展的作品我也无法享受。阿珲下个月来的时候我应该会遇到同样的情况。 *记得要叫阿珲 ”Ein" *复习英语 *不要丢掉那画展册子，有可能会想起那神秘人的身份 Today, at that art exhibition, I met someone I've forgotten yet again. Their face was blurry, I couldn't see them clearly. They kept talking to me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. At least they sounded pretty happy. I think they said something about "classmates". Luckily, I made it through this ordeal!＼(٥⁀▽⁀ )／ Even now I still don't remember who they are. Maybe the problem isn't my memory, but that they have changed too much. I was unable to enjoy the art exhibition works either. I will probably encounter the same problem when Ah Hoon comes over next month. *remember to call Ah Hoon "Ein" *revise english *don't throw away the art exhibition pamplet, I might be able to remember the mysterious person's identity. Lei still calls you "Ah Hoon" in their diary... [[What's happening to Lei?|diary]]

...Oh! You recognise the author's name! The same one appears in every clipping in the binder. It's Lei's chinese name! 桂蕾！ The label for this binder has some similar characters as the binders on the previous three rows. This shelf must be a collection of Lei's published works back when they were a journalist! The dates of the articles seem to end about four years ago. That checks out, since that was when Lei was fired. The other much emptier binders on the fourth row have different characters on the label. The contents inside are a mix of written and printed sheets. You have no idea what any of them say. But, most importantly, there's nothing resembling a wifi password here. You won't get any more out of this unless you find a way to understand what's written. ... [[Go back|Study area]]

"Novel manuscript" Looks like Lei never stopped writing even after losing their job. The lined refill paper crinkle under your touch. Each handwritten character on its surface carves out a tactile imprint on the other side. The continuous black text is interrupted by underlines, circles and comments in red. The red text has a different handwriting. Lei painstakingly handwrote their manuscript and handed it to an editor? It would be much easier to type it in word processor. You can see lots of white-out and crossed out words throughout the multiple pages. Is this just an author's quirk? [[Or is there some other reason?|thinner bookshelf]]

<<if $resurrectedClue is true>>..."Members' information"? The binder is another collection of news articles, except this time they originate from different papers and have different authors. None of them Lei. Oh! Some of these are in english! "Fatal crash at intersection results in two deaths." "Arborist dies in workplace accident ." "Store owner murdered after refusing service to abusive customer." You notice that the earliest article is dated about four years ago. All the articles have same tragic theme. Photos of the aftermaths transcend the need for any translation. But why is all of this filed under "members' information?" It must have something to do with that "Resurrection Society"! ... [[Your stomach sinks.|thinner bookshelf]] <<elseif $resurrectedClue is false>>..."Members' information"? The binder is another collection of news articles, except this time they originate from different papers and have different authors. None of them Lei. Oh! Some of these are in english! "Fatal crash at intersection results in two deaths." "Arborist dies in workplace accident ." "Store owner murdered after refusing service to abusive customer." You notice that the earliest article is dated about four years ago. All the articles have same tragic theme. Photos of the aftermaths transcend the need for any translation. [[But why is all of this filed under "members' information?"|thinner bookshelf]] <</if>>

<<if $cityBook is false>>beast...sleep...city?<<set $cityBook to true>><<set $clues to $clues+1>> It's pronounced Shou Mian Cheng. Hey! Theres fine print under the town. "Unofficial name of Bandar Esok" Bandar Esok is the name of this city! This is the first time you're encountering this "unofficial name". When was this coined? But more importantly, is this the "sleeping beast"? You open the chunky binder. Black marks dance across your vision as you flick through the handwritten pages. When you are about to settle on a page to translate, you feel a small bump on the stack of papers, like a pea under a mattress. You turns the pages to find the source of the disturbance. Jackpot! A thin remote control is nestled within a cutout section of some glued-together pages. In your excitement, you press the button. //Click!// //~Creak~// The door next to the you opens! Your heart is pounding. [[This is it!|Study area]] <<elseif $cityBook is true>>The door is open now. [[You need to find out what's inside.|Study area]] <</if>>

There it is. Your phone light illuminates its angelic white form. It's the wifi router!! [[You make your way towards it, newspaper sheets crinkling under your feet.|inside secret room 3]]

You stand before your potential saviour. The wifi router is perched on the table, with its two antennae proudly pointing up. But as you reach for the router and lift it up, its heroic facade crumbles. The router moves without resistance. Its cord and socket sway pathetically in midair. ... ''it was never connected.'' there was never any password. Before despair fully envelopes you, [[you hear a knock behind you.|inside secret room 4]

<<if $clues is 7>>"Ein?" You turn around and your blood runs cold. Lei is standing at the room entrance, fully intact. You take a step back. "Ein? I-I need to talk to you." "P-please?" Both of Lei's hands are gripping the hem of their shirt. Your shoulders relax a little seeing your fear being mirrored. "Then tell me what's going on!" you force the words out of your mouth. Lei flinches from your tone. "Okay. You deserve to know." "Let's talk in my room. It's nicer there." "Fine." You walk out of the room, not taking your eyes off Lei. Lei overtakes you and leads the way to the their room, [[not bothering to lock the door again|True End 1]]. <<elseif $clues<7>>"Ein?" You turn around and your blood runs cold. Lei is standing at the room entrance, fully intact. Ein takes a step back. "Ein? I-I need to talk to you." "P-please?" Both of Lei's hands are gripping the hem of their shirt. Your shoulders relax a little seeing your fear being mirrored. "Then tell me what's going on!" you force the words out of your mouth. Lei flinches from your tone. "Okay. You deserve to know." "Let's talk in the master bedroom. It's nicer there." "Fine." You walk out of the room, not taking your eyes off Lei. Lei overtakes you and leads the way to their room, [[locking the door behind them|Bad End 3.1]]. <</if>>

"I see you've let yourself in before." Lei turns and flashes a small smile at you as they open their room door. Any sense of guilt or humour you would have felt is overshadowed by an intense mixture of curiousity, fear, anger and excitement. Depite your extensive memories in this house, this situation, being ''invited'' into what you've always known to be forbidden ground isn't one of them. This is the first step into the great beyond. Not waiting for a response, Lei switches on the room lights and enters the room. [[You follow|true end 2]].

Lei drags their study chair in front of their bed and takes a seat on the mattress. They invite you to sit on the chair. "Hah...Where do I even start?" Lei's eye's follow you as the you sit down. You point at the elephant in the room. "Your arm." The direct request causes Lei to instinctively rub the offending limb. "I saw it. In the master bedroom. On the bed." Your voice steadily raises. "It was...detached from your body!" "!" Lei takes a sharp breath. "That...O-oh that! Aiyah, i-Its just a prosthetic!" ...what? Not allowing you to react, Lei continues. "I-I lost my arm in an accident! I'm sorry I never told you." ...is that it? Was everything just a huge misunderstanding? [[Lei stares at you with kind eyes.|true end 3]]

That look... That's the Lei you remember. This feels...comfortable. An anticlimactic but nevertheless happy ending to a night of misadventures. Nothing... Nothing has actually changed! This is good! This is what you wanted! You givr yourself a moment, waiting for the deluge of relief cleanse your mind of doubt. [[But it never comes.|true end 4]]

Even if Lei is telling the truth, it doesn't explain all the other weird things you found in the house. Throughout the night, you have been suppressing the slow realisation that this isn't truly your childhood home anymore. Whenever you felt overwhelmed, this was the one place you would dream of running away to. An escape route back into the embrace of your warm, fuzzy past where everything made sense. There is nowhere to run anymore. You have a feeling that a dead end is hidden behind Lei's tempting kindness. "I still have more questions." Lei, not expecting the sudden break in silence, snaps their wandering eyes back on you. "Of course. Anything." Lei leans forward. [[It's now or never.|true end 5]]

What should you ask about? <<if $confrontNote is true>> <<elseif $confrontNote is false>>[[Piece of paper in grocery bag]] <</if>> <<if $confrontBottle is true>> <<elseif $confrontBottle is false>>[[Bottle in fridge]] <</if>> <<if $confrontBooks is true>> <<elseif $confrontBooks is false>>[[Books on kitchen counter]] <</if>> <<if $confrontBooks is true>>[[The "Resurrection Society"]] <<elseif $confrontBooks is false>> <</if>>

<<set $confrontBooks to true>>"I saw some books on the kitchen counter. It had lists of...things. Mundane everyday stuff. And at the very end, there was a note about losing memories." You pause. "I-is there something wrong with your memory?" "No! My memory's fine!" Lei's decisive outburst fizzles out as soon as it came. "...My memory isn't the problem." "Then what is?" "..." "You were translating the earlier entries into english. Why would you do that unless-" "-it was for you." Lei's hand shoots up attempting to stop their words, but quickly lowers in defeat. "Then why can't you tell me what's wrong? You obviously want me to understand something!" "...That...that list is a reminder of who I am. I also wanted you to know that those things are still a part of me, you know, since we haven't [[seen each other for so long.|books on kitchen counter 2]]"

<<set $confrontBottle to true>>"There's a strange bottle in the fridge. Some "skin mending medium"?" "A-Ah! That's just a little something I mix into my paints. Yeah, reading your texts about art school made me take up painting. Haha..." That flimsy excuse isn't enough to deter you. "Then what's the "skin mending" part about?" "I-its for painting skin! It makes it look realistic." A flow improver? Or maybe it's a glazing medium? You aren't aware of any painting medium that's specifically for "realistic" skin. It's more about choosing the right tones. "Ein, it's just painting thing. I-it's nothing." "...You didn't put it in food, right?" "Oh! Of course not!" Lei yelps in suprise, "Just because it's in the fridge, doesn't mean I put it in my cooking. Don't worry. I didn't mean for the name to be so misleading." Though you are still unconvinced about the bottle's contents, it's unlikely that you will get anything else out of Lei. [[Let's move on to something else.|true end 5]]

You get up and walk towards the study desk and place a hand on the diary. "There's something in here I want to ask about. Can i take it out?" Lei is still glued to their seat, expression tinged with incredulity. "Okay." You flip through the diary and take out a photograph. You then returned to your chair and show it to Lei. Lei's face in the photograph sharply contrasts the one before you. With a shaky hand, Lei takes the photograph and stares down at it. "Who are these people?" "My friends." Lei doesn't look up. "What do you guys do?" Time stands still. Lei's form freezes, save for their right thumb tracing the bottom corner of the photograph. The only sounds in the room are your own shallow breaths and Lei's distinct lack of one. Finally, Lei lets out a deep sigh and thier shoulders sag. "I think I know what you're really asking." Lei lifts up thier head and gives you a small smile. Then, they face the photograph towards you and point at the three characters written on the bottom. "[[Do you know what this says?|the resurrection society 2]]"

<<set $confrontNote to true>>"I found a note in the huat kueh bag. You wanted to tell me something." You recall. "..." "Why did you write that you're "still human"?" You attempt to make eye contact, but miss as Lei's sight casts downward. Lei mulls over the question, their eyes rapidly shift from side to side. "I didn't want to scare you." "Well, it's too late for that! Just tell me what you meant!" You almost regret your aggressive tone as Lei shrinks into themself. "I'm...I...I'm sorry. I can't. All you need to know is that the accident didn't change who I am." How big must Lei's secret be to elicit this much fear? [[Time to try something else.|true end 5]]

Lei's expression darkens. "If I don't remind myself, I'll forget. If I forget, I'll lose myself." Their gaze pierces through you, as if witnessing an incoming disaster. "I won't be able to experience things as myself, as Lei. What's the point in being alive if I can't live as me?!" The clear anguish in Lei's face is heartbreaking. Though you can't see the complete picture of Lei's situation, the silhouette that is beginning to form resonates with you. [[It also brought to mind something discovered in this room.|books on kitchen counter 3]]

"The person at the art exhibition..." "Huh?" Lei's eyes focuses back on you. "You couldn't remember them. You couldn't see or hear them properly." "How did you know about that?" Lei's eyes shift towards the desk at the opposite end of the room. They stiffen. "Don't tell me you-" "I needed to know what was going on! I didn't have a choice!" Did you? You feel a pang of guilt. "You- I- How much do you know?" But what's done is done. There's no going back. Now that the focus is on the diary, there's no point avoiding [[the most concerning thing you discovered tonight.|true end 5]]

""//hui shen she//"," you answer, "Which means "resurrection society"!" "Hah." Lei's eyes soften in defeat. "Your pronunciation's not bad, but it's actually "//huí shēng shè//". "The english name you gave is a bit menacing though." Lei added. "But that's what the word means! What do you call yourselves then?" "We're officially called the "Storytelling Club". "绘声社" is our chinese name. It's from the phrase "绘影绘声”, which means describing something vividly and true to life. "As you might have noticed, it sounds similar to the name on the photo. "It's a little inside joke, courtesy of our beloved president. A pun in plain sight." Lei glaces back at the photograph fondly. "I guess in that sense, "resurrection society" is a bit more honest." Lei lowers their hands and [[looks directly at you.|reveal 1]]

"Ein, I'm dead." [[huh?|reveal 2]]

"It was four years ago that I-" "Wait! Wait wait wait!" You become aware of the breath you've been holding. Your mind is actively rejecting what came out of Lei's mouth. "Ein, I know this is unbelievable, but this is what you wanted. I want to tell you everything before... before I turn back into a coward." You relent, managing a small "mmh". Lei takes it as permission to continue. "As i was saying, it all started [[four years ago|reveal 3]]."

"It was a car crash. I was driving to an interview, and this car came out of nowhere and drove straight at me. "I still remember the blinding lights. I couldn't stop the car from moving forward. "And then, we crashed. "My body wouldn't move. I could feel my broken ribs. My skin was being burned by the flames and I was choking on blood and smoke. I knew I was going to die. "After that, it was just darkness, nothingness. I thought it would stay that way. It should have stayed that way. "I woke up on a bed. There wasn't a single scatch on my body. I walked around and it looked like some kind of clinic. It had light blue walls and that sterile medical smell. "Weird thing was, nobody else was there. No doctor, no nurse, even the reception was empty. "Even weirder, when I walked outside and the door closed behind me, it disappeared! I couldn't go back. "[[So I tried to go back to the crash site.|reveal 4]]"

"The accident had already been cleared out. Cars were driving over the site like it never happened. "I saw my accident in the newspaper, they even included my face! But, for some strange reason, no one seemed to care. Not even when I seemingly came back to life. "I tried to get back into my usual routine, but I started to realise that my body wasn't completely the same. I had alot of trouble with simple everyday things. Even got fired because I struggled to write. "I was feeling really hopeless. But then I met a member of the Storytelling Club. "Turns out, I wasn't the only one going through this. There was a whole club of people who woke up in that blue clinic! "[[They really helped me make sense of everything.|reveal 5]]"

"...My senses only work for certain things, specifically things that I recognised and experienced before death. "Anything new looks blurry and sounds garbled. My sense of smell and taste also gets messed up. The further away something is from my memory, the less I sense it. It just diminishes until it's just... nothing. "I had a really hard time adapting. Journalism's hard when you can't experience or express anything new. "Plus, what I can or cannot experience is completely dependant on my memory. So, I have to maintain it. "The only exception is other "resurrected people". I see and talk to them perfectly fine. Good thing too, since I don't know what I would have done if was alone." You calmed down as you listened to Lei's story, allowing the tale to sink in. Lei is also gradually loosening their posture. Lei stare intently at your face. "Hey Ein. You know, [[you've changed quite a bit|reveal 6]]."

"What do you mean?" you ask. "I can't see your face anymore." Lei's voice cracks towards the end, tears threatening to spill. "You mean, ever since I came here, you couldn't...see me?" "I was shocked when you introduced yourself at the gate...I didn't recognise you. I should never have underestimated puberty. Haha..." Lei tries to contort their face into a smile. You can't hold it in anymore. A sour feeling blooms in your heart. The taste of salt envelopes your tongue. "Are you disappointed?" You stuggle to answer through through the hiccups and sniffling. "Maintaining this house as it was four years ago without you guys feels like living in a hollow memory. I know you guys were long gone by then, but I didn't change much. "I always felt lonely in this house. My club mates all have their own lives. "You always complained about your living situation overseas. So, I had the genius idea of buying the house so we could live together again, just like old times. "[[And now here we are.|reveal 7]]"

"Ein, I understand if you don't want to live here anymore." "Ah Lei..." "I can give you money for hotel and flight expen-" "Ah Lei!" You exclaim as you choke back tears. Lei gets up and goes to their dresser. They retrieve a handkerchief from one of the drawers and offer it to you. "What is it?" Lei gently asks. You take the handkerchief and blow your nose. "Ah Lei, you're not going to hurt me, right?" "Of course not! I would never do that!" "Then... I want to stay here." "Even though I might not be completely human?" "It doesn't matter. You're still you." For the first time tonight, Lei smiles. Not out of politeness or to placate, but to express [[genuine happiness.|reveal 8]]

- The arm - bottle in fridge - files on members - in the master bedroom waiting - wifi password - text parents ------- - no wifi (Lei says its waste of money), Lei asks if Ein contacted parents EIn goes to mall with Lei to get sim card - walks all the way there (30 mins) no car -eat at noodle shop half way -Lei talks to owner (Boss) in cantonese, very smiley -boss is also very friendly, one person operation -Shop had rebrand and changed owners, Ein used to come here after shcool but dont remember - Lei used to eat here when they worked. If shop changes hands, Lei might not be able to eat here anymore - Lei orders without looking at menu, Menu had a redesign a year ago (can't read) - Lei asks Ein to use shop wifi to text parents. Lei yells for wifi password - Ein connects, notification sound loud and alot, but Lei doesn't hear it. - Ein groans, but lei says that parents text alot because they care. - after eating, walks the rest of the way to the mall.

"Haha! I can't believe I told you everything." Lei falls backwards onto their matteress, arms spread out. You wipe off the last of your tears. "Thanks for revealing your dark secrets." "You left me no choice." Lei sighs in faux exasperation. "Ah Lei." You stand up and sits next to Lei. Lei sits up. "Yeah?" "I'm sorry for breaking into your room and looking in your diary." "Ah! You're still such a good kid." Lei tries to place their hand on your head, but misses. The second attempt was more successful. The conforting gesture causes you to yawn. "Hey, looks like its pretty late. The jetlag's probably making you even more tired. Time to go back to your room." "Ah Lei, we'll talk about this more tomorrow, right?" "Of course, no more secrets." [[End]]

You follows Lei to the master bedroom, where everything fell apart. You notice that the shelf is now in its original position, like it never moved. You both enter the bright room. A general smell of soap and hot water emanates from the open bathroom door. Underneath the scent of cleanliness, you notice something more recognisable, something more recent. ...Linseed oil? Lei takes a seat at the foot of the large bed and motions for you to join them. You take a seat, maintaining a generous distance from Lei. "Ein, I'm sure you have alot of questions." Lei's eyes stay on your face, but doesn't make eye contact. "Hah. Where should we start?" You point at the elephant in the room. "Your arm." The direct request causes Lei to instinctively rub the offending limb. "I saw it. Here. On the bed." Your voice steadily raises. "It was...detached from your body!" "!" Lei takes a sharp breath. "That...O-oh that! Aiyah, t-this just a prosthetic!" ...what? Not allowing you to react, Lei continues. "I-I lost my arm in an accident! I'm sorry I never told you." ...is that it? Was everything just a huge misunderstanding? [[Lei stares at you with kind eyes.|bad end 3.2]]

That look... That's the Lei you remembers. This feels...comfortable. An anticlimactic but nevertheless happy ending to a night of misadventures. Nothing... Nothing has actually changed! This is good! This is what you wanted! You give yourself a moment, waiting for the deluge of relief cleanse your mind of doubt. [[But it never comes.|bad end 3.3]]

Even if Lei is telling the truth, it doesn't explain all the other weird things you found in the house. Throughout the night, you have been suppressing the slow realisation that this isn't truly your childhood home anymore. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, this was the one place you would dream of running away to. An escape route back into the embrace of your warm, fuzzy past where everything made sense. There is nowhere to run anymore. You have a feeling that a dead end is hidden behind Lei's tempting kindness. It doesn't matter. An imagination? An illusion? A prostetic? You don't care. [[You just want this nightmare to end.|bad end 3.4]]

"...Okay." "Hmm?" "So I was just overreacting over nothing." "Yeah-I mean-No!" Lei leans forward. "I was hiding things from you. It's my fault." Lei lowers their head and fixes their gaze at your face, giving you a small smile. But you don't return it. It's impossible to even look at Lei. Lei's right. It is their fault. They ruined this place. All those memories are tainted becauses of what you witnessed here. Why can't things just be the same as they were? You have to protect what's left of your childhood home. Persuing this further will only [[deepen the cracks|bad end 3.42]].

Over the next few days, you avoided Lei as much as possible. You spent most of your time in your bedroom, with the door locked. You also occasionally left the house without telling Lei. Any attempt from Lei to interact with you is met with a terse reply. Until one day, you speak to Lei of your own volition. "I'm moving back." "Oh!" "I already got my ticket. I'm leaving tomorrow. I got my own transport." "I-I didn't know. Do you need me to pay for anything?" "No. I'll leave the keys in the mailbox tomorrow." "Ein..." You make your way back to your room and begin to [[pack your suitcase|bad end 3 explain]].

You feel yourself falling back into the sweet embrace of willful iganorance, a lover you met after moving to a new country. A lover, who's vise-like grip bruises your skin. Yet, you refuse to push them away, because it's much colder outside. After a stretch of silence, Lei stands up. "Maybe you should get some rest. The jetlag is probably getting to you." Jetlag? Yeah. Yeah that must be it. You get up and walk straight back to your bedroom. Anything Lei might have said as you were walking away didn't register. Not bothering with your nightly routine, you lock the door, turn off the lights and [[go to bed|bad end 3.5]].

BAD ENDING 3 Protecting what's important to you. Try exploring more for the true ending. [[Go Back|Investigate]]

Its been a too long since you've been back. Standing at the doorway looking into the house, it's the same sight you would see day after day coming home from school. The relief of a long day finally coming to an end. [[You're home.|evening downstairs]] <img src="hui xiang images/the same sight.jpg" alt="page1" /> <<set $deepBreath to false>><<set $foodOfferings to false>><<set $sitLei to false>><<set $lookDrawer to false>><<set $lookGrocery to false>><<set $checkCabinet to false>><<set $enterKitchen to false>><<set $rowBooks to false>><<set $openFridge to false>> <<set $chineseDict to false>><<set $bmDict to false>>

Though the fatigue is ever-present, the excitement of reliving your childhood gives a spring to your step. Time to look around! [[Look around doorway]] [[Living area]] [[Dining area]] <<if $sitLei is true and $lookDrawer is true and $lookGrocery is true and $checkCabinet is true and $rowBooks is true and $openFridge is true>>[[Carry lugguage up staircase]] <<elseif $sitLei is false or $lookDrawer is false or $lookGrocery is false or $checkCabinet is false or $rowBooks is false or $openFridge is false>> <</if>>

Looking straight ahead, you see the family altar. On top of the red altar shelf is a Guan Yin statue and an ancestral tablet, each are framed by LED candles. <<set $meanGuanyin to true>> In front of these are a pot of lucky bamboo, a small incense pot and a plate of food offerings. [[Take a deep breath]] [[Look at food offerings]] [[Explore other areas|evening downstairs]]

<<if $deepBreath is false>><<set $deepBreath to true>>The smell of incense fills the air, even though it's smoky, it still has a calming effect on you. It reminds you of new years eve when your parents would cleanse the house with incense. New years eve meant reunion dinners. Extended family members would gather in the house to have a huge meal together. There were so many people that the house had hardly enough space. You remembered having to sit in the living room to eat dinner with your cousins. But those days are far behind you. And will unfortunately stay that way. [[Go back|Look around doorway]]. <<elseif $deepBreath is true>>You take another whiff of incense, eager to reminisce the feeling of new years past. But as the smoky scent tickles your olfactory, your throat seizes up and you start to cough. You could feel Lei's worried gaze. Good thing the coughing fit didn't last long. [[That's probably enough reminiscing|Look around doorway]]. <</if>>

<<if $foodOfferings is false>><<set $foodOfferings to true>>There on the offerings plate sits three brown steamed cake. Its pillowy soft texture and gula melaka scent beckons you. <<set $meanGula to true>> //I'm sure the ancestors can spare one cake right? // Your stomach growls. As you reach out for the cakes, you hear Lei's voice. "Oi! Those offerings are not for you! ...No matter how much you look the part. There's some more huat kueh on the dining table." You, embarrased, withdraw your hand. "Look the part"? You use the front camera of your phone to check your appearance. Wow. You look terrible. Better go take a shower and freshen up soon. [[Go back|Look around doorway]] <<elseif $foodOfferings is true>>No. This isn't for you. Even if your ancestors wouldn't mind. Lei clearly does. [[Best to leave these alone|Look around doorway]]. <</if>>

You go into the living room area right next to the doorway. There are two long sofas and a black coffee table with a glass top. You remember the countless times you stubbed your toes on the table legs. On top of the coffee table are three cylindrical clear containers with red lids, inside are various snacks - cat's ears, dragon cookies and muruku. The 40 inch LCD TV sits on a long TV shelf. Lei lounges on the black sofa, lazily changing the channel with the tv remote while snacking on something crunchy, seemingly ignoring thier guest. You occasionally catch Lei shifting their eyes to check on you, smiling when they make eye contact before returning focus to the screen. [[Sit next to Lei]] [[Look at drawer under the TV]] [[Explore other areas|evening downstairs]] <<set $meanCat to true>><<set $meanDragon to true>><<set $meanMuruku to true>>

<<if $sitLei is false>><<set $sitLei to true>>You plop down next to Lei on the sofa. The sudden impact on the black leather seat causes Lei's form to bob up a bit, catching their attention. "Shouldn't you be taking a shower or something? Your clothes are still dirty." "I'm so tired..." you sigh, "I had to walk all the way here. I got lost a few times." You narrow your eyes at Lei, "If only ''someone'' could have picked me up." "Sorry, not a fan of cars." Lei smirks. You realise that there weren't any cars parked in front of the house. Strange. Does Lei walk everywhere? "You didn't take a bus?" Lei asks. "I didn't know what bus went where." "Haha! You really ''have'' forgotten all about your hometown. Nothing really changed, you know." Lei's eyes wander back to the TV. [[..."forgotten"|sit next to lei 2]] <<elseif $sitLei is true>>The dried shrimp rolls beckon you. It's impossible to get that crunch and taste out of your mind. You plop back on your still-warm seat, diverting Lei's attention from the screen yet again. "Can I have some more shrimp rolls?" "Oh!" Lei retrieves the container from their other side, "Take more. I can buy a new one next time I go out." You twist off the red lid and place the container between yourself and Lei. You eat your fill while watching TV. An old chinese costume drama is on. It's the type of show your parents would watch every night after dinner. The dramatic music and obviously dubbed audio is burned into your memory, even though you never actively watched it. "Have we seen this one before?" Lei looks intently at the screen, then sighs and turns to you. "Not sure. I recognise the actors and some of the music, but everything else is a blur. Wish I paid more attention back then." "Same." Having enough snacks, you close the container and get up, leaving Lei to their show. [[Go back|Living area]] <</if>>

That word pierced your heart like a needle. A small prick, enough to draw blood, but not enough to really hurt. You bite your lower lip and look down at your hands, unable to face your cousin. Just then, Lei thrusts a clear container of snacks in front of your vision. "Hey, want some?" Before you even register how the snack looks like, a strong mixture of sambal and dried shrimp assaults your nose. <<set $meanSambal to true>> Dried shrimp rolls! Your favourite snack! You quickly reach into the container and take one. You waste no time putting one inside your mouth. As you bite into the crispy spring roll skin, an explosion of spicy shrimpy goodness fills your mouth. You unconciously smile as you chew your snack. Seeing this, Lei places the container of treats in between the two of you on the seat. "Have as many as you want." They smile briefly and, once again, turned their attention back to the colourful flashing screen. [[Look at Lei's arm]] [[Get up from sofa|Living area]]

You are still worried about Lei's bruise on thier left arm. While Lei is watching tv, you look down at the arm. There doesn't seem to be any redness at the area of impact. It's probably going to develop into a blue-black spot later on. Thinking about it makes you subconciously rub your left elbow as well. You also notice Lei's wearing the jade bracelet you got them for their birthday many years ago. You added a metal charm shaped like a pen nib between the beads. The unexpected sight made you glad you came back. [[Go back|Living area]]

<<if $lookDrawer is false>><<set $lookDrawer to true>>You open the far left drawer, the action feels very familiar. This is where you would keep your school books. The textbooks and workbooks are messily piled on top of each other. Every morning, you would place your open school bag next to the drawer. With a creased class timetable on one hand, you would swap out books from yesterday's classes for today's. The timetable may change every year, but the routine stayed the same. Until you moved away. Science, Bahasa Melayu, Spelling, Hikayat Hang Tuah, 参考资料, Civics, Moral, 生字，Mathematics... As you dig through different school books throughout your childhood, you see three much thicker tomes buried in the corner. [[These are dictionaries!|dictionaries!]] <<elseif $lookDrawer is true>>You open the school book drawer again. Books are chaotically piled on top of each other, creating a single solid mound of irrelevant reading material. A tangible lump of sweet school memories. You give the mound one last smack before closing the drawer. [[Go back|Living area]] <</if>>

<<set $chineseDict to true>>It's the thickest one and has a red cover. You remember that it's a chinese dictionary. It is filled with chinese characters. Not understanding the language renders this dictionary pretty useless. It used to get alot of use, as evident by the loose spine, but not anymore. [[Go back|dictionaries!]]

<<set $bmDict to true>>This one has a black cover and is the second thickest. It's a BM dictionary. <<set $meanBM to true>> This tome was a constant companion whenever you did homework, especially when you entered a national high school. Bahasa has never been your strong suit, but now it might as well be an alien language. [[Go back|dictionaries!]]

The third one is a book that's 2/3 of the previous two's size. It has a deep blue cover. It contains english definitions for chinese phrases. You don't remember using it much back then, compared to the others. But for some reason, you feel much more comfortable looking at it now. You don't want to think about it too deeply. Reaching the bottom of the drawer, you haphazardly put the books back and close it. [[Go back|Living area]]

There are some dictionaries. [[现代汉语词典。]] [[Kamus Bahasa Melayu]] <<if $bmDict is false or $chineseDict is false>> <<elseif $bmDict is true and $chineseDict is true>>[[Oxford Chinese Dictionary]] <</if>>

You walk to the dining area right next to the living area. In the middle sits a large black rectangular dining table with a glass top surrounded by 8 seats. The dining table looks pretty similar to the coffee table in the living room. Maybe they were from the same set? A blue striped grocery bag sits on top of the table. A tall ornamental pot snugly sits in the far corner of the space. [[Look in grocery bag]] [[Check out cabinet]] [[Go into kitchen]] [[Explore other areas|evening downstairs]]

<<if $lookGrocery is false>><<set $lookGrocery to true>>You look inside the grocery bag. There is a box of huat kueh! <<set $meanHuatkueh to true>> "Ah Lei!" you shout. "Can I have one of these?" You raise one of the brown cakes. "Sure!" You dig in, making sure not to drop any crumbs. While eating, you notice a piece of paper under the box. It is neatly folded in half. There is also a pen next to it. You ignore it, it isn't polite to read other people's stuff. [[Go back|Dining area]] <<elseif $lookGrocery is true>>''~grumble grumble~'' One huat kueh is not enough! You go back for seconds. Opening the cake box, you see that there is only one left. Ah... Eating the last one might be a bit too much. You just got here! What if Lei wants one too? You close the box. Better not overstep. [[Go back|Dining area]] <</if>>

You walk up to the cabinet on your left. On top, there is a large wooden bowl containing keys. You see your parent's old car keys here. Didn't they give the car to Lei? <<if $sitLei is true>> Did they sell it? But if Lei sold the car, why is the key still here? There are also various keys for different rooms in the house. You have never found the need to use any of them. <<elseif $sitLei is false>>There are also various keys for different rooms in the house. You have never found the need to use any of them. <</if>> [[Open cabinet drawer]] [[Go back|Dining area]]

<<if $checkCabinet is false>><<set $checkCabinet to true>>You see a pack of playing cards. The sleeve is battered, enforced with clear tape multiple times. The cards were well loved. You remember when everybody would play blackjack after the reunion dinner. The adults would sit around the dinner table. Those who weren't fast enough to get a dining chair would have to sit on the red plastic stools kept in the storeroom. You remember being responsible for taking them out. While the adults were busy gambling, the younger people would play hide and seek throughout the house. There were a suprising number of hiding spots. As a long time resident, you always had the advantage, but you lost quite often somehow. You smiled reminiscing about those times. If only your parents never found out about the inheritance, maybe they would still be on speaking terms with the extended family. Maybe these celebrations could have continued. [[Go back|Dining area]] <<elseif $checkCabinet is true>>You pulling open the drawer causes some loose batteries to roll and hit the back of the drawer. The rolling sound is quite nice, if only it didn't have to end with a hollow "thud". There's probably an ASMR video for that. You make a mental note to search it up later. [[Go Back|Dining area]] <</if>>

<<if $rowBooks is false or $openFridge is false>>You walk past the dining area and turn left into the kitchen. The kitchen is split into two sections. The 'dry kitchen', where you are standing, is where all the ingredients and food are kept. There is also a sink and a microwave here. The inner section is the 'wet kitchen', which is where the cooking happens, no need to go in there. [[Check small row of books]] [[Open fridge|Fridge]] [[Go back out|Dining area]] <<elseif $rowBooks is true and $openFridge is true>> You stand in the kitchen, not sure what to do. Perhaps due to a lack of direction, your body goes on autopilot, opening every cabinet and drawer in the kitchen. You would pull the handle, look and acknowledge the compartment's contents, and then close it. This continues until you exhaust all pullable surfaces. Were you hungry? Were you just familiarising yourself with where everything is? Who knows. Either way, you feel statisfied and leave the kitchen. [[Go back|Dining area]] <</if>>

<<set $rowBooks to true>>At the end of the counter top, there is a row of ringbound books nestled between two bookends. You take one of the books out. It seems to be a handmade cookbook with refillable pages. You flip through the pages. You recognise every dish in the book, alot of them were dishes your parents would cook, and others were frequently ordered dishes from nearby restaurants. You start salivating. Better stop looking or you'll get hungry again. [[Go back|Go into kitchen]]

<<set $openFridge to true>>When you enter the kitchen on a hot day, what do you open first? The fridge, obviously! You open the fridge, a gust of cool air caresses your body. //Aaahh// that feels better. You scan the fridge and see a bottle of 100 plus. A cold drink would hit the spot right about now. <<set $mean100 to true>> You take the bottle and close the fridge. Stepping out of the kitchen, you yell at Lei while holding the chilled bottle high. "Ah Lei! Can I drink some of this?" Lei lazily turns to you, "You live here now, take whatever you want." "Okay!" You go back to the kitchen and pour out a cup. You drink it. Its not too sweet and the fizz pleasantly tickles your mouth. You put the drink back into the fridge. But as you were about to close the fridge door, you see a [[small ornate glass bottle|fridge2]].

"修皮媒介“ You can't understand it. You have faint recollections of the characters' form, but can't connect them with a pronounciation or meaning. You feel horrible. It's been so long since you had a chinese class. Ever since you moved, you barely used the language and made no effort to maintain any sort of fluency. A core part of your culture, your identity, is slowly slipping through your grasp like sand. It is a part of yourself that you've remained in denial of, but looking at these four characters feels like a wake-up slap across the face. You decide that you don't want to deal with this today, and shut the fridge door. [[Go back|Go into kitchen]]

You are too tired to do any more exploring. Since you'll be living here for the forseeable future, there will be plenty of time to do that later. You make a beeline down the familiar curved hallway. Passing by the master bedroom, a study area and what you assume to still be Lei's room. At the very end is your old room. The front of your door is still decorated with a terrible self portrait you made in kindergarten. You smile as your childhood greets you, and [[open the door|evening upstairs 2]].

Everything is as you remember. The blue and yellow two toned walls, the furniture, the plush animals you were not able to bring along, and even the little parchute nightlight that hangs above the bed. This is exactly why you wanted to come back. Everything was much brighter when you were a kid. Your only responsibility was school. The future was secured as long as you did what you were told. Even the boring times at school was filled with laughter and friends. Now, life is moving too fast, nobody is able to give you any instructions that felt right. //Apply for a citizenship. Network with people. Get a bachelors degree. Get a full time job. Buy a house. Settle down.// What happened to all that freedom and autonomy you had? As you entered university and adulthood in that foreign country, you felt a malevolent pressure slowly tightening its grip on you, trying to forcefully mould you in its ideal image, crushing the things that made you who you are in the process. No one understood your accent, so you imitated them. No one could pronounce your name, so you gave yourself a new one. No one looked or spoke like you, you...didn't do much to change that. How could you possibly call a place like that home?! The moment Lei offered you a place in your old home, you jumped at the opportunity and came [[here|evening upstairs3]].

The dust that you expected to cover the room is oddly missing. There's even a faint scent of lemon from what you presume to be cleaning spray. It's actually kind of weird. Even downstairs, why didn't Lei clear out the stuff that they obviously didn't need? They could have put them in a box somewhere to make space for their personal stuff. Your parents already made it clear that they won't be returning to the house much anymore, and Lei could do whatever they wanted with it. Is it because you were arriving? Did they do it out of consideration for your feelings? No, probably not. But it wouldn't be out of character. It's probably the fatigue that's making you overthink. You should be happy you get to sleep in your childhood bedroom. You lay down your lugguage bag and unzip it to get some fresh clothes. [[Its time to shower!|nighttime]]

After showering, you had dinner with Lei. Lei made many familiar dishes. You enjoyed the meal alot. Now, you are lounging on your bed and flicking through some old "Kokko and May" comics. Some of them are translated to english, but most of them are original issues, meaning they are in chinese.<<set $meanKokko to true>> You remember loving these as a kid, but they don't have the same impact now. Maybe the appeal's are lost in translation, the originals should be better. You could translate some of the words with your phone! And also text your famiy. You unplug your phone from its charging cable. It's 11pm now. 44% ..eh good enough. You open the google translate app. Oh no! The app needs internet, which means you need the wifi password. Looks like you have to find Lei. [[Hope they're not asleep.|nighttime2]]

You walk out of your room, phone in hand. The hallway is dark. Using your phone's light as a guide, you walk down the hallway looking for the switch. Lei's room light isn't on. Are they asleep? You reach to the door knob and turn it. It's locked. You knock on the door. No response. You can't tell if anyone's in there. Might as well check the [[rest of the house|nighttime3]].

You continue down the hallway. After turning the second corner, you notice light coming out from the slightly open master bedroom door. Lei must be in there! Looks like they're awake too! Lucky! You pull the door and enter the [[master bedroom|Master bedroom arm]].

You decide to go upstairs. You carry your lugguage bag from the doorway and slowly lug it up the stairs. You have to stop and rest every two steps. When you finally reach the top, you remember that you should send a text to your parents to tell them that you made it here safely. You put your thumb at the bottom of your phone screen. Darkness. The phone is dead. Well, you'll just have to text them later. [[It's time to find your room.|evening upstairs]]

<<set $deepBreath to false>><<set $foodOfferings to false>><<set $sitLei to false>><<set $lookDrawer to false>><<set $lookGrocery to false>><<set $checkCabinet to false>><<set $enterKitchen to false>><<set $rowBooks to false>><<set $openFridge to false>> <<set $chineseDict to false>><<set $bmDict to false>> [[evening downstairs]] [[dictionaries!]]

You stand in front of the house gate, finger hovering over the doorbell. <img src="hui xiang images/finger hovering over doorbell.jpg" alt="page1" /> You're here. You're finally here. You have been dreaming about this exact moment ever since you and your family moved away. Now, after nine whole years, you're back in Bandar Esok, your hometown. The humid evening breeze high fives the sweat-soaked shirt stuck to your back as it passes by. It is pleasantly cooling. The April heat here in Malaysia is no joke. [[You ring the doorbell.]]

//Ding~// Looking through the gaps of the gate, you have a clear view of the front door to your childhood home, flanked by a pair of red spring couplets. <img src="hui xiang images/look at front door through gate1.jpg" alt="page1" /> You wait for the automatic house gates to swing open. Your cousin should know you're coming. Then, the front door opens.<<set $meanCouplet to true>> [[Finally!|lei comes out]]

<img src="hui xiang images/look at front door through gate2.jpg" alt="page1" /> A tall figure walks towards you after slipping on some sandals. There they are! It's Lei, your cousin. The only tether you have to your real home. The only person you can confide in. In other words, your best and only friend. You, your family and Lei used to live here together. They've been renting the place ever since you guys left. Recently, they took the plunge and bought the house. If it weren't for their invitation, you wouldn't get to be here. Lei reaches you and stands on the other side of the gate. As you are about to give them a hearty greeting, [[they speak up.]]

"Hello, who is this?" "Uh...what?" "I'd like to know who I'm talking to. It's quite late, are you looking for someone?" Lei gives you a friendly smile. <img src="hui xiang images/who is this.jpg" alt="page1" /> Did Lei develop some strange sense of humour while you were gone? You let out a small forced chuckle. "It's me, Ein. Remember? I'm moving in today?" The upturned corners of Lei's mouth falters a little. "O-...Oh! Haha! I think I do remember something like that!" "...not funny." "Aw! You were supposed to play along!" Lei looks down at you with furrowed brows as they push the button on the gate remote. The exaggerated frown betrays their faux anger. The gates swing outward. Not waiting for the gates to fully open, you rush between the opening to Lei's side with your rolling suitcase. Lei closes the gate as the both of you [[walk towards the front door.]]

After years of chatting through text messages, its unbelievable that you get to see Lei in person. <img src="hui xiang images/they still look the same.jpg" alt="page1" /> They still look the same. Your cousin has their long hair tied back in a messy ponytail. They're wearing a faded souvenir shirt from their trip to Pulau Langkawi, with a pair of basketball shorts. It's a family joke that Lei's wardrobe contains a suprising amount of sportswear for a decidedly un-sporty person. Standing at 185cm only adds to their superficial athlete image.<<set $meanLangkawi to true>> You notice that Lei doesn't feel as tall as you remember. You must have grown taller! Reaching the front door, you release your feet from its sweaty prison and [[plant them on the cool tiled floor.]]

After locking the door behind them, Lei walks in front, carrying your suitcase in. They then turn to you. "I'm glad you made it! Must be so tired." "Yeah... It's so hot today." "It's the same as usual. It's going to be hot tomorrow too. And the day after that, and the day after that, and...Well, you get it! Haha!" Lei awkwardly waddles backwards as they lift up your lugguage with both hands. <img src="hui xiang images/awkwardly waddles backwards.jpg" alt="page1" /> "Can we turn on the aircon?" [["No lah, that's just wasting ele-"]]

Thud! Lei's left arm knocks into the corner of a table. Their eyes move to the area of impact. "aiyoh." <img src="hui xiang images/left arm knocks into corner.jpg" alt="page1" /> "Are you okay?!" You rush over. "I can take my luggage!" You tear the handle out of Lei's grip. "Don't worry I'm fine. This is nothing!" Lei gives you a reassuring smile. "You sure?" Assessing the damage with their right hand, Lei's gaze shifts downward. "Yeah..." You notice their cheerful visage deflate ever so slightly. "Ah Lei?" Lei's attention returns at you. "Ah, sorry!" Their expression bounces back to form. "Hey Ein, it'll be a few hours until we have dinner. Why don't you unpack and take a shower?" "Oh, uh...alright." "Great! There's actually a show I want to watch now, so just go get comfortable in the meantime." Lei goes and takes a seat on the sofa and turns on the tv, before suddenly turning back to you. "Oh yeah, welcome home!" Now, you are truly [[left to your own devices.|Ein's home]]

The next morning, you are eating breakfast with Lei at the dinner table. Nothing in the house is out of the ordinary. Anything you moved around last night is now back in its original position. It's like everything that happened last night was just a dream. Lei doesn't seem any different either. They have both their arms, and the bruise on their elbow even turned into a blue-black colour. Completely normal. Lei also make no mention of last night. Multiple time throughout the meal, you feel the urge to bring up the elephant in the room. But you held your tongue every single time. An invisible finger would press against your lips while arms embrace you from behind, reminding you of what you stand to lose. This goes on for the the forseeable future. You always turn a blind eye to any strange occurances in the house. You refuse to address it, refuse to disturb this stillness, in fear that your comfort place, the home you longed to return to, would be irrevocably changed and destroyed. Besides, it's not like Lei every tried to hurt you. They are just as nice as you remember. Thus, you continue to live their life in blissful, willful [[ignorance|bad end 2 explain]].

-my cousin - very short hair, big eyes, round face - shoulder height - very playful and active - likes salty fishy snacks - doesn't like doing homework - still contacts me after moving *remember to check up on them Beside the description there is a larger text written and circled in red - "ADD NEW UPDATED SECTION". You notice that compared to the chinese portion that's littered with additions and corrections, the english portion of the book is much more neat and condensed. The contents of the latter also seem to mirror the former. Rather than provide any solution to the problem at hand, this book only raised even more questions about Lei. These seem to be retroactively recorded. Assuming that this is related to the cookbook, this might be a record of things that Lei has experienced. A book of memories. [[There is a yellow sticky note note at the very end.|sticky note]]

Many difficult looking books arranged by subject filled the shelves. Mainly non-fiction documentary books and instructional books on writing. Lots of words and very little pictures. Boring. Luckily, there is a small section towards the end dedicated to some comics. Lei always loved writing, ever since you were a kid. They even became a journalist after graduating. But four years ago, they lost their job. Lei told you that they were laid off because their performance wasn't up to par. That bothered you. Lei has always been a perfectionist when it comes to thier work. It seemed out of character. Now, you aren't sure what Lei's job is. Whatever it is, it earns them enough money to buy this house. ... [[Go back|Study area]]

No! This isn't the Lei you remember! Lei would never be involved in shady stuff like this! The both of you basically grew up together! Lei is supposed to be a hardworking journalist with a good heart! What happened in the last 9 years?! Is this even the same person anymore? //...hah...//You need to calm down. Jumping into conclusions isn't a good idea. There is a chance that this is a misunderstanding. [[Better not linger.|diary]]