Chapter 1, Into the Picture

"Shut up." Ke Xun said in a low voice, wanting to take off the inexplicably appearing clothes, but found that inside this linen garment was his own body, and taking it off would leave him completely exposed.

Is that your toe you are pinching? Eating a banana while picking your toes, is that it?" Ke Xun said irritably

In this regard, Wei Dong surpasses him by a hundred Picassos. After all, Wei is a graduate of an art academy. Although he ultimately pursued one of the "top ten professions that most want to reach out to the hairline"—graphic design—where he creates bizarre designs that kill art according to client demands every day, his original intention remains unchanged, and his appreciation for the works of renowned artists still lingers.

Since we are already here, we might as well make ourselves comfortable and take a look inside. Wei Dong is restless

How is this possible

"Damn it, this is going to be a disaster." Wei Dong's clothes rustled, as if he was also taking out his phone. "Damn, it fails me at a critical moment. I just charged it before leaving, and now it's dead."

Weidong reluctantly left the painting in front of him, glanced around a few times, and then pointed ahead: "There is another exhibition hall over there, do you think it will feature all spring palace secret play illustrations?"

Indeed, it is reality

When Ke Xun looked up, he had a fleeting impression that someone was also watching him from the window, but due to the angle, it was not very clear.

What I touched was a cold arm

It was observed that the original clothing of the two individuals had somehow changed—at this moment, one was wearing a large, coarse, and unrecognizable outfit made of white linen, and their shoes had also transformed into straw sandals

Between the two isolation columns, there is a signboard used to label and introduce the artwork

Thank you, I don't engage with straight men," Ke Xun said as he fumbled in his pocket for his phone, but after pressing it for a long time, he still couldn't turn on the screen

For instance, when he was supposed to meet Weidong at the agreed location, that fellow surprisingly did not arrive late as usual

On a cloudy day, with nothing else to do, the two shook off the rainwater from their bodies and entered through the second door of the art museum

Weidong: "Now that you mention it... I haven't found anything."

What is going on?

"Damn, don't say that..." Wei Dong, fearing that he might reveal something, reached out to pull him back.

In retrospect, Ke Xun felt that from the moment he stepped out that day, everything was imbued with an air of strangeness

Ke Xun did not respond, and the dark exhibition hall suddenly fell into an eerie silence

Ke Xun suddenly blinked, and the painting seemed to expand infinitely with the motion of his closing and opening his eyes. The scene within the painting appeared to rush towards him, and an invisible aura swept around him, sending a jolt through his body that made all the hairs stand on end

In retrospect, Ke Xun would rather suffer from boredom and develop hemorrhoids than take a single step into this art museum

Weidong shivered and heard Ke Xun speak: "Absolutely not. Before the lights went out, I could still hear someone outside sneeze. Even if there is no one outside now, the empty exhibition hall can amplify all sounds, and various noises can come in. But right now, there is no sound at all"

The person was entirely shrouded in shadow, with only a grayish-white face faintly visible behind the window frame, motionless. Coupled with the black window frame and two grayish-white curtains, it resembled a black-and-white portrait.

Looking up, beneath the thick black night sky hangs a layer of dark, gloomy clouds. The surroundings are desolate, with sparse, half-human-height withered grass scattered across the wasteland. The air is filled with the pungent smell of muddy soil and dust. Not far ahead, there lies a small village that appears to be quite desolate.

How many ordinary people truly understand art? Even on weekends, the visitors in the art museum are rather unremarkable

For instance, when he attempted to ride a shared bicycle on the street, the moment he swung his leg over, the seat fell off. Had it been just one centimeter closer, he would have become the first man in history to be struck by a shared bicycle.

Ke Xun has never had any artistic flair; not to mention appreciating paintings, even his selfies are poorly composed and blurry. He can make a simple peace sign look like a six-fingered guitar wizard effect, and a rather handsome face can end up looking like a botched plastic surgery.

What should we do?" Wei Dong looked at Ke Xun in a state of confusion

Ke Xun was uncertain about where going back would lead him, but his intuition had always been accurate—therefore, he felt that retracing his steps was not a good choice. However, standing still and crying in each other's arms with Wei Dong was clearly of no use. Thus, he extended his hand and pointed forward: "Let's go to the village and take a look"

Especially, it is particularly quiet, as if in deathly silence

Increasingly clear, increasingly magnified

Not a trace or a bit

For instance, before the two individuals could even begin to revel, the clear blue sky and white clouds were suddenly overshadowed by dark clouds and a torrential downpour.

What kind of sound does an art museum need to isolate? The sound of the "clap clap" from the secret erotic paintings at midnight?

Is this light still voice-activated?" Ke Xun wondered

An increasingly eerie and uncertain feeling surged in his heart, and Ke Xun's throat tightened. He abandoned the idea of undressing and pulled at Wei Dong, saying: "Hurry up and think of a way to leave this place."

This beam of white light falls on the wall, and within its illuminated range hangs a painting

"Brother, reflect on your life; when have your wishes ever come true?" Ke Xun said

"A girl who is plump and full looks pleasing to the eye, and I am sure she feels particularly good to the touch," Wei Dong smacked his lips.

It seems that someone is adjusting the resolution and clarity of the image quality using Photoshop

Silence and darkness are the sources of all fear

As two single individuals seeking warmth in companionship, our usual weekend arrangement is to first meet at our usual spot, and then wander wherever the day takes us, flirting with girls when we encounter them and engaging with gay men when we meet them, all in pursuit of a kindred spirit, determined to remain together even in the face of financial ruin

A group of people gathered in the hallway, either watching the rain or playing on their phones, with hardly anyone looking at the paintings

Wei Dong then realized that the cold "arm" he had just touched was actually a metal stanchion placed beneath the painting, intended to create a barrier between the viewers and the artwork, preventing anyone from reaching out to touch it

Although Ke Xun was a poor student during his school years, he was not confused to the point of being unable to distinguish between reality and dreams. He was clearly aware that the place where he and Wei Dong were at this moment was truly not a dream or an illusion

The subsequent events became even more bizarre

Ke Xun: "Wait a moment, have you noticed something is a bit off?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the lights in the exhibition hall flickered a few times before suddenly going out, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness

This exhibition hall is not large, and it has no windows, illuminated only by a few dim yellow lights. The paintings are hung on the walls, and under the dim light, the tones of each painting appear very dark and heavy, and are difficult to discern.

Originally, the two of them had no specific plans for today when they agreed to meet, purely because Wei Dong sent a WeChat message last night asking: "Are we going out tomorrow?"

Ke Xun: "Wave"

This is precisely a part of the scene depicted in the painting from earlier

This art museum has a long history, with its exterior walls covered by a thick layer of ivy, making the windows nearly invisible. The main entrance, however, appears quite new, as if it has just been recently renovated. A promotional sign stands at the entrance, stating "National Touring Exhibition of Certain Painter"

Even in the quiet of night, far from the city in the wilderness and mountains, the sounds of nature can be heard subtly stirring

Ke Xun turned back to look behind him, where there was also barren land and withered grass, extending all the way to a dark, indistinct area, resembling the chaotic tones and low pixelation of a section in that painting

Starry Sky Art Museum

"That's not right. Last night, I calculated that today should be an auspicious day, perfect for traveling, flirting, and booking a hotel!" Wei Dong, unable to cover his head, hurriedly wrapped his phone and cigarettes in his coat.

"Do you have to cooperate with me like this, turning off the lights just because I say so?" Ke Xun's voice echoed in the darkness

The scene in this painting is astonishingly real before my eyes at this moment

The first floor of the Starry Sky Art Museum is where the works of a certain painter are exhibited

Alright. Wei Dong tried to keep his tone relaxed, pretending to know nothing.

Because he also does not know where this white light comes from

Ke Xun was also turning his face to look at him

"Something is not right, this exhibition hall is not that big. At this pace, we should have already run into a wall." Ke Xun stopped in his tracks

That... the voice of Wei Dong carried a hint of unnaturalness, "Do you think this exhibition hall is soundproof?"

It is as if, as long as one does not speak of it or delve into it, one can deceive someone in the unseen.

The scene, like the other paintings seen before the lights went out, is characterized by dark and muted tones, with only faint outlines barely discernible.

Where is this

"You are right, it is indeed a spring palace secret play picture," Ke Xun sighed, "it is just that the lights were blown out during the secret play between people"

"No... no way..." Wei Dong's voice trembled beside him, "Is it true... I must still be dreaming... It must still be last night. I got tired from picking at my feet and fell asleep, I definitely haven't woken up yet... Damn it, Ke'er! - We've seen a ghost!"

The two individuals instinctively raised their eyes to look at the painting

Without a light source, it appears out of thin air in the darkness, not intense, and even faint to the point of being nearly pale

The situation is somewhat strange

It just ran out

Two individuals strolled leisurely towards the exhibition hall

Strangely, under the unwavering gaze of the two individuals, the image in this painting seemed to become increasingly clearer.

The second floor features some artworks owned by the gallery, including original paintings by artists as well as replicas

As the two individuals locked eyes, they couldn't help but exclaim in unison: "What the heck!"

First, you need to have a girl. Ke Xun walked by with his hands in his pockets, casually observing the surroundings.

"What can I do about the family legacy of athlete's foot? As a descendant of the Wei family, I naturally have the responsibility to promote this unique skill of foot care to the fullest extent," Wei Dong said, pointing across the street, "over there, the art museum."

I knew that coming out with you, you scoundrel, would lead to no good. Ke Xun was scurrying around with his head covered while looking for a place to take shelter from the rain

What the hell—give me back my Adidas! Wei Dong's anger temporarily surpassed the fear in his heart, "Damn it—this is half a month's salary!"

Two individuals walked for a while in the darkness, yet completely lost their sense of direction

Next is the middle door on the thirteenth floor of the building behind, with the window wide open, and two grayish-white curtains hanging outside the window, appearing from below like two banners.

Ke Xun remained silent

Most of them, like Ke Xunwei Dong, came in to take shelter from the rain

"Ke'er ... ... " Wei Dong's trembling voice sounded beside him, "Where do you see this light coming from?"

"Damn it!" Wei Dong shouted loudly as he shook off the arm.

Before continuing, a beam of white light suddenly illuminated the darkness with a "pop"

Oh? Zoom in?

However, at this moment, there is truly not a single sound to be heard; it is as if one has suddenly been locked inside a vacuum-sealed space, devoid of sound and light

He only remembers that just now, in the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something... something terrifying, that should not exist in this world

Ke Xun gazed at the scene before him, lost in thought for a long time

As for the other parts of the painting, Ke Xun has not yet had the chance to look— or rather, he is subconsciously and deliberately avoiding or daring not to look.

"Then should we also cooperate a bit, and have a secret play?" Wei Dong teased with great amusement, "You should be a little gentler with them later."

This aura vanished in an instant into the four corners behind, like a hand unfurling a scroll, extending far away with the end of the axis.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I can throw a tantrum and cry right in front of you, do you believe that?" Wei Dong said

Two individuals lingered on the second floor, captivated by several Western nude paintings.

Weidong nodded with a shiver, his eyes darting around in panic.

"Go outside." Ke Xun's voice sounded relatively calm, and he did not mention the issue of both their phones malfunctioning at the same time

A dilapidated art museum that is over a year old and in disrepair, which cannot even afford to clean the ivy covering its exterior, somehow has the funds to soundproof the exhibition hall completely

First, the teddy dog from Grandpa Li's home in the neighborhood unexpectedly did not rush over to him and cling to his leg as it usually did after their paths crossed