Eileen's Plan

Yu Sheng had deeply experienced Eileen's many wondrous abilities when he followed the doll down into Huli's dream. However, it had to be said, the doll was so often useless in everyday situations that people tended to overlook that fact...

"So, there's only one thing left, the most crucial part," Yu Sheng said, sitting on the sofa with a serious expression, speaking to the little doll beside him. "We need to find a way to recreate the door to the Otherworld valley."

"Are you still planning to rely on brute force?" Eileen asked curiously. "Try every 'frequency' you think is close?"

Yu Sheng sighed. "It's the only way. After all, the first time I entered the valley, I hadn't truly mastered the 'door opening' technique yet, and I overlooked too many details back then."

Eileen turned to look at Yu Sheng. The little doll seemed to be thinking hard, and after a moment, she spoke hesitantly, "Actually... I have an idea."

Yu Sheng immediately leaned forward. "Oh? You have a way?!"

"It might not work, because I don't understand how you achieve this 'door opening' at all, nor do I understand what this 'frequency' you keep mentioning means," Eileen said, turning around on the sofa cushion. "But based on my understanding, you actually need a 'characteristic' that can help you 'lock onto' the destination? Or some kind of navigation signal?"

"...Can it be understood that way?" Yu Sheng himself was a bit uncertain. "Actually, I don't really get it either. The whole process was me fumbling around blindly. Many things were based on 'feeling.' But your 'navigation signal' idea is quite fitting – the moment I open the door, the location on the other side is completely random. However, if I can accurately 'remember' a certain 'characteristic' of the place on the other side, the passage will collapse into a singular path. It's something like that."

"So, if we can leave a navigation point on 'Huli's' side, you can directly replicate the passage?"

"Should be," Yu Sheng nodded, but he looked puzzled again. "But where do we get such a navigation point? The problem now is that I can't find the way to the valley. If I could just leave a navigation point there, then there would be no problem..."

"From the dream?" Eileen suddenly said.

Yu Sheng froze, then vaguely understood what the doll meant.

Eileen continued to explain in detail. "Last time, when I sank into Huli's dream with you, I had already established a weak connection with her. If this connection deepens, perhaps I can link to her senses. Then I'll pull you along, and you can directly contact the aura of the valley through Huli's perception. Doesn't this count as establishing a 'navigation point'?"

Yu Sheng listened to Eileen's plan, stunned. The more he listened, the more he felt that this doll's wildly imaginative idea... actually seemed feasible?

"There are two difficulties in this process," Eileen continued. "First, Huli's cooperation is needed. She must be willing to open her mind to you. But this problem shouldn't be too big; just explain it properly to her. She should trust you. The second difficulty is a bit... dangerous."

Yu Sheng didn't interrupt, merely signaling with his eyes for Eileen to continue.

"The second difficulty is that Huli's mind is no longer just her own," Eileen's expression became slightly serious as she looked into Yu Sheng's eyes. "The Entity - Hunger has already penetrated to the bottom layer of her mind. So, once you establish a deep connection with Huli, it's equivalent to establishing the same connection with the Entity - Hunger... I'm not sure what will happen then. Although theoretically, you should be able to withstand brief contact, I'm afraid the power of Hunger might take root in your heart. If that happens, when you truly enter the valley and confront that monster, the part that has taken root in your heart could erupt at any moment..."

Yu Sheng fell into deep thought.

Seeing that he had fallen silent, Eileen's eyes darted around, and she immediately stood up from the sofa, hands on her hips (though still not as tall as Yu Sheng sitting down). "Don't think about trying to die first to see if you can clear the influence! I'm telling you, that tendency of yours is very dangerous. If you can't shake it off even after dying and coming back to life, you'll be in big trouble..."

Yu Sheng suddenly adjusted his sitting posture with a hint of awkwardness. "I didn't say anything..."

"I can tell!"

Yu Sheng: "..."

Why was this doll, who usually wasn't very sharp, so perceptive at this moment!

"I know, I know. No matter what, I'll put the idea of 'dying first' aside," Yu Sheng said, feeling uncomfortable under Eileen's scarlet gaze. He waved his hand in surrender and forcibly steered the conversation back on track. "But I've decided to try your plan. The risk of direct contact with the 'Entity - Hunger' is indeed present, but I think... it's worth the gamble."

Eileen's scarlet eyes continued to stare at Yu Sheng. After a few more seconds, she finally spoke, "Alright. It seems you really want to save that fox. Her situation can't be delayed any longer. Then it's this plan."

But just then, Yu Sheng suddenly remembered something else. "But there's still one problem."

"Huh?"

"I might not dream of the dream where Huli exists," Yu Sheng spread his hands. "Last night, I didn't even dream. I don't know how to control my dreams."

Hearing this, Eileen actually laughed, her smile filled with pride and smugness.

"I can," the little doll declared proudly, crossing her arms and standing on the sofa (66.6cm). "You just dream, and leave the rest to me. Let me tell you, after breaking free from the painting's constraints, I'm terrifyingly strong now! I even..."

Before she could finish, Yu Sheng adjusted his position on the sofa, causing the cushion to deform. Eileen, standing on the edge of the cushion, immediately lost her footing. Just as she let out a startled "Ah," she tumbled off the sofa – and got stuck between the sofa and the coffee table by the oil painting frame on her back, hanging below the frame.

The doll dangled below the frame, flailing her limbs as if about to fly up and bite someone.

She was cursing quite nastily.

Yu Sheng reached out and lifted the painting frame. "I see your constraints are quite severe."

"You're laughing... If you laugh again, I won't help!" Eileen's arms were stuck between the straps of the painting frame. As Yu Sheng lifted the frame, she was hung in a crucifix position. "Put me down! You... Hey, hey, my arm, my arm joint is stuck! Pry it for me..."

Yu Sheng looked at Eileen speechlessly, casually detached her from the frame, and began to endure the doll's clamoring while prying her stuck joints back into place.

Late into the night, Yu Sheng had made all the preparations to fall asleep.

Eileen, however, was still running around his bed, like a little rocket darting everywhere.

"Hey, can't you be quiet for a moment?" Yu Sheng, lying on the bed, looked at Eileen hopping around beside him with a helpless expression. "I need to sleep."

"Your bed is so big!" Eileen happily ran to the head of the bed, then jumped onto the nightstand, shaking the desk lamp on it, as if she hadn't heard a word Yu Sheng said. "Hey, hey, this lamp is shorter than me! Yu Sheng, look! This lamp is shorter than me!"

"Next time I'll buy a night light, even shorter than you!" Yu Sheng retorted, rolling his eyes, and reached out to take Eileen off his desk lamp. "Did you forget what you're supposed to be doing? If you keep this up, I'll lock you in the closet!"

Only then did Eileen finally quiet down, smiling sheepishly. "I'm just a little excited... Okay, okay, you sleep, you sleep. I won't cause any more trouble."

Yu Sheng sighed, exhausted, and put Eileen down. "Go help turn off the light."

The doll stated righteously, "I can't reach!"

"...Move a chair!"

"Oh."

The world finally fell silent.

Yu Sheng let out a long breath, enjoying the moment of quiet in the darkened bedroom, and began to adjust his state, trying to fall asleep.

Then, he turned his head and saw two bright scarlet eyes staring at him from the edge of the bed in the darkness.

Eileen was hanging entirely from the edge of the bed, clinging to the mattress like a koala, staring directly at Yu Sheng.

"…You're making it even harder for me to sleep," Yu Sheng said with a helpless expression. "Speaking of which, why did you insist on coming to my room? Couldn't you enter my dreams from the first floor before? Is it necessary to follow me?"

"The signal is better when we're closer."

The doll stated it matter-of-factly, sounding utterly nonsensical.

However, she understood Yu Sheng's meaning. She finally jumped off the edge of the bed and ran to sit on a nearby chair.

Yu Sheng sighed again.

He knew Eileen was still watching him. He had no idea what this doll was thinking (if she even had a mind), but he could tell she wasn't leaving for the night.

He could only try to ignore the crimson gaze coming from the darkness, clear his mind as much as possible, and try to fall asleep.

He didn't know how long he tossed and turned in bed – perhaps an hour, perhaps longer.

Only when his fatigue reached its peak did he finally drift into a hazy darkness.

The dream descended, and within the dream's mist, Eileen's soft voice could be heard: "You're finally asleep… Come, this way."

Yu Sheng subconsciously turned in the direction of the voice. The next second, the mist dissipated, and light and shadow emerged from the darkness.

He truly saw that dim wilderness again. The gloomy sky hung over the land, with nameless hills in the distance, and the silver-white demon fox still slept in the wilderness.

Yu Sheng walked forward, and immediately, he noticed the "guide" floating beside him.

It was Eileen, guiding his dream.

Yu Sheng stopped, looking at the oil painting in mid-air with a strange expression.

The Eileen in the painting made eye contact with him.

Yu Sheng: "...Why do I feel like this painting is your true form!"

Eileen looked down, then looked around, finally realizing what had happened.

"Ah, how did I get back into the painting again?!"