Incendie mystérieux

Chapitre 55

A slight glint of surprise flashed in the astrologer's icy green eyes. "Of course," he said with a gentle, gentlemanly smile, "whatever the guest desires."

Her lips trembled, and she hesitated to speak. At that moment, one of the impatient girls secretly chuckled to herself.

"You don't even need to calculate it! This guy has no chance of finding a girlfriend!"

The girls burst into laughter, and the person in question joined them in, laughing silently. "Exactly, exactly!" she nodded vigorously, her expression so pleased that she showed absolutely no sign of embarrassment.

The astrologer discreetly saw them out, and as the girl lagged behind, he grabbed her hand. Her slender little hand was icy cold.

“If you need me,” he leaned down, almost whispering in her ear, his magnetic voice nearly melting her, “I’m here to wait for you anytime.”

The girl didn't answer a word. When she was the last to leave the astrology shop, her friends noticed that her face was unusually red.

"Xu Ying~" The girl who had led the laughter earlier lowered her head and affectionately put her arm around Xu Ying's shoulder. Her name was Wu Manli, a tall, fair-skinned, and beautiful girl. Compared to Xu Ying, who was short and had a yellowish-dark complexion, the difference was like that between a swan and an ugly duckling. "Don't be so petty, I only said a little bit to you!"

"No...no!" Xu Ying denied repeatedly. How could she dare to anger the "school beauty" Wu Manli when she was able to go out with her? Wu Manli's expression brightened up. "Next, we'll go to karaoke!" she announced triumphantly.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" The first thing Xu Ying did upon returning home was to pull out a plastic makeup mirror from her drawer and murmur to herself. It was a gift from a boy she had a crush on in junior high. Actually, it was originally intended as a birthday present for the girl he liked, but she disliked its poor quality and wouldn't accept it, so he gave it to her instead. Even so, even though it was just a cheap, low-quality item from a street vendor, she treasured it and couldn't bear to throw it away even when moving. To her, it wasn't just an ordinary mirror; it was the only gift she had ever received from a man.

"I know, it's Wu Manli." She was silent for a long time, then suddenly began to mutter to herself, "Fair skin, beautiful face, great figure, she's just like Snow White..." She seemed lost in thought, "Then, who is the most handsome man in the world? Mirror, tell me, isn't it him?"

The mirror, of course, did not answer, so she continued to ask her own question.

"Ah... I've never seen such a handsome boy... no, I should call him a man, right? Because he's not in school, he's working... but he's still so handsome! I really don't understand," she said, pulling the blanket over her head in frustration, staring at herself in the dark.

"How can a man be more beautiful than a woman! And he also has a voice so beautiful it sends chills down your spine!"

"Xiaoying, dinner's ready!" Her mother's weak voice rang out from outside the bedroom door, abruptly pulling Xu Ying, who was lost in her daydream, back to reality. Her mother's thick dialect was still there; it sounded incredibly rustic and unpleasant to hear. She'd been told to learn Mandarin for ages, but she still hadn't changed. How was she supposed to live like a city person? Reluctantly, Xu Ying closed her vanity mirror and slowly walked out.

On the uneven wooden table sat two plates of vegetarian dishes devoid of oil and meat—their dinner for the mother and daughter. The mother was squatting on the floor serving the rice, and the air of poverty emanated from her gray hair and greasy, tattered apron. Xu Ying deliberately avoided looking at the leaky ceiling, the cracked walls, and the dilapidated furniture, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from her mother's hands.

My mother's hands, like her face, were full of cracks and wrinkles, each mark a testament to her suffering and hardship.

She closed her eyes, imagining herself in Wu Manli's luxurious mansion. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, as well as foreign oil paintings. Thick carpets covered the floors, the kind so quiet you couldn't hear a sound. Wu Manli, dressed in a snow-white dress, sat at the piano, a gentle breeze ruffling the floor-to-ceiling curtains behind her—she looked like a fairy descending to earth… Wu Manli's father was very imposing, and her mother was beautiful, dressed in shimmering silk, like a wealthy lady from a television drama. The delicious food she ate at Wu Manli's house—Xu Ying would never forget that taste…it was the taste of the rich…

She could no longer swallow the simple meal her mother had prepared. She rushed into her room, almost sobbing as she opened the vanity mirror. "Mirror, oh mirror!" she cried, "I want to be as beautiful as Wu Manli!"

Volume Four: The Soul Singer, First Movement: Tales of the Mirror of Life (Part Two)

The person in the mirror seemed to suddenly sway, a white shadow flashing by. Xu Ying rubbed her eyes in surprise, but nothing changed; what appeared in the mirror was still her ordinary-looking face. She scrutinized herself with an exceptionally critical eye. Her face was large, round, and flat, severely lacking delicate lines and contours—a so-called "pancake face." She had single eyelids, long and narrow eyes, and sparse eyelashes. Combined with her flat nose and sallow complexion, she could be described in one word:

Dinosaur!

Although it wasn't the first time she'd been called that, it still stung her like needles. From childhood, she'd been the ugly duckling among her friends, constantly bullied by boys her age. Even when girls liked to play with her, it was mostly out of pity and sympathy, right? No, perhaps their real intentions were to use her ugly appearance to highlight their own beauty, or even worse, to engage in more outrageous behavior.

Xu Ying could never forget that humiliation. In junior high, she was voted the "ugliest girl in the class" the moment she entered the school, and everyone in the class loved to tease her. They seemed to forget that she was also a girl with flesh and blood, feelings, and self-respect, constantly mocking her appearance to her face and behind her back. That wasn't all; they also simultaneously elected the ugliest boy in the class, insisting on pairing them up. Whether it was cleaning or a class field trip, the classmates would spontaneously pair them up, calling it a "good match." The ugly boy seemed to silently accept this arrangement, often intentionally or unintentionally striking up conversations with Xu Ying, subtly revealing his intention to date her. His persistent pestering was unbearable, but what tormented Xu Ying even more was that if she showed any disgust or avoided him, the classmates would roll their eyes at her, with a "you're not good enough for me!" attitude, and bully her even more relentlessly. Over time, Xu Ying gradually came to understand that "ugly girls don't deserve the happiness of ordinary people," so she resigned herself to her fate and quietly spent three years of painful and unbearable junior high school. However, in the dark of night, no one could hear the faint sobs coming from her bed.

After graduating from junior high school, most of her classmates went on to high school, while she applied to a vocational school. On the one hand, her grades were mediocre, and she wasn't entirely confident she could get into university; on the other hand, her father had passed away, and her mother had been laid off for several years, relying on loans to support her education. Naturally, her family hoped she would start working as soon as possible to ease their burden. So she became a student at a vocational school. Perhaps it was because everyone was getting older, or perhaps her heart had become numb, but she felt her current situation was much better than in junior high, and she no longer felt bullied. The girls, led by Wu Manli, often dragged her out to play, but of course, she was never asked to treat them. As a wealthy young lady, Wu Manli didn't care about that little bit of money.

Xu Ying tremblingly stretched out her finger and gently traced the image of Wu Manli in her mind in the mirror. Wu Manli, nicknamed "Snow White," was most beautiful and captivating for her snow-white skin, as smooth as cream, delicate and supple, almost as if it could be squeezed for water. As the saying goes, "fair skin covers a hundred flaws," and no matter how exquisite the features or how sexy the figure, rough, yellowish-black skin, resembling that of a forty or fifty-year-old woman, would lack any beauty. Xu Ying gazed at herself in the mirror for a long time, as if seeing her skin becoming increasingly white and bright. Just a little whiter… and she would look so much better… She hugged the mirror to her chest and drifted off to sleep, unaware that her mother had covered her with a blanket during the night.

The next morning, as soon as she sat down in the classroom, a girl nicknamed "Adi" grabbed her cheek from behind.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, "Did you change your skincare products today? Your skin is so smooth!"

Upon hearing the words "skincare products," a group of girls immediately rushed over. "It really is! My complexion looks so much better!" they exclaimed, chattering in their Taiwanese accents picked up from TV. "My pores have shrunk too!"

"What brand do you use? Tell me!" Artie stroked her face lovingly. "It's so smooth and soft, a world of difference from yesterday!"

"No...no..." Xu Ying lowered her head, not daring to respond to their enthusiasm. From yesterday until now, all she had done was go to bed without eating dinner or washing her face...how could she possibly say that?

"You didn't secretly put on makeup, did you?" another girl, Xiaomei, asked suspiciously, her hand tracing over her cheeks, lips, and eyelashes, trying to find some clue. "Or maybe you went to a beauty salon for IPL skin rejuvenation? Or else..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Xu Ying knew what she meant next. "Otherwise, how come your skin looks so good today? Absolutely unnaturally good?" Xu Ying felt her heart pounding. No, impossible, I couldn't have become beautiful overnight, but the chorus of compliments from the girls around her didn't seem fake. She forcibly suppressed her inner impulse and didn't immediately rush to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Although she carried her makeup mirror with her, openly looking in the mirror in front of so many people…

She didn't have the guts.

The school bell finally rang, saving Xu Ying's life, and the girls around her scattered in unison. She rested her chin on her hand, clearly feeling the difference in her skin's texture; it seemed so much smoother and softer than tofu… Her imagination ran wild—perhaps it was puberty? Everyone says "a girl changes drastically at eighteen," even an ugly duckling can transform into a swan. Thinking of this, she desperately wanted to rush to the restroom to see her new appearance. Just then, she seemed to sense a dark shadow flash past her vision.

"Wu Manli!" The teacher, even more perceptive than her, called out the person's name without hesitation.

Several muffled gasps of surprise came faintly from the back of the classroom. Wu Manli remained unexpectedly silent, offering no reply. Normally, she would have argued back without hesitation; even though everyone feared this strict teacher, Wu Manli was an exception.

But today, she was acting out of character. Even when the teacher coldly mocked her, "Please remove your mask in the classroom," she remained motionless.

What's wrong with her? Xu Ying suddenly felt a chill slowly rising from her back, so she slowly turned around.

Volume Four: The Soul Singer, First Movement: The Mirror of Life - Tales of Wonder (Part Three)

Wu Manli's fair and flawless face was divided in two by a white mask, revealing only the upper half of her forehead and bright eyes. Her originally straight nose and beautiful lips were completely covered by the mask, without a trace. Faced with the teacher's questioning, she didn't bother to answer a single word.

After class, a group of girls surrounded Wu Manli, asking her with concern what was wrong. Perhaps annoyed, Wu Manli's attitude was different from usual, appearing unusually cold. Finally, she forced herself to speak and managed to squeeze out a sound from her throat—the tone of which was also completely different from her usual self.

"It's nothing serious... My skin hasn't been in great condition lately, but it'll be fine after a couple of days of rest," she mumbled.

Even so, there's no need to wear a mask to school... Everyone looked at each other, silently thinking the same thing. "A skin disease? Vitiligo? Or disfigurement overnight?" All sorts of bizarre and overly vivid imaginations raced through their minds.

"You have pimples!" As if she could read their minds, Wu Manli said impatiently.

"No way?" Artie exclaimed dramatically, "Aren't you the type who never gets pimples?"

That's true. While all the girls hate the word "acne" and wish they could get rid of it as soon as possible, only Wu Manli, who is naturally beautiful and has never been bothered by it, now goes to great lengths to wear a mask to cover up one or two pimples on her face... The girls suddenly felt a kind of indescribable satisfaction. It turns out that even beauties can be bothered by pimples just like us ordinary people!

After school, Wu Manli quietly began packing her schoolbag. As usual, Xu Ying went over to her, hoping to walk home together. As dusk fell, only the two of them remained in the classroom, the afterglow of the setting sun overlapping their slender shadows.

Wu Manli suddenly raised her head, her dark, bluish eyes reflecting the sky outside the window, creating an eerie atmosphere.

"You look amazing today, Xu Ying."

Xu Ying's heart skipped a beat. Why should she be afraid? She secretly scolded herself. Did she have to take responsibility for Wu Manli's pimples today? No, it just so happened that her skin was unusually fair and smooth, creating a stark contrast with Wu Manli's. Yes, it was just a coincidence.

If I hadn't made a wish in front of the mirror last night... then all of this was just a coincidence...

She forced a smile. "It's alright. No matter how much I change, I'll never be as beautiful as you..."

Oh no! The words were barely out of her mouth when she realized the enormity of her mistake. Wu Manli's eyebrows shot up, revealing a ferocious expression hidden beneath her mask. Wu Manli was angry because Xu Ying had said something inappropriate at the worst possible time, provoking her anger! However, what Xu Ying feared didn't happen. Wu Manli's eyes narrowed into a captivating rainbow.

"You're so good with words."

Then, she ignored Xu Ying and walked out of the classroom on her own.

Xu Ying, feeling deeply aggrieved, walked home. Along the way, every acquaintance she met complimented how much prettier she looked, almost like she'd put on makeup. Xu Ying noticed several former male classmates stealing glances at her, looking utterly dumbfounded. "Xu Ying, you've become so beautiful! You've completely changed!" This was the phrase she heard most often. She was secretly delighted, unable to stop smiling.

"Mommy!" She jumped and skipped to her mother, opening her arms wide. "Am I pretty?"

Mom reached out and rubbed her dry, wrinkled eyes. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up..." she muttered. "I'm cooking... Are you hungry?"

"Don't be in such a hurry!" She grabbed her mother's hand, those rough hands almost cutting her delicate skin. "Look at me, am I pretty?"

"Silly boy!" Mom chuckled sweetly, "How could you not be beautiful? Of course you're gorgeous!"

No, that wasn't the answer she wanted. Xu Ying whirled into her small room and carefully took out her vanity mirror. Her fingers caressed the surface of the mirror, imagining what a stunningly beautiful face would be presented before her. She chuckled involuntarily.

Then, she resolutely opened the mirror.

Her skin was sallow, no, even more dull and unattractive than before, almost like the complexion of an old woman like her mother. Not only was it sallow, but it was also dry, rough, and faintly stained with dark spots. And then there were wrinkles. Xu Ying reached out and touched her face in disbelief. She wasn't even eighteen, yet so many terrifying wrinkles had appeared at the corners of her eyes, each one deep and long, making her look at least forty… Good heavens! She screamed and hurriedly threw away the mirror. She hadn't become beautiful at all; she looked older and uglier than ever before!

"Xiaoying, what happened?" Mom knocked on the door in a panic, clearly terrified by the screams she had just heard.

She barely suppressed the urge to vomit and told herself in a pitifully soft voice that she was okay. My face! My face! How could I wander around with such an old and ugly face, and even get compliments from others! She reached out to check again. The skin under her eyes was smooth and firm, not like it was covered in wrinkles, and her face was too... She couldn't help but wonder, had she just imagined it?

Seeing her aged face for the second time wasn't as shocking as the first, but the uncomfortable feeling still weighed heavily on her stomach, making her want to vomit. So ugly, so incredibly ugly! She forced herself to look at her reflection in the mirror repeatedly, and once again discovered a fact: the Xu Ying in the mirror wasn't how she looked now. Although it was only by touch, Xu Ying was 100% certain that her real face didn't have so many wrinkles, nor was it so rough as to peel—the person in the mirror wasn't the real her.

It was her vision decades later.

She tried to twitch the corners of her mouth, and the old, ugly woman in the mirror gave a bitter laugh in response. How strange this mirror was, that it could reflect her appearance years later! Xu Ying couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

"Can you make me as beautiful as Wu Manli?" This wasn't the first time she'd made a request to the mirror, but this time, she was unusually serious. She seemed to see the old woman in the mirror nod.

"Well, it doesn't matter if I'm a little crazy," she laughed at her older self. "As long as only I see my ugly old self, I must look beautiful when others are around!"

Volume Four: The Soul Singer, First Movement: Tales of the Mirror of Life (Part Four)

Her wish was fulfilled by the mirror. The first thing Xu Ying did after getting up the next morning was to look in the mirror. Looking at her face, wrinkled like an orange peel and covered with dense, yellowish-brown spots, she looked at least ten years older than her mother. She touched her face in disbelief, feeling its smooth texture. Then, in the mirror, the old woman Xu Ying grinned, revealing her large, yellowish teeth, and smiled triumphantly.

She cheerfully said goodbye to her mother and hummed a song as she walked towards school, greeting every acquaintance she encountered along the way. In the warm glow of the morning sun, she secretly examined her hands, feeling as if their skin was so white and tender, like smooth tofu, so slippery that she could barely hold them. The thought of such fair and delicate skin on her face filled her with a delightful joy.

A group of boys from her class walked ahead, their arms around each other's shoulders, a testament to their close bond. Xu Ying deliberately slowed her pace, gracefully approaching them step by step—a move she had never dared to make before. Suddenly, someone turned and saw her, and in a flash, released their companion's arm and appeared before her.

"Need any help, Xu Ying?" The gentlemanly words, coupled with a bright smile, were something Xu Ying, in her "ugly duckling" days, could never have imagined. Shyly, she fidgeted, unsure what to say, even lacking the courage to look him in the eye. The boy simply smiled, snatched her bag without a word, and tossed it over his shoulder. He made no other move, walking forward with an air of nonchalance, as if he knew Xu Ying would obediently follow him. Xu Ying's face must have been burning red, for she felt her cheeks scorching.

Two figures, one after the other, slowly passed by the teaching building, casting bright shadows on the large, transparent floor-to-ceiling windows. The rising golden sunlight dazzled her, making it difficult for her to discern whether the shadows were real or illusory. She saw him and his shadow, both equally thin and tall, perfectly aligned, like two specimens cast from the same mold. But what about herself? She looked at the woman behind him, old and ugly, her hair dry and sparse, like a wad of white, rotten cotton on her head; her face was like a dried-up walnut, her parched lips sunken inwards, and when she opened her mouth, it was a dark, empty void.

She seemed older than she had in the morning.

She closed her eyes in hatred, not wanting that disgusting image to linger in her mind. Even without facing the mirror, she still saw that old and ugly face, which meant that she would never see her true appearance in a mirror or any reflective object. Even if everyone in the world praised her beauty, her own eyes would forever be blinded by the mirror, and she would forever bear the pain alone for the horrifying sight reflected in it.

"So what?" she whispered to herself. "If it were the other way around, with someone who thinks they're beautiful but is actually ugly, I think that would be much better."

She composed herself, a smile on her face, and stepped into the classroom. Her graceful figure instantly brightened the entire classroom, and all the girls immediately gathered around her.

"What brand of face wash do you use? And body lotion? Xu Ying, just tell us!" Everyone was always concerned about this, eager to use the same methods to improve their own beauty. "Even your hair looks so beautiful!" Adi carefully cupped her hair, massaging it gently in her hands. "It's so black, thick, and full, so smooth and manageable, and the shine is amazing! What brand of shampoo did you switch to? Or did you use some kind of magical conditioner?"

Is that so? It's a pity she can't see it. Xu Ying held up a strand of hair; it felt smooth to the touch, but to her, it was no different from before—still dry and rough. She was surrounded by envious glances from many girls and felt the burning gazes from boys—she was happy, but not as lightheaded as she had imagined. "Beautiful," she thought, "I guess I'm beautiful now, right?" But how lonely and unbearable it must be to not be able to see one's own beauty, to not be able to share one's own beauty with one's own eyes!

She suddenly felt a cold gaze sweep over her, making her shiver involuntarily. She looked towards the source of that gaze; all the girls in the class were gathered around her, except for one person.

Wu Manli.

She stood ramrod straight, her eyes fixed intently on the blackboard, appearing completely absorbed. However, both she and Xu Ying knew the unspoken truth. She was angry because Xu Ying had stolen the spotlight that usually belonged to her, and even more so because she now had to wear an unsightly large mask to cover her less-than-ideal skin.

Is it really just acne? This thought inevitably crossed Xu Ying's mind. It just so happened that Wu Manli started concealing her appearance right when Xu Ying was becoming more beautiful—it seemed too coincidental. But she didn't dwell on it. After all, she was too busy dealing with her own troubles to care about others!

However, Wu Manli wasn't about to let her off easily. Just before school ended, she secretly slipped Xu Ying a note, signaling her to stay. This time, Xu Ying refused many boys' invitations and insisted on staying until the very end. She felt uneasy; Wu Manli, wearing a mask, didn't look like a pretty girl at all, but rather eerily frightening.

"Xu Ying," Wu Manli spoke first, "you've become quite sharp-eyed these past two days!"

Xu Ying remained noncommittal; in fact, she didn't know how to answer.

"What an eyesore!" the other person suddenly cursed, the hatred in their eyes as sharp as poison needles. "A dinosaur dares to come out and embarrass himself? He should go home and look in the mirror first!"

Anger surged into Xu Ying's heart, and she immediately retorted:

"Hmph! Don't think you can be so arrogant just because you're pretty! If you have the guts, take off your mask and talk to me with your face!"

Wu Manli suddenly flinched, a subtle movement that did not escape Xu Ying's notice.

"What, scared?" Feeling she had completely taken control of the situation, she couldn't help but speak with sarcasm, "The famous beauty Wu Manli, how come you've turned into a coward?"

Before the other person could respond, she lunged forward, her ten sharp fingers digging deep into the mask—and then ripped it off with all her might.

Volume Four: The Soul Singer, First Movement: The Mirror of Life - A Strange Tale (Part Five)

Wu Manli let out a long scream, futilely trying to cover her face, but it was all too late. Xu Ying, who was standing right next to her, saw everything clearly.

The upper half of her face remained as white as jade, her skin as translucent and clear as fine white porcelain from Jingdezhen; her eyes were still dark and bright, sparkling like stars; however, the lower half of her face, the part covered by the mask, was so terrifying that it was impossible to look directly at her. Even Xu Ying, who was somewhat prepared, was greatly shocked and almost vomited.

Wu Manli wasn't lying—she really did just have "pimples." However, the number of pimples wasn't just "a few," but a massive, even overwhelming, number that took hold of the lower half of her face. Right next to her mask, thousands upon thousands of pimples, some red, some yellow, many even swollen and shiny with pus and oil, bloomed profusely across her skin, covering her straight, jade-like nose and drowning her cherry-red lips in a sea of acne. Wu Manli's once-proudly beautiful face was now ruined by this volcanic eruption of acne, and the difference between her upper and lower face was so stark, it was as if the mask had been tailor-made for her. Xu Ying tried to pull her gaze away from her disgusting chin; she felt she could barely bear the stark contrast.