Bezaubernde Augen

Kapitel 6

Elaine hesitated, then after a moment of silence, she bravely looked up at me and said, "I'm afraid. I'm afraid of failure, and I'm afraid of getting hurt. But trying at least gives me a 50% chance of success, and I don't want to miss it."

I took a budding pink rose from the flower bucket and handed it to her: "I didn't take away your love, I just sealed it away. When you love someone strongly enough, the seal will automatically break. Don't you realize that your actions today have already broken the seal?"

Elaine gratefully accepted the roses, tears welling in her eyes: "Thank you."

"I wish you success and happiness." Watching Yilian's figure gradually disappear into the night, I silently wished her well in my heart.

Tonight, Mingran picked me up for dinner. Passing by a tall building, we noticed a large crowd gathered below. I vaguely heard them discussing, "Why would someone jump off a building?" and "Young people are prone to overthinking and taking extreme measures. There's nothing they can't overcome."

With my sharp eyes, I spotted a fleeting glimpse of a black cloak and a gleaming scythe in the crowd. I saw Lanxi turn around and smile at me triumphantly. There are always some people in this world who cannot resist the temptation of death, and there is always a market for Lanxi's business. Thinking about this, I couldn't help but sigh softly.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [19]: I have always wanted to write a story, a story that can move not only myself but also others. But what seems to others as tortuous, bizarre, and tear-jerking is nothing more than that to the witch. The witch can describe the past in the most plain and unremarkable words because the past is nothing more than a grain of sand in memory, stuck to the heel of a shoe, unable to fall off.

The witch also went online occasionally, chatting with people. Usually, she was writing her memoirs, giving a perfunctory reply to those who weren't really paying attention. Most people online like to confide in others, and I just had to pretend to listen patiently. But Xiaoying was an exception. She was the online friend I chatted with most easily and liked the most. She was straightforward, honest, and carried a touch of melancholy. One year and two months after we met, one day, Xiaoying said to me, "Witch, let's meet. I'll treat you to coffee."

I did not refuse her request, because I could deeply feel her loneliness and sorrow; the witch had felt the same way.

At 8:30, I sat on a bench in People's Square, waiting. The night was dark, and the night breeze felt very comfortable. The June night already had a warmth to it. I looked up at the sky; it was so vast, with countless stars scattered throughout, seemingly observing everything. The square gradually dispersed, but couples could still be seen embracing each other.

I suddenly remembered Xiaoying telling me that she once waited for someone in People's Square from dusk until midnight, but the person never appeared. She stood there all alone in the cold wind, almost turning to stone, her tears nearly freezing. Thinking about this, I glanced at my watch; it was almost 9 o'clock. Just as I was hesitating whether to call Xiaoying, I suddenly saw a woman walking towards me.

It was her, Xiaoying. I recognized her at a glance, purely on instinct. She had a small face, long hair, and wore a thin printed sweater and white capri pants with a small butterfly embroidered on the cuff. She was holding two cups of coffee. She was a woman in her early twenties, but she carried an air of world-weariness.

She smiled slightly at me, sat down beside me, and handed me a cup of coffee: "Here, witch, I promised to buy you coffee."

The Starbucks coffee, with its rich aroma filling the air as the lid was lifted. "Is it a cappuccino? I prefer a latte," the witch remarked after taking a sip.

Xiaoying looked me up and down and replied casually, "Just drink it as is. Isn't that what life is all about? Some people want coffee but end up drinking juice, some want milk but end up drinking alcohol, and some people don't get anything at all. At least, this is still coffee."

"It's a little off; the taste just isn't right," I remarked.

Xiaoying placed the coffee on the chair, took out a pack of cigarettes from her bag, and offered it to me first. I shook my head. Xiaoying gave a self-deprecating smile, picked up a cigarette, lit it with a lighter, took a deep drag, and exhaled a faint smoke that enveloped her in a hazy glow. I smelled the distinctive aroma of tobacco.

“I once stood here waiting for someone. It was winter, so cold that even my breath condensed into white mist. I could even feel the cold air gradually chilling my body, but I didn’t care. I stubbornly stood here, my hands and feet almost numb with cold, as if I were the only person left in the world, abandoned by everyone. When the tears fell, I thought I would hear the sound of them hitting the ground.” Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if she could see how the stubborn woman left in disappointment. Ashes fell onto her snow-white capri pants.

She lowered her head, gently blew out a breath to disperse the cigarette ash, turned to look at me, and suddenly smiled: "See, that's how love is. It was once as passionate and fiery as fire, but once it cools down, it's gone with a gentle breath, in the blink of an eye."

The witch suddenly felt pity for this woman. She wondered what kind of injuries she had suffered to make her look so haggard.

"Not every love story is like that; there are always exceptions," I comforted her.

Xiaoying stared at me, blew out a puff of smoke, and said, "It's a pity that my love can never escape this fate."

"What kind of person is he that could hurt you so deeply?" I wondered.

She flicked the ash from her cigarette and thought carefully: "Liu Xing is an ordinary person, so ordinary that he could be lost in the crowd, but he is my Apollo."

I couldn't help but smile. People in love always see their partner as their one and only, adorned with a beautiful halo. Xiaoying saw my expression and a hint of sarcasm appeared on her lips: "Is it stupid? To this day, what I still remember is how good he was to me. I remember him rushing to be with me in the middle of the night just because I said I was afraid of thunder. I remember him holding my hand as we crossed the street. I remember him calling me from thousands of miles away and saying, 'I miss you so much.' They are all such trivial little things, but when I think of them, I feel so warm and I know that he was truly good to me back then."

After finishing one cigarette, she took out another and lit it. I advised her, "Smoke less; it's no good for you."

The cigarette butt flickered, and Xiaoying silently exhaled a puff of white smoke before replying to me after a long while: "That's the only trace of his presence I can keep. After he disappeared, I learned to smoke. In the smell of tobacco, I seem to feel that he is still by my side."

Xiaoying's words moved me deeply. This young woman was so infatuated that she hurt herself, yet she didn't know how to find a way out. I decided to help her.

"If you could make a wish, what would it be?" I asked tentatively.

Xiao Ying chuckled softly, the ash from her cigarette falling to the ground. After careful consideration, she replied, "I just want to see Liu Xing one more time and ask him why he disappeared and why he didn't keep our appointment."

"That's all?"

"That's enough, enough for me to put the past behind me and start anew. But right now, there's only suspense, which is why I can't let go of my attachments." Xiaoying sighed deeply.

The witch nodded secretly and took Xiaoying's hand: "Believe it or not, I can see many things from the palm of your hand."

Xiaoying tilted her head and looked at me, a hint of curiosity flashing across her face. Finally, she showed the innocence and cuteness of a girl.

In the dim light of the streetlamp, I carefully examined the lines on her palm. The more I looked, the more alarmed I became. Eventually, a look of horror crossed my face, which aroused Xiaoying's suspicion. She pressed me, "What did you see? Tell me, what did you see?"

The witch tried to calm herself down, letting out a sigh of relief before answering, "Liu Xing is already married, has his own life, and has children. He's living a very happy life."

"I don't believe it. You can see everything about a person just from their palm lines?" Xiaoying stared wide-eyed, her face full of doubt.

The witch smiled bitterly as she stood up: "I can't help it if you don't believe me. Back then, he disappeared from your life and didn't keep his promise to you because he loved someone else."

Xiao Ying shook her head repeatedly, saying she didn't believe it. The witch couldn't help but put on a stern face: "I'm only telling you the truth because I consider you a friend. Liu Xing and you share the same birthday, right? He has a butterfly-shaped birthmark on his arm, is that right?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [20]: She was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. She looked so devastated. It seemed that all the hopes and expectations she had subconsciously held over the years had been shattered by me. Unable to bear the cruel truth, I could almost hear the sound of her heart breaking.

The witch patted her on the shoulder and comforted her: "Now you finally know the truth and can start a new life. Don't live in the past all the time; people have to face reality."

Xiaoying looked somewhat forlorn, trying hard to remain calm, but her fingers trembled so much she could barely hold the cigarette. She took deep breaths and sat on the chair for a long time, the cigarette in her hand gradually cooling to ash until it finally burned out. Just as I was hesitating whether to say something to comfort her, Xiaoying stood up, threw the cigarette butt into the trash can, then took out cigarettes from her bag and threw them in along with the lighter.

"Thank you, but I should go now. Maybe you're right, it's time to start a new life." Xiaoying smiled wistfully, a hint of resignation in her eyes.

I stood up, said goodbye to her, and watched her leave in front of me. The butterfly on my pants fluttered gently, as if weeping silently. I stared blankly at Xiaoying's retreating figure, a pang of sorrow passing through my heart.

In her ordinary days, the witch still went online, wrote her memoirs, and chatted. She encountered Xiaoying online less and less often; she began to be happier. She told me she had a new boyfriend, they were getting along very well, and they would be getting married soon. I was secretly happy for her.

On Xiaoying's wedding day, she invited Mingran and me to attend. I chose the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses for Xiaoying. Wearing a white wedding dress, Xiaoying looked as beautiful as an angel. She nestled against the groom, smiling radiantly, her face beaming with happiness. During the wedding, Xiaoying took a moment to quietly say to me, "Thank you so much. If you hadn't told me the truth back then, I would still be in the dark, unwilling to face reality, and I wouldn't have this happiness today."

Looking at Xiaoying's radiant smile, I secretly rejoiced that my initial decision was correct, and the true truth should remain buried in the witch's heart. Wan Qiliang and Meng Jiangnu, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Guo Jianzhong and Wang Yueying, Wang Shiyou and Qian Yulian, Shang Lin and Qin Xuemei, Wei Yanchun and Jia Yuzhen, Li Kuiyuan and Liu Ruilian—seven lifetimes of marriage, each ending in tragedy. All for a carefree smile, yet the Jade Emperor was so cruel, subjecting them to endless suffering in reincarnation. I originally thought that after so many years, the punishment for this young couple had ended, but then I encountered—no, the witch couldn't stand it and had to meddle. Let them each live their own peaceful and happy lives; even one lifetime is enough.

As everyone was posing for photos with the bride, I caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past the doorway. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly chased after him. In the hallway, I saw the departing figure of a man.

"Liu Xing?" I quickened my pace, calling out his name.

The man stopped and turned back to look at me with some confusion: "You know me?"

"What are you doing here?" I finally managed to give Xiaoying her own life, how could I let her come and ruin it all?

Liu Xing looked me over and then suddenly laughed: "I just came to see Xiao Ying, you don't need to be nervous. I left her back then so that she could live her own life. We shouldn't have been involved in the first place, but fate played a trick on us."

"You know the truth?" I asked, somewhat surprised.

Liu Xing smiled faintly: "There will always be people who can't stand it. So many years of punishment should be enough."

I felt relieved. "What are your plans?"

“Starting a new life, I don’t want some people to be smug. Xiaoying and I are both victims, and it’s time for us to take control of our own destiny.” He nodded and said goodbye. I watched him leave, and at the end of the corridor, I saw a woman waiting for him.

At that moment, the witch felt incredibly relieved, all the pent-up frustration she had been holding in was released. Back at the wedding banquet, Xiao Ying playfully scolded me, "Where did you run off to? I wanted to take a picture with you."

Mingran also gave me a questioning look. The witch chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. Some truths are better left unsaid. The photographer snapped a picture of the witch and Xiaoying. The photo was later delivered to me. In the picture, the witch was smiling so happily and freely.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [21]: If someone asks a witch how to become beautiful, I would suggest some common and normal methods, such as beauty treatments, weight loss, makeup, changing clothes, improving one's self-cultivation, etc. While witchcraft can make people beautiful, it comes at an equal price. I have seen many women who disregard everything for their appearance, but most of them do not have a good ending.

A beauty salon called "Beauty Workshop" opened near the flower shop, and it's always packed with young women; business is booming. In today's appearance-obsessed society, women have to take extra care of themselves, which is a kind of tragedy. It's said that Shanghai women spend an astonishing amount on clothes and cosmetics every year.

I locked the shop and delivered the flowers I had already selected to Meilifang. Since Meilifang opened, they have been ordering flowers from me every day, and my business is booming. Pushing open the glass door of Meilifang, which is inlaid with copper openwork carvings, you can see a small copper female statue displayed in a cabinet on the wall, illuminated by spotlights. She is slender, with a beautiful and delicate face, and confidently glances at everyone.

As soon as I entered, Zhi Mei greeted me with a warm and gentle smile: "The flowers are so beautiful today. Sister Luo's choices are truly exceptional." Meili Fang is a shop owned by the sisters Zhi Mei and Zhi Li. Zhi Mei looks to be in her early twenties, is incredibly friendly, and has a girl-next-door look that makes her instantly likable. Zhi Li is more glamorous, but equally gentle and friendly. Both sisters have incredibly flawless skin, truly living advertisements for Meili Fang; no wonder their business is booming.

"You're so good with words! I'm even thinking of coming to your beauty salon for a facial." I joked with her as I helped her put the flowers in the vase.

Zhi Mei paused for a moment, then her eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter: "Sister Luo, your skin is so beautiful, why would you come here? Natural is best!"

I was a little surprised and joked with her, "What, you don't want to do business with me?"

"How could that be? I just think your skin is good enough right now, you don't need to spend more money on beauty treatments! I'm telling you the truth, isn't it good to save you money?" Zhi Mei's eyes sparkled as she coquettishly argued with me.

As I was exchanging pleasantries with Zhi Mei, a woman emerged from the inner room. She appeared to have just had a beauty treatment, looking radiant with a faint blush on her cheeks and a satisfied expression. She smiled and nodded to Zhi Mei, glancing at me sideways before confidently walking away in her high heels. As she passed by, a faint fragrance wafted by. I took a light sniff, feeling a slight unease, but remained outwardly composed, exchanging a few more words with Zhi Mei before taking my leave.

The walk back to the flower shop was only a few hundred meters, but my mind was in turmoil. I never expected to encounter something like this. The sun was shining brightly on me, yet I felt cold sweat pouring down my back. Even after I got back to the flower shop, I was still somewhat shaken and had to drink a glass of water to calm down. If this hadn't happened to me, it wouldn't have been a problem, but since it did, how could I just stand by and watch just because it wasn't my fault?

All day long, I was somewhat distracted, making mistakes from time to time—giving customers the wrong change, taking the wrong flowers—my mind was elsewhere, preoccupied only with my astonishing discovery. As evening approached, I closed the shop early and sat alone among the flowers, quietly pondering a solution. Around 6 p.m., Mingran called to invite me to dinner, but I made an excuse to decline. His voice sounded regretful on the phone, and I felt a little apologetic, but there were indeed more important things to verify than dinner.

Stepping into the Meilifang store again, it was already dark. The interior was lit with soft lights, making it look warm and comfortable. Zhi Mei, who was sitting comfortably on the white sofa reading a magazine, heard the door open. She looked up and saw me, and was a little surprised. She immediately stood up and greeted me with a smile: "Sister Xiao Luo, did you come to chat with me? Come, sit with me, I'm a little bored!"

Looking at Zhi Mei's lovely smile and gentle words, I almost overturned my original guess. Zhi Mei, she is such a lovely girl, how could she do such a thing? I would rather hope that my guess is wrong than that it is confirmed.

On the glass coffee table, the large bouquet of lilies in the crystal vase was the same one we had arranged together that morning, its fragrance lingering faintly. A pang of sadness welled up inside me. Yet, I smiled and walked toward Zhimei, sitting down beside her.

"I wanted to chat with you, and I also wanted to get a beauty treatment at your beauty salon."

Her beautiful smile froze on her face as she blinked, but in an instant, she returned to normal, took my hand, and earnestly advised me, "Sister Luo, I'm telling you the truth. Cosmetic treatments only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Sister Luo, listen to me, don't waste your money. Do you think I would harm you?"

We were sitting so close, and I could see her flawless, radiant skin, perfectly smooth under the light, almost translucent with its beauty. I also saw the sincerity in her eyes—so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful. You are kind after all. I almost couldn't bear to expose everything, couldn't bear to ruin our harmonious and friendly relationship.

Wearing a white uniform, Zhili emerged from the beauty room, removed her mask, and let out a sigh of relief. She looked at me with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding why I was there, but still greeted me with a friendly smile. A familiar, faint fragrance wafted towards my nose as Zhili appeared.

"Zhi Mei, what are you and Miss He talking about?" she asked casually.

Zhi Mei glanced at me, then at Zhi Li, and smiled to cover it up: "It's nothing, Sister Xiao Luo came to chat with me, you go ahead and do your work."

"I was just telling Zhimei that I was thinking of coming to your Beauty Salon for a beauty treatment." I patted Zhimei apologetically and explained my purpose.

Zhili glared at Zhimei, a veiled warning. Zhimei lowered her head guiltily. I saw this and sighed inwardly.

"Miss He, you want to get a beauty treatment? I can give you a discount. Our beauty products are all imported from abroad, and they are very effective. You can't find them in most beauty salons!" Zhi Li introduced to me skillfully.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [22]: "Could it be imported from Haiti?" I coldly threw out a question.

Zhi Mei jumped up from the sofa, looking astonished. Zhi Li's face froze, and after a while, she managed a weak smile and asked, "What kind of place is Haiti? Do they produce beauty products there?"

"I don't know if they produce beauty products there, but I do know that it's famous for witchcraft and aphrodisiacs," I replied casually.

Zhi Li's expression finally changed drastically. She took a deep breath and it took her a while to recover. She looked me up and down and suddenly laughed: "So you're a colleague. I was too blind to recognize you. My apologies."

"Who's in the same line of work as you? I despise what you do, using witchcraft to steal people's youth for your own enjoyment and to maintain your own youth. You're probably over 40 years old!" I looked at her with disdain.