Night Doll - Chapter 44
"Take a look for yourself!" The old man placed the object in front of Song Xiaomo.
What could be inside? Song Xiaomo nervously reached out her finger and suddenly lifted the silk.
In an instant, his heart leaped into his throat. Looking at the old man, he exclaimed, "This... isn't this Song Yun'er's face?"
"Haha, take a closer look!" the old man laughed.
Song Xiaomo covered her wildly beating heart and looked closer. It wasn't a silk cloth wrapped around a human face mask.
As expected... as expected, Meixuan transformed into Song Yun'er through a mask. Song Xiaomo stared at the mask for a long time, almost unable to believe that this masterpiece came from the hand of an old man.
"Can you tell me these secrets?"
The old man, somewhat proud, chuckled, "My 'mask-making technique' can be considered a comprehensive discipline combining plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, otolaryngology, dermatology, and cosmetic surgery. These disciplines were originally independent, each altering only a specific part of the human body. For example, an ophthalmologist can perform a simple surgery to turn single eyelids into double eyelids; an otolaryngologist can use paraffin and ivory to augment a naturally low nose bridge through rhinoplasty. However, they all performed surgeries within their respective fields; none of them ever imagined that masks could be used to transform a person's appearance."
"I originally studied surgical medicine. During my student days, I had a sudden inspiration: if I could combine all these different medical fields to completely change people's appearance, wouldn't that create a great and independent science? Since then, I have devoted my life to studying mask-making. After more than a decade of continuous and arduous exploration, I finally established this entirely new discipline."
"Plastic surgery usually involves procedures, and aside from the pain in the skin, there might be scars left when the incision is stitched up. But my mask-making technique will leave absolutely no trace on the body because it doesn't require surgery at all. In other words, wearing a mask I make can flatten protruding cheeks, sharpen square chins, make the bridge of the nose high or low, and make the eyes big or small—all of these are completely at my disposal..."
"Unfortunately, by the time I successfully invented this technology and returned, there was no one left here. Over the past few years, I've spent a great deal of time and energy sculpting masks for my deceased loved ones… Whenever I put these masks on the faces of the dolls and see their lifelike appearance, I think of the days gone by…"
After hearing what he said, Song Xiaomo suddenly realized that the travel enthusiast from a year ago probably saw these realistic masks and thought they were dead people who had come back to life.
"Is Yoona your apprentice?" Song Xiaomo asked with interest.
"Yes, she's incredibly intelligent, and her mask-making skills are now masterful. Since I don't have many more years left in this world anyway, I might as well pass on all these skills to her."
"Does Yoona live here too?"
"No, that kid felt it was inconvenient for him to live with an old man like me, so he built a small thatched hut about 500 meters behind this house. Actually, we're both pretty quiet people, and we don't talk much even when we're together... By the way, have you eaten? I have some sashimi here."
"Thank you." Song Xiaomo smiled and said, "I just ate some dry food on the boat, so I'm not hungry now. You should rest. I want to go see where she stayed. Since she's not here, I'll just stay there tonight."
Do you need me to take you there?
"Forget it, it's not far. I'll just go by myself. It's such a small island, how could I possibly get lost?"
The old man nodded, his face full of worry, and said, "Be careful, my eyelids have been twitching a lot lately, something doesn't seem to be going well here..."
Section 121: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Ghost Bride (1)
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Ghost Bride
After leaving the old man's house, Song Xiaomo took a flashlight and continued walking in the dim twilight.
Unbeknownst to him, he found himself standing in a graveyard. Dozens of graves were densely packed at his feet. The desolate graves and the waning moon shone through the evening tide, and the flashlight beams illuminated the gleaming grave mounds, making the entire cemetery appear even more pale and eerie.
He looked around again and immediately froze, a chill running down his spine.
The cemetery was full of people.
He calmed himself down and finally realized that these were just dolls. These dolls varied in size, some as small as half a foot, others as large as a normal person. Their shapes were extremely similar to human bodies, with skin, wrinkles, joints, and clothing all clearly visible. Even covered in dust, the vibrant colors could not be concealed, making them appear even more eerie, their faces as lifelike as living people.
"What is this thing made of?" Song Xiaomo touched it; it was icy cold, like stone. Suddenly, he noticed, to his surprise, several cracks spreading like a spiderweb on one of the dolls' arms. Song Xiaomo tapped it hard a few times with his fingers, the cracks spreading across the entire arm. Then, with a soft cracking sound, a layer of shell crumbled off the doll's arm, revealing a withered, dry arm. Five sharp finger bones twisted into strange shapes pressed against Song Xiaomo's chest in a grabbing posture!
"Could there be a skeleton in here?" Song Xiaomo wondered tremulously. He mustered his courage and tapped the head of another puppet. Immediately, the puppet's head cracked into a spiderweb pattern, and then a layer of fragments fell away, revealing the head of a mummified corpse, as if it had crawled out of hell, grinning menacingly at him. The corpse's skin had shrunk, clinging tightly to the bones, but the sinews and bones were still clearly visible, and even its eyes were full of expression.
Song Xiaomo stared at the withered and hideous doll, as if she were dumbfounded. It took her a long time to calm down, but the fear in her heart spread uncontrollably throughout her body.
"This is terrifying! Could it be... could it be that the old man sealed the mummified corpses of his relatives inside these dolls? Could this entire island be full of mummified corpses?" Song Xiaomo stared at the deserted island shrouded in night, lost in thought.
A cold, waning moon hung in the sky, casting flickering, ghostly light across the graveyard. A chilling, malevolent aura lingered on the island.
Song Xiaomo quickly left the cemetery and ventured deeper into the island. After traversing a narrow, winding path, an old, weathered stone wall blocked his way, with wildflowers and vines gently brushing against his clothes. He rounded the wall, his flashlight illuminating a figure standing in the middle of the path ahead. The person held something in their left hand, their right hand behind their back, their chin slightly raised, seemingly anxiously awaiting something.
Song Xiaomo was nearly scared out of her wits. She was on high alert as she slowly approached.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
The person did not answer and remained in the same position.
Song Xiaomo was taken aback. He walked up to it and saw that it was another doll. For some reason, in an instant, he felt as if his heart had been struck by something. A strange feeling slowly enveloped him. He couldn't tell if it was fear or something else. As soon as he saw the doll's face, he couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable sadness, and even an urge to cry.
Strange, what's wrong with me? He felt a sense of panic at this bewitching change in himself. He seemed to hear the doll sobbing and crying out in pain, tears welling up in its eyes. Although the doll's face was blurry, he had just clearly seen a single tear rolling down its cheek from where its eye was.
Section 122: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Ghost Bride (2)
A strong intuition told him: This is definitely not an ordinary doll!
At that moment, he noticed that the doll was holding a large red invitation. He took it with trepidation and, by the light of his flashlight, opened the invitation. It read: "The wedding of Mr. Kim In-hyun and Ms. Shin Mi-hyun will be held on Peach Blossom Island on August 14, 2007. You are welcome to attend."
Song Xiaomo's hands began to tremble: "A wedding? A wedding between a human and a ghost?"
"Isn't today August 14th? Looks like I arrived just in time!" Song Xiaomo didn't dare think too much, bypassing the strange doll and continuing on his way. Passing through a thicket of mixed trees, the outline of a thatched hut appeared before him. Through the draped vines, he saw a red light flickering, like a giant beast blinking.
He didn't dare go straight in through the main gate, but instead went around to the side of the hut. Then he saw two lanterns hanging in front of the hut, the door wide open, and two people standing in the doorway.
"It should be a doll."
After hesitating for a long time, he tiptoed over and quietly approached the doorway, following the shadows cast by the wall. The figures standing under the lantern at the door were indeed two puppets, but their postures—bowing and clasping their hands—were incredibly lifelike and realistic.
Song Xiaomo quietly slipped into the doorway and peeked inside. The hall was filled with white lanterns, each adorned with the character for "happiness" (囍). Looking through the doorway, she saw a wedding table in the center of the hall, laden with fruit and topped with huge candles, their smoke curling upwards. On either side of the hall were two rows of chairs, neatly arranged with guests. To the left of the wedding table sat a woman dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, her head veiled; she was slender and appeared to be a woman. The right side of the table was empty.
No one moved around or spoke in the room; everyone sat quietly, making no sound at all, as if the hall was filled with zombies.
Just as Song Xiaomo was dumbfounded, a faint, trembling voice slowly entered his eardrums: "Ye..." The voice was eerie and suppressed, as if it came from underground.
Song Xiaomo slowly straightened up and walked into the hall with a stiff upper lip. At this moment, there was no point in running away or being afraid; instead, he felt relieved.
Under the eerie white lanterns, a dozen or so dolls sat on chairs on either side, each with a different expression and a sinister smile, glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes. The bride, however, was completely veiled and dressed in her wedding gown, so nothing could be seen. Was she Meixuan?
"The...groom...is here..." That long, trembling sigh rang out again.
Song Xiaomo's heart skipped a beat. She looked around and asked, "Who's the groom? Are you human or ghosts?"
A hint of surprise flickered in that eerie voice: "Kim In-hyun, are you trying to renege on your promise? Didn't you already agree to marry Miss Mi-hyun?"
Song Xiaomo was stunned, her doubts even outweighing her fear: "You've got it wrong, I'm not Kim In-hyun! When did I agree to get married?"
The ghost gave a cold snort: "Then what are you doing here? You have no choice today!"
"What exactly do you want?"
The ghost laughed, "Look, the people of Peach Blossom Island will all be witnesses to your wedding. How lucky you are!"
"But I'm really not Kim In-hyun!" An indescribable sorrow welled up in Song Xiaomo's heart. Was this all fate? He looked at the woman sitting beneath the red veil and asked cautiously, "Mei-hyun? Is it really you?"
The ghost chuckled sinisterly, "Why don't you lift her red veil and take a look?"
Standing in such a terrifying environment, Song Xiaomo was somewhat dazed. He actually went over and lifted the bride's red veil. The moment he did, he shuddered. Under the veil was indeed Meixuan! Her face was covered in white powder, deathly pale like a corpse. And there were dark holes in the sockets of her eyes…
Song Xiaomo retreated step by step, his consciousness on the verge of collapse due to extreme terror and sorrow.
"Hurry up and do the wedding ceremony! We're all waiting," the ghost said.
"No." Fear seared Song Xiaomo's heart, yet he continued to struggle with his inner demons. "Even if you kill me, I won't get married. I'm not Jin Renxuan, I'm not!"
"Shut up, Kim In-hyun, you big liar, you're not human..." Mei-hyun stood up, glaring at him fiercely, tears streaming from her single eye.
With that cry, countless ghostly wails suddenly echoed through the hall. The puppet sitting in the hall suddenly trembled horribly. Song Xiaomo heard a series of explosive sounds in horror. The outer shell of the puppet's body shattered like a spider web, scattering all over the floor with a crackling sound.
In an instant, the brightly colored and varied dolls in his field of vision all turned into hideous mummies, sitting upright in two rows in the hall!
Section 123: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Ghost Bride (3)
The old, eerie haunted house, the white lanterns with black "double happiness" characters, the dim, ghostly candlelight, the swirling smoke of incense, the mummified corpses sitting on either side... the extremely bizarre and terrifying scene made Song Xiaomo feel disoriented. After a long while, he let out a heart-wrenching scream and frantically rushed towards the door. Just as he reached the door, it creaked shut and suddenly closed automatically, trapping him among the terrifying horde of mummified corpses.
He pounded on the door frantically, but his limbs became sluggish and weak; his fists struck the door with only a soft thud. Just then, he heard shadows swaying behind him. He turned around in astonishment and saw the desiccated corpses actually standing up unsteadily…
A wave of dizziness washed over Song Xiaomo as he stared at the four groups of desiccated corpses extending their withered, ghostly claws toward him. His body felt no urge to flee. Suddenly, the space around him distorted; the terrifying and eerie scene vanished, replaced by a magnificent hall. Lights danced, shadows swayed, and soft music filled the air. He saw his parents walking towards him hand in hand, followed by a beautiful girl. His mother gently took his hand: "Xiaomo, Mom knows you fell in love with this girl the moment you saw her… Today, I'm giving you Yun'er in marriage, okay?"
After saying that, the mother pulled the girl behind her over, and Song Xiaomo saw that beautiful, otherworldly face once again. The first time she saw her was in a coffee shop called "Home Alone"; the second time was in a cemetery. But now, thinking back, that night was so enchanting, so romantic. It was Ning Caichen's first encounter with his Xiaoqian, and Juliet lying in her grave coming back to life before Romeo's eyes.
The mother said, "Xiao Mo, from now on you have your other half. You are no longer lonely. Yun'er is a good girl; she will take care of you for the rest of her life..."
Despite his joy, Song Xiaomo remained somewhat hesitant. He looked at Song Yun'er and asked, "But...do you love me?"
Song Yoon-ah smiled, her voice mesmerizing, and said, "Our hearts have long been intertwined... As long as our hearts don't die, we will continue to love each other. Come, let's go find our happiness, to a secluded place. There, everything is pure... Let's go, let's leave this filthy place forever."
"Go, Xiao Mo, go find the happiness you seek," her mother said.
Song Xiaomo's gaze suddenly turned to one of longing, and she took Yoona's hand, walking forward step by step.
Go find happiness, eternal happiness, eternal happiness...
The sound echoed endlessly, like the waves of the sea.
Section 124: Chapter Twenty-Seven Rebirth (1)
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Rebirth
An Qiqi crouched in the grass, almost unable to bear it any longer. The dew around him soaked his clothes, and small insects bit him, leaving him covered in welts. Ever since Song Xiaomo returned to the villa the night before, he had been following him closely. He felt like a hunter, having waited a long time for his prey to appear.
Finally, Song Xiaomo entered the dark room. To avoid alerting them, An Qiqi could only lurk far away behind a wall. Although he didn't know what was happening inside, he was extremely excited.
What unknown secrets are hidden on this mysterious island?
About twenty minutes later, Song Xiaomo came out, followed by a woman.
He thought that the woman must be Shen Meixuan. Where were they going?
An Qiqi held his breath and followed. However, what surprised him even more was that there seemed to be a white mass moving in the grass ahead...
Gradually, An Qiqi heard the clear sound of waves. The surging seawater was crashing against the rocks, it was cold all around, and the wind was getting stronger. He finally realized that he was on the edge of a cliff. At the same time, he strongly sensed that something was wrong.
"Go..." A woman's voice drifted on the wind.
One step, two steps, three steps... Song Xiaomo walked forward with a smile on her face...
Just as Song Xiaomo's foot was about to slip, An Qiqi suddenly stood up and shouted, "Song Xiaomo, come back quickly!"
Song Xiaomo stopped abruptly and turned to look at him. But his eyes were blank...
"Song Xiaomo, come back quickly!"
He did not respond.
"Go on, happiness is just ahead!" the woman said gently to Song Xiaomo. Her hair was also blown by the wind, fluttering and almost obscuring half of her face. An Qiqi could only see her right eye, but the dark, gaping opening made him tremble slightly.
"Xiao Mo, come over here! I'm An Qiqi, your friend. Don't you recognize me?" An Qiqi waved gently, trying her best not to upset the other person.
Go, just one more step forward, and happiness awaits!
"Shen Meixuan, stop hurting people! I know you're behind all this! Xiao Mo is innocent, he's not Jin Renxuan!" An Qiqi was furious.
"Hehehe, really? Isn't that fun?" Song Yoon-ah laughed. "Karma, it's all karma..."
An Qiqi tensed up, worried that Song Xiaomo might jump down suddenly.