Transforme-toi en cygne et vole vers toi

Chapitre 3

At this point, Zhuo Jiasi felt a chill run down her spine. Yes, she hadn't even been at school for two days, yet so much had happened. And what was even more bizarre was that someone was saying Su Mu had committed suicide two years ago. Just as she was feeling somewhat dejected, Yao Xiaomo patted her shoulder and said, "Jiasi, since we're already here, let's go to the classroom to study together. You can also get to know your classmates!"

Zhuo Jiasi couldn't think of anywhere else to go, so she followed them to the classroom. As expected of the Foreign Languages Building, it had a distinctly Western feel. Many students were in the classroom, enjoying the novelty of university life. Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt out of place among them. The usually talkative girl silently scribbled on a blank sheet of paper: Su Mu, Su Mu, Su Mu… Her mind was filled with Su Mu, but she no longer felt the overwhelming happiness she used to feel when she thought of him.

"Do you know Su Mu?" Yao Xiaomo, who had been talking to other classmates, suddenly turned around, looked at the paper in surprise, and asked, "He was a renowned talent at Chujiang University. It's such a pity he died so young."

Yao Xiaomo knows Su Mu too? Zhuo Jiasi, as if she had seized a clue, excitedly pulled her aside and asked, "You know Su Mu too? What kind of person is he? Tell me about him, okay?"

"Of course I know," Yao Xiaomo said with a hint of envy. "He's not only a melancholic poet, but also an excellent designer. The school library has his published poetry collections, and there are even reports about him in the school magazine."

Zhuo Jiasi had only seen Su Mu's poems published in various magazines, but she hadn't realized he had such a high reputation at Chujiang University. Seemingly driven by a sense of mission, she tried to find out what had happened, so she pestered Yao Xiaomo, saying, "Do you have any information about Su Mo? Let me see it, Xiaomo is the best."

Yao Xiaomo raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "It seems like getting to know Su Mu is the first thing every girl does when she enters Chujiang University. Okay, I'll take you to the library tomorrow to find some old school magazines to satisfy your curiosity."

Zhuo Jiasi breathed a sigh of relief, no longer feeling the stifling feeling from before, and started chatting with the other classmates. But strangely, whenever people heard she was from dormitory 514, they seemed less inclined to talk to her. Was dormitory 514 really that terrifying? She couldn't help but admire Yao Xiaomo's courage, that she was still willing to engage with her. However, the conversation quickly became tedious, so she had no choice but to leave the noisy classroom alone.

It was already past eight o'clock, and Zhuo Jia couldn't think of anywhere else to go, so she could only slowly walk back to her dormitory. The wind was cool on her face, carrying with it the loneliness in her heart. Just as she was about to go up to the dormitory building, she unexpectedly saw Li Sixia and the pretty girl she had seen that afternoon standing under a eucalyptus tree not far away, seemingly arguing fiercely. The clearest sentence she heard was: "Xia Youcai, I have nothing to do with her. Please stop being so suspicious all the time, okay?"

Then Xia Youcai seemed to cry, burying herself in Li Sixia's arms, pounding his back and crying, "I don't believe it! You've always cared about your paintings the most. If there really wasn't anything, how could your canvas be in her hands! Sixia, please don't leave me? I have nothing left but you..."

They were arguing over her. Zhuo Jiasi smiled bitterly; this girl's jealousy was truly formidable! But seeing Li Sixia's helpless expression, she looked on with a hint of schadenfreude. Xia Youcai was quite the troublemaker; it took Li Sixia a while to calm her down and leave the girls' dormitory. In the dim light, Zhuo Jiasi saw the look in his eyes as he glanced back, a look of melancholy as clear as the despair he felt on the day of registration.

Before Zhuo Jiasi could react, Xia Youcai had already appeared in front of her. Gone was her previous timid demeanor; she smiled smugly and said, "You see? Li Sixia loves me, and no one can take him away!" With that, she strutted upstairs in her high heels.

Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at her, completely oblivious to her words. It was too similar; she was practically a carbon copy of the suicidal girl on the canvas! But was it all an accident or a coincidence? A sea of blood surged towards her, and Zhuo Jiasi dared not think any further, clutching her shoulders and running desperately towards her dormitory.

9

No one had returned to the dormitory yet; only Wu Qiuyang's black cat lay lazily on the balcony.

Strangely, it had been rolling around in the shards of glass, bloodied and mangled, but now it had no wounds at all. Zhuo Jiasi couldn't resist touching it, but heard a "whoosh" sound, and it jumped up and ran into the corridor. She chased after it in a panic, only stopping at the public restroom, where there seemed to be a continuous sound of drawing boards falling. Remembering that Wu Qiuyang had advised her not to come here, she hesitated and ran back to her dormitory dejectedly.

Section 15: Chapter Two - Bathtub Girl's Suicide Illustration (2)

Zhuo Jiasi felt very tired and yawned as she washed up in the bathroom. Just as she applied face wash, she heard the computer start up. Thinking it was Tao Hua returning, she was about to peek out to greet her when she saw the black cat had somehow returned and was now perched on the keyboard, staring intently at the computer. She had no choice but to run out and shoo the cat away. She wanted to help Tao Hua turn off the computer, but the content of the open document captivated her.

That was Tao Hua's diary. Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at it, not even noticing the face wash that had fallen onto the keyboard. So Wu Qiuyang was actually Tao Hua's half-sister! Her mother was Tao's father's mistress, and only told him about Wu Qiuyang before she died of cancer. No wonder Tao Hua hated Wu Qiuyang so much; she had been writing in her diary denouncing Wu's mother for seducing her father and for Wu Qiuyang trying to take a share of her inheritance.

"What are you doing?" a cold voice suddenly rang out.

Zhuo Jiasi felt a chill run down her spine and turned around to see Wu Qiuyang. She was petting the black cat while looking at the computer screen. However, Wu Qiuyang didn't react at all, instead calmly leaving the computer, her voice carrying a commanding tone: "Don't tell anyone about this!"

Watching Wu Qiuyang get back into bed with the black cat, Zhuo Jiasi nodded blankly and ran back to the bathroom. She stared blankly at the mirror, suddenly feeling very haggard. Just as she rinsed off the face wash, Mu Xiang returned, leaning against the door and teasingly asking, "Jiasi, how was it? Did you see your dream man?"

Upon hearing the words "dream lover," Zhuo Jiasi felt a sinking feeling in her heart. She turned around, hugged Mu Xiang, and sobbed, "They...they all say that Su Mu committed suicide two years ago!" Perhaps in this school, only Mu Xiang could make her feel at ease and cry her heart out.

Mu Xiang's body trembled slightly, but she remained unusually calm as she advised, "How could that be! Didn't you correspond with him for three years? Could there be a mistake?"

Zhuo Jiasi tearfully recounted her search for Su Mu, leaving Mu Xiang stunned, like a puppet. After a long while, Mu Xiang seemed to remember something and said, "Since Su Mu is so famous, why don't we look up his information on Chujiang University's website?"

Thinking of this, the two hurriedly ran to Tao Hua's computer. Zhuo Jiasi frantically closed Tao Hua's diary, afraid that Mu Xiang would see it. They cautiously entered "Su Mu" into the campus network search, but only his published poetry collections and honors appeared, with no mention of his cause of death. So the two browsed the school forum, where "Su Mu" was surprisingly the top keyword, but after clicking on the keyword, most of the subsequent posts had already been edited and deleted. Only comments remained, mostly expressing admiration or regret, with no information about the cause of "Su Mu's" death.

After searching for a long time without success, Mu Xiang suddenly snatched the keyboard and posted a question in the forum: "Can anyone tell me how Su Mu died?" She then left the computer, packing her things as she asked, "Jia Si, hasn't Su Mu contacted you since you came to school?"

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly remembered that she had chatted with him on QQ last time, so she quickly logged in. Su Mu's avatar was brightly lit up, and her whole body trembled, but she sent a message tactfully: "Su Mu, where are you now?" The other party replied quickly, and the avatar immediately moved. But just as she was about to click on it, Tao Hua rushed back and shut down the computer. She stood next to her angrily and questioned, "Jiasi, why are you looking at my computer like that?"

Zhuo Jiasi knew she was afraid her secret would be discovered. She quietly returned to her bed, her mind filled with Su Mu's image. She was even a little angry; someone must be using Su Mu's name to deceive her! Just as she closed her eyes, Zuo Feifei came bouncing back, carrying a drawing board, and mysteriously whispered in Tao Hua's ear, "Close your eyes first, I'll show you something good."

Section 16: Chapter Two - Bathtub Girl's Suicide Illustration (3)

Tao Hua reluctantly closed her eyes. Zuo Feifei exclaimed "Wow!" and flipped the easel over—it was that same bathtub girl committing suicide picture again! Tao Hua was clearly startled, knocking over the ashtray on the computer desk. Zhuo Jiasi asked, somewhat puzzled, "Tao Hua, didn't you see this painting before? Why are you still like this?"

"I'm not that perverted! Look at this painting, and this ugly woman!" Tao Hua rolled her eyes at Zuo Feifei and said inexplicably, "Feifei, what are you going to do with this lousy painting? You don't plan to put it in your dorm, do you?"

"What, even Tao Hua, who's fearless, is scared now?" Zuo Feifei grinned mischievously, pouting like a child. "Are you allowed to scare us, but I'm not allowed to scare you? Humph, I'm going to hang myself right across from your bed."

"Tch!" Tao Hua said dismissively, "There's nothing in this world that I, Tao Hua, am afraid of. Do whatever you want, hang it wherever you like!"

The four chatted for a while, then all went to bed. No matter how noisy they were, Wu Qiuyang didn't say a word and lay motionless on the bed. Zhuo Jiasi tossed and turned for a long time before finally feeling sleepy, feeling a faint floral scent around her nose that made sleep terribly heavy.

10

It sounded like marbles rolling on the floor. Zhuo Jiasi was startled awake again. It was late at night, and only the soft snoring of children echoed in the dormitory. She stared at the dark ceiling and felt something tapping inside. The faint sound made her heart clench. Finally, she pulled the covers over herself, sweating profusely under them.

Who got up? Zhuo Jiasi lifted the corner of the blanket and saw that it was Zuo Feifei who had woken up. Maybe she went to the bathroom! But strangely, Zuo Feifei tiptoed across the street and took down the picture of a girl committing suicide in the bathtub. Then she quietly sat by the balcony railing and carefully touched the painting.

Zhuo Jiasi called her name softly, but she didn't respond. Instead, she stared intently at the painting in the moonlight. The orange moonlight fell on the blood-stained bathtub painting of a girl committing suicide. Zuo Feifei suddenly let out a long sigh, her eyes dimming, and the atmosphere became exceptionally eerie.

Zhuo Jiasi's thoughts were in disarray; she wanted to close her eyes and sleep until dawn. But a sharp light stung her eyes—Zuo Feifei was actually taking out a knife and repeatedly rubbing it against her right wrist. Zhuo Jiasi was startled and practically rolled out of bed, rushing to the balcony and grabbing Zuo Feifei's hand, shouting, "Feifei, what are you doing? Put it down! Put the knife down!"

During the struggle, the knife sliced Zhuo Jiasi's wrist, sending a sharp pain through her. The drawing board crashed to the floor, and Zuo Feifei suddenly stopped struggling, her eyes returning to their normal childlike state. Thin streams of blood trickled down, making the blood-stained drawing appear even more realistic. Looking at the scene, Zuo Feifei seemed to have completely forgotten what had just happened, covering her mouth and screaming, "Jiasi, what are you doing?"

Mu Xiang and Tao Hua were both startled awake. The dim light filled the dormitory, making the blood-stained painting stand out starkly. All four stared in disbelief, their hearts trembling. Tao Hua broke the silence, mustering her courage to ask, "Zhuo Jiasi, what happened to you?"

Zhuo Jiasi stared at Zuo Feifei, who seemed to have had her memory completely erased, and asked in astonishment, her mouth agape, "Feifei, you really don't know what just happened?"

"What happened?" Zuo Feifei asked, puzzled, then seemed to remember something, clutching her head as she asked, "Yeah, how did I end up on the balcony?"

Section 17: Chapter Two - Illustration of a Girl's Suicide in a Bathtub (4)

Tao Hua actually laughed and said, "Feifei, are you sleepwalking? You said I'd be scared by your lousy painting, but I think you're the one who's out of your mind!"

"Tao Hua, don't scare Fei Fei." Mu Xiang got out of bed with some worry, and breathed a sigh of relief after looking at Zhuo Jiasi's wound. "Luckily, it's just a scratch. Let me bandage it for you."

Zhuo Jiasi examined the wound and saw that it wasn't very serious. But why did it hurt so much just now, and why did such a small cut bleed so much? She looked at the painting, frowned, and said, "Feifei, where did you get this painting? Hanging it here is rather suspicious; you should just throw it away!"

"What, are you all scared?" Tao Hua said provocatively. "Do you also believe what people are saying about something strange happening in dormitory 514, like... a vengeful ghost!"

Zuo Feifei was startled and covered her ears, yelling, "You stinky Tao Hua, don't talk nonsense in the middle of the night! It's all that senior sister's fault for shoving this lousy painting into my hands. I thought it was pretty good, so I didn't pay attention to how scary it was and brought it back."

"Alright, alright, stop talking." Mu Xiang said while bandaging Zhuo Jiasi's wound, "She's still sleeping. You can talk about it tomorrow!"

Tao Hua scoffed in dissatisfaction, saying dismissively, "We've been making noise for so long, and she's still sleeping like a log. Do you really think we can wake her up?"

Indeed, the midnight incident had no effect on Wu Qiuyang's sleep, and the black cat, just like her, lay limply at her feet. Zhuo Jiasi felt that she slept too quietly, as if she were already dead.

By the time Mu Xiang finished treating Zhuo Jiasi's wounds, Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei had already fallen asleep. Mu Xiang smiled wryly and said, "These two are really something, they make a ruckus but fall asleep so quickly." As she spoke, she went to the balcony, picked up the drawing board, and carefully placed it in the corner of the wall, where blood was gushing out.

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt the scene becoming more real, and she remembered Xia Youcai's face again. The arrogant, indifferent, and desperate expression perfectly matched the girl in the painting. Wait, Zuo Feifei is in the art department! This painting came from the art department, so could it really be related to Xia Youcai? But who would be so cruel as to depict Xia Youcai in such a tragic state? She couldn't think of anything for a moment, and instead felt an even bigger headache, as that familiar floral scent wafted into her nostrils again.

Mu Xiang stared blankly at Zhuo Jiasi, as if she wanted to say something important, but only uttered a light sentence: "Jiasi, go to sleep. You have class tomorrow!"

The dormitory returned to silence. Zhuo Jiasi lay on her bed, her eyes never leaving the easel, a strong sense of unease gripping her. A soft meow escaped her lips, and she turned to see that the black cat seemed to have awakened, lying motionless before the painting, its eerie green light glaringly bright in the darkness.

11

Because they weren't in the same department, everyone in the dorm woke up at different times. When Zhuo Jiasi woke up, only Mu Xiang was left in the dorm. She smiled and ran over to ask with concern, "Jiasi, is your hand feeling any better?"

Zhuo Jiasi was touched and nodded in reply, "Much better! Why haven't you gone to class yet?"

"No rush." Mu Xiang had already bought breakfast and pushed it in front of Zhuo Jiasi, saying, "Our department is the same as yours; we don't have to have morning self-study. We just need to go to the first class at eight. Eat up, we'll walk together later."

Zhuo Jiasi got dressed and started eating, finding the biscuit in her hand particularly delicious. However, she noticed the easel was gone from the balcony and asked in confusion, "Where did that painting go?"

Section 18: Chapter Two - Illustrations of a Girl's Suicide in a Bathtub (5)

Mu Xiang took a bite of the biscuit and replied, "I don't know. I didn't see it when I woke up. Zuo Feifei was probably scared and threw it away."

Mentioning Zuo Feifei, Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but mention what happened in the middle of the night. Mu Xiang's mouth dropped open, speechless. Zhuo Jiasi tentatively asked, "Mu Xiang, do you think Feifei might have sleepwalking?"

Mu Xiang suddenly became distraught, shaking her head in panic as she said, "Jia Si, do you know who I dreamt about last night? It was Xiao Chu Han! It was like time went back to the day she drowned, but in my dream, her face was twisted terribly, and she dragged Fei Fei into the water..."

That bluish-green face made Zhuo Jiasi believe that Mu Xiang couldn't possibly be lying, but she could only comfort her, saying, "It's just a coincidence from a dream. Don't overthink it..."

"It's definitely not a simple coincidence!" Mu Xiang's fingers were already digging into the biscuit, her words slurred incoherently. "Jia Si, it must be Xiao Chu Han! She came back from the very beginning; she's back to take revenge on us. Do you remember that bed? Xiao Chu Han slept there, watching us every night..."

Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but glance at the bed; the three red characters "Xiao Chuhan" were still imprinted there. After her initial fear, she ran over and tore off the label, grabbing Mu Xiang's wrist tightly—to comfort herself and Mu Xiang—and said calmly, "Mu Xiang, Xiao Chuhan no longer exists in this world. Besides, you were probably the only one who treated her the best back then."

"But..." Mu Xiang hesitated, "But I also call her 'ugly monster' just like you guys do!"

"She won't blame us, she won't." Zhuo Jiasi hugged Mu Xiang, comforting her and herself. "Think about it, every time we called her 'ugly duckling,' she smiled so happily!"

The two couldn't help but think of Xiao Chuhan's face again. She really wasn't beautiful; the bluish birthmark around her left eye completely obscured her radiance, and there was practically no radiance about her. Her eyebrows were sparse, her eyes were empty and lifeless, her nose was sunken, and her mouth was somewhat large. The only thing that remained unchanged was her smile. Even years later, Zhuo Jiasi still regretted mocking such a kind girl.

Finally calming down, Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang went to their respective departments for classes. However, Zhuo Jiasi felt restless all morning, thinking about the strangeness of dormitory 514, Xiao Chuhan's death, and Su Mu's bizarre situation. She endured until school ended, skipping lunch and rushing to an internet cafe. She wanted to check the school forum to see if anyone could give her a reassuring answer.

Unexpectedly, Mu Xiang was also in the internet cafe. Zhuo Jiasi sat down with some gratitude; this girl was always thinking of her. Just like in junior high, even though Mu Xiang herself was bullied by boys, she would always stand in front of her and shout, "You can bully me, but you absolutely cannot bully Zhuo Jiasi." Zhuo Jiasi knew that Mu Xiang had always idolized her since childhood, always looking up at her with envy and saying, "Jiasi, you're so great, both beautiful and academically gifted." But she didn't want Mu Xiang to treat her like that; she truly wanted to consider Mu Xiang her best friend.

"Jiasi, look!" Muxiang turned the computer around and said excitedly, "This user with the ID 'Mermaid' sent us a text message saying she knows all of Su Mu's stories."

"Really?" Zhuo Jiasi checked and, sure enough, replied immediately: "Hello, can we meet and talk?"

To my surprise, the other person was online, so I immediately replied: "Okay. Let's meet at the library entrance after evening self-study."

Section 19: Chapter Two - Bathtub Girl's Suicide Illustration (6)

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to learn the whole story. However, Su Mu's profile picture remained grayed out. Zhuo Jiasi stared listlessly at the computer screen, feeling as if three years of romance had vanished. She kept silently repeating in her mind, "Su Mu, who are you? Su Mu, where are you?"

And so, Zhuo Jiasi spent another afternoon and evening in anxiety. As soon as the bell rang, she grabbed her bag and ran to the library, where Mu Xiang was already waiting for her. The two of them suddenly found themselves speechless, simply waiting quietly. Occasionally, Mu Xiang would offer a comforting word: "Jiasi, relax, don't be so nervous. Maybe things aren't as complicated as you think."

About half an hour later, a tall, slender figure walked towards them. Zhuo Jiasi looked closely and realized it was Xia Youcai! Her palms were sweaty as she wondered, could Xia Youcai be the "Mermaid" from the forum?

A bolt from the blue. Xia Youcai walked over and, without a word, slapped Zhuo Jiasi hard across the face, shrilly as she said, "You brat, you actually want to use Su Mu to meet my Li Sixia? Let me tell you again, no one can break me and Li Sixia up. You better watch out, or you'll end up like that Su Mu!" With that, she turned and disappeared into the hazy night without looking back.

Mu Xiang was furious and wanted to chase after her to get an explanation. But Zhuo Jiasi bit her lip and pulled her back, covering her face and saying, "It seems she did this on purpose. Let's go back to the dormitory first!" Mu Xiang looked at her anxiously, but finally couldn't resist her stubbornness and followed her back to the dormitory reluctantly.

Throughout the journey, Zhuo Jiasi's emotions remained unsettled. She didn't know why Xia Youcai was there, but she had a nagging feeling that Su Mu's situation must be related to Xia Youcai and Li Sixia! Suddenly, she felt that Su Mu's existence was no longer important; what mattered was who would impersonate a dead person and write her letters for three years, and what their purpose was.

12

As soon as Zhuo Jiasi entered the dormitory building, Aunt Luo called her over. She pulled out three books and handed them to Zhuo Jiasi, saying with a smile, "Zhuo Jiasi, these are things Yao Xiaomo asked me to give you."

Zhuo Jiasi felt confused. Yao Xiaomo was clearly in the classroom just now, so why didn't she just hand it over to her? Aunt Luo understood and gave her the answer, saying apologetically, "Zhuo Jiasi, don't blame Yao Xiaomo. People at Chujiang University are basically like that; they're very wary of everyone who lives in dormitory 514. So she can only pretend to distance herself from you, otherwise she wouldn't have any friends at all."

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly realized why Yao Xiaomo had avoided her several times earlier that day. But seeing the information about Su Mu in her hand, she felt touched; after all, Su Mu was helping her despite the taboo surrounding her. Thinking of this, she smiled and said to Aunt Luo, "Please tell Yao Xiaomo that I'm very grateful to her."

Mu Xiang became somewhat saddened and said to Zhuo Jiasi with a disappointed expression, "No wonder no one in my class wants to talk to me. It's all because of dormitory 514. Do you think this dormitory is really as terrible as the rumors say?"

Zhuo Jiasi patted her head and forced a smile, saying, "Muxiang, didn't Tao Hua say that our mission is to dispel the rumors at school and clear the name of Dorm 514?"

Mu Xiang didn't say anything more and followed them back to the dormitory. Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei had already returned; one was busy surfing the internet, and the other was lying in bed reading. Zhuo Jiasi, however, immediately noticed the painting of a girl committing suicide in a bathtub and asked, "Feifei, didn't we see this painting was gone this morning? Why is it back?"

Section 20: Chapter Two - Bathtub Girl's Suicide Illustration (7)

"Sigh. It's like this," Zuo Feifei sighed, "I don't know what's wrong with that senior sister, she just called again asking me to return the painting to her. I had already thrown it in the trash can, so I had to go and retrieve it."

Zhuo Jiasi found it strange. Wasn't everyone supposed to be staying away from the people in dormitory 514? Why would someone send a painting to Zuo Feifei? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but ask, "Which senior sister was it? She seems to be quite close to you?"

Upon hearing the question, Zuo Feifei proudly replied, "That senior is amazing! She's the most beautiful girl in our department. Her art and design works have won many awards both domestically and internationally!"

"Xia Youcai?" Tao Hua, wearing headphones, suddenly blurted out, "It must be her!"

Zhuo Jiasi felt dizzy, as if Xia Youcai's name was a wound. Zuo Feifei exclaimed, "My God, even Tao Hua, who always treats herself like a human being, knows Sister Xia!"

"Go away!" Tao Hua said impatiently. "With her ugly appearance, she dares to call herself the most beautiful girl in the department? If it weren't for the fact that she killed a campus heartthrob named Su Mu back then, how would I even remember such a nobody?"

Another wave of pain washed over them. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang looked at each other, their eyes somewhat glazed. Unexpectedly, Mu Xiang asked urgently, "Tao Hua, do you know Su Mu? What kind of person is he? Tell us quickly!"

Tao Hua stopped typing, turned around, and grinned mischievously, saying, "Oh my, is this still Mu Xiang, who always hates men? What, did you also come to Chujiang University because of Su Mu?"