Transforme-toi en cygne et vole vers toi

Chapitre 13

Zhuo Jiasi's heart skipped a beat. Luckily, she returned in time. Could it be that the person just now was trying to murder Tao Hua? Thinking of this, she quickly shook Tao Hua and Mu Xiang awake and told them what had just happened.

Tao Hua listened with wide eyes, examined the knife repeatedly, and said with absolute certainty, "It must be that ugly monster playing a trick on us. Look, this knife is the one I used in the dormitory before, but I don't know why it disappeared later." Then she jumped up, rushed to Wu Qiuyang's bedroom, and began to frantically bang on the door.

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang stood in the living room, unsure of what to do. But unexpectedly, Wu Qiuyang opened the door this time and asked expressionlessly, "What are you trying to do with all this noise?" Her room was dark, with only some glowing objects illuminating the darkness and marbles rolling around.

Tao Hua asked angrily, "What do I want to do?! I also want to ask you, what exactly do you want to do?" After saying that, she tried to rush into Wu Qiuyang's bedroom, as if she wanted to get to the bottom of everything tonight.

But Wu Qiuyang pushed Tao Hua to the ground and said coldly, "I'm sorry, I'm going to sleep. You just stay in the room and don't bother me anymore!" Then she slammed the door shut and didn't open it no matter how much Tao Hua knocked.

Tao Hua stormed onto the sofa, gulping down water and yelling, "What's so great about an ugly monster born of a vixen!"

But no sooner had she finished speaking than a loud crash was heard, and the family photo behind her fell down, landing squarely on Tao Hua's back. Fortunately, Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang hadn't sat down on it; they quickly pushed the photo away and struggled to help Tao Hua up. Tao Hua cried out in pain, still kicking Wu Qiuyang in the family photo a few times in frustration.

The cat's mournful meows rang out again, this time coming from Wu Qiuyang's room. Mu Xiang said in a trembling voice, "Let's go back to the bedroom first; the living room is too empty and cold."

As Zhuo Jiasi left the living room, she couldn't help but look back, only to find that Wu Qiuyang in the family photo was really strange. Her eyes seemed to be constantly fixed on Tao Hua, with a complex and indescribable look in them.

Mu Xiang lifted Tao Hua's clothes and applied medicine to her back. A large bruise lay on her fair skin, and Zhuo Jiasi stared in disbelief at it—the bruise was exactly the shape of a cat's paw! Mu Xiang had obviously noticed it too, but neither of them said anything. Instead, they urged Tao Hua to go to sleep early. Since it was now certain that Wu Qiuyang was behind it, the three of them had no other choice but to squeeze onto one bed and sleep.

But around 3 a.m., the bedroom light suddenly turned on automatically. All three of them woke up instantly, opening their eyes simultaneously and looking smugly at Wu Qiuyang standing in the doorway. It turned out they hadn't let their guard down at all; they had placed a sensor in the doorway that automatically turned on the light whenever someone opened the door.

Wu Qiuyang seemed to be hiding something in her hand, looking at the three of them somewhat helplessly. Tao Hua kicked off the blanket, stood up, and said with a smug smile, "Ugly freak, we've recorded everything that just happened. Now all the evidence is complete, what explanation do you have left?"

As the three people were closing in, Wu Qiuyang screamed and ran out of the Tao family's house without looking back. No one chased after her; the fear that had gripped them for days had finally come to an end. Zhuo Jiasi, however, felt a strange sense of regret. She had initially felt sorry for Wu Qiuyang, but she hadn't expected her mind to have become so twisted.

Section 77: Chapter Eight - The Cat's Screams (10)

Tao Hua reviewed the video footage and discovered that Wu Qiuyang had been holding some painting tools. Just then, Mu Xiang said thoughtfully, "No wonder there was an extra black cat in Su Mu's painting! So she added it..."

"That ugly hag..." Tao Hua cursed, "She's been hugging that black cat for years. She's definitely trying to draw something again to scare us all to death."

Zhuo Jiasi caught a glimpse of Wu Qiuyang's slight, mischievous smile. A strange feeling welled up inside her, like a shadow hanging over her heart that she couldn't shake off...

52

Wu Qiuyang didn't return home by the afternoon of the following day. She was also nowhere to be found at school; even Tao's father couldn't locate her. It was as if she had vanished from the world, but few people seemed to care. Even Tao's father was startled when he saw the strange Wu Qiuyang in the video, finally believing Tao Hua's suspicion that Wu Qiuyang's return was nothing more than a malicious act of revenge.

Without Wu Qiuyang, the three of them returned to dormitory 514 with peace of mind. Tao Hua immediately called Zuo Feifei to tell her that they had overcome many difficulties and finally caught Wu Qiuyang by the tail, and that dormitory 514 was now a wonderful place. Her exaggerated tone and expression made Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang laugh so hard they were doubled over.

However, Mu Xiang could tell that Zhuo Jiasi didn't seem truly at peace. While Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei were chatting on the phone, she asked worriedly, "Jiasi, why aren't you happy yet?"

"Mu Xiang..." Zhuo Jiasi hesitated for a moment, then said very seriously, "Even now, we still don't know who 'Su Mu' is..."

"Is there even a question?" Mu Xiang patted Wu Qiuyang's bed, saying confidently, "It's definitely Wu Qiuyang!"

Zhuo Jiasi shook her head and sighed, saying, "As soon as I got back, I looked through her books, and the handwriting doesn't match the handwriting on the letter at all!"

The mystery remained unsolved, and Mu Xiang began to feel uneasy. Wu Qiuyang only hated Tao Hua; there was no need for her to have targeted Zhuo Jiasi two years ago. After thinking for a long time, she voiced her long-held suspicion: "Jiasi, I still suspect Li Sixia. He and Su Mu are too close, and too similar..."

Zhuo Jiasi shook her head, then casually took out the book she had borrowed from Li Sixia a few days ago and handed it to Mu Xiang, saying, "Take a look. His handwriting is very different from the handwriting on the letter, so it definitely wasn't written by him."

Mu Xiang took it and examined it carefully, her expression growing increasingly grim. She suddenly looked up and said, "Jia Si, do you remember that bathtub girl suicide drawing Su Mu made at the end? There were the words 'Death Curse' in the corner of the drawing, and Li Sixia's handwriting is exactly the same as the 'Death Curse' handwriting!"

Hearing this, Zhuo Jiasi panicked and quickly pulled out her phone to retrieve previously taken photos. Comparing them with Li Sixia's handwriting, it was indeed as Mu Xiang had said—strikingly similar to the handwriting of the "Death Curse"! That meant the painting wasn't Su Mu's last work at all, but rather painted by Li Sixia! The more Zhuo Jiasi thought about it, the more frightened she became. She hadn't expected that Li Sixia, whom she had always trusted, would deceive her. Cold sweat began to trickle down her body.

Mu Xiang frowned, shook her head in disappointment, and said, "Just as I expected, Li Sixia is definitely hiding a secret. Maybe those letters were written by someone he had someone else write them."

"But..." Zhuo Jiasi was still somewhat unwilling and asked timidly, "Why did he impersonate Su Mu to write me a letter?"

Mu Xiang looked at her and speculated, "When you wrote to Su Mu, he had already jumped off a building and committed suicide. Li Sixia must have received the letter for Su Mu and then suddenly had the idea to write back to you, trying to get something from you. That must be it! Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? On your first day at Chujiang University, he didn't even help the girls in his own department, but he only helped you?"

Section 78: Chapter Eight - The Cat's Screams (11)

"What have I gained?" Zhuo Jiasi said with a wry smile. "What could I possibly have?"

Mu Xiang said somewhat angrily, "Jia Si, are you stupid? What do you think a man wants when he gets close to a woman?"

Zhuo Jiasi's face flushed instantly; she hadn't expected Mu Xiang to say such a thing. But then she thought about it, and realized that Li Sixia's intentions were probably just that. She felt a pang of disappointment; it turned out that Li Sixia's approach had been driven by ill intent from the very beginning. That sunny, handsome face suddenly blurred, like ink spilled on rice paper, slowly fading and dissipating, but it could never be erased.

Mu Xiang continued, "Jia Si, there's something else I want to tell you. In the last few letters Su Mu wrote to Xia Youcai, although Xia Youcai suspected Su Mu of stealing Li Sixia's work, Su Mu consistently denied it. Nobody knows the truth now, so how can you be so sure that what Li Sixia said is absolutely true? After all, Su Mu and Xia Youcai are both dead; of course, he can say whatever he wants."

Zhuo Jiasi was at a loss to explain these strange phenomena. She was certain of one thing: Li Sixia was definitely deceiving her. So she called Li Sixia and calmly said, "Li Sixia, are you free tonight? I have something I want to talk to you about, and I'd like to see you."

Li Sixia completely missed the odd tone in her voice and instead happily replied, "You're free? How about we go have dinner together later?"

The two then arranged to meet. Zhuo Jiasi spent the entire afternoon in silence on the balcony, his mind filled with Li Sixia, but his smile suddenly became unfocused…

Section 79: Chapter Nine - The Ugly Monster's Secret (1)

Chapter Nine: The Ugly Monster's Secret

53

The sunlight finally disappeared during the agonizing wait. Zhuo Jiasi declined Mu Xiang's company and went to the studio alone, feeling anxious and uneasy.

Only Li Sixia and his instructor were in the studio, both seemingly engrossed in studying something on their canvases. After a while, Li Sixia resumed his focused work, while his instructor smiled and withdrew. Zhuo Jiasi, lost in thought and oblivious to his instructor, bumped right into him.

Her advisor looked her up and down, then said with a smile, "You must be Zhuo Jiasi? I've heard Li Sixia talk about you before; you're truly an extraordinary girl!"

Zhuo Jiasi lowered her head shyly and said softly, "Teacher, I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

The instructor burst into laughter, saying knowingly, "Li Sixia's girlfriend is really quite nice. I believe that with your support, he will definitely surpass himself and create his most satisfying work. But it's also tough on him; Su Mu is truly gifted in art and design, but poets are often more sensitive."

Su Mu? Zhuo Jiasi's interest was piqued again, and she asked tentatively, "Teacher, what kind of person is Su Mu?"

When Su Mu was mentioned, the instructor seemed particularly regretful, sighing, "Su Mu was truly a remarkable student. Back in art class, before I'd even finished explaining a piece, he could always recreate it in the same style on the spot. He was also very creative, offering a lot of feedback on my work. It's a pity… he was too emotional, and that spoiled brat Xia Youcai really made him suffer."

Was Li Sixia really lying to her? Her instructor would never lie, and Su Mu was drawing impromptu and even offered suggestions to the teacher—there was no way she would use Li Sixia's work! Zhuo Jiasi was still unwilling to give up and continued to press, "Then…they all tell me that Li Sixia plagiarized Su Mu's work, is that true?"

The instructor frowned, pondering for a moment before saying, "To be honest, I trust Li Sixia's character; she would never plagiarize. But the design competition back then was too strange. Su Mu and Li Sixia submitted the exact same work! Because Su Mu has always been better than Li Sixia in many competitions, everyone at the school believes that Li Sixia plagiarized."

Zhuo Jiasi fell silent. It was becoming clear: Li Sixia had indeed deceived her. She was so heartbroken she was almost in tears, but her advisor hurriedly comforted her, "Oh, don't be sad. Whether Li Sixia plagiarized before or not, I think you should believe him. At least he's working hard on his drawing and designing now, isn't he?"

Zhuo Jiasi neither nodded nor shook her head, simply replying perfunctorily, "I understand. Teacher, you can go now! I'll go call Li Sixia for dinner."

Watching her instructor's figure disappear down the corridor, Zhuo Jiasi entered the classroom and quietly stood behind Li Sixia. Unexpectedly, he drew Zhuo Jiasi dressed in ancient costume! In the painting, Zhuo Jiasi wore only a light gauze dress, surrounded by fragrant flowers, displaying a beauty that transcended the mundane world. But the current Zhuo Jiasi was no longer as easily moved as before; instead, she felt that Li Sixia was merely putting on a clumsy act in front of her.

After a while, Li Sixia finally noticed Zhuo Jiasi's presence. She turned around, pretending to be startled, and covered her mouth, saying, "Oh my, how did the ancient beauty in the painting suddenly travel to the modern world?"

Zhuo Jiasi didn't smile; tears immediately streamed down her face. Li Sixia, not knowing what had happened, was extremely worried and quickly wiped away her tears, asking, "Jiasi, what's wrong? Is something strange happening in the dorm again?"

"Strange thing?" Zhuo Jiasi asked, crying. "Meeting you is the strangest thing! Li Sixia, I always trusted you completely, but I never expected that you would fabricate a story to deceive me!"

Li Sixia froze, her face turning bright red. She stammered, "Jiasi, you knew all along? I'm sorry, I was afraid you'd misunderstand me and Xia Youcai, so I just mentioned it..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhuo Jiasi interrupted him, saying even louder, "By the way? How many 'by the way's there are! By the way, you impersonated Su Mu to correspond with me, by the way, you plagiarized Su Mu's work, by the way, you stole Su Mu's girlfriend! This isn't 'by the way,' it's pure jealousy! Your jealousy of Su Mu is terrifying!"

Upon hearing the word "jealousy," Li Sixia seemed to transform into a completely different person. Enraged, she rushed forward, grabbed Zhuo Jiasi, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Zhuo Jiasi, I'm telling you. Don't mention Su Mu to me, don't mention plagiarism to me, don't mention jealousy to me! Why... why won't anyone believe me?"

Zhuo Jiasi completely refused to believe him anymore, instead laughing sarcastically, "Li Sixia, your work will never surpass Su Mu's. Therefore, you are a shameful plagiarist."

The voice was incredibly powerful. Li Sixia released her grip, sat dejectedly in front of the easel, and said weakly, "Jiasi, the story I told you before did contain some deception. But the last competition was just a suggestion from Xia Youcai; I didn't know she plagiarized Su Mu's work. I didn't plagiarize, I didn't! Even you won't believe me anymore?"

Zhuo Jiasi completely refused to listen to his explanation and continued to press him, asking relentlessly, "Then what about that picture of the girl committing suicide in the bathtub? You said it was Su Mu's last work, but you placed a 'death curse' on Xia Youcai in the painting!"

Li Sixia couldn't offer any further explanation, because he truly loathed Xia Youcai. She was the one who drove Su Mu to suicide, and she even insisted on extracting love from him. Therefore, when he saw the picture of the girl committing suicide in the bathtub, he genuinely wanted her to die a bloody death, just like in the painting.

Section 80: Chapter Nine The Ugly Monster's Secret (2)

Zhuo Jiasi tried to hold her head high to stop the tears from falling, and said coldly, "Li Sixia, it's not that I don't believe you, it's that I only want to believe the facts. Okay, let's end our relationship here!" After saying that, she turned and left the studio, but the tears could no longer be held back and fell hastily onto her neck, where her skin felt unusually cold.

Only when she reached the outside of the art building did she hear Li Sixia's frantic screams. He was calling her name, a heart-wrenching sound. Zhuo Jiasi's heart was breaking.

54

Zhuo Jiasi ran all the way back to her dormitory, threw herself on her bed, and burst into tears. Seeing this reaction, Mu Xiang knew what had happened and patiently stayed with her. However, Tao Hua, unaware of the truth, kept pestering her to tell her what had occurred. Helpless, Mu Xiang could only vaguely say, "She broke up with Li Sixia."

Upon hearing this, Tao Hua burst into laughter. She patted Zhuo Jiasi's shoulder roughly and said with a smile, "Jiasi, this time it's not that I'm gloating. It's just that I've always thought Li Sixia was a very unreliable person. Think about it, how good can someone be who would steal his brother's work and girlfriend? I think you shouldn't be crying, but rather going out with us to celebrate!"

Zhuo Jiasi didn't feel relieved. Instead, she wanted to cover her ears so she couldn't hear anything anymore, so she unconsciously crawled into the quilt. She had never shed so many tears before, more than all she had ever shed before. More importantly, her heart ached terribly.

After a long while, Zhuo Jiasi finally quieted down. Mu Xiang also breathed a sigh of relief and casually asked, "Tao Hua, why isn't Fei Fei back yet? Don't we have class tomorrow?"

Tao Hua was engrossed in playing on the computer and didn't even bother to turn her head. She just said irritably, "Feifei is a married woman now, how could she possibly think of us good sisters! She just said on the phone that she wants me to ask for three days off for her tomorrow, saying she's going hiking with Lu Shiliu."

Mu Xiang sighed deeply for a long time, not even knowing why she always felt a vague unease about Lu Shiliu's appearance. Perhaps in her life, all other men were questions, only Su Mu was a certainty. Thinking of this, she suddenly said, "By the way, Tao Hua. Didn't Wu Qiuyang steal Su Mu's painting? It's no use keeping it at home; bring it to me another day."

Tao Hua then turned back, grinning mischievously, and said, "Our Mu Xiang is truly devoted; even though Su Mu has been dead for so long, she still misses him so much."

Mu Xiang, used to Tao Hua's jokes, completely ignored them, staring blankly towards the balcony. Night had fallen, and the thin moonlight cast an empty glow in the sunlight. She suddenly felt that Su Mu sat sadly on the balcony, reciting a poem of despair. She wanted to reach out and hug Su Mu, to tell him that even without Xia Youcai, she would always be by his side. But Su Mu didn't love her; he looked at her with despair, and finally, in despair, jumped.

"No!" Mu Xiang sat on the bed, struggling and crying out, "Su Mu, don't jump, don't jump!"

But upon closer inspection, the balcony was completely quiet, and Tao Hua was still wearing large headphones, nodding her head and playing on the computer. It was just a dream after all. Mu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, but was completely wide awake. She glanced at her watch; it was almost midnight. She got out of bed, patted Tao Hua's shoulder, and said, "Tao Hua, go to sleep. You have class tomorrow!"

Tao Hua slowly turned her head, her expression desolate. Mu Xiang, startled, clenched her fists but remained calm, saying, "Tao Hua, are you going to sleep or not?"

Section 81: Chapter Nine - The Ugly Monster's Secret (3)

Tao Hua didn't speak, but quietly raised her head and looked up at the ceiling. Mu Xiang listened carefully and realized that the sound of marbles had returned! Before she could react, Tao Hua grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the rooftop with surprising strength, leaving Mu Xiang with no power to resist.

It's Wu Qiuyang again? Still wearing that long white dress, her body seems boneless as she leans against the railing, softly singing, her gaze following the marbles on the ground.

Mu Xiang was trying to break free and confront Wu Qiuyang. But Tao Hua let go of her hand on her own, picking up the marbles from the ground as she walked towards Wu Qiuyang with a faint smile on her lips. Mu Xiang was frantic, stamping her feet and calling out, "Tao Hua, come back! Come back!" She tried to pull Tao Hua back, but her whole body felt weak and she couldn't move at all.

Finally, Tao Hua, carrying a large handful of marbles, walked to Wu Qiuyang's side. Strangely, the two suddenly became very close. Wu Qiuyang even stroked Tao Hua's hair and said gently, "Tao Hua, let's jump down together. There's a beautiful place down there, waiting for us to plant it full of colorful flowers."

In this critical situation, Mu Xiang mustered all her strength and finally rushed towards them. But she only managed to grab a piece of a skirt. Wu Qiuyang, carrying Tao Hua, disappeared into the vast night sky.

Mu Xiang crouched down in despair, then remembered that Zhuo Jiasi was still in the dormitory, and ran downstairs like a madwoman. But Zhuo Jiasi was fast asleep, so she shook her violently, crying and shouting, "Jiasi, get up! Get up!"

After a long while, Zhuo Jiasi finally opened her eyes and said with a smile, "Muxiang, you're finally awake."

"I'm awake?" Mu Xiang looked around and realized that she was the one lying in bed! What had just happened? She was completely bewildered.

It was already early morning. Tao Hua poured her a cup of fragrant coffee and said with concern, "Have a cup of coffee to perk you up. You scared us half to death last night."

Feeling exhausted, Mu Xiang asked, bewildered, "What...what happened yesterday?"

"You don't remember anything?" Zhuo Jiasi asked with concern. "In the middle of the night, didn't we hear the sound of marbles on the rooftop? So we went up to check, and it turned out to be Wu Qiuyang playing tricks again. Then we chased her away, but for some reason, you just stood by the rooftop railing and refused to come back to the dormitory with us."

Tao Hua said angrily, "Speaking of Wu Qiuyang, I get so annoyed! Don't you think she's a psychopath? She actually said she'd keep scaring us with marbles. Ugh, let's just forget about marbles from now on and let her freeze to death on the rooftop!"

Muxiang listened to their account of what had happened, but she couldn't remember any of it. Instead, the scene she had just witnessed was so real that she no longer dared to face the sunlight streaming through the window.

55

Seeing Mu Xiang's absent-minded appearance, Zhuo Jiasi accompanied her out of the dormitory early in the morning, and they could vaguely hear the sounds of morning exercises outside. However, as soon as they entered the dormitory building, Zhuo Jiasi saw Li Sixia, who was pretending to write on the bulletin board. Mu Xiang stopped abruptly and said softly, "Jiasi, you go ahead. Explain everything clearly. I'll wait for you here."

Zhuo Jiasi glanced gratefully at Mu Xiang, then walked over to meet Li Sixia's gaze. Li Sixia seemed to have completely forgotten about yesterday's events; she put down the chalk and smiled, saying, "Jiasi, look at these vast fields of sunflowers, aren't they beautiful!"

It turned out that Li Sixia had drawn many sunflowers on the bulletin board. Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at the golden sunflowers, but could no longer feel the warmth of chasing the sun. Her tone was cold: "Li Sixia, stop wasting your time. I hate liars the most, so there's no future for us."

Section 82: Chapter Nine - The Ugly Monster's Secret (4)

A deep, inky sadness welled up in Li Sixia's eyes as she said with disappointment, "Jiasi, do you really not want to believe me?"

Zhuo Jiasi nodded, drawing a heavy line in her heart. She loved Li Sixia, but the deception was unbearable. How could she spend her life with such a lover?