Incendie mystérieux

Chapitre 56

"Your face..." she could only manage a weak moan.

The person involved seemed stunned by her attitude, frantically touching her face, asking, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Xu Ying slowly stopped; she felt that something was not quite right.

"Xu Ying!" Wu Manli grabbed her and forcefully brought her own face close to hers—her strange and ugly face—"Is there a mirror? I need to see!"

"Oh my god!" Xu Ying cried out weakly in her heart. She really had guts—if it were me, a beautiful woman tormented by acne like this, I would rather smash the mirror than look at myself—but she still obediently handed over the mirror. She imagined Wu Manli screaming her heart out, the scream piercing her eardrums; then she would naturally collapse, fainting from fright at her own face—Xu Ying thought sullenly, actually, it's not just you, I would also be scared half to death by my own reflection in the mirror.

She secretly closed her eyes, straining her ears to hear Wu Manli's scream. After a long wait, she finally heard a sound:

"Huh?"

She opened her eyes, and in her vision, Wu Manli was holding a mirror, turning her head from side to side, admiring her "respectable appearance" from different angles. Under the sunlight from different angles, the pimples on her face became more and more hideous and ugly, but Wu Manli seemed not to see them, immersed in a false sense of joy.

"Hey, Xu Ying!" She abruptly put down the mirror and thrust her face straight at her—instantly, the acne covering the mountainside blinded Xu Ying's small eyes. "Can you see anything different about my face?"

"..." Xu Ying was speechless. Could it be that Wu Manli's charming eyes were just for show, and that she was actually blind?

"Is something wrong?" As he spoke, Doudouhai took another step closer to Xu Ying, and she immediately got goosebumps all over her body—could she catch it?

"No..." she stammered, trying to look away as much as possible, "If you think it's good, then it's good..."

"I knew it!" Wu Manli seemed to have a heavy burden lifted off her shoulders, her whole body relaxing. "My parents acted like they'd seen a ghost, insisting I wear a mask to school and repeatedly telling me not to take it off—what are they up to, all this mystery!" She picked up the mirror again, seemingly captivated by her own beauty. "There's clearly nothing there!"

Xu Ying was at a loss for words. She really wanted to ask Wu Manli if she was nearsighted and wore glasses. But even someone with severe nearsightedness couldn't possibly ignore such a volcanic eruption of acne, could they? Wu Manli couldn't see her true reflection in the mirror…

An idea arose in her mind. Wu Manli had become ugly in reality; her parents—and everyone else—could see her ugliness. Yet, in the mirror, she could only see her still beautiful self. Wasn't that similar to herself? Only, unlike her, Xu Ying couldn't witness her own beauty alongside others…

Is this retribution? Xu Ying secretly laughed to herself. The former beauty and the ugly duckling have now switched places, one is now the god and the other is the dwarf! Truly, justice prevails, and retribution is swift!

She suppressed a wave of nausea and gently stroked Wu Manli's face with her slender fingers. Each time her fingertips felt the rough, uneven texture, a pleasant sensation flowed through her heart, making her feel intoxicated. Wu Manli slapped her hand away with a sharp crack, scolding her with a mixture of anger and sternness:

"Stop touching me! You're making my skin rough!"

She nodded repeatedly in agreement, but inwardly she sneered, wishing her classmates would immediately see the two of them in this state. The monstrous Wu Manli dared to boss around the pretty candidate Xu Ying; it was truly laughable—look at her attitude, did she still think she was the "Snow White" in the hearts of so many boys, just like before?

At the very least, she needed to be taught a lesson, to be taught the rules that dinosaurs should follow. So Xu Ying moved closer affectionately, smiling obsequiously as she always had:

"I'm sorry! I was worried you'd get suffocated by the mask!"

Her words softened, at least the old Xu Ying wouldn't have dared to speak to Wu Manli like that. Wu Manli's expression indeed eased. "That's right!" she pouted coquettishly, the poor pimples even taking root and blossoming on her small lips. "I've been holding it in for two days, I'm so suffocated!"

“Since nothing’s wrong,” Xu Ying said obediently, leaning closer, “why don’t we go out and have some fun? Don’t even mention you, I’m itching to go out too!”

“But…” Wu Manli hesitated, her gaze darting nervously to her removed mask. Xu Ying seized the opportunity to suggest:

"Didn't we go to the astrology shop a couple of days ago? The astrologer even said you'd have good luck in love!"

Wu Manli's eyes lit up immediately. "He also said that if he can't predict the future, we can do whatever we want with him!" She chuckled. "Let's go! If we can't pick up any handsome guys, we'll pick up the astrologer!" she declared boldly.

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

Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, they walked affectionately out of the school gate. Xu Ying felt her palms slightly damp with sweat, cold and clammy. Although she tried to act nonchalant, she noticed many strange or frightened gazes flickering around her. She had quietly slipped Wu Manli's mask into her bag earlier, and now she quietly pulled it out again. Facing the bustling crowd on the street, the little courage she had managed to muster vanished like snow under the bright sun.

She could only lower her eyes secretly, unable to bear witnessing such a cruel scene. Wu Manli, on the other hand, was beaming with excitement, laughing incessantly the whole way—every time she turned her face, the lower half of which was riddled with acne, to Xu Ying, the latter either forced a smile or simply lowered her head. Like Xu Ying, Wu Manli was also keenly aware of the strange looks cast at her by passersby, but she never paid any attention to them, as always—in her view, it would be abnormal if those who were stunned by her beauty didn't whisper behind her back. Therefore, when comments like, "A beauty walking with such a dinosaur, how outrageous!" reached their ears, Wu Manli not only didn't realize it, but her fair face even showed a few blushes of joy. Only Xu Ying herself knew who the "beauty" and "dinosaur" referred to, but she didn't need to reveal it to her; she just secretly enjoyed it. Every time she looked at Wu Manli's face, she felt even more beautiful. Seriously, with a super dinosaur like Wu Manli as a foil, any woman would transform into an absolute beauty!

Wu Manli suddenly stopped in front of a bustling department store, the colorful discount banners catching their attention. "Look at you!" Wu Manli laughed loudly at her, "How can you face anyone without changing your clothes?"

But buying new clothes is expensive... Xu Ying isn't as confident about her wallet as she is about her appearance.

Wu Manli seemed to sense her hesitation. After only a brief moment of hesitation, she beamed and said, "It's alright!" She added, "I happen to know a way to become beautiful without spending any money!"

She held her head high, like a queen, and stepped into the mall. Xu Ying had no choice but to follow closely behind her. Wu Manli first strolled leisurely around the cosmetics counters on the first floor, attracting the attention of many BAs (Beauty Advice, meaning sales assistants). Finally, she stopped in front of a counter.

The beauty advisor (BA) greeted them with exceptional enthusiasm, her professional and efficient smile showing no sign of unfamiliarity. Presumably, people in their line of work have seen all sorts of terrible skin and dealt with all sorts of ugly women, so even when faced with a half-face beauty like Wu Manli, they showed no fear. "What would you two like to order?" she asked.

Wu Manli pointed at Xu Ying before saying, "We want to buy some cosmetics or something."

The beauty advisor nodded. "Should we start with basic foundation, or focus on the eyes and lips?"

“We…” Wu Manli glanced at Xu Ying before saying, “We want to use the whole set.”

"Okay." From the mountain of cosmetics on the counter, the beauty advisor deftly pulled out a few small bottles and placed them on hand for later use. First, she washed Wu Manli's face, asked her to sit down, then poured some toner onto a cotton pad and carefully wiped her face.

Xu Ying watched silently the whole time.

"You've got a few pimples on your face," the beauty advisor finally got to the point. "Is it because your skin's oil and water levels are imbalanced lately?"

Where did you mean "a few"? Xu Ying really admired the BA's tact. Faced with such a terrifying outbreak of acne, she was still calm and composed. She was truly an amazing woman!

Wu Manli was startled. "Really?" She tried to look in the mirror, but the situation didn't allow her to move around. "Xu Ying, come here! Do I have pimples?"

“It’s not serious. You can only see it when you’re this close,” the beauty advisor replied with a smile. “Most people wouldn’t even notice it if they were a little further away or had poor eyesight. However, because you’re young, you should still pay attention to skincare, for example…” She then began recommending a series of skincare products “suitable for young skin.”

"Your features are very delicate, and your skin is fair," the beauty advisor said, examining Wu Manli's face after washing her face. She recommended an ivory white foundation—the lightest shade available. "Now, I'll apply concealer to your acne." The advisor casually dabbed concealer on Wu Manli's forehead and chin—but it was utterly useless against the horde of acne on her face! She still looked awful!

Makeup complete! Wu Manli excitedly looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, unable to get enough of her new appearance. In the mirror, her skin was even more like jade, her lips like fallen cherry blossoms, and her teeth like pearls—what a charming beauty! Unfortunately, that was just an illusion; the real her was a hideous woman, even Xu Ying in the past couldn't compare to her! So Xu Ying imitated her and signaled to the beauty advisor to do her makeup too.

She reluctantly looked in the mirror. The woman in the mirror—no, she should be called an old woman, an old monster—was becoming less and less human. Her skin was wrinkled like a nail-stuck buffalo hide, dry and brittle. Her gray hair was almost completely gone, leaving only a bald scalp. When she spoke, you could glimpse a dark hole in her mouth, and her loose teeth fell out with a rustling sound.

So she closed her eyes, waiting for the BA's hands to apply the creams and lotions to her face. How beautiful would she become? She wished she could see it through someone else's eyes; it was too unbearable to be alone in front of that ugly mirror.

“OK!” BA said with satisfaction, pushing the mirror in front of her. She should have expected to be so horrified, but the level of horror still far exceeded her expectations.

The face reflected in the mirror is no longer that of a single person.

Instead, it was the face of a rotting dead person. Her death appeared extremely peaceful at first glance, but her swollen, purplish-black tongue protruded from her mouth by a full ten centimeters, maggots crawled in and out of her nostrils, and parts of her ears and cheeks were missing. Judging from the remaining traces, it was very likely that she had been bitten by wild dogs.

That was the scene after Xu Ying's death.

She looked into the mirror and faced her future fate. She saw death.

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

She screamed and hurriedly threw the mirror into the air. How could this have happened? All she wanted was to become beautiful, a woman's simplest and most basic wish, yet why was it presented to her in such a cruel way? Not only was she forced to see her aging and ugly state, but even her decaying form after death was to be laid bare before her eyes.

"Don't you like this makeup?" The beauty advisor asked, puzzled but also a little annoyed. After all, at first glance, Xu Ying seemed dissatisfied with her skillful makeup techniques. "Why don't you let your friend take a look?"

Wu Manli turned around arrogantly, her face still covered in disgusting acne. "Not bad!" she replied casually. "Much prettier than in real life!"

"Is that so?" Xu Ying forced herself to calm down. Since she couldn't see for herself, she could only trust what others said for the time being. "Have you really become more beautiful?" she asked, still a little uneasy. Now that she had made up her mind to exchange her ugly reflection in the mirror for real beauty, she couldn't back out.

"Yes, yes, she's beautiful!" Wu Manli replied impatiently, already plotting how to cleverly get rid of the now-useless BA. The next step was figuring out how to hook up with a handsome guy.

"Welcome to the Astrology Clinic." A pair of snow-white gloves were extended, and the door to the astrology clinic was opened for her with impeccable gentlemanly manners. Outside, it was a rare sunny day, with blue skies and white clouds, and the clear fragrance of flowers and grass carried on the breeze—the human world she had known for so many years; but inside was unknown and unpredictable darkness. No one knew what was about to happen, and once she stepped through these doors, she might never be able to turn back.

She looked up, somewhat bewildered, at the smiling man before her. This must be the legendary astrologer, right? His half-black, half-white, yin-yang hair, his deep-set features, and those icy green eyes—he didn't look like a purebred native at all. Yet, none of this could conceal the fact that he was a dazzlingly handsome man, like a beacon. Add to that his magnetic voice, and the mystery shrouded in black—she couldn't help but believe that even if the astrologer gently asked, "May I eat you?" the victim would gladly comply without any resistance.

"What troubles you? Or," the astrologer smiled slightly, a smile as refreshing as a gentle breeze across calm water, "what wish do you need me to fulfill for you?"

The other party didn't seem to be fooled by him, and just smiled bitterly, "What's the price? I heard that what they're asking for here isn't money or anything like that."

"Are you sure you can afford it?" the astrologer asked.

“I am quite wealthy,” she answered frankly. “In fact, I have almost everything except money.”

The astrologer laughed silently; this made her even more certain that the handsome yet powerfully wicked man before her did not belong to the same race as her; he was not human, simply because even when he smiled gently, there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes.

His eyes were as cold as ice, sending chills down one's spine.

“Then, the contract is established!” the astrologer replied politely. “When your wish is fulfilled, please don’t forget to pay me the reward.”

Almost simultaneously, Wu Manli and Xu Ying, taking advantage of the beauty advisor's momentary lapse in attention, escaped the department store with their faces covered in glamorous makeup, the resentful scolding of the beauty advisor faintly echoing behind them. They dashed into the street, drawn by the sharp-eyed Wu Manli's observation that a large group of girls were crowding the center of the street, and she was curious about what they were focused on.

A young man, around twenty years old, casually sat on the cold edge of a flowerbed, wearing only a very ordinary black tight-fitting T-shirt. He had a very muscular build; the thin T-shirt subtly outlined his well-defined muscles, and his long legs were wide open. He held a large 450ml cup of fruit yogurt in his hand, drinking it nonchalantly under the watchful eyes of many girls. Wu Manli caught a glimpse of him through the crowd, and her heart immediately began to pound like a deer's.

The man smiled innocently, like a child, yet he seemed to exude a wild and untamed aura of evil. These two contradictory feelings blended together, making it impossible to look away from him. His gaze pierced through the crowd, landing directly on Wu Manli's face at the outermost edge—a gaze that was undeniably alluring. His eyes initially appeared transparent, but as they moved, a fleeting glimpse of sapphire blue flashed across them.

"Wow, so handsome! I can't believe my eyes, is he a model?" "Is he a celebrity filming a TV series here?" The girls' speculations didn't reach Wu Manli's ears. She tugged at Xu Ying, almost in a daze, "See him? That super handsome guy?"

Xu Ying, of course, saw him too. How could she not see such an eye-catching guy? To be fair, this man on the street was indeed handsome. Although he was still thousands of light-years away from being a "Prince Charming," he exuded a fatally alluring charm. "But... I still like 'that person' a little more," she muttered to herself.

Wu Manli steadied herself and, head held high, struggled to push her way through the crowd. Was she trying to strike up a conversation with a handsome guy? Xu Ying had no choice but to follow her closely—how presumptuous of her! While the old Wu Manli was pretty, she hadn't reached the point of attracting a crowd of onlookers. In comparison, this street-smart guy was clearly much more attractive. The old Wu Manli might not have even been able to handle him, let alone…

Xu Ying suddenly became alert. What, are you starting to worry about Wu Manli? She secretly blamed herself. Wasn't making the once-beautiful Wu Manli look bad exactly what you wanted to do here? Taking advantage of her being covered in acne and completely unaware, seize this great opportunity to knock her to the ground and wipe away the shame and humiliation she had suffered since then—that's why you went out with her!

But... Wu Manli, with an ugly smile on her face, walked step by step toward the handsome guy—she was sure to be verbally abused mercilessly by those girls on the spot! Shameless dinosaur, disgrace! Just like how her classmates had mocked Xu Ying, Wu Manli would be devastated and heartbroken when attacked! Unpleasant memories flooded back, and Xu Ying's breathing became rapid—she suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Wu Manli.

Wu Manli was stunned as she watched Xu Ying, the ugliest girl in the class, shamelessly flirting with a handsome guy right in front of her.

And the handsome guy's reaction was predictably only one:

"Dinosaurs, get away!"

Volume Four: The Soul Singer, First Movement: The Mirror of Life - Tales of Wonder (Part 8)

Ugly, ugly, ugly... girl? Xu Ying could hardly believe her ears. Having already seen her own demise in the mirror, she should be more beautiful than ever before, right? Especially with makeup on. Even if she wasn't a stunning beauty, she'd be at least a hundred times prettier than Wu Manli, right? Xu Ying clung to a last shred of hope, hoping he wasn't talking about her, but some other girl. However, the sharp, dagger-like words from the onlookers pierced her directly.

"Are you kidding me? How dare you hit on people when you look so scary? Don't you even go home and look in the mirror!"

"Exactly! Don't they know their own limitations? The more dinosaur-like they are, the bolder they become, and their skin is incredibly thick! So annoying!"

Sneers, mockery, and contempt assailed her from all sides, nailing Xu Ying firmly to the pillar of shame, leaving her as if stripped naked and exposed to the eyes of the crowd. Ugly woman, ugly woman, ugly woman! With each shout, Xu Ying lowered herself further, until she was practically in the dust—she was almost crushed by the overwhelming clamor of the crowd. "Ugly woman," am I ugly or beautiful? Why can't I even see my own face? Why must you outsiders act as judges? She cried out in despair, hastily covering her face with her hands, her body curling into a deep ball.

Is there a mirror that isn't just an illusion, one that allows me to see my true self? Whether I'm beautiful or ugly is for you viewers to decide—I want to use my own eyes to see for myself!

The handsome guy who caused this incident showed no remorse whatsoever. He simply licked the remaining yogurt off the spoon, then, with a flick of his wrist, sent the yogurt cup flying in a perfect arc into the trash can. Ignoring the large group of girls staring at him with infatuated eyes, he leisurely disappeared around the corner, where a domestically produced Jetta was parked.

"You still like to attract attention like this," the female driver said to him after he got into the car. "It's just buying a drink, is it really necessary to attract so many girls' attention?" Her tone was full of jealousy, and even the air in the car felt sour. "Or are you deliberately waiting for a discerning talent scout to discover you and then enter the entertainment industry?"

The man chuckled softly, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. The smile gave his face a mature air. "I was just thinking about what happened back then," he suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against the woman's delicate, rose-petal-like lips with an irresistible force. "Back then, you were just staring at me, weren't you?"

The woman remained silent, her rapidly heaving chest testifying to her turbulent emotions. "That was seven months and seventeen days ago," she finally said in a hoarse voice, "yet to me, it feels like a lifetime ago."

“You’re right,” the man said casually as he released her, “because you were reborn!”

The woman put on sunglasses to conceal her true expression. After a period of diligent practice, she could now control her emotions with ease, but sometimes a trace of them would still slip through. Her profession was that of an actress, a profession that brought her fame by portraying other people's lives. However, in her daily life, she also walked on thin ice, playing the role of a dead woman—her past had been completely erased, and her future was limited to living to enhance the reputation of others.

"You hate that man, don't you?" The man's words carried a seductive undertone. "If it weren't for that monster, none of this would have happened. That bloodthirsty demon!"

Indeed, in the end, "that man" was the culprit; he had completely destroyed her peaceful life. However, a thought was stirring in her heart: If it weren't for "that man," she wouldn't have come into this world, wouldn't have experienced the joys and sorrows of life, and wouldn't have met "him." Although living was difficult and painful, as long as she could be with "him" forever, her life would not have been in vain.

"But didn't you say that 'he' is immortal?" the woman asked, puzzled. "If 'he' really is a demon, how could we, as ordinary humans, possibly seek revenge against him?"

A fierce murderous glint flashed in the man's sapphire eyes. Only in moments like these did she catch a glimpse of the cold, icy nature hidden beneath his handsome exterior. "There must be a way!" he repeated venomously. "As long as we find his weakness, we'll make him suffer a fate worse than death…!"

"That will be a pain he'll never forget, until the end of time, ha ha..." The man laughed wildly, pulling the woman's petite body into his arms. "Before that, how should we approach him?"

People gradually dispersed, but Xu Ying, who had been displayed as a living specimen, remained oblivious. Tears soaked her cheeks, dried in the wind, and then continued to fall. The dried tears crystallized into tiny salt grains on her skin, stinging her painfully.

"Hey, are you going to keep crying forever?" The familiar voice came from Wu Manli. Had she not left yet? She must be feeling incredibly satisfied watching Xu Ying being attacked by a group of girls. "You look even uglier now!" She continued to rub salt into Xu Ying's wounds without any mercy.

"What do you know? You, born a beauty, would never understand the pain of people like us!" Xu Ying clutched her head, retorting in a muffled voice. She'd had enough—being ridiculed, insulted, and now Wu Manli was stabbing her in the back! She was ready to throw caution to the wind and go all out!

"Yes! You're beautiful, adorable since childhood, and pampered by your family. Plus, you're rich—you have everything you could want! After starting school, all the boys in your class would fawn over you, vying to win your favor and make you happy every day! Because of this, even the girls are close to you—but let me tell you the truth, hmph, if it weren't for you frequently treating us, if it weren't for your family's wealth and power, who would want to hang out with someone like you? Vain, arrogant, domineering, you just love hearing people flatter you—everyone knows your personality inside and out, they only say what you want to hear. Everyone's just being hypocritical!" She suddenly raised her head, her eyes radiating a crazed light. "Do you dare say you really have any close friends?"

The Wu Manli she saw was paler and more delicate than ever before. The acne on her face had miraculously vanished, leaving her fair and smooth skin like porcelain from Jingdezhen—so fragile yet so captivating.