Lin Zhenzhen froze, and her tears stopped at once. Her hand instinctively rose to touch her face. The bandages felt slightly rough, and where they were damp with tears, they felt cold.
The tears had been scalding hot, yet their warmth was quickly absorbed, leaving her face cold all over.
It was uncomfortable. The bandages, wet then dry, dry then wet, were sticky and stiff, clinging tightly to her face.
But take them off? How could she?
Every day, Lin Zhenzhen tried with all her might to forget the face she had seen in the mirror, yet every day, she couldn't help thinking of that utterly revolting face.
Her stomach lurched. She wanted to vomit.
But there was nothing left to throw up. All she could do was retch.
Now she felt nauseous again.
She lowered the hand touching her face and clutched her stomach instead.
Her back hunched, forming a curve that looked far too frail.
Her shoulder blades seemed ready to pierce through the thin layer of skin and flesh, lending her a stark, pallid air.
"...No."
Lin Zhenzhen's throat bobbed several times before she finally managed to mumble a single word.
But it was an unmistakable refusal.
Just as he'd expected, Xiao Xiao sighed.
He had never thought that simply saying it would make Lin Zhenzhen obediently do as he asked, but he couldn't help hoping she would.
He really had been expecting too much.
Actually, persuading Lin Zhenzhen could be difficult—or it could be as easy as anything.
"Do you want your face to get better?" Xiao Xiao asked softly, his voice gentle, yet carrying a strange allure.
"Yes!" Lin Zhenzhen answered without hesitation.
How could she not want that? She thought about it day and night, not a second passing without it on her mind.
But what good were her wishes?
Lin Zhenzhen's mood sank even lower.
Over the past while, she had grown irritable and quick to anger, sensitive and fragile, even a little neurotic.
She had worn herself out, and so had her parents.
She felt like she was falling apart.
"If you want that, why won't you try?"
"I told you, I might be able to heal your face."
"You shouldn't give up on any hope."
"Right now, you can only trust me."
Xiao Xiao's words weren't particularly tactful or pleasant, but they laid bare the brutal truth.
Lin Zhenzhen was already at the end of her rope. She shouldn't give up on any hope, even if there was only a one-percent chance—and even if it took all her strength.
A moment of pain might bring a "springtime thaw" later. Why not try?
"..." Lin Zhenzhen's voice was so muffled and thick that no one could make out what she said.
But the rapid trembling of her lashes betrayed her pain and inner struggle.
"You can think of this as a doctor's examination."
"I'm the doctor, and you're the patient. Don't avoid treatment out of fear."
"Your face can't wait."
"It's already as bad as it can get. What are you worried about?"
Xiao Xiao spoke one sentence at a time. With every word, Lin Zhenzhen flinched as if startled.
"...All right." Her voice was barely audible, but Xiao Xiao, who had been watching her closely, heard it clearly.
A relieved smile appeared on Xiao Xiao's face.
He had finally gotten through to her.
"Would you like me to help?"
Lin Zhenzhen shook her head.
Her trembling hands moved anxiously behind her head.
Xiao Xiao didn't rush her.
He trusted Lin Zhenzhen. Now that she had made up her mind, she wouldn't back out at the last moment.
The bandages came off, one layer at a time.
Lin Zhenzhen's face gradually came into view.
It could hardly be called a human face.
Horrifying blackish-purple lumps covered it from end to end. There was no way to make out her features.
And as the bandages slid away, a stench spread through the air, enough to make anyone gag.
Xiao Xiao's face twisted for an instant, but he quickly returned to an expressionless stare.
He even stepped closer, bending down to inspect her face.
Even though Lin Zhenzhen had agreed to remove the bandages, she felt as if Xiao Xiao had forced her into it.
She lifted her face toward him with a hint of malice, waiting to see him squirm.
But Xiao Xiao's sudden closeness left her the one feeling awkward.
Under the gaze of his deep, composed eyes, her entire body stiffened. She felt as though there was nowhere to hide, leaving her flustered and afraid.
She was also a little confused. Wasn't he afraid? Wasn't he disgusted?
By a face like this?
Even she threw up every time she saw it. Each time, the despair in her heart deepened.
She had no idea how many mirrors she'd smashed.
The sharp shards, their glinting edges, the bright-red blood—the fragments of the mirror reflected her hideous face, like that of an evil ghost.
She had begun having nightmares, endless nightmares.
In her dreams, some unknown bird cackled, sounding both like sobbing and laughter. A bone-deep chill seized her, and she couldn't move or cry for help. In the end, she could only fall into an abyss a thousand fathoms deep and be swallowed by darkness.
Xiao Xiao examined Lin Zhenzhen's face closely.
The black aura seemed even denser...
He still remembered how it had attacked him last time. The shock of it still lingered in his bones. Though he didn't know what had happened, it didn't seem to have caused him any harm in the end.
But just looking at it, he could tell it was nothing good.
Xiao Xiao stayed on high alert and cautiously leaned closer to Lin Zhenzhen's face.
The black aura churned, constantly slipping in and out of the lumps.
When the aura parted briefly, the lumps beneath it looked bigger than before. They were a dark, near-black purple, and the skin stretched taut over them, almost transparent. Blood-red streaks seeped through the deep color, making it seem as if they might burst at any moment.
Xiao Xiao remembered the yellow pus that had oozed from the lump Lin Zhenzhen scratched open last time. It had been foul-smelling and sticky—utterly disgusting.
The black aura seemed to have been provoked. It began to seethe.
Xiao Xiao instinctively started to step back, but then seemed to remember something. He held himself still, his gaze growing even more profound.
Golden Light flickered at the bottom of his dark eyes, like a fish swimming deftly through his pupils.
The Golden Light grew stronger, gradually filling his entire eyeball.
The black aura abruptly contracted, as if badly frightened—or threatened—and forced to draw in all its claws.
Even the lumps it had covered were exposed.
Lin Zhenzhen's face became clearer.
Just as he'd thought, something had indeed changed within him without his knowledge.
Xiao Xiao was eager to investigate this confirmed suspicion, but for now, Lin Zhenzhen's situation was more important.
Still, this gave him even more confidence.
Did this mean he had some ability to protect himself now? Along with the Monster Compendium, he should be able to handle ordinary situations, right?
Xiao Xiao straightened up. A monster was indeed behind this.
He just didn't know what kind.
His knowledge of monsters was still very limited.
He regretted once again not bringing the Monster Compendium. He had a feeling it would tell him something.
It looked like he would have to come back again.
"I've finished examining it."
"But there are some things I'm not sure about. I'll go back and look them up."
"I'll come again this afternoon."
Lin Zhenzhen had no objections. He had already seen her face once. It didn't matter whether he saw it again—or even several more times.
But she seemed to want to say something and didn't dare.
She was frantic with worry, and just as terrified.
Yet Xiao Xiao remained calm and gentle, not saying anything about what mattered most.
Her heart pounded so hard that her mouth went dry.
It was as if something had stuck in her throat, leaving her unable to make a sound.
Feeling helpless, she parted her lips. Her face seemed even more hideous.
"When I come to see you this afternoon, I'll tell you what I think."
After leaving her with those words, Xiao Xiao walked away.
Before you continue