Revised Again and Again

Amy did not seem discouraged by Maria's response. Instead, she continued eagerly, "You mean that 'Curious George.' That's what you used to call him.

"No matter what, he still can't forget the time he spent at summer camp with you. So I thought maybe we could..."

Before Amy could finish, Maria decisively spat out a single word: "NO."

Amy looked helpless and somewhat anxious. "Maria, you don't even know what I was going to say."

Maria turned her head away and replied coldly, "You'd better not say anything at all."

Just then, with the intervention of Maria's father, Dan, it ultimately ended on bad terms, leaving only the somewhat ghastly white light in the dining room.

Late at night, Maria sat alone at the bathroom counter. The surroundings were so quiet that she could hear only her own slightly hurried breathing. Her slender fingers rubbed together unconsciously, making a faint sound that seemed especially clear in the silent night.

Just as her mind gradually began to drift, on the verge of entering some strange state, the Maria in the mirror suddenly turned her head without warning and stared straight at the real Maria. That gaze was cold and sharp, as though it could pierce the soul.

Maria's heart clenched violently, as if it had skipped a beat. She instantly snapped awake and, without time to think, turned and fled the terrifying place in a hurry.

When she reached her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, she gulped down breaths, trying to calm her wildly pounding heart.

After a long while, Maria began to wonder whether something had gone wrong with her mind and she had imagined it all.

So, filled with unease, she slowly returned to the bathroom counter.

She cautiously looked into the mirror. The "Maria" in it remained expressionless and made no movement. Maria took a deep breath and comforted herself. "You're not real. This must be my imagination, right?"

At that moment, the "Maria" in the mirror moved her lips slightly, and a low, eerie voice came through. "Then why can you see me? Because I am right here."

Maria shuddered at the sudden response, but she still forced herself to ask, "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me?" The voice in the mirror carried a faint, almost imperceptible resentment.

Maria shook her head firmly. "I don't know you."

"I've always been here. Wherever you are, I am there. When you think you're seeing yourself, you're actually seeing me."

The voice in the mirror grew more ethereal, as if it came from another world.

Maria's voice trembled slightly. "You... what do you want from me?"

"I can take away your sorrow. I know who you like and who you hate. I can help you."

A strange glint flashed through the eyes of the "Maria" in the mirror.

Maria was full of doubt. "Why do you want to help me?"

"Look at me. What do you see?" The voice in the mirror was filled with temptation.

Maria stared into the mirror, and her voice unconsciously softened. "I see what I look like."

"What do you look like?"

"I... you're very beautiful." Maria's voice held a trace of hesitation.

"Not 'we're very beautiful.'" A soft laugh came from the mirror. Then Maria's voice sounded again. "Do you have a name?"

"My name is Alan," the "Maria" in the mirror said seductively.

It's been so long, so long that I haven't seen your face... I wanna make up right now, na na. I wanna make up right now, na na...

On the dance floor, heavy metal music pounded against everyone's hearts like war drums. Laser lights flashed wildly, and the air was thick with the mingled scent of hormones and alcohol.

In a booth in the corner, Frank shouted at Edward at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Edward! You're famous now! Everyone at school is talking about how you took down that serial killer yesterday!"

Edward held his drink, the corner of his mouth curling upward as he muttered, "Basic stuff. Don't praise me too much."

Beside him, Jennifer gave him a sultry look, her entire body nearly pressed against his. Her breath was sweet as she whispered, "You're a true hero. I can barely stop myself from swallowing you whole."

As she spoke, she stuck out the tip of her tongue and lightly licked her lips. The implication in her eyes could not have been clearer.

Edward's lips curled slightly, and he gave a playful lift of his brows before turning to Frank and Nitty with a hint of apology. "Sorry, you two, but we may have to excuse ourselves first." With that, he took Jennifer's hand, passed through the crowd, and disappeared at the far end of the dance floor.

Frank watched Edward and Jennifer leave, then turned to Nitty and shrugged helplessly. Yet his gentle smile remained. "Well, looks like it's just the two of us now."

As he spoke, he put on the air of a gentleman and elegantly extended his hand. "May I have the honor of inviting you to a dance?"

Nitty nodded slightly, a perfectly timed smile appearing on her lips. She generously placed her hand in Frank's, her voice gentle. "Of course."

Frank lightly took Nitty's hand and led her slowly toward the dance floor.

The people around them remained immersed in the music and revelry, completely unaware of the brief exchange and departure at their table.

In the hotel room, warm yellow lighting painted everything with an intimate hue.

Jennifer wore only an oversized men's shirt, revealing and concealing her body in turns. Her long legs swayed in the air, dazzling the eye.

She walked up to Edward with a catlike stride, her gaze burning and a seductive smile on her lips. Then she slowly bent down and directly straddled him.

She looped her arms around Edward's neck, warm breath brushing his ear. Her voice was so sweet and alluring it seemed to drip with honey. "It's my first time. What are you waiting for?"

Edward felt all the blood in his body rush to his head in an instant. He pulled Jennifer around the waist, his voice slightly hoarse. "You little temptress, behold my Mighty Heavenly Dragon!"

He abruptly swept Jennifer up in his arms.

First, the bedside lamp crashed to the floor with a loud clatter. Then pillows and blankets flew through the air in messy arcs.

No one knew how long that "fierce battle" lasted. By the end, Jennifer lay sprawled on the bed like a puddle of mud, too lazy to move even a finger. Only her chest still rose and fell violently.

She looked at Edward beside her, refreshed and energetic, with enough strength left to do push-ups, and cursed weakly.

"Spare... me..."

At the bathroom counter in Maria's home on the other side of the city, Alan in the mirror wore a satisfied, eerie smile.

"Very soon, we'll have him, Maria."

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