Chapter 1942: Chapter 1942: Mirror World (19)
Cheng Mu woke up early, and after showering, saved yesterday’s video on his phone.
He glanced at the mirror: "Are you there?"
— Mhm.
Cheng Mu opened the video on his phone, facing the mirror.
In the video, Qu An was kneeling on one knee by the bed, a short distance from Cheng Mu, looking at him with focused eyes.
"Brother... I like you, ever since I first saw you. But you seem to really hate me..."
Qu An’s voice was hoarse, with a hint of restraint.
Later, Qu An wanted to do something, but was interrupted by Father Cheng and his mother who came back suddenly, and left the room hastily.
Cheng Mu found those words piercing and tossed the phone aside in annoyance: "Recorded it, and then what?"
— Show it to your dad.
Cheng Mu was incredulous: "What?"
— Show it to your dad.
"Am I crazy?" Chuzheng had asked him to record Qu An’s confession video or audio, and he thought she just wanted to use it to threaten Qu An. But he didn’t expect her to want him to show it to his dad.
— I investigated, your father is very disgusted by this matter. He will help you deal with Qu An.
"Him?" Cheng Mu rested his leg on the edge of the table, opened a snack pack, stuffed two bites, then said gloomily: "He probably wants to deal with me."
— Trust me.
Cheng Mu looked at those three words, silently eating the snack, his expression changing.
"Don’t you think this is very... uh, something?" Cheng Mu forced out a sentence.
— In times when you lack ability, it’s wise to use the power around you.
— That’s your dad.
Qu An isn’t his biological son, even if he seems to love him, knowing he feels things for his own biological son that he shouldn’t, he won’t tolerate it.
Cheng Mu finished the snacks in the drawer, finally unable to find anything, had to unwrap the last candy stick and stuck it in his mouth.
Chuzheng didn’t rush him, letting him think on his own.
Eventually, Cheng Mu took his phone and walked out the door.
-
Cheng Mu returned to the room late at night, looking slightly gloomy, and sat dazedly on the floor upon coming back.
— What’s wrong?
"I showed it to him."
— What was his reaction?
"No reaction, just told me not to say anything." Cheng Mu laughed, "See, you were wrong. His own son isn’t as important as other people’s sons."
— You’re very important to me.
Cheng Mu stared at those words, then, after a moment, walked to the mirror, hands resting on the table, leaning slightly forward: "And yet you lied to me."
— Lied about what?
Cheng Mu gritted his teeth: "You’ve been able to see my side all along, why lie to me about not being able to see past 11 o’clock?!"
Thanks to his caution, even after eleven, he didn’t act recklessly.
— ...
Chuzheng, although anticipating a backlash, didn’t expect it so soon.
A bit of inner panic ensued.
Chuzheng was more frustrated that she didn’t see anything, which was actually worse!
"Nothing to say now?" Cheng Mu sneered, "Was it fun to deceive me?"
— I was afraid you’d feel burdened.
Chuzheng began to ramble.
Cheng Mu: "..." So it’s for my own good? Should I thank you!
— I need to sleep, too. There’s no way I could watch you all the time.
Cheng Mu: "..."
Is it really about the watching?
"Don’t change the subject!" Cheng Mu was nearly distracted: "We’re talking about how you lied to me."
— What do you want to do?
A lie is a lie, and time won’t go back.
Cheng Mu: "..."
What does "what do you want to do" mean?
Does this imply it’s all his fault?
Obviously, she deceived him first.
Does she not realize her mistake?
Cheng Mu was quite agitated, pacing in circles in the room, finally decided perhaps to confront the issue with Chuzheng, and simply left the room.
-
Year 2029.
Chuzheng rested her chin on her hand, staring at the empty room, thoughts unknown.
Only when the picture in the mirror faded did Chuzheng refocus, continuing her sketches.
[...] Unbelievable.
A Good Person Card was fuming, yet you still have the mood to draw! How are you any different from a jerk!
King’s Account couldn’t take it anymore.
"Then what should I do? I can’t even contact him," Chuzheng replied calmly.
[...]
Jerk! No, jerk girl!
King’s Account, unable to bear it, sent Chuzheng a mission, requiring a bit of retail therapy!
Chuzheng: "..."
-
"Xiao Chu, what did you buy?" Mother Yuk curiously looked at Chuzheng returning with a big bag: "By the way, why are there so many empty lipstick tubes in that box in your room?"
Mother Yuk had quite the shock seeing so many empty lipstick tubes while tidying up the room.
It’s rare for someone to finish a lipstick to the end.
Yet she saw an entire box of empties!
Did her daughter eat the lipstick?
"For you." Chuzheng handed the whole bag to Mother Yuk, casually made up an excuse: "I’ve been drawing, it’s therapeutic."
"Huh?"
Mother Yuk stared blankly as Chuzheng returned to her room.
Drawing? With lipstick?
But thinking about the words Chuzheng added on, Mother Yuk’s curiosity was suppressed. Ever since that incident, her daughter seemed a bit strange...
Definitely too much psychological stress.
Yes!
Mother Yuk opened the bag, took a glance, and then hurriedly went to knock on Chuzheng’s door.
"Xiao Chu, is this stuff counterfeit?"
Chuzheng: "..."
Chuzheng could only explain that she participated in a design contest and won a prize, not short on money, so she used it to de-stress.
Mother Yuk was half-convinced, half-doubting.
Chuzheng showed a serious expression, insisting that’s the case, so Mother Yuk left the room skeptically and discussed the matter with Father Yuk when he came back.
Chuzheng sighed in her room.
Chuzheng habitually glanced at the mirror, and at that look, she froze, the mirror was pitch black.
Chuzheng: "???"
What does this mean?
Is it blacked out?
Clearly it’s not, Chuzheng could hear the commotion in the room over there, just couldn’t see it.
So...
Did Cheng Mu seal off the mirror?
Chuzheng: "..."
Cheng Mu kept the mirror covered until noon the next day; he was wearing a loose sweatshirt, removing the black cloth blocking the mirror as he read the words on the mirror.
— What do you mean?
Only five words.
Not sure when it was written.
"I need the privacy." Cheng Mu tossed the black cloth aside, not asking if Chuzheng was there, directly replied, "Your side can always see, it makes me uncomfortable."
— Then why don’t you change rooms?
Cheng Mu paused.
After a moment, flustered and angry: "This is my room, why should I change!"
— Oh.
"Oh what? Don’t assume I’m not switching rooms because of you!"
— I didn’t think that.
"..."
Cheng Mu grumpily rehung the black cloth, paced the room several times.
Couldn’t help but peek behind the mirror again.
— Are you on break?
"None of your business."
Chuzheng wasn’t bothered, continued asking.
— Going out for the New Year?
Cheng Mu’s expression darkened, put down the black cloth, and remained silent.
Chuzheng figured writing more wouldn’t be visible to him, and went on with her own tasks. When Cheng Mu couldn’t help but peek again, he found no writing on the mirror, expression blank for a moment, finally snorted coldly, and stayed silent.
