Chapter 27: Trust Me

Facing the "sonic attack," Xiao Xiao could not help but reach up and massage his temples.

Soprano high notes were truly a bit difficult to handle. Especially when they were this hoarse and shrill, sounding like fabric being torn apart. Even with his prior preparation, Xiao Xiao was momentarily stunned. He subconsciously turned his head to glance at the spirit, only to meet those ghostly, eerie eyes. His expression stiffened involuntarily. He examined the spirit’s countenance for a moment, though it was impossible to discern any expression on that abstract face. Xiao Xiao suddenly felt he had been foolish.

*Cough, cough.* Xiao Xiao rubbed his cheeks, contemplating how to quiet Lin Zhenzhen down.

Xiao Xiao did not realize that, objectively speaking, his behavior seemed quite cold-blooded. Even if it was not his intention, he appeared to be indifferently letting Lin Zhenzhen wallow in her hysteria while he stood by, watching as if it were none of his concern. Lin Zhenzhen had been screaming for a while, but noticing Xiao Xiao’s lack of reaction—neither comforting her nor leaving, just staring at her as if watching a play with a dark, scrutinizing gaze—she grew increasingly agitated.

Xiao Xiao was truly wronged by this interpretation. He had simply been at a loss for what to do, standing there foolishly while struggling to devise a strategy.

...

Perhaps due to being physically and mentally exhausted, after screaming for some time, Lin Zhenzhen began to pant, her strength failing. Watching Xiao Xiao’s quiet, almost indifferent expression, she was suddenly overcome by a surge of anger and frustration. Unable to catch her breath, she broke into a violent fit of coughing.

"Cough, cough!"

Lin Zhenzhen’s coughing was earth-shattering. The corners of her exposed eyes turned red, and the bloodshot whites of her eyes, washed by tears, made the intricate web of capillaries look even more shocking. Startled by the sudden fit, Xiao Xiao hurriedly stepped forward, intending to help her up, only to have his hand slapped away viciously.

*Slap!*

The sharp sound echoed in the room, followed by the relentless, ragged sound of her coughing. Xiao Xiao rubbed the back of his hand, which had turned red, but he paid it no mind. Seeing that she did not want him near her, he did not force the issue; instead, he poured a glass of water and offered it to her. When he saw her move to swat the cup away, he quickly dodged.

"You’re coughing quite severely. Drink some water."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I don't have any malicious intent."

Although he did not know when he had become so unwelcome, Xiao Xiao deliberately softened his tone, trying to soothe the irritable and somewhat neurotic girl.

Lin Zhenzhen seemed to be placated, or perhaps she was simply too exhausted from the coughing, and eventually took the glass. In just these few days, she seemed to have lost a great deal of weight. Her reaching hand was pale and thin, and the exposed portion of her wrist was impossibly slender, making her sleeve appear empty. The hospital room finally fell quiet, save for the occasional cough and the sound of her swallowing water.

...

Amidst the sparse, fragmented sounds, the empty and dim room, the pale, bandaged girl, and the spirit in the corner, a sense of desolation permeated the eerie atmosphere. Watching the girl who had finally calmed down to drink her water, Xiao Xiao felt an inexplicable sense of her utter despair, even though her entire face was swathed in bandages. Where was the gentle, charming girl he remembered? Even though they were not close, they were in the same class, and Xiao Xiao recalled seeing her laughing and joking with friends—at that time, she had been radiant, full of vitality. Now, she looked like a dying old woman.

Seeing Lin Zhenzhen like this, Xiao Xiao’s mood also turned heavy and somber.

"I won't waste any more time." There had already been too much delay; it was time to get to the point. Xiao Xiao straightened his expression, his deep, calm eyes looking directly into hers. "I might know the reason why your face has become like this."

"So, I hope you can answer a few questions seriously."

...

Lin Zhenzhen, while drinking, appeared quiet and obedient, but her mind was already elsewhere. The occasional sip of water was merely a habitual action. However, Xiao Xiao’s words were so impactful that they pierced through the layers of fog surrounding her, exploding in her ears. After she processed the information with some sluggishness, she suddenly looked up at Xiao Xiao, her eyes startlingly bright.

The sudden movement caused some water to splash from the cup, the surface rippling just like her turbulent inner state. For the first time, the girl’s eyes reflected Xiao Xiao’s figure. Her eyes, filled with bloodshot veins and a hint of ferocity, widened abruptly. The corners of her eyes seemed stretched to the limit, giving the illusion that her eyeballs might pop out. Coupled with her current appearance, it was truly horrifying!

Xiao Xiao twitched his brow imperceptibly. He raised a hand to stop her from asking questions.

"Listen to me."

"You answer."

"When did these things start growing on your face?"

...

"Before they started growing, did you touch anything strange, or eat anything unusual?"

...

"...Or did you see anything strange?"

...

Lin Zhenzhen answered these questions almost without thinking. She had been asked them so many times already. In the dead of night, she had relentlessly replayed every detail of that time in her head, chewing over and picking apart every event until her head throbbed and she was physically exhausted, only then managing to fall asleep. Therefore, facing Xiao Xiao’s similar questions, the glimmer of hope that had just risen within her sank again, and she lost interest entirely.

She answered with a sense of weariness, numbness, and even resentment. What was the point of asking? Asking the same questions over and over—had anything new been discovered? No, nothing at all! She did not understand why it had to be her. Why was she the one to encounter such a thing?

Even though she had cried many times, to the point where she felt she could no longer shed tears, what was it that was flowing from her eyes now? The bandages were dampened, sticking uncomfortably to her face, which only added to her suffocating sense of frustration and desire to explode.

...

Xiao Xiao frowned. He wanted to help, but that required the cooperation of the person involved. He was slightly dissatisfied with her evasiveness. Just as he was about to say something, his throat felt as if it were blocked. He opened his mouth several times, but did not know what to say.

Lin Zhenzhen was crying. It was a suppressed, quiet, almost silent sobbing, with large, heavy teardrops rolling from the corners of her eyes—hopeless and sorrowful.

Xiao Xiao finally sighed softly and said, word by word, "Believe me, I really do have a way to help your face."

This was not an empty promise. Based on Lin Zhenzhen’s account, Xiao Xiao already had some ideas. However, he still needed confirmation.

"Please, unwrap the bandages and let me see your face." His tone was gentle, yet his words carried an undeniable authority.

It had been many days since this condition began. Xiao Xiao did not know what these things were or how they had been triggered, but he knew that the longer it dragged on, the worse it would be. Moreover, according to Lin Zhenzhen, her face had not been this severe at the beginning. Even after applying the ointment from the hospital, there had been signs of improvement, but unexpectedly, it had rebounded, and with increasing ferocity.

Worse yet, the medicine had been ineffective.