Chapter 90

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Chapter 90: Chu Yuanqing the Magical Girl, Tang Liuli’s Past

Coffee shop, bathroom.

The floor was covered in sad red blood, swirling like a hellish painting in the eyes.

The person overflowing with a sense of brokenness, beautiful like poetry, yet so transparent and fragile, seemed in urgent need of salvation. Coughing up rose-like blood, she looked up towards here, her clear and gentle eyes conveying complex emotions.

These two extreme conflicting scenes strongly stimulated the mental illness, continually rotating and enlarging in sight, blending into black-red and pure white blocks of color, only to be replaced by the color of that person’s eyes.

That is, noble and divine gilding.

It was like a golden tulip crushed in a porcelain bowl, whose corresponding language of flowers happened to be her nightmare for years.

——Love of despair.

Chu Yuanqing’s glitter brought redemption.

However, this redemption itself became the trigger for the outbreak of the disease.

At this moment, childhood fragments played like a movie reel, starting to flash back deep in consciousness.

Mom put down the fairy tale book she had just finished reading. Her expression was gentle as she looked at the adorable little girl wrapped in a blanket on the bed, who looked like a porcelain doll. She slowly arranged the girl’s messy hair in front of her forehead and softly said:

"Liuli, do you know?"

"The real Liuli needs to go through selecting, mixing, crushing, washing, refining, molding, and more than twenty other processes to be completely fired and called an artwork."

"Mom loves you, loves you very much, so… you will also meet Mom’s expectations, right?"

Memories then began to resurface.

Tang Liuli’s childhood was relatively warm and normal. Even though she officially entered the entertainment industry at the age of 6, which seemed tough to outsiders, at least her family could be considered exemplary.

Tang Liuli’s mother was born in Daxia, she went abroad to travel after college and became a well-known sculptor. Her father, on the other hand, was from Gloreya and despite being struggling, he was handsome, talented, and had big dreams as a painter.

Both of them liked traveling around the world to find inspiration for their respective professions. They happened to meet and fall in love in a foreign town not far from an active volcano.

Her mother was very kind to her, and her father was somewhat normal.

Ever since Tang Liuli was ten years old, her natural talents were noticed and she had many opportunities to act. However, as the pressure to perform increased, her spiritual essence dimmed gradually. The atmosphere at home, her parents’ attitudes, and the expectations from the film crew all underwent subtle changes.

Despite being seen as a child star prodigy by the outside world, Tang Liuli faced challenges due to her lack of experience and acting skills.

Without proper training and acting foundation, she relied solely on her talent and spirit. If she couldn’t engage her natural empathy and unlock the "Heart Flow," her performances suffered greatly.

In other words, her abilities fluctuated, causing delays in filming on set, and sometimes she struggled to meet the director’s expectations.

In her mother’s eyes, this seemed like a problem with the polishing process that required her personal intervention to correct.

Initially, her mother patiently guided her.

But then things escalated to emotional abuse, verbal accusations, erratic behavior, and exaggerated gestures.

Eventually, her mother even started playing the roles from the movie scripts, implementing them into real life, gradually immersing Tang Liuli in a method acting experience.

What was truly terrifying was Tang Liuli’s brilliant acting skills. She seemed to embody the characters she portrayed, squeezing every moment out of Tang Liuli’s life, except for the time she spent sleeping, honing her craft.

If you resist or make too many mistakes, you will face your mother’s disappointed and icy gaze, as well as the punishment of fasting.

"Why can’t you even do this?"

"Liuli, doesn’t Mom love you very much?"

"It’s so strange, it shouldn’t be like this, where did the problem arise?"

"No, you must go down in history, you must amaze the world, you must shine in the world, otherwise… otherwise, won’t you just be a failure?"

——Failure.

Tang Liuli will never forget the look on her mother’s face when she said this.

The woman’s expression was so indifferent, her eyes revealed a chilling coldness, her words were light as a dream, yet decisive and piercing into the depths of the heart like needles.

From then on, every breath brought a dull ache in the heart.

And this kind of nightmare continued for several months, but ended abruptly without any warning just before Tang Liuli’s mental breakdown.

Mom returned to her normal self, feeling guilty and sad, she held Tang Liuli tightly and cried loudly, apologizing for her actions.

Then, as a way of making it up to her, Mom cancelled a movie script appointment for the first time on behalf of Tang Liuli, and took the whole family on a trip around the world.

It was the happiest time of the girl’s life.

Without exams and studying, without worrying about disappointing her parents, without working hard on set, without forcing herself to connect her talents to those complex emotions.

Tang Liuli could act like a child, relax and indulge in the joy of traveling, and forget about the fake lives in movies and TV shows, and be truly herself.

Living carefree and free from worldly concerns seemed endless.

Mom took her to all the places she had traveled to before, like the desolate volcanoes on the surface of the moon, the Earth’s heart with blue flames, and Salzburg where the streets played the Croatian Rhapsody…

This experience was like Mom recounting her own life journey with her daughter.

On the 47th day of her journey, Tang Liuli arrived at Bollendorf.

Here, there were medieval-like villages everywhere, vast vineyards, and lush green hills dotted with mustard fields. She would spend her 11th birthday in a nearby castle.

The following memories gradually got stuck.

Subconsciously, there were only quick flashback images left for self-protection.

In the twilight, there were fields of golden wheat, a birthday cake with candles, a messy studio splattered with paint, and her father’s sad yet hopeful gaze…

Then came Tang Liuli’s mother, who had already forgiven past grievances.

She seemed like the protagonist in a play by Carmen Vaz, climbing to the top of the castle with a ladder, resembling a crowned sun king in the sunset, and at times, as wild as Odin in Nordic mythology, practicing hanging herself upside down on the spire countless times.

In the twilight, the castle seemed to be burning brightly.

At that time, young Tang Liuli had not yet understood the situation. Her excited father kept urging her to imitate her mother at the moment.

The special ability to understand others’ feelings suddenly activated, reaching its peak in no time, instantly entering the "Heart Flow" state.

The woman’s terrifying obsession became the fuel for a whirlpool of thoughts, burning wildly in the beautiful sunset, enhancing the "Heart Flow" energy, climbing up levels after levels.

In the end, her thoughts, her love, her madness, her wishes, all surged towards Tang Liuli, embracing her soul, aiming to become imprints of thoughts deep within, completing the final stage of the "artwork"…

The memories abruptly stopped.

Or perhaps, interrupted by strong resistance.

Tang Liuli took a step back, leaning against the brown doorway, her delicate body slipping down, almost sitting on the ground in exhaustion.

The girl’s dark hair was messy, her emerald eyes filled with tears, which fell like broken threads, she stubbornly and sadly bit her lip, angrily smashing her hand on the tiles, hitting it so hard that it left a mark of blood:

"No, I don’t want to, I refuse to become like you."

"I won’t inherit that cursed schizophrenia! Nor will I become a rotten person like my dad!"

Then, she hugged herself in fear, muttering to herself like in a dream,

"I’m not crazy, I’m not a failure, I’m not just a prop for your art. Someone will love me, many will like me. I… I…"

Tang Liuli’s voice was drowned out by her animal-like sobbing, clinging tightly to herself as if she had never been hugged before. Her fingers clenched the fabric tightly, looking so lonely and pitiful, like a kitten huddled in a dark alley.

Chu Yuanqing was at a loss, looking bewildered, but then she immediately realized what the problem was. Amid self-blame and guilt, she sank into anxiety.

Tang Liuli was suffering mentally and psychologically, and the current situation, triggered by herself, had awakened the PTSD buried deep within her mind.

"What should I do?"

Chu Yuanqing crouched beside Tang Liuli, patting the child’s head, but found no response. It was as if she was completely lost in her own world, even… entering into the Heart Flow.

In this state, with mental instability and the dangerous emotion of nearing a breakdown, intensified by its contagious nature, filled the entire bathroom with a heavy, ominous cloud.

Chu Yuanqing coughed, a tinge of red on her lips, as she embraced the girl curled up in a ball. Her hand caressed like petting a small animal, patting the girl’s back gently, lips pursed with concern as she said,

"Liuli’s ability to imitate and immerse will only lead her into an unsolvable loop."

"I need to find a way to give her positive encouragement to break this cycle and help her regain stability."

In reality, as the vivid recall of that nightmare unfolded before her eyes, the uncontrollable imitation triggered by the "Heart Flow" continued to bring back the woman’s lingering memories, becoming more vivid like maggots on a bone.

Chu Yuanqing unintentionally opened the Pandora’s box in Tang Liuli’s consciousness, and even without knowing the full story, she could deduce similar results through her rich experience and sharp intuition.

At that moment, she was burdened with a heavy sense of guilt.

What should she do? What behavior would be a positive stimulus in Liuli’s mind?

Chu Yuanqing pondered deeply, considering Liuli’s recent self-talk and the changes in her behavior upon their first few encounters.

Tang Liuli’s mother must have been a complex figure, someone whom she both loved and hated, likely the main reason behind the child’s psychological distress.

It is said that the one who unravels the issue needs to tie up loose ends.

If Liuli’s shadow is created by a wrong and distorted motherly love, can giving correct and warm motherly love resolve it?

Chu Yuanqing is extremely worried, she doesn’t feel she has any motherly love to share. She can only try to comfort the other person like comforting a child, by hugging tightly, easing their psychological distress, while coughing up blood and stuttering to tell bedtime stories.

This time, she chose "Collection of Stillness" that she didn’t read to the other person last time.

The girl intentionally lowered her voice, her voice was so gentle that it was intoxicating, like a soothing night song in the rain, the pendant lamp swayed with the change of mood, dyed with a few strands of pure white, magnifying the qualities of "sacredness" and "tolerance" within her charm.

For a moment, the room became calm under the whispering, the crying of the person in her arms gradually softened, as if the surroundings were all warm waves, her voice comforting all living beings like gentle sunlight.

Tang Liuli’s consciousness was in a dark cocoon, every line of the bedtime story was like beams of light piercing through, gradually restoring her sanity, actively cutting off the "Heart Flow".

But after re-experiencing the childhood shadow, there were too many negative emotions left in her heart, combined with Chu Yuanqing’s gentleness, creating an outlet for emotional release.

The more Tang Liuli thought about it, the sadder she felt. The bitterness and grievance inside her were like a tsunami breaking down her long-standing strength, tears surged out like a spring, she hugged Chu Yuanqing’s waist, her cheek rubbing against her ample chest, crying loudly.

Chu Yuanqing was flustered and confused, not knowing what to do, feeling extremely scared for a moment. Not to mention she was not good at handling crying girls, just the current extremely abstract situation was very frightening!

Just try to imagine a little.

If someone heard it and got attracted into the restroom, the first reaction upon seeing this scene would probably be Tang Liuli holding onto herself as she coughed up blood to the brink of death, grieving until tears were shed.

In the end, the final outcome is either calling 110 and telling the police uncle that a murder scene has been discovered, or dialing 120 to have an ambulance rush over.

Withdrawal from the competition is possible, but if a player withdraws due to personal reasons or concealing an illness, the program group will not provide compensation.

Moreover, she had only been in the program group for less than two weeks, even if she were to be paid for one month, it would not be enough.

No, Liuli must be quieted down immediately, the child must be pacified right away!

Chu Yuanqing also couldn’t bear to scold the unlucky and pitiful sister with social anxiety, she earnestly pressed the other’s shoulder, moving Tang Liuli’s head away from her chest.

Shortly after,

The girl gently cradled Tang Liuli’s cute face full of grievances in her hands, earnestly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, while softly comforting her:

"Please don’t cry, okay?"

"Trust me, you won’t become like your mom, because Liuli has always been trying hard and struggling, isn’t it painful for her?"

"You are a kind and gentle child, you will definitely grow up to be a good person, even if you don’t become an actor or an idol, you can still bring happiness to others."

"There are people who love you, and many others who like you."

"Because Liuli has many fans, right? During your performances, I saw those fans holding up lightsticks to support you, didn’t I?"

"After six years, they still come for you. Doesn’t that prove that you are worth being liked?"

"I believe, just like how I love the character you play, Magical Girl Delaina, many people also love the roles you portray, and they draw strength from it, even finding healing and solace."

"So, don’t doubt yourself, don’t despise yourself, and don’t be so harsh on yourself."

"At 11 years old, you are already more amazing than many adults. You are very talented, even if you waste a little time, it’s okay, even if you are a bit stubborn, it’s still lovely, even if you focus on yourself, it’s alright."

As the talking stopped, the crying gradually faded away.

Chu Yuanqing’s words sounded firm and natural, as if echoing her mother’s words of "failure" in her memories.

It’s truly strange, both statements seemed expected, the first one pierced her heart like ice needles, while the second felt like the sun shining on her soul, shattering the long-held shadows and burning away the accumulated negative emotions.

So gentle, such a gentle person, she had only encountered someone like Honey Qing before.

Tang Liuli’s slow thoughts slowly dawned on her, she suddenly realized something was wrong, she looked at the girl whose face was blurred by tears, still coughing up blood, and as tears fell from her eyes, the girl’s face became clear in the light.

This person with white hair and golden eyes, shining like an angel, overflowing with a sense of brokenness, raised her eyes, smiling slightly as if comforting, her crimson lips were both beautiful and sorrowful, and that face, both unfamiliar and familiar, pierced straight into her heart…it was Chu Yuanqing.

Oh, isn’t this Honey Qing?!

Tang Liuli wrinkled her delicate nose, her tear-stained eyes looking red, appearing quite charming, she almost cried out loud again, then immediately hugged Chu Yuanqing, hesitantly stuttering:

"I’m sorry, Qing Qing, even though…even though you were coughing up blood to the point of death, you still…sob…sob…took the effort to comfort me. I’m useless, I deserve to die, I am the sinner of the world."

Chu Yuanqing was so confused by this reflection arc, she touched her slightly silly head, and solemnly explained:

"Don’t cry, this is fake. Use your brain, think about it, who can vomit so much blood and still talk to you normally?"

Tang Liuli’s crying stopped, she blinked, looked around in confusion, sniffed around, and found there was no smell of blood, just a fragrant and elegant floral scent. Looking closely at the blood on the ground, it seemed to glow slightly.

"What’s going on here?"

Chu Yuanqing suppressed her guilt, with a serious look on her face, decided to take advantage of the situation and deceive the other person in one go. She blinked, lifted a few strands of hair with her fingertips, and said softly:

"Didn’t you notice my look? Golden colored contact lenses, white wig."

"A makeup artist earlier said I suited this style better, maybe it could be used in a music video shoot for the performance’s theme song, as a surprise for the audience, so she helped me try it out."

"As for this blood, it’s a prop material, she told me to try holding it in my mouth first, get used to fake blood, for a more realistic effect. So I was practicing in front of the mirror, and accidentally knocked over the bottle halfway through."

This series of explanations was very convincing.

According to normal logic, do not add details if not necessary.

As long as you don’t immediately think of supernatural aspects, the excuses Chu Yuanqing made up on the spot can completely hold up with no reason to doubt.

"Is that so? That’s good."

Tang Liuli nodded repeatedly, suddenly entering a deep deduction state, showing a relieved and relaxed smile.

But deep inside, her extraordinary wisdom, in just a few breaths, like Sherlock Holmes taking over, sensed the scent of lies, then noticed some clues, unleashing a highly efficient brainstorm, sifting through several possibilities, with a silent tsunami raging in her mind.

Chu Yuanqing…

Could possibly be a magical girl!!!