Chapter 6

The Two-Way Mirror of Fate (2)

Having a brother who knows you too well is really annoying. She hunched her shoulders and pretended to be clueless, waiting for his response, until the familiar figure appeared in the mirror. Xie Xiuchen was leaning against the bedroom door, looking down as he took off his rose cufflinks. His shirt was the color of early December snow. Even such a casual movement was done with the elegance and grace of someone who had been trained.

Xie Xiuchen’s appearance never failed to live up to his parents’ expectations, and his actions always matched his looks—his gaze was always gentle and affectionate, radiating a sort of electricity. Any woman who made eye contact with him for just a few seconds would feel as though he was destined to marry only her. The women around him were always changing, although none of them ever received his promise, they had no complaints. They were willing to battle with his rivals for him over and over again. Having only ever received kindness from women since childhood, he was also incredibly considerate toward them, never refusing any woman’s request, never giving any woman a cold shoulder—except for his sister.

As the president of the “Appearance Association,” Xie Xinqi had never gotten enough of looking at his face. But the thought of “if only I could have a boyfriend as handsome as my brother” would always be abruptly interrupted by him disciplining her. And now, he was starting again: “Where do you plan to meet King?”

She stiffened her neck and said, “By the seaside.”

“Xinqi, shouldn’t you really practice your lying skills?”

She had only removed makeup from one eye, leaving her with uneven eyes, and pulled at the corner of her mouth as she poured makeup remover onto a cotton pad: “Do I really need to lie to you?”

“What a pity. You went to the 46th floor yesterday. If you had gone today, you might have fooled me. Because King will be on the 46th floor all day tomorrow.”

Now, Xie Xinqi was really confused: “…What 46th floor?”

“Still pretending?”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, what 46th floor?” She turned around, looking at him in confusion.

“You’re my sister. Even if you wear a mask, I can recognize you in an instant.”

“I really don’t understand. Can you just speak normally? What mask? What do you mean you can tell?”

Xie Xiuchen raised his head to look at her, his tone serious: “The 46th floor of Zhenji Wangcheng. I’ve caught you, and you’re still pretending?”

“You know I hate Zhenji Wangcheng the most, right? I’ve only been there once, and that time I lost 370,000 US dollars! And a masquerade ball? Do I really need to hide it from you? Can you stop being so self-righteous?”

Seeing his sister’s expression growing more and more angry, Xie Xiuchen stopped debating. He suddenly remembered that all of Xie Xinqi’s dresses were sexy and form-fitting, and she rarely wore plain colors. That girl, however, was wearing a water-blue gown, the fabric flowing like tassels, swaying as she walked, as if the flower on the gown was guiding her. This wasn’t his sister’s style at all. Now it seemed that she really had run into someone who looked like her the day before?

Xie Xinqi was really angry. Normally, she felt a sense of fear toward him, but now, whether he walked over to her or lowered his head to look at her, she sulked, unwilling to make eye contact. He smiled lightly: “Our Xinqi is indeed a beauty. Even with one eye wearing makeup and the other bare, pouting in anger, she’s still so pretty.”

This tactic didn’t work at all on her. She still kept her face straight, looking at the ground.

“So pretty, it needs to be captured.” He pulled out his phone from his pocket and pointed the camera at her.

“No! Don’t take pictures!!” She panicked.

“Then smile for me.” Xie Xiuchen coaxed her like he was speaking to a child, seeing her still keep her face long. He then raised his phone seriously and solemnly. “It’s better to take a photo for memories.”

“No, no!!” She jumped up to grab his phone.

He didn’t insist, just allowed her to snatch it away, watching her with a low, amused smile. She had intended to continue being angry, but couldn’t stay mad. She gave an awkward expression, as if she wanted to laugh but was forcing herself to stay angry. “…Brother, you’re really annoying.”

When Luo Wei first heard Edward’s name from Su Jiannian, she only knew that he was designing accessories for Su Jiannian’s piano, and never connected him to the famous designer Edward Conno. It wasn’t until she received his business card, went to his studio for an interview, and got the position that she finally believed she had really become Edward Conno’s assistant.

He looked almost the same as he did in magazines, fifty-five years old, a German-Chinese mixed-race gay man with a receding hairline. This design genius’s eyes were like a 4D camera: when he saw a wilted flower, he could design a brooch that captured its decay; when he saw a broken spider’s web, he could create a moonstone necklace with a sense of fragmentation; even after seeing tire tracks on the road after rain, he could design a unique silver pattern. He was unlike other designers who would take photos everywhere; for him, temperature, scent, and emotion were all part of the design process. Unfortunately, as high as his talent was, his temper was just as volatile. From the moment she started working, she had to breathe in his constant angry tirades. By the time she left his studio, she felt like she had been wrung out like dried meat.

At 9:40 PM, the nightlife of North Island in Gongzhou was just beginning. Looking toward the skyline of Gongzhou, the high-rise buildings stood tall, traffic whizzing by on the overpasses, and Zhenji Wangcheng looked like a hollow castle of red peaches, shining brilliantly through the night. Unknowingly, Luo Wei had walked out of the subway station and went alone to the nearby beach to clear her mind. It was deserted, as if it were her own private island, leaving long footprints in the sand. Eventually, she stood at the dock, facing the sea, stretching her back comfortably with a yawn.

Looking at the scene of the bright moon rising over the sea, Luo Wei remembered an incident from her childhood, before she started reading: one day, Xiao Lajiao watched a paranormal program and invited her friends to sneak out of the window at midnight to catch ghosts by the seaside. It was already past eleven o’clock at night when a small stone hit the window of Luo Wei’s house. She opened the window and saw that the child standing below was Xiao Ying. He threw a rope up for her to climb down. The moment she jumped to the ground, she flashed a big smile at Xiao Ying. Xiao Ying had always been very cool, only stretching out his index and thumb, flicking her forehead, then walking ahead. Thinking about catching ghosts made Luo Wei a little scared, so she quickly caught up with Xiao Ying, holding his hand. He paused for a moment, turned his head, and his neck flushed red. And so, the two of them walked hand in hand to the beach. Unexpectedly, Xiao Lajiao was the one who had initiated the plan, but she herself was late. So, Luo Wei and Xiao Ying ended up playing with fireworks by the sea.

At that time, they were squatting on the beach, visible from the dock, lighting one firework after another. She was so captivated by the brilliance of the fireworks that she became absorbed, forgetting to speak. Xiao Ying glanced at her and said, “Luo Wei, you really seem to like shiny things. I often see you playing with the rhinestones on your hairpins.”

“Yes, yes, I like rhinestones. I like sparkly things,” she said in a sweet, childish voice.

He was amused by her infatuated expression and lit another firework, handing it to her. “Well, when we grow up, if I become a rhinestone merchant, will you marry me?”

The fireworks danced, and golden light flickered on Xiao Ying’s cheek. His face was small, with plump cheeks that made him look very cute. His nose was slightly upturned, and there was a small beauty mark on the right side, like a leaf on a returning boat, adding a delicate touch to an entire ink wash painting. Her mother had once said that Xiao Ying was good-looking, especially his nose, and that when he grew up, he would charm countless girls. At the time, she thought it was strange—how could her mother judge who was good-looking and who wasn’t when they were all just a bunch of little dumplings? But after observing up close, she finally understood her mother’s point. And yet, Xiao Ying was a girl... Could two girls get married?

Xiao Ying looked into her eyes, waiting for an answer. His eyes were deep and bright, once again capturing her attention, as she loved things that were shiny. Finally, she stopped hesitating and nodded firmly. “Okay, Xiao Ying and rhinestones are both things I like. Then I’ll marry you!”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll grow up to be a rhinestone merchant, and Luo Wei will become my wife.”

“Okay!”

“We’ve made a promise, so no backing out. Let’s make a pinky promise.”

“Okay, pinky promise, one hundred years, no changes!”

That was Luo Wei’s first time holding a boy’s hand, and also the first time in her life making a promise with someone. Childhood memories were indeed like colorful bubbles, fleeting and beautiful, like a dream. The feeling of looking up to Xiao Ying and feeling an unspoken anticipation was something she would later only experience again when she had a crush on Naoki Irie in college. So, could this relationship with Xiao Ying count as her first love? Two little dumplings’ first love? That seemed a bit ridiculous. Thinking about this, Luo Wei couldn’t help but laugh quietly to herself.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from behind. She was startled, turned around to see who it was, but before she had time to understand the situation, something hit her at the back of the neck. Her vision went dark, and she passed out...

In her dazed state, Luo Wei heard the buzzing sound of electrical currents. Blue light illuminated her eyelids, and her body was already numb, sending a chilling sensation deep into her bones. She shuddered uncomfortably with her eyes closed. Then, a woman’s voice announced not far from her, “Congratulations, Mr. X256, the information on the California Governor’s mistress is now yours.”

It seemed like the moment of unconsciousness had passed in an instant. As soon as she regained her senses, she was greeted by such a bizarre conversation. Her head throbbed painfully, and she tried to reach up to rub her head, only to find that her hands were shackled by cold metal, unable to move. She struggled to open her eyes, only to realize they were covered by a black cloth. Blue light shone around her, making her feel as if she had become a lab rat for medical experiments. What was going on? Had she been kidnapped? She shook her head with all her strength, but the black cloth couldn’t be shaken off.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, like an ancient tomb, with only the woman’s voice, in a cheerful tone, loudly declaring, “Next, we will present tonight’s main event. This is a vibrant, beautiful prize, something you could never have imagined owning. Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready? Please, look—”

Circus-style music began to play, followed by the sound of a lock opening and a heavy object being lifted. Even though her eyes were covered, Luo Wei could feel that the surroundings had suddenly become much brighter. Another man continued, “Can you guess who she is? Wait, no peeking at the words on the cage—that’s cheating, haha! Alright, now let me confirm for you, what you’re seeing is definitely not an illusion!”

Something hooked onto the black cloth covering Luo Wei’s eyes and yanked it off! In an instant, bright light flooded her eyes. Unable to raise her hands, she could only lower her head and instinctively squint. A man and a woman, both dressed in eccentric clothing, stood before her. The man wore a black duke’s outfit and pointed boots, with his eyes covered by a pattern of spades; the woman wore a high-neck, floor-length red dress, with a small red heart drawn on her lips, looking just like a living version of the Red Queen.

Luo Wei was shackled and locked in a metal cage, placed atop a tall exhibition stand. Below her were black-and-white checkered marble floors, baccarat tables, expensive chairs, red tea and foreign liquor, and a crowd of well-dressed, masked gamblers. The Red Queen joyfully announced, “That’s right, what you’re seeing is none other than the little princess of Xie Real Estate—Xie Xinqi!” As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted into discussion.

What was going on? Wasn’t this the forty-sixth floor of Zhenji Wang City? How had she ended up here? Luo Wei shook her head, and after carefully thinking about what the Red Queen had said, she suddenly realized—while she was strolling at the dock, someone had knocked her out, mistaken her for Xie Xinqi, and brought her here to be sold as a gambling prize!

“Wait! Wait! You’ve got the wrong person, I’m not Xie Xinqi!” The blue light tube was too hot, forcing her to stay far away. She could only sit quietly and shout her defense, “Please, believe me, I know I look a lot like her, and many people have said that, but I’m definitely not her…”

“To be honest, I didn’t realize Miss Xie had such a sense of humor,” the Black Duke laughed along with everyone.

“I swear on my life, and the lives of my family, I’m really not Xie Xinqi! I have photos of me and my family on my phone, you can open them…”

Before she could finish speaking, the Red Queen turned around and threw a glance behind her. Then, a cold, stone-like object pressed against her back. She slowly turned her head and saw a Black man in a black suit holding a stun baton aimed at her. As soon as she turned her head, he lightly pushed the stun baton forward and tilted his chin toward the crowd. The blood in her brain seemed to freeze, her scalp tingled, her lips trembled slightly, and she could hear her breath like a ghost. She turned her head again to face the crowd.

These terrifying people… they could engage in any illegal activity, and probably think nothing of killing someone. No, if the person who bought her was Xie Xinqi’s enemy, she might be tortured to the point of wishing for death... Why is this happening...

“Well, what do you think? Surprised? We’ve kept this surprise well hidden, even our number one VIP doesn’t know about it.” The Red Queen smiled, spreading her hands and gesturing toward the high sky across from them.

Like everyone else, she looked up into the air. There was an indoor floating balcony, with a European-style four-corner red sofa and a coffee table. On the table, there were tall wine glasses, a bottle of Romanee-Conti, and a bottle of Louis XIII. The sofa was long and wide, big enough for five or six people to sit. A group of masked men stood around, but only one person sat on the sofa.

It was a very striking man. He wore a silver and purple king’s mask, a black suit and vest, and a formal leather watch, but his purple shirt was unbuttoned slightly, in a rather seductive manner; a black and white checkered pocket square rested on his chest, as if the marble checkerboard floor here was designed to complement him.

The man had a sharp jaw beneath the mask, and his lips were thin. From his skin, he appeared to be under thirty. However, he sat with his leg crossed, one arm resting on the back of the sofa, the other lazily propped against his forehead. His posture, full of arrogance, seemed more fitting for someone in their thirties than someone in their twenties.

Clearly, the Red Queen was speaking to him, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. His posture didn’t change at all; he simply looked coldly at Luo Wei through his mask.