Chapter 83: Symmetry on Both Sides

Almost everyone turned their gaze to Xu An'an, especially the cameraman, whose lens focused squarely on her. In the live broadcast room, over a million viewers watched online. With unhurried composure, Xu An'an removed her mask, revealing a delicate face no larger than a palm. Though she wore no makeup, her cheeks were marked with faint red blotches, clear evidence that her skin had yet to recover. Yet her exquisite features and perfect bone structure rendered those red marks trivial.

The viewers were stunned; many claimed she looked better without makeup. Yet the detractors mocked her, accusing Xu An'an of deliberately creating a contrast for sympathy, saying the second episode was just a ploy to redeem herself and that she understood the ways of internet fame all too well.

Having reaped a wave of attention, the director signaled the cameraman to shift the lens to others. Ning Xiyue, though inwardly roiling with emotion, quickly composed herself, befitting her status as a seasoned figure in the entertainment industry. “An'an, have you seen a doctor? What did they say? The marks on your face look stubborn—will they never fade? Are you going to look like this forever?” She finished with feigned concern, “I hope your face recovers soon.”

Xu An'an’s lips curled in a mocking smile. “I’ve heard that when a villain speaks in reverse, their words come true.”

Ning Xiyue’s eyes widened. “Are you calling me a villain?”

“Are you speaking in reverse?” Xu An'an's bright smile flashed as she turned toward Xu Wanwan, each step she took carrying the weight of doom—her eyes sharp and chilling.

Xu Wanwan swallowed hard, but convinced Xu An'an wouldn’t dare do anything on camera, she forced a smile. “Sister—”

A resounding slap rang out.

Xu Wanwan was dumbfounded, her left cheek burning with pain. She stared in shock. “You… you hit me? What right do you have to hit me?”

Another slap landed, equally fierce.

Only then did Xu An'an seem satisfied—the symmetry now complete. Her eyes reddened, and she slipped into her best leading-lady performance. “Why did I hit you? Perhaps you should first explain what you had makeup artist Sister Li do to my face!”

“Even so, you can’t hit someone!” Guan Xiaoxiao hurried forward. “No matter what happened to your face, it doesn’t justify violence!”

Xu An'an looked at her impassively. She drew a small bottle of powder from her pocket and flung it at Guan Xiaoxiao, who leapt back in terror, shrieking, “Ah! Someone call an ambulance! Call the police! If you ruin my face, I’ll kill you!”

Everyone was stunned; nobody had expected Xu An'an to suddenly lose control.

But Xu An'an simply took out a powder puff, dabbed it in the powder, and patted it gently on her face with a scornful laugh. “It's just loose powder. I suppose unless you feel the knife yourself, you never know what pain is.”

Realizing she’d been made a fool of, Guan Xiaoxiao’s embarrassment turned her face purple as she awkwardly retreated.

Ning Xiyue ground her teeth, unwilling to let Xu An'an walk away unscathed. “An'an, this is a society governed by law—we should talk things out. Hitting someone is wrong.”

Xu An'an glanced at Ning Xiyue, and Ning, frightened, edged closer to Jiang Yu, half-afraid Xu An'an would strike without warning. Seeing Ning Xiyue so intimidated, Xu An'an found it amusing.

“Were you deaf just now? My face ended up like this thanks to Xu Wanwan and Sister Li. Isn’t that a crime? As her elder sister, should I just let her walk down the path of breaking the law, only to meet a tragic end?” Xu An'an’s words rattled off like gunfire.

Xu Wanwan, clutching her stinging cheek, glared at Xu An'an with hatred. “You say I hurt you—do you have proof?”

“It’s not just me saying it; Sister Li has already confessed and is waiting for you.” Xu An'an presented a video of Sister Li admitting her guilt, tears and snot streaming down her face as she apologized to Xu An'an and implicated Xu Wanwan.

Xu Wanwan’s face turned ashen. She never imagined Sister Li would turn herself in—what a traitor, after all the fifty thousand she’d been paid!

“She… She was just following orders…”

“That’s right. She followed your orders to ruin my face,” Xu An'an sneered. “It’s over now. Stop struggling in vain.”

“When the police arrive, just go with them quietly.”

Xu Wanwan, panic-stricken, remembered the live broadcast. In desperation, she dropped to her knees. “I’m sorry, sister! I was possessed by a moment of madness. I never meant to ruin your face. I was tricked! The person who sold me the medicine said it would only make your face itch for a few days. That’s why I did it!”

“For the sake of my mother, who’s always been so good to you, please forgive me just this once!”

She invoked Shen Ying’s name on purpose, knowing how much Xu An'an feared her. In fact, she had already decided that after the show, she’d have Shen Ying give Xu An'an a good beating, determined to see her face destroyed.

Xu An'an, of course, saw through Xu Wanwan’s ploy—a public confession in hopes of moral blackmail, trying to sweep things under the rug, and sending a message to Shen Ying through the live broadcast.

Shen Ying was surely glued to the TV, perhaps already calling the hospital to have Doctor Wang torment her mother. But she was prepared, her confidence bolstered by Jiang Li.

“You want my forgiveness? It’s simple. Let me ruin your face as well, and I’ll let it go,” Xu An'an said coldly.

Xu Wanwan gasped, her tears forgotten. “You’re insane!”

“Oh? So you admit only a mad person would do such a thing? Then why did you do it to me? Have you gone mad yourself?”

Realizing she was losing the argument, Xu Wanwan frantically scanned the crowd, hoping someone would cut the broadcast. But she couldn’t find the executive director who’d served her that lavish breakfast and arranged her room.

Xu An'an leaned in, her voice chilling. “Are you scared now? But this is only the beginning.”

Fearing the situation would spiral out of control, the director hurriedly paused the live stream. They’d already captured enough traffic—best to leave some suspense for the next episode.

…

After watching the broadcast, Shen Ying was in disbelief that Xu An'an dared slap Xu Wanwan live on air, treating her as if she were already dead. Furious, she messaged Xu An'an: [Are you out of your mind? Do you not care if your mother lives or dies? Believe me—I can make her disappear without a trace, and the police will never find out!]

The message was set to disappear after reading and couldn’t be screenshotted—otherwise, Shen Ying would never have dared send such a threat.

After a moment, the message showed as read, but Xu An'an gave no reply.

Shen Ying jumped up in alarm, sensing things were slipping beyond her control. Xu An'an had never been so defiant before.

In a panic, she called Doctor Wang.

Ring after ring, until at last the call was answered. Doctor Wang’s voice was weak, as if he were being held hostage.

“Madam Xu, something terrible has happened.”