Su Li the Horrible
Su Li’s recent ill.u.s.trations had started to emit a mysterious aura. It was not the first time her ill.u.s.trations had worked wondrously as a curse.People never ceased to look for scientific explanations or defend her innocence.
The “Scapegoat of the Century” was the best t.i.tle for her!
Everything was her fault. Blaming her was much easier than thinking of a new plot twist. Authors could just kill their own creation or any protagonist they wanted, or put a full-stop on their novel. There was no explanation needed. It had not been their fault!
Science could not explain a lot of phenomena. Therefore, Su Li’s ill.u.s.trations were best discussed in metaphysical terms.
Perhaps it was an undiscovered portion about the law of attractions. Did something come true when more people believed in it? Or perhaps after some serious research, it could be the living proof of Murphy’s Law? [1]
Perhaps Su Li managed to crown each of her ill.u.s.trations with a mysterious halo, just like how Zhao Youyue started releasing a “Pa.s.ser-by Halo” by cutting her hair short. Su Li had these halos placed on either the authors or the characters in her ill.u.s.tration.
Some dedicated fans had listed out all of Su Li’s trophies on Moegirlpedia. [2] Su Li definitely overqualified as an MOE girl.
Yes indeed, Su Li was an ill.u.s.trator and manga artist. She lived in the world of ACG. With her good looks and her cute artwork, she easily became the G.o.ddess that sat atop the thrones in many otakus’ lairs.
Otakus’ money was easy to earn!
Su Li had one hundred methods to squeeze dry the wallet while earning their devotions
Innocent otakus were adorable – like the cuddly sheep that only knew the inside of their enclosures. As a shepherd, Su Li would eagerly draw anything that would keep them happy.
That was the truth of her metaphysical ill.u.s.trations. They kept her fans in check.
Many did not believe in her curse. However, they were instantly converted into her cult when they read about her glorious past.
Su, the Great Deity had earned her t.i.tle through her own efforts. Every author would abandon s.h.i.+p when their novels caught the interest of the Great Deity.
It was not just the believers of ghost stories who made things this bad. Even Su Li had started off as a skeptic, who waved off those statements as ridiculous accusations. Eventually, she got influenced by her own fans, and started believing in her own powers!
They say that a curse is at its most potent when its caster wholehearted believes in it!
As the group of believers grew, everybody took the initiative to prove their faith. No matter how illogical it sounded, the blame had to be on Su Li’s head!
Why?
That’s what religion was all about. Some atheists would ride along the waves, laughing at how easily they deceived the ma.s.ses. The danger of repeating a lie so convincingly is that you would fall victim o it yourself. These atheists had started off as false believers, only to end up being zealots of Su Li’s supernatural powers.
Zi Mu might have made her living via deception and tricks, but she never neglected to bow to any supernatural powers that she came across. Perhaps she was subconsciously aware of the bad things she did, and they might just come back to haunt her?
She did not even have the time to be angry at Su Li’s mockery of her portrait. The pressure from the world was just too great for her!
A lot of influential characters expressed their staunch support of Zhao Youyue. Among these people, the bestseller author of suspense novels – Ou Yang caused the biggest wave ever.
Ou Yang had stepped up and mentioned that he had studied at Ah Yu’s current school before. As a senior, he had observed and studied Ah Yu’s performance as a student. Other than her remarkable talent in music, her academic results were outstanding. Those who tried to conjure popularity by defaming such a good person would gain nothing but a slap on their faces.
Ou Yang praised Zhao Youyue with great respect. His actions had spurred other authors into joining the bandwagong and slamming Zi Mu’s actions. Some iconic moral pract.i.tioners posted their in-depth a.n.a.lysis of Zi Mu, making no point in sparing their disgust for her
Soon, Zi Mu’s novels had been altogether banned on the internet!
It must be the curse of Su Li’s ill.u.s.trations!
It was better to blame the supernatural than blame herself for this. She had not relied on any fundings from the company. It was her hard work and honest effort of gaining popularity and attention from the public. Now the only buyers of her novel seemed to be her haters. They only did it so that they had valid reason and grounds to criticize her writing.
How was that her business? Her sole purpose of stirring a typhoon on the internet was to sell her books. She would be happy, even if they ended up as toilet paper
Zi Mu could not care less about pride or dignity. Ordinary people had no influence on her. But Su Li was not ordinary. She was the grim-reaper itself!
She regretted provoking the wrong party. The price had been too hefty.
After marching into Su Li’s crosshairs, Zi Mu did everything with extreme caution, especially when she crossed the road. She would not dare look at her phone, fear of being crushed a truck or something!
It was like death was shadowing her. Every corner might be her last!
She almost collapsed under the pressure, and started to hear voices and see things
Before she stepped into a toilet, she would examine the floor for water. She would not want to slip and die!
You could keep this up for the first few weeks, maybe. But try doing that for months, or years. Su Li was horrible!
Su Li: Meow?
June was fast approaching. Zhao Youyue sat for the National College Entrance Examination. She was not aware that the Internet was watching her closely.
Translation Note:
[1] Murphy’s law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”.
[2] The site of Moegirlpedia is an online encyclopedia that collects and presents all the data and information of “MOE” girls for everyone. Moe(j.a.panese:, or just one Chinese Character mng in Chinese) is a frequently used jargon in ACG subculture, and it is also one of the most representative expressions of the age of moe.