Troublesome

The truth only brought trouble. Lu Ming isolated herself at a party to wallow in pity at the loss of her biggest art deal. She lived by a simple rule: look no longer than five seconds. Whenever she spoke to someone, her eyes needed to flicker away but if she did stare, a timer ticked in her head.

One: safe.

Two: be cautious.

Three: see the truth.

Four: look away now!

Five: blurt their true nature.

Unfortunately, she did not follow her own guidelines. The compulsion to stare at the buyer of her art, an elderly man, felt too overwhelming to fight. He babbled on about his interest in her fantasy paintings and questioned her knowledge on mythology. The artwork that stole his attention was the siren; her body, covered in semi-sheer scales, twisted like ocean currents and her multicolour eyes followed him, as if alive. While he expressed his admiration, Lu Ming noticed the man's human face morph into something from her imagination...

The alcohol burned Lu Ming's throat and warmed up her stomach. The face of her buyer still remained crystal clear, the alcohol not diluting her recall. His grey hair had turned pink and wrinkles morphed into a snout; the man was a glutton for all things. Lu Ming cringed at what she said to him.

"Greed for beauty ruined your marriage, greed over money leaves you hated and greed for power will get you killed."

How could she say something so rude to a wealthy buyer? If she kept her mouth shut, the painting would be sold and all her bills paid. Instead, she was drinking away her sorrows at a party.

"Mimi!" A woman shouted and joined her at the corner of the room. In her hands, two unusual cocktails caught Lu Ming's attention. Words, written in red pen, about love and lust covered the glasses. Inside, florescent blue jelly balls swam in the bright pink liquid, making the drink look like a child's creation. "It's called a Lovely Night! And I think it's exactly what we need, my friend."

No model could compare to Chi Sying, who had long, black hair and thick eyelashes. These framed her dark eyes that shone like they had dozens of stars trapped inside. Tonight, she wore a skin-tight red dress that hugged her petite body and showed off her long legs. Every single man in the room ogled at her, trying to find enough courage to approach the beauty.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming contrasted greatly and felt like a pauper standing next to a princess. She was shorter and had more curves than she wanted. The dress, forced onto her by Chi Sying, made her look like a frumpy child. The blush colour did nothing for her sun-kissed skin and the loose skirt, which cascaded down to her calves, made her feel chubby.

"This looks toxic," Lu Ming muttered, self-consciously twisting her chestnut hair. "It smells like poison."

Chi Sying winked. "You came here to forget your worries. It will help."

"But-"

"If you drink, I will do the dishes for a week!"

The bribe worked instantly as the dishes were Lu Ming's most hated chore in the house. She drank the cocktail quickly, surprised by the unusual sensations. It tasted ridiculously sour which disguised what alcohol floated past the jelly balls. Then, when the liquid flowed down her throat, a sweet aftertaste lingered on her tongue. This encouraged her to take another sip, like she was a desperate lover looking for more attention.

"Do all parties make cocktails like this?"

"Oh my sweet, innocent Mimi. This isn't a normal backyard party."

"I-I-I know that," Lu Ming blurted and blushed in embarrassment.

The extravagant event celebrated an uprising actor's first lead role. Chi Sying was his manager and demanded a grand party to lift morale. They hired a hotel for the venue, organised a DJ and offered an amazing array of food. If Chi Sying wasn't Lu Ming's roommate and close friend, this luxury experience would remain in her wildest dreams.

"Should we dance?"

"I am not drunk enough to humiliate myself."

"You promised me to have fun tonight!"

"I will. I will," Ming assured her friend.

"Then lets play a game over there!" Chi Sying suggested and pointed to the far end of the room where a crowd gathered.

Immediately, Lu Ming's eyes fell on a handsome man in a charcoal suit. Everything about him oozed confidence, from his perfectly styled hair to his smirk. The girls around him automatically swooned over his chiselled jaw and dreamy, dark eyes. Yet, Lu Ming felt uneasy.

One.

Two.

Three. Suddenly, the man's hair turned maroon with streaks of red and those brown eyes became an odd grey colour. Two small heart tattoos appeared on high on his cheekbone, looking more like moles than abnormalities. He had the most normalised transformation Lu Ming had ever seen except... It seemed real, like his true skin. The characteristics Lu Ming saw on people were more like smoke over their face, as if her sight formed the illusion. This man was different.

Four.

Five.

"You are not human," Lu Ming heard herself say and quickly looked away. She broke her five second rule again. Thankfully, Chi Sying was too busy finding a path through the crowd that she did not hear the truth.