The Nail Artist‘s Secret
Li Mei, in her small nail salon, worked like a precise machine. Every day, she repeated the motions of filing, painting, and drying, the smell of nail polish filling the cramped space. She was used to the endless chatter of customers and their pickiness about new styles and colors. She knew that in this city, no one really cared about her, except her landlord, the old man who came to collect rent on time every month.
Her biggest dream was to save enough money to renovate her old home in her hometown, providing her parents with a more comfortable retirement. And everything she painstakingly did each day seemed only to satisfy the fleeting vanity of these fashionable city girls.
Recently, the salon had been especially busy, with appointments booked out until next month. Li Mei was on her feet all day, even sacrificing her lunch break. To keep her customers happy, she was meticulous, not overlooking any detail. She knew that a craftsman relies on their hands, but even more on their reputation.
One day, a well-dressed lady booked a "full treatment" and asked for the latest "Starry Sky Dream" nails. Li Mei carefully completed each step, and looking at the sparkling stars on the woman's fingertips, it was as if her own dreams were within reach. The lady was very satisfied, giving Li Mei a big smile and a generous tip. Li Mei felt a bit of comfort, but it was quickly washed away by the anxiety of the next customer.
A few weeks later, Li Mei noticed something abnormal with her own nails. Small fleshy growths began to appear at the edges, like newly sprouted buds, but with an ominous premonition. She secretly went to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor told her she had contracted HPV.
Li Mei felt the world spin. She immediately thought of those customers, those bacteria that wandered over her fingertips every day. She wanted to tell them, but she didn't dare. She was afraid of losing her job, of being abandoned by this city. She started handling tools even more carefully, and the smell of disinfectant became even stronger. She felt like a walking source of infection, living cautiously on the fringes of this city.
The days passed one by one. The salon continued to thrive, every girl eager to become more beautiful. Li Mei’s fingers became increasingly unsightly, the growths slowly connecting into a cluster, like blooming cauliflower, ugly and grotesque. She started wearing gloves, pretending to be responsible to her customers, but her heart was filled with fear.
One day, a new customer came to the salon, a young woman dressed plainly, with short nails, her fingertips a bit rough. The girl wasn't interested in the fancy styles, only asking for her nails to be trimmed neatly. Li Mei felt that this girl might understand her pain.
As she trimmed the girl's nails, she felt a strange vibration, as if an electric current was passing through her fingertips. She looked up and saw the same light shining in the girl’s eyes.
“You… also…?” Li Mei asked in a trembling voice.
The girl smiled, a calm, warm smile. “Yeah, I'm covered too. We're all 'art' carriers.”
Li Mei looked at the girl's gloved hands and suddenly understood something. She had once thought she was the only one cursed in this salon, but now she knew that they were all on the same assembly line, just playing different roles. They were the hands that created beauty, and also the medium for spreading the virus. And those glamorous nails were just seeds of this absurd society, taking root slowly and steadily in the shadows of this city.
Li Mei suddenly felt a strange calmness. She took off her gloves, exposing her cauliflower-covered hands, and gave the girl a sincere smile. They were no longer isolated victims, they were each other's mirrors, and witnesses to this absurd story. Their fingertips were blooming with the most hidden secrets of this city.
Their smiles, in the cramped space filled with the smell of nail polish, were particularly glaring.