Chapter 11: Radiant
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“I know some good surgeons; should I help you make an appointment?” Jian Ningxuan asked with a serious expression.
“No need, my injuries are really not that serious,” An Bu politely declined.
Jian Ningxuan had carefully examined the videos and photos, and he couldn’t believe that such injuries could be considered “not serious.”
“What if it leaves a scar?” Jian Ningxuan stared at the half of her face exposed outside the bandage. His obsessive-compulsive nature couldn’t tolerate any inexplicable flaws on something intact. Although this face didn’t belong to him, it would be active in his line of sight for a long time to come.
“It won’t leave a scar.” An Bu answered casually, her gaze scanning the fruits on the table. She had deliberately selected four different colored fruits. Would he eat them?
“How can you be sure there won’t be a scar?” Jian Ningxuan felt that this girl didn’t take her face seriously at all after such an injury.
An Bu picked up a small fork, speared a piece of kiwi, and held it up to him, “Because fruits have beauty benefits.”
Jian Ningxuan: “…” Are you serious?
“Give it a try; it tastes really good.” An Bu strongly recommended.
Jian Ningxuan kept a cold face, motionless.
“Shall I feed you?” To see him shine and change colors, An Bu, with her bandaged face, resorted to a “beauty trap.”
Jian Ningxuan’s eyebrow twitched, he took the fork and sent the kiwi into his mouth.
An Bu stared at him, seconds passed, and nothing happened.
Strange, why isn’t he shining? Could it be that he doesn’t like kiwi?
“Try the mango?” An Bu pushed the fruit platter in his direction.
Jian Ningxuan put down the fork, “Let’s eat fruits later. Let’s continue our previous topic.”
“Not that, then we can maintain an employer-employee relationship.”
A single sentence silenced Mr. Jian.
An Bu, seeing that the fruit strategy wasn’t very successful, stood up and said, “Do you want to stay for lunch.”
“…Sure, sorry for the trouble.” Jian Ningxuan, who felt very comfortable here, couldn’t make an insincere refusal.
Since An Bu was unwilling to discuss her injuries, there was no need for him to insist. He temporarily put aside the matter of treatment, deciding to offer help when she truly needed it.
Jian Ningxuan sat on the sofa, his long fingers intertwined. His left thumb gently stroked the joints of his right index finger. His ice-blue eyes faintly shimmered, occasionally drifting towards the direction of the kitchen.
This was his first time visiting someone’s home who he wasn’t familiar with. Coming empty-handed seemed a bit impolite, especially since the other person was an injured patient whom he came to visit without even bringing a gift.
Thinking about this, Jian Ningxuan stood up and walked to the kitchen door, saying to An Bu, who was busy inside, “I’ll be right back.”
“Sure,” An Bu responded without turning his head.
Forty minutes later, An Bu served the meal on the table just as Jian Ningxuan returned. He had a bunch of flowers in his hands—11 pink roses surrounded by forget-me-nots in shades of purple, with baby’s breath as decoration.
“Here, for you.” He handed the bouquet to An Bu. “Wishing you a speedy recovery.”
“Thank you.” Although this bouquet appeared to be a big white mass with black, interspersed with a few dots of gray in An Bu’s eyes, she still returned a sincere smile.
“Wash up, let’s get ready to eat.” An Bu found a ceramic vase, arranged the flowers, and placed it on the coffee table, adding new colors to the room.
The lunch was sumptuous, with braised beef in brown sauce (brown), tomato hairtail (red), stir-fried leek (green), egg shrimp tofu (gold), rosy drunken radish (pink), amaranth soup (purple), plus a colorful salad, truly a feast for the eyes and palate.
Jian Ningxuan looked at the table full of dishes and felt that An Bu had an extraordinary dedication to colors, whether in decorations or food.
“Just a simple home-cooked meal, don’t be polite.” An Bu helped Jian Ningxuan to a bowl of soup, then sat across from him, nibbling on the vegetable salad while quietly observing.
Jian Ningxuan ate quietly, his slender fingers not very proficient with chopsticks, indicating that he was probably used to Western cuisine.
At that moment, a touch of brown suddenly appeared in front of An Bu. She paused, her gaze quickly scanning the braised beef that Jian Ningxuan had just eaten. Then, a hint of pink flashed on him, this time from the rosy drunken radish.
When it came to tomato hairtail and stir-fried leek, there was no change. However, when tasting the colorful salad, he exhibited flashes of yellow, green, red, and purple, corresponding to corn, peas, cherry tomatoes, and purple cabbage.
An Bu watched attentively, her ink-black pupils shining brightly. A difficult-to-express joy surged within her. For someone who hadn’t seen colors for over eighty years, even a fleeting glimpse of brightness was so beautiful.
Living alone, one could savor the flavors of life – sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty, and witness the colors of red, yellow, blue, green, and purple, experiencing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; yet, her world was only a monochrome palette. She worked hard to accumulate vitality, just to regain the normal sensations of a living person and rediscover the joy of living.
“What are you looking at?” After being stared at by An Bu for a few minutes, Jian Ningxuan finally couldn’t help but ask.
An Bu sincerely praised, “Mr. Jian, you are truly radiant.” It was not flattery; it was absolute realism.
Jian Ningxuan: “…”
Just after eating a piece of egg tofu, a golden light suddenly appeared, more dazzling than any dish before. An Bu’s focused eyes, illuminated by the golden glow, were clear and radiant.
“Mr. Jian, do you really like egg tofu?”
“Mm.” Jian Ningxuan relaxed his brows, and his low, soothing voice carried a hint of ease.
An Bu probably figured out some patterns; only when he ate food he liked and enjoyed it would the colors appear on him.
As lunch ended, An Bu had already formulated a strategy in her mind on how to correctly feed Mr. Jian with delicious food.
Jian Ningxuan had work in the afternoon, so he didn’t linger at An Bu’s house for too long. After drinking a cup of tea, he bid farewell and left.
Back at his residence, Jian Ningxuan turned on his phone and immediately received dozens of message notifications. He quickly browsed through them while opening his computer, simultaneously reviewing the market research reports from his subordinates and conducting technical analysis on stock price charts. His mind was working rapidly, highly concentrated.
Several dozen minutes later, he responded to his subordinates’ messages one by one, issued instructions, and prepared for any potential market fluctuations.
“Sigh.” Jian Ningxuan loosened his collar, stood up, and walked towards the bathroom. The discomfort from the heat on his body made him feel very uneasy, and only during work could he temporarily forget about his physical abnormalities.
Cold water ran over his robust body, generating a thin mist. With a body temperature of 44 degrees, enough to be life-threatening for a normal person, Jian Ningxuan, painless and without illness, had lived for 29 years, enduring this unbearable high fever all along. He had thought that this would never change in his lifetime, but unexpectedly, he had encountered a girl who could bring him coolness and tranquility.
Her figure involuntarily appeared in his mind, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of Jian Ningxuan’s mouth. The cold and sharp features of his eyes and eyebrows relaxed unconsciously.
Wrapping a towel around himself, he walked out of the bathroom, looking at the empty and cold surroundings. Jian Ningxuan suddenly felt like something was missing. Could it be that the vibrant and colorful decoration style of An Bu’s house had influenced a change in his aesthetic taste?
Shaking his head to dismiss the frightening speculation, Jian Ningxuan returned to the computer, checking for updates on the aftermath of the accident. After confirming that An Bu was indeed the disfigured girl, Jian Ningxuan admired her bravery, sympathized with her kindness, and felt anger towards her plight.
Netizens had already taken action, searching for the scum who had harmed her all over the world. They aimed to make him publicly apologize and face the appropriate punishment.
In less than a day and a half, the identity of that person was dug out by the resourceful netizens.
Huang Kaiping, 48 years old, deputy head of security at a certain company, currently on vacation. The police quickly located him and brought him to the station on charges of intentional harm. However, to charge him, they needed to find the victim.
So, someone online initiated a search for the angel, hoping that the girl could appear and seek justice for herself.
However, days passed without any news from the girl. In the video, her face was covered in blood, and only the general outline could be seen. Her car was identified only by its model and color, with no glimpse of the license plate. This made netizens complain for a long time; they had captured the car but not a single person managed to capture the license plate, as if these individuals collectively shielded the license plate at the same time.
The turning point came on the seventh day after the accident. Someone on Facebook claimed to have found the girl.
[The angel turns out to be her!] @Bei Mengla.
[Bei Mengla? That third-rate minor celebrity?]
[What, it’s my Lala?!]
[Look closely, Bei Mengla does look a bit like that girl.]
[The official account did mention a few days ago that Bei Mengla was injured, but didn’t say how or where.]
[Paparazzi took a few photos, and Lala had her right face bandaged.]
[Darn, is it real? Such a coincidence?]
…
Reporters and netizens flooded Bei Mengla’s official account, seeking confirmation of the truth.
Bei Mengla’s official account posted an ambiguously worded message: [Lala is seriously injured this time and needs a period of recovery and treatment. We hope everyone can continue to support her as before and help her through this difficult time.]
Neither admitting nor denying, but shortly thereafter, the Starlight Entertainment Company, where Bei Mengla was, filed a lawsuit against Huang Kaiping. This move undoubtedly served as indirect confirmation of the speculations made by the public.
A stone caused a thousand ripples.
Bei Mengla’s popularity skyrocketed in a very short period. Her name frequently appeared on major media platforms, and praises such as “fallen angel,” “most beautiful star,” and “kind goddess” were showered upon her as if they cost nothing.
So, when An Bu’s injuries had mostly healed, someone successfully took credit for the actions she had taken.
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