Chapter 7: Poker-faced Bear Baby
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The amusement park was a popular gathering place and one of An Bu’s most frequent part-time venues.
It was early summer, and the weather was quite hot. Not many people could endure wearing thick mascot suits under the sun for two to three hours straight. For someone with a slightly weaker constitution, heatstroke could happen at any moment. However, An Bu didn’t have to worry about any of that. She couldn’t feel the heat at all. Even if she put on a 50-centimeter thick cotton coat, it wouldn’t turn her into a sweaty, hot mess. The only catch was that she couldn’t expose herself directly to the sun, or her skin would get sunburned, increasing her death value.
In the amusement park, a fluffy poker-faced bear baby held a dozen balloons, and a sign hung on its chest with cartoon font that read: “Children below 1.4 meters in height can receive one free balloon with the ticket, and they can also shake hands, take photos, and raised high with the poker-faced bear baby.”
Children joyfully gathered around, clamoring for balloons and hugs. The poker-faced bear baby distributed balloons while calmly removing the little troublemakers hanging onto her. She didn’t forget to strike cool poses in front of the camera, entertaining the surrounding crowd.
“Uncle, there are many balloons over there. Let’s go check it out!” a six or seven-year-old girl pointed excitedly at the poker-faced bear not far away, shouting to the man beside her.
The man raised his head, revealing a sharply defined handsome face.
Jian Ningxuan nodded, signaling his assistant Little Liu to lead the child over, while he strolled along slowly behind them. The sweltering weather made him extremely irritable. The back of his T-shirt was soaked with sweat, making him feel sticky and uncomfortable.
“Which one does Weiwei want?” Little Liu asked.
Jian Xiaowei looked for a while and finally chose the big gray wolf.
Little Liu took out the ticket, received a big gray wolf balloon from the poker-faced bear, and handed it to Jian Xiaowei.
Jian Xiaowei, holding the big gray wolf balloon, still stared at the other balloons in the poker-faced bear’s hand, showing no intention of leaving.
“What’s wrong?” Little Liu looked at Jian Xiaowei in confusion.
Jian Xiaowei ignored him, broke free from his hand, and ran to the poker-faced bear baby, staring eagerly at those balloons.
At this moment, Jian Ningxuan walked over. He was about to urge her, but when he was three steps away from the poker-faced bear, he stopped, and his ice-blue eyes sparkled slightly.
“Poker-faced bear baby, I want the little bunny balloon.” Jian Xiaowei pointed at the pink rabbit balloon in An Bu’s hand and murmured.
“You already have the big gray wolf; you can’t ask for the little bunny.” An Bu meant that each person could only get one balloon.
Jian Xiaowei pouted, “The big gray wolf will be lonely without the little bunny. Can the poker-faced bear baby bear be willing to see it suffer?”
Who told you that the big gray wolf and the little bunny are a couple? This serious violation of the laws of the jungle pair is non-existent.
An Bu said firmly, “You’re wrong. The little bunny is my fiancée. How can I give my fiancée to the big gray wolf?”
Jian Xiaowei opened her mouth wide, her eyes filled with shock: The little bunny is the poker-faced bear baby’s fiancée? When did this happen? Did she miss some important plot?
She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she lowered her head and said dejectedly, “Okay, I won’t argue with you. I can’t let my big gray wolf be someone else’s third wheel.”
An Bu: What did your parents teach you usually?
Jian Xiaowei hung her head in disappointment, preparing to leave, when suddenly she heard a child behind her shout, “I want the little bunny!”
Jian Xiaowei thought to herself: The little bunny is already taken, they won’t give it to you.
But unexpectedly, the poker-faced bear that had just rejected her agreed readily, “Okay, you can have the little bunny.”
Jian Xiaowei turned around in surprise, watching the poker-faced bear give the little bunny to someone else in disbelief.
“You said the little bunny is your fiancée!” Jian Xiaowei ran back, pointed at the poker-faced bear, and angrily questioned, looking like she was accusing a heartbreaker.
An Bu remained poker-faced, “We just annulled our engagement, and it found new happiness.”
Jian Xiaowei pursed her lips, feeling wronged, “Then why don’t you let it be with the big gray wolf!”
An Bu gently placed her thick bear paw on the little girl’s head and whispered, “Silly child, the big gray wolf already has you, doesn’t it?”
Jian Xiaowei was stunned, looking up at the balloon in her hand, the mischievous face of the big gray wolf smiling brightly at her.
She lowered her head, murmuring softly, “…Well, the big gray wolf having me is enough.”
An Bu, with a poker face: Kids these days are really mature…
Jian Ningxuan stood on the side, watching the multi-faceted love affair between different species, feeling quite awkward.
“Uncle, I want to go on the Ferris wheel with the big gray wolf.” Jian Xiaowei turned to Jian Ningxuan.
Looking in the direction of the little girl’s gaze, An Bu finally noticed there was a person standing behind her, just two steps away.
“Well, let Uncle Liu take you. I’ll wait here for you.” Jian Ningxuan stood motionless next to An · Poker-faced Bear · Bu, showing no intention of moving.
“Okay.” Jian Xiaowei obediently agreed and happily followed Uncle Liu away.
An Bu glanced at Jian Ningxuan, feeling like she had seen this man somewhere before. However, she didn’t dwell on irrelevant passersby and focused on being her poker-faced bear, giving out balloons to children. After finishing one batch, she received another, then moved to another location to continue.
Throughout the process, there was always someone by her side, like a shadow. If not standing on her left, then on her right, maintaining a distance of two or three steps, just like a personal bodyguard.
A familiar scene, An Bu finally triggered some hazy memories. Wasn’t this man the strange guy she encountered at Liang Yuan’s engagement banquet?
After finishing the third batch of balloons, An Bu decided to chat with him for a bit.
“How should I address you, sir?” she couldn’t believe that he could recognize her in her current appearance.
“Jian Ningxuan,” Jian Ningxuan replied with a pleasant tone. Though he didn’t show any expression, to those familiar with him, it could be considered a pleasant reply.
“Do you really like the poker-faced bear?” An Bu could only think of this possibility. Otherwise, why would a normal person follow a staff member dressed as a poker-faced bear around?
Jian Ningxuan stared at the poker-faced bear’s expressionless face, completely unaffected by its cuteness. The déjà vu was too strong, as if he frequently saw a similar face in the mirror.
“Don’t like it?” An Bu observed his reaction, and it was evident that he was someone without a childlike heart, emitting an aura of worldly wealth. “Then why have you been following me?”
“It’s cooler next to you,” Jian Ningxuan gave her a helpless answer.
“Out of all the shaded areas around, you find it cooler to stand next to me under the sun?” An Bu adjusted her bear head, looking at him with a poker face.
Jian Ningxuan remained silent, showing no intention to explain.
An Bu had a thought. If this man really found it cooler to be next to her, it could only be because he sensed the corpse aura on her. Corpse aura could give people a chill, but it couldn’t relieve the heat. Even if this man had a more sensitive perception than normal people, he would instinctively keep his distance rather than treat her as an air conditioner.
Taking bear-like steps, An Bu walked away, reaching a distance of 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters… When she reached 7 meters, Jian Ningxuan followed and closed the distance back to within 2 meters. Besides taking up some space, he didn’t make any noise or exhibit other impolite behavior. An Bu suspected that he followed her due to his unique constitution.
There are generally two types of people who are drawn to Yin energy. One is those with an extremely Yin constitution, who can cultivate using Yin energy. The other is those with an extremely Yang constitution who need Yin energy for balance. This man, with his vigorous fire aura, clearly belonged to the latter. Thinking about it, An Bu could understand his behavior.
An Bu thought for a moment and took dozens of balloons at once, handing half to Jian Ningxuan. “Help me distribute balloons; consider it venue fee.”
Jian Ningxuan’s eyebrows twitched a few times, looking disdainfully at the balloons in his hand. Without saying much, he stood stiffly by her side, resembling an eccentric sculpture.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded. The poker-faced bear was surrounded by children, while Jian Ningxuan was ignored. Laughter and joy filled the air, but he stood alone, only two meters away, like two different worlds.
An Bu had to admit that she was wrong. Jian Ningxuan’s appearance might be extraordinary, but his sharp and unsociable personality was not attractive to children. Even with cute balloons in hand, he couldn’t increase his approachability. It was easy to guess that this guy probably had poor social skills.
Two hours later, An Bu’s morning work was mostly done.
Jian Ningxuan called Little Liu and asked them to meet at the Capri Ice Cream Shop.
Turning around, An Bu walked away, planning to find a place to rest, have a couple of fruit juices, and replenish some vitamins.
Just as she took a few steps, a cold voice sounded from behind, “An Bu.”
He accurately called out her name.
Surprised, An Bu turned around. How did this man know her name? And with her dressed like this, how did he recognize her? Could he really identify her just by the corpse aura on her body? His sensitivity seemed too sharp.
Jian Ningxuan walked up to her and asked, “Do you have any interest in the position of a life assistant?”
“No,” An Bu refused decisively.
“30,000 monthly salary, including meals and accommodation, plus bonuses,” Jian Ningxuan offered an attractive compensation package.
However, not 30,000, let alone 3, 000,000, could entice An Bu.
“Sorry, I’m satisfied with my current job.”
“Your so-called satisfactory job includes being a restaurant server, hotel waiter, and amusement park mascot, right?” Jian Ningxuan pointed out sharply.
“Yeah, any problem with that?”
“The monthly salary for these jobs is at most five to six thousand, and judging by your appearance, it’s just part-time with no stable income. Since that’s the case, why not accept my offer?” Jian Ningxuan believed that the conditions he offered were generous enough.
“Because I like to try different jobs,” An Bu said lightly. “I don’t care about income at all.”
Jian Ningxuan: “…”
Realism meets romanticism, and the conversation couldn’t go on.
“Alright, I’m going to rest now. See you if we meet again.” An Bu waved her bear paw and walked away.
Watching her “bear-strong” figure gradually disappear, Jian Ningxuan felt a bit restless. The only comfortable coolness had vanished, and he was once again trapped in unbearable heat. However, he didn’t like forcing others, so if the other party wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t insist. There was just a subtle sense of loss in his heart.
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