After Rebirth, My Archrival Omega Looks at Me Differently - Chapter 39

Zhong Yi’s words hit like a sudden clap of thunder, leaving the back row in complete silence.

Chi Yan immediately felt uneasy and rushed to deny it. “Zhong Yi, what nonsense are you talking about? I just want to buy something expensive and don’t have enough money, that’s all. What do you mean by ‘someone I like’? I don’t have anyone like that.”

Zhong Yi raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her overreaction.

“Really? You know lying like that might ruin your chances at love.”

“You’re the one who’s going to ruin her chances, Miss Chocolate.” Chi Yan gave her a look, then glanced at the large box of chocolates stuffed under Zhong Yi’s desk. She added with a teasing threat, “Keep it up and I’ll report you to the discipline committee for sneaking snacks during class.”

The bright classroom lights fell evenly on the two side-by-side desks. As Chi Yan spoke, she naturally turned to look at Yan Youqing, who had just returned from her meeting with Ms. Li Qin.

She was calmly taking out the test paper from her pocket, her face as composed as ever. She didn’t seem bothered by Chi Yan’s teasing or suspicious about what Zhong Yi had said earlier.

It looked like Chi Yan’s question during biology class about what she liked hadn’t raised any alarms.

Feeling slightly relieved, Chi Yan relaxed a bit.

What she couldn’t figure out was why Zhong Yi saying the words “someone you like” had made her feel so flustered.

Even though she had grown closer to Yan Youqing recently, she wasn’t her crush. At least, not that she knew of.

“Wait,” Zhong Yi said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I might actually know a way to make quick money.”

Chi Yan perked up immediately.

“Really? What is it?”

“Public holidays are the best time for that,” Zhong Yi said. “Is your purchase urgent? If not, you could totally give up your three-day New Year’s break and find a part-time job. Theme parks, shopping malls, movie theaters, anywhere like that works.”

“They pay triple, cover meals, and most importantly, it doesn’t go against school rules.”

As she spoke, Zhong Yi gave a sweet smile, as if trying to earn back some points after getting caught eating chocolate. She even glanced over at Yan Youqing for effect.

But Yan Youqing remained focused on her notes, her head slightly lowered, clearly uninterested in their conversation.

Chi Yan actually thought Zhong Yi’s suggestion was great.

There was still a month and over twenty days left before Yan Youqing’s birthday. Most of the chemical materials she needed to make the preserved flower could be borrowed from the biology lab, and there was no rush. She was also of legal age now, so working a proper job wasn’t a problem.

Chi Yan nodded in approval.

“Yi, I didn’t expect you to come up with something smart for once.”

Zhong Yi smiled proudly.

“Of course I did.”

She popped another piece of chocolate into her mouth, looking completely satisfied.

As the New Year drew closer, the cold of winter deepened. Snow covered the ground, making the season look softer and warmer than it felt.

It was the last day of the year. On the other side of time, the new year stood ready to take its place.

At the beginning of the month, the largest amusement park in A City had started promoting a huge fireworks show for New Year’s Eve.

Now, before it was even eight o’clock, the area was already packed with crowds.

The streets outside were bustling, and the employee break room was just as noisy.

All the staff were preparing for the opening events. A person dressed in a large brown bear costume slowly sat down. As she removed the oversized headpiece, a long ponytail spilled out like a waterfall. Her bangs were soaked with sweat.

Chi Yan was working part-time as a mascot for the celebration, assigned to greet guests outside the fireworks venue.

The job was tiring, but the pay was better than anything else. Three hundred yuan per hour, nine hundred for three hours.

The task was demanding, and the team leader was rushing around, giving orders to the people in costume. When she reached Chi Yan, she paused.

Since Chi Yan was new, she gave her some extra instructions.

“Chi Yan, it’s going to be very crowded tonight. Just focus on interacting with the guests outside. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Chi Yan had already heard most of this while getting her costume fitted, but she still listened politely and nodded.

“Alright.”

“There will be kids. Try your best to act professional and stay calm. If anything goes wrong, you won’t get your payment.”

Chi Yan understood and replied with a playful grin.

“For nine hundred, I’ll be the picture of self-control.”

Compared to the others working that night, Chi Yan had left a good impression. The team leader smiled at her response and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Do a good job. Once the fireworks start, you can come back and rest. You might even catch part of the show.”

“That sounds amazing,” Chi Yan said with a bright smile.

The mascot costume was warm enough to block the cold, but inside it was uncomfortably stuffy.

Just after putting it on and sitting down, Chi Yan was already drenched in sweat. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to spend the next few hours outside, interacting with people.

Still, she had a cheerful energy about her. It was as if she had taken this job just to sneak into the expensive fireworks show for free. Once she heard there was a chance to see it, she forgot about the hard work ahead and hugged the bear costume with a happy grin.

The night sky grew darker. The blackness covered the city like a heavy quilt.

The amusement park lit up with bright lights. As the countdown to midnight drew closer, more and more people arrived.

The holiday spirit was everywhere. Before the fireworks even started, the mascots outside had become the main attraction for visitors.

Guests lined up for photos and playful moments. Inside the large brown bear costume, Chi Yan did her best to act like an adorable character.

“Thank you, Bear Bear,” said a couple after taking a photo, waving goodbye to her.

Chi Yan watched them through the small opening at the mouth of the costume and waved back with the bear’s oversized hand.

Bringing joy to others gave her a sense of accomplishment.

But just then, she suddenly felt a hard shove from behind.

She hadn’t been expecting it at all. Her head wobbled from the impact, and she nearly lost her balance.

Startled, Chi Yan quickly steadied herself and peeked out through the mouth of the costume.

A small boy in a formal little suit stood beside her, grinning and resting his hand on the cotton-padded part of her waist.

Chi Yan frowned and waved a hand to signal that it was not okay.

But the boy didn’t care. Still smiling, he gave her another strong push.

Chi Yan’s irritation quickly turned into real frustration.

Still, she remembered the team leader’s strict warning and knew she couldn’t react with force. She quietly stepped away from the child.

Out of sight, out of mind. Right now, the most important thing was getting paid.

But the child was like a fly buzzing around an elephant. No matter how many times you swat him away with your tail, he just keeps coming back.

And this time, he brought a second fly with him.

“No! Did you hear me? If you don’t stop, big sister will get angry!” Chi Yan tried her best to keep a calm tone, dodging as she spoke.

But the two boys ignored her warning completely. Instead, her words seemed to excite them more.

“Hit you, hit you! You’re not allowed to talk! Mascots aren’t supposed to talk!”

“Yeah! Stay still! Bad bear!”

Inside the hot and stuffy costume, Chi Yan felt like her brain was a gear tangled up in seaweed, no matter how hard it tried, it just wouldn’t turn.

Sweat was now running uncontrollably down her face thanks to the antics of these two kids. Tied down by the paycheck she desperately needed, she couldn’t think of any way to stop them without breaking the rules.

She stumbled awkwardly between the two troublemakers, trying to dodge their attacks. She had never found the sound of children’s laughter so unbearable.

She wanted to find their parents, but her limited field of vision inside the costume made it hard to look around. The crowd was constantly shifting, and spotting their guardians felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The mascot costume didn’t fully connect at the ankles, and the coral fleece socks she wore were no match for the freezing air. Her ankles had been exposed to the cold wind for so long, they were starting to go numb. Still, she tried to stay balanced between the two kids. But the one in the little suit seemed to sense her exhaustion and suddenly lunged, ready to give her another hard shove.

This time, Chi Yan couldn’t keep her balance.

The oversized bear head tilted straight backward, and the sensation of falling pulled her body with it.

Time seemed to stretch. The glow of the streetlights passed through her vision, and she even had time to imagine how she might get compensation from the kids afterward.

But before she could fall, someone caught her.

Strong arms wrapped around the bulky costume, stopping her fall. A gust of wind slipped through the mascot’s opening, carrying a faint salty scent, like sea breeze, into the sweltering space inside.

Chi Yan’s headgear shifted to the side, blocking her view of whoever had come to help. In the chaos, she heard a calm voice speak firmly, “Little ones, that’s enough.”

The kids, of course, didn’t listen. Laughing and shouting, they ran forward, ready to throw more punches at the mascot.

But this time, they didn’t get the chance.

Chi Yan couldn’t move much inside the costume, but her rescuer wasn’t restricted at all.

Before the little boy in the suit could land another hit, a slender, firm hand caught his wrist.

The voice now sounded much more serious.

“I said, that’s enough.”

Chi Yan was still adjusting her costume and couldn’t see what was happening, but she heard the boy suddenly start to cry.

And it wasn’t the spoiled, whining kind of cry. It was loud, full of fear, and completely unrestrained.

At that moment, the children’s parents finally appeared.

A sharp female voice cut through the noise like a siren.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? How dare you scare our child?!”

Chi Yan suddenly felt worried for the person who had helped her. If that woman made a scene, it could cost them their job. She hurried to adjust her bear head, ready to step in and explain.

But before she could speak, the same calm voice rang out again.

“So these two kids aren’t lost? They belong to you?”

There was a cold edge to the words, a hint of sarcasm that stung.

The woman’s face turned ugly with anger.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The mascot costumes are bulky. Most people inside them are petite young women. What your kids just did could have really hurt someone. That’s written clearly in the entry guidelines on the ticketing site,” the person continued steadily. “If you were nearby the whole time, why didn’t you stop them?”

The woman scoffed.

“So what if it’s a mascot? I paid money to be here. What, I can’t even touch them now? If that’s the case, maybe you shouldn’t have them out here at all. Want to make money off us, but expect us to treat them like royalty? What are we, here to serve you?”

She raised her voice, her tone shrill and cutting.

“You think I won’t file a complaint?”

Chi Yan’s hand paused mid-motion as she adjusted the costume.

Now she knew the person who had stepped in was a staff member of the amusement park. But she also knew how devastating a customer complaint could be for workers.

She couldn’t let this person take the fall for helping her.

Just as she reached up, ready to remove the bear head and speak up, she saw a hand stretch into view through the mouth of the costume.

The hand was slender and pale, resting firmly on a staff badge pinned to the chest of a black-and-white uniform.

“If you want to file a complaint, here is my employee number,” the voice said calmly. “Our entire conversation is being recorded.”

Though the park was still noisy, that voice pierced the crowd like a stream of icy water cutting through a winter night.

Chi Yan stood still, stunned by the cool clarity of it. Something about the tone, the logic, the way the person spoke, it all felt oddly familiar.

The streetlights along the path glowed like stars scattered across the sky, and Chi Yan followed their light until she saw a familiar profile standing at the heart of it all.

It was Yan Youqing.

She was wearing the park’s black-and-white uniform. The top button of her shirt was done all the way up, shining faintly under the lights.

The cold wind carried the salty scent of the sea, and for a moment, Chi Yan felt like she had traveled through time.

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