075. Big Man!
==============================
Lin Nan’s stomach wasn’t exactly a bottomless pit, considering his living allowance had always been tight, and when it came to food, he typically had to scrimp and save.
So after half an hour at the buffet, he tapped out and became Chen Yao’s personal chef, responsible for grilling meat but not for eating it.
The Next Day, Lin Nan, like an overzealous flyer distributor before National Day, found himself once again doling out leaflets.
Entering October, the temperatures still felt as hot as summer. Lin Nan thought he would be the only one on the flyer gig again, but upon arriving at the supermarket, he spotted a short girl in a mascot costume, listening to the supervisor drone on about safety protocols.
“You said you’d come during National Day,” the supervisor grumbled, clearly displeased at the sight of Lin Nan. “Because of you, we had no one to distribute flyers.”
“Why don’t you just have someone else stand at the entrance and hand them out?” Lin Nan, getting familiar with the supervisor’s gruff demeanor, shrugged it off.
The supervisor was Liu Yi, a thirty-something man with a solid build who looked like he could either sell insurance or wrestle bears. He stood tall and straight, radiating an aura of military discipline.
Though Liu Yi was past thirty, his square face didn’t show age, thanks to a bit of army swagger that automatically prompted trust and comfort from people, including Lin Nan, who found himself subconsciously warming to him.
“That wouldn’t be nearly as effective as seeing you in that outfit,” Liu Yi said, nodding toward the girl beside him. “This is your teammate. She says if she can survive today, she’ll be here every weekend. As a man, you should take care of her.”
Hearing “as a man” made Lin Nan puff up with pride, and he nodded vigorously without a second thought.
“Wait a minute,” the girl protested, looking incredulously at Lin Nan, “You’re a man?!”
“Is there a problem?!” Lin Nan struck a heroic pose, hands on hips. “I’m Lin Nan, but you can just call me Lin Ge!”
The girl hesitated for a moment, clearly struggling to call someone with a feminine face “bro.” She finally settled on introducing herself: “Li Sisi, a freshman, just here to earn some pocket money…”
Lin Nan gave her a once-over. The mascot suit made it hard to judge whether she was living her best life or struggling financially, but he didn’t dwell on it and boisterously declared, “If you need anything, just find me! If I can’t help, I’ll get the supervisor!”
Uh, a bit weak on the bravado there—no epic thumping sound.
Liu Yi rolled his eyes at Lin Nan’s bluster and barked, “Go change your clothes! Get those flyers out quick so you can get home early; it’s not safe at night!”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
At first, Lin Nan was intimidated by Liu Yi’s reprimand, but now he just shrugged it off and sauntered into the changing room with a nonchalant laugh.
Wearing a mascot suit wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, but Lin Nan had become a pro at it with practice. In just a few minutes, he had donned the Kumamon costume and plopped on the oversized head, slightly cumbersome as he waddled out of the changing room.
Liu Yi gave him a quick glance, then grabbed a stack of flyers from a nearby table, dividing them into two piles and handing them to Lin Nan and the girl, now known as Li Sisi.
Liu Yi had other matters to attend to, so after a brief rundown of things to watch for while distributing flyers, he left Li Sisi standing there, confused and clueless, clutching the leaflets with no idea what to do.
This short girl wasn’t unattractive; even without makeup, she was average at best on the street, but her gaunt face and high cheekbones gave off a sharp vibe. At the sight of her, Lin Nan’s protective instincts kicked in, and he straightened up, adopting the demeanor of a big man.
“Just stick with me! Let’s grab some Huoxiangzhengqi water so you don’t pass out from the heat.”
Lin Nan didn’t risk heat stroke—he just found the mascot suit a bit burdensome. Once he found a bustling spot, he could stand there all day, maybe even sit down while handing out flyers.
But Li Sisi wasn’t on the same page. Instead, she asked hesitantly, “Are you really a guy?”
Ever since his last magical cross-dressing escapade, Lin Nan’s once-strong masculine lines had softened, and with a more even distribution of facial fat, most would mistake him for a girl at first glance. He got used to it, casually explaining, “I just happen to be pretty handsome.”
Li Sisi let out a long “Huh…” She wasn’t the type to swoon over K-pop idols, but seriously, how could a guy have better skin than hers?
After buying a box of Huoxiangzhengqi water from the pharmacy, Lin Nan glanced at the street and pointed toward a nearby mall entrance. “That mall has a lot of foot traffic; you should hand out flyers there.”
Li Sisi was no fool. She paused, asking skeptically, “What if the security guards get me?”
You mean the very reason I want you to go there?
“Not gonna happen! I’ve done it before,” Lin Nan stated earnestly. “It’s the busiest spot, so you’ll get rid of those flyers fast. That way, you can head home sooner. I’ll find a little corner for myself.”
“Is that true…?”
Just a freshman, with not much life experience, she was cautious but eventually shuffled toward the mall entrance.
“If you start feeling dizzy, just ditch the mascot and find a place to rest,” he advised.
“Got it.”
Watching Li Sisi’s retreating figure, Lin Nan felt a thrill. He hadn’t had the chance to don the big man cape since the Lilith incident, and this protective feeling was surprisingly enjoyable.
Though there was some internal resistance to it, he savored it immensely.
I’m such a big man!
He muttered to himself, then strolled toward the nearby intersection, flyer in hand.
Sure, wearing a mascot suit in sweltering heat was tough, but thanks to magic, he wasn’t just standing around sweating; he was also getting a bit of a leg workout, helping to tone up his thigh fat so they wouldn’t wobble like jelly when he sat down.
Though, let’s be honest, that had more to do with his flyer duty than any past running regimen, which hadn’t done much for his health anyhow.
Yawning, Lin Nan reached the familiar traffic officer’s sunshade. The officer glanced at him but didn’t say much, simply shifting a couple of steps to make room.
As usual, Lin Nan extended the flyers to passersby, repeating what he had memorized from the leaflets: “Today, Mongolian dairy products are 20% off! Ladies, don’t you want to grab some milk?”
“Yonghui Supermarket has a draw for every 200 yuan spent, with a chance to win up to 1,000 yuan cash, oh~!”
