Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Adding Insult to Injury
Chapter 44: Adding Insult to Injury
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
However, just as Xia Xin shut down her computer, she heard the system’s alert tone in her mind.
Warning! The system detected abnormalities, affinity level continuously decreased.
Xia Xin was startled. She immediately opened the system interface and discovered that her remaining affinity points, which were already quite low, were steadily decreasing and approaching zero.
It turned out that affinity points could not only increase but also decrease. If online discussions continued like that, Xia Xin might even end up with negative affinity points.
Xia Xin’s mood was finally affected. She had no idea whatsoever how to solve it. She didn’t follow celebrities or trending topics, and she knew nothing about public relations.
Animals have the keenest sense, and Layle might have sensed Xia Xin’s distress. He came over, rubbing his furry head against her ankle, and Xia Xin held him in her arms.
After half a month of careful care by Xia Xin, Layle’s wounds had healed, and his fur was getting shinier. Except for his tongue, Layle was hardly distinguishable from a normal dog anymore.
However, Xia Xin hadn’t noticed that something new was quietly growing at the base of Layle’s tongue.
The impact of this incident was enormous and even reached the zoo.
Initially, people said that Xia Xin had used connections to get into the zoo, but now the situation had escalated, reaching the director’s office.
Lu Yuan was left with no choice but to temporarily suspend Xia Xin’s activities throughout the zoo, confining her to the panda exhibit.
Lu Yuan earnestly told Xia Xin, “Xin, your image represents the entire Capital
Zoo. Keeping you at the panda exhibit is the only solution.”
Xia Xin expressed her understanding, but she still felt regretful. Upgrading the system to level two required 500 affinity points from 49 different animals. Now, with only one animal left, she had lost the opportunity to learn from various areas of the zoo.
Two days passed like that, and the situation hadn’t calmed down. Although Xia Xin had stepped away from the trending topics, discussions were still ongoing on various social media platforms. There was even a poll online speculating about when Xia Xin would announce her entry into the entertainment industry.
Xia Xin’s popularity remained high, but her affinity points continued to steadily decrease, stabilizing at zero. Looking at the red text, she could only sigh helplessly.
The most immediate effect of this incident was that Xia Xin was no longer as busy as before. She left work on time every day and had nowhere else to go, so she returned home early.
Xia Xin had tried to invite Zhao Nan over to her place for a gathering, but Zhao Nan declined each time. Consequently, Xia Xin’s activities to pass the time became walking her dog.
With the increasing popularity of a nearby baked bun stall, more and more tourists came to the neighborhood. As a result, Xia Xin’s dog-walking territory was confined to the apartment complex.
Another person affected by this change was Jing MO, who also needed to walk his dog.
In the garden of the complex. Xia Xin sat bored. watching Layle rolling around in the grass. Suddenly, she heard a familiar bark. Turning her head, she saw a beautifully fur-coated large dog leaping at her, knocking her onto the grass.
Bobo excitedly licked Xia Xin’s cheek, continually saying, “Xia Xin, it’s been so long since you walked me. Take me to eat baked buns!”
Jing MO tried to pull Bobo back but with little effect. He could only struggle to hold the leash and pull Bobo away from Xia Xin, then helped her up and apologized.
Xia Xin said, “It’s okay. Bobo probably hasn’t seen me in a while, so he’s excited.”
Both of them sat on the grass, watching Bobo and Layle play, without much communication.
After a while, Jing MO finally couldn’t stand it anymore and asked, “Are you bothered by the comments from netizens?”
Embarrassed, Xia Xin crookedly smiled. She had a habit of unconsciously sighing when she was annoyed.
Thinking that she had no idea how to handle this, Xia Xin decided to ask Jing MO for advice. He was a big star, so he surely had experience in handling public relations.
So, after briefly explaining the online comments on her video, Xia Xin asked Jing MO how to deal with them.
Jing MO asked her in return, “Do you really not want to enter the entertainment industry?”
Xia Xin candidly shook her head.
Jing MO said calmly, “Your popularity is high now, and discussions about you even exceed that of many celebrities. You’ve already been exposed to the public eye, and it’s hard to return to the quiet life of a zookeeper. I’ve seen the ads you’ve done. You’re camera-friendly and have a screen presence. You have all-around advantages. I’d say you’re naturally suited for a career in showbiz.
You might want to consider entering the entertainment industry..”