Sneaking chickens and dogs
The spirit looked at He Ying in shock, then turned her head to flee, but found herself immobilized by several beams of white light that pinned it to the ground, rendering her unable to move.
“Oh? You recognize me?” He Ying said with a barely perceptible smile as she observed the spirit’s expression.
Thus, it appeared that she was not entirely unknown in the entertainment circle.
“Release me! Or aren’t you afraid that everyone will learn your secret of being a spirit?” the spirit shouted fiercely.
However, this did not intimidate He Ying in the slightest. Shaking her head, she looked at the spirit as if looking at a fool, thinking to herself that not only was this creature’s power unimpressive, but her intelligence seemed to be lacking as well.
“Having encountered me, how could you possibly think of leaving?” As she spoke, a flash of white light sparked from her fingertips, sending a soft white glow shooting upwards, vanishing into the dark sky.
“Just wait, whether you can leave or not will soon be a moot point.” He Ying spoke in a relaxed tone, placing another restriction on the spirit, removing any possibility of her escape.
“Why have you come to me on your own again?” He Ying looked down at the panda cub in her arms with a hint of exasperation. Could it be the little one was craving bamboo shoots again?
This fondness for eating, it was just like someone she knew.
“Mmm! Mmm!” Jing Dan wriggled in her body. How come the tone sounded like it was blaming her now?
“Don’t move!” He Ying steadied her, gently stroking her head with the palm of her hand, fiddling with that tuft of stubborn hair, her tone deepening a bit, “I saw just now that even without me, you wouldn’t have been in trouble, but there’s always the ‘what if’. What if this time, you came across something much more powerful?”
Although such spirits that prey on their own kind are few, it doesn’t mean one can be without vigilance. If today’s spirit had been stronger, if she hadn’t been there, He Ying didn’t even dare to think of the consequences.
Jing Dan lowered her head, burying it entirely in He Ying’s embrace, not allowing her to see, feeling a small defiance in her heart, yet simultaneously a sense of guilt because she knew what He Ying said was true.
Seeing her like this, He Ying didn’t know what else to say, so she rubbed Jing Dan’s head, deliberately asking in a lighthearted tone, “Still want bamboo shoots? I’ll dig up the tender ones for you.”
She was so soft and fluffy to the touch that He Ying didn’t want to let her go.
Jing Dan let out a cold snort from her nose and continued without lifting her head.
He Ying couldn’t help but chuckle. Was Jing Dan holding a grudge just because she made a couple of remarks? Her petty demeanor somehow reminded He Ying of the childish Jing Dan, who seemed similarly petulant when upset.
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But now, since she didn’t have a face to show, if there were expressions to see, would she be pouting just like Jing Dan, flaunting a sullen disposition?
He Ying amused herself with this thought. Seeing that she was ignoring her, He Ying carried her off in her arms toward the distance, leaving the spirit behind to slowly wait for the response from the Spirit Realm Management Bureau.
As He Ying held her, they searched for those bamboo shoots, specifically the tender ones. Perhaps it was because of past experience, but this time she found them much more easily. She soon picked a stick and squatted down to start digging around the soil of the shoots.
Jing Dan heard some movements and shifted her head, intending to look up. However, as soon as she had raised her head a little, she suddenly remembered that she was still angry; she couldn’t give in so easily! Then, she promptly buried her head back down.
He Ying’s lips were curved with a smile. She had just finished recording a program tonight and thought to come here to relax and see if she might get lucky and really encounter this little panda. As it turned out, she did bump into it, only the sighting nearly scared her to death.
She twisted and snapped off a bamboo shoot, then placed the little panda on her lap and started to peel the shoots for it. After removing all the peels, she waved the shoot in front of the panda’s nose, teasing, “Won’t eat? It’s very tender.”
As she spoke, she chuckled inwardly. A fine spirit, she had become, living as if she were nothing more than a tool for others.
Peeling bamboo shoots for this panda, peeling shrimp and picking out Sichuan peppercorns in front of Jing Dan, it was a life tantamount to that of a utility person.
Jing Dan’s nose twitched, catching the fresh scent of bamboo shoots. She really wanted to eat it, but she was conflicted.
If she ate it, wouldn’t that be like slapping her own face after her previous act?
Not sure if He Ying had understood her proud and coquettish dilemma, she lifted her, changing her position, and then brought the bamboo shoot to her mouth, saying with a smile, “Open up.”
Jing Dan: “…”
This posture, to those unaware, would seem as if she was being fed with a milk bottle.
Then, with the food already brought to her mouth, especially since it had already touched her lips, how could there be any reason not to eat?
She raised her hand to hold the bamboo shoot to her mouth, nibbling on it while her eyes followed He Ying’s movements as she carried her, searching for more shoots.
Soon, several urgent mmm-mmm sounds came from her mouth, and she lifted a claw to point at a bamboo plant not far away, excitedly tapping on He Ying’s hand.
“Alright, alright, don’t rush, you eat slowly, I’ll go dig for you,” He Ying said with amusement, pretending to walk quickly a few steps toward the spot Jing Dan pointed out, and surprisingly found several shoots there.
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She shook her head inwardly, the urge to laugh growing stronger.
As she dug, she asked, “You still can’t speak, can you?”
Jing Dan continued munching on her tender bamboo shoots, completely ignoring her words.
He Ying: “…”
It was that familiar recipe, the unmistakable flavor of an indifferent bear.
“Anyway, we’ve met twice now, so we’re friends by now, right?”
Having finished eating, Jing Dan stretched her head out to watch her dig for shoots.
He Ying: “…”
Fine, what can you do when she’s a panda?
After digging up tender bamboo shoots for her for a good part of the night, the well-fed bear suddenly flashed with a white light and then vanished from He Ying’s embrace.
He Ying, with an expressionless face, lowered her hand. Very well, she had completely taken note of this white eyed bear.
Returning to her room, Jing Dan cleaned herself up before rolling into bed. She pulled the blanket over her belly, and finally, feeling sleepy and comfortable, she drifted off.
When she awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. Jing Dan sat up in bed, still in her panda form, she seemed particularly tiny on the vast bed. Sitting up, she looked like a soft rice cake, or a black and white sticky rice dumpling—one that someone would be tempted to take a bite out of.
However, Jing Dan was confused. A whole night had passed—why hadn’t she transformed back into her human form?
While she was still bewildered, Hu Tu, watching He Ying sitting in front of her, couldn’t help but want to laugh.
“Did you go out on a stealthy midnight adventure?” Those dark circles under your eyes—anyone would believe you were a panda.
Actually, spirits don’t need to sleep, but nowadays, most spirits live in the human world. To adapt, many have adjusted their routines, making themselves appear to need sleep just like humans. Consequently, this also means that pulling an all-nighter results in dark circles under the eyes, just like it would for humans.
He Ying’s face was expressionless, taut with seriousness. She wasn’t out sneaking chickens and dogs; she simply spent the whole night digging for bamboo shoots for a white eyed bear.
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“What do you want from me?” Hu Tu didn’t believe that the other came to see her early in the morning just to scowl at her.
He Ying’s expression grew stern as she looked at Hu Tu, speaking with grave sincerity, “How on earth has Jing Dan managed to survive to this age? Why haven’t you taught her more?”
How did these two manage it—one with the cunning of eight hundred sly hearts, and the other so naive that her single heart seems to have holes in it?
The author has something to say:
He He: One heart but with two gaping holes.
Luan Luan: Let me translate, let me translate—it’s what’s commonly called being simple-minded! Dan Dan, she’s saying you’re simple-minded!
He He: …