Panda Cub – Chapter 35

Sharing the same bed, dreaming different dreams

Jing Dan went to the bathroom, and He Ying found a lint roller to start cleaning up the fur on the sofa. Looking at the interwoven black and white fur, she slightly narrowed her eyes and calmly cleaned the sofa. Afterwards, she went into the kitchen to tidy up the mess there. By the time Jing Dan came out, only the blackened wall couldn’t be restored to its original appearance; everything else was cleaned and tidy.

Jing Dan: “…” This person actually took the opportunity to clean up secretly while I was taking a bath!

Looking at He Ying’s rolled-up sleeves, revealing her smooth and slender arms, such an artwork should have been freely stretched along with her dance poses on the stage. But now, it was used to clean up the kitchen that she had made a mess of.

Jing Dan felt somewhat stifled inside, with a strange feeling.

“What’s with that expression?” He Ying could tell just by looking at her little demeanor that she was probably thinking about something messy again.

Jing Dan wore a somber expression as she shook her head, stating, “I don’t have any other rooms available for sleeping here.”

She hadn’t lived here for long herself, and many things were not yet prepared, let alone a guest room.

“Since we’ve already slept together once, does it matter if it happens again?” He Ying seemed indifferent. After all, she had let Jing Dan sleep in her bedroom at her place, so why would she fuss about it here? Impossible.

Jing Dan was speechless. What did she mean by “slept together once”…

“Do you have any clothes to change into?” He Ying inquired.

Jing Dan: “…Yes.” Her little aunt had indeed prepared quite a lot at the time.

Hearing this, He Ying breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your clothes have also been washed. You can wear your own clothes tomorrow,” Jing Dan said. She had taken He Ying’s clothes off to wash them as soon as she had arrived, originally intending to have her take them back tonight when she left. But her sudden decision to stay made things much more convenient.

He Ying smiled, then took the clothes Jing Dan had prepared for her and went into the bathroom.

After she entered the bathroom, Jing Dan suddenly started to feel nervous. She first went back to the bedroom to tidy up the somewhat cluttered desk, then fussed over the bedcovers, pulling and tugging at them, trying to make the room look neat and clean.

He Ying noticed the changes in the bedroom as soon as she came out, but she only glanced at Jing Dan briefly, thinking that if she spoke up, her face would probably turn red, and then she wouldn’t be able to speak.

She decided to be considerate of this grown-up kid.

The two of them were lying in bed, and it was still quite early, only ten o’clock or so. This adult kid shouldn’t be so sleepy yet, and Jing Dan suggested watching a movie together.

Jing Dan blinked, “What shall we watch?”

Seeing her harmless look, He Ying suddenly had a mischievous thought, suppressing her laughter as she pulled out her phone to search for the movie version of 《Boonie Bears》.

With a look of surprise, Jing Dan: “…”

She hadn’t expected that He Ying would have such a hobby, and the name 《Boonie Bears》 somehow felt odd to her, especially since she herself was a bear…

Trying to suppress her laughter, He Ying moved closer to Jing Dan, placing her phone in between them for easy viewing, and suggested, “Should we prepare a projector here in the bedroom? It would be more convenient if we wanted to watch something in the future, right?”

Jing Dan watched 《Boonie Bears》 on the phone with a serious face, albeit a bit stiff.

He Ying chuckled under her breath, seeing that she was still a child at heart, enjoying animated series.

They leaned together on one side, harmoniously watching an animation, while on the other side, Hu Tu was embroiled in the world of adults.

Hu Tu’s little white dress was already torn, raggedly hanging on her body, along with her messy hair and blank expression, she looked as if she had suffered some kind of harm.

A woman, whose appearance could almost be described as enticing to the bone, climbed up behind Hu Tu, pressing down on her and laughing in a seductive manner, her voice almost dripping with honey, “How about it? Still not willing to give in this time?”

Hu Tu, who had initially lost focus, slowly regained her senses upon hearing these words, her gaze gradually sharpening. Feeling the soft pressure on her back, she clenched her teeth, anger turning the corners of her eyes red!

She was, once again, blinded by the eagle’s peck!

But this time, she couldn’t utter a word. Now, every word she said felt like stubbornly trying to show off her capability, making her a joke to that woman!

“You’ve lost. What do you think you should wear tomorrow?” The woman said with a soft tone, her smile evident, and her fingertips teasingly brushing Hu Tu’s temples.

Hu Tu: “…” Damn it, this freaking pervert!

“Ah, I’ve got it. How about a bunny girl outfit? What do you say?” The woman’s voice carried an even deeper mirth, clearly someone who’s cunning by nature.

Hu Tu’s expression turned sharp, and she flipped over to pin the woman beneath her, gritting her teeth and saying, “You wear it.” Saying so, she launched a fierce attack on her.

Perhaps it was also because the woman underestimated her opponent, that for a moment, she was completely dominated by Hu Tu, unable to turn the tables.

The woman remained silent.

“Heh, aren’t you very capable? If you are, try getting up now,” Hu Tu sneered with a smug look, licking her lips and said, “Xu Yu?”

After learning this woman’s name from He Ying, this was the first time she had addressed her by her name in her presence.

Xu Yu’s gaze turned cold, the smile that was softly charming on her face gradually vanished without a trace, and her slightly hooded eyelids seemed to slightly narrow a bit more, she spoke with a slightly cold tone: “You investigated me?”

Her change made Hu Tu pause, then she stopped her actions and thought for a moment before saying, “It’s not an investigation. After all, you’ve been on entertainment gossip with He Ying.”

Xu Yu: “…You know He Ying?”

Her tone softened considerably, as she looked at the woman before her seriously for the first time.

Noticing her shift, Hu Tu raised an eyebrow and resumed her movements, saying in an offhand manner, “Know her? How could I not? After all, it was she who told me your name.”

Xu Yu: “…”

After both of them had taken turns to wash up and entered the bathroom, they sat down seriously for the first time, looking at each other.

Xu Yu observed the woman in front of her carefully, noticing her expression when mentioning He Ying. It didn’t seem like she had other thoughts about He Ying, which relieved Xu Yu.

“Since you are a friend of He Ying, then you can also be considered a friend of mine. Since we’re friends, then this relationship can end here.”

Hu Tu: “…” Because we’re friends, the relationship ends?

She frowned, looking at the eyebrows and eyes of the woman in front of her, and suddenly spoke up: “You like He Ying!”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement made with certainty.

However, Xu Yu just slightly lifted her eyelids, offering no rebuttal to her words.

Hu Tu’s frown deepened as she looked at the woman in front of her, unable to speak for a moment. By now, she was thoroughly impressed with this person.

Shouldn’t the very least one does when they like someone be to keep themselves pure? How come this person is doing the exact opposite? Remembering what He Ying had mentioned about her demeanor, which was very ordinary and natural, she suddenly had a guess.

“Could it be that you like He Ying, but He Ying doesn’t know about it at all?”

“Really, from He Ying’s perspective, who would believe that someone likes her but still tangles with others in front of her? This kind of thinking is absolutely ghostly if one believes she likes herself, right?”

Xu Yu: “…”

She silently looked at Hu Tu, as if choked with words by her.

Hu Tu burst into laughter, finally feeling a thorough upper hand for once, this feeling was simply more joyous than her earlier dominance!

She shook her head, looking at her with a pitying gaze, saying, “Seeing you like this, it’s obvious how difficult He Ying is to pursue. You really are seeking your own death.”

She herself knew that He Ying had never been entangled with anyone emotionally. As for those with ulterior motives trying to get close, tsk, it was simply unbearable to watch.

Xu Yu just stared as she rambled on, her expression cooling. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and turned to leave, clearly not wanting to stay with her for another second.

Yet, her angry departure only made Hu Tu laugh even more joyously. Was this person poked in the sore spot? She mockingly shouted, “How heartless.”

After all, hadn’t the two of them had their exchanges in the past? This heartless demeanor, who wouldn’t call it utterly ruthless?

Xu Yu’s steps faltered, then she hurried away even faster.

Halfway through the movie, the person next to her wasn’t sleepy yet, but He Ying herself started to feel drowsy. However, seeing how engrossed that person was in the movie, she felt embarrassed to suggest stopping to go to sleep.

It really was like lifting a rock only to drop it on her own foot, a self-inflicted plight with no one to blame.

She chuckled to herself, finding it amusing that someone could watch an animated film so earnestly. Such a hobby was indeed unmatched by anyone else.

“You keep watching, I’m going to sleep first.” In the end, it was she who couldn’t hold out any longer and spoke up first.

Alright, she admitted, this young person had more stamina than herself.

Jing Dan was interrupted by her, and then when she turned her head to look at her, she saw her looking extremely sleepy, unable to hold onto her phone anymore, which then dropped onto the blanket.

“Oh, then let’s sleep, no more watching.” Jing Dan picked up the phone, turned off the screen, and then placed it on the nightstand. She also took the initiative to turn off the light, lay down, and pulled up the blanket, looking toward He Ying in the darkness.

He Ying, still not having reacted to her series of smooth actions, was momentarily stunned: “…”

“Time to sleep.” Jing Dan patted her leg through the blanket.

“…Got it.” He Ying didn’t even know what expression to have on her face anymore. After she lay down, a hand reached out from the side to help her pull up and properly cover herself with the blanket.

He Ying: “…” Why does this feel so strange?

It didn’t take long for her to realize what was odd. In the past, it was always her who helped Jing Dan with the blanket. When did it become her turn to receive such help?!

She opened her eyes bewilderedly towards the ceiling, feeling that this development was truly beyond her expectations. Or rather, Jing Dan’s behavior throughout the day was beyond her expectations.

Suddenly, everything before her eyes went dark, a hand covered her eyes, and then Jing Dan’s cool voice came from beside her ear, “Time to sleep.”

He Ying: “…” This feels even stranger.

After falling asleep, He Ying suddenly had a dream. In the dream, she was still in the form of a baby white crane, just like she had been born not many days ago, her eyes still unable to open.

After she was born, she was abandoned, and then a woman picked her up and took her home. The woman treated her very well, feeding her milk, soothing her to sleep, and occasionally grooming her feathers with meticulous care.

Gradually, being well cared for, she suddenly wanted to open her eyes, wanting to see what this woman who took such good care of her looked like. She tried hard to open her eyes, really hard to open her eyes, and finally, at one moment, her eyes opened. She hurriedly wanted to look at the woman, wanting to engrave her benefactor in her heart.

However, what she saw was a woman of stunning beauty, looking at her with eyes full of tender love…

!!!

He Ying abruptly opened her eyes, suddenly started to gasp for air, her gaze blankly staring at the sea-blue ceiling, not yet recovered from the shock she just experienced.

In her dream, that woman with eyes full of kindness, was it Jing Dan?!

This realization was too horrifying!

He Ying closed her eyes again, feeling sick with herself for having such a f*cked up dream!

“Are you awake now?” came a soft inquiry from Jing Dan close by.

He Ying: “…” Right now, she had no idea how to face Jing Dan. Every time she saw her, she would remember the Jing Dan in her dream, filled with kindness.

Kindness?

That was completely incompatible with Jing Dan!

Seeing her not answering, Jing Dan thought she wanted to sleep a bit more. Then, Jing Dan carefully got up from the bed, with movements cautious and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing He Ying. After that, she tiptoed into the bathroom to wash up.

He Ying: “…” Why did she get up so early today?

She opened her eyes and looked towards the direction of the bathroom; the door had already been thoughtfully closed, she could hardly hear any sound from inside.

However, within a few minutes, she heard the sound of the door being twisted open. She quickly closed her eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

She heard Jing Dan come to the side of the bed to take her phone, and then carefully opened the bedroom door to go out, all her movements as light as a feather.

He Ying: “…”

After lying down for a while, unable to resist the curiosity in her heart, she eventually got up to wash and, opening the door, walked out of the bedroom.

Stepping out, she saw Jing Dan sitting on the living room couch, her head bowed as she fiddled with her phone. Moving closer for a better look, she found, to her surprise, that Jing Dan was browsing a food delivery platform.

Noticing her approach, Jing Dan looked up at her, her expression somewhat bewildered, probably because she didn’t expect the person who had just seemed ready to continue sleeping to get up so quickly.

“What are you doing?” He Ying pointed at her phone.

Jing Dan glanced down, seeing the restaurant she had just selected, and said, “Buying breakfast.”

He Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or not. In the end, she sighed and said, “No need to buy, I’ll make it.”

Last night everything was tidied up, so naturally, the kitchen could be used as well.

Jing Dan blinked and uttered an “Oh.”

Compared to others, she of course preferred eating the things He Ying made.

He Ying didn’t pay her any mind, walking toward the kitchen while lifting her hand to tie up her hair, then casually taking a pen from the countertop she passed by to secure it, making her whole demeanor appear both casual and unrestrained.

Jing Dan, following behind her, was momentarily stunned, tilting her head, thinking He Ying’s just now actions were so stylish. Every move was like a scene from a painting, no wonder those people online all wanted He Ying to debut and act in movies.

After regaining her senses, she quickly stood up and followed into the kitchen, planning to help He Ying with some tasks.

However, after what happened last night, how could He Ying dare to let her into the kitchen? Seeing her come in, she hurriedly pushed her out, saying, “You don’t need to come in. Your presence could disrupt the rhythm of my cooking.”

Jing Dan: “…” Cooking has a rhythm?

Ignoring her puzzled look, He Ying pushed her out and then closed the kitchen door, showing through her actions that she didn’t want her nearby.

Jing Dan: “…”

She returned to the living room and suddenly remembered the lie she had told He Ying last night. Hurriedly, she took out her phone and found Hu Tu.

【Jing Dan】: Hurry and find a black and white cat to send to little aunt!

After all, she had promised to let He Ying meet that cat someday. If she couldn’t produce the cat, wouldn’t her lie be exposed?

Hu Tu, still half asleep upon hearing the sound from her phone, groggily grabbed it and opened the message to see such a strange request. With her muddled brain, she wondered, why did it have to be black and white? Isn’t that the same as your own fur color?

She responded with a question mark and set the phone down, intending to go back to sleep. Just as she was about to drift off, she suddenly snapped wide awake, quickly sat up, and picked up her phone to carefully read the message from Jing Dan again.

“…”

So, did this person stir up some trouble again?

【Jing Dan】: Last night when He Ying came to my house, she saw the fur on the couch…

Hu Tu was speechless. And then? So, you said it was your aunt’s cat?

Hu Tu shook her head. Jing Shiyue ended up with such a troublesome niece, really putting her in a difficult position.

【Hu Tu】: Then why didn’t you deliver it yourself?

【Jing Dan】: …

How dare she get close during this time? Probably her aunt doesn’t even want to see her now…

【Hu Tu】: Delivering it yourself would be a good chance to ask her about your missing soul piece.

!!!

Jing Dan suddenly realized that she hadn’t gone to ask her aunt about her missing soul piece!

She was annoyed; such an important matter, yet she had been distracted by He Ying’s delicious food and pushed it to the back of her mind!

The author has something to say:

At this moment, Jing Dan’s heart was probably thinking: He Ying is a disaster-causing enchantress!