Panda Cub – Chapter 11

Set Visit

Treating Jing Dan as a Child, as a Sister?

Hu Tu moved fast. He Ying started recording a variety show on Monday—a three-day shoot—so Hu Tu brought Jing Dan along on Tuesday for a set visit.

            

Jing Dan followed Hu Tu to the venue where He Ying’s variety show was being recorded. The massive film studio was already half-filled with people. Due to the pandemic from two years ago, this recording used a ticket distribution system, strictly controlling the number of attendees.

She and Hu Tu had ordered a large pile of food and delivered it to the production team. Along the way, Hu Tu had been prattling in her ear about how to talk and behave around people—buying food, for instance, being one such tactic.

Jing Dan knew her own shortcomings. She had spent most of her time within the Panda Clan’s territory, lacking far too much communication and social interaction. Now was exactly the time to learn.

            

“When you meet the people from the show later, talk as little as possible. Don’t cause trouble for He Ying, understand?” Hu Tu looked at the stony-faced person beside her, still not entirely reassured.

“…Oh,” Jing Dan said.

What trouble could she possibly cause for He Ying?

            

Since they had let the production team know in advance, they weren’t stopped when they arrived. Hu Tu pulled her along but didn’t go straight to find He Ying. Instead, she found two seats in the audience area and sat down. “Let’s wait a bit. They’re recording right now and won’t have time for us.”

Jing Dan stayed quiet. She looked up at the stage. Not far ahead, she could already see He Ying’s elegant silhouette from behind—the seat she was in appeared to be the judge’s panel.

“She’s here as a judge?” she asked quietly.

            

Hu Tu glanced over, then turned away to scan for other beautiful women, replying casually, “Obviously. With her skill level, who would dare have her compete on stage and then critique her?”

Critique He Ying? They would need the ability first.

“She’s really that good?” Jing Dan frowned. Had she judged He Ying by appearance alone?

            

Hu Tu turned back to her, eyes widening. “Jing Xiaodan, do you really not know how good she is? She danced several laps around you!”

Though He Ying’s main focus wasn’t pole dancing, her foundation was rock solid. Even a casual performance was enough to draw most of the eyes in the room.

Jing Dan: “…”

            

Why did this person have to bring up that incident again!

She tried hard not to recall that night’s scene, inwardly grumbling, wanting to stick pins in a paper doll of He Ying. If not for her, how could she have lost control and reverted to her panda form that night!

Hu Tu watched the stage performance with keen interest, leaving the little panda beside her in knots of frustration.

            

Jing Dan shook off the thoughts swirling in her head and began seriously observing the variety show recording.

But while watching, she was also thinking. Right now they had no resources in the industry—everything had to be negotiated by company staff going out to pitch. If they produced their own content, TV dramas and films required high professional expertise and long investment cycles. Having just started out, wouldn’t it be better to focus first on variety shows?

She personally preferred watching TV dramas and films, but good ones were becoming increasingly rare. Meanwhile, variety shows that brought genuine entertainment were gradually taking up more than half her free time.

            

Her aunt had once said, too—if you want more people to see you, you have to be excellent. So the same logic applied to a company?

If she wanted more people to notice her company, she needed at least one thing she could truly showcase. And if she could do variety shows well, that could serve as a calling card?

But what kind of variety show would feel fresh and exciting? What would make people want to click and watch?

            

Looking at Hu Tu, who was still staring at the beautiful women on stage practically drooling, Jing Dan said with a hint of distaste, “Can you rein in that expression? It’s embarrassing.”

She made it seem as though she had never seen an attractive person before. If anyone caught her, they would definitely take her for a creep.

“You don’t understand. It’s an appreciation for beauty.” Hu Tu shook her head, wearing an expression that said you just don’t get it.

            

In that case, I really don’t need to understand.

Jing Dan grumbled inwardly. Staring at people like that—just made herself look so undignified.

When the mid-taping break finally came, Hu Tu took Jing Dan to find He Ying. He Ying was in her dressing room touching up her makeup. Seeing them enter, she curved her lips in a slight smile, watching Jing Dan through the mirror before her.

            

Jing Dan was still lost in her own thoughts and hadn’t noticed the attention. But Hu Tu, ever the people-reader, was different—she noticed at a glance that He Ying’s attention wasn’t on her at all.

Hu Tu: “…”

She couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

            

She was the one who had introduced the two of them, after all. Yet now she felt shut out. Was it her imagination?

Moreover, He Ying’s behavior sent a spike of alarm through her. Could this person be interested in Jing Xiaodan?!

With that thought, Hu Tu decided she absolutely had to find a chance to probe He Ying’s attitude—to figure out what He Ying’s orientation really was!

            

“He Ying, we’re not interrupting, are we?” she said with a light laugh, reaching over to pull Jing Dan down to sit beside her and shooting her a meaningful look.

Jing Dan, however, didn’t catch what the look was supposed to mean. Instead, she thought Hu Tu was signaling her to give the food she had brought to He Ying.

So Jing Dan piled all the food she was carrying onto the table in front of He Ying and said coolly, “For you.”

            

He Ying: “…”

Hu Tu: “…”

She had signaled her to follow her lead and talk less—could she really not tell? Had their decades of friendship been for nothing?!

            

He Ying looked at the mountain of food before her and burst out laughing, her gaze toward Jing Dan growing even softer. “What made you bring so much to see me?”

Jing Dan said expressionlessly, “Hu Tu said this is part of social interaction. It is best not to show up empty-handed when visiting someone.”

He Ying: “…”

            

Hu Tu: “…”

I taught you that, but I didn’t teach you to say it out loud! She felt so embarrassed her toes were curling into the floor.

He Ying glanced at Hu Tu and nodded in agreement. “Hu Tu’s right. You did well.”

            

Receiving this validation, Jing Dan gave a small nod, looking quietly dignified.

The amusement in He Ying’s eyes deepened. She opened the food items one by one and arranged them on the coffee table in front of Jing Dan, saying softly, “You brought so much—I can’t finish it all. Will you eat with me?”

As she spoke, she shifted a few inches closer to Jing Dan.

            

Jing Dan’s eyes lit up for a fleeting instant, fixed on the pastries and snacks that looked even more tempting now that they were unwrapped. She was itching to dig in.

She glanced at Hu Tu, only to find her sitting in silence, staring fixedly at He Ying.

“Eat them yourself. These are all for you.” In the end, she could only say it against her own conscience, even though she wanted to eat them very much.

            

Knowing exactly what she was conflicted about, He Ying turned her gaze to Hu Tu, signaling her to say a few words on her behalf.

Hu Tu: “…”

No—she was baffled. Was He Ying treating Jing Dan as a child, as a younger sister? Why was she taking care of her like that?!

            

Hu Tu: “…Even though we said they’re for her, we bought so much that there’s definitely a share for us. The whole point was to eat together with her.”

Hearing this, Jing Dan nodded as though she had learned a lesson, indicating she understood.

Then she produced her chopsticks and spoons, flying every which way, and divided all the food evenly into three portions. She smiled in satisfaction.

            

“Now I know exactly how much of my share I should eat!”

He Ying: “…”

Hu Tu: “…”

            

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The author has something to say:

Luanluan shakes her head and sighs: Can someone like this really find a wife?

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