Panda Cub – Chapter 6
by Little PandaMeishu
Who could refuse a panda cub?
She was no longer a pure panda. Someone had acted the rogue with her!
Jing Dan hung her head, crestfallen like a panda cub who’d lost a fight.
Her aunt had told her that a girl needed to protect herself out in the world — but she’d been taken advantage of again and again, and then that person had turned it around on her!
“Wait, I mean, why are you running so fast?”
Hu Tu had chased after her, tongue thick with drink, steps already wobbling — yet she’d still managed to find her in record time.
Jing Dan looked up at her, eyes dark and brooding. If Hu Tu hadn’t insisted on dragging her along, how could she have embarrassed herself so badly!
“Sss—”
Hu Tu shuddered under that stare and sobered up a few degrees. Leaning closer, she was astonished to find that this panda’s face seemed to have gone as red as a monkey’s behind.
“Wait, why is your face so red!” The question had barely left her mouth before Hu Tu realized — was this one… shy? Combined with how fast she’d bolted earlier, it didn’t seem impossible.
But wasn’t this a bit much? Over a single dance?
“Little Jing Dan, you’re way too innocent!”
Hu Tu marveled. She’d always known Jing Dan was conservative, but she’d had no idea she was so conservative she couldn’t even handle a single dance! After all her years of countless conquests, how was she supposed to cope with this!
“Shut up!” Jing Dan glared at her. She’d just wanted to be alone and cool down, but this one insisted on following!
Hu Tu immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, but her visible eyes were full of wicked glee. She whispered in an exaggerated stage whisper: “What’s wrong? Are you shy? Because of He Ying? Don’t you dislike her?”
Four questions in a row — her thirst for gossip couldn’t have been more obvious.
Jing Dan stared at her coldly. Hu Tu hadn’t stopped even with her hand over her mouth. She just kept staring until Hu Tu started to squirm.
“Hey, hey, hey, what are you looking at me for!” Hu Tu raised both hands in surrender and said innocently, “I’m not the one who made you shy. It’s not nice to stare at me like that.”
Jing Dan gave a cold snort. Her emotions had settled by now, but she still didn’t want to deal with the person in front of her. She turned and walked out of the alley.
“Hey, at least say something! Where are you going!” Hu Tu hurried after her.
“Home! Don’t follow me!”
Well, she was genuinely angry.
Hu Tu planted her feet, shrugged helplessly, and turned back toward the bar. After all, there were still plenty of drunks inside waiting for her to handle.
Once in the car, in the small, solitary space, Jing Dan couldn’t stop herself from replaying the earlier scene — and that faint fragrance that kept lingering in her nose, dispelling the smell of smoke and alcohol from the bar.
Tonight… tonight’s He Ying felt completely different from the one who’d helped her dig bamboo shoots! Too different! Far too bold!
Her face was taut. Before she could even react, a flash of white light — and by the time she realized it, she’d already turned into a little panda cub.
A soft, round ball of fluff sitting frozen on the driver’s seat.
What happened?
Questions filled Jing Dan’s mind. In the past, when she shifted back to panda form, she’d always had some warning. But just now, it had happened with no warning at all! She’d lost control and shifted just two days ago, and now again — how was her control still getting weaker?!
She slapped the seat in frustration, seething silently.
Thank goodness she was in the car. If it had been in public, she’d definitely have been hauled into the Management Bureau to drink that awful tea1!
Another flash of white light, and the cub was gone from the car. When she reappeared, she was already in the courtyard of the villa on the outskirts of the city.
The night breeze drifted over, making the tuft of fur on the cub’s head sway. Jing Dan shook her head and trotted toward the house.
It was already past one in the morning. The villa, home to only her and Jing Shiyue, was eerily quiet. She crept carefully to the kitchen, looked up at the refrigerator towering above her, and stomped a foot. That woman He Ying’s fault — bringing over snacks like that! Now her stomach was craving again.
Her body gradually grew until she was large enough to reach the refrigerator handle, and then she stopped. She pulled out several boxes of braised snacks and grabbed several bottles of milk.
She carried everything to the living room. She’d just shifted back to her cub form when a woman suddenly appeared beside her.
The woman reached down and rubbed her head, tugged at that tuft of fur, and said in a low, faintly disapproving voice: “Where have you been fooling around? You reek of a jumbled mess of scents.”
Looking at the pile of food on the coffee table, she was too tired to even comment.
“Aunt, I just went to a bar,” Jing Dan confessed with complete honesty. Then she glanced at the food on the table, then back at Jing Shiyue, with wide, pitiful eyes.
Who could refuse a panda cub looking at them with such pitiful eyes? Even a fellow panda couldn’t say no.
Jing Shiyue resignedly put on gloves and peeled the food for her, feeding her bite by bite to keep those paws clean.
Jing Dan narrowed her eyes in contentment and let out two satisfied sounds.
“Your Huaxing2…” Jing Shiyue shook her head and didn’t finish the sentence.
This was really worrying. How was she still unable to control it so frequently?
Worry crept into her eyes. If this kept up, how would she establish herself in the clan? Who would accept someone who couldn’t even control their own transformation to lead them?
Jing Dan heard the concern in Jing Shiyue’s tone, and her own mood sank.
In the end, Jing Shiyue fed Jing Dan in silence. When she’d had her fill, Jing Shiyue patted her head and smiled. “It’s fine. As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters. Don’t worry so much about what others think.”
Not being clan leader wouldn’t be so bad — fewer responsibilities, and she could live a little more happily. There was no need to be so hard on yourself in this life.
Jing Dan nodded glumly. She watched Jing Shiyue’s back as she went upstairs, then flopped limply onto the sofa.
By nine the next morning, Jing Dan was already at the company. Thanks to Jing Shiyue’s arrangements, everything was ready — the staff was fully assembled, just waiting for Jing Dan to give the word and the company would be up and running.
Normally, when a company was just starting out, the boss would need to give a speech — talk about ideals, discuss the company’s prospects, paint a rosy picture of the future. But Jing Dan? She showed her face, then didn’t say a single word.
Making her recite those platitudes was worse than just letting her be alone. So all the talking, the morale-boosting, the atmosphere-building — all of it was delegated to Hu Tu. Watching Hu Tu quickly forge the company into a cohesive team, a thoughtful look came into Jing Dan’s eyes.
Her aunt had told her: when you find someone valuable, you need to make full use of them.
So on her very first day at work, Hu Tu — who had originally wanted an easy, do-nothing position — was tossed into managing PR and promotions. She also had to scout for promising new talent. Multiple roles, zero downtime.
Hu Tu: “…”
Why, you little Jing Dan — who knew she had a Zhou Bapi3 side to her!
But fortunately, the people Jing Shiyue had hired were all professionals. The first day had its bumps, but work proceeded smoothly enough.
At eight that evening, Jing Dan arrived at Xu Zhihuan’s party venue — Xu Zhihuan’s private estate.
Jing Dan stepped out of the car, took one look at the row of luxury vehicles parked outside, and wrinkled her nose. Another huge crowd, no doubt.
She kept her face taut, projecting an air of utter cold indifference. And Xu Zhihuan had come out to greet her in person. Her smile deepened when she spotted Jing Dan.
“Miss Jing, I’ve been waiting for you.” Xu Zhihuan drew close, and a light, delicate perfume drifted toward her — not overpowering, with a hint of citrus.
Jing Dan subtly shifted away and held her breath. Even though the perfume wasn’t as strong this time, she still didn’t like the scent of citrus.
“Is Miss Jing satisfied with my perfume this time?” Xu Zhihuan’s lips curved. She stood with her arms crossed, watching Jing Dan with composed ease — as if to say she’d changed it just for her.
Jing Dan remained expressionless. “It’s fine.”
A tiny bit better than last time.
Xu Zhihuan chuckled, seemingly pleased with the answer. She gave Jing Dan a wink. “As long as you like it.” She even moved to link her arm through Jing Dan’s.
Jing Dan sidestepped quickly. Coldly: “I can walk on my own.”
With that, she walked inside without waiting for her host.
Xu Zhihuan was left standing there, watching Jing Dan’s retreating back with a smile. This just made the conquest all the more satisfying, didn’t it?
When Xu Zhihuan had come out to receive her, many people had already noticed. They’d been wondering who could warrant a personal greeting from Xu Zhihuan — but seeing her flirtatious demeanor, they understood. President Xu had always had a weakness for beautiful people, and this woman was so striking. She’d surely become one of President Xu’s people soon enough.
Everyone here was savvy. One look at Xu Zhihuan’s attitude, and no one would be foolish enough to cross Jing Dan.
But among these smart people, there was one exception.
After Jing Dan entered, she immediately sensed a gaze sticking to her like glue. Though plenty of other eyes were on her too, this pair of eyes alone felt strange. It triggered an instinctive sense of danger.
She immediately began searching for the source. She scanned the room and spotted several familiar faces among the glamorous crowd — all currently popular entertainers in the industry.
When her eyes inadvertently met another pair — those peach blossom eyes4, once brimming with warmth and laughter — now held nothing but a calm so complete it was as if she were looking at a stranger who meant nothing at all.
He Ying…
Jing Dan frowned subtly. She hadn’t expected to run into her again so soon.
The moment she met He Ying’s face, the previous night’s scene came flooding back — that breathtaking face, that soul-stealing, bewitching allure.
She was even starting to wonder if He Ying had used Meishu5 on her.
The author has something to say:
Little Jing Dan: So is she a fox spirit or not?!
Footnotes
- In Chinese culture, 'drinking tea' (he cha) at an official's office is a euphemism for being summoned for an interrogation or stern warning by authorities.
- 'Huaxing' refers to a demon's ability to transform into human form; mastery requires significant spiritual control.
- A famously exploitative landlord character from mid-20th-century Chinese literature, used as a byword for a merciless boss who extracts every drop of labor from workers.
- 'Peach blossom eyes' describe a specific eye shape in Chinese physiognomy: long, slightly curved with an upward tilt at the outer corners and a liquid quality, considered the most alluring eye shape.
- 'Meishu' literally means 'seduction technique' — a supernatural charm ability associated with fox spirits and certain demons, used to bewitch or entrance others.
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