Panda Cub – Chapter 2

Brewing

He Ying was almost laughed to anger by it, seeing it curl into a small ball, she simply rolled her eyes.

“I’ve found your thinking problematic, little panda. I just asked your gender, what on earth are you mulling over in your head?”

Sadly, her eye-roll went unseen by the panda of the same gesture.

Jing Dan clenched even tighter, mumbling muffled agreements, not letting down her guard one bit.

Her ears twitched as Jing Dan heard the other’s footsteps fade away, and her wary heart finally settled.

Auntie had said, girls must protect themselves when out, especially their private parts should never be shown to others.

As the footsteps grew distant, Jing Dan cautiously lifted her head and saw the pair of red high heels getting further away, gradually blending into the distant pale sky.

She stood up, wrinkled her nose, then looked at the uneven ground with wild grass and fallen leaves, tilting her head in confusion.

Why wear high heels on such a path?

Failing to understand, she stopped pondering and started running off, crunching over the leaves, agilely weaving through the short grass, then rolled into the yard of a detached villa.

Shaking off the weeds and leaves from her body, Jing Dan quickly reverted to her clean, black and white appearance, and ran inside the house.

Unexpectedly, just as she stepped onto the wooden floor of the porch, she was scooped up by a pair of slender hands into an embrace.

Jing Dan: “…”

This scene felt strangely familiar.

She lifted her head and nuzzled in the arms of the newcomer, “Auntie.”

Her voice, somewhat cold, conveyed trust in the person holding her, relaxing completely like dough ready to be kneaded.

The soft black and white bundle had a voice that didn’t match its appearance.

Jing Shiyue had to laugh every time she heard it.

Holding Jing Dan and moving inside, she sporadically stroked Jing Dan’s head and sighed, “Your shapeshifting control really is troublesome.”

Jing Dan’s spiritual power ranked highly among the Panda Clan, and she was most likely to be the next clan leader, but shaping her form was much more difficult for her than for others.

Other pandas, though their shapeshifting is not very stable before adulthood, generally don’t have the problem of suddenly turning back into pandas after growing up. But Jing Dan is somehow different; even after reaching adulthood, she still can’t control her shapeshifting as well as she did when she was young.

Jing Dan turned her head away somewhat discontentedly, feeling a bit sulky inside.

Jing Shiyue had no intention of putting her down, carrying her towards the living room, “Did you run outside to dig up bamboo shoots to eat again? Why did you make it so late today?”

By this time, the sky was gradually getting brighter, with the glow of the white fish belly intertwining with a few streaks of rosy clouds.

Jing Dan tucked in her head, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

She simply enjoyed the fun of foraging.

Jing Shiyue grabbed the scruff of Jing Dan’s neck and lifted her out of her arms, hanging her midair for a stare-down.

“Your parents handed you over to me, not to let you run out every night looking for something to munch on. As the future possible leader of the clan, how can you be so gluttonous?”

This child had many good points, but she was just too gluttonous.

Oh, no, not exactly many good points; the child’s personality was too indifferent. She lacked concern for many things, which had caused Jing Shiyue her fair share of worries.

“Auntie~” Jing Dan waved her paws, purposefully giving her the big-eyed pleading look, wanting her to set her down.

Jing Shiyue: “…”

The child was too cute to bear, which was a dilemma in itself; she just couldn’t bring herself to be strict with her education.

She tossed her onto the couch, and as Jing Dan rolled a couple of times due to the couch’s springiness, Jing Shiyue’s eyes twinkled with even more amusement.

“Alright, can’t you transform into a human yet?”

“Tonight, you need to attend a cocktail party. I’ll introduce you to them, so it’ll be easier for you to establish yourself in the human world in the future.”

The panda on the couch spread out all four paws in defeat, turned her little head to the side to not look at Jing Shiyue, and mumbled, “I still need to ferment a bit.”

She had been preoccupied with eating and hadn’t settled down to solve her problem of transforming back to human form.

Jing Shiyue: “…It’s quite embarrassing to say out loud.”

The prestigious Panda Clan’s next clan leader candidate actually needs to ‘ferment’ a bit just to transform into a human.

Jing Dan also knew she was in the wrong, so she felt too embarrassed to even mutter a word. Instead, she shifted her gaze to the milk bottle on the coffee table.

Longingly, she wanted to drink it.

But as she gazed longingly, a slender arm appeared, which then accurately and without error, picked up that bottle of milk. In the sight of the little panda turning her head to look, the arm gracefully opened the lid and took a sip.

Jing Dan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at her aunt.

Jing Shiyue laughed; her image outside was always that of a sharp and powerful businesswoman, but when facing this niece, she couldn’t help but want to laugh.

“What on earth did your mother eat when she was pregnant with you, to give birth to such a character?!” Jing Shiyue shook her head. Although those two characters (referring to Jing Dan’s parents) weren’t exactly reliable, they weren’t quite like Jing Dan, were they?

A personality that is mild yet greedy, how could she feel at ease throwing Jing Dan into the human world?

However, for her to grow, she must go through this ordeal.

“Don’t you quite enjoy watching movies and the like? I’ve registered you with an entertainment company; just potter around and play with it.” Shaking her head, she didn’t expect Jing Dan to do anything big with the company. The main idea was to get her to interact with more people, to understand human nature, which would be beneficial for her own mentality.

With the milk being drunk, the vitality of the panda visibly dropped, showing no interest in the company her aunt mentioned.

“Show a bit of ambition; don’t put on a do-or-die attitude,” Jing Shiyue chided gently, patting her on the buttocks and watching her body wobble twice.

“Do you remember what I told you a couple of days ago?” She looked at Jing Dan, who was like a sticky sweet glutinous mess, and asked somewhat worriedly.

The little panda sat up, and in a flash of white light, the soft and adorable little panda vanished, replaced by a stunningly beautiful woman with an expressionless face, emanating an aura that made her seem unapproachable.

With an indifferent nod, she responded, “I remember—to keep up appearances and make everyone believe I am not to be trifled with.”

Hearing her response, Jing Shiyue nodded, her face expressing a teacher’s appreciation for a capable student.

“That’s right, just like you’re doing now, keep it up.”

When this child puts on a cold face, she indeed has the air of a clan leader about her.

Upon hearing those words, Jing Dan’s expression grew even colder, and she asked, “How about this?”

Her features were already exceptionally transcendent, and coupled with the aloof and inaccessible aura she exuded, she now resembled what humans call an ‘ice queen.’

Jing Shiyue, satisfied, pinched her face, feeling a bit sad that it wasn’t as satisfying to the touch as when she was a panda.

“Not bad, by putting on this front, others will naturally feel wary of you, and few will have the guts to provoke you.”

Jing Dan thoughtfully nodded her head. So, all she needed to do was to play the role of the aloof one?

“The evening gown is ready for you in your room. Try it on later and see if it fits. If not, best to change it early,” Jing Shiyue reminded her.

This child’s parents had left her behind not long after her birth, choosing to have fun around the world, leaving the child in her care. Although referred to as the little aunt, the concern she’s shown is by no means less than that of a mother.

Jing Dan obediently nodded and went upstairs to try on the clothes.

What Jing Shiyue had prepared for her was a suit, a burgundy-colored one that was dignified yet not overly stiff. Paired with Jing Dan’s fair, cold complexion, it suited her exceptionally well.

When she came down wearing it, Jing Shiyue’s eyes lit up, her head nodding frequently in admiration.

Truly, when she wasn’t doing something stupid, she was nothing short of a deity in human form.

“It suits you very well.” Jing Shiyue also felt pleased with her own judgment.

Jing Dan was naturally tall. At 175cm(5ft7), wearing this suit made her look even more long-legged and slender-waisted.

Jing Dan also nodded in agreement, “For tonight’s banquet, do I need to prepare anything else?”

Back when she was in the spirit realm, she didn’t need to worry about so many things. Now, in the human world, she found herself bound by many restrictions, no longer as carefree as before.

“Just keep your words to a minimum,” Jing Shiyue said indifferently. After all, her aim was just to show Jing Dan’s face to that circle of people; there wasn’t much she actually had to do.

She didn’t have much to do, but preventing her from talking was essential. Her words weren’t many, but they were piercingly direct, sometimes enough to drive someone up the wall without her realizing it.

Jing Dan: “…Oh.”

She puffed up her cheeks a little, slightly displeased—a new restraint was added to her list: not to talk too much.

When evening arrived, Jing Shiyue took Jing Dan with her to a cocktail party that gathered all the elites of Huaqing City. As soon as they made an entrance, they captured the attention of everyone present.

Jing Shiyue, dressed in a black suit, wearing a cool and detached expression, escorted the similarly composed Jing Dan. Their combined presence was so formidable that for a good while, nobody dared to approach them for a chat.

Given the Jing family’s strength, they didn’t need to ingratiate themselves or plaster on fake smiles in front of these people; being themselves was enough.

“President Jing is really something else, still as striking as ever!” the organizer of the party said as he came over, his eyes showing a hint of awe while looking at the two of them.

Jing Shiyue has the aura of a strong, powerful woman, one that’s so commanding it sometimes overshadows how her beauty is indeed a magnetic force.

As for the other woman by her side, she looked somewhat green, but it also made people notice her good looks first and foremost.

Jing Shiyue conversed with him nonchalantly and then introduced Jing Dan to them. Once they heard her surname, everyone understood her intentions and began to lavish praise upon Jing Dan.

For all their flattery, Jing Dan inwardly rolled her eyes; this was just their first meeting, and they didn’t even know her first name, yet they were already trying to get close to her.

By this time, Jing Shiyue had already gone off to discuss business matters with others, leaving her to fend for herself.

“Miss Jing, hello.”

After the crowd had mostly dispersed, another person came up to greet her.

Jing Dan looked over, the woman was wearing a swaying black dress, eyeing her with interest.

Jing Dan didn’t appreciate the look in her eyes—it was as if she was being sized up as prey.

But she was no one’s prey.

“Hello,” Jing Dan thought, trying to figure out how to extricate herself from the conversation.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Xu Zhihuan, the Chairman and CEO of Zhihuan Entertainment. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Jing Dan shook hands with her, a faint smile on her face but no desire to engage in further dialogue.

“I heard from President Jing that you are preparing to enter the entertainment industry. I believe that Zhihuan Entertainment has quite a say in the circle. Should Miss Jing need any assistance, feel free to ask.”

With these words, the woman handed over a business card.

Jing Dan looked at the golden letters on the card and suddenly remembered that her aunt had mentioned this woman, describing her as very resourceful and warning Jing Dan to be wary of her.

She finally took a good look at the woman before her; there was no doubt she was very attractive, but it was a dangerous kind of beauty that made one feel uncomfortable.

This feeling inexplicably reminded her of the woman who had held her the night before while digging for bamboo shoots. Though they both had radiant beauty, the latter woman gave her a sense of comfort.

And that embrace.

Equally comforting.

The author has something to say:

Jing Dan, you’re not being honest. What are you thinking about!