Panda Cub – Chapter 22

Feeding

Silence, that’s what defined you, me, her, at this moment.

The two were separated by the phone’s microphone, engulfed in a silence where not a single word was spoken.

Finally, He Ying broke the awkward stillness. With a playful smile in her voice, she said, “I’ll give her a call and explain things. You don’t have to worry about it.”

She spoke with a chuckle, her face also softened with a warm smile, finding Jing Dan increasingly endearing.

Adorably stifling.

Even when she’s angry, she’s adorable.

After hanging up the phone with Hu Tu, He Ying searched for Jing Dan’s chat box, but suddenly found herself at a loss for how to start the conversation.

After a moment’s thought, she walked over to the window, lifted her phone, and began to capture the view outside, especially aiming her camera at the iconic buildings of Lanyang City.

Ding—

Jing Dan glanced down at her phone and saw a message from He Ying. She tapped it open and found a video waiting for her.

With a hum in her heart and a stoic face, Jing Dan tapped open the message to find an array of towering skyscrapers and the signature colorful buildings of Lanyang City.

So, is she not in Huaqing City now?

“Jing Dan.”

Jing Dan started, then realized the voice came from the video and the camera had shifted from the tall buildings outside to the interior, centering on He Ying’s stunning face.

The daylight from the window cast upon her face made it seem almost translucent, her eyes and brows filled with a gentle smile. She gazed steadily into the lens, through the lens, towards Jing Dan.

“I returned to Huaqing City the night after recording the show, but early the next morning, I went to Lanyang City. I previously promised to make you something delicious; it’s just that I didn’t inform you it might be delayed a bit longer. Sorry about that.”

As she expressed this apology, her eyes twinkled with mirth and regret, earnest in a way that suggested she felt really sorry for every word she had pledged to Jing Dan that she hadn’t been able to fulfill on time.

Seeing He Ying like this, Jing Dan let out a soft snort, turned off the video, replied with a period to He Ying’s message, then coldly switched off her phone and set it aside, burying herself in serious work.

On the other end, He Ying couldn’t help but laugh when she saw that succinct period, shaking her head slightly in resignation. Suddenly, she found herself wishing to return earlier and to fulfill her words sooner.

Though He Ying felt this way, she couldn’t easily leave with her tasks unresolved. By the time she managed to deal with everything and return to Huaqing City, it was already three days before the start of the variety show’s filming. The time she had left was running short.

Upon returning to Huaqing City, she wasted no time heading to the supermarket to purchase an array of fresh ingredients. When she arrived home, she didn’t even spare a moment to sit down and drink a bit of water; instead, she busied herself in the kitchen. She was determined to prepare a meal in time for lunch, hoping to place the finished dishes before Jing Dan.

It had been a long while since she felt such drive to prepare a meal impeccably, but today, she was exceedingly keen to showcase her culinary skills in full, eager to present Jing Dan with an assortment of delectable delights.

At times, He Ying found her own actions somewhat amusing—going to the lengths of making soups and broths for someone she had only met a few times. Yet, every time she felt inclined to laugh, she’d recall Jing Dan’s slightly squinted eyes upon tasting something delicious, resembling a content little animal.

Such a sight of Jing Dan was incredibly evocative of an urge to protect and nurture.

He Ying even thought to herself, could it be that she was pouring all those childhood yearnings for a little sister into Jing Dan? Indeed, her treatment towards her was decidedly out of the ordinary.

The bustling morning resulted in a mountainous load of dishes, and she packed them all up in two large, brimming bags. In her hands, she looked as though she were off to deliver boxed lunches to others. But who would guess that all these servings, which seemed enough for several people, were all for feeding just one individual?

She messaged Jing Dan, informing her that she was downstairs and asking her to let the front desk know to allow her entry.

Once the message was sent, her figure flashed, and she vanished into thin air.

Upon receiving He Ying’s text, Jing Dan was still perusing the takeout options on a food delivery app, wrestling with what to choose for lunch.

Seeing that He Ying was coming to deliver food, Jing Dan’s eyes lit up for a moment, and she quickly called the front desk to have someone brought up.

She really wanted to see how good He Ying’s cooking was.

It wasn’t long before the front desk brought He Ying into her office.

He Ying took a moment to survey the office, inwardly remarking that although this was a newly established company, everything from the decor she saw upon entering did not give off a petty atmosphere. It far surpassed several large entertainment companies she had seen, both in grandeur and taste. Especially Jing Dan’s office, which was spacious and bright, thoroughly adorned with detailed decorations, it was clear that a lot of thought had been put into it.

As soon as He Ying entered, Jing Dan had already sharply detected the aroma of food. Her gaze settled on the two large bags in He Ying’s hand.

He Ying: “…”

“I came all the way here to bring you food, and I don’t even deserve a glance?”

He Ying felt she might just be the most undignified errand runner, first with the white eyed panda, and now with Jing Dan. Both only cared for the food, not for her.

With a sigh, she placed the items on the coffee table, took them out, opened the lids, and arranged everything neatly, raising an eyebrow as she said, “Here, I made some delicious food for you, give it a try.”

Jing Dan surveyed the full spread of dishes. Not only were they pleasing to the eye, but their aroma was also enticingly mouthwatering. He Ying had even taken the time to plate each dish, giving them an artistic flair.

It seemed as if they were just out of the pot, steaming hot.

She glanced up at He Ying, wondering how fast did this person have to move? The dishes still seemed just out of the pot; could it be that she used spiritual powers to teleport them here?

“What, you don’t want to eat?” He Ying offered her a pair of chopsticks.

“I’ll eat.” Jing Dan took the chopsticks, her eyes showing a glint of anticipation as she reached first for the stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots.

Seeing her start to eat, He Ying suddenly felt a wave of nervousness, her gaze fixed on Jing Dan, dreading that she might show any hint of displeasure.

Jing Dan picked up a bit of bamboo shoot, and upon her first taste, the slight spiciness was immediate, followed by the unique texture and refreshing taste of the bamboo, quite appetizing indeed. Even the faint heat of the dish was perfectly within what she found agreeable.

Her eyes lit up slightly at the taste.

Seeing such an expression, He Ying let go of some of her worries, but she still couldn’t help asking, “How is it? Does it suit your taste?”

Jing Dan nodded, and then promptly picked up more with her chopsticks, finding it more delicious the more she ate.

Seeing Jing Dan enjoy the food so much, He Ying completely set aside her concerns, pushing the rice toward her and said with a bit of smugness, “I wasn’t spouting nonsense, was I? My cooking is really good.”

Remembering Jing Dan’s earlier skeptical look, He Ying found it amusing. This person really had such little trust in her, perhaps no bigger than a fingernail.

Upon hearing this, Jing Dan’s movements slowed ever so slightly, and the tips of her ears hidden beneath her hair started to redden. Even the normally clear and lustrous look in her eyes carried a hint of embarrassment as she glanced at He Ying.

Such a rare sight of her looking guilty and embarrassed was truly precious.

He Ying burst into complete laughter, “If you want more, I’ll cook for you again in the future.”

The author has something to say:

When I first came up with the initial title for this novel, “Tickling Ears,” I thought to myself, how damn clever am I! Pandas are mostly found in Sichuan, and then I picked a Sichuan dialect for the title – how symmetrical! Later on, when I realized that quite a few people had no idea what “Tickling Ears” meant: I truly am a big genius (crying).