Transformation
On the day of the opening ceremony, Jing Dan generously booked the most luxurious hotel in the city and invited the entire crew to attend.
He Ying, wearing a black dress with a daring slit, swayed gracefully as she walked. As soon as she entered, she attracted the attention of most people present.
Among them was Jing Dan.
Jing Xiaodan, wrapped up tightly in a shirt and trousers, frowned immediately upon seeing He Ying.
Hu Tu, standing beside her, couldn’t help but tease when she saw her expression: “Jing Xiaodan, what’s with that face?”
Jing Dan gave her a sidelong glance and snorted softly without saying a word.
However, seeing her like this, Hu Tu’s eyes were tinged with worry, secretly hoping that there really wouldn’t be anything between them.
As He Ying approached, a faint fragrance wafted over, seeming to hit one in the face with her unique scent, addictive.
Jing Dan’s nose twitched, and suddenly she felt something unusual in her heart.
“What’s the matter, standing here not moving?” He Ying looked at the two of them and found it somewhat amusing.
Jing Dan kept her expression bland, not wanting to deal with her due to the odd feeling in her heart.
“Oh, there’s no need for us to make a move.” Hu Tu gestured towards Qiu Shuhuai, implying that with her presence, there was absolutely no need for them to step in to handle anything.
He Ying glanced over, then turned her gaze back to Jing Dan, not understanding why all of a sudden she was putting on such a face again. ‘Wasn’t she quite different when enjoying the food I made these past days?’
“What’s wrong? Don’t like the look of me?” He Ying raised her eyebrows towards Jing Dan.
Jing Dan: “…No.”
She just felt something was off, as if every time He Ying got close, she would feel something peculiar about herself, even her soul felt weird.
Hu Tu, watching the interaction between the two, grew more anxious the more she observed, even beginning to contemplate whether to speak with Jing Shiyue to see if she could find someone within the Panda Clan for Jing Dan—just to avert the danger of Jing Dan suddenly falling for someone she shouldn’t.
Seeing her like this, He Ying tactfully stayed away from Jing Dan, turning to mingle with other guests of the show to get better acquainted.
As she watched her walk away, Jing Dan’s brows subtly furrowed. Although the odd sensation was gone, a different, nameless emotion began to rise, causing some discomfort.
“Eat?” Hu Tu grabbed a small cake and handed it to Jing Dan, “She’s gone, what are you still staring at? Eating is what you should be focusing on right now!”
Jing Dan lowered her gaze to the small cake before her, which surprisingly had an image of a panda cub gnawing on a piece of bamboo, looking dumb and cute.
Jing Dan: “…”
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This guy is definitely doing this on purpose!
Seeing her silent, Hu Tu struggled to hold back her laughter, picked up a fork, and dug out the bamboo shoots from the little panda’s arms, bringing it to Jing Dan’s mouth with a coaxing tone, “Ah, open up.”
Jing Dan’s face turned blue.
Hu Tu burst into full laughter, turned the fork towards her own mouth, and provocatively ate the bamboo shoots right in front of Jing Dan. Then she stood next to her, looking at the glamorous celebrities with keen interest, and said, “Help me take a look, which beauty isn’t bad?”
Jing Dan followed her gaze, scanning the venue without a hint of emotion and said, “The company forbids casting couch1 practices.”
After a look around, she realized that, surprisingly, it was He Ying, who wasn’t quite considered part of the entertainment circle, who was the most attractive.
Hu Tu: “……Don’t think of me as such a sleazebag. Although I’m flirtatious and promiscuous, it’s always been consensual!”
Jing Dan: “Oh, just don’t mess with anyone we have a collaborative relationship with.”
She understood that much, in this circle, it doesn’t matter whether it’s consensual or not, as soon as interests become entangled, who knows how ugly the rumors could get.
Hu Tu: “…”
This person wants to become a leading figure in the industry, and by then, there would be a sea of people associated with this company. Wouldn’t she lose out on a whole vast forest in an instant?!
But looking at Jing Dan’s serious face, Hu Tu fell silent anyway. Forget it, what’s lost is lost. After all, she could simply spend a bit more time hunting in other circles.
He Ying was holding a wine glass and chatting with others, but from the corner of her eye, she glanced in Jing Dan’s direction, naturally not missing the exchange between her and Hu Tu earlier.
He Ying glanced at Hu Tu, who flitted about flirting like a fox, and felt a tinge of introspection upon seeing that Hu Tu hadn’t taken advantage of Jing Dan. It seemed she still had some conscience left.
Outside, Jing Dan maintained her persona, standing aloof in a corner of the banquet hall, but she couldn’t escape from the occasional glances thrown her way.
“Not bad, Jing Xiaodan.” Hu Tu, who was beside her, naturally sensed those glances. Looking at the person next to her with a cold expression, she inwardly exclaimed at how deceptive Jing Dan’s appearance was. Even in this entertainment industry, teeming with beauties, she stood out uniquely.
Jing Dan shot her a cold look and then took a sip of milk from her cup, frowning.
It still wasn’t as good as the milk He Ying had given her.
Seeing this, Hu Tu quickly took the milk from her hand and hid it to one side, reprimanding with frustration, “At this kind of function, if you’re not drinking alcohol, you definitely shouldn’t be drinking milk, right?! Consuming such a wimpy drink, it’d look bad if others saw you!”
Jing Dan: “…”
“What’s with you? It’s not the end of the world, just because I took your milk away, is it?” Seeing her silent, Hu Tu was puzzled.
Jing Dan grasped her wrist, her face tight with tension, and said, “Come with me to the restroom.”
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Hu Tu’s eyes widened, “What’s the big deal about going to the restroom all of a sudden? It’s just milk, it’s not like you’re going to hit someone because of it, right?”
Jing Dan clenched her teeth, her words practically popping through the gaps, “Hurry up, I’m about to revert to my true form!”
Hu Tu: “…”
Startled, she quickly jumped up, grabbing Jing Dan and dashing towards the restroom!
“Hold on, we’re almost there!” Hu Tu shouted as she ran. She was frantic! If Jing Dan really transformed back into her true form in front of everyone, what a commotion it would cause! When the Spirit Management Bureau had to come and clean up the mess, both of them would surely face a stiff penalty!
Meanwhile, He Ying noticed their actions and, seeing their panicky state, her eyebrows knitted with concern, feeling uneasy about the situation.
After politely excusing herself from the people around her, she followed in the direction Jing Dan and the others had gone, wanting to see if something was amiss.
“Miss He.”
Midway, He Ying was halted by a soft, gentle voice.
He Ying’s steps faltered, and she stopped, turning her head to look at Qiu Shuhuai.
Qiu Shuhuai had an extremely comforting smile on her face as she handed her a cup of wine, saying, “I’ve only seen Miss He on TV before, now looking at you in person, you are even more beautiful than on screen.”
He Ying: “…”
Right now, she was in a hurry to check on Jing Dan and Hu Tu and wasn’t really interested in small talk. But the person approaching her was Qiu Shuhuai, so it wouldn’t be good to outright deny her and make her lose face, especially since she was one of Jing Dan’s people.
“Miss Qiu,” she greeted her, but her gaze kept darting off to the direction where Jing Dan and Hu Tu had disappeared to, which was now out of sight.
“You seem to be quite close with President Jing. I often see you bringing meals to her,” Qiu Shuhuai said with a smile, admiring the woman before her who was so gorgeous that even other women couldn’t help but like her.
He Ying: “…It’s alright, I guess.”
As for that guy Jing Dan, she dared not say anything too positive. After all, she was a white-eyed wolf who only took advantage of her hospitality without giving her the time of day.
She was still able to eat with such unashamed righteousness.
Qiu Shuhuai kept her talking with an assortment of trivial matters. He Ying, anxious to check on the situation, naturally responded as perfunctorily as possible. After chatting for a while, it seemed that Qiu Shuhuai also picked up on her perfunctory attitude and bid her farewell with a smile.
Once He Ying had left, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hastened towards the direction Jing Dan and Hu Tu had taken.
Reaching the midway point of the corridor, she looked at the restroom sign and went in.
“Ah!” Someone inside immediately let out a short cry.
He Ying: “…”
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She lowered her head, eyeing the familiar panda in Hu Tu’s arms along with its signature tuft of silly hair.
“…”
Seeing He Ying suddenly come in, Hu Tu was nearly scared into having a heart attack. The panda in her arms wasn’t caught in time, and it fell straight down!
He Ying, with quick reflexes, immediately caught it. She looked down at the dazed panda cub in her arms and once again fell silent.
Subsequently, she lifted her head to look at Hu Tu, “Where is Jing Dan?”
The panda cub in her arms stiffened and buried its head in her embrace, not intending to make a sound.
Hu Tu: “…”
Her gaze unconsciously fell on the panda cub cradled in He Ying’s arms.
Jing Dan’s body tensed, her heart climbing up to her throat.
Footnotes
- The casting couch phenomenon is an unsavory practice within the film industry where employment opportunities or career advancement are offered in exchange for sexual favors.
