The moon in the sky
What gives! Back when they all fawned over Jing Dan and He Ying because they looked good together, wasn’t it because they both looked attractive that they got together in the first place! Am I not pretty enough or what!
Oh, she was furious, especially seeing comments telling her not to take Jing Dan’s food and to buy her own if she wanted some. Her anger soared to the skies. You all are really treating people unfairly!
Darn it, Jing Dan is pampered and loved at home, held in the palm of He Ying’s hand, and now even protected by netizens in every possible way when she steps out. This is just too much! Even if you are a national treasure, this is still over the top!
Hu Tu feels a sourness in her heart, damn, all she did was eat some food, and they actually made her buy it herself. And so much of it, there’s no way that’s all for Jing Dan to eat by herself! It’s obvious there’s a portion for her too!
And are those foods that Jing Dan is eating something you can just buy with money? Clearly, they are hand-made by He Ying!
However, Jing Dan, sitting beside her, pays no attention to Hu Tu’s sulking. Her gaze is fixed on the stage, where the lights in the entire venue suddenly dim. The stage lights slowly rise, and a haunting music pierces the soul!
Jing Dan’s eyes widen slightly as she watches the scene on stage, the flashing of swords and shadows, and even as the dance performers appear, the urgency, fear, and visions of carnage conveyed through their body movements and dance deeply shock Jing Dan.
Watching He Ying on stage, every movement radiating immense strength, Jing Dan began to feel a sense of unfamiliarity. This version of He Ying seemed completely unrecognizable from the one Jing Dan knew; she fully embodied her character, belonging wholly to the role she was portraying.
“This is the charm of a lead dancer.” Hu Tu couldn’t even bring herself to be annoyed, softly exclaiming as she watched the performance.
He Ying possessed a magical ability to instantly draw people into the character she was interpreting. Even someone like Jing Dan, who wasn’t particularly sensitive to art, found herself profoundly moved by He Ying’s dance.
Until the performance came to a perfect close, Jing Dan was still unable to shake off the impact He Ying had on her, sitting frozen in her seat, staring at the stage.
Beside her, Hu Tu: “…”
“Are you zoned out?” She waved her hand in front of Jing Dan, who hadn’t eaten a bite since the event officially began, her gaze glued to the stage without moving.
Jing Dan shuddered, then snapped back to reality, turning her head to look at her.
“It’s time to leave!” Hu Tu said irritably.
Only then did Jing Dan realize that people in the venue were starting to leave in droves.
She lowered her head, looking at the food on the table in front of her. It had been sitting there for so long, yet the fruits and such were still fresh, evidently, He Ying had not forgotten to use her spiritual power to maintain their freshness. It seemed such a pity to just throw them away, especially since they were made by He Ying…
She divided the things in front of her, giving half to Hu Tu, and then took a small piece of cake and put it into her mouth, mumbling, “Eat up, we’ll just wait here for He Ying.”
In her heart, she was certain that after He Ying finished up, she would definitely come to find her.
Hu Tu: “…” You’re sharing with me now?!
Afterward, the two sat there eating and waiting. After about half an hour or more, He Ying finally appeared.
Upon her arrival, she saw two beautiful women, their mouths stuffed full of food, with their cheeks puffed out.
“…”
Do these two really not care about their image at all?
She looked around the venue, thankful that the audience had almost completely left, which likely meant no one saw them in this state.
She approached and observed the table, where only a few items remained. She slightly raised her eyebrows; she hadn’t expected the items to last this long. She originally thought Jing Dan would find the event boring and would pass the time by eating.
“Shall we go?” He Ying sought their opinion.
“Hold on!” Hu Tu mumbled, then picked up the last piece of cake from the table and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, “Can’t waste it!”
Jing Dan didn’t say anything, but from her actions, it was clear she agreed with Hu Tu.
He Ying: “…” She supposed she should thank them for giving her so much face?
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She smiled helplessly, watching as Jing Dan’s cheeks puffed out, truly resembling those chibi drawings of little hamsters, busily eating away.
She sat down beside Jing Dan, joining her in tackling the food on the table, and while eating, she asked, “Did you find the performance boring just now?”
Jing Dan turned her head, looking at He Ying who had removed all her makeup and no longer carried the aura she had on stage, returning to the familiar He Ying she knew. She shook her head, swallowing her food before speaking very seriously, “It was very beautiful! Very impressive!”
He Ying was momentarily stunned. She wasn’t quite used to the earnest way in which she claimed to enjoy the dance.
Feeling a slight warmth in her ears, she turned her head away, avoiding their gazes and looking towards the people not far away who were still cleaning up the venue. Standing up, she said, “Let’s go. Let’s not disturb their work.”
It seemed that they had also almost finished eating. The two obediently packed up the trash and carried it in their hands, following behind He Ying as they left.
Their compliant manner almost made it seem as if He Ying was raising children.
As the performance ended and it approached lunchtime, He Ying sought their opinions, “Shall we have lunch?” Considering how much they just ate, she guessed they probably wouldn’t be able to eat much more. As expected…
Both shook their heads in unison.
Having just shared food with them, He Ying herself wasn’t hungry. In the end, they planned to find a beverage shop to sit for a while before heading home to their respective families.
“When is your next performance?” Hu Tu asked while sipping on a hot drink, letting out a comfortable sigh. Although as a spirit she wasn’t afraid of the cold, holding a cup of hot drink in winter was still a very blissful thing.
“In five days, at Baiyan City.”
Jing Dan looked up at her, knowing that she would be touring around the country next and probably wouldn’t have time to come and hang out with them anymore.
Indeed, just as Jing Dan had thought, He Ying was so busy afterward that there weren’t many messages exchanged between them. However, whenever Jing Dan sent her a message, even if He Ying couldn’t reply promptly, she would make an effort to say a bit more when she did see the messages later, explaining why she hadn’t been able to respond on time, for instance.
This small detail made Jing Dan feel a tiny burst of happiness, as He Ying lived up to what she had promised her.
On the day He Ying’s last tour performance ended, she checked her phone and noticed she hadn’t received a message from Jing Dan, so she sent one asking if there was anywhere Jing Dan wanted to go out to play once she was back, expressing her willingness to accompany her. However, her message went unanswered for a long time.
Upon going online, she found that the entire internet was abuzz with discussions about the “Chun and Jing Ming” CP.
He Ying: “???”
Clicking in, she saw Jing Dan leaning on a woman, who was half embracing her in her arms, their posture extremely intimate.
He Ying looked at the woman bowing her head, appearing to be in a pose of kissing Jing Dan, and her face turned cold.
Seeing the photo online, He Ying’s face turned uglier than ever before. She couldn’t even wait to take the plane back with the rest of the dance troupe; she instantly teleported back to Huaqing City.
It was clear that someone online was trying to downplay the situation, but considering how popular Chun and Jing Ming had been before, the backlash from this photo was immense.
She tried calling Jing Dan, only to find her phone was off. She then switched to calling Hu Tu.
The call connected, and Hu Tu’s voice came through, obviously irritated, opening with, “Are you annoying or what?”
“Hu Tu!” He Ying raised her voice.
The call to Hu Tu paused for a moment before she realized it was He Ying calling. Considering He Ying’s feelings for Jing Dan, Hu Tu quickly understood the reason for her call.
“Don’t overthink it; they’re not involved,” Hu Tu sighed deeply, feeling a headache coming on from the barrage of calls from the media that nearly blew up her phone just at the sound of a ringtone now.
“Of course, I know they’re not involved,” He Ying said coldly. She wasn’t foolish; it was clear from the photo that Jing Dan’s condition was unusual.
“How is she now? Why is her phone still turned off?”
Rubbing her temples, Hu Tu replied, “She’s still asleep and hasn’t woken up. Her phone broke last night. And don’t worry about those comments online; the company will issue a statement soon.”
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“Sleeping? What on earth happened to her last night?” He Ying frowned, her tone becoming somewhat urgent.
Speaking of this really made her angry, blaming herself for being too careless, actually letting Jing Dan go negotiate on her own.
“Last night she went to a gathering where she was supposed to not drink any alcohol. But then, someone gave her a cocktail that tastes like a regular drink but has a high alcohol content. She ended up getting drunk.”
If it weren’t for the assistant accompanying Jing Dan, who was keen enough to sense that something was off and called her, who knows what would have happened afterward.
She touched her forehead in frustration, even though Jing Dan is a spirit, she can’t handle her alcohol, especially not the kinds with such strong effects that directly knock a person out. Now, she’s sleeping like a dead pig.
Upon hearing the words, He Ying’s other hand clenched into a fist as she said coldly, “Where is Jing Dan now? I’m coming to find her.”
Hu Tu was taken aback, frowning, “Didn’t you just end your tour? How are you coming over?”
Taking a deep breath, trying to suppress the rising anger within her, He Ying said, “I’m already halfway there in my car, I’ll soon arrive in Huaqing City.”
Hu Tu responded with an “Oh,” and then told her their current location. However, she could also understand He Ying’s feelings. After all, seeing the person she likes being schemed against like that would drive anyone mad, even if Jing Dan wasn’t the person she liked. When she received the call last night, she almost wished she could eliminate those people herself.
Fortunately, she arrived in time, and Jing Dan was safe. Otherwise, she really didn’t know what she might have done.
He Ying knew Jing Dan was currently at home, and in the next moment, she arrived at the base of Jing Dan’s building. While her heart was racing as if it were on fire, she had no choice but to wait as the minutes slowly ticked by. When the time was just right, she didn’t want to wait any longer and went upstairs to knock on Jing Dan’s door.
Hu Tu was the one who came to open the door. Upon entering, He Ying noticed Jing Shiyue and Qiu Shuhuai were also there, especially Jing Shiyue’s face, which was so grim that it would make anyone tread lightly, fearing they might provoke her.
“Is Jing Dan in her room now? Can I go in and see her?” He Ying couldn’t bother with greetings at this point, directing her question at Hu Tu as soon as she saw her.
All she wanted now was to see Jing Dan as soon as possible and to reassure herself that everything was indeed alright after seeing her.
Upon seeing her, Hu Tu nodded.
He Ying carefully opened the bedroom door and immediately saw Jing Dan still asleep, her eyes closed, on the bed. All the blankets were wrapped around her, giving her a slightly flushed and snug appearance.
Seeing Jing Dan in such a peaceful state, He Ying quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She approached to examine Jing Dan’s expression more closely, noting that she seemed to be in a deep, peaceful sleep, suggesting she likely wasn’t feeling any discomfort.
What He Ying didn’t know was that when Hu Tu found her, Jing Dan had been complaining of dizziness, headaches, and a feeling of nausea. Ultimately, it was Jing Shiyue who came over to transfer some of her compatible spiritual energy to Jing Dan, easing her discomfort. However, the symptoms of drunkenness and the urge to sleep were beyond their ability to cure.
After checking that there was no serious problem, He Ying tidied the hair that had fallen onto Jing Dan’s face, sighed softly, and then left the room.
She approached Hu Tu and the others, asking in a serious tone, “Who are those people?” How dare they resort to such methods!
Hu Tu’s expression was somewhat unseemly as she explained, “We only found out from her assistant later on. Those people are from other entertainment companies. Haven’t we been preparing for a TV drama recently? Some people want to get their company’s artists into the project, and in order to curry favor with Jing Dan, they’ve tried to send people to her, starting with men. Seeing that Jing Dan remained unmoved and coupled with the rumors about the two of you online, they assumed she preferred women and began to send women her way.”
It would have been fine if they had just tried, as Jing Dan still had room to refuse. But to their disbelief, they thought Jing Dan was feigning propriety, just too embarrassed to accept outright. They waited to create an opportunity, and that’s what they did with the method of getting her drunk.
Learning the full story, He Ying felt a surge of anger, her chest heaving violently.
Jing Dan is pure and naive, almost like a blank slate when it comes to many things. Yet, others precisely wanted to take advantage of this, to tarnish this blank slate. How could she not be furious?
He Ying felt a wave of relief that the incident involved intoxication rather than something more sinister like drugging. She couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences otherwise.
“Which companies were those people from? And how did the photos end up online?” She pondered. Surely, if they were involved in such nefarious activities, they wouldn’t want it broadcasted all over the internet.
Hu Tu explained, “The photos were accidentally taken by someone who recognized Jing Dan and then posted online. As for the identities of the others involved, you don’t need to worry about that.” She then gestured towards Jing Shiyue, indicating that with a figure like Jing Dan’s aunt on their side, external help was hardly necessary.
Moreover, their official statement had already been released. Now, those companies were caught in a storm of public outrage, probably scrambling for damage control.
He Ying glanced at Jing Shiyue. This was her first time seeing Jing Dan’s aunt in person. She couldn’t help but notice the resemblance between Jing Shiyue and Jing Dan. Standing together, it was apparent to anyone the relationship they shared.
Jing Shiyue was also sizing up He Ying, observing the latter’s eagerness to return after a long trip for Jing Dan, coupled with a genuine display of worry and anxiety that seemed far from pretense. This prompted a thoughtful look in Jing Shiyue’s eyes.
Beside her, Qiu Shuhuai exchanged glances with her, as if both could discern each other’s thoughts through their eyes.
He Ying gave Jing Shiyue a slight nod as a form of greeting and then noticed Qiu Shuhuai sitting next to Jing Shiyue without showing any sign of surprise. After all, Jing Dan had long ago candidly revealed everything to her without much secrecy.
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Having done what was necessary, all that remained was to wait for the person inside the room to awaken.
The group sat outside, none in the mood for idle chatter, creating a somewhat solemn and tense atmosphere.
In their eyes, Jing Dan was too pure and too clean; now suddenly confronted with such ugliness, they were truly afraid it would have a negative impact on her.
Jing Shiyue’s face was tense; her niece, always coddled and protected, was kept away from all that was bad. But now, someone was using such despicable tactics, trying to drag her into the mire.
She is the moon in the sky, how could she be tarnished!
He Ying stood up, lowering her voice, “I’ll go inside and watch over her.”
Jing Shiyue and the others just glanced at her, offering no objection.
He Ying returned to Jing Dan’s room, looking at the person still in deep sleep. She gently placed her hand on her face, stroking it, feeling a mix of suffocation and pain in her chest.
This time, she would probably feel wronged.
The author has something to say:
Pat Daidai, and upon awakening, seek out Hehe to tattle.