Panda Cub – Chapter 44

Exposed

As the Lunar New Year approached and human traffic surged, securing tickets proved challenging due to the high demand. Eventually, it was He Ying who managed to snag three tickets to the north for them after a determined effort to buy tickets online.

Sitting by the airplane window, Jing Dan enjoyed the view of the blue sky and white clouds outside. She always preferred window seats on flights, cherishing the sensation of soaring through the skies.

Next to her, He Ying watched her as she gazed out the window with childlike wonder. Despite Jing Dan’s composed exterior, which rarely revealed any overly excited emotions, He Ying could easily imagine her genuine reactions.

With eyes wide in amazement and her mouth slightly agape, Jing Dan expressed her awe with a soft “Ah~.”

She seemed even more like a child.

He Ying couldn’t help but smile softly at the sight.

On their other side, Hu Tu observed, “…”

You’re admiring the scenery outside, but who’s admiring the viewer of that scenery?

Hu Tu was visibly bemused, thinking to herself that Jing Dan and He Ying weren’t romantically involved, so why the palpable air of sentimentality?

Turning to He Ying, Jing Dan pondered deeply. She wondered about He Ying’s true form; if she were a bird, could she potentially carry her high into the skies? While airplanes also fly, they lack the exhilarating feeling of gliding on the wind, the vastness of the sky and earth sprawling magnificently below.

Receiving her gaze so suddenly, He Ying couldn’t fathom what was quietly going through her mind, noticing her eyebrows knit together as if straining with thought.

He Ying: “…” Why did she feel so uneasy?

Upon arriving in Lanzhou City, the sky had already dimmed, casting an overcast ambiance. Everywhere the eye wandered, pristine snow and branches laden with icicles could be seen, crunching underfoot with every step taken in the snow.

Jing Dan adored the snow, perhaps a trait inherent to her panda nature, preferring the cold over heat. At the sight of snow, she even entertained the thought of reverting to her panda form to immerse herself fully in it, letting the snow cover her entirely.

However, Hu Tu was far from enamored with it. Even as a spirit, she found herself cursing under her breath during winter. She found it to be a particularly troublesome season, necessitating layers of thick clothing, and observing the general dormancy of nature. For regular foxes, preparations for winter involved gathering a substantial amount of resources, making survival all the more cumbersome.

Stepping onto this land once again, He Ying found herself momentarily disoriented, despite not much time having passed since her last visit. Yet, her return this time bore a different emotion.

Turning her head, she saw Jing Dan reaching for the icicles hanging from a tree and smiled gently.

Before long, the car arranged by He Ying arrived. She, along with Jing Dan and Hu Tu, boarded the vehicle. As they entered, the blast of the heater was almost overwhelming, causing the snow that had settled on them to melt into a dampness.

“Take off your coats first. We’ll go straight home, so we won’t need them anymore,” He Ying softly told Jing Dan, assisting her with unbuttoning her coat.

“Uh-huh,” Jing Dan responded, complying by taking off her coat, after which He Ying brought over a dry towel to wipe her slightly damp hair, being careful to avoid any discomfort from sudden temperature changes.

Hu Tu: “…” Muttering to herself in annoyance, she wondered why nobody was concerned about whether her clothes were wet.

Irritated, she stripped off her coat, only to have a clean towel tossed over her head.

“…” Fine. She’ll take it as a token of care.

The driver, occasionally glancing at the three through the rearview mirror, soon refocused on driving.

As the car drove increasingly off the path, the surroundings became sparser with human presence. Tall trees loomed on either side, their leaves already shed, vaguely emitting an air of desolation.

Jing Dan gazed curiously outside, perhaps wearing rose-tinted glasses when it comes to where He Ying’s usual haunts. Even a seemingly desolate scene like this felt to her like a unique landscape of winter.

Eventually, the car stopped in front of a solitary villa nestled deep in the mountains. He Ying, with Jing Dan in tow, stepping off from the car, looking at the villa situated in the depths of the mountains with slightly closed eyes.

For Jing Dan and Hu Tu, the presence of such a villa deep in the wilds wasn’t surprising. After all, many members of spirit clans live amongst humans, though some prefer solitude and thus reside in secluded areas away from the hustle and bustle.

After they got out of the car, the vehicle turned around and headed back. The driver didn’t even step out of the car.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you inside,” He Ying said with a smile to Jing Dan, carrying their luggage inside.

Jing Dan followed her in. Once inside, they found it eerily quiet, especially as darkness had fallen. In the dense woods, the silence within the seemingly secluded house, coupled with the dim outlines of objects, conjured up the notion of a haunted house.

“Don’t tell me, He Ying, you’re planning to bring us here to the deep woods to kill us, right?” Hu Tu rolled her eyes and commented, seemingly overwhelmed by the strong impression of a haunted house.

“Yeah, might as well do it now,” He Ying responded dryly to her comment. After putting down the luggage and turning on the lights, the interior was instantly brightened, revealing a minimalist décor that made the house feel stark and devoid of warmth.

“Is no one else home?” Hu Tu asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Yes,” He Ying picked up the luggage again and said, “My mom lives on the second floor. She usually doesn’t like to come out of her room, so to avoid bothering her, we’ll just stay on the first floor.”

Fortunately, the house had enough rooms. The three of them chose adjacent rooms to put their luggage in.

Unlike Jing Dan, Hu Tu sensed something amiss. Upon returning to her home, He Ying seemed like a guest, not having a room of her own and casually picking a room on the first floor to stay in with them. Moreover, she only mentioned her mother and no one else. So, was it just her mother living in this house?

Unaware of Hu Tu’s thoughts after putting away their things, He Ying went into the kitchen to pour a glass of water for each guest and then asked, “What would you like to eat? I’ll make it.”

Jing Dan, taking the water, looked around the room and whispered, “Shouldn’t we greet your mother first?” It doesn’t seem right just moving in like this.

He Ying laughed lightly, “It’s okay. She prefers to be alone. If she doesn’t come down, let’s not bother her.”

“Ah?” Jing Dan was puzzled. Is that really okay?

“Don’t ‘ah’ now, just say what you want to eat!” Hu Tu, tactfully not dwelling further on the topic, nudged her to hurry up and choose.

Jing Dan: “Oh, I’d like stir-fried bamboo shoots.” Now is the best time for bamboo shoots.

Hu Tu: “…” You really don’t hide it well at all!

He Ying looked at Hu Tu rolling her eyes and said with a smile, “Okay, then you guys wait. By the way, you can also look around, just keep it quiet.

Watching He Ying’s figure disappear into the kitchen, Hu Tu felt displeased again, thinking, didn’t she even ask what I wanted to eat?

After He Ying left, Hu Tu, not feeling like moving at all, slumped on the sofa playing with her phone. Jing Dan, feeling somewhat bored, stood up and wandered around the first floor, keeping in mind He Ying’s mention of her mother’s preference for quiet, thus she didn’t go to the second floor. After walking through the first floor and seeing that He Ying was still not done in the kitchen, Jing Dan stepped out to check the backyard.

Compared to the darkness at the front, the backyard was lit up with scattered lights, with various types of climbers adorned with small lights. At a glance, it looked like a small sea of lights in the dark.

She stepped in, intrigued by the dim light exuding a serene atmosphere. Not far away, there was a swing with a slender woman sitting on it.

Jing Dan was momentarily stunned, then quickly regained her composure, recognizing the vaguely familiar features of the woman and guessing who she might be.

Hadn’t He Ying mentioned her liking to stay in her room and not come out? Why was she now in the backyard? However curious she was, this was after all someone’s home, and she couldn’t just go up and ask, “Why are you here?”

She approached, feeling unusually reserved, and softly called out, “Auntie.”

He Yuan had noticed Jing Dan from the moment she appeared and had been watching her. Seeing Jing Dan approach with a shy and reserved manner, she nodded slightly.

Without any words from her, and Jing Dan not being a particularly outgoing person, the atmosphere quickly turned quiet, faintly tinged with an awkward flavor.

Perhaps Jing Dan was the only one feeling awkward, while the other appeared quite natural.

Recalling He Ying’s mention that her mother liked quietness, and amidst such an awkward atmosphere, Jing Dan was about to suggest leaving when He Ying’s mother spoke up.

“Would you like to sit?” she gestured towards the swing she was sitting on.

“Ah? Oh, sure,” Jing Dan responded a bit hastily, worried that He Ying’s mother might think she wasn’t enthusiastic enough.

But once she sat down, she immediately regretted it.

What was going on with He Ying’s mother pushing the swing for her!

Her face flushed with embarrassment, she said somewhat awkwardly, “Auntie, I can swing by myself.” It dawned on her too late, was it inappropriate to agree to this? After all, she was perfectly comfortable before coming here…

He Yuan nodded, then sat quietly on a nearby stone stool, watching Jing Dan. After a while, she suddenly asked, “Are you and He Ying close?”

The woman’s voice was clear and cold, exuding a sense of weariness devoid of desire, compelling Jing Dan to look at her.

Upon a closer look, Jing Dan noticed how much He Ying resembled her, especially the way He Ying’s indifference mirrored that of the woman before her.

She nodded earnestly, “She’s been really good to me!”

Even though she knew He Ying liked her, she couldn’t deny that He Ying’s kindness was genuine and tangible, which made her feel even more conflicted. If she didn’t accept He Ying, it felt like she was betraying her kindness.

But, she couldn’t just accept her because of this…

Jing Dan’s mood dropped slightly.

Seeing the young woman’s spirits fall, Hu Yuan simply smiled mildly, not commenting on her statement of being treated well, and asked, “You’re Jing Dan, right?”

“Hm?” Jing Dan looked up, “You know me?”

Hu Yuan nodded, explaining, “Before He Ying came back, she had already told me about you.”

“Oh.” That made sense, considering she was staying in their home. It would be weird if He Ying didn’t know who she was.

Hu Yuan observed the woman before her. Despite her cool exterior, she had eyes as pure as a child’s, the kind of person that makes others unconsciously want to be kind to her, not bearing to see those pure eyes tainted by the world. No wonder He Ying was so good to her.

“May I have a look at you?” Hu Yuan asked.

This time, Jing Dan was truly baffled. See what exactly?

Then she saw He Yuan gesturing for her to stretch out her hand. She looked down at her own hand, wondering what was so special about it. Yet, seeing the expression in He Yuan’s eyes, it seemed somewhat improper not to extend her hand, especially since an elder had made a request.

With some hesitation, she stretched her hand towards He Yuan, biting her lip in confusion.

He Yuan grabbed her hand, and Jing Dan’s immediate reaction was to feel cold, a type of cold that was even chillier than the winter breeze. She couldn’t help but shudder.

He Yuan seemed to notice and gave her a glance.

However, Jing Dan couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but it felt like that look was much softer than before, almost as if there was a hint of reassurance in it.

Then, Jing Dan saw He Yuan holding her hand, closing her eyes, and a stream of cool spiritual energy entered her body.

Jing Dan: “…”

Jing Dan was shocked. Could this person really be using her spiritual powers so openly in front of her? And by revealing her spiritual energy, wouldn’t she know that Jing Dan was a spirit?

She widened her eyes in disbelief, looking at He Yuan, not understanding why she would suddenly use spiritual energy on her. And if she knew Jing Dan was a spirit, what about He Ying’s reaction? Would she also know?

However, He Yuan, with her eyes closed, had no idea what Jing Dan was thinking at that moment. She began to carefully probe Jing Dan’s soul platform using her spiritual power, and as she did so, her expression gradually became more complex.

After a while, she opened her eyes, looked at the woman in front of her, and let out a soft sigh, followed by a slow emergence of a faint smile.

Jing Dan, completely clueless about what she was doing: “…”

“Auntie, what are you doing?” She felt awkward asking, and her heart was racing. She wondered if He Yuan had decided to use her spiritual power so boldly before her because of something He Ying had told her, or simply because she initially thought Jing Dan was human and thus had no apprehensions.

Moreover, what mattered most was if He Ying hadn’t shared anything in particular, then by now, He Yuan must surely have realized that Jing Dan was a spirit. She hoped that He Yuan wouldn’t mention it to He Ying!

“It’s nothing much, just checking out your bones,” He Yuan said with a light smile.

Jing Dan: “…”, wondering if she was being assessed for her potential as a martial arts prodigy?

Feeling awkward, Jing Dan looked at He Yuan, unsure how to question her further.

“Jing Dan?” He Ying’s voice came from not too far away.

Both of them looked up and saw He Ying standing on the other side of the sea of lights, appearing slightly surprised.

She approached, first lowering her gaze to Jing Dan, who was sitting on the swing, and then looked toward He Yuan, softly calling out, “Mom.”

He Yuan simply nodded faintly, not even offering her the kind of mild smile she had shown Jing Dan.

He Ying lowered her eyes, then as if nothing was amiss, smiled and said, “Dinner is ready, let’s go back and eat.”

“Oh.” Jing Dan, whose appetite had vanished, focused entirely on He Ying’s mother, fearing she might say something shocking, feeling anxious.

Seeing Jing Dan stand up, He Yuan also stood up, then walked ahead with an unreadable expression, not saying a word to He Ying afterward.

Walking behind, Jing Dan felt relieved seeing He Yuan’s reaction but also puzzled by the relationship between He Ying and her mother; it seemed strangely cold?

She couldn’t figure it out, but since He Ying had so casually brought them to her home, their relationship with her mother couldn’t be that bad, right?

Once inside the house, Hu Tu, who had started to drink soup ahead of everyone, nearly teared up from choking on the soup upon seeing the woman that was He Ying’s mom.

“Ah, cough, cough! Auntie!” Hu Tu tried to suppress the urge to cough, her face turning red, wishing she could just disappear; how could He Ying not mention her mom would be there?!

Thinking about her impolite behavior of drinking the soup first made her feel extremely awkward. If it was just having a meal with He Ying and others, as friends among peers, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but with an elder present, especially before the elder had even started eating, ah, she was so embarrassed she couldn’t bear to look at He Ying’s mom!

He Yuan merely nodded, then took a seat at the head of the table.

Seeing He Yuan sit down, He Ying fetched another set of bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen. She glanced back at Jing Dan, who was closely following her, smiled gently, and asked in a soft voice, “What’s the matter? Not used to it?”

Jing Dan took a seat beside He Ying, shaking her head without speaking. How could she dare to speak? He Yuan was a spirit, and Jing Dan didn’t think their whispers were inaudible to her!

Jing Dan sat up straight, a posture that amused He Ying, who chuckled to herself.

Perhaps due to the remarkably awkward atmosphere, no one spoke at the dinner table, and Jing Dan found herself lacking appetite even for the bamboo shoots she requested.

After the meal, He Yuan went upstairs without saying anything, leaving the three young people downstairs.

Upon He Yuan’s departure, Hu Tu let out a huge sigh of relief, collapsing onto the sofa as if she was out of breath, tremblingly saying, “Your mom’s aura is too strong!”

It was odd; He Ying’s mother came off as indifferent and slightly weary, which would typically create an impression of detachment. Yet, when she sat there in silence, it felt like no one dared even to breathe too loudly.

He Ying rarely saw Hu Tu look so timid. She was usually so outspoken, making it all the more apparent how intimidating her mother appeared to be.

Shaking her head, He Ying began to clear the kitchen. Afterward, she came out and said, “It’s late now. Everyone should wash up and rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for some fun.”

“Alright! I’m off to bed!” Hu Tu stood up, pretending to stagger to her room despite not having drunk anything.

Jing Dan looked at He Ying, biting her lip, wondering how she could persuade He Ying to stay.

Yes, to have her stay in her room.

She really couldn’t rest easy without keeping an eye on her. What if, in her absence, He Ying’s mother mentioned the matter of her being a spirit?

“What’s the matter?” He Ying looked at her curiously.

Jing Dan’s ears began to heat up with embarrassment, and she felt awkward looking at He Ying. But, considering the potential consequences, she braced herself and asked, “I’m still not completely comfortable since I arrived here, could you, perhaps, stay and sleep with me tonight?”

It was the first time Jing Dan had ever actively invited someone to share her bed, and she could feel her whole body beginning to warm up with the request.

The author has something to say:

Seeing that the advance collection next door broke five hundred, hehe, there will be an extra update tonight! (Hands in pockets),,