Panda Cub – Chapter 48

Watch the drama quietly

Listening to Hu Tu’s words, Jing Dan looked up at her, not understanding the meaning behind them.

Seeing Jing Dan looking so confused, Hu Tu felt a bit frustrated, almost resentful. “Where has that fiery spirit gone? The one that got mad not just when He Ying didn’t make you food but ate with someone else?!” She was almost spelling it out for her. Couldn’t she see it already?

“What I’m saying is, Xu Yu is not just thinking of He Ying as a friend!” Hu Tu spelled it out for her, word by word, hoping she’d finally understand.

However, Jing Dan, upon hearing her words, simply froze, without saying anything.

Hu Tu: “…” What’s happening? No reaction at all?

“Hey, did you even hear me?” She waved her hand in front of her face.

Jing Dan slowly came back to reality and just made a sound acknowledging Hu Tu.

Hu Tu: “…” Great, she’s gone stupid.

When He Ying came back, she saw Jing Dan spacing out, not responding even when called. It was only after she tapped her on the shoulder that she finally snapped back to reality.

“What happened to her just now?” He Ying asked Hu Tu.

However, Hu Tu blinked her innocent, big eyes, refusing to say a word. How could she possibly relay what was just said to He Ying? It’s one thing to share it with Jing Dan, but telling He Ying would be akin to helping that woman confess her feelings. Besides, that woman might not even appreciate her help in confessing, likely harboring a strong desire to eliminate her instead.

Seeing Hu Tu’s expression, it was clear to her that Hu Tu must have said something to provoke this reaction from Jing Dan, who gave Hu Tu an exasperated look and then dragged a small stool to sit next to Jing Dan, softly asking, “What’s wrong? You seemed to have lost your soul just now.”

Jing Dan, coming back to her senses: “…”

She shook her head, indicating it was nothing.

Seeing them both being tight-lipped, He Ying felt somewhat helpless. But seeing Jing Dan like this, she didn’t want to press her, so she simply said, “As long as it’s nothing, let’s eat. We can go for a walk after eating.”

As the spicy hot pot was served, Jing Dan, who was initially curious about it, now ate without tasting, her mind preoccupied with what Hu Tu had said. If Xu Yu liked He Ying, did He Ying know about it?

She glanced at He Ying, unable to clear her doubts for the moment but felt somewhat congested, doing anything felt lackluster.

Later, a photo of the three of them eating spicy hot pot at the small stall naturally spread online. Jing Dan didn’t care too much about appearances. After buying New Year goods and filling a whole car, they went home.

On the way, Jing Dan turned to look at He Ying’s profile as she drove, and then gloomily turned away, thinking about Xu Yu and the gesture of her wanting to feed He Ying. Knowing the truth, she felt that Xu Yu was really astute, staying by He Ying’s side under the guise of friendship, slowly laying her plans!

At this moment, Jing Dan seemed to forget her previous assumption about understanding He Ying’s tactics. The tactics she thought were about He Ying staying by her side, hoping time would foster affection.

Jing Dan looked ahead at the road, humming softly to herself. She was eager to see how Xu Yu would express her subtle thoughts, and what He Ying would do in response to her own.

After giving it some thought, she realized that since Xu Yu wasn’t around at the moment, there was no point in dwelling on it any further. Her mood lightened, and she found herself looking at He Ying in a much more favorable light.

When they got home, He Ying’s mom was sitting in the living room, sipping tea and reading a book. She only gave them a brief glance before returning her attention to her book.

Hu Tu, usually the most lively of the group, suddenly quieted down, appearing much more demure than usual.

Seeing her like this made He Ying want to laugh. She whispered, “You don’t have to act like that, my mom is pretty chill. Just be yourself.”

Hu Tu was skeptical: “Really?”

He Yuan nodded. Although He Yuan appeared cold and distant—and indeed she was like that—she wasn’t overly harsh towards others.

Hearing He Ying say this, Hu Tu put her things down and walked over to He He Yuan with a big smile, eagerly offering, “Auntie, let me pour you a glass of water!”

Her face was so full of flattery that Jing Dan, watching from the side, was stunned. What was she doing?

He Ying: “…”

He Yuan turned her head to look at her, staring at her for a while before lifting her hand and pointing to the teapot on the coffee table, indicating for her to take a closer look.

Hu Tu: “…” What a blunder.

On the other side, He Ying couldn’t bear to watch her foolishness any longer, so she grabbed Jing Dan and led her into the kitchen, deciding out of sight, out of mind.

The two remaining in the living room felt a bit awkward, or rather, Hu Tu felt awkward unilaterally.

“Would you like some snacks, Auntie?” Hu Tu, feeling more emboldened by the setback, was determined to change the too timid image she had portrayed before.

“Shut up, little fox,” He Yuan said calmly.

Hu Tu, who was about to speak, was stunned. She stared at He Yuan blankly, then hesitantly asked, as if she couldn’t believe it, “What did you just call me?”

He Yuan raised her gaze to look at her. “Did I guess wrong? Aren’t you a fox?” As she said this, she placed her hand on her shoulder and a surge of spiritual energy probed inside. “I wasn’t mistaken. You’re still just a red fox.”

Hu Tu was petrified, unable to say a word as she looked at He Yuan. How did she see through her disguise so quickly?

Seeing her reaction, He Yuan was silent for a moment and asked, “Are you hiding it from them too?” Why were the relationships between these three people so complicated?

Hu Tu took a deep breath. “May I be so bold as to ask, what kind of spirit are you?”

“White Crane spirit.”

Just as she had suspected.

Hu Tu asked again, “Why did He Ying bring Jing Dan here?”

“For medical treatment,” He Yuan replied patiently.

Hu Tu: “…” Indeed, Jing Xiaodan had been seen through by someone else long before she even realized!

She wasn’t even worried about whether He Yuan had seen through her. She lifted her head and glanced in the direction of the kitchen, where she saw the two figures inside. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of complex emotions—regret and melancholy. Jing Xiaodan, oh Jing Xiaodan, with your limited cunning, how will you ever outsmart He Ying, who is more cunning than a fox and even more so than a fox!

He Yuan was speechless about the relationship between the three of them, so she decided not to concern herself with their affairs and went upstairs with her book.

Hu Tu: “…” For some reason, she felt a deep sense of disdain directed towards her.

She sighed and slumped on the couch. He Ying’s mother knew her identity now, but what about He Ying? Had she figured it out as well? But she had yet to expose her, just as she silently watched Jing Xiaodan perform?

As she thought about it more, it felt even more frustrating.

If that was really the case, she felt like He Ying was just watching a show! Watching them perform!

But regardless of her overthinking, He Ying in the kitchen quickly prepared dinner. By the time she finished cooking, He Yuan came down to have a bit of food, then without saying anything, went back upstairs.

Hu Tu: “…” This way of interacting really didn’t seem like that of a mother and daughter at all.

After dinner, the three of them gathered to play games for a while. In the end, He Ying was losing so badly that Hu Tu immediately began mocking her mercilessly.

“I never expected, never expected, that certain people would still be a black hole in games~”

The sarcastic tone in her voice really made one want to toughen her up a bit.

He Ying, feeling teased: “…” Didn’t have a word in response at all.

“You’re not playing well either,” Jing Dan turned to Hu Tu and said seriously.

Hu Tu, who was still laughing, suddenly couldn’t continue laughing, stared wide-eyed, looking like she had been silenced by her.

This time, He Ying smiled. She looked softly at Jing Dan. “Go wash up and get to bed early tonight? We’ll go ice skating on the lake tomorrow?”

At the mention of ice skating tomorrow, her eyes lit up a bit. She nodded and went back to her room.

He Ying, who had been waiting for her to suggest sleeping together again tonight, was left speechless.

You were the one who said you weren’t used to sleeping together last night, right? It’s only been one night, and you’re already used to it?

But watching Jing Dan enter the room and confidently close the door without any hesitation, she sighed. Well, isn’t she a little white-eyed bear after all? Why should she be surprised?

Hu Tu softly remarked, “Feeling lonely and cold because you’re not sleeping with anyone?”

He Ying turned back and gave her a faint glance before standing up and heading back to her room, ignoring whatever craziness Hu Tu was spouting.

Hu Tu muttered, “…” Well, just you wait. Don’t let me catch you sleeping together, or I’ll tear your house down!

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The next day, when Jing Dan got up from bed, she was still a bit dazed. After washing up and coming out, she saw He Ying half-leaning on the couch, looking up at her.

“Good morning,” He Ying smiled lightly.

Jing Dan opened her mouth to reply, but He Ying’s phone rang.

Upon hearing the sound, Jing Dan fell silent, just listening to the phone ringing. The slight grogginess she had felt vanished instantly, and she became fully awake, focusing on the phone’s situation.

She wanted to see if it was another call from Xu Yu.

He Ying picked up the phone, glanced at it, and then answered with an unpredictable expression. After a few “mm-hmm” responses, she quickly hung up the call.

Jing Dan: “…” It didn’t seem like it was Xu Yu.

“What’s wrong?” He Ying was a bit puzzled to see her standing there motionless.

Jing Dan shook her head. She couldn’t exactly say she was waiting for her to answer Xu Yu’s call, right? Shaking off her jumbled thoughts, she walked heavily up the stairs to the second floor.

Arriving at the door of He Yuan’s room, she saw that the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, she entered, and He Yuan inside lifted her gaze to glance at her.

“You can really sleep.”

Jing Dan: “…” What did she mean by that?

“Wake up.” He Yuan said.

Under the threat, Jing Dan had no choice but to reluctantly transform back to her original form, and He Yuan placed her in the tub. Once again, her fur got wet.

Jing Dan: “…”

She numbly curled up in the tub, trying to ignore the hand pinching her ear, counting the seconds passing in her mind.

However, the medicine was indeed effective, and she felt like her soul had solidified somewhat.

After the bath was over, He Yuan transformed Jing Dan back to her fluffy appearance with a wave of her hand. This time, Jing Dan was very familiar with the process, scampering out without noticing He Yuan behind her taking out her phone and starting to film her.

Watching the little one run out, He Yuan lowered her head to watch the video she recorded on her phone. The sight of the panda cub running with its short legs, the faintly visible wagging tail, made a slight curve appear at the corner of her lips. She casually sent the video to He Ying.

Upon receiving the video, He Ying fell silent as she watched the screen. She didn’t expect He Yuan’s treatment to transform Jing Dan back to her original form.

Turning back to her original form and still being so careless, does this little one not even realize when she’s being recorded on video?

Upon seeing Jing Dan coming down from upstairs, He Ying quickly turned off her phone. As she greeted Jing Dan, she already planned to find an opportunity later to download and save the video clip, making sure to back it up in the cloud to avoid losing it.

“How are you and Mom?” He Ying asked.

Jing Dan: “…” She was doing fine, but it would be even better if she didn’t pinch her ear.

Luckily, Jing Dan was unaware that He Yuan had secretly filmed her, or she might not have thought things were quite so fine.

Seeing her like this, He Ying smiled and said, “How about we go ice skating?”

Upon hearing this, Jing Dan nodded eagerly.

The two then went to Hu Tu’s room, dug out the person, gathered their gear, and followed He Ying out of the villa. After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a huge lake covered by a thick layer of ice. Tall trees surrounded the lake, dressed in white snow, with distant snow-capped mountains also shrouded in a blanket of snow, embodying the wintry beauty with a chilly breeze blowing.

He Ying helped Jing Dan put on her ice skates, then observed Jing Dan’s somewhat silent demeanor on the ice. Stepping onto the ice, a hint of aggression surged in her chest for no apparent reason. If she could really step on him firmly, she wanted to bring him in front of He Yuan and have her step on him personally.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jing Dan suddenly asked in a soft voice.

Turning around, He Ying saw Jing Dan looking somewhat puzzled. She took a deep breath and suppressed the aggression in her chest, saying, “It’s nothing, just thinking of a legend.”

Seeing He Ying return to her usual expression, Jing Dan asked, “What legend?”

At that moment, Hu Tu also approached. “What’s going on? Are you going to tell us a story?”

Seeing Hu Tu’s cheerful demeanor, He Ying smiled wryly with little warmth, saying, “This legend is about a person in the past who, driven by their selfish desires, slaughtered their own relatives from the same clan and was eventually surrounded and killed.” Pointing to the ice beneath her feet, she continued coolly, “It is said that they died in this lake.”

Hu Tu was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a story.

As Jing Dan looked at the cool smile at the corner of He Ying’s lips, she inexplicably felt a sense of discomfort in her heart. She felt that He Ying’s smile wasn’t genuine; she was crying.

He Ying was crying.

With this realization, Jing Dan felt a stifling sensation in her heart, unable to find the right words to express her discomfort.

“Well, the person in this story really isn’t a good character,” Hu Tu remarked.

Turning to look at the distant snow-capped mountain, He Ying spoke softly, “Exactly, not a good character at all. That’s why everyone who knows this story, when passing by this lake, always tosses a few stones into it and maybe takes a few steps onto the ice in winter.”

“A person like that, even in death, doesn’t deserve any dignity.”

At this point, Hu Tu also noticed that He Ying’s expression was off but decided not to inquire further after a moment of contemplation. She had actually been wondering if the person in this story had any connection to her. However, upon seeing He Ying’s expression, she instinctively stayed silent.

It didn’t matter; she wouldn’t be like that.

Approaching, Jing Dan took He Ying’s hand and tilted her head to look at her.

He Ying turned to look at her like that and couldn’t help but smile gently, holding the hand that grasped hers even tighter.

Although Jing Dan didn’t speak, she could feel her desire to comfort her.

Since Jing Dan didn’t know how to ice skate, He Ying started to teach her, while on the other side, Hu Tu was having a great time showing off on the ice.

As He Ying pulled Jing Dan along, she carefully took steps on the ice, feeling the smoothness of the ice blade cutting through the surface. Curiously, Jing Dan asked, “Won’t the ice blade scratch the ice surface?”

What if the ice suddenly cracked and they fell into the water?

“It won’t, the ice layer is very thick,” He Ying lightly laughed, clearly sounding like someone who had never been to the north before.

“Okay,” Jing Dan replied. With He Ying’s patient guidance, she gradually got the hang of it and was able to let go of He Ying’s hand and skate on her own.

Seeing Jing Dan slowly gliding along, He Ying felt relieved and stayed by her side, afraid she might fall if she wasn’t careful. However, Jing Dan seemed to have a natural talent for it; she skated smoothly without falling even once.

Unbeknownst to He Ying, the reason Jing Dan didn’t fall was because she kept reminding herself in her mind that falling would ruin her image – falling would ruin her image. This self-discipline motivated her to skate well!

In that moment, as they freely glided on the ice, the cold wind hitting their faces made it feel like they were truly racing with the wind.

Turning back, Jing Dan saw that He Ying had begun to dance on the ice at some point, lost in the moment between heaven and earth.

Dressed in thin clothing, she now resembled a white crane standing on the ice, her elegant dance becoming the most enchanting sight in the world. Her windbreaker fluttered with her movements, and at one moment, Jing Dan felt like she was truly about to take flight.

“Can this person dance on the ice too?” Hu Tu approached, somewhat incredulously looking at He Ying.

Isn’t it said that dancing on the ground is different from figure skating?

Jing Dan stared in a daze at He Ying dancing on the ice. In that moment, even though He Ying was in human form, it felt like she could see that free-spirited soul dancing through this outer shell.

Suddenly, she was bumped on the shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Surprised?” Hu Tu asked.

Jing Dan turned to look at her with a blank expression.

Unfazed, Hu Tu continued, “Do you usually see He Ying with few people around her and think she doesn’t have many companions?”

Jing Dan didn’t understand the sudden meaning behind her words.

Hu Tu lightly chuckled, “He Ying is very talented. People are always drawn to talented individuals, so she probably has no shortage of admirers.”

However, He Ying never let any admirers be seen by Jing Dan. Of course, Xu Yu was not even a consideration, as He Ying had no idea that Xu Yu had feelings for her.

Jing Dan: “…”

She knew He Ying was very talented and surely had admirers. But what did this have to do with Hu Tu suddenly bringing this up to her? He Ying didn’t even like those admirers.

Seeing Jing Dan still confused, Hu Tu fell silent for a moment before skating away.

Alright then, He Ying wasn’t in a rush, and she was just an observer. So why rush things?

Watching Hu Tu skate away, Jing Dan furrowed her brow, feeling a bit frustrated.

After spending most of the day playing, the three of them headed back when the sky had completely darkened.

Winter evenings arrive early, allowing for an earlier appreciation of the night scenery, especially in the backyard that He Yuan had decorated. It looked particularly beautiful at night.

The so-called New Year’s Eve dinner was arranged in a glasshouse in the backyard.

Watching He Ying busy serving everyone, He Yuan, in a soft voice, asked after everyone had sat down, “Would you like me to add a few more touches?”

The others were momentarily stunned by her words, but He Ying smoothly continued, “Yes, there are two more people this time.”

Jing Dan, Hu Tu: “…” Understood.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of He Yuan’s lips as she nodded in agreement and surprisingly took the initiative to serve dishes to Jing Dan and Hu Tu, giving them a gentle smile.

Hu Tu: “…” Suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed. You didn’t even serve dishes to your own daughter!

Jing Dan was briefly surprised by He Yuan’s gesture but then smiled at He Ying, serving her a dish in return.

He Ying was stunned by her actions, staring blankly at her, while He Yuan on the other side gave Jing Dan a meaningful glance, saying nothing as she focused on eating her own meal.

Thinking He Ying needed more food when she looked over, Jing Dan helped herself to some other dishes to add to He Ying’s bowl, stacking the food into a peak.

He Ying suddenly let out a soft laugh. What to do, she really wanted to pull her into an embrace at that moment and hold her tightly, never letting go.

Jing Dan didn’t understand why He Ying suddenly laughed. She lightly tapped He Ying’s chopsticks with her own, gesturing for her to eat.

He Ying nodded with a smile and slowly started eating the food that Jing Dan had stacked into a peak in her bowl.

Sitting across from them, Hu Tu: “…”

You’re not even dating yet, isn’t this a bit sweet?

As they finished the meal, Hu Tu couldn’t help but feel like she had been fed dog food, feeling somewhat awkward as she looked at the two in front of her.

However, what no one expected was that after the meal, He Yuan actually gave them red envelopes. The thick red envelope felt substantial and was a fitting gesture for the holiday.

After giving out the red envelopes, He Yuan stood up and said, “I won’t stay with you young people any longer. I’m an old lady and need to rest early.”

She then left.

Hu Tu: “…” You really don’t seem like an old lady at all.

Such a cheeky person, how can she call herself an old lady when she’s a spirit? When she and He Ying stand together, who would think they are mother and daughter? Everyone would surely consider them sisters!

But for Jing Dan, who had her true form revealed by He Yuan, it was actually somewhat of a relief when He Yuan left. At least she wouldn’t have to remember being pinched on the ears every time she saw her true form!

She coldly snorted in her heart. She clearly acted as if she didn’t care about anything, yet she still had to pinch her ears!

“Do you want to watch the Spring Festival Gala?” Since they were going to stay up for the New Year, He Ying suggested this program.

Hu Tu: “…” Are you serious?

Jing Dan nodded in agreement. She had watched the human Spring Festival Gala before and found it really boring, with some programs being quite awkward.

He Ying: “…” Fine, she didn’t really want to watch it either.

The three of them returned indoors. Jing Dan first video called her aunt. As soon as the call connected, a dark head popped into the screen, followed by a white head squeezing in.

Upon seeing these two black and white heads, He Ying’s expression began to show subtle changes, with a deepening smile at the corner of her lips.

She looked at the oblivious Jing Dan, her eyes filled with a soft glow, while at the same time, she couldn’t help but turn her head away with a suppressed smile, not wanting Jing Dan to see the expression on her face at that moment.

The Jing Dan who had been in a rush to explain that her aunt has cats in the past, was really adorable.

So adorable that it made her want to turn her back into a little cub and hold her in her arms.

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The author has something to say:

Luanluan shook his head: Daidai, she’s been taking care of you for a month, how can she not know what you look like shedding fur?

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