New Year’s wishes
Jing Dan stared at the screen with two cats, her face frozen for a moment. Auntie, where is she?
“Jing Dan.” Jing Shiyue’s voice came from the phone, along with Qu Shuhuai wishing a happy New Year.
As the two cats on the screen were taken away and two beautiful women appeared, Jing Dan solemnly began to greet them.
“Happy New Year, Auntie.”
“Happy New Year, Auntie.”
With this greeting, everyone was stunned, and finally Qu Shuhuai hesitantly asked, “Who is Auntie?”
“You are,” Jing Dan found her question a bit strange and asked in confusion, “Aren’t you Auntie’s partner? Auntie’s partner should be called Uncle, but you are not a man, so should I call you Auntie? Is there another term for this?”
As she said the last sentence, Jing Dan turned to He Ying, seemingly seeking an answer.
He Ying: “…” This was also puzzling for her, she didn’t know if there was another term for it.
Hu Tu on the side was about to burst out laughing, making honking sounds like a goose on the side.
Qu Shuhuai listened to her words, and her face slowly turned red, to the point where she felt a bit embarrassed to look at Jing Shiyue.
However, after the initial embarrassment, Jing Shiyue calmed down. She quietly gave Jing Dan a thumbs up, a hint of joy appearing at the corner of her lips. She planned to give a bigger red envelope to Daidai when she came back.
Jing Dan saw the thumbs up from her aunt and felt acknowledged. A hint of pride crept up at the corner of her lips.
He Ying, watching her from the side, with that hint of pride on her face, suddenly felt an itch in her hand, wanting to simply pat her on the head.
Forcing herself to look away, not to look, or she might be unable to resist wanting to pat her.
Turning her gaze to the screen, Jing Shiyue looked at her with a nod.
Jing Shiyue softened her expression, and her gaze towards He Ying became gentler.
After chatting for a while, when Jing Dan hung up the phone, He Ying couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why didn’t you call your parents?”
Jing Dan put away her phone and casually replied, “Their phones are often out of service, no need to call.”
He Ying: “…” Seeing Jing Dan’s unaffected expression, she felt a slight sense of relief.
Hu Tu stretched and said, “I’m not going to stay here with you guys. I’m going back to my room to sleep.”
Winter truly is evil! Making people uncontrollably sleepy!
As the two remaining people watched Hu Tu walk halfway and suddenly stop, turn back and sternly look at them, saying, “You better behave! Just because New Year’s is over doesn’t mean you can stop being good children!”
Jing Dan, He Ying: “…” What is this person talking about?
Watching Hu Tu close the door, He Ying looked at Jing Dan and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
This person in front of her is probably always a good kid.
“Do you want to play with fireworks?” He Ying asked her.
“Fireworks?” Jing Dan’s eyes lit up, “Are those the ones that explode in the sky?”
Seeing Jing Dan’s eyes brimming with excitement, He Ying smiled gently, “Yes, those too.”
Getting up and pulling Jing Dan out, He Ying opened the trunk of the SUV, which was already filled with fireworks.
Jing Dan was surprised. She didn’t know when the car was driven out to buy a bunch of fireworks and brought back.
“Get in, let’s go to a farther place to set them off,” He Ying said softly.
Jing Dan nodded and got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat, feeling somewhat excited.
She had only seen fireworks before but had never set them off herself.
He Ying drove her to a large open area and then helped Jing Dan unload all the fireworks from the car. “Do you know how to set them off?”
Jing Dan shook her head, curiously watching He Ying’s movements.
He Ying took out an incense stick from somewhere, lit it, and smiled at Jing Dan. “Then step back a bit. You can watch me set them off first, and after that, you can try, okay?”
Jing Dan nodded obediently and walked a little further away.
Seeing her move away, He Ying bent down to light the fuse, then quickly ran towards Jing Dan’s direction.
Jing Dan watched He Ying running towards her in the night, feeling a slight daze for a moment, then…
Whoosh—Bang—
She shook herself out of it, looked up at the fireworks bursting in the sky, the tiny specks of light filling her pupils. He Ying, who was running towards her, saw those eyes shining with fireworks, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
Jing Dan gazed up at the fireworks, feeling a genuine happiness. However, fireworks fade quickly, and the display of several dozen fireworks soon disappeared.
“Did you see how I set them off? You’ve understood now, right?” He Ying asked softly.
Jing Dan shifted her gaze from the sky back to He Ying’s soft eyes and nodded.
He Ying chuckled and handed her an incense stick. “Let’s set them off together. It’s better to set off more so it will look even more beautiful when they go off together.”
Jing Dan took the incense stick and nodded eagerly.
On this New Year’s Eve night, after lighting all the fuses, the two of them ran towards each other, almost like running towards each other, just wanting to embrace tightly as lovers in a long-distance relationship.
The colorful fireworks bloomed in the night sky. Sitting on the car roof, they looked up quietly. He Ying asked softly, “Do you have any New Year’s wishes?”
Jing Dan was momentarily stunned by her question, “New Year’s wishes?”
“Hm.” He Ying looked at her seriously, as if she would do everything possible to help fulfill her wish once she spoke it.
Seeing He Ying’s earnest gaze, Jing Dan blurted out, “I want to have two bottles of milk every day!”
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After saying it, she was surprised by her own words.
And He Ying, upon hearing this: “…”
Her New Year’s wish was this? It was indeed simple and plain…
Unable to contain herself, He Ying chuckled softly, then her laughter grew louder and more cheerful, until she eventually collapsed on the car roof, holding her stomach and laughing uncontrollably.
Jing Dan silently watched her. While she was also surprised by her own words, she had no intention of changing them. She simply wanted to have two bottles of milk every day! After all, milk is so delicious!
After finishing her laughter, He Ying looked at Jing Dan with a mischievous glance. Finally, she straightened up, nodded, and said, “Okay, you’ll have two bottles of milk every day!”
Upon hearing He Ying’s agreement, Jing Dan smiled lightly, feeling a sense of joy starting to well up inside her.
On their way back, Jing Dan hesitated as she looked at the remaining fireworks tubes in the car. However, before she could say anything, He Ying seemed to sense her hesitation and said, “It’s okay, someone will come to clean up the back later.”
Upon hearing that, Jing Dan felt reassured.
Upon their return, He Ying went into the kitchen to prepare a bottle of milk for Jing Dan. When she handed it to her, she wished her a happy New Year.
Jing Dan accepted it, smiling contentedly.
In the days following New Year’s, Jing Dan would always go to He Yuan’s room and transform into her true form, soaking in the bowl filled with bitter medicine. Eventually, she became so accustomed to it that she didn’t even mind He Yuan regularly pinching her ear.
She reassured herself that it was fine since He Yuan was using precious herbs to help her with her illness – what harm could a little pinch do? After all, it’s not like she would lose a piece of flesh from a pinch!
Jing Dan comforted herself in this way until she completely ignored the pinching hand. Every day, she would enter He Yuan’s room, transform back into her true form, and allow herself to be soaked and washed by He Yuan before being dried with spiritual energy. Then, she would happily run out in her human form to find He Ying downstairs.
Unbeknownst to her, as she grew more and more accustomed to the routine, her vigilance decreased, and He Yuan’s phone was filled with videos and photos of the little cub. There was even a video of her getting too excited and tripping over herself, rolling on the ground twice.
By the fifth day, Jing Dan had mastered her ability to freely control her transformation into her human form. Upon emerging from He Yuan’s room, she was excited and immediately pounced on He Ying, hugging her tightly.
He Ying was caught off guard by the sudden hug, arms slightly open in confusion. Before she could decide whether to hug back, Jing Dan quickly let go and ran over to hug Hu Tu instead.
He Ying: “…”
Her expression fell.
Seeing He Ying’s reaction, Hu Tu, who was just embraced by Jing Dan, chuckled and patted her shoulder approvingly, saying, “Well done!”
Looking at He Ying’s fallen expression, it was almost comical how her face changed!
However, Jing Dan didn’t notice anything amiss. She was simply happy at the thought of not randomly reverting to her true form anymore, which meant her aunt wouldn’t have to be too embarrassed for her!
Thinking of her aunt, she quickly called to share the good news.
Seeing Jing Dan so happy, He Ying smiled helplessly and said nothing.
Since the illness had been cured, there wasn’t much time left to linger. After three more days, they would be setting off back to Huaqing City.
When they were leaving for Huaqing City, He Yuan unexpectedly came out to see them off. Seeing her at the door, He Ying fell silent.
She remembered how He Yuan had been distant the last time she asked her to leave, and how she didn’t even show up on the day of her departure. But this time, she was personally seeing them off…
She turned to look at Jing Dan and fell even quieter – after all, Jing Dan was her daughter, right?
“Alright, be careful on your way back,” He Yuan said softly.
He Ying nodded, watching as Hu Tu happily said goodbye to He Yuan. Jing Dan also bid farewell very obediently, making her own demeanor seem the coldest in comparison.
He Ying fell silent once again.
Before leaving, He Yuan gave Jing Dan something, saying coldly, “Take it, it will benefit you.”
Jing Dan took it and nodded seriously.
The group got into the car, with the same driver as last time at the wheel.
As they settled in, Hu Tu curiously asked, “What did Auntie give you?”
Jing Dan opened her palm to reveal a protective amulet covered in runes resting quietly inside.
He Ying glanced at it, pursed her lips, and smiled gently. It seemed Jing Dan was truly favored by her mother, even receiving a protective amulet.
“A protective amulet?!” exclaimed Hu Tu in surprise. She hadn’t realized He Ying’s mother was such a devout spirit to give such a thing.
Jing Dan was also curious, but since it was a gift from He Ying’s mother, she made sure to keep it safe.
Watching Jing Dan carefully put away the amulet, He Ying smiled softly and advised, “Take good care of it, this amulet is very powerful.”
“Okay,” Jing Dan nodded.
Upon returning to Huaqing City, Jing Dan found it a bit strange to see the city clearly showing signs of spring.
Having gotten used to the silver-clad cold winds of Lanjiang City, the sight of a winter full of greenery in Huaqing City made her feel like the city was not respecting winter at all.
No respect for winter at all!
The three of them went their separate ways, with Jing Dan going first to her aunt’s house. As soon as she entered, she received a warm welcome from the two cats in the house – one clinging to her leg and following her wherever she went.
Qu Shuhuai came out and saw this sight, couldn’t help but smile lightly.
“Where’s Auntie?” Jing Dan asked curiously.
“She had something to do and will be back later.”
“Okay.” Jing Dan didn’t dwell on it and took out the specialties she brought back from Lanjiang City. It was like a daughter returning home after getting married, bringing gifts for the family. Even the two cats didn’t miss out, each with a toy.
Qu Shuhuai watched her distribute the gifts seriously and couldn’t help but smile again, finding Jing Dan excessively adorable.
Unbeknownst to Jing Dan, Jing Shiyue was currently sitting in a cafe, with He Ying sitting across from her.
“Are you saying she won’t have this kind of trouble anymore in the future?” Jing Shiyue asked, feeling somewhat concerned.
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“Yes,” He Ying nodded, showing a slightly relieved smile on her face. “My mother said the situation has improved a lot.”
Jing Shiyue looked at the woman in front of her, recalling the scene when she had actively approached her.
That day, she was in a meeting at the company when her assistant mentioned a woman named He Ying wanted to see her without an appointment.
When she heard the name He Ying, she was genuinely stunned for a moment, as their interactions were really rare. They had only met once, and that was when Jing Dan got drunk. However, despite her doubts about He Ying, she still let her in.
She gazed at He Ying, admiring her beautiful features and exceptional grace as a dancer. Just by standing there, she understood why Jing Dan had such a good relationship with her.
After all, that little rascal was not only a foodie but also a beauty lover.
“President Jing,” He Ying smiled lightly, maintaining a poised demeanor as she faced her.
Jing Shiyue calmly examined her, saying, “I wonder why you’re here to see me this time. Is there something on your mind?”
He Ying smiled gently and said without much change in tone, “I think you’re already suspicious of my identity, aren’t you?”
“I can tell you right now, so you don’t have to bother investigating,” she said, lifting her hand and turning into a white crane gazing calmly at Jing Shiyue.
Jing Shiyue was momentarily excited, but as she looked at He Ying’s expression, she forced herself to calm down and asked in a serious tone, “I want to know why you’re here today.”
He Ying being an actual white crane took her by surprise, but she hadn’t expected He Ying to voluntarily reveal herself to her.
Glancing at the sofa, He Ying said, “Can I sit first?”
Jing Shiyue stood up, “I was rude, please have a seat,” then sat down with her on the sofa.
Once He Ying was seated, she looked at Jing Shiyue, whose face bore some resemblance to Jing Dan’s, and said with a faint smile, “I believe President Jing is aware of the relationship between Jing Dan and me. However, there is another point that I need to make clear to you.”
“I like her.” He Ying met Jing Shiyue’s eyes with intense seriousness, stating her feelings for Jing Dan as openly and solemnly as she had accepted these feelings after careful consideration.
Jing Shiyue gazed quietly at her. If it had been anyone else declaring their affection for Jing Dan in such a way, she would have likely shown them the door immediately. However, the person before her was He Ying, which changed the nature of the situation.
Firstly, she was from the White Crane Clan, the White Crane Clan that they had been searching for for years.
Secondly, everyone could see her care for Jing Dan, and her defense of Jing Dan was no less than anyone else’s. Just based on how she swiftly exacted a steep price from anyone who dared to harm Jing Dan, it was evident how much Jing Dan meant to her.
“We haven’t interfered much in Xiaojing’s feelings. After all, there hasn’t been a need for us to meddle in her emotions before,” considering there hadn’t been any emotional matters that required their attention.
He Ying chuckled slightly, showing a hint of relaxation. “Of course, I didn’t come here just to state the obvious.” Her expression sobered as she continued, “I want to ask, is there something wrong with Jing Dan’s body that I’m not aware of?”
Jing Shiyue tensed up, “Hmm? What do you mean?”
He Ying’s expression became completely serious as she said, “Why did Jing Dan suddenly revert to her true form? Just like during the program’s opening ceremony, when she suddenly transformed back.”
In such a setting, no spirit would recklessly revert to their true form without considering the consequences, so the only possibility was that Jing Dan was forced to do so.
Listening to He Ying, Jing Shiyue fell into silence. But upon considering He Ying’s identity, she realized there was no need to hide anything. If they were ultimately going to seek help from the White Crane Clan, Jing Dan’s situation needed to be clearly explained.
She proceeded to explain Jing Dan’s situation in detail to He Ying. By the end, seeing He Ying’s slightly astonished expression, she shook her head in resignation.
If even they couldn’t fully understand the situation, why would they go to such lengths to seek help from the White Crane Clan?
“Can this situation be cured?” she asked.
After listening to Jing Shiyue’s words, He Ying also found it strange. With Jing Dan’s abilities, she shouldn’t struggle with something as simple as transformation, right?
“I don’t know,” He Ying shook her head.
“You don’t know? Aren’t you from the White Crane Clan?” this time, Jing Shiyue was a bit surprised.
In response, He Ying looked a bit embarrassed as she glanced at Jing Shiyue, saying, “Not all members of the White Crane Clan are proficient in medical skills, and I happen to be lacking in that particular area.”
She truly had no talent when it came to medicine.
Jing Shiyue: “…” After finally meeting someone from the White Crane Clan, and you tell me you don’t know?
“Although I don’t know, my mother is a master in our clan,” He Ying said with a hint of pride. Even though He Yuan didn’t talk much about the past with her, she could glean from her fragmented words that He Yuan was a genius in the clan.
Jing Shiyue: “…” It’s always darkest before the dawn.
Eventually, it was settled that He Ying would take Jing Dan home to play, but in reality, it was a plan to have Jing Dan receive treatment.
Now that Jing Dan was no longer troubled by transformation issues, Jing Shiyue suggested going to thank He Ying’s mother for solving such a big problem for them.
“No need, she doesn’t like having too many strangers bothering her,” He Ying declined.
Jing Shiyue: “…Okay.”
Strangers? Are you still trying to pursue Jing Dan?
After explaining the situation to Jing Shiyue, He Ying didn’t linger any longer and stood up to take her leave.
Watching He Ying’s departing figure, Jing Shiyue smiled lightly, took a sip of her coffee, feeling the bitterness spread in her mouth. Despite the bitterness, her smile grew stronger.
She wanted Jing Dan’s affection to be like the extreme of this coffee – immersed in sweetness.
He Ying, this niece-in-law, she had accepted her!
When she returned home in a rather good mood, she saw Jing Dan eating the small jerky that Qiu Shuhuai had given her, with two cats by her side, engrossed in watching a TV show.
Jing Shiyue: “…” Wasn’t that small jerky just for her from Qiu Shuhuai?!
She was furious, walked up and stared down at Jing Dan.
Jing Dan looked up somewhat confused and, seeing her unfriendly expression, didn’t know what had made her aunt angry. Jing Dan, who had bitten off a piece of the jerky in her hand, raised it up and asked, “Do you want some?”
Jing Shiyue almost spat blood – you ate my jerky and then offered me the leftovers?!
When Qiu Shuhuai came down from upstairs and saw the strange scene between the aunt and niece, she paused, wondering what was going on.
Approaching them, she met Jing Shiyue’s resentful gaze and, seeing the piece of jerky that Jing Dan was offering, she understood.
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She pulled Jing Shiyue aside and whispered, “These are new ones I bought for her, not yours.”
Saying this made her chuckle a bit. Nobody would have guessed that President Jing, who was decisive and ruthless outside, would be so protective of jerky at home, to the point where she wouldn’t even let her feed the cats jerky. And surprisingly, she even had opinions about her most beloved niece.
Upon hearing this, Jing Shiyue gave a light snort and then, as if nothing had happened, turned back to help Jing Dan refill her empty cup of milk.
Jing Dan became increasingly confused, not understanding why her aunt suddenly changed her attitude so quickly.
Watching Jing Shiyue’s behavior and Jing Dan’s confused expression, Qiu Shuhuai beside them struggled to hold back her laughter. Eventually, she couldn’t resist and her shoulders started shaking uncontrollably, with her back turned to them.
Jing Shiyue: “…” Feeling a bit embarrassed about her earlier behavior.
However, Jing Dan didn’t dwell on it too much. When she saw her aunt pouring milk for her, she picked it up and started drinking. But as she drank, she couldn’t help but think about the milk He Ying had made for her. Thinking about her New Year’s wish, she had promised herself that she would… she wasn’t sure if she could actually…
Thinking about this, Jing Dan suddenly froze. Recalling her wish that night, she had only said she wanted to have at least two bottles of milk every day. But she hadn’t specified who should provide the milk?!
She was dumbfounded. If she hadn’t mentioned who would provide the milk, then this wish could be easily fulfilled without He Ying. But the problem was that she wanted He Ying’s milk!
Realizing this, Jing Dan’s mood visibly plummeted. Why did she leave such a big loophole when making that wish back then?!
But…
Jing Dan pondered while biting the rim of her cup. If He Ying had agreed to it at that time, she would fulfill it herself, right?
Ding—
She looked down at her phone.
【He Ying】: “Something doesn’t feel right in my house, it seems like a stranger has been inside. I’m a bit worried, can I temporarily stay at your place?”
Jing Dan jolted in surprise!
Had her New Year’s wish come true?!
The author has something to say:
Jing Zai: My New Year’s wish actually came true so accurately!