Panda Cub – Chapter 50

Love rivals meet

On the side, Jing Shiyue watched Jing Dan and suddenly felt a wave of low spirits for some reason. Then she began to ponder, and immediately perked up when she checked her phone, letting out a deep sigh.

She felt like this kid might really not stay.

“Auntie, I’m going back!” Jing Dan replied to He Ying’s message, and then said to her aunt.

Jing Shiyue: “…”

She then watched Jing Dan leave without even turning back, completely lacking the determination to stay and have dinner with her just after returning.

However, once Jing Dan was out, she realized how effective New Year’s resolutions were, and that in the future, if she had any wishes, she would definitely wait until New Year’s to make them!

She returned to the home near the office and as soon as she got out of the elevator, she saw He Ying waiting at the door.

Seeing He Ying, Jing Dan pondered for a moment, then went up and held He Ying’s hand, recording He Ying’s fingerprint on the door, making it easier for her to come and go without waiting outside.

Seeing Jing Dan’s gesture, He Ying beside her lightly smiled, and after recording the fingerprint, she pulled her suitcase and followed her inside.

“How did someone get into your house?” Jing Dan asked somewhat puzzled after entering.

Speaking of this, He Ying’s face also showed a slight frown and said, “Perhaps some overzealous fans knew about my house and took the opportunity to sneak in while I was away.”

This incident was not fabricated casually for the sake of moving in with Jing Dan. After parting ways with Jing Shiyue, she returned home and discovered something amiss. There was a strange presence in the room, and her bathtub towels showed clear signs of being used. Upon careful investigation, she found several pinhole cameras in the room.

Jing Dan widened her eyes in shock, “Could there still be people like this?”

He Ying nodded, just that she never thought she would encounter such a situation one day. It seemed that as she got to know more people recently, she attracted some less rational fans. Added to the fact that her place lacked the strict security measures like Jing Dan’s, it was relatively easy for them to infiltrate.

“You should also check if there are any issues here, just to be safe.” He Ying still had Jing Dan inspect the room, as compared to online, Jing Dan’s residence was more well-known.

“Okay.” Jing Dan then followed He Ying’s instructions to check the items in the room and the things in the bathroom, finding no signs of tampering. He Ying also discreetly used her spiritual power to inspect the entire house, letting out a sigh of relief after finding nothing amiss.

It seemed like Jing Dan’s security measures here were really good. She could come and go freely, partly because Jing Dan later took her to the security personnel to have them recognize her face and strictly register her entries and exits.

“Everything’s fine now.” He Ying said with some relief.

Jing Dan nodded, then asked with some worry, “What about your house, can you still live there in the future?”

He Ying turned back, looking at Jing Dan’s worried expression, suddenly asked, “What if I can’t live there in the future, what will you do?”

Jing Dan tilted her head, “You can’t live there anymore?”

“If you can’t live there, you can come live with me!” she said decisively. Her room was spacious, and if He Ying moved in, the wardrobe she had gifted her could finally come in handy!

Seeing Jing Dan’s unwavering expression, He Ying narrowed her eyes slightly. Did you really mean that? Well, she couldn’t blame her if she truly decided to stay permanently.

“I definitely can’t live in that house anymore. I will sell it off. Before I find a new place, I’ll trouble you to stay here,” He Ying said with a light smile.

However, Jing Dan didn’t see it as a bother at all. If He Ying moved in, she would have guaranteed daily milk! Clearly, her New Year’s wish had come true, so how could it be a bother?

Once she decided to stay, He Ying conscientiously pushed her suitcase into Jing Dan’s bedroom, then came out to ask if there was anything she wanted to eat tonight.

If it was up to He Ying, Jing Dan would have a lot of food options. She followed behind, listing out dishes for her.

Listening to the continuous menu recitation, He Ying suppressed a laugh in her heart. Was this still the same Jing Dan who used to turn her nose up at her all the time?

“Alright~ But, since we just got back, the fridge must be empty. So, how about we go out together to buy some groceries?” He Ying suggested.

Jing Dan blinked, go out together to buy groceries?

“Hmm?” He Ying raised an eyebrow slightly, a sign of unwillingness?

“If I carry groceries, wouldn’t it look bad?” Jing Dan said earnestly. Could her aloof image handle carrying groceries?

He Ying: “…” She wasn’t sure if she should laugh.

In the end, she couldn’t help but chuckle a bit and said, “Let’s go to the supermarket. They have carts there, so you don’t need to carry anything.”

“Okay.” Jing Dan felt relieved and followed He Ying out to go grocery shopping.

Seeing how concerned Jing Dan was about her image, He Ying found it amusing. How many times have you shattered your image? Yet you’re worried about this.

The two of them entered the supermarket together, with He Ying carefully selecting fresh produce while Jing Dan pushed the shopping cart alongside her, occasionally scanning around to see if there was anything she wanted to add.

Back in Huaqing City, more people began to recognize them. However, due to Jing Dan’s aloof demeanor in public, many were too intimidated to approach them. So, they could only hide from a distance, taking sneaky photos and quietly getting excited.

Their interactions seemed so much like an old married couple!

Posting this online naturally stirred up more excitement around Chun and Jing Ming once again.

After buying everything together, considering they had too much to carry and Jing Dan’s image, He Ying humorously requested the supermarket’s delivery service and paid for the delivery fee to have the items sent directly to their door.

Jing Dan was satisfied.

Since the supermarket was relatively close to their place and they hadn’t driven there, on their way back, they could see the supermarket delivery person trailing behind them on a small three-wheeled vehicle, creating an indescribably comical scene.

—Haha, are they on a parade or something?

—Hahaha, I’m dead from laughing. Don’t you feel a bit mismatched with that small three-wheeled vehicle following you from behind?

—I beg the brother driving behind them, can you please speed up a bit! Just drive straight to the finish line and leave them be! You don’t need to follow them so slowly!

Unaware of the laughter their actions had sparked online, when they returned home and brought the groceries into the kitchen, He Ying began preparing dinner.

Since she was now living here, she had to take on more responsibilities, like making sure the homeowner was well-fed. It was a crucial task!

The two of them continued living together, and after He Ying sold the house, Jing Dan essentially became a nomad, thus it was essential to keep the landlord happy.

However, one day, the landlord inexplicably became angry, refused to drink the milk she offered, ignored her, and even coldly turned away whenever she saw her.

Seeing her in this state, He Ying was truly puzzled. She had simply gone out for a meal, so how did she return home like this? And it seemed like she was mad at herself?

After all, if she was mad at someone else, she wouldn’t act like this. Instead, she would come to talk to her with some grievance.

“What’s wrong?” He Ying sat beside her, looking at her cold expression, feeling a bit nostalgic.

It had been a while since Jing Dan had given her the cold shoulder. Seeing it now was strangely intriguing.

As she sat down, the scent of perfume, not belonging to He Ying, wafted into her nose, making her even more uneasy. With a stern face, she got up and went to her room, returning with a bottle of perfume, spraying it towards He Ying!

He Ying, suddenly sprayed with perfume, said, “…”

Why does this scene feel familiar?

Upon closer reflection, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Wasn’t it familiar? When she was in her original form, one evening after meeting with the management office, she found someone else’s scent on her and went to spray perfume on herself, right?

So, this time, smelling someone else’s scent on her, was she a bit unhappy?

“What is it, do you find the scent on me unpleasant?” He Ying asked, raising her head.

Even when she sprayed perfume on herself, Jing Dan still smiled at herself, feeling even more stifled. Her recent behavior seemed a bit unreasonable.

She put down the perfume bottle and nodded sullenly.

Seeing her nod, especially in such a sulky and aggrieved manner, He Ying felt a mix of happiness and anxiety. She couldn’t bear to see her looking upset.

“Shall I go take a shower now and wash off the scent?” He Ying said softly.

Upon hearing this, Jing Dan continued to nod sullenly.

After He Ying left, Jing Dan took out her phone and lit up the screen, showing a message from a marketing account about He Ying having dinner with a beautiful woman.

No wonder she had said she wouldn’t be having dinner at home tonight, she had gone to have dinner with Xu Yu!

Thinking about what Hu Tu said about Xu Yu having ulterior motives towards He Ying, she had been curious to see how she executed her plans. But how could He Ying go out to dinner with Xu Yu without telling her? If she had gone along, she could have witnessed it!

Fortunately, He Ying was still unaware of Jing Dan’s reason for being upset. If she knew it was because she had gone to dinner with Xu Yu without inviting her, she didn’t know how she would react.

She would probably feel extremely hopeless, thinking it would be difficult for her to ever gain enlightenment in this lifetime.

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When He Ying finished showering and came out, she saw Jing Dan lying sullenly on the bed with her back turned, clearly still upset.

She hesitated for a moment before climbing onto the bed and peering from behind to see her expression, softly asking, “Can you smell if there’s still someone else’s scent on me?”

Upon hearing this, Jing Dan struggled to sit up.

He Ying also sensibly got up.

Once Jing Dan sat up, she immediately leaned in close to He Ying, sniffing around her until she really couldn’t detect anyone else’s scent on her. Her expression instantly improved, but she still let out a soft hum, angry that He Ying hadn’t brought her along to see Xu Yu!

Hearing her soft hum, He Ying inexplicably felt like laughing. Even when she was angry, Jing Dan still looked so pitiful and adorable.

“Can you tell me why you’re upset?” He Ying asked softly. She was already angry before she smelled the scent on herself, so the source of anger was unlikely to be because of someone else’s scent on her.

Seeing He Ying so gentle and patient in asking her, Jing Dan didn’t want to keep her feelings pent up. She sullenly said, “You went out to dinner with someone else today!”

“Oh—” He Ying still didn’t understand why she was upset. Just because she went out to eat with someone else? Was this something that Jing Dan found unacceptable? She didn’t react so strongly when He Ying had gone out with others before, right?

“You should have taken me along!” Jing Dan said bluntly. How could she meet Xu Yu without bringing her along?

He Ying was slightly stunned, then looked at Jing Dan’s slightly annoyed expression and chuckled.

“Okay, I got it. In the future, when I go out to dinner with someone else, I’ll definitely bring you along!” She stifled a laugh in her heart, why was this starting to feel more and more like those clingy girlfriends?

Thinking of the word “girlfriend,” He Ying’s heart felt a bit warm. When would she truly become her girlfriend?

With He Ying’s response, Jing Dan felt relieved. Since He Ying had promised her, she wouldn’t secretly go out to dinner with Xu Yu without telling her.

However, what she didn’t expect was that before He Ying had a chance to take her to meet Xu Yu, she had already met her without He Ying’s knowledge.

This all started with her going to the film set to check on the shooting progress.

Originally just there for an inspection, she unexpectedly saw Xu Yu in the actor’s makeup room, professionally applying makeup to the actors with a brush. Her professional demeanor easily hinted at her identity as a makeup artist.

Their eyes met as Xu Yu looked up.

Later, after finishing her work, Xu Yu took the initiative to approach Jing Dan and extend an invitation.

The two of them found a coffee shop outside, casually ordered two cups of coffee, and then just looked at each other without speaking first.

As Jing Dan looked closely at the woman in front of her, she found that she was even more beautiful than in the photos. The woman’s allure was showcased to perfection on her, coupled with her eyes and eyebrows that always carried a hint of charm, making her appear more like an enchanting fairy.

Unfortunately, she didn’t captivate Jing Dan, who remained expressionless.

Seeing her lack of expression, Xu Yu smiled gently and took the initiative to speak, “President Jing, I’ve heard so much about you.”

Jing Dan remained expressionless, simply nodding coldly.

Thinking that this woman in front of her liked He Ying, Jing Dan felt a strange uneasiness. She and He Ying being together was clearly not suitable! They didn’t match at all and lacked any chemistry!

As Jing Dan thought this, her expression turned colder.

Seeing her expression, Xu Yu smiled faintly and asked, “How long have you known He Ying?”

Jing Dan was puzzled, not understanding why she suddenly asked this question.

Looking into her eyes, Xu Yu chuckled softly, “It should be less than a year, right? But how about me? I’ve known He Ying for many, many years.”

As she spoke, the smile on her face deepened, and then she added with a hint of nostalgia, “We’ve known each other for so many years, I know most of her past, and she knows mine. We are like the two people who understand each other the best in this world, she is like another me.”

Jing Dan’s expression turned completely cold, her gaze fixed on Xu Yu, but she remained silent.

Seeing Jing Dan like this, Xu Yu smiled lightly, about to speak when the coffee was served.

Jing Dan picked up the coffee and took a sip. The bitter Americano taste spread throughout her mouth, making her nose slightly sour from the bitterness. She felt like crying but in front of Xu Yu, she couldn’t show any weakness!

Setting down the coffee cup, she said calmly, “Even though you’ve known He Ying for many years and claim to understand her the best, what’s the point? Why don’t you have the courage to tell her directly that you like her?”

Jing Dan’s direct question caught Xu Yu off guard. She looked up at Jing Dan’s cold expression and furrowed her brows, “How do you know I like her?” Then, remembering her relationship with Hu Tu, her voice turned slightly colder, “Did Hu Tu tell you?”

Seeing the coldness on her face, Jing Dan didn’t tell the truth this time, simply saying, “Your feelings are too obvious.”

Xu Yu snorted, clearly not believing her words. She was too obvious? If she was that obvious, He Ying, such a clever person, couldn’t possibly not notice.

“Since you also know that I like He Ying, then you should understand the purpose of me approaching you, right?”

Jing Dan looked at her quietly. Even though she was sitting right across from her, her words seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

“I know He Ying is treating you well now, but if we really compare, do you think your less than a year of knowing her can compare to the depth of our many years of relationship?” Xu Yu tried to appeal to reason with emotion.

Jing Dan furrowed her brows, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as she saw that Xu Yu was really trying to persuade her to leave He Ying.

“But why are you coming here to say all this? If you are really so confident, why don’t you go tell He Ying yourself?” Jing Dan’s face tensed as she looked at Xu Yu, whose expression suddenly darkened. Jing Dan smirked slightly and said softly, “Lack of confidence? Is that it? Just like all these years, you’ve never dared to let He Ying know you like her. Perhaps you know that if you speak up, even your friendship won’t last.”

This time Xu Yu remained silent. She looked quietly at Jing Dan, who remained calm and indifferent in front of her. Xu Yu couldn’t help but chuckle softly, “I’m curious, do you really like He Ying?”

“If you don’t like her, why would you be willing to be so close to her, even willing to have your relationship with her known to the public? But if you do like her, how can you face me, a rival who has been by her side for many years, so calmly?” Xu Yu looked at Jing Dan, as if trying to get an answer from her.

Jing Dan met her gaze and after a moment of silence in response to her question, asked, “Do you think that meeting a so-called rival always ends up in a fight?” She was puzzled for a moment; when did TV shows start to unfold like this?

Xu Yu: “…” Did she have that intention?

“As for whether I like her or not, I don’t think I need to tell you.” Jing Dan frowned. If even He Ying didn’t know, why should she tell Xu Yu?

Xu Yu: “…” This person is really infuriating.

Unable to contain her laughter at Jing Dan’s response, Xu Yu said, “Do you think that just because He Ying is treating you well now, you can act so insolently?”

“Sometimes, relationships are unpredictable. Perhaps He Ying doesn’t like me now, but who knows what might happen as we spend more time together in the future?”

“So, are you saying that your current interaction isn’t long enough and needs more time? If that’s the case, what’s the difference between your many years and my one year? Both are not long enough,” Jing Dan found Xu Yu’s words a bit contradictory to what she said earlier.

Xu Yu: “…” Speechless with frustration.

“But I know many things that you don’t!” Xu Yu spoke up, even lifting her chin slightly as if to display her pride.

Jing Dan felt even more uncomfortable because she knew that what Xu Yu said was true. The time she had known He Ying for a long time was a fact, how much could she really know about He Ying?

Xu Yu stood up, gazing calmly at Jing Dan. “President Jing, if you truly don’t like He Ying, I hope you can maintain a proper distance and not give her too much false hope.”

With that, she left.

Jing Dan lowered her head, looking at the cup of bitter brown coffee in front of her, as if she could still taste the bitterness in the air.

Does she like He Ying?

She furrowed her brows, finding it really hard to understand this question. How do you discover if you like someone? And how do you show it?

She watched those TV dramas where people in love kissed each other and ended up in bed together, but she and He Ying had never kissed or slept in bed together without clothes.

She sat in the cafe for a long time, finally being startled awake by the ringing of He Ying’s phone call, finally coming back to her senses.

He Ying: “Are you working late tonight? Why haven’t you come back yet?”

He Ying’s soft voice always seemed to carry a hint of a smile, sounding comforting.

Jing Dan unconsciously smiled as she pursed her lips, looking at the sky outside, only then realizing she had been sitting here for so long.

“No, I’m coming back now.”

“Do you need me to pick you up?”

Jing Dan was taken aback, immediately recalling those scenes from TV dramas where someone would pick up their crush from work.

She hurriedly shook her head, “No need! I can go back by myself!”

On the other end of the call, He Ying heard her slightly excited voice and found it strange for a moment. But she didn’t say anything further, deciding to wait and ask when Jing Dan returned.

When Jing Dan returned, He Ying had already prepared dinner and was sitting at the table, leaning on her hand and smiling at her.

Jing Dan paused in her steps. How come this scene looked so much like someone who had cooked dinner and was waiting for their lover to come home?

She felt like she had been brainwashed by Xu Yu. Otherwise, why would such a simple gesture, which had happened countless times before, be making her overthink now?

If it weren’t for Xu Yu saying so many confusing things, she wouldn’t be so conflicted!

“What are you thinking? Come wash your hands and eat,” He Ying spoke up.

Jing Dan: “…Oh.”

But would He Ying really fall for Xu Yu in the future? Would they end up kissing and sleeping together without clothes, like in TV dramas?

Her face fell, and the weight in her chest grew heavier.

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The author has something to say:

Daidai’s hair stood on end: “Why are you so mad!”

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