Panda Cub – Chapter 6

Charm spell

She is no longer an unsullied panda; she has been taken advantage of by someone’s rogue tactics!

With a heavy heart and head hanging low, Jing Dan looked dejected like a panda cub that had lost a scuffle.

Her aunt always said that girls should protect themselves when they’re out and about, yet she repeatedly found herself at a disadvantage to others, not to mention that the other party had the audacity to turn the tables on her!

“No, it’s not what I said. Why are you running off so fast?”

Hu Tu, who chased after her, was panting heavily, staggering as if she was about to float away with each step, yet she still managed to catch up with her so quickly.

Jing Dan looked up at her with a deep and distant gaze. If it hadn’t been for her insisting Jing Dan come over, how could Jing Dan have suffered such an embarrassing blunder!

“Hiss—”

Stared at by her, Hu Tu got such a shock that it sobered her up a bit. She leaned in closer to take a look and, to her surprise, found the panda’s face had turned as red as a monkey’s bottom?

“No, why is your face so red?” Hu Tu blurted out and then suddenly realized, could this person be feeling embarassed? Considering how quickly she had run away before, it didn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.

But still, wasn’t this a bit too much? All because of a dance?

“Jing Xiaodan, you’re really too innocent!”

Hu Tu exclaimed in amazement. Although she had always known Jing Dan was conservative, she had no idea she was conservative to the point where she couldn’t even handle a dance! This made Hu Tu, who had breezed through a world of love, feel utterly overwhelmed!

“Shut up!” Jing Dan glared at her. She had wanted to be alone to cool down, but this person just had to follow!

Hu Tu immediately covered her mouth, but her eyes peeking out were somewhat mischievously gleaming. She whispered as if pretending to speak softly, “What’s wrong? Are you shy? Is it because of He Ying? I thought you didn’t like her, did you?”

Her rapid-fire questions revealed a heart full of curiosity.

Jing Dan regarded her with a cold look, staring at Hu Tu, who even while covering her mouth, didn’t stop. She stared until Hu Tu felt her hair standing on end.

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you looking at me for!” Hu Tu raised her hands in surrender, innocently saying, “I’m not the one who made you blush, it’s not nice to stare at me like that.”

Jing Dan snorted coldly. Her emotions had already settled, but she still had no desire to deal with the person before her and turned to walk out of the alley.

“No, say something, will you! Where are you going?” Hu Tu hurriedly followed.

“Going home! Don’t follow me!”

Well, it seems she’s genuinely upset now.

Hu Tu stopped in her tracks, shrugged helplessly, and turned around to head back to the bar—after all, there were still so many drunks in there waiting for her to deal with.

Seated in her car, Jing Dan was in this small space all by herself, uncontrollably revisiting the earlier scenes in her mind, along with the lingering light fragrance that had dispelled the smoky and boozy smells of the bar.

The He Ying of tonight felt so different from the one who had helped her dig for bamboo shoots before—so different! Far too uninhibited!

Her face tense, she hadn’t come to terms with the sudden bright flash; by the time she realized it, she had already turned into a panda.

Soft and listless, she slumped into the driver’s seat, staring blankly.

What just happened?

Jing Dan’s mind was full of questions. Normally, if she were to turn back into a panda, she’d have some sense of it coming, but just now, why did it happen so suddenly?

It was only a couple of days ago that she had involuntarily turned back into a panda, and now it happened again. Is her ability to control it weakening further?!

Annoyed, she smacked her hand onto the seat, fuming silently to herself.

Lucky it was in the car; if it had been in front of a crowd, she would have certainly had to go to the Management Bureau for that horrid-tasting tea!

In a flash of white light, the little panda’s figure disappeared from within the car, and the next time it appeared, it was in the courtyard of the villa in the suburbs.

The evening breeze shook the silly tuft of hair atop the small panda’s head. Jing Dan shook her head and scurried towards the inside of the house.

It was already past one in the morning. The villa, usually inhabited just by her and Jing Shiyue, was eerily quiet. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, she glared up at the fridge that towered over her, stomped her foot in frustration—curse that woman He Ying for bringing over those snacks! Now her stomach was rumbling again.

Her body gradually grew in size until she was big enough to open the refrigerator door. She stopped then, taking out several boxes of marinated delicacies and grabbing several bottles of milk, too.

She lugged everything to the living room but no sooner had she reverted to her little panda form than a woman abruptly appeared beside her.

The woman raised her hand to rub her head, plucking at that silly tuft of hair, and said in a deep voice, “Where have you been gallivanting off to? You’re covered with a mess of different scents.”

Looking at the array of snacks piled high on the coffee table, she was already too exhausted to complain.

“Auntie, I just made a trip to the bar,” Jing Dan confessed with utmost honesty. She then glanced at the table full of goodies, and turned her expectant eyes to Jing Shiyue.

Who could resist such a pitiful gaze from a panda cub? Even if you were a panda yourself it would be impossible to resist.

Jing Shiyue resignedly put on gloves to peel the items and fed them to her, to avoid soiling those little paws.

Jing Dan squinted contentedly, murmuring a couple of satisfied noises.

“This transformation of yours…” Jing Shiyue shook her head and did not continue her sentence.

It was truly exasperating. Why was she still unable to control her transformations frequently?

Worry appeared in her eyes. If this continued, how would she establish herself within the clan? Who would accept a leader who couldn’t even control their own transformations?

Jing Dan picked up on the worry in Jing Shiyue’s tone, which dampened her spirits as well.

In the end, Jing Shiyue silently continued to feed Jing Dan. Only after she had eaten her fill did Jing Shiyue pat her on the head with a smile and say, “Don’t worry, as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters. You don’t need to concern yourself with too many other people.”

Not being the clan leader might actually be a relief; it spares you a lot of responsibilities, and you’ll be able to enjoy life a bit more. In life, there’s no need to be too harsh on oneself.

Jing Dan gave a muffled nod, gazing at Jing Shiyue’s retreating figure as she ascended the stairs. Afterwards, she sprawled listlessly on the sofa.

By nine o’clock the next morning, Jing Dan was already at the company. Thanks to Jing Shiyue’s arrangements, everything was in place; the staff were ready and waiting for Jing Dan’s command to kick the company into full gear.

Logically, since the company was newly established, it would be natural for the boss to step up and inspire the employees with talks of ideals, outline the company’s prospects, and ‘paint the big pie.’ Unfortunately, Jing Dan was not one for such appearances; she showed her face but surprisingly didn’t utter a single word.

She found reciting those cliché motivational speeches less appealing than simply being comfortable in her own space. So the task of stirring up the atmosphere and such duties were entirely handed over to Hu Tu. Watching Hu Tu swiftly tighten the company like a single strand of rope, Jing Dan had a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Her aunt had said before, for valuable people, one must learn to use their abilities to the fullest.

That’s why on the first day of work, Hu Tu, who was originally aiming for a leisurely position, got thrown into managing PR and marketing. Additionally, responsible for scouting potential newcomers, Hu Tu carried multiple roles with no chance for a breather.

Hu Tu: “…”

Well, aren’t you something, Jing Xiaodan, such a Zhou Bapi¹ you are!

But luckily, the people Jing Shiyue hired are all very professional. Although there were some hiccups on the first day, thankfully, work went on as usual.

At eight o’clock in the evening, Jing Dan appeared at Xu Zhihuan’s banquet location, which was in her own private estate.

Jing Dan got out of the car and, seeing it surrounded by luxury vehicles, wrinkled her nose in distaste, expecting yet another large gathering of people.

She had a taut expression on her face, presenting an extremely indifferent and detached demeanor. At this moment, to her surprise, Xu Zhihuan herself came out to greet her, her smile deepening upon seeing her.

“Miss Jing, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Xu Zhihuan approached, with a light and subtle scent of perfume drifting towards her, not overpowering, carrying a hint of citrus.

Jing Dan discreetly distanced herself from her, holding her breath to avoid the scent. Although the fragrance wasn’t as strong this time, she did not like the smell of citrus.

“Miss Jing, are you satisfied with the scent of my perfume this time?” Xu Zhihuan’s lips curled into a smile, with her arms crossed leisurely over her chest, looking at Jing Dan as if insinuating that she changed her perfume specifically for her.

Jing Dan remained expressionless, “It’s okay.”

“Better than last time by just a sliver.”

Xu Zhihuan chuckled lightly, seeming very pleased with Jing Dan’s response, and winked at her, “As long as you like it.” Saying so, she even attempted to hook Jing Dan’s arm.

Jing Dan quickly dodged, and said coldly: “I can walk by myself.”

With that said, she didn’t wait for Xu Zhihuan, the protagonist of the evening, and walked inside.

Xu Zhihuan was left behind, watching Jing Dan’s departing figure with a smile. Only in this way, the conquest felt more like an achievement, didn’t it?

When Xu Zhihuan came out to greet her, many people had already taken notice of the situation. Initially, everyone was wondering who could be so important as to warrant Xu Zhihuan’s personal reception, but upon seeing Xu Zhihuan’s ambiguous behavior, they somewhat understood.

What President Xu always liked best were good-looking people, and this woman was so beautiful; it seemed likely that she would be President Xu’s person in the future.

Everyone present was astute; seeing Xu Zhihuan’s demeanor, none of the sharp-eyed would dare to provoke Jing Dan.

However, among these astute people, there was still someone who differed.

After Jing Dan entered, she sensed a gaze sticking to her, and although there were many eyes on her, this particular pair felt strange, making her instinctively sense some danger.

She immediately began searching for the source of this gaze, scanning the crowd within the venue. Among the dazzling assembly, she recognized several familiar faces, all of them currently popular celebrities in the entertainment industry.

When her gaze inevitably met with another pair of eyes, the originally smile-filled peach blossom eyes now held only calmness, as if looking at an inconsequential stranger.

He Ying…

Jing Dan subtly furrowed her brow, unexpectedly encountering her so soon again.

As soon as she laid eyes on He Ying’s face, she couldn’t help but recall last night’s scene, the stunningly attractive features, and the bewitchingly enchanting charm.

She even began to wonder if she had been cast with a charm spell.

The author has something to say:

Jing Xiaodan: So, is she really a fox spirit?

1. Gao Yubao was a Chinese writer, best known for his autobiographical novel Gao Yubao. The novel, based on his childhood under Japanese occupation, became highly influential in Communist China. A short story from the novel was adapted into a popular animated film, The Rooster Crows at Midnight. The villain of the story, a greedy landowner nicknamed Zhou Bapi (“Zhou the flayer”), became one of the most famous evil landlords in China.