Panda Cub – Chapter 62

Correct Posture

Her face turned pale, and upon hearing Jingli’s words, a raging storm brewed in her heart.

Did the ancestors of the Panda Clan participate in the ambush?

She didn’t harbor hatred for her own father’s death at the hands of the Panda Clan, as she knew he deserved it! If possible, she even wanted to take revenge with her own hands! Without him, the White Crane Clan wouldn’t have deteriorated like this, their people wouldn’t have died, not even her mother, in the state she is now…

But if the ancestor of the Panda Clan perished in this ambush, how would they view her then?

She was so nervous that she couldn’t speak for a moment. Jing Li noticed her unease and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? If this doesn’t work, let’s think of another solution.”

He Ying came to her senses and shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse as she asked, “Alright, I will seek help to find out more. He is very cautious and won’t leak any information.”

Upon hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief, a somewhat relaxed smile appearing on her face. “He Ying, thank you.”

He Ying remained silent, hesitant to accept the gratitude. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked, “Do you know the identity of that evil spirit?”

Initially intending to open the study door, she turned back to look at her upon hearing her question. After a moment of consideration, she said, “Not entirely clear, only know that the spirit is the son of the White Crane Clan leader, but as for his name, I do not know.”

Currently, the connections between the various clans are not very close, unless there is an outstanding figure, it is difficult to have a reputation in other clans.

He Ying felt burdened after hearing this, unsure whether she should reveal the truth to them. She also did not know how they would view her once they knew the truth.

And then there was Jing Dan, she had just started her relationship with Jing Dan. Would this matter become an obstacle between them?

She was not indecisive by nature. Aside from the lingering confusion she had in Jing Dan’s matter before, nothing else had occupied her mind for too long.

“Auntie, there’s something I need to confess to you,” He Ying said softly.

Regardless of how they would perceive it, she had to tell them about this matter. They had the right to know the truth.

Seeing He Ying’s expression, Jing Li knew that what she was about to say must be significant. After a brief moment of silence, she called Jing Shiyue and the others into the study.

Upon entering, Jing Dan immediately headed towards He Ying, sitting beside her and leaning against her as if she had no bones, sticking to her.

Seeing her like this, He Ying smiled faintly, but there was a hint of bitterness in the smile. She held Jing Dan’s hand tightly, hoping that this would not be the last time they were close.

Once everyone was gathered, Jing Li spoke up, “Go ahead.”

He Ying looked up at the two pandas from the Panda Clan across from her, then lowered her gaze, unable to look at them any longer, and said softly, “Auntie, you mentioned the evil spirit before, and there is something I must confess to you all.”

“My mother, you all already know who she is, but I have never told you about my father. And my father is that evil spirit.”

As she spoke these words, her back slightly hunched, even though those despicable deeds were not done by her. But because her blood carried a connection to that person, she felt as if she was born with sin.

Upon hearing this revelation, the whole study fell silent. Jing Li looked at He Ying in shock, never expecting that she was the child of that evil spirit. If that was the case, wouldn’t He Yuan be that person’s wife?!

This revelation was like a heavy bomb that stunned them all, staring at He Ying blankly, seemingly trying to confirm the veracity of her words.

Jing Dan leaned against her, looking at He Ying’s expression, suddenly feeling so heartbroken. The emotions seemed to transport her back to the time by the frozen lake. He Ying clearly wasn’t crying, yet she felt like she already had.

“Don’t be sad,” Jing Dan held her close and whispered in her ear. She didn’t like seeing He Ying in distress, she wanted her to be happy, just like before when every smile seemed to light up with a myriad of stars.

She liked that side of He Ying, it was beautiful.

He Ying dared not respond to her. Until a verdict was reached, she couldn’t bring herself to respond to Jing Dan’s intimacy.

Jing Li and the others gradually calmed down. Their brows furrowed, not with resentment, but with confusion. This expression left He Ying puzzled, unsure why they weren’t angry with her.

Their ancestor had disappeared because of her father, possibly even dying in that ambush. She couldn’t understand why they remained so calm.

“Are you saying you are the child of that evil spirit?” Jing Li hesitated as she spoke.

He Ying nodded.

Jing Li appeared even more puzzled. She asked, “But as far as we know, the members of the White Crane Clan he was with at that time were all slaughtered and assimilated by him. How did He Yuan survive and give birth to you?”

He Ying shook her head this time and said, “I’m not very clear about that. My mother rarely talks to me about the past.”

The reason she was able to know about her father’s affairs was simply because He Yuan asked her to step on the bones several times before she told her.

“Oh,” Jing Li nodded, then asked, “Can we go ask your mother about this?”

They really wanted to know the answer!

He Ying: “…” Why are they reacting like this?

She was momentarily confused by their actions and asked, “You’re not mad at me?”

Upon hearing her words, Jing Li looked at her strangely, “Why should we blame you? Did you kill those people?”

He Ying shook her head, she didn’t even know where she was when those killings happened.

“Well then, if you didn’t kill anyone, why would we blame you?” Jing Li rolled her eyes, baffled by He Ying’s thought process.

“But your ancestor disappeared because of my father…” Her voice trailed off as she hesitated to continue.

“Each to their own,” Jing Li sighed. “Don’t shoulder the burden of things that aren’t your fault. If you didn’t do it, why feel guilty? Your father is your father, you are you – two separate individuals. After so many years in the human world, haven’t you learned to distinguish individuals?”

The last sentence did have a bit of a reproachful tone to it.

He Ying: “…”

She felt embarrassed, never expecting to be criticized for not mastering human knowledge one day.

“And also, the reason why we’re looking for our ancestor…” Jing Li paused when saying this, as if finding it difficult to say, but considering He Ying’s feelings, she continued honestly, “Our ancestor has lived for too long. She once said that life has lost its meaning, and if she can’t die, she intends to sleep through it. The reason we’re looking for our ancestor is just to confirm.”

She felt a bit awkward at this point and continued, “If she’s still alive and wants to sleep, let her return to her clan for peaceful slumber.”

They respected their ancestor’s wishes, but as younger generations, there were things they could do to ensure their ancestor’s well-being.

Upon hearing this, He Ying fell silent.

Jing Dan raised her gaze and looked at them several times, seeming to grasp bits and pieces of the conversation but lacking some context. She was somewhat confused, was there an evil spirit ? Which evil spirit? Was the evil spirit He Ying’s father?

With this understanding, Jing Dan felt even more compassion for He Ying. How could she have an evil spirit father? She held He Ying tightly, trying to comfort her, her expression full of pity.

Seeing this, He Ying’s previously melancholic mood lightened slightly, and she gave a gentle smile, holding Jing Dan’s hand tightly. As long as it didn’t affect the two of them, everything was fine.

On the opposite side, Jing Shiyue watched Jing Dan’s expression of pity and raised an eyebrow in surprise, never expecting that she would learn to empathize with others.

Knowing that she was the daughter of an evil spirit would not affect her interaction with the Panda Clan or her relationship with Jing Dan. He Ying breathed a sigh of relief, her face returning to its usual gentle smile.

Looking into her eyes, Jing Dan liked this side of He Ying. Unable to resist, she moved closer and kissed He Ying’s eyes, saying seriously, “Your eyes are especially beautiful when you smile!”

The three elders sitting across from them: “…” They were still present!

Caught off guard by the sudden kiss, He Ying felt a bit embarrassed. Doing this in front of the elders made her feel a bit awkward and embarrassed.

However, Jing Dan didn’t feel any embarrassment at all. In her view, this was her home, and everyone sitting across from her were her closest people. She simply kissed He Ying’s eyes, it’s not like she was stripping off her clothes to sleep here, so what’s wrong with it?

After leaving the study room and entering her own room while holding Jing Dan’s hand, He Ying chuckled softly. Every time Jing Dan was straightforward, she felt a flutter in her heart. How could someone be so adorable?

“Are you happy?” Jing Dan asked as she saw He Ying’s smile.

He Ying looked at her softly, “Of course, I’m happy.” As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.

“Mm.” However, Jing Dan misunderstood her meaning, thinking she was still happy about the kiss on her eye just now. Since she was so happy, then she should receive more kisses in the future!

She told herself in her heart that she should do more things that made He Ying happy, so that He Ying would like her even more! A happy He Ying would also look more beautiful!

Her gaze fell on He Ying’s warm eyes, and she leaned in to kiss her, starting from her eyes, then moving down to her nose, forehead, and those endlessly charming red lips.

Would this make her even happier?

And indeed, He Ying became happier. She was happy that Jing Dan had somehow intuitively known to kiss other places with teaching her!

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After leaving the Jing family, He Ying did not bring Jing Dan along. She arrived at the bamboo forest where she first met Jing Dan, quietly waiting for another person to arrive.

Soon, a dark aura suddenly appeared next to her, revealing a human form.

Before He Ying could speak, the figure in black robes spoke, “I have some leads on the medicinal herbs you asked me to find earlier. However, one of the herbs was seen in the Gulong Mountain Range. You know how dangerous that place is, not many dare to venture in.”

“The Gulong Mountain Range?” He Ying was momentarily surprised, but then she thought it made sense. The more precious the herb, the greater the danger that came with it. “Please tell me the approximate location of that herb. I will go there myself.”

“Are you really going? Have you thought it through?” The voice of the figure in black robes sounded slightly surprised.

“Yeah, I need this herb,” He Ying said. These things were crucial to Jing Dan’s soul-fusion, and she couldn’t slack off.

“Okay, I will send you the approximate location when the time comes.” Seeing her determination, the figure in black robes didn’t try to persuade her further and asked, “Why did you call me this time?”

At this point, He Ying fell silent for a moment, then continued, “Regarding the evil spirit of the White Crane Clan from before, I assume you were also involved in the ambush. I want you to help me understand the situation of the person sent out by the Panda Clan, how is she?”

“And please keep it confidential.”

Upon hearing this, the figure in black robes glanced at her, but didn’t say much else. He nodded and replied, “Alright, but I wasn’t involved in the ambush back then, so my understanding may not be clear. I will inform you once I have gathered the information.”

“Alright,” He Ying breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was willing to help, things would be much simpler.

“Since you are going to the Gulong Mountain Range, I have some things here for you to bring back as well.” The figure in black robes handed her a piece of paper.

He Ying lowered her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly nodded in agreement. In dealing with others, it was normal to give and take.

Seeing her nod, the figure in black robes disappeared from the spot without even saying goodbye. However, He Ying was already accustomed to this situation. At the moment, she was contemplating what she needed to prepare to enter the Gulong Mountain Range.

In her earlier years, she had ventured into the Gulong Mountain Range on her own, but only reached the outskirts. She had never delved deep into the inner areas, as they were too dangerous. With her limited strength back then, entering would have been like offering herself as prey to the fierce beasts.

On her way back to the Jing family, she received the approximate location of the medicinal herbs from the figure in black robes – it was right in the central area of the inner part of the Gulong Mountain Range. 

It seemed like this trip would take quite a bit of time.

She chuckled helplessly. The most important thing now was how to tell Jing Dan that she would be leaving for a while, and she couldn’t reveal that she was heading to the Gulong Mountain Range. Otherwise, knowing her temperament, Jing Dan would definitely insist on accompanying her.

As she entered the house, she overheard Jing Li speaking in a conflicted tone, “Can I really go ask He Ying’s mother about what happened back then? I really want to know!”

Hearing this, He Ying paused for a moment, then chuckled softly. It seemed that Jing Li’s curiosity was indeed quite strong.

Seeing her come in, Jing Li’s voice abruptly stopped, and her face revealed a faint hint of embarrassment.

He Ying approached and chuckled, “I guess you can’t ask now. My mother isn’t very willing to talk about past events.”

Even if it wasn’t to ensure that she could trample on that person’s bones with a clear conscience, she probably wouldn’t have told her about the past.

Upon hearing her words, Jing Li relaxed her thoughts. Although she was curious, her curiosity didn’t come with the condition of prying into someone else’s wounds for satisfaction.

Seeing He Ying return, Jing Dan’s eyes brightened significantly. After she sat down, Jing Dan immediately stuck close to her and whispered in a slightly aggrieved tone, “What did you go do? Why didn’t you take me with you…”

She just wanted to stick with He Ying all the time.

Listening to her slightly aggrieved tone, He Ying couldn’t help but smile wryly. She had only been away for a couple of hours, right? Even in that short amount of time, she felt aggrieved. What would happen when she went to the Gulong Mountain Range with no certain return date? Would she be even more aggrieved then?

“Nothing much, just went out for a bit. If we go dig bamboo shoots now, we can still catch the tail end of the spring bamboo season. Do you want to join?” He Ying said with a smile. She had noticed earlier that the bamboo grove had sprouted fresh tender shoots, something this person would probably enjoy.

Sure enough, upon hearing her words, Jing Dan’s eyes immediately lit up, and she asked in a soft voice, “When do we go?”

At this moment, she even felt a bit of retaliatory psychology, determined to dig more than usual, even more than on the show! Only then could she soothe some of the pain she felt when she pushed those spring bamboo shoots away at the beginning!

He Ying smiled gently, “How about tonight?”

Jing Dan nodded eagerly – the bamboo shoots at night were the most tender!

The three elders across from them, watching the two whispering to each other, all instinctively showed a sour expression. Jing Li snorted and turned her head, only to see her younger sister holding hands tightly with Qiu Shuhuai, her face darkening.

Just because her partner wasn’t around to stand up for her?!

Seeing Jing Li’s expression, Jing Shiyue found it somewhat amusing and comforting, patting her thigh to help her get used to it.

Staying at the Jing residence until nightfall, they had a light dinner. When they stepped outside, a bright full moon was hanging high in the night sky. The moonlight was so pure that the stars appeared sparse, but everything seemed imbued with a sense of tranquility under its glow. He Ying really enjoyed this feeling.

She held Jing Dan’s hand, and the two of them didn’t use any spiritual power. Instead, like the most ordinary of couples, they walked hand in hand after dinner, breathing in the night air and feeling the soothing breeze. This moment was so wonderful that one would want to linger in it forever.

Jing Dan turned her head, using the moonlight to see He Ying’s profile. Her eyes were like a river flowing slowly in the evening, carrying a captivating serenity. The light smile on her lips made Jing Dan slightly dazed.

He Ying noticed the unusual behavior of the person beside her, and turned to look at her. She saw that Jing Dan’s gaze was fixed on her, not paying attention to the path ahead. He Ying couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What are you staring at so mesmerized?”

Was this person not afraid of being led astray by her?

“You’re beautiful!” Jing Dan said seriously. Later, she even stopped walking and turned to look at He Ying intently, saying, “I want to kiss you!”

Even though they had kissed at noon, she still wanted to kiss her.

Hearing this, a deeper smile appeared on He Ying’s lips. She leaned in towards Jing Dan’s lips and whispered softly, “Then come and kiss me.”

The breath from He Ying’s words sprayed onto her skin, making Jing Dan feel a tingling sensation in her body. Many electric currents seemed to be running rampant through her body. Before she could make a move, she transformed back into her original form…

Jing Dan: “…”

He Ying: “…”

She chuckled, quickly pulling her into her arms. Looking at Jing Dan, who seemed both amused and melancholic, she even began to have a terrifying thought. Would she be able to control her transformation back to her original form when she was too excited in the future? She didn’t want to experience a situation where they were about to do something serious after undressing, only to have her partner suddenly turn into a panda.

She would really feel like vomiting blood!

Jing Dan, who had returned to her original form, was only momentarily stunned. She leaned in to kiss He Ying, telling herself that she needed to kiss more to stay calm and avoid transforming back again.

He Ying humorously held her, okay, she didn’t let her transform back, just held her like the previous times when she fed her bamboo shoots, digging them up and peeling them before handing them to her mouth. However, this time, the panda wasn’t a white-eyed bear anymore; it wouldn’t run off after eating and drinking its fill.

Watching Jing Dan snuggling in her arms as she happily ate the shoots, He Ying hesitated, not knowing how to tell her that she needed to leave for a while and that the reason had to be reasonable.

And there was a difficult problem she had to deal with. Once she entered the Gulong Mountain Range, she knew for sure that there would be no phone signal. No signal meant she couldn’t contact Jing Dan. What legitimate reason could she give for not contacting her after leaving?

She couldn’t come up with one on the spot and couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Luckily, Jing Dan and the soul still seemed to have a mutual dislike for each other, so the fusion of souls wasn’t urgently pressing. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have time to fuss over reasons for not contacting her.

“Why are you sighing? Did I eat too much?” Hearing her sigh, Jing Dan thought she had eaten too much and felt annoyed with herself.

Hearing her words, He Ying couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She looked at the cub in her arms who had stopped nibbling on the bamboo shoots and shook her head, saying, “Not too much. I’ll dig as much as you eat.”

As she said this, she even pinched Jing Dan’s little belly. Despite eating so much, she didn’t seem to gain any weight; she remained pleasantly plump.

“Mm.” Jing Dan felt relieved when she realized that He Ying wasn’t bothered by her eating too much. She reached out and patted her shoulder with a claw, saying, “Don’t sigh. When next year comes, I’ll accompany you to dig and eat water chestnuts!”

He Ying: “…” Did she think she was a foodie like herself?

She found it both funny and exasperating. But looking at her adorable expression, she nodded in agreement. As long as they were together, she was happy no matter what they did.

They spent the night digging bamboo shoots together, with the moon reaching its zenith and the surroundings becoming increasingly peaceful. He Ying carried Jing Dan back home. Once there, she asked Jing Dan to take a bath first while she prepared warm milk for her. Thinking about how Jing Dan didn’t forget about milk even after eating so many bamboo shoots, He Ying couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite being adults, Jing Dan still liked drinking milk.

After both had finished bathing and were lying in bed, this time both were in their human forms. Jing Dan leaned in and brought her face close to He Ying’s nose, saying, “Smell this, does it smell good?” She intentionally used essential oils!

He Ying smelled the fragrance, sensing a hint of rose’s rich aroma mixed with the natural scent of green bamboo that she already had.

“Nice.” She answered truthfully.

Upon hearing her response, Jing Dan smiled and reached out to remove He Ying’s sleepwear.

“Wait! What are you doing?” He Ying quickly pressed down on her hand, her heart almost jumping out of her chest from her sudden action.

“Taking off clothes to sleep, of course!” Jing Dan said resolutely. In the past, they were not a couple and sleeping in clothes was understandable. But now that they were a couple, it was only natural to sleep naked!

He Ying: “…”

She was momentarily unsure how to explain to Jing Dan that undressing for sleep wasn’t just meant literally…

“Wait, it’s not the right time yet. I’ll teach you how to undress for sleep later!” He Ying felt her face slightly heat up, thinking it was necessary to find a good opportunity to enlighten her properly.

Upon hearing He Ying’s words, Jing Dan still didn’t quite understand her meaning.

Didn’t she already know and didn’t need to learn?

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The author has something to say:

Help, I get so excited and happy when writing about these two rascals interacting! (covering face)

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