Panda Cub – Chapter 63

Boss’s Wife

Jing Dan couldn’t understand why she was rejecting her. She tilted her head and looked at He Ying. After watching for a long time, she pursed her lips and her voice suddenly lowered, saying, “Are you unwilling to sleep with me naked?”

“You still don’t consider me your girlfriend!”

When she said the last sentence, Jing Dan had a questioning tone. As she spoke, her nose began to feel sour. She sniffed, turned over and lay with her back to He Ying, feeling a bit unhappy.

Seeing her like this, He Ying became anxious. She quickly approached, placed her hand on Jing Dan’s shoulder, and said gently, “How could that be? We have just become lovers, and we still need to adapt to some things, such as undressing. We can do that later.”

Mainly, Jing Dan still has a lot of things she doesn’t understand. If the two of them really undressed and slept together, she would inevitably have wandering thoughts. But facing Jing Dan’s lack of understanding, wandering thoughts would not become a bridge for deeper communication between them. Instead, they would become behavior affecting their relationship.

Seeing Jing Dan still ignoring her, He Ying helplessly smiled and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, softly saying, “Jing Dan, just pay attention to me, it hurts me so much when you ignore me~”

Her soft lips moved from her ear slowly down to her jawline, and the breath from her nose tickled Jing Dan’s skin. After the experience on the way to the bamboo forest tonight, Jing Dan tried hard to restrain herself from reverting back to her original form. When she heard He Ying say she was hurt, all her previous annoyance disappeared without a trace.

She turned around to hug He Ying, gently patting her back. She didn’t want He Ying to be sad; she just wanted He Ying to be happy.

He Ying, who had thought she would need to coax Jing Dan for a while longer, was stunned. She was held firmly by Jing Dan, and even the gentle pats on her back made her feel a sense of pampering.

Was Jing Dan pampering her?

He Ying was shocked by her own realization, but at the same time, her heart completely softened. This was the person she liked.

He Ying gently rubbed Jing Dan’s face and promised, “I won’t make you wait too long!”

It was funny because even though He Ying was much older than Jing Dan, she still wasn’t as open.

“Mm.” Jing Dan responded casually, her attention focused on whether He Ying was still upset. Seeing the faint smile on He Ying’s face, she finally relaxed when she confirmed that He Ying was not upset. She lightly kissed her lips and continued to hug her while gently patting her back.

He Ying maintained this position, which was somewhat amusing, but also allowed herself to be immersed in Jing Dan’s embrace, closing her eyes and gradually falling asleep.

This time, she had another dream.

In the dream, she was still in the form of a cub, lying weakly in the snow, flapping her thin wings but unable to fly, unable even to open her eyes. The darkness in her vision and the bone-chilling cold of the icy snowy landscape gave her a sense of illusion, as if she was about to die in that place.

Just as she felt her body freezing, she suddenly fell into a pair of warm hands. That warmth became her last hope, and she couldn’t help but nuzzle against those hands.

She heard a light laugh, a woman’s voice, very pleasant, like the tinkling sound of a river in the snow-capped mountains that had not frozen into ice.

She peacefully fell asleep in those warm hands.

She woke up again and felt warmth all over her body. Besides her own soft hair, she felt as if she were surrounded by some soft fur. Heat was coming from all directions towards her.

She turned over, indulging in the warmth, and fell back asleep.

---

When He Ying woke up, she raised her eyes and stared at the ceiling, still thinking about the images from her dream.

This dream reminded her of the dream she had on her first night staying at Jing Dan’s house, fitting unusually well. However, this time, the details of the door were much more vivid and realistic than before, even the sensation of the fur moving in the breeze felt particularly real.

She rubbed her head feeling a bit of a headache, thinking that having a similar dream again was not something that usually happened for no reason. There must be some kind of reason behind it.

Could it be that in her past life, she was also a white crane spirit? And then she was adopted by someone?

“Um—”

At that moment, Jing Dan leaned in, with one arm draped around He Ying’s waist and the other arm under her neck, pulling her close into an embrace. Because of the intimate gesture, He Ying’s head nestled against Jing Dan’s neck, looking a bit drowsy and confused.

Interrupted in her thoughts, He Ying chuckled softly as she looked at Jing Dan’s possessive yet clingy demeanor, then raised her hand to hug her back. Whatever happened in the past didn’t matter anymore; in this lifetime, she felt content and happy with Jing Dan as her lover.

Jing Dan nuzzled against He Ying’s neck, feeling lazy and reluctant to get up, wanting to snuggle with He Ying and sleep some more.

Seeing Jing Dan’s lazy and tired appearance, He Ying couldn’t help but give her a kiss on the forehead and whispered softly in her ear, “You go back to sleep, I need to talk to my mother about something. When you wake up, have breakfast and go to the company by yourself?”

“Hmm?” Jing Dan mumbled, opening her eyes drowsily. “I, I want to go with you!”

Seeing her so sleepy, He Ying smiled gently and covered Jing Dan’s eyes with her hand. “No need, just stay at home, be a good girl, and go to work at the company when it’s time. I’ll come find you at the office after I finish my business.”

With her eyes covered, Jing Dan once again fell into darkness, listening to He Ying’s gentle words. Subconsciously, she wanted to obey her, responding with a soft “Hmm” to acknowledge her.

Seeing her so obedient, He Ying kissed her forehead again and then carefully got up, covering Jing Dan with the blanket. She then went to wash up and prepare breakfast before heading out.

---

When she arrived at Lady He’s room in the hotel, she was surprised to find that Lady He was not there. Hadn’t she already sent her a message in advance?

She took out her phone to check, only to discover that Lady He hadn’t responded to her at all…

She found it somewhat amusing for a moment. Used to Lady He’s aloofness, she had already taken her lack of response to messages as Lady He having seen them but choosing not to reply.

She sat down on the sofa in the room, waiting for Lady He to come back. At the same time, she felt a bit puzzled. When Lady He mentioned staying at the hotel for some private matters, she became curious. Lady He had always given off a very aloof vibe, had no close friends or relatives, and had never been seen being close to anyone. Suddenly mentioning having private matters, she couldn’t imagine what personal business Lady He could have in Huaqing City.

As she continued to wait, around ten o’clock she received a message from Jing Dan, asking if she hadn’t finished her tasks yet.

Seeing the time, He Ying knew that her partner must have once again timed her wake-up to rush to get ready for work. She replied with a smile, “No, I still need some time. Won’t you be late if you go to work now?”

Jing Dan immediately sent her an emoji, a shocked cat expression, as if expressing disbelief that He Ying didn’t trust her to be punctual for work.

Seeing the cat emoji, He Ying’s mind automatically replaced it with an image of a panda cub with wide eyes, making her laugh at her own imagination. If Jing Dan knew that she was imagining her like that, she didn’t know if she would get angry.

“Why are you laughing so happily?” He Yuan’s soft voice suddenly sounded.

He Ying was startled, realizing that she had been too absorbed in her thoughts just now, completely ignoring her surroundings.

He Yuan was dressed in a light blue long dress, with her hair pulled back revealing her slender neck. She exuded an elegant and graceful demeanor as she glanced at He Ying and said softly, “If it was someone with ulterior motives just now, you would have been in big trouble.”

Upon hearing her words, He Ying felt a bit ashamed and lowered her head, saying, “Mom, you’re right.”

She realized that she had let her guard down too much.

Seeing He Ying’s reaction, He Yuan didn’t say anything more and simply asked, “What brings you here this time?”

When it came to business matters, He Ying’s expression also became more serious. She explained, “Among the list of herbs you gave me last time, there is one herb in the Gulong Mountain Range. I want to go there myself, but I need your cooperation to keep it a secret from Jing Dan.”

He Yuan, who had paused in the middle of undoing her hair, turned to look at He Ying. “You want to go into the Gulong Mountain Range by yourself?”

“Yes, the officials from the management bureau are unwilling to go.” He Ying said calmly. It was understandable. Her relationship with the bureau officials was merely mutually beneficial cooperation, not to the extent of them risking their lives for her.

He Yuan fell silent for a moment before saying, “From the looks of Jing Dan, whether she merges or not doesn’t matter. You don’t have to take this risk.”

He Ying shook her head. “Whether she merges or not is her own concern, but I need to prepare in advance the things she will need if she decides to merge with the soul.”

Seeing He Ying’s determination, He Yuan knew that she had made up her mind to go on this trip. She asked, “Aren’t you afraid you won’t come back? What will happen to Jing Dan then?”

Jing Dan relies on her so much. If something really happened to her, she didn’t dare to imagine how Jing Dan would cope.

He Ying fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Lady He with a gentle smile. “As you know, there is a power within me. In the past, I didn’t have much control over it, but in recent years, I have been able to fully absorb and integrate it. When I go into the Gulong Mountain Range, I won’t be joking about risking my life. If I can’t win a fight, I can still run.”

She still had the ability to protect herself.

Upon hearing her words, He Yuan gazed at her intensely before looking away and saying softly, “As you wish.” After a pause, she added, “Don’t let Jing Dan get hurt.”

Hearing this, He Ying chuckled softly. “If one didn’t know better, they might think Jing Dan is your daughter.”

Of course, when she said that, it wasn’t because she was jealous or anything. Lady He being fond of Jing Dan was a delight to her, and at least those melodramatic mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships wouldn’t happen in their family.

He Yuan just looked at her with a complicated expression and didn’t say anything more.

“It’s just that you also know, if Jing Dan finds out I’m going to the Gulong Mountain Range, she won’t let me go alone. So I’m asking you to help me tell a lie, to deceive her into thinking I’m going back to our ancestral land. There will be no signal on my phone, and I will contact her when I come out.”

He Yuan: “… Asking mom to help you lie?”

He Ying: “…” Why did that sentence sound so subtle?

She felt a bit embarrassed, but still nodded and replied, “Yes, a white lie.”

He Yuan sneered, “A lie is a lie, what’s the difference between kind and unkind?”

He Ying: “…” Why did Lady He seem more pointed today?

She didn’t know what to say for a moment, just looked at her awkwardly, hoping she would agree.

He Yuan sneered coldly and indifferently said, “I’ll help you, but if you get caught, you explain it yourself.”

Upon hearing this, He Ying breathed a sigh of relief and a light smile appeared on her face. She nodded and said, “Don’t worry, as long as we both keep quiet, Jing Dan won’t find out.”

He Yuan glanced at her with an ambiguous expression and said, “Don’t underestimate Jing Dan, she’s not a fool.”

Sometimes, even though a person may seem a bit slow, being able to grow a company to its current size in a short period, and having decent skills, how could such a person be considered a fool?

He Ying: “…I didn’t think of her as a fool.”

She couldn’t help but feel a bit amused, how deeply misunderstood was she by Lady He!

He Yuan remained noncommittal, her expression appearing somewhat tired. After letting down her hair, she leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes, and began to doze off, seeming oblivious to He Ying’s presence.

Watching her tired appearance, He Ying didn’t understand what she was up to. She got up, poured a cup of hot water for He Yuan, placed it within her reach, and then left without disturbing her further.

Once the room fell silent, He Yuan opened her eyes. Her gaze fell on the cup of hot water emitting a bit of steam beside her, her eyes inscrutable and difficult to discern.

---

He Ying arrived at Qingzhu Company, and as soon as she walked through the company’s main gate, she was greeted by many people’s curious gazes. When they looked at her, something had already changed inside.

This is their Boss’s Wife!

As she approached the front desk, the receptionist immediately stood up and enthusiastically shouted, “Hello, Boss’s Wife!”

And this sentence, like flipping a switch, prompted the employees belonging to Qingzhu Entertainment in the vicinity to also stand up and shout in unison, “Hello, Boss’s Wife!”

He Ying: “…”

Sorry, forgive her for not having experienced this kind of scene before. After all, she had lived a few more years than them. She adjusted her facial expression and nodded, saying, “You can call me whatever you used to call me before, no need to call me Boss’s Wife.”

Being called Lady Boss, especially when so many people called her Lady Boss together, felt a bit strange.

“Okay, Boss’s Wife!” the receptionist spoke up again, full of earnestness.

The others also nodded in agreement, “No problem, Boss’s Wife!”

He Ying: “…” They acknowledged it, yet it seemed like they didn’t.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit amused, but decided not to dwell on the matter. She went upstairs directly to find Jing Dan.

Unbeknownst to her, after she left, the news about what just happened had spread throughout the Qingzhu company group chat. The title of Boss’s Wife had taken root in their hearts, and whenever they saw He Ying, their subconscious reaction was to address her as Boss’s Wife!

The general manager’s staff also noticed the messages in the group chat. When they saw He Ying coming out of the elevator, everyone instinctively stood up straight and loudly greeted, “Hello, Boss’s Wife!”

The sound was so loud that Jing Dan could hear it in her office.

He Ying: “…” She smiled and responded, “Hello, everyone.” She suddenly felt like she was on an inspection duty.

Inside the office, Jing Dan did not hear He Ying’s voice and was momentarily puzzled. Wasn’t she the boss of this company? Where did this Boss’s Wife suddenly come from?

She opened the door and saw He Ying standing outside. It suddenly dawned on her that she and He Ying were now openly acknowledged as a couple. Since she was the boss, then He Ying must naturally be the boss’s wife!

Her eyes lit up slightly, and she pulled He Ying into the office. With a nod of approval towards the others outside, she made a decision – a company-wide 10% salary increase!

After those employees found out about the salary raise, their faith in calling He Ying Boss’s Wife became even stronger!

He Ying was pulled into the office by Jing Dan. Her gaze turned to Jing Dan. In that moment just now, she had even suspected if they were instructed to call her Boss’s Wife by Jing Dan?

However, upon second thought, she felt it was unlikely. Even if Jing Dan wanted them to call her Boss’s Wife, it wouldn’t be at this time, considering they had just recently gone public with their relationship. Jing Dan probably wouldn’t have the notion at this point.

And even if she didn’t, it was probably Hu Tu.

Fortunately, Jing Dan and Hu Tu were unaware of her thoughts this time. Otherwise, they would have felt very wronged. Was this what she wanted from them!

If Hu Tu knew, she would definitely shout out that it wasn’t her idea!

After closing the door, Jing Dan reached out and hugged He Ying by the waist, softly murmuring, “You took your time getting here.”

This morning, she was a bit absent-minded at work, constantly thinking about when He Ying would come over.

He Ying hugged her back and softly coaxed her, “I’ll come faster next time.”

“Mm-hmm.” Jing Dan was easily coaxed. She didn’t mind when He Ying said something sweet to her. Holding her tightly, she started kissing the corner of her lips gently and attentively.

He Ying felt a mix of excitement and amusement from her kisses, even managing to think to herself that this must be what it feels like to be in love.

It was sticky and affectionate, yet surprisingly made her happy and comfortable.

She liked it when Jing Dan stuck to her.

After Jing Dan had enough of her kisses, He Ying held her and said, “I need to go to a place in a couple of days where there’s no signal. I’ll have to stay there for a while. Can you please stay at home obediently?”

Upon hearing this, Jing Dan immediately looked up at her and firmly refused, “No! I want to go with you!”

Anticipating her response, He Ying patiently explained, “I need to be away for a while. If you’re not here, how will things be managed at the company? Additionally, the place I need to go is our White Crane Clan’s ancestral land, which is not accessible to outsiders.”

Upon hearing her words, Jing Dan frowned and muttered, “But I’m not just anyone.” I’m your girlfriend!

He Ying chuckled, lowered her head, and kissed her softly on the lips, saying, “But those are the rules of the clan, I can’t help it.”

Jing Dan was still somewhat displeased, “If it’s just because outsiders are not allowed in the White Crane Clan’s territory, then what about the White Crane Clan members who used to seek refuge with other clans? Wouldn’t they be left stranded?”

Moreover, now that the White Crane Clan has already disintegrated, what’s the point of these clan rules?

He Ying: “…” She hadn’t expected Jing Dan to bring up this point.

She continued reluctantly, “There are hardly any people there now, and it’s quite desolate. If you come with me, I won’t be able to take care of you properly. Stay home, and I promise to come back soon, okay?”

Jing Dan rested her head on He Ying’s shoulder, sulking in silence.

“Jing Dan~” He Ying softly called out.

“I’ll take care of you, you don’t have to take care of me,” Jing Dan said sulkingly.

Hearing her words, He Ying couldn’t help but chuckle. The issue isn’t about who takes care of whom, but about not letting you come along, right?

“I’ve already talked to my mom, she said the clan rules cannot be broken,” He Ying said, somewhat reluctantly.

Jing Dan: “…”

He Ying rubbed her head and coaxed, “I’ll come back and make delicious food for you!”

Jing Dan: “…”

She let out a soft hum, but fortunately didn’t insist on coming with her.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to press the matter further, He Ying breathed a sigh of relief. She could now focus on preparing for what she needed to enter the Gulong Mountain Range.

Entering the inner area of the Gulong Mountain Range required thorough preparation, so there were many things to get ready. Over the next two days, she was busy preparing the necessary items. She came and left early and late, and Jing Dan, with whom she lived, rarely saw her throughout the day.

Seeing He Ying busy like this, Jing Dan furrowed her brows slightly, but didn’t say much more. They continued with their normal routines of work and daily life, with days passing by uneventfully.

On the third day, He Ying woke up early and bid farewell to the still drowsy Jing Dan in bed, “I’m leaving. Please take care of yourself while I’m away, okay?”

Jing Dan opened her eyes only slightly, grabbing He Ying’s sleeve and asking, “How long will you be gone for?”

He Ying fell silent for a moment, “One month. I’ll definitely be back within a month, at the latest. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jing Dan nodded, releasing her grip on He Ying’s sleeve.

Seeing the obedient and compliant Jing Dan, He Ying couldn’t help but lower her head and plant a kiss on her lips. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to kiss her for a whole month, she didn’t want this kiss to end so soon.

Jing Dan closed her eyes and responded to He Ying, she was already quite familiar with these kisses.

After kissing for a while, He Ying had to end the kiss. Finally, she kissed the corner of Jing Dan’s lips and murmured, “I’m leaving.”

Without giving herself a chance to linger, she instantly teleported out of the room.

After He Ying left, Jing Dan opened her eyes, still half asleep, sat up, and gently touched her lips that had just been kissed by He Ying. She then chuckled softly to herself.

---

After leaving, He Ying arrived at the outskirts of Huaqing City, where a weapon forge smith lived. Her purpose for this trip was to retrieve her weapon stored with the smith for maintenance.

A pair of twin crescent moon blades.

Without engaging in much conversation, she obtained the blades and immediately headed towards the Gulong Mountain Range.

The Gulong Mountain Range had a well-known entrance, often frequented by people and thus less frequently visited by fierce beasts. Entering from this point would slightly reduce the risk of being directly attacked on the outskirts.

He Ying appeared at this entrance, where towering trees seemed to block out the sky, with only sparse sunlight filtering through the leaves. Upon entering the mountain range, a chilly atmosphere enveloped her surroundings.

While this may be considered the outskirts, for humans, the outer reaches of the Gulong Mountain Range were already a difficult area to penetrate.

However, He Ying’s brows furrowed immediately. Since her arrival, she had felt a gaze fixed on her.

“Come out!” He Ying’s voice was cold.

The tree branch above her right suddenly made rustling noises, and then a person jumped down from above.

He Ying: “…”

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The author has something to say:

Jing Zai: Do you think I’m stupid?

Hehe: …

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