Chapter 38 - The Panda Cub Bows For Love

Chapter 38: Righteous Indignation While one young miss was fuming with anger, He Xuan was too busy to even catch a breath on the other side. She had to design the stage effects and guide her trainees on how to perform the dance better, achieving a higher level of synchronicity. Meanwhile, she also had to practice the dance she was going to perform. "Teacher He, it’s time to go," someone called out to He Xuan as they passed by her practice room after rehearsal. He Xuan looked up and smiled, “Alright, I’ll pack up and then leave.” It was only when she glanced at the time did she realize it was already ten in the evening. Had that person not called out to her, she would not have known when she’d become aware of the time. As she was packing up her things, her thoughts involuntarily drifted to Jing Dan. She had been too busy recently to pay her a visit and wondered how she was doing now. This thought made her feel somewhat melancholic. She hadn’t reached out to her, and Jing Dan didn’t seem to find her either. To say she was heartless, she really was heartless. Although she hadn’t visited Jing Dan, it wasn’t like she was completely unaware of her situation. After all, her assistant would send her messages every other day, mentioning how Jing Dan was not eating well, that she barely touched her meals today, fearing her health would suffer in the long run. Seeing these messages, He Xuan was puzzled. Wasn’t Jing Dan tired of eating her cooking? Why would she lose her appetite for other foods? She grabbed her bag, and in the end, decided not to seek Jing Dan out. Given Jing Dan’s sleeping habits, she’d probably be asleep soon anyway. And it was somewhat amusing to think that, ever since she declared to Hu Tu in a fit of pique that Jing Dan was a nice person, Hu Tu began guarding her like she was guarding against some menace. Whenever she visited their company, Hu Tu would make sure to keep an eye on her as if she might turn into a hungry wolf and devour Jing Dan the next moment. She chuckled and shook her head, her feelings towards Jing Dan were, indeed, just… She paused, pondering over her true feelings for Jing Dan. Were they really that straightforward? Her grip on the bag tightened. She pursed her lips and decided not to overthink it. After all, Jing Dan was just a child. After returning home, she received a call from Xu Zhihuan. Frowning, she couldn’t fathom why she would call at such a late hour. "Hello?" Her voice was indifferent. “He Xuan.” Xu Zhihuan’s voice came through, laden with anger that seemed about to erupt any moment. “Mhm.” After activating speakerphone, He Xuan placed her phone on the table and began unpacking her bag. “As a smart person, you must have discerned my feelings for Jing Dan by now. I hope you can be wise about this.” Xu Zhihuan’s words carried an ominous undertone. Jing Dan's rejection tonight made her blame everything on He Xuan. If it wasn’t for her, Jing Dan wouldn’t have been so cold toward her! He Xuan's hand paused as she looked towards her phone, suddenly finding Xu Zhihuan somewhat ridiculous. Why should her liking for Jing Dan concern He Xuan? What did she have to be wise about? Without her interference, would Jing Dan fall for her? Did she lack so much self-awareness? "Miss Xu, perhaps you've got the wrong person?" Shouldn't you be confessing your feelings to the person you like instead of bothering someone irrelevant? Of course, if she did approach Jing Dan, He Xuan would still advise Jing Dan to be cautious. "I’m talking to you." Xu Zhihuan chuckled coldly, "Teacher He, you better think this through. In this industry, who dares to offend me? If you wish to continue here, I advise you to behave." Blacklisting someone was but a word away for her. Hearing this, He Xuan laughed. For all these years, she was the first to dare threaten her. "Miss Xu, there’s something you haven’t quite understood. Whether I choose to remain in this circle is entirely up to me, not under the so-called threat of yours." "Many things you think you control are actually just so," She would be threatened by a human? If word got out, she might as well not mix in the demon world any longer. "Really?" Xu Zhihuan’s laughter had a dark undertone, "I heard you’re busy with a performance. Do you think your tickets will still sell now?" With that, she hung up. Looking at the disconnected call, He Xuan's gaze chilled momentarily. This Xu Zhihuan really didn’t know the height of heavens and the depth of earth. She was eager to see how far Xu could go. --- The next day, He Xuan was wakened by Hu Tu’s barrage of calls before she could even open her eyes. As soon as she picked up, Hu Tu’s somewhat anxious voice urged her to check the internet immediately. Still groggy from being woken up, she went online as Hu Tu suggested. As the headlines became clear, she gradually woke up. #So-called independence is nothing but this# #He Xuan socializing# #He Xuan, roll out of the entertainment circle# He Xuan blinked. The last time her name dominated the trending searches was during her ship discussions, but what were all these now? She opened one and quickly grasped the gist of these entries. The essence was that everything she had was the result of socializing, accompanied by photos of her surrounded by multiple men, laughing brilliantly. He Xuan: "...” If this had nothing to do with Xu Zhihuan, she would write her name backward! She found it laughable, wondering how much time Xu Zhihuan spent to concoct these. Did she even sleep last night? Hearing her laughter, Hu Tu was utterly confused, "Have you gone mad from anger? You're still laughing now!" Of course, Hu Tu could never believe He Xuan would do such things, but upon seeing such rumors, shouldn’t one's first reaction be outrage? Why laugh? "I’m laughing at Xu Zhihuan. I wonder how much effort she put into this." He Xuan explained. “You think Xu Zhihuan is behind this?” Hu Tu furrowed her brows. Exactly, if there wasn’t someone pushing from behind, how could there be such a coordinated attack against He Xuan first thing in the morning? “But why target you?” If she remembered correctly, He Xuan and Xu Zhihuan didn’t have much interaction, did they? By now, He Xuan was completely awake. Sitting up and leaning against the headboard, she said, “Because of Jing Dan.” “Jing Dan?!” “Yes, that person likes Jing Dan. Last night, she even called to threaten me, asking me to stay away from Jing Dan.” He Xuan shook her head; she hadn’t expected Xu Zhihuan to act so swiftly. Was she preparing all these the moment after the call ended? Hu Tu: "...” Is she sick?” “Yes, I think her condition is quite serious.” Glancing at the time, it was only six in the morning. Jing Dan should still be asleep. If she could resolve this before Jing Dan woke up, perhaps she wouldn’t see any of it? “What do you plan to do about the stuff online now?” He Xuan yawned, “What else? Acknowledge it.” Hu Tu was stunned. Acknowledge what? “Acknowledge that the face in those photos is mine.” When she saw the photos, He Xuan thought Xu Zhihuan or rather, the person who worked for her, wasn’t very clever, or maybe not careful or smart enough. The photos featuring her smiling so brightly weren’t many. The most contributions came from that romance reality show, after all, who wouldn’t smile holding a panda cub? “Thanks for your concern. You don’t have to do much, I’ll handle it myself,” said He Xuan. “Really? Should I deploy the company’s team to steer the narrative for you?” “No need. If we stir the company’s resources, Jing Dan will find out. Let’s not worry her.” If that child knew, who knew how upset she’d become. Hu Tu: "...” She gritted her teeth slightly; dare you even mention Jing Dan in front of me? After hanging up on Hu Tu, just as He Xuan was pondering how Xu found her photos, Xu Yu’s call came in. He Xuan: "...” Why are they all up so early today? Xu Yu: “He Xuan, have you seen what’s on the internet?” Sounding as urgent as ever. He Xuan sighed deeply. If it wasn’t for Xu Zhihuan stirring up this basket of trouble, would she have to wake up this early? Didn’t she know how tired He Xuan was recently? “I’ve seen it, it’s alright, I’m handling it, and it will be sorted soon,” He Xuan reassured. “Really? Are the people in those photos you?” He Xuan's voice turned faint, saying, “No, it’s doctored.” Hearing this, Xu Yu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief on the other end before exchanging a few more words and then hanging up. With an expressionless face, after ending the call, He Xuan retrieved the romance reality show episodes, following her memory until she found the segment where she laughed heartily. At that moment, she was holding the young miss, who was angry because He Xuan hadn’t fed her, and struggled in her embrace, refusing to be held. Yet watching the young miss’s angry antics made He Xuan laugh with joy. Many people in the production crew were charmed by the young miss’s cuteness at the time. Who would get upset just because they weren’t fed? She screenshotted the scene and then logged onto Weibo to save the so-called photo of her socializing. She then proceeded to edit her own Weibo post. She only posted two pictures, without a single word of explanation. But with these two starkly clear images placed side by side, what else needed to be made obvious? The moment she posted on Weibo, her comments section was immediately flooded with people. ——HAHAHAHA I told you Teacher He wouldn't be like that. What now? Look at it properly! Do you see why Teacher He is laughing so brightly? —— Some people really should look in the mirror. Do they genuinely believe they deserve Teacher He's radiant smile? Clearly, it takes our dear Daidai to bring out such laughter in Teacher He! ——Aww, Teacher He just made me want to watch it again! I can never get enough of Teacher He and Daidai!!! Due to He Xuan’s Weibo post, the direction of online sentiment shifted instantly. Seeing this turn of events, Xu Zhihuan’s face almost turned green. She glared at the person who had manipulated the photos, asking venomously, "Is this how you handle things?" Using He Xuan's images from the show as manipulation material was indeed a brilliant move. The person started sweating profusely, having not expected He Xuan to so easily trace the origin of the face. "Get lost, and never let me see you again," Xu Zhihuan said coldly. The person flinched and then, noticing Xu Zhihuan’s icy expression, quickly gathered his computer and left without another word. --- After posting the photos, He Xuan didn’t bother reading the online comments any further. After all, both praise and blame came from the same people. Overthinking it would only affect her mental state adversely. With the matter resolved, she no longer felt sleepy. She got up, freshened up, changed into her running gear, and went out for a jog. Perhaps living in the human world for too long had made her habits increasingly similar to those of humans, truly integrating herself into human society. As she ran, she pondered over Xu Zhihuan’s failure this time and wondered what underhanded tactics she would deploy next. After buying some breakfast on her way back, she received a message from Jing Dan. Seeing Jing Dan’s message, she was momentarily surprised. Jing Dan was up so early? It was only half-past seven! Jing Dan loved her sleep and likely thought everyone else did too. To alleviate the pain of early mornings, she had delayed the company’s start time, claiming it allowed employees to be more energetic at work. While the start time was delayed, the end time remained the same. This decision made her immensely popular among the staff—after all, who wouldn’t appreciate working two hours less, especially in the morning? Jing Dan was practically a living saint! With a slight raise of her eyebrows after reading Jing Dan’s message, He Xuan hadn't expected Jing Dan to so quickly realize someone was targeting her. After some thought, she slowly typed out three characters in the chat: Xu Zhihuan. It wasn’t about tattling; it was indeed Xu Zhihuan’s doing. And since Jing Dan had asked, He Xuan was merely speaking the truth. After all, honesty is a virtue that should be promoted~ On the other end, Jing Dan’s brows knitted together even tighter upon seeing the name Xu Zhihuan, her dislike for Xu intensifying. Having been so frustrated by Xu last night that she couldn’t sleep, Jing Dan barely drifted off when she suddenly woke up early in the morning. Unable to fall back asleep, she went online to browse the news and stumbled upon the drama surrounding He Xuan. [Jing Dan]: Last night, she told me she liked me and asked if I rejected her because of you. No, it wasn’t because of you at all! It was simply because you’re annoying! He Xuan was taken aback by the message. She hadn't expected Xu Zhihuan to have already confessed to Jing Dan, especially after being rejected, which explained her fury last night — she had been provoked by Jing Dan’s rejection. Seeing the words "rejected," He Xuan couldn’t help but smile lightly, feeling more relaxed. She typed back: Don’t worry, the problem is solved now. You don’t have to be concerned, and definitely don’t feel like you’ve dragged me into this. She didn’t want Jing Dan to overthink and trap herself in a cycle of worries. However, Jing Dan disagreed. She frowned, feeling that they couldn’t allow Xu Zhihuan to continue like this. If Jing Dan couldn’t deal with her now, wouldn’t her aunt be able to? If they let Xu continue targeting He Xuan, who knew what she might do next? The very tactics used online today were disgusting enough. [Jing Dan]: Don’t worry about her. I won’t let her trouble you anymore! Hmph, she would protect her friend! Seeing this, He Xuan raised her eyebrows, sensing a bit of authority there. Jing Dan, authoritative? She suddenly chuckled, finding the thought of Jing Dan being authoritative rather amusing. [He Xuan]: Okay~ Jing Dan pursed her lips, imagining He Xuan’s tone upon seeing the tilde. She then got ready and went straight to her aunt’s house. Early in the morning, when she arrived, her aunt was just waking up, leisurely sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee and a small cat by her feet. Jing ShiYue looked up at Jing Dan, who had suddenly returned: “……” Jing Dan tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. Did her aunt’s demeanor suggest she wasn’t welcome? Then, noise came from upstairs. Looking up, Jing Dan saw Qiu Shuhuai in a white silk nightgown, holding a black cat, also frozen in surprise. Jing Dan: “……” She knew they were close, but she never expected they were close enough to live together! “Ahem!” Jing ShiYue tried to appear normal, waving Jing Dan over, “You’re back so early. Is there something you need?” Seeing this, Qiu Shuhuai headed to the kitchen after setting the cat down, leaving the scene. Although Jing Dan had questions, gossiping wasn’t her primary purpose for visiting. Her demeanor turned slightly downcast, as if she were feeling wronged, “Xu Zhihuan from Zhihuan Entertainment bullied me.” She bullied my friend. Jing ShiYue’s eyebrows immediately raised, her eyes flashing fiercely, “How did she bully you?” How dare someone bully a person Jing ShiYue cared about? Jing Dan looked down, recalling last night's events with a muffled voice, “Last night, she wanted me to consider being with her, saying it would be beneficial for my career.” Jing ShiYue: “……” Had Xu Zhihuan played around too much that she lost her brains? If Jing Dan wanted to succeed in her career, Jing ShiYue was there. Why would she need an outsider to boost her prospects? “And she thought I rejected her because of He Xuan. This morning, she fabricated lies and tried to smear He Xuan.” Jing Dan was furious, furrowing her brows. How could there be someone like Xu Zhihuan in the world, blaming her own failures on others? Jing ShiYue’s expression hardened. It seemed she needed to give Xu Zhihuan a wake-up call, make her realize there were people she couldn't afford to provoke. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she never dares to appear before you again,” she said, her tone cold. At that moment, Qiu Shuhuai came from the kitchen with a glass of milk for Jing Dan, asking, “Did I hear Xu Zhihuan’s name? What happened?” Jing Dan sipped the milk, feeling a touch of melancholy. It had been a while since she tasted the milk made by He Xuan. Jing ShiYue briefly summarized the situation to Qiu Shuhuai. Qiu Shuhuai frowned and shook her head, “Xu Zhihuan is not a good person.” Having been in the entertainment industry for many years and encountering numerous companies, she was very familiar with Xu Zhihuan and knew several of her secrets. Such a person brought misfortune to whoever she touched. “Did you hear that? Not just Xu Zhihuan, you should keep your distance from people like her in the future,” Jing ShiYue