44.2 - The Panda Cub Bows For Love

She stepped forward, feeling an unusual sense of restraint, and hesitantly called out "Auntie" to the woman. From the moment Jingdan appeared, Heyuan had already noticed her, keeping her gaze on her as she approached, looking slightly shy and awkward. She nodded lightly. Neither of them spoke; Jingdan was not a sociable person, and the atmosphere instantly quieted down, tinged with a hint of awkwardness. Perhaps only Heyuan felt the awkwardness, while the other seemed unperturbed. Thinking of Hecang mentioning that her mother liked peace and quiet, combined with the awkward atmosphere, just as she was about to speak up and leave, Hecang's mother spoke up. "Do you want to have a seat?" She gestured towards the swing beneath her. "Ah? Oh, okay." Jingdan responded a bit hurriedly, afraid that Hecang's mother might think she wasn't eager enough. But as soon as she sat down, she immediately regretted it. What was Hecang's mother doing pushing the swing behind her! Her face flushed crimson, feeling embarrassed she said, "Auntie, I can do it myself." Belatedly, she realized that maybe she shouldn't have agreed to this request. After all, the previous occupant had been seated just fine before she arrived... Heyuan nodded, then sat on a nearby stone stool, quietly watching Jingdan. After a long while, she suddenly spoke, "You and Hecang are close?" Her voice was clear and cold, exuding a sense of indifference, which made Jingdan involuntarily shift her gaze towards her. Upon closer observation, Hecang and the woman actually looked quite alike, especially in their cold and determined demeanor, as if they were cut from the same cloth. She nodded earnestly, saying, "She is very kind to me!" Although she knew that there was a genuine affection from Hecang towards her, she couldn't deny Hecang's kindness, which made her even more conflicted. If she didn't agree to Hecang's request, she would feel like she was betraying the kindness shown to her. But she couldn't easily agree just because of that... Jingdan's mood dipped. Seeing the young woman losing her vigor, Heyuan just smiled faintly, without acknowledging her words, and asked, "Are you Jingdan?" "Hmm?" Jingdan raised her gaze. "You know me?" Heyuan nodded, explaining, "Hecang told me about you before she returned." "...Oh." Well, it was strange for her not to know about her if she was staying at her house. Heyuan quietly observed the woman before her, despite her cold appearance; she had a pair of eyes that were as pure as a child's. Such a person inadvertently made one want to treat her kindly, not wanting to see the purity in her eyes tainted. It was no wonder that Hecang was so kind to her. "Can I take a look at you?" Heyuan asked. This time, Jingdan was truly at a loss. Take a look? At what? Then she saw Heyuan gesturing for her to extend her hand. She looked down at her hand; what was so interesting about it? But seeing the look in Heyuan's eyes, she felt that not extending her hand might be inappropriate, especially since it was a request from an elder. She hesitated and tentatively reached her hand towards Heyuan, feeling perplexed. Heyuan held her hand, and Jingdan's first instinct was that her hand felt cold, colder than the winter wind blowing outside, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Heyuan seemed to notice and glanced at her. Yet, whether it was Jingdan's imagination or not, she felt that Heyuan's gaze was gentler than before, with a hint of comfort in it. Then Jingdan saw Heyuan holding her hand, closing her eyes, and a faintly cool energy entering her body. Jingdan: "..." She was shocked. Was this person so casually using spiritual power in front of her? And once this spiritual power was released, wouldn't she know that she was a demon?! She widened her eyes, looking at Heyuan in disbelief, not understanding why she suddenly used spiritual power on her. If she found out that she was a demon, then what about Hecang? Would she also know? However, with her eyes closed, Heyuan didn't know what Jingdan was thinking. She carefully explored Jingdan's spiritual platform with her spiritual power, and the more she looked, the more complicated her expression became. After a while, she opened her eyes, looked at the woman in front of her, sighed lightly, and then revealed a faint smile. Completely puzzled by what she was doing, Jingdan asked awkwardly, "Auntie, what are you doing?" She felt embarrassed and anxious. Why did Heyuan use spiritual power so decisively in front of her? Had Hecang said something to her, or did Heyuan initially think she was human and didn't care? And most importantly, if Hecang didn't say anything to her, then she must have already known she was a demon. Would she tell Hecang? However, Heyuan, with her eyes closed, had no idea what Jingdan was thinking. She began examining Jingdan's bones with her spiritual power, and her expression became more complex as she delved deeper. After a while, she opened her eyes, gazed at the woman before her, sighed softly, then slowly revealed a faint smile. Completely bewildered by her actions, Jingdan said, "..." "What are you doing, Auntie?" She opened her mouth awkwardly, feeling flustered inside. Why was Heyuan using spiritual power on her so suddenly? If Hecang hadn't said anything, then she definitely knew she was a demon now. Wouldn't she tell Hecang? But Heyuan just smiled faintly and said, "Nothing, just examining your bones." Heyuan smiled lightly. Jingdan: "... Is she some kind of martial arts prodigy?" She looked at Heyuan awkwardly, not knowing how to approach the question. "Jingdan?" Hecang's voice came from not far away. Both of them looked up to see Hecang standing on the other side of the lamp sea, looking somewhat surprised. She approached, first glancing at Jingdan sitting on the swing, then looking at Heyuan, and softly said, "Mother." Heyuan just nodded lightly, portraying even less of a smile than when facing Jingdan. Hecang lowered her head, then casually said, "Dinner is ready; let's go back and eat." "Oh." Jingdan had lost her appetite by now. All her attention was on Hecang's mother, worried that she might say something shocking at any moment, causing her immense distress. Seeing Jingdan standing up, Heyuan also rose, her expression becoming unpredictable as she walked ahead without speaking to Hecang for the rest of the evening. Walking behind Heyuan, Jingdan breathed out a sigh of relief at Heyuan’s attitude, feeling somewhat puzzled about the relationship between Hecang and her mother. Why were they acting so peculiar and distant? She couldn't quite wrap her head around it, but since Hecang brought them to her home so effortlessly, it didn't seem like their relationship with their mother was strained. Upon entering the house, where Huto was already sipping his soup, seeing the woman who accompanied Hecang, he was so startled that the soup nearly made him choke, tears were almost welling up in his eyes. "Oh, cough, Auntie!" Holding back the urge to cough, his face turned red as he struggled, feeling like he wanted to hide in a hole! Why didn't Hecang mention that her mother would be there too! Feeling embarrassed about his earlier rudeness in drinking soup first, he was so flustered he didn't dare to look at Hecang's mother as the elder hadn't even sat down yet. Heyuan only nodded and then sat at the head table. Seeing Heyuan sit down, Hecang went back into the kitchen to get another set of utensils before looking at Jingdan, who followed closely behind her. She smiled gently and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Not used to it?" Sitting down beside Hecang, Jingdan shook her head without saying a word. How could she dare to speak out loud! Heyuan was a demon; just because they whispered didn't mean she couldn't hear them! She maintained a reserved posture, seeing which Hecang found it amusing. Perhaps due to the uncomfortably tense atmosphere, no one spoke at the dining table, with Jingdan even losing her appetite halfway through her bamboo shoot dish. After dinner, Heyuan quietly went upstairs without saying a word, leaving the three young people downstairs. Once Heyuan had left, Huto let out a huge sigh of relief and slumped onto the sofa, looking like he had just dodged a bullet, trembling as he spoke, "Your mother's presence is overwhelming!" It was peculiar; Heyuan's mother seemed to give off an icy and indifferent air, along with a hint of weariness. Normally, this combination would elicit a sense of emptiness, but when she sat there not saying anything, it felt like not a breath could be taken. Hecang rarely saw her acting so vulnerable. She had always been quite spirited, so this timidity made her mother seem all the more intimidating. Shaking her head, Hecang put away the dishes and came out, saying, "It's late now; let's wash up and rest. Tomorrow, I'll take you all out to have some fun." "Alright! I need my beauty sleep!" Huto stood up, looking steady as if he had been drinking, and swayed slightly as he made his way to his room. Jingdan looked at Hecang, biting her lip, thinking about how she could convince Hecang to stay with her. Yes, she wanted Hecang to stay in her room. She just couldn't let her out of her sight; she was genuinely worried! What if they met in private when she wasn't around, and Hecang's mother spilled the beans and revealed she was a demon? "What's wrong?" Hecang asked, looking puzzled. Jingdan's ears began to burn, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. Thinking about the possible consequences, she gritted her teeth and said, "I'm still feeling a bit out of place here. Could you stay with me tonight?" It was the first time she had ever asked someone to stay with her, and Jingdan could feel herself heating up all over. (End of this chapter)