47

Chapter 47 Meeting the Parents After playing with the little cub long enough, He Yuan, feeling that it was almost time, lifted the cub out of the basin. A stream of spiritual energy passed around her body, transforming the once droopy cub with matted fur into a fluffy, smooth, and distinctly black and white creature. Seeing her return to her original soft and fluffy appearance, He Yuan placed her on the ground and patted her backside, gesturing for her to leave before getting up to tidy up. "Oh yes, remember to come back for another soak tomorrow." Midway through, Jing Dan nearly tripped over herself and turned back in disbelief to He Yuan. "Another soak?" Wasn't one soak enough? He Yuan glanced at the little cub with a puzzled expression and lightly smirked. "Did you think handling a lost soul was so easy?" "At least another five days of soaking." Jing Dan: "..." "Oh, you didn't tell He Ying about it, did you?" He Yuan raised her eyebrows slightly. "Don't you want her to know?" Jing Dan quickly shook her head, not ready to let He Ying find out yet! He Yuan turned away and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell her." He Yuan was speaking the truth. After all, it was He Ying who had informed her before examining Jing Dan's body. Feeling completely assured now, Jing Dan believed that He Ying's mother wouldn't deceive her and it was only the thought of needing to turn back into a panda and soak for at least another five days that slowed her steps. She walked slowly out of the room and towards the study before transforming back into her human form, looking rather despondent. As she opened the door to leave, walking towards the staircase on the second floor, she saw He Ying gazing up with a hint of concern. Rising to meet her at the stairway, Jing Dan descended just in time to meet with He Ying. "How did it go? Did Mom say anything?" Faced with He Ying's worried expression, Jing Dan felt a slight sense of guilt. She had lied to her, but she couldn't just tell her that He Ying's mother was treating her illness. So she could only say, "We just chatted casually, she'll talk to me later." Despondent, with at least five more days of chatting to go. Upon hearing this, He Ying glanced at Jing Dan with a despondent look before smiling and not saying anything else. "Where's Hu Tu?" Jing Dan didn't see her. "She went back to change clothes. We'll go shopping for things we need for New Year's Eve together when she comes out later." "Oh." Jing Dan nodded, then with a hint of worry, asked, "But it's already afternoon. Will we still find good items now if we go shopping?" After all, she had soaked for almost an hour, and didn't people typically go out early to shop for New Year's supplies? He Ying chuckled lightly. "It's okay, the weather here is cold, and many things remain fresh even if left out overnight." Upon hearing this, Jing Dan fell silent. Later when Hu Tu came out in her changed clothes, the three of them headed outside and saw a black SUV parked in the yard, its tough lines and massive size making it look like a black beast in the winter snow. He Ying took the driver's seat, Jing Dan sat in the passenger seat, leaving Hu Tu to sit in the back. Hu Tu looked at Jing Dan, who seemed oblivious to her actions, and muttered to herself, "..." Shouldn't she be sitting with her in the back and chatting at a time like this? She glared at Jing Dan, but the person in front seemed unfazed by her gaze, focusing on He Ying who was driving and attentively listening to her describing the fun and delicious things in the area. Frustrated, Hu Tu thought, "Why did she even come along in the first place? If she hadn't, she wouldn't be so annoyed now!" In the end, the three of them arrived at the marketplace. Not wanting to travel far, they skipped the large supermarkets and headed straight to the local market. Jing Dan had never experienced the hustle and bustle of human shopping, so she found the scene of people carrying bags and parcels through the streets quite fascinating. Seeing Jing Dan's curious look, He Ying reached out and gently blinked, saying, "Hold on tight, there are too many people now, we don't want to get separated." Jing Dan looked up at the bustling crowd and nodded in agreement, placing her hand on He Ying's fair hand and gripping it tightly. He Ying smiled slightly, then turned to meet Hu Tu's resentful gaze. "..." "Aren't you afraid I might get lost? I'll hold on too!" Hu Tu said, extending her hand. He Ying lowered her head, glanced at her outstretched hand, and asked, "Afraid of getting lost?" Hu Tu nodded! He Ying chuckled lightly. "Alright." With that, she took out a rope from her bag and handed it to Hu Tu, gesturing for her to tie it around her wrist. Hu Tu's face turned pale at the sight of the rope. "Not tying it?" He Ying asked knowingly. Meanwhile, Jing Dan, still curious, simply watched, completely oblivious to offering any help! Damn you, He Ying! You wait, at your wedding, I'll make sure you get what's coming to you! Eventually, He Ying led Jing Dan ahead, with Hu Tu following behind, their eyes almost burning holes in the back of the heads of the two women in front of them. Throughout the journey, He Ying would buy anything interesting Jing Dan spotted. They even saw a refined and elegant woman holding hands with another woman, enjoying some candied fruits that didn't quite match her demeanor. The woman exuded an air of indifference and sophistication while holding hands with another woman and munching on candied fruits, all very naturally. Hu Tu, following behind, couldn't believe her eyes, and even considered pretending not to know them. She had noticed someone taking photos of them with a phone, and it was evident that the two had been recognized. With their online popularity as a couple soaring, the lack of secrecy in their actions provided fans with ample opportunities for sugar-coated moments! "Wait, they've already met the parents, is the official announcement next?" "They've met the parents, isn't marriage the next step?" "Not far off! Let's celebrate and light fireworks!" "They're holding hands too! Oh my, is this a drama series? And Jing Dan is eating candied fruits!" As the three continued shopping unknowingly, the online excitement quickly grew, with terms like "Spring and Bright Meeting the Parents" trending high. It wasn't until someone from a company called Jing Dan that she realized she had made it to the top trending list again. Seeing the trending topic, she found it quite fitting. After all, she had just met the parents, who even helped smooth down her silly fur! Hu Tu, looking at the post, raised an eyebrow, feeling that things were unfolding as expected. With their straightforward and high-profile actions, it wasn't surprising that they were hitting the headlines! Nevertheless, she couldn't help but marvel at how good-looking the two were. Despite the crowded market and the somewhat pixelated image, their beauty was apparent, and the slight blur added a sense of allure. Glancing at the two of them, Hu Tu decided to do a good deed. After all, the two didn't have a clear relationship status, yet online it seemed they were on the verge of getting married, which didn't seem right. She directly retweeted the news from a promotional account and posted a picture of a corner from the photo, circled in red, saying, "Bringing a friend to meet the parents?" This tweet instantly amused netizens, as they commented on how they hadn't noticed Hu Tu in the photo as she was squeezed into a corner! Ignored Hu Tu: "..." Damn the photographer! Clearly, she looked good too, but they'd somehow squeezed her into a corner! "Hu Dan! If it's not meeting the parents, why are they holding hands?" "Yeah! They're holding hands! How do you explain that?" Hu Tu approached Jing Dan, grabbed the hand holding the candied fruits, took a photo, and posted it, saying, "Haven't you noticed the crowd? What if we get separated?" Netizens found it amusing but skeptical of her reasoning. "You make a good point, but we somehow can't believe it?" As the online buzz escalated, He Ying's phone rang. Upon checking, she saw it was from Xu Yu. Arched eyebrow, wasn't this the time he usually slept? Why was he suddenly calling her? Glancing at Jing Dan, He Ying noticed her sulking expression. She seemed to recall the incident where she had promised to cook for Jing Dan but ended up dining with Xu Yu instead. Noticing Jing Dan's reaction, He Ying was puzzled by her sudden discontent. Answering the call, "Hello? Xu Yu." "He Ying," came Xu Yu's soft voice from the other end. "Have you returned home?" He Ying glanced at Jing Dan and helped tidy up her wind-blown hair while replying, "Yes, I came back to take a look." "Did you bring a friend along?" "Mm." He Ying guessed that Xu Yu might have seen the news online and said, "Winter is quite fun here, so I brought them over to have some fun." Xu Yu stayed silent for a moment before smiling, "When you get back, let's have a meal together. It's been a while since we dined together, right?" "Sure." He Ying casually agreed. Seeing Jing Dan's hair neatly arranged, she withdrew her hand and said, "You can choose the place when the time comes." "Alright, have fun with your friends," Xu Yu said before hanging up. Putting away her phone, He Ying moved closer to study Jing Dan's expression and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly upset?" Others might not notice, but she could clearly see Jing Dan's sullen expression. What could be on her mind with that sulky look? Jing Dan: "..." Did she have to say she felt a bit down remembering that He Ying had gone for a meal with someone else and didn't cook for her? Even though He Ying had explained that they were in different places at the time, thinking back now still made her feel a bit low, but not to the point of getting angry. He Ying silently watched her, but Jing Dan paid her no mind and led her to a small stall selling spicy hot pot. She looked curiously at the meatballs and vegetables in the pot; she hadn't tried this type before. Noticing her curiosity, He Ying smiled and said, "The vermicelli in the hot pot here is delicious," as she ordered three bowls. Coming up behind them, Hu Tu glanced over and shook her head. "What's so good about these? You won't even mind getting a stomach ache after eating them." He Ying chuckled, saying, "Sometimes, hidden culinary delights can be found in places you least expect." Hu Tu shrugged, "Alright." She found a small red plastic stool and sat down, watching Jing Dan looking a bit lost. She dragged over another stool, patting it, and said, "Sit down! Why are you standing there like a fool?" Jing Dan lowered her head, looking at the tiny plastic stool, and hesitated. Glancing back at He Ying, she saw her still talking to the stall owner, occasionally pointing at the items in the pot. With no other choice, Jing Dan finally sat down. A tall and leggy woman perched on a small stool with an air of resignation; it looked comical no matter how you looked at it. Hu Tu couldn't stop laughing, even though she was in a similar situation, yet mocking Jing Dan. Enduring Hu Tu's laughter with a straight face, Jing Dan didn't expect Hu Tu to lean over after giggling and ask quietly, "Just now, He Ying received a call from Xu Yu, right?" Jing Dan gave her a look and nodded. Hu Tu smirked, but there seemed to be a trace of mischief in her tone as she continued in a low voice, "Do you know what intentions she has towards He Ying?" "Do you have any guesses as to why she called just now?" (End of Chapter)