Chapter 26
The meeting had only just begun when the beautiful boss, ears flushed red, stumbled out the door.
“Why is Sister Rong like this again?”
The colleagues began to discuss amongst themselves. “It was the same the night before last. She suddenly ran out trembling and wouldn’t even let us take her to the hospital.”
Jin Can, who had recently been binge-watching many popular science videos, perked up her ears, her puppy-dog eyes full of worry.
“Is Sister Rong pregnant?”
“Ah!”
The room was filled with shock, followed by a wave of realization. “Right, otherwise why would she always be like this…”
The word “pregnant” reached Ye Qingyu’s ears, and for no reason, it sparked a sharp pang in her heart.
But she didn’t have time to think too much. She casually placed the red panda doll on the sofa and stood up anxiously, heading for the door. “No matter what, we should convince her to go to the hospital first.”
The group trooped to the door of the master bedroom on the third floor and knocked tentatively.
Pei Rong had already transformed into a red panda and was trembling and panting lightly under the covers. After her tail had been touched with that subtle technique, the aftershocks continued to ripple through her body.
So the invisible hand that had been wantonly kneading her, a little panda, every day belonged to Ye Qingyu…
A certain reproach arose in her heart, yet she also felt somewhat relieved.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock suddenly sounded on the door.
She paused, then slowly poked half of her fluffy head out from under the covers.
The young woman’s voice came from outside the door, slightly muffled by the soundproofing. “Boss Pei, are you okay? Let’s go to the hospital.”
Pei the Red Panda nuzzled the pillow and, without a word, hugged her large, fluffy tail tightly. Her half-closed brown eyes looked innocent and aggrieved.
“Sister Rong, a pregnancy is not something to be delayed! We should go to the hospital for a check-up right away!”
After Gu Yue finished, her tone suddenly shifted, and she asked politely and tactfully, “When the time comes, can I clamp the little panda baby?”
“?”
Pei the Red Panda’s ears twitched.
What pregnancy? Did I mishear?
Jin Can’s voice followed, saying earnestly, “Sister Rong, I’ve been learning Chinese characters recently. There are many nice-sounding characters in the dictionary. You can pick a name for the baby…”
She was halfway through her sentence when the door in front of her was suddenly flung open with a swoosh, startling her so much her puppy-dog eyes widened.
Pei Rong’s cheeks were still flushed with an intoxicating crimson. She leaned lazily against the doorframe, her arms crossed.
Her gaze first fell on Ye Qingyu, and she paused.
Why does she look so disappointed?
I, a little panda, was rubbed into such a state, and I haven’t even had the chance to throw a little tantrum yet!
The next second, her peach blossom eyes narrowed, and a dangerous gaze swept over the small animals.
“Who said I was pregnant?”
Jin Can trembled and obediently confessed, “Sister Rong, I’ve been watching some popular science videos recently, and the symptoms described are very similar to yours.”
Pei Rong ran a hand through her slightly messy, long, reddish-brown curls and, as if holding a press conference, calmly declared:
“I’m not pregnant. It’s just a special time of the month. Please do not spread rumors. You are all dismissed.”
Hearing Pei Rong’s words, Ye Qingyu’s entire heart suddenly relaxed, only then realizing just how tightly it had been clenched.
So it’s her period…
Her eyes slowly cleared.
“Then, Boss Pei, please rest well. Do you need any painkillers or ginger tea? I have some.”
Pei Rong’s fingertips tapped her chin. “Neither is necessary. Just bring the plush toy and come find me.”
Can a plush toy relieve pain?
Ye Qingyu went to the recreation area to retrieve the plush toy, looking thoughtful. Pei Rong was still leaning against the doorway, waiting for her.
She handed the doll over, casually pinching its soft ear on the way. “Boss Pei, do you like hugging a doll to ease your discomfort?”
Just as Pei the Red Panda was about to take it, her eyelashes suddenly trembled, and she raised a hand to cover her own pinched ear.
“…Mmm.”
She answered indistinctly and took the doll into her arms.
Her fingertips hesitated for a moment, then she began to tentatively pinch and rub it.
—No feeling.
Pei the Red Panda’s pupils trembled. After a few seconds’ pause, she rubbed the plush toy even more forcefully, from its ears to its tail.
Still no feeling.
Could my guess have been wrong?
Refusing to believe it, she handed the doll to Ye Qingyu. “You touch it.”
Ye Qingyu was a little confused, but she quickly did as she was told. She took the doll and nimbly pinched and petted its tail.
At the same time, Pei the Red Panda’s lashes trembled, her eyes instantly filling with mist, and her breathing quickened. “Stop…!”
Ye Qingyu looked up and saw that Boss Pei’s cheeks were flushed again. She couldn’t help but feel nervous. “Boss Pei?”
The woman seemed to have suddenly gotten into a mood. As her peach blossom eyes fluttered, the glistening annoyance in them was bewitching.
She announced, “Ye Qingyu, I’m confiscating this doll.”
“…Ah?”
Ye Qingyu’s gaze froze, and she tightened her grip on her beloved toy, a little reluctant.
She had thought she was just lending it to her beautiful boss to hug for a bit, but she hadn’t expected it to be taken away completely.
Pei the Red Panda felt the warm softness of the young woman’s embrace and, meeting that pitiful, pleading gaze, her heart softened. She licked the tip of her teeth.
No, I can’t be soft. I, Pei the Red Panda, am not a red panda to be kneaded at will…
“Then, can I exchange it for a gift?” the young woman suddenly said softly.
A gift?
Pei the Red Panda’s ears slowly perked up, and she asked with feigned indifference, “What gift?”
Ye Qingyu took an exquisite little gift box from her pocket and opened it for Pei Rong to see.
Inside, translucent and full reddish-brown jade beads were strung together, with an exquisite, small red panda clay charm in the middle that looked exactly like Pei the Red Panda.
Pei the Red Panda stared without blinking, the sparkle of the jade beads reflecting in her peach blossom eyes, shining brilliantly.
Besides fruit, she loved jade the most…
“I made this for you last Sunday.”
After hearing this, Pei the Red Panda’s eyes shimmered even more.
The human made it for her with her own hands.
She picked up the bracelet and put it on her wrist. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it.
She looked up and met the young woman’s expectant gaze.
“…”
She was conflicted for a while, but in the end, she couldn’t resist the beautiful jade beads. “Fine, then. I’ll grant you permission to pet it for a few more days.”
After speaking, her gaze swept over the young woman’s beautiful, nimble hands. Her legs felt inexplicably weak, and with a small beast’s instinctual alertness, she added a condition:
“You have to be gentle when you pet it.”
The human nodded obediently. “Okay, I’ll treasure it.”
Pei the Red Panda thought for a moment, then added, “You pet where I tell you to pet.”
Ye Qingyu was a little confused and, a bit slow on the uptake, let out an “Ah?”
“Ye Qingyu, are you not going to listen to me?”
The young miss’s peach blossom eyes were misty, her cheeks still tinged with a faint red, and her words held a familiar spoiled tone.
Ye Qingyu: “…”
Before she could even react, she had already answered, “I will.”
…
She had thought the words “You pet where I tell you to pet” were just said casually.
Who knew that during the lunch break, as Ye Qingyu was sleeping soundly, hugging the plush toy, she was suddenly woken up by her phone ringing.
She answered groggily. Boss Pei’s voice came from the other end, sounding a little weak. “Ye Qingyu, rub the doll’s belly.”
“…Mmm.”
Ye Qingyu was not yet fully awake, her eyes half-closed in a daze, but her hand was already gently rubbing the plush toy’s belly.
Over on the other side, Pei the Red Panda was lying limply in a rocking chair, her furry paws relaxed and spread out like an orchid.
She had eaten too many apples at lunch, and her stomach had been a little uncomfortable, preventing her from sleeping.
As she tossed and turned, a thought had suddenly struck her, and she had realized the purpose of the plush toy.
Now, being gently rubbed on the belly, she couldn’t help but stretch contentedly. Being served remotely by the human like this was simply wonderful.
For a fragile little red panda nearing her mating season, it was both safe and effective.
But the human’s hand was not well-behaved. After rubbing for just a couple of times, it suddenly rubbed her large tail.
Pei the Red Panda trembled all over. She unconsciously opened her mouth to reveal the tips of her canines and commanded softly, “Ye Qingyu, only the belly—”
“Oh, oh…”
The young woman seemed to be half-asleep, her voice a little slurred.
Those slender, warm fingers moved up again, tracing circles, now here, now gone, on the heart-shaped patch of white fur.
This was the lower abdomen, a spot where Pei the Red Panda was still a bit sensitive. Her body trembled lightly.
She let out a soft pant, nuzzling the rocking chair, a little unable to bear it. “A little higher, and a little harder.”
This time, she had finally found the right spot. The hand was rubbing squarely on her fluffy, round belly.
Pei the Red Panda swayed in the rocking chair, basking in the sun, feeling completely comfortable from the rubbing. She instinctively stuck out a small sliver of her pink tongue and fell into a blissful nap.
…
When Ye Qingyu woke up, she found that she had a one-hour call record with Boss Pei from her sleep.
She was startled and accidentally hung up the phone.
Then she stared blankly at the ceiling for a long while, thinking—
I didn’t say anything strange, did I?
When Boss Pei came to work in the afternoon, she once again crooked a finger and called her to the office.
“Ye Qingyu, you did very well.”
Pei the Red Panda sat lazily in her office chair and said to the human, “I’m giving you another 10,000 yuan raise.”
Ye Qingyu’s eyes widened.
After a moment’s thought, she said righteously, “Boss Pei, during the call that was accidentally connected during my lunch break, I might have said some things in my sleep. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Faced with such a sudden, large raise, she was genuinely worried that she had been sleep-talking on the phone, crying to Boss Pei about her low salary.
One should not be, and ought not to be, too greedy.
Pei the Red Panda blinked her peach blossom eyes. “You didn’t say anything. I just wanted to give you a raise.”
Her red lips curled slightly, revealing a stunning smile—the satiated look of a little beast that had been petted until comfortable. “I’ve said it before. You’re my little animal, and I will treat you well.”
“Also, you can just keep the plush toy and pet it,” Pei the Red Panda said magnanimously. “There’s no reason to take back a gift that’s been given.”
Ye Qingyu felt that life was getting more and more promising. She would always wake up to face a deluge of wealth.
A 50k-a-month slacking-off job, what else could she do?
Of course, she would choose to unswervingly be her beautiful boss’s model employee.
Therefore, when Boss Pei proposed a new requirement—to be ready to answer the phone at all times—Ye Qingyu also agreed without hesitation.
***
That night, after washing up and getting into bed, Ye Qingyu was petting the doll’s fluffy head, about to go to sleep, when she suddenly received a message from the vice president of her former company.
【Little Ye, how about coming back to work? Li Ling has already resigned, and the company hopes you will take her position. We’ll double your salary.】
Ye Qingyu’s brow furrowed slightly. The memory of being so tired she felt nauseous washed over her, and she was unmoved by this high-paying job.
She immediately typed a reply, politely declining the vice president.
The vice president was relentless and quickly replied with more tempting offers.
This back and forth went on for a long time.
Bzz— Bzz—
Suddenly, the interface jumped. It was an incoming call from a contact named “Pei the Red Panda.”
In the middle of a conversation with her former vice president, suddenly receiving a call from her current boss, Ye Qingyu’s heart tightened, and a certain guilt arose for no reason.
She tapped the screen and quickly answered.
The woman’s tone was a little aggrieved, and a little sullen. “Ye Qingyu, what are you doing?”
Pei the Red Panda was not happy.
She had recently taken a liking to sleeping in a bed, so after her bath tonight, she had slipped into the covers, fragrant and warm.
She rolled over in a relaxed manner, then a thought struck her, and she paused.
Ye Qingyu must be hugging the plush toy to sleep tonight, unable to put it down. She must be petting its ears and rubbing its tail from time to time. Tsk, so clingy to Pei the Red Panda.
At this thought, Pei the Red Panda proudly nuzzled the pillow, but her ears slowly perked up, silently waiting for that sensation.
Just as she was getting drowsy from waiting, she suddenly felt a hand gently petting her fluffy head.
Pei the Red Panda’s eyes lit up. She moved restlessly under the covers, preparing to await the human’s service.
If Ye Qingyu wants to pet my ears or tail, she must be gentle. She is not allowed to use that strange technique that makes me, a little panda, tremble all over…
As she was thinking, she felt the hands suddenly leave her body.
Pei the Red Panda moved her head, waiting for a long time, but the sensation did not return.
She drooped her furry ears, a little unhappy.
Has Ye Qingyu gotten bold? Daring not to hug her, Pei the Red Panda, to sleep at night?
Pei the Red Panda never let herself be wronged. She immediately made a call.
“Ye Qingyu, what are you doing?”
Ye Qingyu held her breath.
Her phone kept vibrating. The former vice president was still sending relentless WeChat messages, trying to persuade her to come back.
She cleared her throat and answered the woman in a gentle voice, “I was about to go to sleep.”
So she wasn’t sleeping yet.
Pei the Red Panda grudgingly forgave the human for not actively hugging her and urged, “Then hurry up and go to sleep.”
“Okay.” Ye Qingyu rolled over and casually pulled the plush toy into her arms to rub it. “Boss Pei, did you need something?”
Being gently held and petted, Pei the Red Panda closed her eyes contentedly and said limply, “Nothing. Just treat the doll well. Be gentle when you pet it.”
She vaguely thought—if the human’s real hands were to pet me like this, would it be even more comfortable?
When she was drunk and petting my ears, it was very… very good…
The moment this thought surfaced, a faint heat began to stir in the depths of her body.
The call was hung up.
Ye Qingyu looked at the doll in her arms, a little confused.
Why is Boss Pei so concerned about this doll today? First, she suddenly wanted to confiscate it, then she repeatedly emphasized how to pet it.
For some reason, she was suddenly reminded of Shui Zhu’s great work, that story about “telepathy.”
It can’t be that when I pet the little panda, “Pei the Red Panda” can feel it, right?
She chuckled at this clearly impossible idea.
She casually rubbed the doll’s ears, then stopped paying attention to her relentless former vice president, turned off the lights, and went to sleep.
***
For the next few days, Ye Qingyu felt as if she had become a walking red panda doll massager, the kind with remote control.
Her beautiful boss had requested that she bring the plush toy to work every day, and so—
While slacking off, she would suddenly receive a WeChat message from Boss Pei: 【Ye Qingyu, I need a belly rub.】
And she would rub the plush toy’s belly.
Before the lunch break, she would receive another message from Boss Pei: 【Ye Qingyu, I need my ears kneaded.】
And she would knead its ears.
She suspected this was some kind of niche game.
One night, while she was sleeping, Boss Pei called her in the middle of the night, her voice wet and very pitiful. “Ye Qingyu, it’s thundering.”
Ye Qingyu woke up in a daze and vaguely saw lightning flashing outside her window.
She struggled to pull some clarity from her sleepiness and said worriedly, “Boss Pei, are you okay?”
“I need a head pat,” her beautiful boss said sullenly on the other end of the line.
Ye Qingyu hadn’t had time to think before she was already skillfully hugging the doll tighter.
She raised a hand and gently petted its fluffy head, as if by doing so, she could be petting Boss Pei’s head.
“Ears too.”
A soft hum came from the other end, as if in comfort, followed by the sound of rustling fabric, likely her rolling over in bed.
“Okay…” Ye Qingyu was half-asleep, randomly petting the plush toy in her arms all over.
Just as she was about to fall into a dream, she suddenly heard a chaotic breathing from the other end of the line, as if a small beast had completely bristled.
“Ye Qingyu, no petting against the fur!”
“I’m sorry, Capable Treasure(Neng Bao)…” Ye Qingyu’s eyes were tightly closed, her thick lashes casting a peaceful shadow. In her sleep, she skillfully smoothed the plush toy’s fur, her touch extremely gentle. “You’re the best.”
On the other end of the line, Pei the Red Panda froze.
Capable Treasure…?
For a moment, her heart was dazed, as if she had been called that countless times before.
But if she tried to pursue the thought, she couldn’t remember anything at all.
T/N:
According to what I’ve found, neng bao means what I’ll mention next, but I’m not sure if the author is using it as a name? A nickname? Or just a memory?, so I’ll leave as “Little Treasure”.
The term “能宝” (Néng Bǎo):
能 (Néng): Meaning “capable,” “skilled,” or “able”
宝 (Bǎo): A term of endearment meaning “treasure,” “darling,” or “baby.”
So the possible translations :
“Capable Treasure” (I’ll use this)
“Mighty Baby”
“Smartie” or “Whiz-kid” , etc lol
***
The author is using some words as puns that are hard to explain without knowing Chinese lol, and I’m trying to adapt them into English as best as I can.
