DTBS – Chapter 13
Chapter 13: Getting the License
"Let go of me!" Qin Qingshang struggled violently.
"Miss Qin," Tao Qiuyun restrained the woman in her arms with her left hand, pinning her hands tightly behind her back, while her right hand held Qin Qingshang's waist to prevent her from moving. "I hope you'll calm down. What 'rubber'? Is there a problem with me asking for gloves? I ordered lobster."
"One last time, let go!" Qin Qingshang was furious and continued, "Gloves? You have the nerve to say gloves? If it were really gloves, would someone send you a whole basket of that kind of 'rubber'?"
Could she be thinking that if I don't agree to marry, she'll force the issue and make it happen?
"Feudal! Perverted! Filthy! And you even asked for so many!"
Her eyes like brilliant stars, her body pressed close, everything felt like a scene from years ago, and Tao Qiuyun was momentarily lost in thought.
"Hiss—"
A pain in her neck made her instinctively release her grip. The woman in her arms seized the opportunity to break free, her words sharp: "I told you, CEO Tao, let go."
Her fingers traced the broken skin, a slight sting accompanying it. Tao Qiuyun stared at the woman before her in disbelief. "You actually bit me."
"CEO Tao forced me. My hands were pinned, but my mouth wasn't," Qin Qingshang stepped back a few paces. "Besides, that was self-defense."
"I didn't intend to do anything to you. I only asked for gloves to make it easier to handle the lobster," Tao Qiuyun's gaze was sincere. "Grandpa set a time for me. If we can't get certified tomorrow..."
"Isn't CEO Tao a bit too confident?" Qin Qingshang sneered. "Why do you take things for granted like this, CEO Tao? Just because you need it, you want it, I have to obey, I have to compromise? Let me ask you, do you treat me like a basic human being?"
"Of course I..."
"You don't! If you did, you would understand when I say I don't want to get married and don't want to be involved with you. Are all CEOs the same? Arrogant, self-righteous, dictatorial, using their power and influence to arbitrarily arrange and manipulate others' lives. You treat me like property; you don't treat me like a basic human being at all. You didn't ask for my opinion, you didn't respect my thoughts! People like you always think they can get something for nothing, you have no empathy, you don't deserve to be human!"
Tao Qiuyun froze, speechless for a moment. After a long pause, she lowered her head, looking visibly struck. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I will reflect, I will change."
Seeing the woman before her look somewhat pitiful, Qin Qingshang felt a little embarrassed. After all, she had just been venting her dissatisfaction with Jiang Lihe. Compared to Jiang Lihe, Tao Qiuyun was much better; at least she had been trying to reason with her.
Of course, that's assuming she really didn't ask for that kind of 'rubber'. It's just... looking at her expression, it seems I really did misunderstand.
"Ahem."
That being said, Qin Qingshang still coughed twice, pretending. "Since CEO Tao understands, I'll be leaving now."
"Miss Qin, wait." Tao Qiuyun stepped diagonally, blocking Qin Qingshang's path. Before the woman could get angry, she continued, "I can sign an agreement with Miss Qin and get it notarized."
"I said I don't want to get married," Qin Qingshang frowned. "I have my own life plans."
"One year. Marry me for one year, then divorce," Tao Qiuyun stared at her. "Just one year, it won't affect your career."
"Whether it's a contract marriage or not, as soon as we get certified and have a legal relationship, my boundaries won't be up to me anymore. I'm very likely to be forced to back down again and again for various reasons."
"For example, you might say we can't divorce because of family reasons, or because the child is too young, using that kind of moral blackmail to trap me. When I have nowhere left to retreat," Qin Qingshang was very clear-headed, her gaze sharp, "that's when you'll succeed. By then, even if I want a divorce, I might not be able to get one!"
"I will write it clearly in the contract. If I breach the contract," Tao Qiuyun's gaze was sincere, "I will pay."
"You think having money means you can..."
"One hundred million." Tao Qiuyun took out her phone, switched to video recording mode. "If I don't give you your freedom after one year, for every extra day, I'll give you one hundred million."
Qin Qingshang's breath hitched. Not holding her breath for a second or two would be an insult to the unit "hundred million."
Tao Qiuyun's gentle yet firm voice continued, "If you're worried that it will be difficult to sue with just an agreement, I'll hire lawyers for you and support them from now on. I can also record videos, keep audio recordings, or even write statements."
"During this year, anything I have is yours to use, whether it's money, resources, or connections. After the divorce, I'll give you another five hundred million, enough for you to set up your own personal studio. And whenever you need help in the future, I'll be there, I will absolutely not abandon you after getting what I want or be ungrateful." Tao Qiuyun pursed her lips, her expression solemn. "Miss Qin, I am a businesswoman. I have directly stated my bottom line and shown sufficient sincerity. I hope you can consider it."
"Then I," Qin Qingshang's voice was slightly unsteady, "will consider it."
Actually, it's not that she's fickle, it's just...
Look, Tao Qiuyun is very good-looking, lots of money; has a pleasant voice, lots of money; has a good figure, lots of money; is young and promising, lots of money; speaks politely, lots of money; and most importantly, after the divorce, she even handles post-divorce issues, lots of money; can perfectly handle the trouble with Jiang Lihe, lots of money...
Alright, she's already being quite disrespectful to the money CEO Tao is offering by considering for so long.
"Miss Qin?" Tao Qiuyun looked at her.
"Some clauses need to be added to the agreement," Qin Qingshang held up a finger. "First, respect me, my wishes come first."
"Okay."
"Second, I require a hidden marriage. You cannot say outside that I am your wife. I don't want people saying I succeeded by relying on a powerful figure."
"Okay."
"Third, you cannot touch me..."
"But," Tao Qiuyun interrupted her, "what if we have to have contact? It's impossible not to touch at all."
Qin Qingshang glared at her. "Then you must tell me in advance before you touch me. If you don't explain beforehand, you'll have to write me an 800-word explanation afterward, clearly stating why you had to touch me. If there's no proper reason or your explanation isn't satisfactory, then you've violated the agreement, and I have the right to terminate the contract and divorce early!"
"What is your definition of 'touch'?"
"Holding hands, putting an arm around my waist, basically, as long as any part of your body touches me, it counts."
"Okay."
"Also, after we're married, you can't use force against me like you did today. If I say no, it's no. If I say let go, you have to let go. In short, you're the one asking me to marry you, so whatever I say goes. This is all included in the first point I just made."
"Okay."
"Oh, right, if we accidentally have sex during the marriage, we divorce immediately! Write this clause in too."
Even if the 'rubber' thing was a misunderstanding, it's better to be safe.
"Okay." Tao Qiuyun nodded again.
"I haven't thought of anything else for now. I'll add them when I do."
"That won't do, Miss Qin," Tao Qiuyun's brows relaxed. "A contract is a contract, an agreement is an agreement. Once it's set, how can you modify it arbitrarily?"
"Fine, don't change it. Anyway, remember, you can't touch me, and you can't morally blackmail me into staying married to you. We agreed, we divorce after one year. If you breach the contract, it's one hundred million a day."
"What about Miss Qin?" Tao Qiuyun glanced at her phone screen, put it away, and stepped forward. "What if Miss Qin wants to continue the marriage after one year?"
"Impossible." Qin Qingshang chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents. "But honestly, if I were really willing to continue the marriage, wouldn't you be very happy? Don't worry, CEO Tao, if I were the one asking to renew, you wouldn't have to pay me that hundred million. But I won't let you get your way."
Seeing her expression, Tao Qiuyun knew the deal was struck. She nodded and said, "Then I'll have my assistant draft the agreement. Let's eat first. After eating, we'll go home to get the household registration book, then go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register and get certified."
"What?" Qin Qingshang was surprised. "Get certified today?"
"Yes," Tao Qiuyun nodded. "My secretary just messaged me. The Civil Affairs Bureau will be very crowded tomorrow. If we want to get certified within two days, today afternoon is the only time available."
The two had a simple lunch. As Qin Qingshang was about to leave the private room, Tao Qiuyun called out to her, "Wait, Miss Qin, come here for a moment."
Seeing her go into the inner room, Qin Qingshang, though puzzled, followed her in.
Tao Qiuyun had a toothbrush in her mouth. She handed a new cup and toothbrush to the slightly surprised woman, saying indistinctly, "Rinse your mouth. Also, Miss Qin, do you want to change clothes?"
"Why change clothes?" Qin Qingshang took the cup and started rinsing her mouth. "My clothes aren't dirty."
Very good, Tao Qiuyun's habit of rinsing her mouth after meals is very good, she likes it a lot.
"For wedding photos, shouldn't we wear white shirts?" Tao Qiuyun finished cleaning her mouth and wiped the water droplets from her hands with a tissue. She turned to look at Qin Qingshang's black T-shirt, hesitating for a moment. "Miss Qin's outfit today is a bit plain."
"It's not like I'm meeting someone special, why dress up specifically?" Qin Qingshang tilted her head to look at Tao Qiuyun, sizing her up. "CEO Tao, you're dressed up like a fancy peacock. Is it because you're meeting me?"
"Miss Qin," Tao Qiuyun adjusted her collar. "Dressing up isn't always for others, it's more for pleasing yourself. I hope Miss Qin won't be so confident in the future. Although you're very beautiful, it would be better to be a little more humble."
Qin Qingshang sneered, put down the cup, and wiped her mouth. "I suddenly feel like I can't get along with someone as sharp-tongued as CEO Tao. Let's just not get married."
"Miss Qin is joking," Tao Qiuyun turned around. "I have a private dressing room here with many shirts inside. If Miss Qin needs one, you can take it anytime."
Qin Qingshang thought about it carefully. It seemed she really didn't have any proper white shirts at home, mostly shirts with lace and patterns. She simply followed her in. "Alright, let me see CEO Tao's high-class goods."
"Most of the shirts are custom-made, but these few aren't. You can choose the brand you like." Tao Qiuyun opened the closet. "I usually have business meals outside, so I mostly wear formal clothes like shirts. There are jackets too; you can choose a suitable match."
Qin Qingshang touched the shirt cuff, thinking of the flower basket the manager just sent and what Director Ji said about Ming Siwen. She felt a bit awkward. "These clothes are new, right?"
"Yes, they are replaced every quarter." Tao Qiuyun took out a piece of clothing. "Miss Qin, what color is your underwear?"
Qin Qingshang's face darkened. She turned to look at her. "What does that have to do with CEO Tao?"
Tao Qiuyun held up the inner layer. "Most of the shirts here are thick. Light-colored underwear is naturally fine. I was just worried if Miss Qin's underwear was dark, so I wanted to ask if you needed..."
"Pure white. Thank you for your concern, CEO Tao." Qin Qingshang expressionlessly took down a shirt, walked into the changing room, and locked the door with a click, as if guarding against a pervert.
Tao Qiuyun lowered her gaze, staring at the inner layer in her hand...
She used to wear leopard print; now she's changed her style.
Of course, she wasn't a pervert peeking at young girls. It was just that the girl had rubbed against her back back then, and she saw it by accident.
When Qin Qingshang came out after changing, Tao Qiuyun had also changed into a white shirt. She held up a box and said, "Miss Qin, you're an actress, you should know that the camera washes out makeup. So, do you want to change your lipstick shade and touch up your makeup? Your shade today is too light; it might make you look pale in photos."
"This is?" Qin Qingshang stared at the rows of lipsticks in the box, a little unsure. "Guerlain? But I don't think I've seen this kind at the counter."
"Yes, after all, its packaging is quite recognizable," Tao Qiuyun took one out. "This is a direct collaboration with the designer. The lipstick colors are exclusively customized based on my skin tone and lip shape, and it's very moisturizing. Miss Qin is so beautiful, you should be able to pull it off. I feel this color suits you quite well."
Qin Qingshang was already eager to try. Seeing Tao Qiuyun hand her the lipstick, she was a little surprised. After taking it, she sweetly said, "Love you~ Baby," and trotted to the mirror to try the color.
Staring at the woman with vibrant lip color in the mirror, Qin Qingshang finally realized what she had just said.
Oh no, CEO Tao won't misunderstand that I said that to her, right? But if she knew I said it to the lipstick... Uh, maybe it's better to let her misunderstand.
After all, this is custom lipstick! One of a kind!
No harm in trying. Maybe one swipe is worth a hundred-yuan bill. Is this the smell of money?
Tao Qiuyun put down the lipstick box in her hand, awkwardly smoothed the hair by her ear, and turned to get her jacket.
Her slender fingers lightly stroked the neck where she had applied concealer. The woman's eyes trembled slightly.
Even a cat that likes to swat and bite, as long as she sweetly "meows" at you, your heart will instantly soften.
Qin Qingshang...
She's quite cute.
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