DTBS – Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Princess Carry

"Alright, stop standing by the door," Tao Qiuyun looked at the little girl clinging tightly to Qin Qingshang's leg, bent down, and poked her little head. "Since you've washed your hands, why aren't you going into the dining room to get ready for dinner?"

"Mama!" Tao Aiqin ignored Tao Qiuyun's action. It seemed that now that she had her real Mama, she didn't need this substitute anymore. The little cub tightly tugged at Qin Qingshang's sleeve. "I'll take you to see the guardian."

"What guardian?" Tao Qiuyun saw Qin Qingshang being pulled away, stood up, and looked at Grandpa Zhang.

"Little Miss's Lego set from this afternoon," Zhang Cheng smiled and continued, "Little Miss is very smart, just like Eldest Miss."

Tao Qiuyun couldn't help but smile. She quite liked playing with models. "Then I'll go take a look too."

As soon as she walked into the living room, she saw a certain little cat looking smug, introducing her spaceship to Qin Qingshang:

"Here and here can fire cannons. If bad guys bully Mama in the future, I'll use my fire poof poof to roast them. With this, I can protect Mama from being bullied."

The little girl's lively appearance was incredibly cute. Qin Qingshang was amused by her, rubbed her dark short hair, and coaxed her with a smile, "Okay, Qinqin will protect Mama from now on."

Tao Qiuyun: "..." You really don't need to remember me at times like this.

Because there were many people at the Tao family's old house today, the chefs specially prepared a very lavish dinner.

"Bad Mama," Tao Aiqin's eyes sparkled. She stared at the peeled shrimp Tao Qiuyun had just prepared, her voice sweet and adorable, "Qinqin wants to eat shrimpies."

System: Ugh, reduplication is gross.

Tao Aiqin: Shut up. Did you find the medicine I asked you to find?

The System didn't reply again.

Tao Qiuyun, who was about to put the shrimp into her own mouth, paused and looked at the little cub sitting between her and Qin Qingshang.

The little one looked well-behaved and cute, but her eyes were sparkling with cunning, and the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up, like a little greedy cat certain she would get her way.

Tao Qiuyun chuckled softly, put the shrimp into her mouth, and after eating it, while the little cat's eyes widened, she said to her, "There's plenty more on the plate, help yourself."

"Wuwu!" Tao Aiqin sniffled, leaned her little head against Qin Qingshang's arm on the other side, and whined, "Mama, she's bullying me. She's still a bad guy. Can you not forgive her so quickly, okay~"

Qin Qingshang was dealing with the yellow catfish in her bowl. Hearing this, she picked up a piece of fish for the little one. "Good girl~ Mama will give you fish to eat, don't eat her shrimp."

Speaking of shrimp, it made her angry. The incident with the gloves today was embarrassing just thinking about it!

Old Master Tao across the table saw this and angrily poked Tao Qiuyun's leg under the table with his cane, giving her a look.

Tao Qiuyun pursed her lips, picked up a tiger prawn, turned to her daughter, and said, "I'll teach you how to peel shrimp."

Tao Aiqin ate the fish in her bowl, her eyes happily narrowed. "Mama, it's so yummy~"

After saying that, the little one turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Tao Qiuyun, making a face. "Hmph~ The Qinqin you ignored before, the Qinqin now you can't afford!"

Seeing Tao Qiuyun's surprised look, Qin Qingshang couldn't help but laugh out loud. She quickly pursed her lips to control her expression, lowered her head, and picked up another piece of fish for Tao Aiqin. "Qinqin is so good, don't eat her stuff."

Good daughter, you're really doing the parallel world me proud!

Old Master Tao and Grandpa Zhang also couldn't help but laugh, covering it up with a couple of coughs.

"Where did you learn such strange things?" Tao Qiuyun peeled the shrimp helplessly, then put the shrimp meat into the little one's bowl, admitting her mistake. "Little cat eats shrimp too, besides fish, okay?"

Hearing this, Qin Qingshang turned her head to look at her. It seemed even the most high and mighty CEO would lower herself to coax a child.

"Then you have to peel the shrimp for the little cat," Tao Aiqin lifted her little head. "Cats can't eat shrimp shells."

"Okay," Tao Qiuyun agreed, continuing to peel the shrimp, a smile on her lips that she didn't even notice. "I'll make it clean for you."

"Mama eat too," Tao Aiqin used a small spoon to pick up the shrimp from her bowl and put it in Qin Qingshang's bowl. "It's super delicious."

"Okay." Qin Qingshang smiled and nodded.

"Is it delicious?" The little one tilted her head to look at her after she finished the shrimp.

"Delicious." The woman's red lips curved up. Seeing Tao Aiqin's adorable appearance, she couldn't help but reach out and touch her head.

So well-behaved! As expected of the parallel world me's daughter!

Such a beautiful and cute little angel, who else but me could give birth to her!

"Bad Mama," Tao Aiqin looked at Tao Qiuyun, who was peeling shrimp, blinking. "Mama loves eating shrimpies too~"

Tao Qiuyun: "...Oh."

"Oh what oh! All you know is oh," Old Master Tao was dissatisfied with her attitude. "What's wrong with peeling shrimp for your wife and daughter? Auntie Liu, have the kitchen make another plate of shrimp. Qingshang and Qinqin love to eat it."

"Grandpa," Tao Qiuyun frowned slightly. "Even if they love it, they shouldn't eat too much."

"Don't you love eating shrimp too? If they, mother and daughter, can't finish it, the rest is for you." Old Master Tao's love for his granddaughter would never disappear.

Grandpa Zhang agreed wholeheartedly, but this affection had already shifted to Tao Aiqin and Qin Qingshang.

Tao Qiuyun: "..."

Tao Aiqin had said before that her tone when telling her to get in the car was like shooing little ducks. At this moment, Tao Qiuyun felt that Old Master Tao's tone was like feeding a dog (X)... In short, her family status was dropping too fast!

"Bad Mama eat too," the girl scooped up a piece of shrimp with her spoon, held up her little hand, and said softly, "You worked hard~"

Tao Qiuyun was instantly a little touched, but...

Was this little girl PUAing me?

Meanwhile, Tao Aiqin, while appearing to be a thoughtful baby on the surface, was thinking secretly:

"Sys! Where's your medicine? Did you find it? Hurry and put it in this piece of shrimp!"

System: "Young person, don't always think about taking shortcuts. We are a legitimate System and don't provide such things."

"Shouldn't the System store have everything?"

"Well, I didn't find it. I even specifically asked the main system, and the main system's reply was the same as what I just told you."

"What does that mean?"

"Giving this kind of medicine is illegal! If you give medicine, you are breaking the law, do you understand?!"

"...External help is indeed unreliable. People still have to rely on themselves." Tao Aiqin's eyes darted around. "It seems Plan A won't work, we can only implement Plan B."

Seeing Tao Qiuyun take the shrimp from her spoon, Tao Aiqin turned to look at Qin Qingshang and said in a soft, milky voice, "Mama, let's sleep together tonight. Can you tell me the story of the little cat fishing?"

Tao Qiuyun's shrimp-peeling paused. She looked at Old Master Tao. "Someone needs to prepare a guest room."

"Prepare what guest room," Old Master Tao glared at her. "Qinqin used to sleep with Auntie Liu. Now that Qingshang is here, you three can just sleep together. Anyway, your bed is so big."

Hearing this, Tao Qiuyun and Qin Qingshang exchanged glances, their expressions not looking good.

"Grandpa," Qin Qingshang pursed her red lips slightly. "How about I go home tonight..."

"It's okay, just sleep here. This is your home too." Old Master Tao interrupted her hesitant words, raised his cane, and poked Tao Qiuyun's shoulder. "Did you hear that? You are not allowed to bully Qingshang and Qinqin."

"Qinqin hasn't seen her Mama for a long time," Tao Qiuyun said in a negotiating tone. "Maybe they, mother and daughter, want to be alone?"

"Bad Mama, don't worry," Tao Aiqin's little face was full of seriousness. "The TV says a family of three needs to get along harmoniously to be happy. Mama and I are willing to sleep with you."

After saying that, she didn't look at the adults' expressions and nodded to herself. "Then tonight, Bad Mama, you can tell Mama and me the story of the little cat fishing!"

"But..." Tao Qiuyun still wanted to struggle.

"You don't want to?" The little girl's eyes instantly widened. She turned and threw herself into Qin Qingshang's arms, wailing, "Mama, Bad Mama doesn't want us to be happy. She's so bad, she hasn't changed at all! And she won't tell us a story."

Qin Qingshang no longer thought the little cotton jacket was thoughtful and cute. She didn't want to sleep in the same room as CEO Tao either.

With the little cub's words and Old Master Tao's sharp gaze, Tao Qiuyun and Qin Qingshang could only bite the bullet and agree to the family of three sleeping in one room tonight.

After dinner, Qin Qingshang was pulled by Tao Aiqin to the game room, saying she wanted to play with her, while Tao Qiuyun helped Old Master Tao take a walk in the garden, preparing to subtly discuss finding an opportunity to change the situation tonight.

But unfortunately, the old man was impervious to persuasion. He insisted they share a room and sternly scolded Tao Qiuyun:

"You just want a world for just you and Qingshang, right? I know you two just got your marriage certificate and are rekindling old feelings, plus you're young and energetic, so it's like dry wood and fire, ready to ignite at a touch. But look how cute Qinqin is, how can you bear to let her sleep alone!"

Tao Qiuyun felt speechless. To prevent the old man's "speeding car" from going faster and faster, she simply stopped talking and just quietly accompanied him to admire the swans playing in the lake.

"Madam and Little Miss are amazing," Auntie Liu saw the mother and daughter come down from the dancing machine and immediately brought towels and warm water. Staring at their beautiful faces, she exclaimed, "You can keep up with such a fast rhythm and dance so beautifully."

"Madam?" Qin Qingshang was awkward with this title and felt very uncomfortable. "Auntie Liu, maybe you could use a different title? Besides, if you call me that, what will you call Qiuqiu's mother in the future?"

"We've always called her Mrs. Xia," Auntie Liu blinked and had someone bring fruit. "Mr. Xia, oh, Mr. Xia is Eldest Miss's father. He married into the Xia family, so we've always called him Mr. Xia. In the Tao family, the Old Master is the Old Master, the Old Madam is the Old Madam, and Eldest Miss's wife, we naturally call you Madam. After all, Eldest Miss is the future head of the Tao family."

"Doesn't CEO Tao have a younger brother?" Qin Qingshang was so shocked that she blurted out her original title, but luckily Auntie Liu didn't mind.

"Oh, right," Auntie Liu suddenly realized. "Yes, yes, yes, there's also a young master in the Tao family, I forgot. It's okay, how to address the young master's wife or husband is a problem to consider later."

Tao Aiqin looked up, her little face full of confusion. "What is marrying into the family?"

Having asked the most gossipy question, Qin Qingshang silently gave her daughter a thumbs-up, even wondering if there really was such a mysterious feeling as mother-daughter telepathy.

"It means giving up your surname and becoming a child of someone else's family." Auntie Liu squatted down to explain to the little girl.

"Why marry into the family? Would the Tao family allow it?" Qin Qingshang couldn't resist her itching gossip heart and asked.

She really wanted to hear this piece of gossip.

Auntie Liu handed her a piece of watermelon. "Because Mrs. Xia loves reading novels, especially all kinds of domineering CEO novels."

Qin Qingshang took a bite of watermelon. "This has something to do with novels?"

"I want to eat too, I want to eat too!" Tao Aiqin bounced around. Qin Qingshang reached out and gave her a piece of melon.

"It does," Auntie Liu nodded and continued, "When Mrs. Xia and Mr. Xia were passionately in love, Mrs. Xia particularly liked novels about the 'Son-in-Law Dragon King' trope during that time. And Mr. Xia is an absolute love-struck fool, so he married into the family... Later, as soon as their child was born, Old Master Tao intervened forcefully and took Eldest Miss away because he really didn't trust those two to raise a child. He said he would raise her himself."

Qin Qingshang and Tao Aiqin were greatly shocked.

"What's wrong? What are you listening to so intently?" Tao Qiuyun walked over and handed a tissue to Qin Qingshang. "The watermelon is dripping."

"Thank you." Qin Qingshang took the tissue, her heart churning. She couldn't help but look at Tao Qiuyun a few more times.

CEO Tao's parents seem to be having a very new and outrageous kind of romance.

Tao Qiuyun had just walked into the game room and saw Qin Qingshang spacing out. Now this person was staring at her non-stop, and that uncomfortable feeling from before reappeared. The woman lightly coughed. "It's getting late. Children shouldn't stay up late. Wash up and rest early."

"Want a hug!" Tao Aiqin finished the watermelon in her hand, took the towel Auntie Liu handed her to wipe her hands, then trotted to Tao Qiuyun, extending her little paws. "Want to be carried up the stairs."

"You're this big already, and you still want a hug?" Tao Qiuyun bent down and poked her forehead with her index finger.

"Mhm mhm, because Qinqin is a little cat." The pretty little girl said in a sweet, spoiled voice, "So I need to be carried to sleep."

Tao Qiuyun laughed, picking her up. "Okay, I'll carry you to sleep."

"Qinqin is a little cat," the little cub's chubby face pressed against Tao Qiuyun's cheek. "Mama is a big cat, and needs a hug too~"

Tao Qiuyun froze. Qin Qingshang's action of wiping her hands with the towel also stopped.

System: Good heavens, you finally revealed your full intentions, didn't you!

Auntie Liu's mouth curved up wildly, not sure what she was happy about. She covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my! Our Qinqin is so articulate!"

"Big cat doesn't need a hug." Tao Qiuyun stared at the little one in her arms.

"Want a hug! Want a hug! Big cat needs to be carried to sleep too!" Tao Aiqin started to fuss.

Although the little one's voice was clear and pleasant, once she started fussing, it was truly a bit unbearable. Plus, she was squirming in her arms, frantically poking her face with her little paws. Tao Qiuyun had no choice but to agree. "Okay, okay, hug, hug, I'll carry you up first."

Anyway, once she carried her to the room, the little cub wouldn't be able to see if she carried Qin Qingshang.

But as soon as they got upstairs, the little girl fussed about being put down. She stared at Qin Qingshang below and said, "I want to watch you carry Mama up. I need to see if you have any bad intentions to trick the cat!"

Tao Qiuyun: "..."

You don't feel bad about me carrying you up the stairs at all, do you?

There was nothing she could do. She had to go back downstairs, walk to Qin Qingshang's side, and say softly, "Miss Qin, I'm going to carry you now. The reason is our daughter's request. Does this explanation pass?"

Qin Qingshang was speechless. She looked up at the little one peeking over the railing upstairs, nodded stiffly, then turned back to Tao Qiuyun and whispered, "CEO Tao, you're so thin, can you do it?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tao Qiuyun put one arm around her waist and the other under her knees, easily lifting her in a princess carry amidst Qin Qingshang's gasp of surprise.

The woman's eyebrows lifted. "Miss Qin, do you think I can do it?"

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