DTBS – Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Fingerprint Unlock
"You said he wants to pursue who?" Tao Qiuyun's voice was low, carrying a hint of unconscious anger.
"Pursue my sister-in-law, didn't I tell you before, Sister? Sister-in-law's contract with Sufeng is about to expire, and I want her to sign with Fuyao, so I've been paying special attention to the industry lately. I even poached two people because of it. Heh, Sister, isn't your younger brother amazing?" Tao Zhuohua spoke quickly, jumping from one topic to another, but unusually, Tao Qiuyun didn't rush him.
"There was news before that sister-in-law had a big fight with Sufeng's higher-ups over her manager, and they even talked about a lawsuit or something. Anyway, it was a huge mess. If I hadn't specifically asked the director to send sister-in-law a message about this audition, Sufeng probably would have kept it from her!"
"Sufeng wants to suppress her?" Tao Qiuyun looked down at the view outside the floor-to-ceiling window, her expression unreadable.
"I think so, but the specifics are probably only known within Sufeng. Sister, don't blame your brother for talking too much, but you two are wives, and sister-in-law is a stubborn and independent person. You can tell from how she used to work her way up in the entertainment industry. If she's wronged, she might not be willing to tell you. You need to actively show her you care."
"I understand," Tao Qiuyun sat back in her chair, picking up her pen. "And where did you hear that guy named Jiang wants to hit on her?"
Tao Zhuohua paused for a few seconds. "Sister, this is actually just gossip from a friend. Maybe it's a rumor. If it turns out to be wrong, you have to promise not to get angry."
He was clearly traumatized by the previous rumor incident and insisted on getting a guarantee from his sister.
"I won't get angry, go on."
"I heard that Jiang Lihe asked to meet with sister-in-law under the guise of contract renewal. Sister-in-law refused to see him, so he 'accidentally' ran into her on her way to work. See... this guy clearly doesn't have good intentions. Sister, you're not going to just ignore this, are you?"
"Zhuohua," Tao Qiuyun stopped twirling her pen. "You did very well. Keep it up."
"Okay, thank you for the affirmation, Sister! Your brother will continue to help you gather intelligence!"
"Okay." Tao Qiuyun hung up the phone and leaned back in her chair, her brows slightly furrowed.
Her situation was already like this, yet Qin Qingshang still wasn't willing to contact her. She had clearly promised resources, but Qin Qingshang was still unwilling to use them. What a...
Stubborn fool!
The woman dialed the number saved as "Miss Qin," her fingertips tapping on the desk until the call was answered.
"Hello? CEO Tao?" Qin Qingshang's voice was the same as a month ago, seemingly not having spent too much energy on these troublesome matters.
Tao Qiuyun finally relaxed and adopted a slightly lighter tone: "Miss Qin, congratulations on getting the lead role."
"It was just decided, and CEO Tao already knows?" Qin Qingshang sounded a little surprised.
"This is a drama my younger brother invested in. He told me." Tao Qiuyun unconsciously wrote on a piece of paper, only realizing after a moment that she had written the three characters "Qin Qingshang."
"I see." Qin Qingshang understood. In the novel, she hadn't participated in this audition at all.
In the original plotline, the company would have replaced her with Sister Lan bringing in a new artist at this time. This time, she refused adamantly and had discussed it with Lan Su in advance, preventing Jiang Lihe from succeeding, and thus she wasn't assigned any messy schedules.
The plot really changed completely after she met Tao Qiuyun.
No, why Tao Qiuyun? It was clearly her little angel daughter from a parallel dimension, Tao Aiqin!
Tao Qiuyun didn't know the woman on the other end of the phone was having rapid thoughts. She continued, "Then, Miss Qin, are you free tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'd like to invite Miss Qin to dinner tonight. Would that be possible?"
"Why? To celebrate me getting the lead role?"
"No," Tao Qiuyun lowered her eyes, her voice filled with deep concern. "It's because of Qinqin. She's been crying and wanting to see you, and she can't sleep well at night. She's been calling out for Mama in her dreams these past few days. I was thinking, maybe we should meet regularly?"
At this moment, the cute kid watching TV at home sneezed.
Hearing Tao Qiuyun's voice, coupled with the recent events, Qin Qingshang inexplicably felt a sense of guilt. "I'm sorry, I've been very busy lately and have indeed neglected the child's feelings."
After all, the CEO Tao in the parallel dimension was a scumbag, and the baby could only rely on her mother. It must have been tough. She hadn't seen her for a while, so she must miss her very much, right?
"Then can we have dinner together tonight?" Tao Qiuyun seized the opportunity.
"Okay, but I need to go home first later."
"Then I'll pick you up. I happen to know your home address." The woman's face held a hint of a smile as she tentatively asked, "Miss Qin, could I trouble you to register my license plate number?"
"...Okay." After hesitating for two seconds, Qin Qingshang chose to agree this time.
After being given the license plate number, Tao Qiuyun hung up the phone. She looked down at her phone, feeling a surge of joy.
Qin Qingshang hadn't refused her suggestion of meeting regularly. It seemed that if she mentioned it a few more times during dinner tonight, she might actually agree.
Finally, when it was time to get off work, Tao Qiuyun quickly went into the lounge to change into the clothes she had prepared. She tidied her long hair while walking quickly towards the door, bumping into Zheng Liuyu, who had come to report on work.
"CEO Tao? This is from the East China Project Department..." Secretary Zheng held up the document box in her hand.
"Put it on my desk," Tao Qiuyun stopped, a gentle smile like a spring breeze on her face. "I'll look at it tomorrow morning. Leave work early, Secretary Zheng."
"Ah?" Seeing Tao Qiuyun's noticeably lighter steps compared to usual, Zheng Liuyu rubbed her eyes.
CEO Tao, is she dressed so youthfully and vibrantly today?
Subconsciously, Zheng Liuyu took out her phone, skillfully clicked into the trending searches, and sure enough, found one:
#Qin Qingshang, First Female Lead Drama
If she remembered correctly, this was Miss Qin's first time as a female lead, so... are the little couple going out to celebrate?
Tsk, she didn't expect the cold-faced devil king to one day exude the sour smell of love!
She carried the documents into the CEO's office. For a single dog like her, work was her greatest love!
Driving the car out of the underground parking lot, Tao Qiuyun instinctively turned on the right turn signal to go home, but after thinking of something, she decisively switched to the left turn signal and drove towards Qin Qingshang's residential area.
She politely nodded to the security guard at the entrance. This time, the license plate was scanned smoothly, the barrier lifted, and Tao Qiuyun drove into Yunsha Community.
Parking the car in an empty spot near the building, Tao Qiuyun took out her phone and opened her contacts list.
They say the first step is always the hardest. Perhaps because she had already called once, she wasn't as nervous when dialing Qin Qingshang's number the second time. Hearing the call connect, the woman's voice held a hint of hidden anticipation: "Miss Qin, I'm downstairs."
"Okay, CEO Tao, please wait two minutes, I'll be right down."
When one is filled with anticipation, time seems to slow down. Tao Qiuyun, waiting in the car, felt a bit impatient and simply got out to get some air, unconsciously pacing back and forth in front of the building.
"CEO Tao." Qin Qingshang came downstairs, quickening her steps towards the woman. "I couldn't find my eyelash curler, so it took me a while."
"It's okay," Tao Qiuyun looked calm and composed, responding with a smile, "Miss Qin's eyelashes look great even without styling."
"That's not true, it's all thanks to makeup." Qin Qingshang felt a little embarrassed under her frank gaze. "CEO Tao is dressed... differently than usual today."
"Wearing something more casual and sporty, convenient for playing with Qinqin." As a business magnate, speaking nonsense with a straight face seemed to be a professional skill.
Tao Qiuyun now realized that Tao Aiqin was an excellent excuse.
She opened the passenger door for Qin Qingshang. "Miss Qin, please get in. We'll pick up Qinqin first, then go for dinner."
"Hasn't she finished school yet?" Qin Qingshang sat in the passenger seat.
"I had too many things this afternoon, so I asked a friend to pick up Qinqin. She took Qinqin home. I was afraid you'd be waiting, so I came here first." Tao Qiuyun was about to close the door when she suddenly heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she saw it was Auntie Feng, who was walking her dog.
"Please wait a moment, I need to greet an elder," Tao Qiuyun whispered to Qin Qingshang.
"Do you need me to come out?" Qin Qingshang still remembered their agreement.
"No need, I'll be back quickly. Don't worry, I won't expose you." Tao Qiuyun closed the car door after speaking.
Watching the woman's back, Qin Qingshang rested her head on her hand, feeling a subtle shift in her mood.
Thinking back, she used to avoid Tao Qiuyun like the plague. Now, just after clearing up a misunderstanding, she was actually starting to think for her and even considering helping her cover up...
Tao Qiuyun's face was indeed a source of trouble. Without any negative feelings towards her, it was hard to speak coldly to such a beauty.
"Auntie Feng," Tao Qiuyun greeted the woman with a smile, "Out walking Little Little again?"
"Qiuqiu," Mrs. Feng nodded at her, then leaned forward to look behind her, tentatively asking, "I think I just saw a young lady get into your car. Is she... your girlfriend?"
"No." The woman's expression didn't change, her dark eyes showing no trace of panic.
Hearing this straightforward answer, Mrs. Feng felt relieved. "You're not young anymore, you should be dating. After we met last time, I told my sisters that you're busy and asked them not to keep inviting you out for tea and flowers. How is it? Have they been bothering you lately?"
"No, they haven't," Tao Qiuyun's attitude was gentle, completely free of impatience about being pressured to marry. "After the aunties stopped asking me to chat, I finally don't have to work overtime on Monday nights. It's all thanks to Auntie Feng."
"Your mother just loves to worry unnecessarily," Mrs. Feng chuckled. "I told her long ago, you're a grown woman, you should be spending time with young ladies, not hanging out with us old folks. Oh, right..."
She paused for two seconds, then continued, "I recommended my niece's WeChat to you before, but you don't seem to have added her. Is there... a reason?"
Tao Qiuyun smiled and shook her head. "I must have forgotten."
"You should chat more with young ladies. Look at you, talking to older men and women every day, it'll make your heart grow old too." Mrs. Feng looked concerned.
"My core team are all young women," Tao Qiuyun disagreed with her statement, defending herself.
"Those are subordinates, how can that be the same?" Mrs. Feng shook her head. "Don't blame Auntie Feng for being nosy, but you and my niece are a good match based on your appearances. Listen to Auntie Feng, chat with her more, maybe something will come of it."
Seeing her determined expression, Tao Qiuyun nodded, took out her phone, and said, "Okay, I'll add her."
Only after seeing her send the friend request did Mrs. Feng let her leave with satisfaction.
Standing there and watching Mrs. Feng walk away, Tao Qiuyun turned and walked back to the car.
Once she was in the driver's seat, she turned her head to look at Qin Qingshang, who was playing on her phone in the passenger seat, and hesitated to speak.
"What's wrong?" Qin Qingshang put down her phone, turned to meet her gaze, "CEO Tao, do you have something to say?"
"Yes," Tao Qiuyun nodded, thought for a few seconds, and finally decided to tell the truth. She placed her phone on the holder in front of her. "That auntie just now is a friend of my mother's."
Qin Qingshang nodded, patiently waiting for her to continue.
"She recommended her niece to me." After saying this, Tao Qiuyun opened the WeChat interface. Just then, the niece accepted her friend request.
Looking at the greeting message on the phone, Qin Qingshang pursed her lips. "CEO Tao, didn't you say you would be absolutely loyal to me during the marriage period?"
Actually, she didn't necessarily need Tao Qiuyun to be loyal to her, it was just... you said it yourself, if you can't do it, don't promise!
"That's why I chose to tell you," Tao Qiuyun started the car, explaining, "She and my mother are very close and in frequent contact. I was afraid that if I told her about my marriage, she would spread it, so I didn't tell her. My grandfather's side is very tight-lipped, I'm not afraid of that... but if Auntie Feng knows, my mother will definitely know."
She gripped the steering wheel. "I have no interest in her niece."
Just then, her phone screen, which had gone dark, lit up. It was a WeChat message:
【Do you like small animals?】
"That niece sent you a WeChat message." Since Tao Qiuyun's phone was on the holder, Qin Qingshang, sitting in the passenger seat, could easily see the display on the phone without much effort.
Tao Qiuyun's expression was calm. She just glanced at the phone. "Miss Qin, I'm driving. Could I trouble you to reply for me?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Okay, what should I reply?" Qin Qingshang picked up the phone from the holder. "Is it face ID unlock?"
"No," Tao Qiuyun stared ahead, extended her right hand, fumbled for and grasped the hand of the woman beside her, pressing her thumb onto the screen. "I use fingerprint unlock."
After saying that, she seemed to remember something and quickly added, "Miss Qin, I accidentally touched you just now. The reason was to unlock my phone. Does that explanation pass?"
Qin Qingshang: "...Alright."
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