DTBS - Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Extra 4: Novel Heroine

After dinner, everyone having their own thoughts, Tao Shizhou, eager to stick to his great-granddaughter every moment, proactively suggested taking Tao Aiqin out for a walk after the meal.

"Qinqin, Great Grandfather will take you to see the swans, okay?"

The little cat nodded vigorously...

Zhang Cheng put the small bag on Big Bold's back, and then one person and one dog leisurely followed behind them. The big dog's tail wagged back and forth, its tongue hanging out, looking very happy, not feeling like it was being used as a laborer at all.

Wu Hu took Tao Zhuohua to the gym... This Brother Hu had been blaming himself for watching Qin Qingshang get kidnapped before, spending his days in the training room punching, refusing to leave until the sandbag spilled sand. At this moment, his muscles were even more bulging, making Tao Zhuohua hesitate to speak.

No, Big Brother Hu, I don't want to stand next to you at all. It's not because I can't stand you, but because the contrast is too obvious... I feel inferior.

Xia Chengxi called Tao Qiuyun to the study, saying he wanted to chat with her. Xia Xianglu, finding herself free, pulled Qin Qingshang and ran to the utility room.

Alone with Qiuqiu's mother, Qin Qingshang was inevitably a little nervous: "Um, Auntie..."

"What Auntie?" Xia Xianglu interrupted her, reminding her, "You and Qiuqiu are married, you have a certificate. You can't call me Auntie, you have to change it."

"...Mom," this single word came out haltingly, and Qin Qingshang was a little embarrassed, "Sorry, I'm still not used to it."

After all, her own mother had passed away many years ago.

"It's okay, it's fine if you're not used to calling me Mom, just get familiar with it slowly. Don't be surprised, Qiuqiu specifically told me," Xia Xianglu took out her phone and showed her the chat history with her daughter, "Look, she sent this carefully during dinner, afraid I'd say something I shouldn't when talking to you. This child, she's got something! She's not completely dense, there's still hope."

Looking at the messages Tao Qiuyun had sent, Qin Qingshang felt a warmth in her heart. Then she quickly noticed Xia Xianglu's WeChat nickname for Tao Qiuyun - "Idiot CEO".

"Um, Mom, your nickname for Qiuqiu?"

It was quite cute...

"Oh, that," Xia Xianglu put her phone away, staring at the screen, "Before, I called her 'Domineering CEO'. But then, that one time, I found out she was secretly playing a remote game with you at the hotel..."

"It wasn't a remote game, just a video call," Cat blushed, defending herself in a low voice, "Qiuqiu and I were having a proper chat."

They were really proper that time! They didn't show anything they shouldn't have... No, they didn't show anything they shouldn't have!

"It's okay, you're wives, however you play is proper," Xia Xianglu comforted her, "After that time, I realized she's not a Domineering CEO, she's an Idiot CEO! She doesn't even know how to play hard to get! Oh right, Shangshang, let me tell you..."

Cat was surprised by the affectionate "Shangshang" and hadn't reacted yet when she was pulled to a partitioned area.

"This is the bed I carefully selected for your family wedding photos and for your future home!"

Xia Xianglu opened the door to the partition, and the light flashed, making Cat's eyes water...

She was shocked!

What kind of bed is this? So reflective, so shiny!

Other people have glowing food on TV, but you have a glowing bed, right? Learned something new.

"Come, Shangshang, don't be shy, lie down and feel it," Xia Xianglu dragged the hesitant Cat into the room.

Qin Qingshang pursed her lips, staring at the large, soft water bed in front of her. She maintained a polite reserve for two seconds in front of the elder, then lay down...

So good! So comfortable! Yes, yes, yes~

All her fatigue seemed to dissipate at this moment. Cat even felt like she could fall asleep on the spot.

"Don't think there's just plain water inside a water bed," Xia Xianglu pulled out a small booklet from somewhere and held it, walking back and forth beside the bed like a salesperson, "We must believe in modern science and technology. This is a specially made liquid, and it has undergone strict inspection by professional institutions. No matter how much movement there is, it won't easily break. It can even adjust the temperature to the most suitable temperature for the human body. Even if you two sleep on it without clothes..."

She paused, braking in time, "...sleep on it, it's warm in winter and cool in summer, the ultimate experience!"

Qin Qingshang's face was slightly red. She felt like Xia Xianglu was acting like a salesperson for "wife-wife intimacy" products, talking nonsense, but actually just trying to trick her into buying.

"And this is also a romantic version I specially customized for you," Xia Xianglu walked to the head of the bed, "There's a built-in box designed here, especially since I knew you were coming back today, I specifically replenished the contents. Look, you just need to gently move this lever..."

The openwork pattern at the head of the bed fully opened, spraying countless rose petals that slowly drifted down, filling the air with fragrance.

Okay, this time it was literally "petals falling from the sky".

Cat was stunned...

Tao Qiuyun had said that if she didn't agree to her marriage contract, her mother would make her confess with helicopter-scattered petals... It seems that was conservative. Xia Xianglu could even think of scattering petals with a bed. Does she really like scattering petals that much?

What kind of novels does she usually read? She's so obsessed with scattering petals!

And so many petals falling down could bury her. What's the difference between this and her and Qiuqiu doing it in a flower bush... Wait, doing it in a flower bush seems a bit exciting.

"Shangshang, think about it, you and Qiuqiu lie on the bed like this, then you just simply reach out and flick this lever. It won't take much effort or time at all. Just this easy movement, and then the petals scatter, creating a full romantic atmosphere. By then, you'll be the celestial maiden scattering flowers!"

"No matter how indifferent Qiuqiu is, can she be unmoved by a fairy from the sky! Let me tell you, she's been enthusiastic about helping girls since she was a child. She has no resistance to girls."

Xia Xianglu began to talk about the "childhood" Tao Qiuyun she knew, her voice slow: "Although I didn't raise her much, I know that when she was little, she played with Fang Yu and Qingxiang. Everyone said they were the iron triangle. When Fang Yu cried, she would stand aside and tell him not to cry. She wouldn't even look at handsome little boys. When she grew up, she still didn't get Fang Yu's handsomeness. Someone wanted to introduce her to someone before and asked her what Fang Yu looked like, and she just replied, 'He looks okay'."

Cat blinked...

It seems Qiuqiu wasn't a lookist from a young age!

"But as soon as Qingxiang was sad, even before she started crying, good heavens, she immediately changed. Qiuqiu would quickly go up and ask with concern why she was sad, and who made her sad, and even offered her snacks... You tell me, Qiuqiu was polite to Fang Yu, who grew up with her, but so close to Qingxiang. Anyone who saw them would think something was up between them."

"They've been so close since childhood. Qingxiang used to come out of the lab late at night, and Qiuqiu would go pick her up. Who wouldn't see them as a couple? So when we wanted them to get engaged, we weren't just randomly pairing them up; they had to take some responsibility."

Qin Qingshang: "...You even thought about getting them engaged?"

Xia Xianglu: "Ah, you didn't know?"

Cat suddenly sat up from the petals, her expression changing.

I didn't know, of course I didn't! I only knew they were friends. Who knew they were friends who almost got engaged? The protagonists in the novel were her and Jiang Lihe, Su Qingxiang wasn't even mentioned!

"Um," Xia Xianglu felt like she had revealed a secret and quickly added, "I can swear they were really just friends. Really, Qiuqiu refused her grandfather's suggestion at the time."

"How did she refuse? Did she say she and Su Qingxiang were good friends?" Cat asked, confused.

Wait! Why do Su Qingxiang and Qin Qingshang sound so similar? Is it an illusion?

Could it be...

Cat suddenly understood!

Is there a possibility? She is the heroine of a romance novel, the male lead is Jiang Lihe, but Qiuqiu is actually the heroine of a Yuri novel, and the other heroine is Su Qingxiang? Is this a linked series by the same author?

But she believed Tao Qiuyun, and she believed she wasn't lying, which meant... during their first meeting at the bar, Tao Qiuyun was indeed attracted to her. Then! Could it be that the Yuri novel was also a stand-in novel, where she was Tao Qiuyun's unattainable White Moonlight, and Su Qingxiang became her stand-in? Or rather, a "substitute"?

Damn! What kind of trash novel did that author write!

Fortunately, in the real world, she and Qiuqiu got together.

Otherwise, how pitiful Su Qingxiang would be! She didn't look like her, and she became her stand-in just because their names sounded somewhat similar. How tragic.

Seeing Qin Qingshang's changing expression, Xia Xianglu mistakenly thought she was bothered by Su Qingxiang's matter and quickly explained, "Qiuqiu said at the time that she had no plans to date and told the Old Master not to worry."

"That's all she said?" Cat questioned.

Xia Xianglu emphasized again, "Believe me, Shangshang, you are definitely her first love."

Qin Qingshang nodded, her thoughts drifting...

It made sense now, everything made sense! She was indeed Tao Qiuyun's first love, but according to the novel's development, after she became popular again and got together with Jiang Lihe, Qiuqiu would definitely find out. Disheartened, she would be nearing thirty by then and would definitely be pressured by her grandfather to get married. Maybe at that time, she would agree to marry Su Qingxiang?

Qiuqiu might think: Since I can't be with Qin Qingshang, I might as well settle for Su Qingxiang.

Then the beginning of that Yuri novel might be Qiuqiu and Su Qingxiang's wedding, and the subsequent plot would be marriage first, then love, supporting each other, and finally, the childhood friend defeats the newcomer, perfect!

And Su Qingxiang didn't object to marrying Qiuqiu from the start?

Thinking that Su Qingxiang was a doctor, Qin Qingshang felt relieved...

Right, a doctor, how busy are doctors! Maybe she didn't have time to date at all. Instead of spending energy getting to know someone new, it would be better to marry the childhood friend she grew up with and was close to!

"Achoo!"

"Ah-choo—"

Su Qingxiang and Chang Suiyou sneezed at the same time.

Such synchronized behavior made both of them look up and exchange glances. Su Qingxiang put down her chopsticks, pulled out two tissues from the box, and handed them to Chang Suiyou across the table: "Teacher Chang, are you cold?"

"You're talking about me," Chang Suiyou took the tissues she handed her, "Didn't you sneeze too?"

"Maybe the colleague who's covering for me today is cursing me," Su Qingxiang crossed her arms, thinking for a moment, "After all, it's New Year's Eve. No one wants to work, everyone's looking forward to going home for the countdown."

"Since someone is covering for you, why aren't you going home?" Chang Suiyou didn't understand.

"Aren't you not going home either?"

"...I don't want to go back," Chang Suiyou rubbed her forehead, "I'll be pressured to get married."

She, the heroine of this Yuri novel, was truly miserable. Her family was traditional, and even after coming out, they still tried to introduce men to her. Going home for the New Year was torture, and she didn't want to waste time on it.

Can't I just eat and drink well by myself? Why go back? It's annoying!

"Doctor Su, you haven't answered my question." Chang Suiyou didn't let her off.

"My family can get together anytime, it doesn't matter. And they're all on duty at the hospital," Su Qingxiang picked up her chopsticks again, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled, "So I came to keep the lonely Teacher Chang company, to give you a bit of a lively atmosphere."

"It's just the two of us in this private room, it's not particularly lively." Chang Suiyou couldn't help but point out.

"But if you go out, you'll find everyone is with their families, making us look even more pitiful. This is already quite good."

"I prepared a gift for you." Su Qingxiang pushed a small gift box towards her.

Noticing the woman across from her had expectant eyes, Chang Suiyou pursed her lips, "You seem to really want me to open it now?"

"Teacher Chang is so smart!"

Seeing her smile and praise her, Chang Suiyou had to admit she was charmed. After all, Su Qingxiang had a very alluring and captivating aura about her.

She opened the small box. Inside was a ring.

"This is?" Chang Suiyou was slightly stunned.

"Until you find a suitable partner," Su Qingxiang looked at her, her hands clasped on the table, "Can you wear it?"

"This is," Chang Suiyou lowered her gaze slightly, asking knowingly, "What does this mean?"

"Since your family knows you like women but still won't give up introducing men to you, why not get a girlfriend?"

As soon as Su Qingxiang said this, System 032 started howling frantically in her head: "Quickly agree! The mission bar is rising! It's rising! Do you see it? What are you still hesitating for? She likes you, this is the perfect time to boost progress!"

Chang Suiyou frowned and spoke to the System: "032, can you please be quiet."

System 032 said earnestly: "Tao Qiuyun's relationship progress is off the charts! Yours hasn't moved at all. It finally moved a little, don't let this woman in front of you go!"

"Doctor Su, you're asking me to get a girlfriend," Chang Suiyou looked up, staring at her, "And giving me a ring to wear. Are you hinting at something?"

"I think I'm being quite direct," Su Qingxiang quietly adjusted her posture to appear more sincere and serious. Her voice was clear but still held a hint of nervousness, "Teacher Chang, during my interactions with you, I found my heart racing when I faced you, and I even became overly emotional and protective when you were in a difficult situation."

She paused, then continued, "I've tentatively judged this behavior as liking. I thought for a long time about how to tell you, and finally decided to do it by giving you a ring. I noticed you don't wear rings. People who don't often wear rings might feel uncomfortable due to prolonged contact with a foreign object on their skin, but if they are willing to try, they will gradually get used to it over time and eventually adapt."

"What are you trying to say?" Chang Suiyou closed the small box.

"I want to say, can I be like this ring? I know Teacher Chang, you are used to being single. Long periods of solitude also make you accustomed to your current stable life. Suddenly having someone accompany you might inevitably feel awkward, uncomfortable, or even restless, like wearing a ring for the first time. But I hope you can try to accept it like receiving a gift. Ultimately, whether this ring suits you or not, I am willing to accept the outcome."

"...Aren't you afraid I'll refuse? This is just," Chang Suiyou's right hand on her knee clenched, "I wasn't prepared at all."

"You can refuse," Su Qingxiang seemed to sense her pressure, her tense body relaxed, and she said softly, "Teacher Chang, I am prepared to be rejected."

"Then my answer is no..."

Chang Suiyou pushed the small box back, lowering her head, not daring to look at the woman in front of her, "I'm sorry, Doctor Su, I can't accept you."

System 032 screamed at her: "Why! Did you get your head stuck in a door?"

"It's okay," Su Qingxiang's face showed no disappointment, she pressed down on the pink small box, "Teacher Chang, the ring won't run away. If you ever want to wear it, you can come get it from me anytime."

"I won't come get it from you." Chang Suiyou's tone was gentle, but the words she spoke were as hard as ice.

At least Su Qingxiang felt she couldn't maintain her composure anymore. She lowered her eyes, hiding the look of disappointment.

She had expected to be rejected, but she hadn't expected to be rejected so decisively and directly.

"I'm sorry," Chang Suiyou suddenly stood up, picked up her shoulder bag, her voice quickening, "I, I'm leaving first. I think I need to calm down."

"It's cold, and it's New Year's Eve. It's hard to get a taxi outside." Su Qingxiang also stood up with her coat, "I'll give you a ride. We've pretty much finished eating anyway."

"No need..."

"Don't refuse again, Teacher Chang." Su Qingxiang brushed past her, her fingers tightening on the door of the private room, "If you refuse even this, I'll cry."

After saying that, she seemed afraid of hearing any more hurtful words from Chang Suiyou's mouth, quickly opened the door, and walked out.

"...I'm sorry." Chang Suiyou stared at her retreating back, apologizing softly to her.

System 032: "Why? Why did you refuse? Isn't it good to date her and boost the progress bar? That confession just now increased the progress so much, it means she likes you a lot, a free scoring tool! If you lock her as your dating target, you'll probably fill it up in no time."

Chang Suiyou ignored the System's nagging. The emotions in her heart surged like a tide.

The problem was that the System gave her the choice to stay or leave. Making a choice was the most difficult...

If she chose to stay in this world in the end, she would never be able to go back.

If she wanted to go home, she would probably have to be an emotional thief, treating this world as a virtual game to be cleared only once, deceiving the feelings of NPCs, and turning the dating process into a routine...

But, for Su Qingxiang, this "NPC", she couldn't bring herself to deceive her!

She couldn't treat her as an NPC for boosting progress. After interacting with her for this period, she was clearly a person with flesh and blood, talent and beauty.

I don't want to deceive her feelings.

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