DTBS - Chapter 94
Chapter 94: She Can Really Act
There were quite a lot of people at the aquarium, all holding maps of the different zones, looking for the marine life they wanted to see.
"What do you want to see?" Tao Qiuyun turned her head to ask Qin Qingshang beside her.
"I want to see really weird-looking fish!" Qin Qingshang kept Teacher Ming's teachings firmly in mind.
"Weird-looking fish?" Tao Qiuyun was clearly surprised by her answer. After a moment of thought, she said, "Then… let's ask a staff member first. I thought you'd want to see pretty tropical fish."
"We can see the pretty tropical fish too! Let's look for some strange fish first." The cat leaned against her arm, not missing any chance to act cute.
Led by a professional guide, the two saw a tank full of strange fish—triggerfish.
"These are triggerfish," the young lady enthusiastically explained to them. "Most are found in tropical oceans, usually living in coastal areas, shallow water marine fish, and also common near coral reefs."
She paused, looked at Qin Qingshang, who was watching pressed against the glass, and continued, "I heard this lady mention the idea of diving and touching fish earlier. Although it was just a joke, I still want to remind you that the principle of diving is not to touch or disturb. If you encounter this type of fish while diving in the future, you must be extra careful and stay away."
"Are these fish very dangerous?" The cat lay on the glass tank, staring intently at a triggerfish swimming back and forth.
Ugh, this fish really looks weird! It doesn't look very smart.
"I see it has teeth." Tao Qiuyun also leaned closer to a fish, observing it carefully.
You're actually studying whether it has teeth! Shouldn't you be looking at me?
Qin Qingshang leaned her head closer to her. "Huh? Where are the teeth? Let me see."
"Here." Tao Qiuyun pointed it out to her.
The woman's finger touched the glass tank, and groups of fish swam towards her, looking at her with idiotic—no, intelligent—eyes.
Seeing the two with their heads close together, the guide also realized that the two people in front of her were a couple. She smiled and said, "Yes, this type of fish has teeth, and they are not just for show. They can bite off a diver's finger in an instant. There have been many incidents of divers being bitten by triggerfish, so please be very vigilant."
【Yes, a piece of my scalp was pulled off】
【Ah, this? Is it that fierce?】
【Is the ocean joking with you? It's very dangerous, don't think only sharks are dangerous】
【That's very true, the principle of diving is not to touch or disturb. If you're lucky, you just disturb their rest. If you're unlucky, you might end up at the bottom of the sea】
【Qin Qingshang clearly hasn't dived before, that's why she would say something like touching fish】
【Can you stop being so overly critical? Even the guide could tell Sister Qin was joking】
After seeing the strange fish, Tao Qiuyun saw that Qin Qingshang was very interested, thinking she genuinely wanted to learn about fish. So, she asked the guide to stay with them the whole time to explain things.
Qin Qingshang: Why did it turn out like this? Didn't we say we were just looking at pretty and ugly fish?
But soon, the cat also became engrossed in the professional's explanation…
"This fish is called the Glass Catfish because its entire body is transparent, even its bones can be clearly seen. Plus, its head looks like a cat's head, hence the name. It's also called the Cat Head Crystal Fish. The two long whiskers on its mouth are also like a cat's whiskers, used for sensing. They usually appear among aquatic plants. Because of their unique transparent appearance, some people also call them Ghost Fish."
"What about this fish without eyes? It's very beautiful!" Qin Qingshang completely forgot Teacher Ming's teachings and was thoroughly immersed in the underwater world.
"This is a Blind Cave Fish. It is indeed very beautiful and a very famous ornamental fish. It's also not picky about food."
"This fish," Tao Qiuyun suddenly stopped in front of a tank, looked at the nameplate next to it, and couldn't help but laugh, "Aiqin… fish?"
"What?" The cat heard the name and instantly came over.
"Yes," the guide clearly didn't notice their unusual reaction, only thinking they were attracted by the beautiful little fish. "This is the Aiqin fish. It's named this because this type of fish resembles a harp in shape."
"Their colors are very beautiful and change with the environment. If you two are considering keeping fish, the Aiqin fish is an option. After all, this type of fish is very hardy and can even be mixed with other small fish."
"No need," Tao Qiuyun shook her head. "We don't plan on keeping fish."
With a dog and a cat at home, keeping fish was out of the question.
Perhaps because her daughter (Aiqin) was mentioned, Qin Qingshang finally remembered what she was at the aquarium for.
She was here for private time with Tao Qiuyun! Not to learn about fish!
So, the cat tugged at Tao Qiuyun's sleeve. "Qiuqiu, I want to see sharks."
"Now is the peak season for holiday travel, and our underwater tunnel also has holiday discounts," the guide promoted. "You can experience and observe sharks more immersively. Would you two like to buy tickets to try it?"
Tao Qiuyun and Qin Qingshang exchanged glances and agreed.
Once they entered the underwater tunnel, the guide didn't follow them. Qin Qingshang finally got her wish and linked arms with Tao Qiuyun, starting their private time.
Of course, they weren't completely alone, as there were other tourists.
"Qiuqiu, I've never really seen a shark before. Do you think real sharks will give off a strong sense of oppression?" The cat began to lay the groundwork for the scene where she would be startled by a shark later.
"They will." Tao Qiuyun nodded.
"Are you afraid of sharks?" Qin Qingshang continued her performance.
"Not really," the woman's eyes showed deep thought, as if she was genuinely considering some scenarios. "If you really encounter one in the sea, being afraid is useless. Staying calm and reacting in a way that maximizes your chances of survival is what you should be thinking about."
Just then, a large shark casually swam over and looked at Qin Qingshang with terrifying eyes.
The cat was startled by this sudden surprise—no, fright—and shivered, bumping directly into the woman behind her. "It appeared so suddenly, it scared me… Why is it staring at me?"
Tao Qiuyun followed her inner voice, wrapped her arms around her waist, and pulled her into her embrace, chuckling softly. "Maybe the shark wants to see what kind of strange creature looks like this."
Qin Qingshang: …?
"Qingshang, don't make that face," Tao Qiuyun explained. "In a shark's perception, humans are particularly strange things. That's why they bite people, mostly because they want to taste them. They are quite curious."
"I have a strong urge to kill right now." The cat showed her claws.
Her plan for a romantic aquarium trip was completely ruined by Tao Qiuyun's comment about her being a "strange thing"!
"029, is this what you meant by everything is normal?" Bai Xiaoxiao pulled down her hat, standing in a corner, watching Tao Qiuyun and Qin Qingshang, who were sticking close together.
She frantically called out to the System in her mind: "If everything is normal, tell me, why are the female lead of the romance novel and the female lead of the Yuri novel sticking so close?"
System 029: "Uh, maybe these two female leads are good friends?"
"Friends? They're this clingy and they're just friends?" Bai Xiaoxiao sneered. "One of them is the female lead of a Yuri novel, and a cold CEO at that. Can she actively hug someone this tightly? Is your code messed up, or did your messed-up code make you think my brain is messed up?"
System 029: "Please don't be so aggressive, Host. We are partners in the same camp, or accomplices for short."
"Since we're partners in the same camp, then show some sincerity, don't lie to me." Bai Xiaoxiao frowned. "I knew something was up when Tao Qiuyun asked me to come back to the country. It turns out the plot has collapsed to this extent!"
System 029: "Your statement is a bit incorrect, Host. This is originally the same world, and it's possible for the two female leads to meet."
"So you're trying to tell me that the female lead of the romance novel met the female lead of the Yuri novel, and then they fell in love? This is the normal progression of this world?"
System 029: "For a world, anything can happen. Their meeting and falling in love is also allowed."
"Then what about my mission?" Bai Xiaoxiao was annoyed. "You told me to be the White Moonlight of that lunatic Jiang Lihe, and I did it. You told me to be the psychologist for the domineering CEO with psychological trauma, and I did that too. I was just a tool to bring Jiang Lihe and Qin Qingshang together, and Tao Qiuyun and Chang Suiyou together. Now you're telling me…"
"The romance novel female lead Qin Qingshang and the Yuri novel female lead Tao Qiuyun are dating! What about my mission?"
System 029 calmly replied: "To be precise, your mission is to inflict a certain amount of harm on the male lead Jiang Lihe, laying the groundwork for him to find a stand-in in Qin Qingshang. Then, your return to the country causes the male lead to abandon Qin Qingshang. After that, you reject Jiang Lihe's advances, making him realize he loves Qin Qingshang, laying the groundwork for his crematorium-style chase."
"So you just need to reject the male lead Jiang Lihe when he comes to find you, and your plotline in this romance novel will be completed."
"Actually," Bai Xiaoxiao tried to negotiate, "I really dislike this kind of man. Anyway, the plot has changed so much, can I reject him harshly? After all, I've been abroad for so long and experienced the true and false daughter incident, so a drastic change in personality is understandable. There's no need to continue my white lotus persona, right? Those few years really disgusted me. I feel like throwing up just seeing Jiang Lihe's face."
System 029: "Host, you're as sharp-tongued as ever."
"So, can I?" Bai Xiaoxiao asked.
"I need to apply to the Main System first."
"What about the Yuri novel side?" Bai Xiaoxiao was still worried. "What about Tao Qiuyun and Chang Suiyou?"
"Similarly, your mission is to guide Tao Qiuyun to adjust her mindset and help Chang Suiyou become an independent person. This doesn't conflict with Tao Qiuyun and Qin Qingshang dating."
"But without Tao Qiuyun," Bai Xiaoxiao was a little concerned, "who will save Chang Suiyou?"
System 029 was silent, then bravely said, "Host, why don't you sacrifice yourself for the greater good? Dedicate yourself to the mission and go conquer and save Chang Suiyou."
Bai Xiaoxiao: ?
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible, I'm straight, completely straight!"
"Data from the real world shows you had a girlfriend in junior high." 029 exposed her.
"Ah, this… you guys know that too?"
"The Main System knows everything." 029's tone was worshipful.
"Alright, I know you're the Main System's licking dog."
"I just returned to the country. I still need to observe Chang Suiyou's situation. As for what to do specifically, I'll make a plan first."
After saying that, Bai Xiaoxiao looked at Tao Qiuyun. "So she was in such a hurry to get me back because she wanted to solve her own problems? Does this mean she's already realized she likes someone? Can I understand it that way?"
"Yes."
"So she likes Qin Qingshang?"
"Probably."
Bai Xiaoxiao smiled. "029, open the System Mall."
"Okay, Host, what do you want to buy?"
"Buy an 【Unexpected Kiss】 item card and use it on Tao Qiuyun."
"Huh?"
"Huh what? Don't you know the function of this item? It only takes effect when the person involved has the thought of kissing the other person. It doesn't violate anyone's will. Consider it a meeting gift from me, a cannon fodder female supporting character, to the two female leads."
"No, I said 'huh' because… they just kissed!" 029 was greatly shocked. "This means that Tao Qiuyun, this person, wants to kiss Qin Qingshang all the time! Good heavens, she looks so pure and free from desires, but she can really pretend!"
"…Indeed, I'm her psychologist, I know. This person, she can really pretend."
… The world is small
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