Ch. 101..120
Chapter 101 A heart-to-heart relationship between father and daughter
Mr. Tao didn’t really know Bai Jing since he was still young and healthy.
However, Bai Jing’s title as a miracle doctor had been around for decades. Everyone in their society knew about his abilities, including Mr. Tao.
Mr. Tao never expected Bai Jing to introduce his daughter to the Zhuang family’s young master so that she could treat him.
Previously, they had only heard that Tan Rou was skilled in medicine and could make traditional medicine. Both Mr. And Mrs. Tao believed that their daughter was not an irresponsible person. When she said that she had the skills to treat others, they were naturally very pleased.
But now, it seems that his daughter can do more than that! To be recognised by Bai Jing and allowed to treat Zhuang Liu showed that his daughter was more than capable. She must be talented in it as well.
Just like that, on an ordinary night, the father and daughter were both amazed by the abilities that the opposite party had.
Father Tao was still trying to maintain his identity.
After all, an ordinary employee wouldn’t have heard of the godly doctor and definitely wouldn’t know what it meant for the godly doctor to introduce his daughter to Zhuang Liu, so he vaguely explained. “I’ve only heard about it from my boss. He also heard about it from a rich businessman. He said that Bai Jing was someone skilled, which is why I remember him.”
Tan Rou looked at Mr. Tao suspiciously and realised that his acting skills were so good that she wouldn’t have noticed it if she didn’t look carefully.
Although it was a smooth excuse, he kept avoiding eye contact with her. He was clearly feeling guilty for lying to her.
Mr. Tao was surprised but in fact, he was more overjoyed than surprised. He could tell that his daughter would have an extraordinary future but he didn’t expect her to be so capable at such a young age. As a father, Mr. Tao was extremely proud and couldn’t wait to share this with Mrs. Tao.
However, on the surface, Father Tao pretended to be calm and asked, “Is the Zhuang family very powerful? I don’t know much about them but Tan Song mentioned it last time and I’m a little worried. Your relationship with the patient is just an ordinary one, right?” With that said, an uneasy smile appeared on his face.
Tan Rou knew that Father Tao was concerned about what Tan Song said about her misbehaving after she got close to the Zhuang family. He was worried that she would fall in love at a young age or be blinded by hatred and really seek connections with rich families.
Seeing how Father Tao was racking his brain to pretend that he didn’t know anything and was tactfully asking her all these questions, Tan Rou felt like laughing but she managed to hold it in and replied, “Of course not! We’re more than just that.”
Mr. Tao sat up straight nervously, afraid that his daughter had really gone down the wrong path. He wanted to shout, ‘My little girl, you don’t need to rely on anyone else. I can help you!’
Tan Rou looked at how nervous Mr. Tao was and laughed mischievously. “We’re just friends. His family seems to be quite powerful but I’ve never taken the initiative to ask. I’m his friend, not because of his family background. We were just able to connect.”
In other words, she was telling Father Tao not to worry that she was deliberately getting close to Zhuang Liu because of the Tan family. She wasn’t such an idiot for doing so.
Father Tao finally relaxed. He looked at Tan Rou affectionately and nodded.
It was rare for his daughter to be so open with him. It seemed that he had been overthinking.
Moreover, his daughter was an outstanding young woman. No matter how prominent the Zhuang family was, there was no such thing as her clinging onto them. Her daughter deserved it.
Mr. Tao was worried that Tan Rou was young and would feel indignant. Secondly, his daughter was a student and had just reunited with her. If she was really taken away by someone else, he wasn’t willing to let go of her yet. She should stay by his side for a few more years before thinking about marriage. She should not be falling in love now!
Father Tao’s heart was broken but he didn’t want to stop Tan Rou from doing things that she wanted.
Father Tao had been a capable man all these years and so he was very familiar with the old aristocratic families.
The third son of the Zhuang family was indeed pitiful. He should have been a rising star at a young age but the deterioration in his health ruined everything. If his daughter could cure him, that would be nothing but good news. It would be good for his daughter to form a good relationship with the Zhuang family.
The Zhuang family wasn’t one that was unreasonable. Father Tao was not worried that the Zhuang family would make things difficult for Tan Rou if she failed to cure Zhuang Liu. Instead, if she managed to do so, the Zhuang family would definitely gratefully repay his daughter. Father Tao was very clear about this and this made him feel less worried about the current situation.
Chapter 102 The little thief
After the conversation, Tan Rou walked out of Mr. Tao’s study with her mood fluctuating a little.
Tonight’s discovery caught Tan Rou a little off guard. One of the advantages that she had was that she lived a new life now. She was mentally prepared for how most things would happen in the future. Naturally, she would be able to make certain changes in advance.
However, she had never expected the Tao family to have such a big secret. This was something that Tan Rou had never thought of in both her lifetimes.
Tan Rou frowned slightly. She didn’t know if this discovery was good news or bad news. In fact, ever since she was reborn, Tan Rou had been confident because she could read the script as if she was God. She was confident that she could deal with the Tan family.
But now, in the Tao family, which she cared about the most, she realised that there was a major change in the script, which made Tan Rou feel a little uneasy.
She could only blame herself for being too shallow in her previous life and might have missed out on such details. What other major changes would be happening to her in this life?
Tan Rou pondered as she walked. In the end, she took a few deep breaths and secretly comforted herself. There was no need to worry unnecessarily. There may be accidents but as long as her heart was with her family, it was enough to deal with the Tan family’s conspiracies.
Tan Rou made up her mind. No matter how powerful Father Tao was, what the Tao family’s hidden identity was and whether they could compete with the tan family; as long as she was strong enough, she would be able to protect the Tao family.
As Tan Rou thought about it, she walked towards her room. Then, she heard a rustling sound from the kitchen.
Tan Rou was a little puzzled. Who else would be in the kitchen at this time? Could there be a thief in the house?
Tan Rou softened her footsteps and carefully walked toward the kitchen. Then, she saw a small figure hiding in the kitchen, squatting on the ground and eating snacks in large mouthfuls.
This was none other than Tao Qi.
Just as Father Tao and Tan Rou were talking in the study, Mother Tao knocked on Tao Qi’s room, trying to bring him dinner. Even though Mother Tao was angry at Tao Qi’s impertinent words, she still remembered that he was only ten years old. He was still a child and she felt bad that he didn’t have anything for dinner.
She had planned to bring some food to Tao Qi and reason with him to make him let go of his prejudice against Tan Rou.
However, she didn’t expect Tao Qi to be so stubborn. Not only was he stubborn, he also insisted that he wasn’t hungry. He even went from bad to worse as he argued with Mother Tao again, insisting that Father Tao and Mother Tao were biased. They were so protective of Tan Rou that they completely forgot about Tan Jing in such a short period of time!
This infuriated Mother Tao. She hardened her heart and no longer paid attention to Tao Qi. She picked up the food and left the room, leaving Tao Qi to reflect on himself.
Tao Qi was extremely sad. When had he ever received such treatment before? In the past, whenever he cried, his mother would hug and comfort him. Sister Jingjing would also help him put in a good word, but now, he was suffering on an empty stomach and his mother didn’t even care about him.
He was just telling the truth!
In the room, Tao Qi pounded on his pillow to vent his anger. He mistook the pillow for Tan Rou and punched her multiple times, thinking that this was all Tan Rou’s fault. He wouldn’t admit that she was his biological sister. If she had the ability, she would starve him to death as well!
However, he was merely a child. He was a growing child and after struggling for a long time, Tao Qi’s stomach growled non-stop.
Tao Qi had no choice. He refused to look for his mother. So, he sneaked into the kitchen and found some snacks. He didn’t even dare to turn on the light as he squatted on the ground and started munching on the snacks.
Mother Tao didn’t allow him to bring the snacks back to the bedroom, afraid that he may develop a bad habit of eating in his room. Poor Tao Qi didn’t dare to challenge Mother Tao’s authority at a time like this. He could only munch onto his snacks secretly in the kitchen.
Tan Rou recognized Tao Qi and slowly calmed down.
If she hadn’t seen Tao Qi’s small height and round face clearly, Tan Rou would have thought this figure was a thief and would directly pound on him from behind.
Tan Rou smiled and stood behind Tao Qi. She admired his eating posture for a while, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. Then, she let out a light cough.
Tao Qi heard the noise and fell to the ground in fright. He turned to look at Tan Rou in horror.
Tan Rou glanced at the snacks in Tao Qi’s arms and said with a smile, “I thought there was a thief in the house. I didn’t expect the little thief to be stealing snacks from our kitchen.”
Tao Qi’s face turned red when he saw Tan Rou. He tried to hide the snacks in his hand but it was to no avail. He could only glare at Tan Rou. “Are you trying to scare me to death?! You’re a bad woman!”
Chapter 103 Cooking
Tan Rou looked at her brother who was lying through his teeth and couldn’t help but laugh.
Tao Qi felt even angrier but he was afraid that he might disturbed the other which was why he could only lower his voice and threatened Tan Rou, “Are you mocking me? It’s all your fault for making me this hungry! If you dare to tell on me, I’ll …”
Tan Rou raised her eyebrows. “What will you do about it?”
Tao Qi thought for a long time but he didn’t know how to threaten Tan Rou. He could only say, “I’ll get my grandma to deal with you!”
Tan Rou pretended to be afraid and patted her chest. “That really scared me to death.”
Tao Qi was so angry that his little chest heaved up and down and his eyes turned red.
Tan Rou knew that the person who doted on Tao Qi the most in the entire Tao family was his grandmother, who lived in another city.
Due to how unruly Tan Rou was in her previous life, she didn’t have much contact with her grandmother.
However, Tao Qi grew up being drowned in his grandmother’s love. When the old lady doted on Tao Qi, even his parents couldn’t do anything about it. This was also why Tao Qi had dared to go against Tan Rou in his previous life.
With his grandmother, who was one level older than his parents, having his back, Tao Qi could do whatever he wanted. It was also because of this that no matter how naughty Tao Qi was, Tan Jing would avoid getting into trouble with him and even pretended to love him. In reality, she was using Tao Qi to do whatever she wanted to achieve her own goals and also gained benefits from it.
Tao Qi didn’t want to eat anymore after seeing Tan Rou. He snorted coldly and put on a long face. He put away all the snacks and wanted to go back to his room.
Tao Qi looked at Tan Rou, who was blocking the aisle, with a face full of disgust. “Move aside!”
Tan Rou didn’t move. She just stood there and looked at Tao Qi with a smile on her face.
This made Tao Qi feel as if Tan Rou was deliberately provoking him. He was so angry that he reached out his chubby little hand and pushed Tan Rou hard. He was ready to deal with this horrible woman.
Tan Rou didn’t expect this little brat to be so strong. She staggered from the push but she still reached out and grabbed Tao Qi’s collar.
Tao Qi stood where he was, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws, but still couldn’t break free from Tan Rou. His face was like a small red apple as he glared at tan Rou with his big, watery eyes. “How dare you bully me?! I’m going to call for help! Let mom and dad teach you a lesson!”
Tan Rou narrowed her eyes slyly. “Oh? Go ahead and shout. We shall let them know who was stealing snacks from the kitchen.”
Tao Qi was furious. If he wasn’t afraid of being criticized by his parents, he would have asked for food a long time ago. Why would he come here and have to secretly have snacks instead? Besides, he had just argued with his mother and so he couldn’t ask for her help.
The more Tao Qi thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He actually began to cry with large droplets of tears rolling down his cheeks.
Tan Rou blinked and felt a little embarrassed. This little brat was too easily teased. Why was he crying?
Tao Qi cried harder and harder and began to sob. Tan Rou frowned and reached out to pinch Tao Qi’s mouth. She coaxed him, “Alright, stop crying. You don’t want to alarm mom and dad, right?”
Tao Qi’s vision was hazy as his eyes were covered with tears. Tan Rou was pinching his cheeks and now he was like a little bun with his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to bite Tan Rou to death.
Tan Rou laughed, thinking that Tao Qi was quite cute after he had shut his mouth.
Then, Tan Rou asked again, “You haven’t had your fill, have you? I’ll make you some food, what do you think about that?”
Tao Qi stopped sobbing and looked at tan Rou in a daze. This woman was going to cook for him? Was she trying to poison him? Besides, he didn’t care about her cooking. It must be terrible!
Tao Qi showed great reluctance and began to struggle.
Tan Rou was not in a hurry and patiently guided him. “Do you want to go back to your room starving and let your poor stomach growl all night or do you want some hot food? If I were you, I’d make a smarter decision. If you continue to starve, how would you have the energy to fight me?”
As she said this, Tao Qi’s stomach just happened to grumble again. These snacks weren’t enough to fill up his stomach. Plus, he didn’t get to eat much before he got caught by Tan Rou.
Tan Rou chuckled. “Don’t worry. The poison won’t kill you. You should stop your stomach from growling. If you really don’t want to, then there’s nothing I can do. Anyway, you’re the one who’s hungry. I’m happy to be free from here so that I can go back to my room and play.”
Tao Qi’s rebellious heart was aroused.
It was Tan Rou who had caused him to skip dinner. Why was she allowed to go back to her room to play when he was starving?!
He had to torment her! He would pick on her till he was satisfied. He did not want to admit that he was actually feeling hungry.
Tan Rou saw that Tao Qi was wavering and smiled smugly. “Promise me that you will stop crying and keep quiet. Nod your head if you can do so.”
Tao Qi rolled his eyes at Tan Rou but he still nodded in dissatisfaction.
Chapter 104 The temptation of delicacies
Tan Rou smiled and let go of Tao Qi. She turned around and turned on a small yellow light. Then, she went to the refrigerator to find ingredients and cook for Tao Qi.
Tao Qi looked coldly at Tan Rou being busy and snorted in his heart. He wanted to see what this bad woman could do. She must be flustered and the food she would make must be terrible, right? He was going to laugh at her later!
Tao Qi sat at the table, waiting to see Tan Rou make a fool of herself.
For a moment, the siblings strangely maintained a certain kind of peaceful atmosphere. Only Tan Rou’s deliberate gentle movements could be heard.
Tan Rou lowered her eyes and seriously prepared dinner for Tao Qi.
She vaguely remembered that Tao Qi was a typical meat lover. So, she heated up a small bowl of the red braised meat that his mother had carefully prepared for him that night. She also made a few chicken wings for him. She was afraid that it would be unhealthy for him to eat too much meat at night and added a dish of green vegetables.
Tan Rou was focused and seemed particularly gentle while cooking. The dim yellow light shone on Tan Rou and the small kitchen gave off a warm feeling.
Tao Qi had been watching coldly from the side, but as he watched, he was unconsciously attracted by Tan Rou’s orderly actions. Tan Rou cut and fried the vegetables unhurriedly and soon the fragrance of vegetables wafted into Tao Qi’s nose.
Tao Qi looked at Tan Rou’s gentle side profile. For some reason, he suddenly remembered how his mother had cooked for him so gently when he was a child. He felt warm for a moment and even thought that Tan Rou was beautiful.
Realizing this thought, Tao Qi quickly shook his head and despised himself in his heart.
Was he crazy? He actually thought that this bad woman was beautiful and gentle? She had just mocked and threatened him.
He must be so hungry that he was hallucinating! He would not be bribed so easily!
However, Tao Qi’s insistence wasn’t as firm as he thought because not long after, when Tan Rou placed the dishes on the table that looked, smelled, and tasted good, Tao Qi’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Tan Rou smiled and thought to herself, ‘as the saying goes, in order to capture a man’s heart, you’d have to capture his stomach first’. Although this saying didn’t fit her ten-year-old brother, it was still true. For a foodie like him, it would be difficult for him to refuse such delicacies placed before him.
Tao Qi looked at the glistening chicken wings. He blinked several times and couldn’t help but gulp.
Tao Qi realised that he had lost his composure but he pretended to be calm and snorted coldly. “You only made three dishes after doing so much work and mom was the one who made one of them. I thought you were very capable!!”
Tan Rou wasn’t angry with him and asked with a smile, “It’s late at night. Do you still expect me to prepare an Imperial Feast for you? How much love do you think I have for you?”
Tao Qi was at a loss. He hugged his arms and refused to move his chopsticks.
Tan Rou sneered, “You’re not a big size boy but you have a big appetite. It’s fine if you don’t want to eat, I’ll just take it as supper for myself!”
Then, Tan Rou lifted her chopsticks and sat down opposite Tao Qi. She raised her hand and was about to pick up a piece of chicken wing.
Tao Qi couldn’t hold it in any longer. He watched as Tan Rou picked up the chicken wing he had been looking forward to the most. Afraid that tan Rou would finish it, Tao Qi quickly stopped her. “Didn’t you already have dinner? Be careful or you’ll die of obesity! Isn’t this all done for me?!”
Tan Rou pouted and put down the chicken wing. “Then, you should eat them!”
Seeing Tao Qi pick up the chicken wing with his chopsticks awkwardly, Tan Rou laughed. It was better to goad him into action when dealing with kids like Tao Qi himself.
Tao Qi ate the chicken wing with dissatisfaction. He had already decided to eat one piece to express his disdain and then he would laugh at Tan Rou.
However, he didn’t expect that the moment he took a bite, his eyes widened with shock and there were even stars in his eyes.
Tao Qi ate a few more mouthfuls in surprise and he couldn’t stop.
Cola Chicken Wings were a common family dish but the ones that Tan Rou made were the best Tao Qi had ever eaten! The meat was fresh and tender, and with every bite, it was as if there was a burst of juice in his mouth. It was sweet, especially in line with Tao Qi’s taste.
Tao Qi shamelessly ate a few pieces in a row. In the end, he simply picked up the chicken wing with his hand and devoured it carefully. He quickly finished the entire plate and Tao Qi even sucked the juice on his finger as if he hadn’t had enough.
Tan Rou looked at the satisfied Tao Qi and teased him. “What do you think? Do you like it?”
Tao Qi blushed and nodded arrogantly. “I guess so. I can still swallow them.” However, the truth was that he was why Tan Rou had only made this much. He hadn’t had enough yet!
Chapter 105 Forum competition
Tan Rou didn’t expose Tao Qi’s arrogance. Instead, she pointed to the vegetables at the side. “Don’t just focus on the meat dishes. Have some vegetables as well.”
Tao Qi shook his head in resistance. “I don’t like to eat them!”
Tan Rou didn’t force him and just said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter to me. I just heard that if you only eat meat and not vegetables, you’ll get a lot fatter. When that happens, you’ll become a small meatball, and you won’t be able to beat me. That’s good news to me! Don’t eat any of it okay?!”
Tao Qi’s eyes widened in suspicion and he subconsciously retorted, “That’s impossible! I exercise every day!”
Tan Rou shrugged her shoulders. “It’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”
Tao Qi thought for a moment and finally picked up the vegetable with a look of disgust and took a bite, thinking, ‘I’m doing this to defeat this bad woman, so it’s nothing to sacrifice a little.’
However, when the vegetables entered his mouth, Tao Qi didn’t feel so resistant towards it. Tao Qi had always been resistant to eating vegetables and no matter what anyone said, it wouldn’t work. But at this time, he unexpectedly tasted the fragrance of the vegetables. It didn’t have the taste that Tao Qi hated at all. Instead, it was refreshing and the greasiness from eating all that meat went missing.
Tao Qi’s wrinkled little face slowly calmed down. After a few bites, he no longer despised it as much as before.
Tan Rou chuckled. “See, you’re quite cute when you’re being obedient. Why do you have to turn yourself into a little hedgehog?”
Tao Qi flew into a rage from embarrassment and quickly put on an attitude that he was against Tan Rou. “It’s only towards you!”
Tan Rou nodded. “Okay, you can continue doing that to me.”
Tao Qi narrowed his eyes. After eating, he had the energy to talk back to Tan Rou. “Don’t think that you can bribe me with such a simple meal. I don’t care how you please the others. Those tricks are useless against Me! I’ll drive you out sooner or later!”
Tan Rou didn’t care about it at all. She even wanted to laugh. “Sure, I’ll wait and watch how you kick me out. Little master, are you full now? If you are, don’t hang around in front of me. We don’t like each other anyway, so let’s go back to our rooms and do our own things!”
Tao Qi glared at tan Rou, unconvinced. “Don’t treat me like a child! I’m not as useless as you, with my mind only into games. I still have to go back to my room to participate in the forum competition!”
Tan Rou got up and brought Tao Qi a glass of milk. She was getting interested. You’re still participating in those competitions?”
Tao Qi took a sip of milk and licked the milk stains on his lips. He puffed up his chest and said, “Of course, it’s held overseas. Due to the time difference, it would be held at night. I’m participating in the adult group.”
Tan Rou nodded. “You’re a smart boy.”
Tao Qi felt that he had made Tan Rou look at him in a new light, and he was even more proud. He sat on his chair and finished his milk happily.
Tan Rou quickly cleaned the tableware, washed it, and placed it neatly. Then, she took the initiative to ask, “Then can I watch? I haven’t seen these competitions before.”
Tao Qi glanced at tan Rou and nodded in agreement. He thought that it was a good time to show Tan Rou how good he was, so she wouldn’t dare to treat him like a child and deceive him in the future.
He had already heard from Sister Jingjing that Tan Rou was an ignorant and incompetent idiot. She would definitely be shocked by his intelligence and wisdom!
Thus, the siblings left the kitchen and went to Tao Qi’s room.
Tao Qi didn’t forget to remind her about the rules. “You’re never allowed to enter my room. Tonight is just a special occasion. You’re not allowed to touch my things!” As he spoke, his expression was fierce. Little did he know that in Tan Rou’s eyes, he was no different from a kitten baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. He was indeed a cute boy.
However, Tan Rou still nodded in agreement.
Tao Qi was finally satisfied. He sat at his desk and turned on his computer, then logged into the forum he had mentioned.
Tan Rou, who was sitting by his side, glanced at it and raised her eyebrows. She knew about this forum. To put it bluntly, she had had enough fun on it and didn’t continue playing on it. However, it was not bad for Tao Qi to have come into contact with it at his age.
Tan Rou didn’t say anything but quietly watched Tao Qi playing in the competition.
In the beginning, Tao Qi had a smooth game. His IQ was much higher than children his age and he could even do the same test paper as the outstanding adults in the forum.
But gradually, the questions became more and more difficult, and Tao Qi began to struggle.
These questions were from all over the place and contained the core knowledge of various academic fields. The scope was extremely wide, and the difficulty of it was at a professional level. No matter how high Tao Qi’s IQ was, he couldn’t help but be a little confused at this moment.
The questions became more obscure and difficult to understand towards the end. Tao Qi was getting anxious.
Moreover, Tan Rou was sitting right next to him, which made Tao Qi even more nervous. He didn’t want to lose face in front of Tan Rou. His thoughts were in a mess, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Chapter 106 A wager
Tan Rou didn’t want to interrupt at first. If she told Tao Qi the answer, what was the difference between that and helping him cheat?
But looking at Tao Qi’s anxious expression, Tan Rou couldn’t bear to see him like this. These questions were indeed too difficult for Tao Qi at such a young age. It was already not easy for him to answer the questions initially. It had exceeded Tan Rou’s expectations.
Therefore, when Tan Rou saw that Tao Qi had spent five or six minutes on the same question and that three pieces of paper were filled with calculations, she couldn’t help but say, “What you’re calculating now is actually a little tricky. It would be best if you focused on the second half of the equation. Pick A as your answer.”
Tao Qi snorted coldly and stubbornly continued calculating. He didn’t even bother to look up. “Don’t disturb me.”
Tao Qi didn’t believe Tan Rou’s words at all. What did she know? She even deliberately said nonsense to disturb him. Sister Jingjing didn’t know these questions, so how could this bad woman know?
In the end, Tao Qi chose C according to his own calculations and hurriedly answered the next question.
Tan Rou saw that Tao Qi didn’t believe her, so she didn’t give him any more hints. She silently watched Tao Qi choose the wrong answers one by one, thinking that this brat better not cry after the entire thing was over.
When the time was up, Tao Qi answered the last question in the last second and hurriedly turned in his paper. Then, he collapsed in his chair, panting. He had answered the questions for half an hour, but it felt like he had run a marathon sitting in his chair. It had consumed a lot of his physical and mental strength.
Tao Qi sighed silently. As expected of an authoritative forum competition. He had admired it for a long time and always wanted to try it. It didn’t let him down. This was definitely something challenging for him.
The system would automatically determine the scores in the competition. Although Tao Qi was mentally prepared, he still hung his head in low spirits when he saw the score that he hadn’t passed.
Tan Rou smiled. She felt that Tao Qi was like a dejected little rabbit at this moment. He no longer bared his fangs or brandished his claws, and even his ears drooped down.
“You’re already perfect,” Tan Rou comforted him from the bottom of her heart. “You’re only ten years old, after all.”
Tao Qi pouted, and his eyes were a little wet, but he still looked at tan Rou stubbornly. “It’s good that you know that. It’s already surprising that I have such results. I’m even better than some of the adults.”
Tan Rou nodded and looked at Tao Qi with a smile, her eyes full of admiration.
Tao Qi was a little embarrassed from being stared at. This bad woman didn’t take the opportunity to tease him. It was good that she actually has some taste in men!
After the scores were announced, the correct answers were revealed as well. Tao Qi hurriedly checked and found that he had missed many questions and correct answers in a flash. He sighed in heartache.
Tan Rou didn’t see the answer, but she was confident. She wanted to wear down Tao Qi’s hostility toward her on this matter, so she took the initiative to ask, “Look at question 2. What’s the correct answer?”
The twentieth question was the one that Tan Rou tried to help him with.
Tao Qi’s answer was indeed wrong. He opened the correct answer with doubt and found that it was A, like what Tan Rou said.
Tao Qi didn’t believe it. It must have been a lucky guess!
He didn’t even know how to solve this question, and the forum showed that the error rate was as high as 7%. How could Tan Rou solve this kind of question?
Looking at Tao Qi’s suspicious eyes, Tan Rou raised her eyebrows. She got up, walked forward, and asked Tao Qi directly, “Let me do it once. Do you believe I can get everything right?”
Tao Qi’s eyes widened, and his face was full of disdain. He hated tan Rou even more. “Do you think this is the school’s final exam? You can’t even get full marks on that kind of paper, and you dare to insult the competition! It’s currently the most difficult one in the world.”
Tan Rou smiled confidently, “Then, let’s bet on it. You’ll agree to one of my requests if I get everything right. I’ll leave the Tao family if I don’t get everything right. Isn’t that what you want?”
Tao Qi angrily threw the mouse to Tan Rou and sat to the side.
‘Hmph, this bad woman is overestimating herself. That’s a good thing! He would not be soft-hearted just because she had prepared a meal for him. When the results get released, he will definitely kick her out of this house!
Tao Qi didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually a little reluctant to part with Tan Rou because of the dinner just now.
However, Tao Qi forced himself to ignore that little reluctance and waited for Tan Rou to fail.
‘Hmph, I didn’t expect this bad woman to be so harsh! I didn’t even have a chance to refute her. That’s it! I’ll take the opportunity to make her leave, and I won’t argue with her anymore!’
Chapter 107 You can worship me now
Tan Rou smiled and calmly sat in front of the table. She opened another test paper and started to attempt it. To be fair, Tan Rou even took out her phone to start a timer and placed it at the corner of the table.
Tao Qi squinted, waiting to see Tan Rou’s flustered in an ugly state.
Tao Qi laughed coldly. When this bad woman was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat, he would be kind enough to comfort her. She would definitely be embarrassed. How dare she look down on him? He couldn’t even pass the test. Did she think this was some ordinary test? It was stupid of her to suggest something like this.
Tan Rou felt Tao Qi’s malice. He was so proud that he felt that she was overestimating herself and challenging his intelligence, so it was inevitable that he would be angry.
Tan Rou didn’t care about him. If he was angry now, she would make him kneel down on one knee and sing his praise toward her later.
Tan Rou started to answer the questions on her own. Not only was she not flustered, she even seemed calm.
Tan Rou’s eyes darted across the question quickly and her eyes moved slightly. However, she did not pick up a pen to write on the rough paper. She chose the answer only by using her mental calculation. The whole process only took a few breaths, and it was smooth and natural. Occasionally, one could see her fingers waving gently in the air to assist in the mental calculation.
At first, Tao Qi couldn’t even hold back and snorted coldly. He didn’t believe that Tan Rou was doing the questions properly at all. He had written half a book on his paper, which showed how much calculation he had used. Tan Rou must have felt embarrassed and couldn’t write anything, but she was still acting mysterious. It was simply ridiculous.
However, as Tan Rou’s speed became faster and faster, the speed of her fingertips also dazzled him. Tao Qi gradually realized that Tan Rou wasn’t pretending but she had a unique set of calculations in her mind. The more Tao Qi looked at her, the more fascinated he felt. He started becoming serious, trying to find a clue from Tan Rou’s calculations.
Tan Rou was sometimes confident and calm. She would be frowning sometimes and deep in thought, but she always maintained a super high answering speed. She didn’t drag things out. The second she pressed the answer, she was steady, accurate, and ruthless. The certainty and confidence she exuded deeply infected Tao Qi.
Tao Qi wasn’t an ordinary child either. Although he didn’t pass the first test, he had a certain level of skill. Naturally, he gradually realized that tan Rou wasn’t just randomly answering. At least she had correctly answered all the questions that he knew how to answer.
Although Tan Rou had been watching him just now, there were so many of them. It was impossible for Tan Rou to clearly remember the answers for each one and even match them. All of this was too strange. Tao Qi’s nervous brows furrowed, and he secretly felt that things weren’t as simple as he thought it was.
Finally, after fifteen minutes, Tan Rou finished the last question. She clicked the mouse and turned in the paper, half the time needed by Tao Qi.
Tan Rou didn’t pant or sweat like Tao Qi after finishing the questions. She was still very calm, as if those questions weren’t even enough to fill the gaps between her teeth. It was as if she was just doing it for Tao Qi’s entertainment.
Tao Qi felt uneasy. He really didn’t believe that Tan Rou had such abilities but now he wasn’t so sure. “No way! It can’t be!”
Tan Rou had decided to broaden her brother’s horizons. Ignoring the agitated Tao Qi, she opened the rating system and began to calculate the score.
The system automatically judged the score, and it only took a while. Tan Rou didn’t care at all because she knew her own level. If she could get these wrong, her entire life would have been a waste.
Tan Rou had accidentally discovered this forum when she was abroad. Back then, the forum wasn’t famous and it was only for professionals to entertain themselves and use their best skills to compete with others.
Tan Rou had already passed the test in her spare time. Now that she was doing the questions again, Tan Rou even felt that she had regressed. It was probably because she wanted to accommodate more people. It was not as fun as before.
Tan Rou was very confident, but Tao Qi was even more nervous than when he was checking his own scores. He stared at the computer screen without blinking, afraid that he couldn’t see clearly.
Very quickly, the score appeared on the computer screen. It was a bright “1,” which stunned Tao Qi so much that he almost lost his ability to think.
Tan Rou glanced at the computer screen and didn’t feel anything. Instead, she turned to Tao Qi and said with a smile, “Look at your silly face. You should close your mouth, you’re almost drooling! You can worship me to your heart’s content now.”
Tao Qi blinked. Afraid that his eyes were playing tricks on him, he rubbed his eyes and took a closer look. It was a hundred! She answered all of them correctly!
Chapter 108 If you're willing to bet, you must admit your loss
Tao Qi looked at the computer screen in disbelief, then at Tan Rou. His mouth was wide open, and he didn’t know what to say.
Tao Qi couldn’t believe it but he had no other choice. Tan Rou answered the questions right in front of him. It was impossible for her to cheat. Besides, she only used 15 minutes. There was no time to cheat!
Tao Qi didn’t believe it. He pounced forward again and carefully checked the answers to every question again. They were all correct! The system also didn’t malfunction. In such an authoritative forum, the system couldn’t possibly allow Tan Rou to cheat alone.
Tao Qi looked at Tan Rou in a daze. His mind was in a mess, and he could only keep muttering, “This is impossible. How did you…..?”
As Tao Qi thought about it, he held his head in his hands, as if he couldn’t accept this fact. He kept repeating, “This shouldn’t happen. It was impossible!”
Tan Rou shook her head and laughed. All she did was show off a small part of what she could do. She didn’t expect to give Tao Qi such a big shock, as if it had scattered his mind. It seemed that she had to take it easy. She didn’t want to scare the child and make him think that she was possessed by a demon.
However, Tao Qi’s reaction was exactly what Tan Rou wanted. She smiled mysteriously and said, “How would it be impossible? Didn’t you see it with your own eyes?”
Tao Qi’s brows furrowed, and he couldn’t figure it out. “How did you do it? Did you prepare this in advance? That would be Impossible.” Did you cheat when I wasn’t paying attention? It’s even more impossible!”
Tao Qi was so anxious that he was about to go bald.
Tan Rou raised her eyebrows smugly. It was fun to tease Tao Qi. Her smile deepened. “You don’t have to care how I did it. Anyway, I won. According to our bet, you have to promise me one thing.”
Tao Qi’s face scrunched up. No matter how much he didn’t believe it, it was the truth. He could only accept the fact that this bad woman was actually better than him. He agreed dejectedly, “Tell me what you want. Do you want me to apologize to you, or do you want me to work for you? I know you’re up to no good, but I’m willing to accept my loss.”
Although Tao Qi was a little mischievous, he was very smart.
Children who were as smart as him had their own pride, and once this pride was subdued, it would make them instinctively want to be stronger
Although Tao Qi didn’t like Tan Rou and wanted to kick her out of the Tao family, Tan Rou was indeed better than him now. He couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration.
Tao Qi was frightened by Tan Rou. He had always regarded Tan Rou as an uneducated and incompetent waste. He felt that the difference between her and Sister Jingjing was like heaven and earth.
However, reality slapped Tao Qi in the face, forcing him to face this bad woman. She was far more powerful than he thought.
It was a famous demonic forum. Countless international elites discussed academic matters and answered questions on the forum. The questions this time were also an assessment. Only those who passed the assessment would be able to obtain a higher level of authority and come into contact with even smarter people from all over the world.
However, Tan Rou easily got a full score. Was this a coincidence? Was it a fluke? Or an unfathomable ability?
Tao Qi didn’t dare to think too much. In the end, he had lost and was convinced, so he obediently waited for Tan Rou to make things difficult for him.
Tan Rou smiled and patted Tao Qi’s head. “Why would I want you to be my slave? What can you do for me?”
Tao Qi’s face turned red in shame. He could only argue in a low voice, “Then, what do you want me to do? ”
Tan Rou smiled evilly, her hand still on Tao Qi’s furry head. She bent down and looked at him. “First of all, we have to keep what happened tonight a secret. I won’t tell anyone that you lost to me, and you can’t go around telling everyone that I scored full marks on this assessment. I have my own set of skills, but I don’t want anyone to know about it yet. Can you do that?”
Tao Qi didn’t expect Tan Rou to make such a request. He didn’t pass the test and even lost to this bad woman, so of course he didn’t want others to know. He was worried that this woman would show off to everyone and laugh at him, but he didn’t expect her to make this request!
Tao Qi’s heart leaped with joy, and he proudly agreed. “No problem. Are you sure this is your request?”
Tan Rou nodded. “Remember, you have to keep it from everyone, including your dear Sister Jingjing.”
Tao Qi frowned, not understanding what Tan Rou was up to. What did this have to do with Sister Jingjing? This bad woman was smart but she didn’t want anything. It was really strange!
Tao Qi couldn’t figure it out, but he had lost, he naturally couldn’t haggle over it. He nodded. “I’m a man. I have already given you my word. I won’t be telling anyone about this.”
Chapter 109 Call her sister
Tan Rou smiled with satisfaction and continued, “Alright, I’ll move on to the second request.”
Tao Qi hurriedly interrupted him. “You only have one request! Why is there a second one?! You’re cheating!”
Tan Rou pretended to be disappointed and sighed. “I wanted to help you with a few of the questions that you couldn’t answer as a reward and make another small request. I didn’t expect you to be so unwilling to learn more things. Forget it then, let those problems stay there and keep your grades to yourself!”
These words immediately hit Tao Qi’s sore spot. He naturally wanted to know how to solve those questions. If he didn’t have a strong desire for knowledge, Tao Qi wouldn’t have found this forum at such a young age.
There were only answers in the test paper, no analysis. If he wanted to understand it, he had to rely on his own research but Tan Rou, who had scored full marks, was like a living Encyclopaedia standing in front of Tao Qi.
Tao Qi hesitated for a moment, but he still couldn’t hold back. “Then … I’ll agree to one more condition, but are you sure that you are going to teach me?”
Tan Rou’s eyes narrowed. “It’s true.”
Tao Qi felt like he was signing an agreement that was humiliating the country. He backed down again and again, but he really wanted to figure out how those questions were solved.
Thus, Tao Qi nodded his head in vain. “Fine!” He looked so sad as if he had betrayed himself to Tan Rou. He complained in his heart. He knew that this bad woman wouldn’t let him off so easily. She made a strange small request and then continued to seduce him. This time, she was definitely going to make things difficult for him!
Sure enough, Tan Rou smiled like a little fox. She raised her eyebrows with a smirk. “You’d have to call me your sister!”
Tao Qi jerked his head up, his eyes wide. “What? That was impossible! I will never acknowledge you as my sister!”
Tan Rou shrugged her shoulders. “No one forced you to admit it. I just wanted you to call me sister. If you don’t want to, then forget it. Sigh, it’s a pity that I’m doing this out of good intentions. That’s right, those questions are too difficult for you. It’s fine if you don’t want to learn them!”
Tao Qi stomped his feet anxiously, glared at Tan Rou. Then, he turned to look at his laptop, feeling conflicted.
Tan Rou pretended to walk out of the room. Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, she heard Tao Qi’s sobbing voice behind her. “I’ll agree to it! I will call you my sister!”
Tan Rou calmly turned around and didn’t say anything. She only raised her chin, indicating for Tao Qi to address her as his sister.
Tao Qi’s eyes reddened as he cursed himself for being so disappointing. He had lost to Tan Rou and was even tempted by her conditions. He had let Sister Jingjing down. This was a betrayal!
The young boy was pure hearted. He was sad about his decision for a long time before he took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. “Big sister.”
Tan Rou snorted in dissatisfaction. “Is that all you’ve got? I can’t hear anything at all, it’s like the sound of a mosquito.”
Tao Qi looked aggrieved and ashamed. He secretly swore that although he called Tan Rou “big sister,” he would never admit that this cunning and evil woman was his big sister!
It was just a form of address. He wanted to learn more skills so that he could defeat her in the future! It’s no big deal!
Tao Qi gritted his teeth and stomped his feet. He clenched his fists and shouted, “Big sister!” After shouting that, she didn’t dare to open her eyes. He looked heartbroken and pouted his little mouth, wanting to cry but there were no tears.
Tan Rou laughed and agreed, “I’m here! Hahaha!”
Tao Qi couldn’t take it anymore. He jogged to the bed and hid himself under the blanket. He shouted, “Don’t go too far! Stop laughing! Get out!”
Tan Rou wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded in satisfaction. “Okay, I won’t laugh anymore.”
Afraid that she would push Tao Qi too far, Yan Rou knew when to stop. She cleared her throat and said, “Next time, I’ll come to explain questions to you at night. You should rest early, my good brother.” After saying that, she left the room in a flash.
As soon as Tan Rou closed the door, she heard a pillow-like object smash against the door, accompanied by Tao Qi’s scream.
Tan Rou shook her head and laughed. She, the bad woman, had won the first episode of the battle of wits against her brother. Tonight could be said to be fruitful!
After such a long time, the sky was already dark. Tan Rou returned to her room, picked up the spices that she hadn’t finished before dinner, and continued to work.
Whether it was the true identity of the Tao family or Tan Jing using Tao Qi to deal with her, all of these were already happening quietly. Tan Rou understood that all she could do was to maintain on her original path and not be affected by other factors.
Chapter 110 Bloodline suppression
After spending one night with Tao Qi, it made Tan Rou’s originally restless heart turn calm. Compared to her previous life, Tao Qi had let down his guard against her and the improvement in their relationship was obvious.
As long as she gave a little guidance, she would definitely be able to break the image that Tan Jing had set for Tao Qi and everything would head in the right direction.
Tan Rou calmed down and made some more herbs before putting them away and going back to bed.
The next morning, Mrs. Tao got up to prepare breakfast for the family. Since Tan Rou had to go to school, she had to have breakfast.
When Mrs. Tao arrived at the kitchen, she could tell that someone used it the night before. She was a little confused. Tao Zheng didn’t know how to cook. If her husband got hungry, he would tell her. Who could have used the kitchen?
Tao Qi was young and wouldn’t know how to cook himself. Could it be Xiao Rou? Mrs. Tao was suspicious. She thought that Tan Rou must have been hungry again since she didn’t eat well after what happened at the dinner table yesterday.
Mrs. Tao’s heart ached even more at the thought. Although Tan Rou didn’t say anything, she was probably upset. After all, she was rejected by her brother as soon as he came home. How could she not overthink it?
Mrs. Tao sighed. She felt that she couldn’t dote on Tao Qi anymore this time. He had to learn to respect Tan Rou, his big sister.
Mrs. Tao deftly prepared an even more sumptuous breakfast for Tan Rou, feeling sorry for her.
When the time came, Father Tao, Tao Zheng, and Tan Rou all washed up and went downstairs. They sat at the dining table and Father Tao looked around. “Where’s Tao Qi?”
Mrs. Tao was still angry. “Don’t bother about him. Just let that brat starve!”
Father Tao looked at Mother Tao’s expression and didn’t dare to mention it again, thinking that it would be good to teach Tao Qi a lesson.
Tan Rou thought for a moment and suggested, “I’ll wake him up!”
Tao Zheng got up worriedly. “Forget it. He has a bad temper, especially early in the morning . If you go, you might get bullied by his ugly temper. I’ll go instead.” Tao Zheng was worried that Tao Qi would use his morning temper to scold Tan Rou, which would put the family in a bad mood early in the morning.
“That’s right, Xiao Rou,” Mrs. Tao chimed in. “He’s throwing a tantrum. You don’t have to worry about him. Let your brother do it.”
Tan Rou smiled. “It’s fine. We’re a family living under the same roof now. I can’t always avoid him. Don’t worry, he’ll be obedient this time.”
With that, Tan Rou headed upstairs.
Mother Tao and Tao Zheng looked worried. They wondered why Tan Rou was so sure that Tao Qi would be obedient this time. If they ended up in an unpleasant situation again, Xiao Rou would be sad.
Mother Tao even made up her mind that Tao Qi had better work harder this time. If he threw a tantrum again, she would pack him luggage and send him back to the school!
Mr. Tao, on the other hand, calmly raised his eyebrows. He thought about his conversation with Tan Rou last night and felt that something must have happened for Tan Rou to be so confident.
Tan Rou came to Tao Qi’s room and knocked on the door. Tao Qi thought it was his mother or brother who came to wake him up, so he shouted, “I don’t want to get up! I’m not eating breakfast!”
“Not eating breakfast will affect your mental development. It will also affect our growth.”
Inside the room, Tao Qi was still lazily curled up in his bed, but when he heard Tan Rou’s voice, he sat up from the bed and stared at the door with deep hatred.
Tan Rou heard the commotion inside and smiled. “I’ll give you two minutes. Come down quickly or I’ll come in and catch you.”
Tao Qi pulled at his hair angrily, but still didn’t want to answer.
Tan Rou didn’t force him. After she finished speaking, she turned around and left.
Tao Qi sat on the bed and thought about it. He didn’t want to be so obedient toward Tan Rou, but ever since he called Tan Rou “sister” last night, he felt very uncomfortable.
In terms of strength, he couldn’t even move when Tan Rou had just gently picked him up at the collar. In terms of intelligence, she could answer so many profound questions correctly. No matter how he thought about it, Tao Qi felt that he was no match for Tan Rou.
No matter how stubborn Tao Qi was, he had to admit that he was a little convinced by Tan Rou now.
Tao Qi didn’t know that since ancient times, as a younger brother, he had an innate fear of his elder sister. This was the complete awakening of the bloodline suppression that belonged to his elder sister.
Tao Qi got out of bed unwillingly and washed up as fast as he could, but he was subconsciously hit by the two-minute limit set by Tan Rou. He lowered his head and jogged downstairs.No matter what happened, she just had to face it calmly.