Chapter 172: Domestic Bliss

As Qiao Kongqing walked into the shopping mall in his new clothes, he immediately drew the admiring gazes of many women.

Tao Ming perked up her ears, listening to people whispering about Qiao Kongqing's striking appearance, feeling a sense of reflected glory.

Su Nanxing glanced at the mall directory and said, "Wife, there's a hair salon on the fourth floor. Let's go there first."

Tao Ming stroked Qiao Kongqing's hair. "Brother, it really is going to be cut short. Won't your heart ache?"

Qiao Kongqing smiled as he looked at Tao Ming. "It will grow back. It doesn't matter."

Hearing that they were going to get haircuts, Ruanruan and Nuonuo huddled together to whisper for a moment before speaking up in unison, "Mom, we want to go to the amusement park."

Su Nanxing handed the two little ones over to Tao Ming. "You take them to the amusement park, and I'll take Brother to get a haircut."

The group spent nearly the entire day at the mall. To expand the inventory list of her Universe Shifting ability, Tao Ming bought anything that looked even remotely useful.

Su Nanxing and Qiao Kongqing constantly carried a few bags between them, though in reality, ninety percent of the items had been slipped into Tao Ming's Universe Shifting dimension the moment others weren't looking.

As evening approached, Tao Ming's cell phone rang.

Having not heard a phone ring for so long, Tao Ming didn't react for a moment.

It rang several times before she realized someone was calling her. Pulling it out, she saw two words displayed on the screen: "Mom."

Tao Ming hurriedly answered the phone. "Mom."

"Mingming, are you back?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"I came over to tidy up your place and saw clothes hanging on the balcony."

"I just got back this morning."

"You come back without even a word. You're going to be the death of me."

"Mom, I was wrong. I'm heading home right now."

After hanging up, Tao Ming stuck out her tongue. "Let's go. We need to go back. My Mom is angry."

Qiao Kongqing was inevitably a bit confused. "What is a 'mom'?"

"A mom is a mother, the person who raised me."

When the group returned home and opened the door, they saw Tao Bansha sitting on the sofa.

Tao Ming took a couple of quick steps forward, sat down beside Tao Bansha, and hugged her. "Mom!"

Tao Bansha pretended to be angry. "You child, you come back without even giving a heads-up!"

Ruanruan and Nuonuo also pounced forward. "Grandma! We missed you so much!"

Su Nanxing walked up to Tao Bansha, separated by the coffee table, and called out nervously, "Mom."

Tao Bansha looked up at Su Nanxing and revealed a gratified smile. "From now on, I'll leave Mingming in your care."

Tao Ming didn't like hearing things like that. She pouted coquettishly and said, "Mom, I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

Tao Bansha patted the back of Tao Ming's hand. "I know, I know. My Mingming is very capable."

At this moment, Qiao Kongqing asked, "How should I address you?"

Tao Bansha looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome young man standing before her, looking at Tao Ming with gentle eyes. A shock went through her heart, and her gaze drifted involuntarily among the faces of Tao Ming and the others. She thought to herself, *Surely not? Did Mingming find another one?*

Not wanting Tao Bansha to know too much and worry herself needlessly, Tao Ming introduced them to each other. "Mom, this is the Seventh Prince, Qiao Kongqing. We are cousins. Brother, you can call her Auntie."

Tao Bansha had heard of the Seventh Prince's reputation but had never seen him before. Hearing Tao Ming's introduction, she stood up as if to bow, but Tao Ming grabbed her by the arm. "Mom, this isn't Weishui anymore. Who treats him like a prince here?"

Qiao Kongqing smiled. "Auntie, I regard Mingming as my own younger sister. From now on, you are my elder."

Tao Ming took out the items Tao Sisi had prepared and handed them to Tao Bansha. After chatting a little longer, Tao Bansha stood up and said, "Mingming, Mom is heading back first. You all come over for dinner tomorrow."

After Tao Bansha left, Tao Ming looked at the others and asked, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

The two little ones scrambled to shout out, "Burgers!"

"Fries!"

"Cola!"

The group headed out again, visiting a different shopping district and returning home close to midnight. After a quick wash, the two little ones went straight to sleep.

Tao Ming directed Su Nanxing and Qiao Kongqing to shift the coffee table aside, pull out the sofa bed, and lay out the bedding. "Brother, make do with sleeping here for a few days."

Sitting on the low sofa bed, Qiao Kongqing looked out at the night scene beyond the balcony and said, "I'm used to Weishui's schedule. I won't be able to fall asleep right away."

Tao Ming found the tablet charger and plugged it in. "If you can't sleep, just play with this."

"Alright, you guys go get some rest quickly." Qiao Kongqing swiped back and forth across the tablet screen without even raising his head.

Su Nanxing pulled Tao Ming back into the bedroom.

Out of habit, Tao Ming felt the foreheads of the two little ones. They were a little sweaty, so she unzipped their sleeping bags just a fraction before slipping under the covers.

Su Nanxing pulled Tao Ming into his arms, his hands skillfully starting to roam. "Wife, I want to try out the bed."

...

The next morning, after waking up and tidying themselves up, everyone returned to Tao Bansha's place.

As soon as Tao Ming stepped into the living room, she called out, "Dad." Li Aiguo's voice came floating out from the kitchen: "You're back? Dinner is almost ready."

Tao Ming pulled Li Aiguo out of the kitchen and pressed him down onto the sofa. Seeing the two little ones, Li Aiguo was overjoyed, repeatedly chanting, "Grandpa missed you all so much."

Ruanruan climbed onto Li Aiguo's lap. "Grandpa, are there any good things to eat?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Grandpa has already prepared them all for little Ruanruan." Li Aiguo fished an iron box out from under the coffee table and opened the lid. Inside were all kinds of snacks that Ruanruan loved.

Ruanruan slid down to the floor and beckoned Nuonuo to join her in rummaging through it.

Seeing Li Aiguo's increasingly aged face, Su Nanxing placed the gift box he had bought yesterday onto the coffee table and called out, "Dad."

Li Aiguo reproached him, "You child, why are you bringing things when coming to your own home?"

Su Nanxing smiled and replied, "Dad, this is a token of affection from me and Mingming."

Turning his head, Li Aiguo caught sight of Qiao Kongqing standing off to the side and asked, "And this is?"

Seeing Tao Bansha signaling to him, Su Nanxing quickly said, "Dad, this is my cousin. He was all alone in another city and seemed rather pitiful, so I brought him along."

*Who seems pitiful?* Qiao Kongqing thought to himself, but aloud he said, "Uncle, I'm intruding."

"What intrusion? It's only lively when there are more people." Li Aiguo stood up. "Have a seat first. Dinner will be ready in a moment."

Tao Ming accompanied Li Aiguo into the kitchen to help him out. Li Aiguo asked in a low voice, "Did you remarry Nanxing?"

"Pretty much," Tao Ming thought to herself that whether they officially remarried or not didn't seem to matter much anyway.

Seeing that Tao Ming wasn't taking it seriously, Li Aiguo admonished her, "Don't underestimate that piece of paper. Having legal binding is different."

"Dad, I'm taking Mingming to remarry this afternoon." Su Nanxing leaned against the doorframe and dropped those words.

Li Aiguo beamed with delight. "Good, good, good. You two go right after eating."

Tao Ming glared at Su Nanxing. "Did I agree to this?"

Su Nanxing flashed the ring on his finger. "Thinking of backing out now?"

"I'm just afraid *you'll* regret it. There are plenty of beauties in the world." For some inexplicable reason, Tao Ming felt a little flustered.

Su Nanxing immediately looked aggrieved. "Wife, you can't be like this. You know very well that my heart only has room for you."

Li Aiguo put on a stern face to lecture Tao Ming. "Mingming, you're almost forty. You can't be so willful anymore."

Tao Ming quickly admitted her fault. "Dad, I was wrong. I won't bicker with him anymore."

Su Nanxing was immensely pleased. "Dad, another day the two of us will go fishing together."

The family enjoyed a lively and bustling meal.

It was Qiao Kongqing's first time dining with ordinary mortals. Feeling Li Aiguo's sincere care and warmth, ripples stirred within his heart, and he felt immensely grateful to the parents who had raised Tao Ming.