The Tycoon's Enchanted Mermaid

“Your last name will be Qin. From now on, you will be part of the Qin Family.”

And you will be mine.

Ah Da stared at him blankly, her small brain working quickly, and finally, with her eyes wide in surprise and slight hesitation, she asked, “Do you… want me to be your daughter?”

Qin Yu: “…”

Third Young Master, a commanding presence in the business world of Capital City and untouchable taboo for many, was always steady and cool-headed, almost demonically clever. Yet now, his stern face cracked at the light question from the little girl.

“That’s not okay, not okay, I can’t be your daughter.” Ah Da’s head shook like a rattle drum. She was over a thousand years old; how could she become the daughter of Qin Yu who appeared to be only in his twenties? She couldn’t take such advantage of him.

That would be dishonorable.

Ah Da softly said, “Let’s pick another.”

Qin Yu was silent for a long time, finally sighing, “Alright, another it is. Whatever you want.”

Ah Da noticed Qin Yu didn’t seem to want to talk, his brows furrowed, guessing she might have refused too abruptly, too hurtful to his feelings. She quickly grabbed his hand to make amends.

“Qing Dai would be fine, not taking the surname Qin. You just mentioned that name,” she thought, at least keeping the ‘Dai’ from her own name.

Qin Yu looked at her and smiled, “Are you sure?”

He could no longer understand this little girl’s way of thinking. To say she was naive, yet she knew some things, not much, just scraps, probably about half-baked.

“Uh-huh, I’m sure.” Ah Da was innocently cheerful, smiling shyly and sweetly, “I think Qing Dai sounds pretty.”

What mattered most was Bronze Sword was called Qingtong; she would be Qing Dai, sounding just like a family.

Creating an identity card for Ah Da was a spontaneous idea for Qin Yu, perhaps stemming from that warm embrace just now, making him want to truly treat Ah Da as a normal person.

The name Qing Dai, derived from the first impression she gave to Qin Yu, was misty and mysterious, clear as mountain water after rain, a natural beauty unadulterated by any impurities.

As for the surname Qin, it slipped out unconsciously, even surprising himself. Upon reflection, it seemed inappropriate.

Qin Yu told Ah Da, “Regarding the surname, think about it tonight, and give me your answer tomorrow.”

Inside, Ah Da didn’t want to share Qin Yu’s surname, not only because she was over a thousand years older than him, but also because she knew only relatives shared a surname, and she and Qin Yu were not relatives, at most they could only be considered friends.

Or maybe, a benefactor.

“I want to be like Bronze Sword,” Ah Da said softly.

The little girl still kneeled, her demeanor timid and no longer as bold as before, her pearly teeth biting her tender lower lip, her black hair like silk cascading around her delicate shoulders, making her look even more fragile and pitiful.

It seemed as if she might cry at any moment if he didn’t agree. She was somewhat too teary.

“That’s fine,” Qin Yu said.

Hearing this, Ah Da brightened with a light smile, showing off her cute little white teeth, her eyes curving into crescent moons. She suddenly got up, saying as she climbed out of bed,

“Wait for me, Qin Yu. I’ll be right back.”

Calling him by his name so informally, Qin Yu thought to himself with an indulgent look, his eyes intently following Ah Da’s figure.

She had just approached the incense burner when her body swiftly transformed into a wisp of blue smoke, curling and spiraling through the intricate gaps; this was Qin Yu’s first time seeing Ah Da enter the incense burner.

Ah Da ran back into the incense burner space, digging out the Luminous Pearl she had initially wanted to give to Qin Yu and hurriedly grabbed a few large pearls, flustered as she rushed out of the incense burner.

After landing on her feet, she scampered toward Qin Yu in her cotton slippers, her long hair and skirt fluttering like a little butterfly.

Qin Yu instinctively reached out to catch her.

Ah Da haphazardly stuffed the Luminous Pearl and pearls into his arms, “I’m giving you this Luminous Pearl, hoping it can protect you from nightmares and keep you healthy and happy.”

With one hand, Qin Yu supported her waist to prevent her from falling off the bed, while his other hand picked up the huge Luminous Pearl. The Luminous Pearl was entirely black, heavy, and felt very different from ordinary glass beads, somewhat resembling the texture of jade.

Ah Da leaned on Qin Yu’s shoulders, her creamy skin and cherry lips framing a pair of pitifully large eyes. Even as she tried to muster an imposing aura to threaten him, there was not a hint of intimidation.

“You rejected it last time, but this time you are not allowed to refuse. If you don’t want me to give it, then consider it payment for the phone and the ID card. If you don’t accept it, I’ll feel uneasy.”@@novelbin@@

After saying this, Ah Da stared at him with furrowed eyebrows.

Qin Yu leaned against the head of the bed, his eyes half-closed and seemingly indifferent. Only after enjoying her anxious and annoyed expression did he casually speak, “Alright.”

Ah Da’s tense heart immediately relaxed. She really feared Qin Yu wouldn’t accept it. Starting with the initial incense burner unsealing, then kindly letting her stay here, helping her and Su Qingtong with their troubles yesterday, and even buying her a phone and handling her ID, Ah Da always felt greatly indebted to him.

Giving away the Luminous Pearl eased her guilt slightly.

Qin Yu suddenly asked, “Did you enjoy today?”

“Ah?” Ah Da didn’t know why Qin Yu would ask this, but she honestly replied, “Yes, it was fun. I saw so many people, and even the Bronze Sword. I didn’t expect to have such a fate with her.”

Ah Da was happily recalling her day when suddenly her waist tightened, and the soft flesh was pinched, making her fair little face scrunch up instantly.

Qin Yu’s handsome face remained expressionless, only his hand on the side of the girl’s waist squeezed a bit harder, easily taking her slim waist in his palm, his dark eyes staring at her, his voice deep.

“Is that so? You seemed very happy to see her, huh?”

Despite the flat tone of his words, Ah Da sensed his displeasure, puzzled as to why he was unhappy given that he had just accepted the Luminous Pearl and pearls.

He was so unpredictable, moody.

“Do you get unhappy seeing me?”

Ah Da, unable to pry his hand off with both of hers, tears started fogging up in her eyes, her tone growing more aggrieved as she softly pleaded, “No, I’m also happy to see you.”

Qin Yu responded indifferently, “Is that so?”

Letting go of her small waist, his fingers moved upwards, caressing her soft cheek, his dangerous, deep-set eyes locking on her, “You’re lying, you’re about to cry.”

Ah Da was full of grievances; clearly, it was his pinching that made her want to cry. He was always flip-flopping between kindness and cruelty, causing her emotions to fluctuate greatly.

To Qin Yu, Ah Da was always a plaything of whim; he acted on impulse, like asking the question now without knowing what he really wanted.

Perhaps sometimes he just took pleasure in teasing her, enjoying the sight of her crestfallen face fighting back, admitting his thoughts were a bit wicked.

She was too soft everywhere, like tender tofu, always igniting in him a predatory urge, yet he restrained himself, a cycle that was addictive.

On the bed, two figures, one tall and one petite, were locked in a standoff.

The young girl pursed her lips, stubbornly remaining silent, only using her sad, resentful eyes to reproach him, Qin Yu not wanting to bully her into actually crying, loosened his fingers.

Seizing the gap, Ah Da scooted her buttocks back, turned, and hurriedly scrambled off the bed and ran back to the incense burner in a fluster.

Qin Yu suddenly chuckled lowly.