Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

But she wasn't discouraged; there was plenty of time. She had already laid the groundwork and given the necessary hints. Since she hadn't been able to "win him over in one fell swoop" yet, she would first keep Luo Li calm and then slowly look for opportunities to take action later…

Thinking this, she stopped pursuing the topic, glanced at the matching couple's watch on her wrist that matched Chen Ming's, and then, as if remembering something, said to Luo Li:

"Ugh, I feel like I'm covered in alcohol, all sticky and uncomfortable. I need to take a shower first. After that, I have to hurry and prepare breakfast for the master. I wonder if the kitchen facilities in this suite are any good, and if all the seasonings are available..."

Upon hearing her best friend's words, Luo Li was immediately filled with confusion and subconsciously asked:

Do you still need to cook for yourself?

She pointed to the luxurious presidential suite, "If you want to eat anything, just call the hotel and have them deliver it. They definitely have the most professional chefs and service!"

In Luo Li's view, Han Xueyi now lives in a villa, drives luxury cars, wears luxury clothes, and receives millions in pocket money every year. She's basically synonymous with a pampered socialite who never lifts a finger. What socialite would need to cook for themselves?

This was completely different from the "canary" life she had imagined.

Han Xueyi, who had just stood up and was about to walk to the bathroom, stopped in her tracks when she heard Luo Li's question.

"You just don't understand, do you?"

Her tone carried a hint of pride and coquettishness, "I have a sister in my family who cooks incredibly well! She's even better than a chef at a five-star hotel! I've been following her around and secretly learned a few of her signature dishes! Today, I finally have the chance, without any other sisters 'stealing the credit,' so I'm determined to make a loving breakfast for my husband to try! I want him to see how much I've improved! Hehe..."

After saying that, she didn't linger and walked briskly towards the bathroom, her back view exuding joy and anticipation.

Luo Li was speechless upon hearing this, watching in astonishment as her best friend's alluring figure disappeared through the bathroom door. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "How come I never noticed before? Xueyi is such a hopeless romantic at heart! She's so thoughtful..."

At this point, Chen Ming, who was in the master bedroom, finished listening to their conversation and stopped pretending to be asleep.

He stood up nimbly, put on the clothes he had casually tossed on the chair the night before, and then calmly pushed open the door to the master bedroom and walked into the living room.

Luo Li, who was sitting on the sofa with complicated thoughts, also heard the noise and subconsciously turned her head to look in the direction of the sound.

Their eyes met, and Luo Li's heart clenched as if something had suddenly squeezed it. The hazy memories of yesterday's drunkenness, especially that passionate kiss, surged uncontrollably into her mind like a tidal wave.

She panicked and almost instinctively looked away, not daring to meet Chen Ming's gaze. A thin blush instantly spread across her fair cheeks.

But the very next second after she looked away, Luo Li suddenly realized: Wait a minute! Why did I avoid him? If I hurriedly dodged away like this, wouldn't it make me seem guilty? As if I had some ulterior motive towards him…

Thinking of this, she looked back at Chen Ming, having just shifted her gaze, and even forced a somewhat natural smile:

"You're awake? Xueyi just went to take a shower."

Her demeanor and tone made it seem as if the previous night's drunkenness, entering the wrong room, and even sharing a bed had never happened. If Chen Ming hadn't been sober, he probably would have been completely fooled by this beauty…

Chapter 314: The Domineering CEO's Little Darling Wife

Thinking about how Han Xueyi had gone to great lengths, even sacrificing her image to play the roles of "wronged wife" and "enthusiastic matchmaker," all to create opportunities for him and to help Jing and Luo Li get along, Chen Ming felt that if he didn't seize the opportunity, wouldn't he be letting down the beauty's efforts and making all her hard work go to waste?

Then, he looked intently at Luo Li, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"I was half asleep last night, and I think I had a rather unusual dream."

This sudden opening remark, coupled with his meaningful smile, made Luo Li feel flustered and confused.

Her mind raced, trying to figure out: What did Chen Ming mean by that? Could it be… that he also remembered what happened last night? Of course he remembered! Since I can recall quite a few fragments, there's no reason he wouldn't remember at all… But this jerk! Why can't he just tacitly move on like I did, pretending nothing happened? He wouldn't be at a disadvantage! Does he really have to confront us directly, putting us both in this incredibly awkward situation, before he'll be happy?

Chen Ming, however, did not think so at all.

In his view, last night's accident, caused by alcohol and coincidence, was a godsend, a perfect opportunity to break down the polite but distant relationship between him and Luo Li.

If we don't make good use of this opportunity to advance our relationship, wouldn't that be a waste?

Therefore, he would never choose to play dumb like Luo Li, but instead continued to press on, saying:

Aren't you even a little bit curious about what kind of dream I had last night?

Luo Li felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, as if she were being roasted under a spotlight. She took a deep breath, forced herself to meet his eyes, and replied in a resolute tone:

"Not curious at all! I'm not curious at all! Whatever dream you had, only your Xueyi would probably be interested in. It has nothing to do with me."

Seeing that Luo Li's favorability rating hadn't dropped, Chen Ming knew he was in the game and pressed his advantage.

“But the person I dreamed about was you, Luo Li.” Chen Ming calmly watched the girl’s expression freeze for a moment, then slowly asked, “Now, aren’t you really not curious at all about what you looked like in my dream? Or… what did we do in the dream?”

You big bad guy!

Looking at his mischievous expression, Luo Li really wanted to throw her little fist at him without thinking, and punch him in the face until his nose bled, to see if he would still dare to flirt with her so arrogantly!

However, her remaining rationality told her that she absolutely could not do that—a physical confrontation would be even more difficult to manage, not only affecting future collaborations with the company but also potentially damaging her relationship with her best friend…

Stay calm! A moment of patience brings calm, and taking a step back opens up a vast expanse! Don't act impulsively!

Luo Li kept trying to reassure herself mentally. Her priority now was to get out of this troublesome place; she could deal with everything else later...

So she forcibly suppressed the embarrassment and anger churning inside her, and on the surface, she maintained that calm and composed expression.

Then he slowly stood up from the sofa, cleared his throat, and said in a mature and open-minded tone:

"Alright! Mr. Chen, I understand what you mean. I admit that we all drank too much last night, which led to some unexpected situations."

She tried her best to keep her wording clear and avoid any ambiguous terms.

"But I think that as adults, shouldn't we all be more mature? Some harmless little accidents should be let go of once they're over. There's no need to dwell on them or make a big deal out of them. We can just understand each other, smile, and move on with our lives. Wouldn't that be better?"

As she spoke, she shrugged, making a helpless yet nonchalant expression, as if to say, "It's no big deal."

Her words were delivered with undeniable righteousness and mature composure. However, only she knew that her inner thoughts were entirely different—she was panicking terribly! Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her palms were sweating slightly…

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming pretended to look seriously at the beautiful woman in front of him who seemed fierce but was actually weak, and followed her words:

"Oh? It seems you remember what happened last night quite clearly! You didn't completely forget... That makes things easier, and saves me the trouble of explaining."

He spread his hands, confidently throwing out a logical bomb that was enough to make her explode on the spot:

"Tell me! How are you going to take responsibility for me?"

ha???

What is this guy talking about???

Where's your face?!

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words of turning the tables, Luo Li felt as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning, leaving her frozen in place, her body charred and bruised.

She stared in shock at the shameless man in front of her, even wondering if she was hallucinating from a hangover!

What kind of shamelessness does it take to utter such shocking and absurd statements that distort the truth with a clear conscience?

She exclaimed incredulously, "What did you say? Take responsibility?? Me to you??? Chen Ming! Don't you want to listen to the nonsense you're spouting?"

Chen Ming, however, maintained his "I'm the victim" demeanor, speaking with an air of self-righteousness:

"Nonsense! Of course, it's to make you take responsibility for me! I was pretty drunk last night too, my head was all foggy. It took me ages to get you, you drunkard, back from the restaurant, and then all that trouble to get you into the second bedroom, cover you up with a blanket, and make sure you didn't catch a cold or choke on your vomit. After all that, I thought I could finally lie down and rest, right?"

He solemnly recounted the case, attempting to substantiate Luo Li's guilt:

"And what happened? I was charging up with Xueyi when you came to cause trouble again! You inexplicably showed up in the master bedroom, not only taking over my bed, but also..." He paused deliberately here, his eyes sweeping ambiguously over Luo Li's lips, leaving endless room for imagination, and then waved his hand as if he was too embarrassed to say it.

"Forget it! I won't go into the specifics, so as not to embarrass you further! Just tell me how you plan to take responsibility!"

Chen Ming's evasive "accusation" left Luo Li completely dumbfounded!

She opened her mouth, momentarily unable to find the right words to refute him. Upon closer examination, she realized that, based on Chen Ming's objective account, it seemed...it seemed she really was more in the wrong?

After all, she did go into the wrong room and climb into Chen Ming's bed...

But... but she's the one who's clearly at a disadvantage!

As she grew angrier by the thought, Luo Li's chest heaved violently. All the composure, rationality, and open-mindedness she had been putting on before finally crumbled completely at this moment, and she could no longer hold back!

She suddenly raised her head and said angrily to Chen Ming:

"What a joke! What a joke! You bastard!! You still have the nerve to ask me to take responsibility? Do you know that I... I lost my first kiss without even realizing it! I'm feeling so upset and regretful right now! How can you say such a shameless thing? Doesn't your conscience hurt?"

In her desperation, she even blurted out "first kiss," the thing that embarrassed her the most, which shows that she was really so angry with Chen Ming that she lost her temper.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming feigned surprise, as if he had only just learned the secret.

"Uh... first kiss? But you can't blame me! I was completely out of it yesterday, so drunk, I wasn't even thinking straight! It was just a pure instinctive reaction!"

He spread his hands, looking helpless: "Besides, you were the one who took the initiative to go up to me... How can you blame me for all of this?"

"Stop! Don't say anymore!!"

Luo Li's memories were fragmented and chaotic, containing only some ambiguous images. Chen Ming's vague "move closer" was subconsciously interpreted by Luo Li as her initiating a kiss!

This realization instantly filled her with shame and indignation. In a flash, her entire face and neck turned bright red, like a ripe shrimp! She was both ashamed and anxious, no longer caring about her image, and interrupted Chen Ming's words with a shrill voice, afraid that he would say something even more embarrassing.

Little did she know, Chen Ming's "moving closer" actually referred to her hugging him after mistaking the bed for his own, and had nothing to do with kissing. He cleverly exploited Luo Li's hazy memory and guilty conscience, successfully making her assume the situation was hers.

Seeing her embarrassed and annoyed expression, Chen Ming knew that the time was almost right.

If we continue to provoke them unreasonably, it will probably backfire and cause real resentment.

So he walked up to Luo Li and said in a deep, gentle voice:

"Feel sorry……"

Um? ?

This sudden, tender apology was like a gentle spring breeze, dispelling the pent-up resentment that was building up in Luo Li's heart.

She suddenly looked up, staring blankly at the man in front of her, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment—she was completely baffled, not understanding why this man, who had been aggressively accusing her just a moment ago, could so naturally lower himself and apologize the next.

Chen Ming then pressed his advantage, continuing in a sincere tone:

"I went too far just now. Although what happened last night was an accident—we were both drunk and our actions were out of control—I, as a man, bear an undeniable responsibility for what happened. Don't worry, Luo Li, since I took your first kiss, I will definitely take full responsibility for it. From now on..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Luo Li's emotions, which had just begun to calm down, were reignited. She interrupted Chen Ming almost angrily, "I'm telling you, you two are both toxic! One of you is taking responsibility, the other is taking responsibility! Are you under the curse of 'With great power comes great responsibility'?"

She was truly exasperated by Chen Ming and Han Xueyi, this "perfect couple." One of them woke up early in the morning and desperately tried to sell her man, wanting to take responsibility for her; the other was even more amazing, one minute she was furious, and the next she could seamlessly switch to a deeply affectionate mode of wanting to "take full responsibility."

I couldn't help but think to myself: Sure enough, birds of a feather flock together! This kind of logic—being responsible for others at the drop of a hat—must have all come from sleeping in the same bed, right?

Chen Ming, displaying his boldness, meticulousness, and thick skin, said without changing his expression, "That was your first kiss, Luo Li. Whether you admit it or not, in fact, we've had physical intimacy."

Luo Li stubbornly raised her chin, reiterating her stance: "So what if we're intimate? I don't need you to take responsibility..."

However, Chen Ming's "shamelessness" clearly exceeded her expectations. He responded defiantly, "But I need you to take responsibility for me! You don't naively think that I would just stand by and watch a woman who has had such intimate contact with me fall into the arms of another man someday, do you? Luo Li, don't even think about it."

This domineering and unreasonable logic almost made Luo Li gasp for breath, her vision blurred, and she nearly fainted from anger! She felt her blood pressure soaring!

"You! You're shameless..."

Despite Chen Ming's actions being characterized by "boldness, meticulousness, and thick skin," he consistently kept a close eye on Luo Li's favorability rating on the system interface.

It was only because he discovered that Luo Li's favorability had not decreased that he dared to become even more "outrageous".

At this moment, after Luo Li angrily uttered "shameless," she glared fiercely at Chen Ming, turned around, and walked towards the suite door, continuing to mutter to herself, seemingly both venting her dissatisfaction and trying to bolster her courage:

"No wonder you asked me to stay single! Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Let me tell you, don't even think about it! I'm not that silly girl Han Xueyi, who'd do whatever you want... Ah!!!"

However, before she could finish speaking, just as she brushed past Chen Ming, Chen Ming suddenly stepped forward, stretched out his long arm, and precisely grabbed Luo Li's slender waist. Then, with a smooth spin, he changed the direction of Luo Li, who was trying to escape.

The next second, a soft "thump" was heard, and Luo Li's back was already pressed against the living room wall. Chen Ming's other hand quickly followed, and with a "smack," he braced himself against the wall beside her head, forming a standard "wall slam" position.

This sudden turn of events left Luo Li somewhat shaken.

She leaned against the cool wall, her chest heaving slightly from the shock, staring blankly at the man so close to her. She realized that after pinning her against the wall, Chen Ming had released his grip on her waist and instead braced himself against the wall with his arms, completely blocking the sides of her head, forming a more aggressive encirclement.

This feeling of being absolutely controlled was like an invisible electric current, causing her panicked heart to skip a beat, and a strange emotion, tinged with excitement and throbbing, quietly began to grow.

[Ding! Luo Li's favorability +5, current favorability 60!]

The system notification sounded in Chen Ming's mind at just the right time.

Ugh?

My favorability rating actually increased?

Chen Ming felt a slight stirring in his heart, and then a flash of inspiration struck him, as if he understood.

So... she only falls for the "domineering CEO" type?

I guess he's been reading too many CEO romance novels.

On the surface, she is an independent and self-reliant woman who aspires to make a name for herself.

Deep down, she longs to be forcefully loved by a domineering CEO and wants to be a spoiled wife who is conquered by a powerful man!

Heh, that's interesting, it's quite endearing in its contrast.

Having figured this out, Chen Ming almost instantly got into character and played the part that pleased the other person.