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

Just imagining that scene was enough to make his heart flutter and make him impatient.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Chen Ming tightened his grip on Han Xueyi's waist, quickened his pace involuntarily, and said with undisguised anticipation in his voice, "Walk faster... I want to see just how powerful our Xueyi's carefully prepared 'secret weapon' really is."

Hehehe~~~

Seeing Chen Ming's somewhat anxious reaction, Han Xueyi smiled sweetly with pride, while giving herself a thumbs up in her heart. Bringing the Soft Chair was indeed a wise move!

She thought to herself with delight.

The old man's reaction said it all.

As for the old customs of her hometown, she had long since forgotten them. Anyway, her best friend Luo Li had now been "dragged down" by her, and there was no harm in the collective punishment.

……

Meanwhile, at Luo Li's house on the other side.

After rinsing off the sweat with warm water, Luo Li changed into a comfortable set of cotton loungewear, dried her wet hair with a towel, and walked out of the bathroom.

In the living room, Luo Shang, the mother, was sitting on the sofa, watching a family drama on TV while keeping an eye on her daughter's movements out of the corner of her eye.

Upon seeing Luo Li emerge, Luo Shang immediately pressed the mute button on the remote control, her face revealing undisguised curiosity as she asked:

"I told you to go find Xueyi to talk about serious business, but you were gone for ages and didn't come back until it was completely dark. Also, what happened to all that mud and grass on your clothes? Did you go to work in the fields with someone?"

Luo Li rubbed her hair with a towel, walked to the single sofa next to her mother and sat down, looking somewhat languid, as if she was still immersed in some kind of emotion.

When her mother asked, she didn't think much of it and casually replied, "I just had a fight with Xueyi and rolled around a few times on the grass behind the village..."

Her tone was too natural, but the content was too horrifying.

"what???"

Upon hearing this, Luo Shang's hand holding the remote control suddenly froze, and the curiosity on her face was instantly replaced by huge astonishment. She was completely dumbfounded.

She blinked, taking several seconds to process what she'd just heard, before suddenly snapping back to reality and bursting into a rage: "What did you say? You fought with Xueyi? Is this how you ask for favors?! Oh my god! Why is my life so..."

Seeing his mother's eyes widen, he knew that the familiar prelude of "crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide" was about to begin.

Luo Li suddenly felt a familiar headache coming on.

She quickly put down the towel, made a "stop" gesture with her hand, and interrupted repeatedly: "Stop, stop! Hold on! My dear mother! Can you please calm down and let me finish what I have to say? Don't keep saying how miserable your life is or how terrible your fate is..."

Chapter 321: Luo Li has figured it out!

Luo Shang was ultimately more concerned about her daughter's lifelong happiness. Seeing that her daughter seemed to have something to say, she immediately stopped acting and asked rather eagerly:

"Alright! Tell me quickly what happened? You brat, you got into a fight with Xueyi again, didn't you mess things up?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Li picked up her water glass, took a sip to moisten her somewhat dry throat, and then calmly announced in a defiant tone:

“I didn’t mess it up. On the contrary, I’m in love.” She paused, and under her mother’s wide-eyed gaze, added the most crucial sentence, “to that excellent man that Han Xueyi introduced me to.”

?

The anger on Luo Shang's face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock, which quickly transformed into ecstatic joy! The speed at which she changed her expression was comparable to a Sichuan opera stunt!

"Really?!?"

She jumped up from the sofa, her voice trembling with excitement, her eyes gleaming brightly, "It's done so quickly...? Great! That's wonderful!"

Luo Shang was so excited that she was almost incoherent. She paced back and forth in front of the sofa a couple of times, then suddenly leaned close to Luo Li, her face beaming with an unprecedentedly bright smile: "My dear daughter, tell Mommy in detail what happened? How did you two get together? What did you talk about?"

The speed of this change in attitude, the smooth transition from "brat" to "good daughter," was so rapid that if Luo Li hadn't already deeply understood her mother's "realistic" personality, she probably wouldn't have been able to react at all.

As she continued to slowly and deliberately dry her still-dripping hair with a towel, she said calmly:

"He thinks I'm pretty good, and I think he... is quite sincere, so I agreed to give it a try and see how it goes. Now, are you satisfied, sir?"

"Satisfied! Extremely satisfied!"

Luo Shang smiled and nodded repeatedly, but clearly not satisfied with such a brief report, she sat down next to her daughter and pressed for more information:

"But what are the specific details? Why are you being so brief? Never mind, let me ask! Did you meet today? Was it a video call or in person? Does he know about our family situation? We're just an ordinary rural family, not very wealthy... Did he look down on us? And, most importantly, did he make any promises to you? Like, when will he introduce you to his family?"

Clearly, in Luo Shang's view, establishing a relationship was only the first step; ensuring a future together was of paramount importance. She was even more eager than her daughter to confirm the stability of this relationship.

Luo Li sensed the almost overflowing excitement in her mother's voice and immediately felt that her efforts had not been in vain—her mother might be materialistic, but her desire for her to live a good life was genuine. This also made her more at ease about her decision to try dating Chen Ming, thinking, "Maybe this isn't so bad."

However, there were too many questions, and Luo Li said with a bit of a headache, "Oh dear! Mom, how am I supposed to answer all of these questions at once?"

She hesitated for a moment, but decided not to reveal the crucial truth to her mother for the time being—that the "billionaire" was actually her best friend Han Xueyi's boyfriend. This relationship was somewhat difficult to discuss openly, and she feared her mother wouldn't be able to accept it immediately, potentially causing further complications. For now, she'd let her mother believe that he was another "independent" and high-quality prospect introduced by Han Xueyi.

So Luo Li organized her thoughts and began to give a detailed account of her mother's questions, half-truthfully and half-jokingly:

"The first issue is meeting in person. We didn't meet in person today, but we chatted via video for a long time!"

"As for my family situation, he is aware of it. Your daughter is naturally beautiful, so of course he wouldn't mind."

As she said this, her cheeks flushed slightly, recalling Chen Ming's burning gaze and domineering kiss.

"As for promises... he didn't say anything special, he just painted a pretty big picture - he said he would give me money to help me grow the company into a big and strong brand or something... Anyway, it all sounds like a pipe dream, just take it with a grain of salt."

She deliberately used a slightly sarcastic tone in an attempt to lower her mother's expectations and leave herself some room for maneuver.

To everyone's surprise, Luo Shang's expression of delight did not diminish after hearing this; on the contrary, it deepened!

"Really? He really said that? He doesn't mind at all! That just proves my daughter is very charming!"

Then, she looked at Luo Li reproachfully, "But what's wrong with you, girl? You've only just started dating, and you're already starting to distrust your man? Why would such a wealthy man need to make empty promises to you? This kind of thing is a piece of cake for him!"

In Luo Shang's simple logic, true tycoons tend to make more tangible promises because what is a huge deal to ordinary people may just be a trivial matter requiring a flick of the finger.

On the contrary, she felt that the other party's willingness to mention the future plans for Luo Li's company was a sign of their importance to the company.

"..."

Luo Li did not agree with her mother's simplistic thinking that "wealth equals integrity," but she was too lazy to refute it.

In her view, the higher a person's position and the greater their wealth, the more profound and complex their thoughts tend to be. Apart from a very few who are born into wealth and unaware of the hardships of life, most people who climb to the top of the wealth pyramid have experienced many trials and tribulations and possess exceptional shrewdness.

People who are too naive simply can't hold onto or earn that much money...

But she knew that these complex, even somewhat dark, thoughts were neither reasonable nor appropriate to be shared with her mother, who was overjoyed at the unexpected arrival of her "heaven-sent son-in-law."

Seeing her mother's genuine joy, as if she had instantly become a few years younger, Luo Li's last bit of hesitation and unease strangely dissipated.

If it makes my mother this happy, then her bold decision today seems worthwhile!

……

The next morning, as dawn broke, a thin mist enveloped the tranquil village like a veil.

Luo Li barely slept a wink all night, tossing and turning, her mind filled with the unsettling kiss on the sofa from the previous day. She needed to do something to distract herself.

So she got up earlier than usual, quickly washed up, and rushed to the company, burying herself in a pile of documents, dealing with trivial but necessary tasks such as production line optimization, the next batch of raw material procurement list, and the details of villagers' dividends.

Focused work temporarily shields me from those disturbing emotions and brings a sense of fulfillment.

Only after finishing processing the last document that needed signing did Luo Li finally let out a long sigh of relief, leaning back wearily in her office chair. She rubbed her throbbing temples, habitually picking up her phone to check the time, but her eyes immediately fell on the screen, noticing an unread message from Han Xueyi about half an hour ago.

Her fingertip paused slightly as she opened Han Xueyi's chat window in the green bubble:

【Xiao Li, Master and I are about to return to Ling'an City. We don't know when we'll see each other again. He really likes you, and I think you can tell that... Do you really want him to leave with such regret?】

The message ended without even a single emoji; its quiet statement was more impactful than any sentimental words.

Luo Li stared at those lines of text, reading them over and over again, her knuckles gripping the phone turning slightly white. A surge of anger, embarrassment, and a hint of frustration at having her secret exposed suddenly welled up inside her. She couldn't help but mutter a curse into the empty office:

"Han Xueyi! You're a lunatic!! You're more worried than the emperor!!! You're hopeless..."

She knew, of course, that Han Xueyi meant well and genuinely wanted to help her and Chen Ming advance their relationship, but this direct and almost "coercive" reminder still made her feel suffocated and at a loss.

However, despite her outbursts of anger, the content of the message lingered in her mind like a curse.

The chaotic emotions that I had finally managed to suppress with busyness are now surging back, even clearer and sharper.

Yes, she had mixed feelings. Although yesterday, under various pressures, her inner turmoil, and Han Xueyi's "helping hand," she agreed to "try dating" Chen Ming and tacitly accepted the kiss that established their relationship, even now, deep down, she was still not truly ready to completely entrust herself to Chen Ming.

I always feel like... something is missing.

Perhaps it's a lack of time?

From their first meeting at the village parking lot, only four days have passed. Four days—is that too fast for a relationship that determines the future and involves giving one's heart and soul? It's like a tornado, sweeping away her preconceived notions and rhythms, leaving her dizzy and disoriented, with no time to savor or reflect.

Or perhaps it's... uncertainty about the future?

Luo Li knew herself; she wasn't the kind of person who could easily separate emotions from physical intimacy. Once she truly crossed that final line and gave herself to a man, given her inherent traditionalism and stubbornness, it almost meant she was committed to "remaining faithful to one man forever." From then on, her joys and sorrows, her future plans, would be inextricably linked to that person.

The problem is, Chen Ming is not an ordinary person, nor is he a man she can "possess" exclusively.

He already has a girlfriend like Han Xueyi, who is understanding and stunningly beautiful, as well as close female friends like Xie Wanqing and Hua Qianhui, who are both elegant and have a close relationship with him.

His world is vast and complex, far beyond the confines of this small village.

Can Luo Li truly integrate into that kind of world?

Can one truly find their place in such an "unusual" relationship structure and stay there for a long time without any reservations?

She wasn't sure.

To be fair, Chen Ming's sincerity towards her was undeniable. His decisiveness and resources in resolving the company crisis, as well as his appreciation and pursuit of her, demonstrated a high level of respect.

If... if Chen Ming could be like an ordinary man, with only her as his woman, then perhaps she wouldn't need to hesitate so much. She would have already followed her feelings and her mother's expectations and plunged headlong into it.

She initially thought she had plenty of time and could take it slow. She wanted to get to know more people, understand them better, and ask herself more questions as her understanding deepened, so she could carefully consider this crucial life-changing decision.

However, Han Xueyi's message was like a wake-up call, instantly shattering her dream of "taking it slow".

Yes, he is leaving!

A man of his stature wouldn't stay in this small village forever, waiting for her to slowly come to her senses.

Ling'an City holds his career, his life, and his other ties. He was like a tornado that happened to blow across the mountains and fields, bringing earth-shattering changes and an irresistible attraction, but the wind will eventually pass.

The thought that Chen Ming would soon be leaving and perhaps wouldn't come back for a long time made Luo Li's heart clench. A clear sense of reluctance crept up on her like vines, carrying a slight sting.

This feeling made her somewhat panicked.

In just four days, this man's presence had already made her feel attached to him?

What Luo Li didn't know was that in Chen Ming's system information panel, her favorability rating had already reached 70 points.

Therefore, her feelings for Chen Ming were genuine and strong, already falling into the category of liking. This affection, coupled with the impending separation, made it impossible for her to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.

But... do we really have to take that step?

On the eve of parting, is it too hasty, too much like an impulsive act, to fill the so-called "regret" with a kind of "sacrifice"?

Luo Li sat alone in her office. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting bright spots of light on the floor, while fine dust particles floated in the air. Her brow was furrowed, and it felt as if two little voices were arguing fiercely inside her.

A voice says, "Follow your heart. If you like something, don't leave any regrets. How many times in life do you get the chance to be moved and meet the right person? Who can predict the future with 100% certainty? Only by seizing the present can you seize the future!"

Another voice cautiously cautioned: "It's too fast! You don't even fully understand what kind of person he is, or what his personality is like. Once you give yourself away, there's no turning back. Are you really prepared to face the potential power struggles and the heartbreak of being abandoned?"

Finally, after a long period of hesitation and struggle, Luo Li, as if using all her strength, picked up her phone and opened the chat window with Chen Ming. Her fingertips trembled slightly; she edited and revised several times before finally sending only four seemingly ordinary words:

Are you awake yet?

Clearly, she decided to follow her instincts. The moment she sent the message, her heart began to race uncontrollably.

……

At the same time, Chen Ming teleported back to Han Xueyi's bedroom.

Last night, after playing on the carousel with Han Xueyi, Xie Wanqing, and Hua Qianhui, he teleported back to the lakeside villa in Ling'an City to help the girls in his harem with their daily recharging.

Just as he returned to Han Xueyi's house and was getting dressed, his phone suddenly vibrated, giving him a message notification.

He clicked on it and saw that it was a green bubble message from Luo Li.

Upon seeing her brief question, "Are you up yet?", Chen Ming raised an eyebrow slightly.

Why did you take the initiative to contact me so early? Could it be that you've finally come to your senses?

Chapter 322: A Date Alone

Chen Ming replied with a hint of amusement: 【Good morning! I just woke up too.】

Almost instantly, Luo Li replied with her next message: "[Can you come shopping with me... the kind where you come alone? I want to try what a date feels like...]"

Just as he expected!