But even so, whether any new Ship-Girls would come to this world remained unknown.
That left Ye Ming with a faint sense of regret.
Laffey was adorable, but she was still just a little girl. There were many things they couldn't do. It would be great if a mature main fleet girl came along. A heavy cruiser or light cruiser girl would be nice too.
If she were an Oath Ship, then as long as he took responsibility properly, entering the world of adults together should be fine, right?
But for now, that could only remain a beautiful fantasy.
Right now, the most important thing was how to face Fu Hua.
Ye Ming understood Fu Hua. Although her behavior during the day had differed somewhat from the Fu Hua in his memories, it had been a proposal, after all. It was understandable for a girl to lose her composure a little.
The Fu Hua in Ye Ming's memories had been serious, valued promises, and possessed an unwavering will. Once she set her mind on something, she would never give up easily.
So Ye Ming was worried that Fu Hua might do something extreme tonight.
If something unusual happened, then with Fu Hua's strength, Ye Ming felt that no matter what he did, it would probably be useless. Struggling and crying would only make her more excited.
Of course, that kind of thing could only happen in dreams. Ye Ming also knew that, given Fu Hua's personality, she definitely wouldn't act recklessly.
With endless thoughts running through his mind, Ye Ming and Laffey finally returned to their residential complex.
Computer Parts, Alcohol, and Taking Him Down
Keqing stood where she was, quietly watching as Ye Ming and Laffey turned the corner and vanished from sight. She waited silently for a while longer, and only after confirming that Ye Ming had truly left did she wave her hand.
A black Porsche sedan in a parking spot beside the wedding dress shop slowly started up and stopped in front of Keqing.
Keqing opened the door and got into the back seat.
"President Keqing, where are we going?"
A pretty girl in her mid-twenties, dressed in a professional skirt suit, asked from the driver's seat.
"Home."
Keqing leaned against the seatback and rubbed her brow, casually answering as she considered whether she had made any mistakes in today's meeting with Ye Ming.
"Understood."
The girl answered loudly as she slowly started the car. At the same time, she secretly observed Keqing's expression in the rearview mirror. Perhaps noticing that Keqing seemed to be in a good mood, the girl, who had only recently entered the workforce and still retained a bit of student-like innocence, couldn't suppress her curiosity and tentatively asked, "President Keqing, who was that person just now?"
"Hm?"
Hearing the question, Keqing frowned and thought for a moment before smiling. "He is the owner of Liyue International, and the man who will soon become my husband."
"Huh?"
The girl driving was so startled by Keqing's words that she nearly drove the car into a ditch.
"H-h-husband!?"
Her voice rose unconsciously from excessive shock.
As a graduate from a prestigious university who had defeated dozens of competitors to earn a place in Liyue International's mainland branch, the girl knew far more about Liyue International than ordinary people did.
Liyue International was an overseas company registered ten years ago. When it was first established, it had only five million US dollars in subscribed capital. Yet in just ten years, through a series of almost mythical operations, Liyue International had become a massive conglomerate involved in numerous industries, including funerals, land and real estate development, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, maritime shipping, and more. Its capital was formidable.
However, while Liyue International's development had certainly relied on all sorts of unbelievable maneuvers and good fortune, the most famous person within the company was Ganyu, Liyue's chief secretary. Rumor had it that she could work 007 all year round without rest and handle every task as precisely as a robot. Supposedly, workaholic Ganyu could use brief moments to fall asleep on the spot and restore her energy like a robot entering standby mode. Most secretaries under her lasted less than a month before being crushed by the immense workload and applying for transfers.
Even more terrifying was that the company had another workaholic comparable to Ganyu. That person was the girl's boss, Keqing.
It was said that Keqing used to be the director of Liyue International's headquarters and a workaholic just like Ganyu. Yet for some reason, after coming to the mainland, she had suddenly slowed her pace and become much more laid-back.
The girl had once suspected those were merely unrealistic rumors. Keqing did not seem like a workaholic at all. But now, she finally had a vague guess as to the reason for Keqing's change.
Could it be because of that man?
But aside from being tall and somewhat handsome, there was nothing particularly special about him, was there?
The girl was puzzled.
"So that man is the boss's husband. No wonder he's so handsome!"
Puzzled or not, she still had to flatter him. Keqing was her boss, after all.
As her boss's personal secretary, the girl understood her position very clearly. Flattering her boss's husband was indirectly flattering her boss, wasn't it? As long as her work ability was decent and her flattery was on point, given her boss's standing in the company, wouldn't her salary rise steadily?
That was the wisdom of an office drone. It couldn't be helped; she had to make a living.
"He's average."
Keqing's lips curled upward, but her tone remained calm. "There's something you need to remember. You can keep today's conversation and everything about him to yourself. You absolutely must not tell anyone else, especially our coworkers."
Keqing's tone became slightly serious. They were at a critical juncture now, and she did not want anyone else from Liyue to get the news.
A woman like Ningguang was fine; she posed no threat. But a woman like Ganyu was simply far too lethal to men. Keqing did not want an opponent like Ganyu to appear already. And Hu Tao, with all her clever tricks, was someone she needed to guard against as well.
"Also, starting next Monday, you'll be seeing him often. Remember, treat him like an ordinary coworker. You absolutely cannot tell him about what happened today."
Keqing thought for a moment, then reminded the girl again.
"Okay."
Though she did not quite understand Keqing's intentions, the girl nodded.
By the time they finished talking, they had arrived at Keqing's residence.
The girl drove the car into the villa's garage. After getting out, Keqing remembered something else and asked, "How is the hotel matter being handled?"
"Oh, we've been negotiating for a week, and it was finalized yesterday. We acquired all the hotels near the project at a premium," the girl answered.
Keqing nodded in satisfaction. "Good work. Remember, every hotel must reserve several rooms separate from the ordinary rooms and keep them closed to the public. Replace all the furniture, bedding, and blankets inside with new ones."
"I'll arrange it immediately," the girl promised.
"Mm." Keqing smiled. "Work a little harder these next two days. Once Monday passes and the overall situation is settled, you can relax a bit. I'll give you a raise then."
"Thank you, President Keqing!" The girl was overjoyed.
"Good. That's all. Go get busy."
Only after the girl left did Keqing open the front door and go up to the second-floor bedroom.
Because City H had property purchase restrictions, Keqing had bought this villa in the company's name. Since she had purchased it rather hastily, the furniture had not all been delivered yet, and some rooms looked rather empty. But the second-floor bedroom had been furnished perfectly.
Keqing opened the wardrobe. At the very bottom was a whole stack of black pantyhose.
Mmm~
Which pair should she wear on Monday? It would be best if they felt good and tore easily.
As for the skirt, it needed to look a little more dignified, and the underwear had to be a little more conservative. That way, after they were torn apart on the hotel bed on Monday, she would look all the more pitiful and delicate.
Keqing's thoughts were clear and organized. She was obviously fully prepared.
That was only natural. After discovering Ye Ming, she had quickly formulated her plan.
First, an accidental encounter to create an initial favorable impression. Then, use work as an excuse to create an opportunity for socializing. Then, get him alone. Then, get Ye Ming drunk with alcohol laced with computer parts. Then, take him down. Next came the unspeakable part. Finally, after everything that should happen had happened, Ye Ming would naturally take responsibility.
That's right, this was Keqing's plan!
After being in this world for so long, Keqing had long since passed the stage of hesitation. Whether in Liyue Harbor or this world, she was still herself: a true woman of action. As long as she believed something had value, she would personally pursue it without hesitation.
Just as she had personally traveled throughout all of Liyue and memorized its terrain for land development work, this time she would act without hesitation all the way to the end.
By now, Keqing had given up on the idea of having Ye Ming all to herself. After all, she knew how some people in Liyue felt about him. She did not want her companions from Liyue to spend their lives alone in this unfamiliar world. What she wanted was a special place in Ye Ming's heart.
And in a man's heart, the first time was always the most special.
Keqing understood Ye Ming's personality. Through investigating his information, she had also gained a deep understanding of his online comments and social relationships. She knew that Laffey had suddenly appeared beside Ye Ming, and that Ye Ming had a childhood sweetheart named Fu Hua who had separated from him for two years before suddenly reappearing today. She also knew that she was not the only one; many people in Liyue liked Ye Ming. But so what?
Wouldn't she, Keqing, still be the first to get together with Ye Ming and sleep with him?
PS: There were so few votes yesterday, only half as many as the day before. Is my update time too cursed?
You Need Good Stamina to Have Confidence
By the time they left the wedding dress shop, it was already past four in the afternoon. Once the excitement of looking at wedding dresses wore off, Laffey quickly became listless. She trailed behind Ye Ming weakly and did not even play with her phone.
Seeing the little girl squinting and swaying as she walked as if sleepwalking, Ye Ming was worried she might absentmindedly wander into the road, get hit by a car, flip the car over, and cause a chain collision. So he took the initiative to ask, "Laffey, are you sleepy? Want Commander to carry you?"
"Mmm?"
Laffey made an adorable sound. Without opening her eyes, she stopped walking and spread her arms.
Ye Ming crouched down in front of Laffey. The little girl immediately toppled forward, and Ye Ming quickly supported her thighs. With a gentle bounce, he secured her steadily on his back.
His past experience working construction had given Ye Ming a fairly sturdy physique. A little girl's weight was not much of a burden to him.
However, Ye Ming suddenly remembered what had happened on the bed during the day. Back then, Laffey, who had been pressing down on him, had been so terrifyingly heavy that he could barely move. Yet now, she had become the weight of an ordinary little girl again.
What exactly was going on?
Little girls like Laffey did not have any qualms about weight, and Ye Ming felt that his girls generally would not care about weight either, aside from a certain fat dinosaur. So he directly voiced the question in his heart.
"Laffey doesn't know either."
Before you continue