"Have you ever considered that sometimes, perhaps, deception, lies, and pretending to be slow-witted can work better than honesty?"
"So-called deception and lies—though both people know they're fake, as long as one is willing to act and the other is willing to pretend not to know, then they become real."
Hua, once an innocent girl unable to distinguish lies, had become an immortal who had seen all the vicissitudes of the world.
"As long as the deception continues, as long as the lies continue, then as time passes, when the two people come together, when they can no longer be separated, even if the lie is exposed and everything is laid bare, the liar, the deceiver, can still put on a helpless expression and argue their case. No matter how absurd or unreasonable the excuse is, as long as they gain the deceived person's forgiveness, they can still reach a happy ending."
"Will the deceived person forgive the one who deceived her? I think she definitely will. Because she knows that liar will treat her well, because she likes that liar. So, even in the face of clumsy lies and acting, she'll cooperate by pretending to know nothing and allow herself to be deceived. That way, when the day of reckoning comes, even if the liar doesn't defend himself or make excuses, she'll still forgive him and stay with him."
As she spoke, Fu Hua took a deep breath. Concealed by the darkness, she stared deeply at Ye Ming and said softly, "Ye Zi, I understand what you mean. Then... do you understand what I mean?"
Ye Ming fell silent.
"Actually, I came this time because there was something I wanted to tell you. But after hearing what you said, I suddenly don't want to say it anymore. Still, I already made a promise. Even if I don't tell you, you'll find out tomorrow."
What Ye Ming meant was naturally Keqing moving in.
"To be honest, Fu Hua, I'm a little regretful and conflicted. It seems that sometimes, making a decision too decisively isn't necessarily a good thing."
Hearing Ye Ming's answer, the corners of Fu Hua's lips curled up slightly.
"Oh? Is this about Keqing? You said on the phone that she was your wife just because she found you?"
Ye Ming was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "Generally speaking, only someone you've slept with and plan to marry is called a wife. Before that, she's called a girlfriend."
"In other words, because you've already had that kind of relationship and can't evade responsibility, you treat her as your wife, right?"
Of course not.
Ye Ming instinctively wanted to refute her, but hearing Fu Hua's tone, he wisely remained silent.
"Ye Zi really is a good man who keeps his promises and takes responsibility."
"In other words, as long as certain things happen, Ye Zi will properly take responsibility for them, right?"
"I hate people who deceive me and break their promises the most. Even if it's someone I like, I won't forgive them even once, so..."
As she spoke, Fu Hua slowly rose from the bed and advanced toward Ye Ming step by step.
"So, Ye Zi, are you ready to keep your promise and take responsibility?"
Sore Waist, Always After Overwork
"Ye Zi, are you ready to take responsibility?"
In the dim bedroom, Fu Hua spoke as she approached Ye Ming step by step.
Closer. Closer.
As the distance between them shrank, Ye Ming, standing where he was, could even feel Fu Hua's warm, moist breath as she spoke. With the dim light and their proximity, he gradually made out her appearance.
So she was bluffing me.
Seeing Fu Hua's pajamas, that wildly inappropriate thought flashed through Ye Ming's mind.
Ye Ming looked at Fu Hua, and Fu Hua looked back at him without yielding. Beneath the determination in her eyes hid a trace of shyness. Completely unlike the top student and class monitor he remembered, the girl before him possessed a different sort of charm that stirred one's heart.
What would happen next?
Ye Ming knew.
Their conversation just now might have seemed like it said nothing, but in truth, Fu Hua had already made her feelings perfectly clear.
So Ye Ming understood what Fu Hua meant, and he knew what she wanted to do now.
Even if he did nothing and merely accepted things passively, with Fu Hua's personality, she would probably take the initiative herself and do everything that needed to be done.
There was nothing he could do if something like that happened. After all, although Fu Hua was a girl, her combat strength was so high that no one could resist her. As a healthy man, it couldn't be helped if his body reacted.
As long as he thought that way, he could easily shift the pressure onto the one taking the initiative. He wouldn't have to do anything, and things could still progress naturally.
What a perfect outcome.
Unfortunately, Ye Ming preferred taking the initiative to being passive.
"I should be the one asking that question."
Ye Ming took a step forward, forcing Fu Hua back before him. He pressed his hands on her shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. "Fu Hua, are you prepared to bear all of this? You need to understand that once tonight is over, even if you regret it afterward, I'll never let go."
"No one has ever been able to force me to accept something I don't like." Fu Hua met Ye Ming's gaze without flinching. "If you don't believe me, go ahead and try."
"Then I'll try."
Once Ye Ming made up his mind, he would never back down.
The hands pressing on Fu Hua's shoulders gradually slid down, changing from a hold into an embrace. Ye Ming wrapped his arms around Fu Hua and stepped forward one step at a time. Fu Hua, whose combat strength was exceptionally high, acted completely unlike herself. Like a frail blade of grass, she was led backward by Ye Ming step by step. Soon, she reached the bedside, her legs against the edge of the bed with nowhere left to retreat.
"Fu Hua, become mine."
Ye Ming leaned close to Fu Hua's ear and spoke softly. His arms tightened slightly as he pushed her, and Fu Hua was shoved down onto the bed without any resistance, lying on her back.
Laffey's Little Question
After leaving Fu Hua's bedroom, Ye Ming did not return to his own room. Instead, he walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. Without turning on the lights, he gazed at the nighttime scenery outside and the crescent moon in the sky, which looked as though it had been gnawed on by a dog, lost in thought.
It should have been a sleepless night that naturally followed its course, yet nothing had happened.
Strangely enough, when he had left the bedroom just now, Ye Ming's waist had still felt faintly sore. But now, it had completely returned to normal. His waist and back felt strong; though his mind was somewhat tired, his body remained as powerful as ever, as if everything that had just happened had only been an illusion.
That subtle sense of contradiction felt familiar.
For some reason, Ye Ming thought of yesterday. Yesterday morning, after waking up and seeing his clothes hanging on the balcony, he had felt a similar illusion.
Was this the legendary déjà vu?
It seemed he really had encountered too many unexpected things these past few days, leaving him mentally exhausted.
Thinking that, Ye Ming took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and tapped the penguin icon among his apps.
Even though it was already late at night, the various gaming, resource-sharing, and reader groups Ye Ming had joined were still buzzing with chatter. Waves of messages and lewd pictures flooded the screen without end.
Ye Ming quietly lurked in the groups for a while and saved a few lewd pictures. Just as he was about to ask a few questions, he suddenly received a friend request.
When he opened it, he found that it was from a Maoke editor.
"I've already submitted your book for a contract. Remember to check the site message in your backend and finish the signing process over the next couple of days~"
The Maoke editor, whose avatar was a dumpling, spoke concisely.
Huh? This lousy book of mine can actually get a contract?
Ye Ming was surprised and quickly opened Maoke to look at his book.
After not checking for a day, the once-deserted review section had unexpectedly gained many reader comments. Some encouraged the author to keep writing well, some offered reasoned suggestions, some proposed adding new wives, and there were even troublemakers who wanted to lock him in a little dark room and turn him into a writing machine.
He silently downvoted the review that wanted to lock him in a little dark room and turn him into a writing machine, then liked every review that praised and encouraged him. After finishing all that, Ye Ming checked the time. It was already one in the morning.
Ye Ming exited Penguin, turned off his phone, and quietly returned to the bedroom.
To avoid waking Laffey, Ye Ming did not turn on the lights. He walked to the bedside in the dark, placed his phone on the nightstand, and then gently lay down on the bed.
There had been quite a lot of things happening these past two days, and Ye Ming, who really was mentally exhausted, let out a soft breath and turned to look at Laffey.
For some reason, the sleeping little girl had kicked off the blanket that had originally covered her properly. Ye Ming casually pulled the blanket back up and covered Laffey's shoulders. Then his gaze moved upward, and he was startled.
Sleepy Laffey, who should have been sleeping deeply, was not asleep at all. On the contrary, she had her eyes wide open, sparkling brightly as she stared at him with curiosity.
The little girl's eyes were filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.
Laffey's gaze made Ye Ming feel guilty, but outwardly, he feigned calmness. "Laffey, it's so late. Why are you still awake? Can't you sleep?"
"Laffey fell asleep, but Commander and Sister Fu Hua woke Laffey up."
Laffey blinked her innocent big eyes. "Commander wanted Sister Fu Hua to become an Oath Ship, right? Laffey heard from Sister Eugen that Oath Ships usually sleep with Commander. Even for Commanders with many Ship-Girls, an Oath Ship still has to sleep with Commander on the first night."
"Why didn't Commander sleep with Sister Fu Hua?"
Cold sweat broke out on Ye Ming's forehead. "Laffey, did you hear me talking with Fu Hua next door?"
"Mm, Laffey could hear it. Even through the bedroom door, Laffey couldn't hear breathing, but she could hear people talking clearly. Laffey is a very amazing Laffey, Solomon's War God!"
The little girl proudly admitted it. "Laffey's senses are very sharp, and she's also very good at detecting enemies. Laffey can protect Commander really well."
As she spoke, Laffey became somewhat regretful again. "Why didn't Commander sleep with Sister Fu Hua? Laffey heard Sister Eugen say that although Laffey and Sister Enterprise are both Commander's Oath Ships, destroyers and submarines are different from capital ships when they become Oath Ships. Although they can all receive Commander's ring and sleep together with Commander, sleeping together isn't always the same kind of sleeping together."
Laffey looked at Ye Ming curiously, her beautiful wine-red eyes filled with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. "Commander, Laffey likes sleeping the most. What's different between Laffey sleeping with Commander and Sister Fu Hua sleeping with Commander? Which kind of sleeping together lets people sleep more soundly?"
Laffey pounced into Ye Ming's arms, rubbing her little head lightly against his chest as she acted spoiled like a kitten. "Commander, Commander, tell Laffey, okay? Tell Laffey, who likes Commander the most, okay?"
Ye Ming felt waves of lingering fear.
Thank goodness nothing had happened just now. Otherwise, wouldn't Laffey have heard every last bit of it? The embarrassment and shame would have been secondary; the most serious thing would have been the effect on the little girl.
Before you continue