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

Chapter 230: Emotional Value

Most beautiful Japanese girls yearn to go to the capital. For example, in an anime movie Chen Ming once watched, the female protagonist made a wish at a shrine—"I never want to stay in this town again! I never want this kind of life again! In my next life, please let me be reborn as a handsome man in Tokyo..."

So there must be more beautiful girls in Tokyo than in Osaka, which is really exciting.

Boarding the ship, looking back.

As the silhouette of Osaka sank into the twilight, the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship roared to life once more and set sail.

Back in the luxury suite, Chen Ming stretched lazily and then said to Qing Zijin beside him.

"This kind of cruise trip sounds impressive, but the actual experience... it's just too rushed. It's like a special forces trip; you get off the ship at each place, take a few photos, buy some local specialties, and then you have to rush back. It's like swallowing a whole meal whole..."

Qing Zijin handed him the warm water and nodded in deep agreement upon hearing his words:

“Yeah, this hardly qualifies as tourism; it’s more like completing a checklist. Every attraction felt like it was fast-forwarded.” She smiled helplessly. “But that’s pretty much how group tours work. I was mentally prepared beforehand, so I didn’t have high expectations.”

Chen Ming took the water glass, paused slightly upon hearing this, and turned to look at her:

"Since you already knew it would be a whirlwind tour, why didn't you tell me before?" He remembered that she had seemed very excited about the trip.

A sly yet gentle smile appeared on Qing Zijin's face, followed by a soft "humph," her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness and understanding:

"Isn't it because someone so busy doesn't have enough time to take me on a leisurely, in-depth tour?"

She reached out and gently poked Chen Ming's arm. "I'm already very grateful that you could squeeze out this time to come out with me. Although the trip was a bit rushed, being able to see different scenery with you and create memories that belong to just the two of us is enough, isn't it? The process itself is beautiful."

Chen Ming was somewhat moved after hearing this.

He immediately understood that the girl did not lack the desire for a leisurely trip where she could savor the exotic locales. The reason she readily accepted this "check-off" style of travel was entirely because she knew his time was precious and that it was already a rare privilege to have him all to herself for a few days.

This thoughtfulness and understanding warmed his heart.

Chen Ming put down his water glass, turned around, and gently pulled Qing Zijin's soft body into his arms, his voice becoming gentle and earnest:

"Next time, our whole family will travel independently, without a tour group, and we can go wherever we want. Once you get back, you can start doing your homework and plan your trip properly."

Qing Zijin couldn't help but roll her eyes in his arms—a free trip with her harem? There would be plenty of time to leisurely enjoy the scenery, but by then, her best spot next to her would probably be taken by her sisters in rotation, and she wouldn't be able to enjoy it all by herself like she did now.

However, she had already considered and accepted this situation the moment she made up her mind to join the harem.

So she suppressed all her thoughts, simply snuggled against him obediently, and let out a soft "Mmm..." as a sign of agreement.

Taking advantage of this rare moment of exclusive time, she pressed her warm body even closer to Chen Ming, as if she wanted to firmly imprint this warmth in her heart.

With the beautiful woman in his arms, Chen Ming gazed at the sea outside the window, feeling the girl's complete trust and affection, and felt very content...

As they finished dinner on the Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship and prepared to head to the theater to watch tonight's entertainment, they encountered the stunningly beautiful Hua Qianhui on the way...

This was not a chance encounter, but rather Hua Qianhui had calculated the time and place precisely, deliberately waiting here to "wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump".

To avoid a repeat of last night's incident, she declined Wang Manman's invitation to go to a high-end restaurant and chose to go alone.

Upon seeing Chen Ming and Qing Zijin, Hua Qianhui's beautiful eyes instantly lit up. Without hesitation, she went to greet them, her steps elegant, her gaze direct and bold as she looked directly at Chen Ming, a confident yet alluring smile playing on her lips.

"Mr. Chen, Ms. Qing, what a coincidence! Are you also taking a walk after dinner and heading to see a performance? I wonder if I could have the honor of accompanying you?" Her invitation was direct yet tactful, her eyes eagerly awaiting Chen Ming's response.

Looking at the pure beauty in front of him, whose overall appearance was a perfect 90 out of 100, Chen Ming smiled and said, "Of course."

So the three of them walked side by side.

The atmosphere was somewhat subtle, but Hua Qianhui knew how to maintain a proper balance. The main topic of conversation revolved around the upcoming stage play and magic show. Occasionally, she would subtly steer the conversation toward Chen Ming, asking for his opinion. This way, she neither neglected Qing Zijin nor failed to subtly demonstrate her interest in Chen Ming.

After the performance ended, the crowd surged. Hua Qianhui, very tactfully, stood up first, smiling sweetly at Chen Ming and Qing Zijin: "The wonderful performance has ended. Well then, I won't disturb your enjoyment any longer; I'll take my leave now..."

She bowed slightly, her movements elegant, then turned and blended into the dispersing crowd, leaving behind only a graceful and charming figure.

Qing Zijin, who had been holding Chen Ming's arm the whole time, finally couldn't help but pinch his arm lightly, her tone teasing and amused: "Don't tell me you haven't noticed yet that this pretty girl's eyes are practically drooling over you? If you still can't feel it, then you really are a blockhead!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming simply smiled meaningfully, offered no further explanation, and put his arm around Qing Zijin's shoulder as they headed towards the elevator back to the suite.

Back in the luxury suite, Qing Zijin winked at him ambiguously, then gracefully walked into the bathroom, where the sound of running water soon came from behind the frosted glass door.

Chen Ming had just loosened his collar and was about to follow when his phone in his pocket suddenly beeped with a series of message notifications.

He took out his phone and saw a message from Hua Qianhui, a message from Green Bubble. The content of the message made him pause in surprise, then he couldn't help but chuckle.

[Qianhua-chan: Mr. Chen, do you like cats?]

[Chika-chan: If you don't reply... I'll assume you like me!]

[Chika-chan: Meow meow meow~ (Cute kitten rolling around emoji)]

[Chika-chan: Hehe~ Actually, I wanted to ask if you're asleep yet...]

In particular, the direct text version of "meow meow meow~" carried an awkward yet bold probing tone, which genuinely surprised him.

He truly hadn't expected that this seemingly aloof and elegant beauty would have such a childish and adorable side in private. This stark contrast, like a light feather, gently tickled his heart, causing a slight flutter in his heart and an uncontrollable upward curve to his lips.

So he replied with a smile.

[Unlimited quantitative easing: I never knew you had such a playful and adorable side.]

On the other side of the screen, Hua Qianhui, who had been nervously holding her phone and waiting, was overjoyed when she saw the reply and rolled around on the bed with her phone in her arms!

She sent those slightly embarrassing messages precisely to please him, win his favor, and show a side of herself that was different from her usual self. Now it seems the effect was quite good!

The joy of success inspired her, and she immediately struck while the iron was hot, her fingers flying across the keyboard:

[Qianhua-chan: I have so many more noodles, Mr. Chen, that you've never seen before~ In the future... I'll show them to you one by one, okay?]

As Chen Ming looked at the message Hua Qianhui had sent on his phone screen, which was clearly ingratiating and probing, the corners of his mouth curved into an even wider smile.

This stunning beauty, whose overall looks score is a whopping 90, is now setting aside all her reserve and launching an offensive against him, albeit somewhat clumsily. The feeling of being pursued by such a gorgeous woman is like a carefully crafted cocktail—fresh at first taste, mellow in the aftertaste, giving him a unique sense of satisfaction.

I have to say, this feeling... is really quite good.

So, having gained an advantage, he feigned innocence, deliberately adopting a scrutinizing and "concerned" attitude towards her, and asked in return:

[Unlimited Quantitative Easing: Are you sure you've thought this through? With your looks and figure, you must have plenty of suitors, right? On this cruise ship alone, more than one man has tried to flirt with you. Is it really necessary to... humble yourself and become this 'little nine'?]

[Ding! Hua Qianhui's favorability +5, current favorability 55!]

The system notification made Chen Ming raise an eyebrow slightly. Unexpectedly, Hua Qianhui wasn't discouraged or backed down by these words; on the contrary… her favorability rating had increased again?

On the other side of the screen, Hua Qianhui showed absolutely no anger. Instead, her heart pounded faster as she looked at Chen Ming's question, which seemed tinged with a hint of bitterness!

Is he...jealous? Is he bothered by the fact that I have too many suitors?

This realization instantly made her overjoyed! This was fantastic news! It meant he cared about her and had begun to see her as his "possession," not allowing anyone else to covet her!

He likes me!!!

This judgment made Hua Qianhui completely let go of her last bit of pride and hesitation, and she began to strategize on her own. Her replies became unusually direct and bold, almost a declaration that left no room for retreat:

[Qianhua Jiang: Being your Xiao Jiu isn't unfair at all! What kind of suitors are those men? They're more like harassers! No matter whether you accept me in the end, Mr. Chen, I will never look at them... As long as you don't hit me or abandon me, I'll stick with you for life! Really...]

Tut tut...

Chen Ming felt an indescribable surge of secret pleasure as he read these words, which were almost a confession of love, spoken by a stunningly beautiful young woman.

This feeling of being completely chosen and firmly followed, combined with Hua Qianhui's stunning good looks, is indeed incredibly powerful.

He tapped the screen with satisfaction, and his response became softer.

[Unlimited Quantitative Easing: Life is long, Chie. I don't know how much resolve you took to make this promise to follow me for life. But I'll keep a close eye on you!]

Hua Qianhui immediately grasped the deeper meaning and replied quickly and obediently:

[Qianhua-chan: I understand! With Mr. Chen's status and position, if I dared to break my promise or betray you, dealing with me would be a piece of cake!]

That makes sense!

Although Hua Qianhui misjudged one point—Chen Ming preferred to use supernatural powers to impose punishment rather than worldly wealth and status.

But the result was the same: no matter what form the "punishment" took, it was far beyond what this beautiful young woman, who was determined to transcend social class, could bear.

Just then, the sound of water from the bathroom gradually subsided. Qing Zijin poked her wet little head out of the bathroom, the rising steam making her cheeks pink and even more beautiful.

She stretched out her slender hand and beckoned to Chen Ming with her finger, her eyes languid and seductive.

Seeing this, Chen Ming stopped explaining his punishment methods to Hua Qianhui and replied with a slight smile.

[Unlimited quantitative easing: I'll wait and see. Okay, I should take a shower and go to bed now. See you tomorrow.]

After sending the message, he put down his phone and went to the bathroom.

……

The following morning, the sea breeze carried the unique scent of Tokyo Bay.

The group of five gathered at the buffet restaurant as usual.

However, the atmosphere seemed somewhat different from usual.

Hua Qianhui's eyes shone even brighter, and when she looked at Chen Ming, her cautious admiration almost overflowed.

Not long after Ji finished breakfast, the familiar radio music started playing on time:

"Good morning, dear passengers! We have arrived at the third stop of this voyage – Tokyo (Yokohama Port)! The Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship is about to dock..."

After disembarking, led by tour guide Liu Yuanyuan, they followed the flow of people into Yokohama's bustling streets.

Unlike the previous two times we disembarked, our positions have changed subtly today.

Qing Zijin still took Chen Ming's left arm as a matter of course.

Hua Qianhui no longer hangs out with her best friend Wang Manman.

She moved quietly and deliberately to Chen Ming's right side, keeping a shoulder-to-shoulder, almost arm-to-arm distance between them.

The girl tried hard to find interesting topics to chat with Chen Ming, her voice a few degrees softer than usual, while she struggled with her thoughts for a long time.

Until one unexpected turn, their arms touched lightly.

It's now!

Hua Qianhui steeled her heart and, taking advantage of that brief moment of contact, carefully hooked her slender fingers around Chen Ming's arm and took his arm!

"Ok??"

The sudden warm, soft touch on his arm startled Chen Ming slightly.

He glanced down at his right arm, which had suddenly been "occupied," and chuckled to himself: This beauty... is quite proactive, isn't she?

He turned his head, his gaze falling on Hua Qianhui's face beside him, revealing a half-smile.

Hua Qianhui initially tried to remain calm and pretend nothing had happened. However, under Chen Ming's gaze, which seemed to see right through people, she felt her cheeks burning and her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

The girl could no longer pretend, so she raised her watery eyes and asked cautiously in a soft voice:

"May I?"

Chen Ming looked at the exquisite and beautiful face in front of him, which was flushed with an alluring blush due to nervousness and anticipation. Her beautiful big eyes were filled with a humble desire to please and be allowed.

The sense of conquest he felt from personally stripping away the pride of a beautiful woman and making her appear so submissive in front of him greatly satisfied his emotional needs.

Who says that a woman with an overall attractiveness score of 90 can't be proactive and will always be aloof?

When they identify their target and are determined to lower themselves, their initiative and ingratiation are even more intense and reckless than many men's pursuit of their prey.

For Hua Qianhui, having a man like Chen Ming would not only perfectly satisfy her little vanity, but also allow her to completely get rid of her financial difficulties, achieve her dream of upward social mobility, and live a luxurious and affluent life.

This kind of win-win situation only requires her to set aside her insignificant pride and reserve in front of this man. No matter how you look at it, it's a perfect deal. Why wouldn't she take it?

Chapter 231: I Won't Agree

Hua Qianhui held her breath nervously, focusing all her senses on the man's reaction beside her, afraid that she would hear his displeased rejection or feel the force of his arm pulling away.

just because,

Making such a proactive move took a tremendous amount of courage for her; she almost had to swallow her pride to do it.

She had even mentally rehearsed the embarrassing scene of being rejected—the sense of defeat would probably take a very long time to recover, and she would lose the courage to launch such a "shameless" offensive again in a short period of time.

Fortunately,

The reprimand or push that Hua Qianhui had anticipated did not occur.

Amidst the cacophony of Yokohama's streets, Chen Ming said nothing, simply shifting his gaze away as if acknowledging her dependence, and continued walking forward.