WTF!
What happened?
He tried hard to recall.
Fragments of last night's memories flooded in:
The roadshow, the robbery, the shooting, instant noodles, chatting...
Then he went back to his room...
Dammit!
He went back to Kristen's room!
And after that?
That incredibly realistic wet dream...
Was it not a dream?
Just as his mind was blanking out, trying to sort through the threads, Kristen stirred, slowly opening her eyes.
She first looked blankly at Cassius, who was mere inches away. Then her gaze traveled down, noticing their current state of undress. Her pupils constricted sharply, and she let out a short gasp.
"Wha... What the hell?"
She yanked the duvet up to cover herself, her eyes filled with shock!
Seeing her reaction, any sliver of hope Cassius had was completely dashed.
It seemed last night wasn't just as simple as walking into the wrong room.
He took a deep breath, trying to look composed, and decided to strike first.
"You slept with me last night?"
Kristen was dumbfounded by his question, the shock on her face turning into disbelief.
"I slept with you? Cassius! I always thought you were Gay! How could I possibly sleep with you? Besides..."
She seemed to remember something, her tone turning into a roast.
"Even if something did happen, you have no stamina, what's the point of sleeping with you?"
That sentence was like a spark thrown into a haystack—it instantly ignited Cassius!
Gay?
No stamina?
Uncle can bear it, but Auntie cannot!
Cassius's male pride and ignited desire instantly broke through the dam.
Kristen wanted to say more, but she never got the chance.
Cassius suddenly leaned over.
Interrupting her words!
Kristen's eyes went wide with shock.
Images of her life with Cassius during this period flashed through her mind!
Her favorability toward Cassius instantly turned into the most intense response!
The process.............. was intense.
Enough to completely overturn all of Kristen's previous misconceptions about Cassius's stamina and orientation.
All done!
The sunlight outside the window was already bright enough to be blinding.
Cassius stopped, propping himself up on his arms to look at her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes, his breathing heavy.
"Still think I have no stamina? Still think I'm Gay?"
Kristen didn't even have the strength to glare at him.
She buried her burning face in the pillow, letting out a muffled whimper—whether from embarrassment or something else, it was unclear.
Cassius lay back down beside her.
Neither spoke for a while. Only the sound of their rapid breathing slowly calmed in the quiet room.
After a long time, Kristen's muffled voice came from the pillow.
"Why did you... before..."
"Before, I was just honoring the agreement, and I had no interest in taking advantage of someone."
Cassius interrupted her, giving an explanation that sounded reasonably plausible.
"As for why you thought I was Gay..."
He was a bit speechless. "I can only say you have a very vivid imagination."
Kristen fell silent, seemingly digesting this overly subversive morning.
Just as Cassius and Kristen lay in bed in a subtle, post-coital, chaotic silence...
A few distinct knocks came from outside the master bedroom door, followed by assistant Emma's voice.
"K? Are you awake?"
"There are a few urgent interview arrangements I need to confirm with you. Also, regarding the follow-up PR for last night's incident..."
Emma's voice cut off abruptly, like a duck being choked, when she saw the scene inside the room.
The door wasn't locked.
She had just knocked symbolically and pushed it open!
That was her habit as a core assistant.
And then, she saw the two people on the bed, obviously fresh from a "fierce battle," disheveled—or rather, basically naked.
The air went silent!
Emma's face, usually the picture of professionalism, changed for the first time.
Her eyes widened into circles, her mouth fell slightly open, and the tablet in her hand almost slipped.
Her brain was clearly processing explosive information far beyond her daily job description.
Kristen let out a short yelp.
She yanked the duvet over her head, wrapping herself completely like a startled ostrich.
Although Cassius was also stunned for a moment...
His reaction was faster.
He quickly grabbed the T-shirt scattered at the foot of the bed and pulled it on. His movements were fairly calm, though his ears burned imperceptibly.
Emma, ever the experienced professional, forced herself to regain composure after the initial few seconds of petrification.
She cleared her throat, deliberately averting her gaze from the messy bed and focusing on the lump that was Kristen under the duvet, keeping her voice as steady as possible.
"Uh... sorry, I... I'll come back later."
She started to back out and close the door.
"Wait, Emma."
Kristen's voice called out from under the duvet.
Emma stopped at the doorway, looking at Kristen in confusion.
"No need to leave!"
"As you can see, we just confirmed our relationship!"
The corner of Emma's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Confirmed the relationship?
At a time like this?
The morning after an armed robbery, self-defense shooting, and internet-wide attention... you confirm the relationship like this?
But Emma also breathed a sigh of relief!
Them being in a real romantic relationship was actually good for PR. It was simpler to manage and less likely to be exposed as fake.
Besides, this Cassius guy was a bit spooky.
Ever since Kristen got involved with him, her traffic numbers hadn't come down!
"Understood!"
Emma took a deep breath, her formidable professionalism kicking back in.
"We need to adjust today's interview strategy!"
She started operating quickly on her tablet.
"Cass, you need to prepare for related questions. We'll have a meeting downstairs in an hour to unify our talking points."
"Okay!" Cassius nodded.
Emma exited the room again, gently closing the door.
Standing in the hallway, she still felt like she needed a double-shot black coffee.
This plot twist was more abrupt than any movie script she had ever handled.
Inside the room, Kristen seemed to have used up all her strength. She collapsed back onto the bed, covered her head with the duvet, and let out a muffled groan.
Cassius looked at her and found it a bit funny.
[Kristen Current Favorability: 91 (Deep Intimate Relationship Confirmed)]
That number spoke louder than any words.
He reached out and tugged at the duvet. "Hey, don't suffocate yourself! Weren't you pretty brave when you announced your sovereignty just now?"
Kristen kicked him from under the duvet, not hard.
"Shut up!"
She said mufflingly, but her tone lacked the earlier panic, carrying instead a hint of reckless intimacy.
Cassius smiled and didn't tease her further.
An hour later, the two appeared in the living room downstairs, fully dressed.
Emma had returned to her image of absolute professionalism, efficiently assigning tasks.
Only when her eyes occasionally swept over the two of them would a trace of "what the hell did I just witness" bewilderment show.
Cassius and Kristen sat on the sofa, listening to Emma's briefing. Kristen's hand rested seemingly casually at her side, but her pinky finger quietly hooked around Cassius's finger.
Cassius didn't pull away; instead, he squeezed it gently.
Emma caught the small gesture out of the corner of her eye and took another critical hit internally, but her face remained impassive.
The script was completely scrap!
From now on, it was reality show time!