Chapter 22: A Quote from the Overbearing CEO

Qi Bei entered his study, turned on his computer, and after some thought, typed four words into the browser and clicked search.

Immediately, a group of webpage results popped up, and Qi Bei clicked on the first one to browse carefully.

At the top of the page, four large and bold words shone brightly: “Overbearing CEO.”

Qi Bei quickly finished reading the content, and it could be summed up as follows: the concept of the “Overbearing CEO” came from internet novels, particularly CEO romance novels.

This is a specific genre of online literature, with readers ranging from elderly women in their 80s to young teenage girls, all captivated by the rich, cold-hearted, and deeply affectionate CEO who occasionally engages in cruel and deep love. They can’t seem to get enough of this trope.

An important point is that the overbearing CEO treats most people terribly but is very kind to the female protagonist.

Sometimes, he pretends not to care for her, but in reality, his love is deep and intense.

What the hell is this? Qi Bei’s brows furrowed tighter.

Pretending not to care for Jin Yue? She clearly didn’t want to be around him. How could he act like he didn’t care? Pass on that.

As for only caring for Jin Yue—of course he would! But treating most people terribly?

If others liked her, he’d have to act cruelly too? That doesn’t make sense, does it?

Who wrote this webpage? Qi Bei just wanted to pull this person over and scold them.

Despite his frustration, though, he couldn’t help but continue reading. After all, Jin Yue had said that everyone liked the “overbearing CEO” trope, so he gritted his teeth and pushed through the discomfort.

(Jin Yue: ??? I said you weren’t listening, you only heard what you wanted to hear.)

A qualified overbearing CEO must be handsome and wealthy, and Qi Bei knew that he was perfect in this regard.

Moreover, he must be a devoted husband—his overbearing nature and tenderness should be balanced.

As for devotion, of course, he doted on Jin Yue. After all, despite her making him angry countless times, he could never truly be harsh with her.

As for tenderness, that was no problem. But what exactly did “overbearing” mean in moderation?

Qi Bei pondered for a moment and continued browsing, his serious expression and furrowed brows making it look like he was handling some difficult tasks.

**The Next Morning**

When Jin Yue woke up, she realized she was in a strange room. Her mind was a little dazed, but then she remembered what had happened the night before. She lay there, unable to do anything, feeling like a lazy fish.

There was nothing she could do. She hadn’t brought any clothes with her, so after taking a shower, she had simply grabbed one of Qi Bei’s shirts and used it as pajamas.

She also knew how ambiguous it was to wear a man’s shirt, so she wasn’t going to leave the room until Qi Bei brought her clothes.

As for her old clothes, she wrinkled her nose in disdain. They smelled of smoke and alcohol, and she didn’t want to wear them again.

Suddenly, the phone in the room rang. Jin Yue lazily turned over, picked up the receiver, and answered.

“You little troublemaker, you’re finally awake. Get up, change your clothes, and come down for breakfast. I left the clothes outside your door.”

Qi Bei’s deep, magnetic voice came through the line.

What was he doing so early in the morning?

Jin Yue hung up the phone, got out of bed, and carefully opened the door. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly grabbed the large bag of clothes outside the door and brought it in.

**A moment later**

 Jin Yue looked at the bed filled with lingerie and was speechless.

In novels, the male protagonist is often depicted as not understanding sanitary pads, so he buys a whole bag of them, which is considered cute.

But Qi Bei? No, he’s different. He bought a huge bag of lingerie in various styles.

No wonder she thought it was just one piece of clothing. How could the bag be so big? Now she understood, Qi Bei was just a big, clueless guy, always doing silly things.

Jin Yue rolled her eyes in a very unladylike manner, then picked out a piece of lingerie, changed into it, and put the rest back in the bag before heading out to freshen up.

Downstairs, Qi Bei was already sitting at the dining table. When he saw Jin Yue come down and sit in a chair, he gave her a compliment with a look of appreciation.

But then, as if thinking of something, his expression suddenly changed. There was a hint of disdain and casualness in his eyes as he said, “Woman, your outfit has caught my attention.”

*Pfft*, that was a huge blow! Jin Yue couldn’t hold back her laughter. She never expected to hear such a silly “overbearing CEO” quote in real life.

Wait a minute. Wasn’t Qi Bei fine yesterday? How come, after just one night, he suddenly went off to an “Overbearing CEO Academy” for self-improvement?

To be honest, Jin Yue, you’ve found the truth.

Qi Bei, who was a little unsure at first, saw Jin Yue laugh and immediately thought she really liked him.

It seemed the rumors online were true—no one could resist the charm of an overbearing CEO. He had just casually spoken a line from the overbearing CEO quotes, and Jin Yue liked it so much.

Encouraged, Qi Bei continued with more lines: “You, woman, are so damn sweet, I can’t believe I’m falling for you!”

“Listen, I allow you to like me, no need to hide it anymore!”

Hahahaha! Jin Yue burst out laughing, unable to control herself. Who could maintain a straight face after receiving such a “silly attack”?

She pressed her hands to her stomach, laughing so hard it hurt.

“Woman, do you know you’re playing with fire!” Qi Bei added, about to continue.

Seeing that Qi Bei was about to go on, Jin Yue quickly waved her hands, signaling him to stop. Qi Bei was puzzled. Hadn’t she liked it?

Oh, she had almost forgotten. The guide did say that when a woman says no, she actually means yes. She almost fell for it.

After laughing for a while, Jin Yue finally managed to speak normally. She held back her laughter and said, “You’d better stop right there. I don’t want to die laughing here. By the way, how did you suddenly become so ‘overbearing CEO’ overnight?”

“You don’t like it?” Qi Bei asked.

“Hahahaha! Who would like it? How many overbearing CEOs did you eat to come up with these ridiculous quotes? Enough already, hahahaha!”

“Hmm, you’re a woman full of contradictions. Your reaction clearly shows you like it!”

Qi Bei snorted. He had spent most of the night practicing just to get these results.

Those overbearing CEO quotes were long, cheesy, and awkward. If it weren’t for trying to make her like him, who would bother memorizing these?

Thinking about how his exceptional learning skills had ended up being used in such a way, Qi Bei sighed. But what could he do? He liked her, and this was his fate.

“Enough, enough! Don’t say any more overbearing CEO quotes, I really don’t like them. If you’re going to talk like that, it’s better you do something instead! Please, don’t say anything else, okay? Let’s eat.”

Jin Yue didn’t want to be constantly attacked by those cheesy lines and quickly changed the subject.

She grabbed the porridge in front of her and started eating. She was genuinely hungry.

Well, overbearing CEOs may be devoted to their wives, but she still had to make sure she followed what he said within reason. Without those quotes, there was still the devotion to her, Qi Bei thought to himself.

With that, Qi Bei fell silent and focused on his breakfast.