Time slipped by quietly.
Zhong Yan and the others had arrived at the beach around noon and had been playing almost non-stop until evening.
During that time, the lively personalities of Belle and the others made them the most animated group in the vacation party.
Even Billy, as a robot, was influenced by them and joined in on the water fight.
It's just that… he was on the receiving end. One versus three—he stood no chance.
Luckily, his chassis was waterproof. Otherwise, no one could imagine what kind of state he'd be in if water got inside.
"Zhong Yan, here you go." On the beach, Anby handed Zhong Yan a freshly cut slice of watermelon, making him feel increasingly uncomfortable.
All afternoon, Anby had been serving him like a maid, saying she had to outdo Belle in every way. But in reality, Belle had been playing in the water all day, barely paying Zhong Yan any attention.
And yet, Anby's competitive spirit burned bright.
She might be satisfying her own need to win, but what about Zhong Yan? At first, he accepted the things she handed him with a smile. But as time passed, he started to feel more and more awkward.
Eventually, he didn't even dare to reach out and take anything anymore.
Anby's attentive care was beginning to scare him.
"N-no need, I'm feeling a little stiff from lying down too long. I'm going to walk around a bit. You take a seat," Zhong Yan said, his lips twitching slightly. After saying this, he stood up from the lounge chair and motioned for Anby to sit down.
Thankfully, Anby was pretty obedient. Once she heard he was leaving, she didn't insist on following him. She only reminded him to come back soon, as the sky was already starting to darken.
In less than an hour, the sun would set completely, and they'd need to wrap up all their beach activities before then.
...
As the sun dipped lower, the number of tourists on the beach had dwindled significantly compared to the afternoon.
Still, quite a few people lingered, some enjoying the ocean under the setting sun, others relaxing on the sand.
Zhong Yan strolled aimlessly along the beach, occasionally admiring the sudden appearance of attractive scenery.
In summer, the beach was full of eye candy—so much that it was impossible to take it all in. For example, over there stood a stunning girl in a swimsuit, her figure absolutely top-tier, with a massive shark tail swaying behind her as she stood at the shoreline...
Wait, a shark tail?
Zhong Yan paused, and in the glow of the setting sun, he recognized the back of that girl. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
It was Ellen.
No way... Zhong Yan was startled but also felt a bit relieved—relieved that Ellen hadn't noticed him yet. If he could just sneak away quickly, maybe this could all be brushed off.
That's what he thought, but fate had other plans.
"Mr. Zhong Yan, are you here to relax as well?" A gentlemanly voice came from behind him. He turned and saw Lycaon walking toward him with Rina and Corin in tow.
By the way, all three of them were in swimwear—especially Rina, whose commanding presence could now rival Nicole's.
Corin, on the other hand, was fairly average in comparison.
"Zhong Yan?" Ellen, standing by the sea, suddenly heard his name. She turned to look in his direction and froze when she saw him.
This guy said he was vacationing with friends… so what's he doing here?
Could it be that he really was on a beach vacation with friends? What a coincidence.
"Long time no see, Mr. Lycaon." Zhong Yan offered a slightly awkward smile. He had already noticed Ellen's gaze and knew today was likely going downhill fast.
Still, as long as Ellen didn't find out about Anby and Belle, there was still hope.
"Oh my, so this is the Mr. Zhong Yan our dear Ellen always talks about? What a pleasure to finally meet you." Rina floated over with a teasing smile, studying Zhong Yan closely. Her eyes squinted with amusement, giving off an unreadable vibe.
Being stared at like that made Zhong Yan feel incredibly uneasy. Just then, Corin also chimed in, "Mr. Zhong Yan, h-hi, I'm Corin… Ellen's coworker."
It was clear that both Rina and Corin were curious about Zhong Yan because of Ellen. They wanted to see what kind of guy had managed to tame their household's fearsome shark.
"Rina, Corin, please maintain the dignity of our agency. Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean we're off duty," Lycaon cleared his throat, subtly reminding the two to rein in their curiosity. They immediately averted their gazes.
Ellen then stepped away from the water and approached. Hands on hips, she walked up to Zhong Yan in her swimsuit with an indifferent tone.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you were going on vacation with friends? Seriously..."
Zhong Yan's expression turned even more awkward. Unsure of what to say, he forced a reply: "Vacation... I mean, what place is better than the beach in summer? By the way, Ellen, are these your family members?"
As he spoke, Zhong Yan pointed to Rina and Corin—he had already met Lycaon before, so he didn't include him.
"Yeah, sort of. Why, does it seem strange to you?" Ellen tilted her head slightly, trying to appear indifferent.
Zhong Yan shook his head. "Not at all. On the contrary, your family seems pretty great. Uh... very enthusiastic."
Very enthusiastic, indeed. Rina practically wanted to turn him inside out with her eyes earlier. How could he not feel the heat?
Suddenly, Ellen seemed to remember something and asked, "Didn't you say you were vacationing with friends? Where are they? Why are you alone?"
Zhong Yan tensed up immediately.
He estimated the distance and figured that Belle and the others were only a few hundred meters away.
At that range, just looking up would be enough to spot them. Thankfully, none of them seemed to be paying attention this way. So, all Zhong Yan had to do now was wrap up this encounter and get back to the others.
"Oh... they went back to the hotel first. I just came out for a stroll. I'll be heading back soon," Zhong Yan replied with a weak smile, hoping to slip away from the four of them.
But Ellen wasn't going to let him off that easily. Or perhaps, she had already sensed that something wasn't quite right.
Zhong Yan's day of reckoning… was fast approaching.