"You're staying here with your friends?"
Zhong Yan's worst moment today came not when he parted ways with Ellen and the others—but when he ran into them again right at the hotel entrance.
As luck would have it, both parties were staying at the same hotel. Not only that, their rooms were on the same floor. It was only because they had arrived at different times that they hadn't discovered each other earlier.
"Zhong Yan, you're finally back! Come on, Wise and the others have prepared—" Nicole's excited voice rang out as she dashed out of the room upon hearing him.
Her smiling face froze almost instantly the moment she saw Ellen and her group.
The same stiff expression appeared on Lycaon and the others as well.
Ellen was even more direct—she immediately went into battle mode, as if a major fight could erupt between her and Nicole at any second.
Seeing this, Zhong Yan was momentarily stunned. It was clear he had no idea what kind of conflict had erupted between the two groups.
But judging by the current situation, if he didn't step in quickly, an all-out clash was inevitable.
"Why... are you here?" Nicole asked, her expression grim. She remembered very clearly—the last time in the Hollow, it was exactly because of a conflict between the Cunning Hares and Victoria Housekeeping Co. that the Exaltists managed to exploit the situation.
The conflict between the two sides was, at least for now, irreconcilable.
"Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that?" Ellen stepped forward; her tone sharp. She deliberately moved past Zhong Yan, placing herself in front of him to prevent any accidental harm if a fight broke out.
To Ellen, Zhong Yan was just a weakling—someone strong only in academics, which was likely the reason he ranked first in the entire school.
"Ellen, hold up!" Seeing that things were about to escalate, Zhong Yan hurriedly reached out to stop her.
Hearing the commotion, Anby and the others also came out of their rooms.
The moment the remaining three members of the Cunning Hares saw the Victoria Housekeeping Co. group; they instantly entered a state of alert. Only Wise and Belle looked completely confused, unaware of what had transpired between the two sides.
"This might be a misunderstanding," Zhong Yan said firmly, positioning himself between the two groups. Turning to Ellen, he added, "Ellen, these are the companions I told you about—the ones I went on vacation with."
Ellen's expression froze at his words. Then she scrutinized them more carefully—and realized there were four women among Zhong Yan's companions.
Besides him, only Wise was male.
Billy was a robot, so she didn't count him.
Going on vacation with so many girls, especially while deliberately hiding his movements—it was hard not to overthink.
For Ellen, who had only recently confirmed her relationship with Zhong Yan, it was something she couldn't easily accept.
Fortunately, she didn't let her emotions explode—otherwise, everything would've been ruined.
"Mr. Zhong Yan, you're saying they're your companions?" Lycaon asked, unable to hold back.
The Cunning Hares and their group weren't quite mortal enemies, but they were certainly not on friendly terms.
When the Exaltists attacked, Victoria Housekeeping Co. had nearly been wiped out. That might not have been entirely the Cunning Hares's fault, but they were definitely involved.
The same could be said for the Cunning Hares.
Thanks to Zhong Yan's intervention, the atmosphere had eased slightly. At the very least, with him standing in the middle, no one dared to make the first move.
"That's right. These people are my friends. I don't know what kind of conflict you had before, but for now, please calm down. Maybe this is just a misunderstanding."
Both the Cunning Hares and Victoria Housekeeping Co. were parts of Zhong Yan's life that he couldn't abandon. He would never allow hostility to fester between the two factions.
"Mr. Zhong Yan, you don't understand what happened between us," Lycaon said, his tone cool as he looked at him. "I don't have major issues with this young lady or her organization, but I'm afraid friendship between us just isn't possible."
Given the current tension, if it weren't for Zhong Yan's presence, a fight would've already broken out.
"When did you even meet these people—and you're close enough to vacation together?" Ellen's gaze drifted repeatedly toward Nicole and the others.
What she cared most about now wasn't the tension between their factions—it was Zhong Yan's relationship with these girls.
If she didn't get answers, she probably wouldn't sleep tonight.
"I... I've known them for a long time. Trust me, Ellen, they're definitely not bad people." Zhong Yan hesitated for a moment, then patted his chest and spoke with conviction.
Compared to Victoria Housekeeping Co., the Cunning Hares was clearly more composed. They trusted Zhong Yan and believed he could resolve the situation.
By contrast, among the Victoria group, besides Ellen, no one was particularly close to him. Plus, Lycaon had been suspicious of his identity for a long time.
That put the entire situation on thin ice. Whether Zhong Yan could keep it under control had become a serious question.
"Mr. Zhong Yan..." Lycaon looked at him, then glanced at Ellen, whose expression had softened slightly. Considering Zhong Yan might be the Uchiha, after much deliberation, he finally nodded.
"Very well. For your sake, we'll let bygones be bygones."
Lycaon's concession allowed Zhong Yan to breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Ellen didn't object to his decision. As for Rina and Corin, although they didn't entirely understand, they didn't protest either—instead choosing to quietly accept Lycaon's call.
"For the time being, it looks like we'll be staying at the same hotel. I don't expect friendship to develop between us—but if possible, I'd still like to interact a bit more."
With those final words, Lycaon led Ellen and the others away, returning to their rooms.
"Zhong Yan, if you have something to say, better come inside first," Wise spoke up just then. Their tense exchange had already drawn attention from several passersby.
To avoid revealing their identities, Wise decided to bring Zhong Yan inside—so that whatever they discussed wouldn't be overheard.
Zhong Yan nodded. Things had now strayed far from his original plan.
Who could've guessed that the Cunning Hares and Victoria Housekeeping Co. who were supposed to get along... would have such a toxic relationship?