When Pei powered back on after fully charging, more than an hour had passed.
At that moment, Zhong Yan was lying in bed with Ellen, the room so still that only the sound of their breathing could be heard.
The house, cooled by constant air conditioning, had clothes strewn all over the floor—some of which were clearly intimate garments.
And those clothes were originally meant to be worn by the two of them.
Seeing this scene, Pei immediately understood what must have taken place during the hour it was charging.
So, it walked straight to the table, turned on the computer, and began searching online for what foods were best to eat during pregnancy.
After all, it didn't look like they'd used any protection, and there was no telling if this encounter had led to something more.
In Pei's view, this was simply part of its responsibilities.
"Ehn-ne... (chicken soup...)" After finding the answer it was looking for, Pei hopped down from the table, picked up the grocery money Zhong Yan had set aside for it, and left the apartment, now carrying a burden of unprecedented importance.
It would be gone for another hour or so.
Meanwhile, not long after Pei had left, Zhong Yan, who had fallen asleep, slowly opened his eyes.
With the slightest movement of his body, a rush of freezing cold air pierced into the blanket, forcing him to pull it tightly around himself. Only when he felt that comforting warmth return did he finally relax.
Beside him lay Ellen, her shoulder half-exposed, sleeping on her side.
Zhong Yan glanced at her, then at his own bare body beneath the blanket—only then did he fully grasp what had just transpired.
It had all happened so suddenly, but the reality was undeniable.
He was no longer just a boy.
To be honest, Zhong Yan was still trying to make sense of what had occurred.
He never expected Ellen to show up in a maid outfit today—let alone to make the first move in such a forward way.
He had tried to hold himself back, but her aggressive approach had swept him into her pace before he realized it.
The worst part was, they hadn't used any protection. The most likely result of that was... he might end up becoming a father.
And as thrilling as that might sound, the real problem was—how would he explain this to Anby and Belle?
That was what gave Zhong Yan the biggest headache. It was also the delicate balance of interpersonal relationships he had been trying to manage for a long time.
Now it seemed like all his previous efforts had gone to waste. If he really did become a father, the fallout would be disastrous.
Clearly, Ellen had no such worries. In fact, to exaggerate a little, she was hoping he would become a father.
Only then could she stake her claim over him in front of Anby and Belle. Even if they had to live together in the future, Ellen would have the upper hand.
At the moment, though, she was still lost in the dreamlike aftermath of their shared experience—so much so that her shark tail, still influenced by her emotions, was wagging uncontrollably with excitement.
Then, as if sensing Zhong Yan's gaze, Ellen slowly opened her eyes and met his.
Still groggy from sleep, Ellen hovered in a dazed state for a few seconds before the memory of what had just happened came rushing back. Her face flushed red, and she quickly looked away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes again.
Seeing her awake, Zhong Yan's expression was also rather complicated. But after a moment of thought, he finally said softly, "Good afternoon. It's probably not dinnertime yet, so you can sleep a bit more if you want."
At his words, Ellen immediately ducked her head under the blanket, fumbling around in search of her clothes. In her current state, she felt way too embarrassed.
Unfortunately, her clothes had been thrown to the floor during their passionate moment. If she wanted to retrieve them, she'd have to leave the safety of the blanket.
And doing that... would've been worse than death—well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. She was just really shy.
"I'm not sleepy anymore... Can you go get my clothes for me?" Ellen mumbled from under the blanket, her voice muffled and unclear.
Zhong Yan's lips curled into a faint smile. He then lifted the blanket, careful not to expose her body to the cold air, got out of bed, and picked up the clothes from the floor, handing them to her.
Feeling the garments land on the blanket, Ellen reached out, felt around for a moment, and pulled her undergarments inside to put them on beneath the covers.
Only once she had covered up the more sensitive parts did she poke her head out again—only to catch Zhong Yan mid-dressing.
Thankfully, he was already decently covered, or she probably would've ducked back under the blanket in a heartbeat.
"Pei's not home. Looks like it went grocery shopping. Do you want to stay for dinner?" Zhong Yan asked gently, glancing toward Ellen who was still curled up in bed.
Ellen hesitated for a few seconds before giving a small nod and murmuring an affirmative.
Now that the thin layer between them had finally been broken, their relationship had entered an entirely new and delicate phase.
Zhong Yan had already admitted to being in a relationship with Anby. Now, with Ellen involved—and with what had just happened between them—it far outweighed anything that had happened with Anby before.
In fact, this might give Ellen the advantage to fully win over Zhong Yan, pushing Anby and Belle to the sidelines.
But clearly, even if that was her intent, Zhong Yan wasn't going to let it happen that easily.
He had known from the start—he wasn't the type to be deeply devoted. The only thing he could do was try to avoid unnecessary romantic entanglements. The more women were involved, the more chaotic things would become.
And now, thanks to Ellen, his relationships with all three girls had begun to fracture. Before things spiraled out of control, he had to find a way to stabilize things with Anby and Belle.
Only if they were willing to accept what had happened could the situation improve.
Otherwise, Zhong Yan might end up walking the same path as that notorious three-character "sincerity bro."
The only silver lining was that, for now, the other two were completely unaware of what had happened. Neither of them even knew who Ellen was.
That gave Zhong Yan some time—to prepare, and to explain.
But one thing was now certain: between him and Ellen, there would never again be such a thing as physical privacy.