Nicole's voice on the other end of the line left Zhong Yan confused—especially her agitated tone, as if he had committed some sort of crime.
Later, under Nicole's insistence, Zhong Yan activated Kamui and instantly arrived at the Cunning Hares' rented apartment.
It was his second time visiting this place. The last time had also been to see Anby.
At the moment, the four members of the Cunning Hares were gathered around the living room sofa. Nicole sat there with arms crossed and a furious look on her face. Nekomata held a half-eaten mackerel, her ears twitching occasionally from delight at its flavor.
Billy stood behind Nicole with dual pistols in hand, looking like a bodyguard on high alert.
Anby sat across from Nicole, calmly nibbling on a freshly made burger.
The moment Zhong Yan emerged via Kamui, all four pairs of eyes turned toward him. Nicole immediately leapt up, grabbed his collar, and demanded, "Zhong Yan, come clean! What exactly did you do to Anby?! Why is she like this now?!"
Zhong Yan blinked, baffled. He glanced over at Anby on the sofa—but she looked no different from usual. If anything, the only thing that stood out was that she was eating less.
She normally downed a whole bag of burgers. Today, she only had one.
"Nicole, could you please explain what's going on? This is seriously confusing." Zhong Yan brushed Nicole's hand off his collar and straightened out the wrinkled fabric.
Nicole grew even more indignant. "Oh, so that's how it is? Playing dumb after doing the deed? Fine. Let me show you what you've done!"
She pulled a slender stick from her pocket. At first, Zhong Yan didn't understand—until he realized what it was.
A pregnancy test.
He'd never used one himself—or given one to someone else—so he wasn't sure what the lines meant. But Nicole wouldn't hand it to him for no reason.
And considering that he had indeed been with Anby before...
No way.
A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
Anby was pregnant.
The moment the idea took hold, his world started to spin—until Nicole's voice yanked him back to reality.
"Now you understand what I'm talking about, don't you? Things have gotten this far. There's no turning back. So, you'd better take responsibility!"
She kicked at Zhong Yan's leg in frustration. But due to the force behind the kick, her foot triggered Kamui's intangibility effect—and she ended up kicking thin air and falling to the floor with a pained yelp.
"Boss Nicole!" Billy quickly rushed forward to help her up.
As she stood, groaning from the impact, Nicole was reminded that Zhong Yan wasn't just any ordinary guy—he had other powers.
Still, even so, she was determined to hold him accountable. This wasn't a minor issue, after all.
Anby, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit concerned. Either she didn't care—or she had already mentally prepared for this day, which was why she appeared so calm.
"If that's all this is about, then honestly, I think you're worrying too much." Zhong Yan sighed as he looked at the aching Nicole. "I didn't expect things to go this far, but I'll take responsibility... and I know Anby trusts me."
Nicole always assumed Anby didn't understand the weight of the situation. But the truth was, Anby did understand. She simply trusted Zhong Yan enough to not treat it like a crisis. Because to her, it wasn't something worth panicking over.
"Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise a kid? We at Cunning Hares still need to take commissions to earn money. Now it's like we're down a person. Aren't you going to contribute something?" Nicole said, rubbing her aching head.
Zhong Yan understood immediately.
This woman wasn't satisfied with the three million Denny he'd handed over previously—now she wanted more.
Still, it wasn't unreasonable. Taking care of Anby during her pregnancy would take time, effort, and a fair amount of money.
As the child's father, he should provide support—and some compensation for their trouble.
After thinking for a moment, he held up a finger and said, "Ten million... no, thirty million Dennies. That's for you to look after Anby for a few months. Whatever's left after expenses is yours to keep. Deal?"
"Deal!"
Nicole instantly forgot about her bruises and practically jumped with excitement.
Thirty million Dennies—just to help someone through pregnancy. No matter how much they spent, there was no way it would exceed ten million. That left them with at least twenty million in profit.
It was practically insane.
With that much money, the Cunning Hares wouldn't need to take on another commission for at least two years. They could even improve their quality of life along the way.
Truly worthy of the name Uchiha—so generous it hurts.
With the agreement settled, Zhong Yan didn't plan to stay much longer. Still, he walked over to Anby and crouched beside her, speaking softly: "When you're pregnant, you shouldn't be eating stuff like burgers. It's not good for you—or for him."
As he spoke, Zhong Yan gently placed a hand on Anby's stomach.
It had only been a little over a month. There was no visible change yet, and certainly no movement. But psychologically, Zhong Yan felt like he was already touching a new life about to be born.
"...Okay," Anby replied quietly to his advice.
Then, she took the last bite of her burger and tossed the wrapper into the trash, a wistful look on her face.
That was probably the last burger she'd get to eat for the next six months—maybe even a year.
For the sake of the little one inside her, she had to ensure proper nutrition. Nicole and the others would act as supervisors, helping her along the way. That had been part of the deal Zhong Yan struck with them.
It was oddly poetic.
She had fallen in love with burgers because of Zhong Yan... and now, because of another piece of him, she had to give them up.
Maybe that's what made this new life between them so important.
A symbolic embodiment of their bond.
Who knew?
Maybe someday, that child would inherit Zhong Yan's mantle—and accomplish what even his father could not.