Now that the matter was settled, Evelyn felt the exhaustion from a full day of activity start to creep in.
From the investigation during the day to the frantic rush at night, even for someone like Evelyn who was used to high-intensity missions, a day like this left her utterly exhausted.
However, Evelyn was very different from Astra Yao.
With her powerful willpower, which no one could shake, she dispelled her fatigue in an instant, leaving Andrew, who was preparing to support her, with nothing to do.
But Evelyn had complete trust in the potion Andrew handed her. She drank it in one gulp and returned to her room to get some well-deserved rest.
Although Evelyn was a little reluctant to admit it...
having Andrew protecting them in the living room was incredibly reassuring.
Briefly calculating the time she had to rest, Evelyn also felt the benefit of having two people taking shifts.
After all, without Andrew, she would have had to return to duty after only a one or two-hour nap in a situation like this.
But with Andrew, not only was her rest time tripled, but she could also fall into a deep sleep without worrying about Astra Yao's safety at all.
Plus, there was the sense of security he provided as a protector.
For a moment, Evelyn even considered hiring Andrew as a long-term bodyguard.
Unfortunately, a long-term contract would inevitably mean he'd be living here with Astra Yao, and the board of directors, who had already begun to see Astra Yao as an important company asset, would never agree to that.
Unless he joined DGA Entertainment.
And Andrew, just seeing his attitude towards those purely capital-driven companies, you knew he would never agree to join such a company and become one of them.
Small businesses formed by a few people with emotional ties were another matter.
But towards a capital-locked enterprise like this, while Andrew's attitude wasn't hostile, it certainly wasn't fond either.
So, a partnership like this was already the best way.
Of course, personal, private interactions were a different story.
After all, in any group, there are always good people and bad.
Isn't Astra Yao a perfect example?
Lost in these scattered thoughts, Evelyn gradually fell into a deep sleep.
Astra Yao, who slept until three in the afternoon, emerged from her blankets looking refreshed. After a full rest, she stretched contentedly in bed.
A feeling of comfort from being well-rested radiated from her entire body.
She had pulled all-nighters a few times before, but the terrible state that followed was hard to recover from even after sleeping the entire next day.
But this time, although she had only slept for a little over seven hours, her body had completely recovered.
Even the dark circles, the after-effects of staying up late, had completely vanished.
However, as her body's functions began to ramp up again, Astra Yao's stomach, having not had a single grain of rice for nearly twenty hours since last night, started to sound a frantic alarm.
"Grrrrumble..."
An intense feeling of hunger immediately emanated from her abdomen.
With a starving stomach, Astra Yao couldn't care less about her image. She tidied herself up a bit and opened the door to the living room while still in her pajamas.
And Andrew did not disappoint.
As the door opened, she was greeted by the sweet and rich aroma of red date, white fungus, and lotus seed porridge.
After all, Andrew was a hunter, not a prophet. He couldn't predict when the two of them would wake up, and with the concert starting tonight,
eating a big meal before intense physical activity would be counterproductive.
So a gentle food like porridge was naturally the best choice.
The carbohydrates, along with the nutrients from the other ingredients, could fully replenish the body's depleted energy, and a gentle food like porridge could better awaken the body's functions.
It helps one achieve a better physical state.
Astra Yao took a bowl of porridge from Andrew's hands, puffing her cheeks to gently blow on it.
Once it wasn't so hot, she immediately took a delightful sip. Warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs, making her let out a light sigh of relief.
But the thought that the commission would end tomorrow made Astra Yao say with some reluctance:
"Aww... I won't be able to eat Andrew's cooking starting tomorrow. What a pity..."
"How could you not?"
Looking at Astra Yao, who looked so dejected she was on the verge of tears, Andrew said with some amusement:
"Don't worry, if there's anything you want to eat in the future, just tell me on Knock-Knock. When you have free time, I promise to satisfy you."
Operation 'Gain Sympathy Through Acting' was a great success!
Hearing this, Astra Yao's eyes lit up, and she immediately said:
"Yay! No take-backs!"
Grabbing Andrew's arm, Astra Yao's expression no longer showed a trace of sadness.
She said excitedly:
"From now on, whenever I want to eat your delicious food, Andrew, I'll grab my chopsticks and sneak over to your shop."
"And I'll personally bring the feast to you. I guarantee you'll have whatever you want to eat!"
Her joy was beyond words.
After all, while the song recreation was a form of connection and a memento for Andrew, it originated from a paid transaction.
And it wouldn't be long before DGA Entertainment found out.
If they interfered, Astra Yao was very worried that her relationship with Andrew, which was based solely on this matter, would change.
Any change was unacceptable!
Besides, even if there were many songs, what if one day it all just ended?
But freeloading for meals was different. Compared to the official business, this was a purely personal agreement, exclusively between Astra Yao and Andrew.
No one else could interfere, and Astra Yao would never let anyone else interfere.
Not detecting any hint of displeasure or trouble from Andrew made Astra Yao feel incredibly happy.
She grasped Andrew's hand, staring at her own reflection in his eyes as she said seriously:
"Then it's a deal! I want to try all the delicious food I've seen on Knock-Knock but haven't been able to taste. Don't you get tired of me then!"
Seeing her serious expression, the corners of Andrew's mouth involuntarily curled up slightly.
After nodding just as seriously, Andrew said teasingly:
"How could I get tired of you? A beautiful and talented superstar like you gracing my shop with her presence? I couldn't be happier."
"Hmm... I didn't realize before, but you're quite the smooth talker, Andrew."
Although she knew he was teasing, and as a star, it was far from the first time she'd heard such praise.
But when different people say the same thing to the same person, the effect is completely different.
At Andrew's teasing, Astra Yao's face was instantly tinged with a rosy blush.
She could face all the flowery praise from interviews and the media without being affected at all, or rather, she could accept it all with great pleasure.
But hearing it from Andrew was completely different.
The moment Andrew said those heartfelt words, Astra Yao felt she couldn't take it anymore.
'Why didn't I feel that words like these were so embarrassing before?'
She subconsciously covered her slightly hot face with her hand. To avoid revealing her crimson expression to Andrew, Astra Yao used the excuse that it was getting late and she had to do her makeup, hair, and get into her costume, immediately fleeing back to her room.
And as Astra Yao's door closed, as if on cue, a fully dressed Evelyn walked out of her room.
"Yo, Eve, you're up. Come have something to eat."
Looking at Andrew greeting her, the thought of her earlier misunderstanding subconsciously surfaced in her mind again.
Feeling a bit shy again, a blush involuntarily appeared on Evelyn's face, but she quickly managed it with her strong self-control.
Taking a deep breath, she shook the chaotic thoughts from her mind again. After nodding in response, Evelyn walked into the living room.
However, Astra Yao's still tightly closed door immediately caught her attention.
Evelyn tilted her head in confusion. It wasn't early anymore, and for the sake of the schedule, it was time for her to be up.
Just as she was about to knock, Andrew stopped her:
"Don't worry, Astra has already finished eating and is getting ready for the concert in her room. No need to worry about her."
Andrew placed a fresh bowl of porridge on the dining table, stopping Evelyn from going to knock on the door. At the same time, he pulled out a chair slightly, signaling that she didn't need to jump into work mode so quickly.
Evelyn, who had never been cared for like this, remained silent for a while before obediently coming to sit down.
The slightly cooled, perfectly warm red date, white fungus, and lotus seed porridge was placed before her.
The taste was light and sweet but not heavy, the perfect restorative to reawaken the body after an all-nighter.
To be honest, this was the first time she had ever been taken care of by someone else like this.
The idea of a long-term contract reappeared in her mind. Although reason kept telling her it was impossible...
for some reason, she still spoke up and asked tentatively:
"Andrew, have you considered extending this commission to a long-term one?"
Andrew was slightly taken aback, then waved his hand with a light chuckle and said:
"Although I'm quite fond of you and Astra, if it's a long-term commission, the client would become DGA Entertainment, right?"
Knowing full well how these people operated, Andrew said nonchalantly:
"Never mind whether those people would be willing to pay the commission fee, even if they were, there's no way I could get along with them."
Evelyn fell silent for a moment.
Because what Andrew said was absolutely right.
The only reason DGA Entertainment was willing to hire Andrew this time was because of the lack of police resources and her own constant lobbying.
But for a long-term arrangement...
the board, whose primary motive was profit, would never be willing to pay any extra expenses that could be eliminated.
After a brief silence, Evelyn thought of those people who had fallen into the abyss of desire and couldn't help but sigh.
She understood very well why Andrew couldn't get along with them. If it weren't for Astra Yao, she wouldn't want to deal with the board either.
Then she said with some apology:
"Sorry, because of what happened yesterday, I got a little flustered. Just pretend I never said that."
Andrew waved his hand nonchalantly to show he didn't mind, but regarding Evelyn's worries, he said seriously:
"Don't worry, you are my friends."
"If you ever encounter any danger you can't handle, call for me then. No matter what, I will definitely come and save you guys."
Hearing this, Evelyn subconsciously shook her head. Averting Andrew's gaze, she said softly:
"If a situation like that really happens, you just need to ensure the Young Miss's safety. As for my safety... it's not important."
Hearing Evelyn's words, Andrew immediately frowned.
"How can it not be important?"
Sensing that something was off with her, Andrew placed his hands on Evelyn's shoulders, forcing her averted eyes to look at him again as he said:
"I said it, you are both my friends. As long as you are my friend, I will not ignore your safety."
His determined gaze pierced straight to her heart, instantly breaking through the defenses that had already been worn down considerably.
Looking at Andrew before her, Evelyn, who could argue even the most difficult business partners into silence, found herself at a loss for words.
In the end, looking at Andrew, Evelyn didn't offer any more rebuttals, closing her eyes under his gaze as if in silent agreement.
Then, she sighed with a hint of helplessness, as if lamenting:
"Andrew, you're just like the Young Miss, so quick to trust others."
But then, as if offering a warning, she said softly:
"It's been less than two days, how do you know what kind of person someone is? What their motives are? Whether they're worthy of trust?"
But Andrew didn't care about any of that, saying:
"Oh, Eve isn't 'someone else.' Besides, if a person really isn't trustworthy, my hunter's intuition would warn me!"
Faced with Andrew's nonchalant words, Evelyn said with a mix of helplessness and amusement:
"Intuition... can you really trust something like that?"
On this topic, Andrew became proud.
"Of course! Since becoming a hunter, I've never been wrong about a friend I've acknowledged! And my intuition has never sounded an alarm!"
Looking at the proud Andrew before her, Evelyn couldn't help but feel even more helpless.
"Isn't that just plain good luck?"
But after a slight hesitation, Evelyn still asked:
"Andrew, if there was a person, and her identity from the moment you met, her purpose for getting close, and even her very existence were all fake, would you still consider her your friend?"
But to Evelyn's surprise, Andrew said without a shred of hesitation:
"As long as the feelings she showed when she was with me were truly from the heart, then no matter what her original identity was, she is my friend. This fact will never change because of some irrelevant things."
____
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