Peggy's Apartment.
Adam quietly admired the picturesque scene.
For a long while.
Then, suddenly, he felt like he had forgotten something.
He tried hard to recall, but for the moment, nothing came to mind.
"Forget it."
Shaking his head, Adam stopped thinking about it. He opened the lunchbox and started enjoying his meal while keeping an eye on Peggy.
He wanted to see if she could truly remain completely immersed in her scientific research despite the tempting aroma of food.
The result was reassuring.
Peggy didn't react at all.
"Guess my cooking skills haven't declined."
Adam compared himself to the delicious food and felt relieved.
"Peggy's mom and boyfriend are traveling abroad?"
As he ate, he thought, Seeing how she's completely engrossed in her research, it's really concerning that no one's taking care of her.
With that in mind, he scanned the apartment and quickly spotted several signs that screamed 'Mom's gone, and Peggy can't take care of herself.'
He shook his head.
"This won't do!"
Adam stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then called his assistant, Ida.
"Check if apartment 3B in this Princeton University building is for sale.
If it is, buy it immediately.
Higher price? No problem!
If it's not for sale, find the nearest available unit in this building and buy it.
Make it quick—preferably before nightfall!
Also, aside from cooking, is Lisa good at housework?
She is? Great.
Find me a new chef. I have other plans for Lisa.
That's all."
After hanging up on Ida, Adam immediately called Lisa, his assistant's assistant.
"Lisa, do you want a promotion?"
The result was obvious—Lisa eagerly accepted the new role, getting promoted from an assistant's assistant to a direct assistant reporting to Adam himself.
He chose Lisa because she was efficient, reliable, and capable.
Given Peggy's current state, Adam wasn't about to hire just any housekeeper for her.
Having Lisa live nearby to take care of her put his mind at ease.
"When Peggy is in her zone, don't disturb her inspiration. But make sure she stays healthy. Striking the right balance won't be easy…"
Adam rattled off everything he could think of, making sure Lisa understood.
"Don't worry, boss."
Lisa, thrilled about her promotion and pay raise, was now fully committed. She even imagined Boss must truly love this girl… Maybe she's the future Mrs. Boss!
She pounded her chest in determination. "I'll take good care of her!"
Then, something didn't seem right.
"Uh… Boss?"
"Hmm?"
"The girl I saw when I delivered the food earlier… Do you mean her, or do you mean Dr. Peggy Adler?"
Lisa hesitated before adding, "Or… both?"
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched. "What do you mean both? The girl you saw is Peggy Adler! What the hell is going on in your head?"
"Nothing, nothing!"
Lisa laughed it off, but inside, she was thinking, How was I supposed to know? Rich people like you always have wild lifestyles! Is it so weird that I thought there were two of them?
But wait, that young girl is actually Dr. Peggy Adler? Are PhDs that easy to get nowadays? A young, beautiful female doctor… Boss's taste is top-tier.
After ending the call, Adam stood up and walked around, considering how to improve Peggy's living environment.
As he passed a mirror, he glanced at his reflection and froze.
His expression turned odd.
Was this still him?
What happened to 'more than friends, less than lovers'?
"Damn my past life's Eastern traditions of emotional attachment!"
Adam reflected for a long time and finally realized the reason behind his behavior.
Yes, Peggy was indeed more beautiful, intelligent, and alluring than Heather, Max, or Bianca. But that alone wasn't enough to make him lose control like this.
The real reason lay elsewhere.
He had spent so much time in this American TV drama-like world that he had gradually been assimilated into its culture. He had grown accustomed to its norms.
But that didn't mean the values he developed in his past life had disappeared.
They had simply buried themselves deeper, dormant until the right trigger brought them back to the surface.
Once he understood this, Adam chuckled at himself and sat back down on the sofa.
This is just how things are.
Peggy was special, but in this free-spirited world, with her personality, even if Adam wanted to take things seriously early on, she wouldn't necessarily feel the same.
Her ruthless, trigger-happy attitude said it all.
This kind of relationship held no meaning for her.
The ultimate mysteries of the universe—that was what she truly cared about.
There was no point in overthinking. That would be foolish.
And Adam wasn't foolish.
So, as he watched Peggy work, he took the time to adjust his mindset.
He was good at that.
The afternoon passed quickly.
Nightfall.
The city lights flickered on.
Ida had been efficient. She personally delivered the keys to apartment 3B across the hall, with Lisa by her side.
"Nicely done," Adam praised.
"It's all thanks to your willingness to pay extra," Ida pointed out bluntly.
"Lisa, Peggy is in your hands now," Adam said with a smile before turning to her. "Call me if anything comes up."
"Got it, boss!" Lisa responded with enthusiasm.
"Peggy, this is Lisa. She's living next door now. If you need anything, just ask her."
After leaving those instructions, Adam walked up to Peggy and softly said, "I have to get up early for work tomorrow. I'm heading out."
Peggy remained silent, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Adam shook his head, gestured for Lisa to stay, and left with Ida.
Just as he was closing the door, Peggy's voice called out from behind him.
"Wait for my call."
Adam turned around, surprised to see that Peggy hadn't moved an inch. For a second, he thought he imagined it.
But Lisa's exaggerated thumbs-up and smug expression confirmed it—Peggy had actually spoken.
Adam couldn't help but smile.
Inside the elevator.
"Boss, Lisa said there's a guy downstairs who's been waiting for Peggy. Seems like he's really interested in her…"
Ida mentioned casually before Adam suddenly interrupted.
"Shit! Leonard!"
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Adam rushed out.
Sure enough, in the same spot, stood a lonely figure.
"Leonard, I'm sorry—I forgot."
Adam hurried over, apologizing profusely.
So that's what I was forgetting.
"Adam, what took you so long?"
Leonard complained, "How could you forget? What were you even doing up there?"
"Uh…"
Adam wasn't sure how to explain.
But as a friend, he didn't want to give Leonard the wrong impression.
So, he patted Leonard's shoulder and said seriously, "Didn't you say Dr. Elizabeth Princton from the physics department is also really pretty? How about I introduce you two?"
Leonard: "…"
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