Ashley's words were cut short when Taylor suddenly turned to her. "And you!" His words came in rapid fire, as if loaded into a magazine. "You're a girl. You should take better care of yourself! What were you thinking, coming to such a dangerous place? If something had happened to you, Arthur would have lost his mind!" Ashley blinked in surprise. She looked at Arthur in silence, then lowered her head obediently. When Taylor finished his tirade, she meekly replied, "Alright." Even before I was officially part of the family, I was getting a taste of what it felt like to be lectured by my future husband's good friend. Finally, Taylor let out a long sigh. "You two... really know how to make people worry." Still grumbling, he pulled out a pile of Arthur's favorite snacks. He wasn't sure what Ashley liked, but considering they'd spent days in the forest with little real food, he'd brought enough for both of them. Arthur's eyes lit up at the sight. Now this was my best friend, someone who really understood me! He grabbed a pastry and handed it to Ashley. "Try this. It's delicious." Ashley took it, studied Arthur for a moment, then took a bite. Almost immediately, her eyes lit up. "Mmm! It's amazing!" It had been ages since I'd eaten something so good. During the time in the forest, we'd survived on dry rations. After being hospitalized, Spencer and Nancy had rushed over in such a panic that they hadn't brought any food with them. Health-conscious as they were, they insisted on preparing homemade chicken soup and nutritious meals themselves-but those were still on the way. For now, Arthur and Ashley were starving. Watching them devour the snacks, Taylor couldn't help but smile.He quickly handed them some water. "Slow down or you'll choke." As he handed them the drinks, he unwrapped more snacks for them. At this rate, he wasn't just like the brother - he was practically like the mother. Meticulous and endlessly annoying. Ashley suddenly felt like she'd gained an overprotective older sibling. Even though Taylor wasn't much older than us, his fussy, all-encompassing care reminded us so much of a doting parent. Nancy had always been relaxed. While she'd taken care of Ashley and her sister growing up, her parenting style had been hands-off, giving them plenty of freedom. That was how Ashley had developed her carefree personality. Being pampered like that... actually felt nice. Ashley knew the depth of the bond between Arthur and Taylor. They were like brothers in life and death. If Taylor weren't a man, I might have worried that he would steal Arthur away. As they ate, Taylor continued, "I heard about the Tremo family's losses. Given Solivair's temperament, he won't let that go; he'll retaliate for sure. But it's been days, and they haven't made a move." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "How do you know they haven't?" A smug grin spread across Taylor's face. "Heh. The last time I went after that hacker, I secretly installed a surveillance program in their system. It's something I developed myself - super stealthy. Even top-level hackers would have a hard time detecting it. It allows me to monitor every move they make online. Do they have any plans they discuss digitally? I'll know." Arthur stiffened, staring at Taylor with wide, shining eyes. "You're serious?!" Ashley was equally stunned. I'd known Taylor was good with computers. He'd recently fixed Mom's company network, but I hadn't realized he was this good.Under the two awestruck gazes, Taylor puffed up with pride. He straightened his back and declared, "Of course I'm serious! I'm Taylor, the Computer Genius!" By the end of his sentence, his grin was so wide it threatened to split his face. Seeing his "praise me now" expression, Arthur and Ashley burst out laughing. Arthur was the first to lay it on the line. "As expected from my best friend, I recognize a genius among geniuses! I am truly blessed to be your friend!" The sheer force of that flattery sent Taylor floating on cloud nine. Ashley gaped at Arthur. I had never known him to be such a smooth, shameless complimenter! Noticing her shocked look, Arthur - whose face was usually thicker than a fortress wall - actually blushed slightly. Ashley grinned and added, "Taylor, you are the most incredible genius I've ever met! Is your brain filled with infinite knowledge? How else could you be so frighteningly brilliant?"