Matters of Men and Women

An hour and a half later, the upstairs gradually quieted down. Downstairs, Dorothy found herself blushing.

Although Dorothy had been in a few relationships and even experienced a failed marriage, she had never witnessed such a long-lasting encounter like Dylan's before.

After her divorce, she had focused solely on her career and hadn't ventured into romantic endeavors since. But hearing the noises from upstairs seemed to awaken a dormant desire within her, leading to unexpected physical reactions.

Images of Dylan's handsome face flashed through her mind, stirring a longing she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Ugh, what am I thinking? How can I think like this? What about Alberta?" Dorothy scolded herself, trying to suppress the expanding desires. She quickly composed herself, regulated her breathing, and hurried to her bedroom.

Coincidentally, as she passed by the staircase, she encountered Dylan, who was heading downstairs shirtless to refuel the furnace.

Seeing Dorothy, Dylan was puzzled. Why was she wandering around in the dark without turning on the lights?

"Dorothy, why aren't you sleeping?" he asked.

Panicked, Dorothy quickly made up an excuse. "I... I was just going to the bathroom!"

The next morning, Dylan felt incredibly refreshed.

Checking the time energy on his arm, he realized it had been over 15 years since he acquired it. Dylan could sense significant changes in his body.

Before his rebirth, he had possessed over a thousand years of time energy, rendering conventional weapons useless against him. He had encountered individuals with time energy spanning tens of thousands of years, making firearms as effective as tickling them.

Thus, enhancing his strength required acquiring more time energy, which became his primary focus.

Not only for himself, but also for Alberta and Dorothy. However, he needed to strengthen himself first.

Glancing at Alberta sleeping beside him, Dylan planted a kiss on her forehead, tucked her in, and then proceeded downstairs.

Before even reaching the living room on the ground floor, the aroma of cooking filled the air.

Upon entering the living room, Dylan found two dishes already prepared on the dining table: stir-fried pork kidneys and sautéed okra. The person responsible for cooking was still busy in the kitchen."Dorothy, is it necessary to prepare such a lavish meal early in the morning?" Dylan asked, puzzled.

Dorothy popped her head out from the kitchen with a smile. "Just two dishes, not that lavish. Young people need to eat well! I'm also making some nutritious porridge; it'll be ready soon!"

"Hmm? What does Dorothy mean by this? Stir-fried pork kidneys and sautéed okra, is it necessary to eat this extravagantly?" Dylan thought to himself. Nevertheless, having delicious food was always a good thing.

After finishing his morning routine in the bathroom, Dylan emerged to find Dorothy bringing the porridge to the table.

"What about Alberta? Call her down for breakfast!" She suggested.

Dylan scratched his nose sheepishly. "She's a bit tired. Let her sleep a bit longer, alright?"

Dorothy cast a disapproving glance at Dylan. "Young people these days, so violent, and they don't know how to cherish others!" she muttered to herself. "Well, I'll make her breakfast when she wakes up. Let's eat first!"

"Okay!"

Dylan devoured the dishes enthusiastically while Dorothy barely ate anything. 

Content with his meal, Dylan praised, "Dorothy, having you here makes everything perfect!"

Dorothy smiled but didn't respond, quickly tidying up the dishes. 

As Dylan moved to help, Dorothy pushed him aside. 

"Why should a grown man like you do these chores? Leave it to me. You go do your own thing. 

Oh, and feed your little bird; it's been chirping all morning!"

Dylan couldn't help but marvel at having a woman who could cook and willingly do household chores.

 "After all," he thought, "having a pet like Coalball isn't so bad if it's well-behaved."

For the rest of the morning, Dylan spent his time playing with Coalball, who was becoming increasingly intelligent. Crows were known for their high intelligence and tool usage, as seen with Coalball's ability to drink water.

Deciding to raise Coalball and keep it as a pet, Dylan spent the morning training it.

As noon approached, Alberta finally woke up and descended the stairs.

"Hey, Alberta's up! Go freshen up, and I'll make you some food!" Dorothy said with a smile.

"Thank you, Dorothy!"

Alberta headed to the bathroom while Dorothy busied herself in the kitchen once again.

Sitting on the couch opposite the kitchen, Dylan watched Dorothy's busy figure. He couldn't help but notice Dorothy's well-proportioned figure, especially her shapely backside.

While it was said that chefs tended to have a large waist, Dorothy seemed to defy that stereotype. Though she had a voluptuous rear, her waist was surprisingly slender.Looking at it from this perspective, it is as refreshing as a ripe peach, making one's mouth water.

"Ah!" Suddenly, Dorothy screamed.

Dylan's thoughts were interrupted, and he quickly ran into the kitchen to see what was happening.

Alberta also rushed out from the washing area, "What's wrong, Dorothy?"

Dorothy was obviously flustered, and she had thrown the spoon aside.

She looked terrified at the discarded spoon and said, "I just... was holding the spoon, and unexpectedly, there was a strong electric current!"

Alberta quickly grabbed Dorothy's hand to check, looking concerned, "Did you get shocked? Are you okay, Dorothy?"

"I... I didn't feel anything, but the current was so strong, it really startled me!" Dorothy said, still trembling.

Dylan, on the side, seemed pensive. He walked to the stove and looked at the frying pan, where the food was already burnt.

Dylan unplugged the induction cooker and touched the edge of the pan.

"Crackling" sounds of electricity erupted, and his hand felt numb.

He picked up the spoon again, and there was still electricity.

Dylan picked up the spoon and gestured, "Dorothy, are you saying that when you were cooking earlier, this electric current came from the spoon, hit the pan, and that's why the food got burnt?"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly it!" Dorothy nodded incessantly.

Dylan smiled; he understood.

"Dorothy, congratulations, you've awakened an ability!"

"Huh?" Dorothy looked incredulous, "I have an ability too?"

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, you've awakened the ability of lightning. The electric current just now was emitted unintentionally by you!"

Dylan had encountered lightning ability users in his past life, and the lightning emitted by lower-level ones was like this.

And for higher-level users, they could unleash lightning balls with explosive power comparable to conventional weapons.

Unexpectedly, Dorothy, a beautiful chef, awakened the lightning ability of the magic system.

This was quite surprising for Dylan.

"This lightning comes from your hands, not the spoon. You can try releasing the current again!" Dylan guided Dorothy on how to release the current.

Dorothy concentrated and gently slapped the frying pan with her palm, releasing a burst of electricity.