It was rather coincidental that after that night, the stranger never came to the house again.
Crescent naturally speculated that perhaps he made Estelle happier, after all, survival of the fittest is a basic natural principle; in terms of service skills, no one could surpass a service-oriented robot.
He felt happy about this. With that man gone, he became the only man in the house.
During the day, he did chores and fed the ducks at home. When it neared Estelle's quitting time, he would drive to Stella Technology to pick her up.
The security guards certainly recognized Estelle's license plate number, so Crescent had free passage. Driving down to the building, the soft twilight enveloped the whole City. The driving system accurately estimated the arrival time, ensuring Estelle emerged from the company building within two minutes each time.
The moment she got in, Crescent operated the smart car to switch the window glass into light-blocking mode.
In the absolutely private space, Crescent touched Estelle freely. He held her with one of his arm, and his hand gently cradling the back of her head as they kissed. Estelle's red lips smudging against the corner of his mouth.
After experiencing it once, Crescent became infatuated with the feeling of serving her.
His fingers and organs were tools created for her. The precise and sensitive feedback system allowed him to control timing and degree at will, all of which was unknown to Estelle.
Every time, Estelle's experience was different. She could never figure out his habits. To be precise, Crescent had a massive database of service behaviors, any technique she desired, he could provide with great proficiency.
When Estelle took over the entire Stella Technology company, her need for services tended to remain high during times of great work pressure.
It's the season when hormones were in full swing. Crescent always responded to her every request. After all, robots don't get tired, as long as they have sufficient power and electrolyte water, they can work continuously. Thinking about it, he was indeed far more capable than human males, not to mention that he could cook.
Crescent was rather pleased with himself, thinking he was a very useful robot.
At the end of June, Stella Technology secured a government contract, and that evening, Estelle was going to dine with government officials.
She called to tell Crescent not to come to the company, and he understood and agreed, asking, "Where should I pick you up then?"
"Ten o'clock tonight, at the Bosen Hotel," Estelle said, "You can wait for me in the front courtyard parking lot."
Crescent looked at the clock; it was five o'clock in the evening.
Not needing to pick her up or make dinner, Crescent felt bored. He filled the duck cage with food, took a shower, and went to the magnetic charging station to recharge. After finishing these tasks, it was still before six o'clock, so he walked into Estelle's study intending to read a book.
He had already read more than half of the book "Artificial Intelligence and Bionic Psychology," which he usually kept in Estelle's desk drawer.
Crescent sat down at the table and opened the drawer to take out the book. This was something he often did when he was alone at home, but today, something seemed slightly different.
Just before closing the drawer, Crescent caught sight of something he hadn't seen before. He paused for half a second and reopened the drawer.
At ten o'clock at night, Estelle left the Bosen Hotel.
The government officials and their entourage bid each other farewell outside the hotel. She didn't linger long, exchanging a few casual words before turning towards the front courtyard parking lot.
When she opened the car door, she expected Crescent to rush over and hug her as usual. But he didn't; he was just sitting there silently, looking down at something in his hands.
Estelle was a bit drunk, and the parking lot was too dimly lit for her to see clearly what it was at first.
She didn't pay much attention and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Crescent immediately looked up at her.
"Before me, you had another robot, didn't you?"
