Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 369: I remember there was fog…

Vanessa sat curled up on the chair, not sure how much time had passed.

When she finally calmed down, a thought suddenly crossed her mind: wasn’t this Ethan’s bedroom?

And had she left him hanging for a while now?

In that instant, she quickly turned her head to look around, only to realize she was alone in the room. It seemed like Ethan had left a while ago.

This made Vanessa drift into her thoughts.

She picked up a pack of tissues from the desk, feeling a bit lost in thought.

It seemed like Ethan had left them there when he restarted the video for her earlier.

So, had he already anticipated what would happen?

He probably left around that time, too.

That guy really cares about how I feel, she thought to herself.

Vanessa’s attention shifted back to the screen. Like most video websites, there were a bunch of recommended videos next to the main one.

She saw a lot of videos related to her, all with strange titles.

Stuff like “The Bad Things Vanessa Has Done” and “Vanessa, the Customer Service Rep So Broke She Eats Grass.”

What the heck?

These rude titles! The people who made these videos had no manners!

Vanessa muttered complaints under her breath as she grabbed the mouse and closed the entire webpage.

Even though she had sensed that this video site held some kind of secret that could turn the world upside down, she didn’t feel like digging any deeper.

But after closing the page, the desktop wallpaper that appeared on the screen made her freeze for a moment.

Then, she slipped back into her cozy slippers and left the bedroom.

When Vanessa stepped out, she noticed the living room was fully lit, and Ethan was sitting on the couch downstairs.

Seeing this, she walked down the spiral staircase and approached him.

“So, this is what being a fan really means?” Vanessa’s expression was complicated, and her tone carried a bit of weight.

“Pretty much,” Ethan, dressed in a loose robe, nodded. At this point, there was no need to hide anything anymore.

Vanessa couldn’t help but recall something Ethan had said earlier.

“Are you really ready to know the truth?”

She had thought he was talking about Shadows of Spring, but it turned out he was referring to something far stranger.

When she closed the webpage earlier, she had seen Ethan’s desktop wallpaper.

It was a vibrant poster.

Five girls dressed in deep red gowns, wearing silk masks, like dolls straight out of a theatrical performance.

Ave Mujica, a glamorous band.

Vanessa saw Kylie, she saw Sierra, and… she saw herself.

The moment she saw that poster, a vague idea that had been floating in her mind suddenly became crystal clear.

It was as if this was the final image her idea had always been leading to.

This wasn’t something from the present—it could only belong to the future.

Vanessa wasn’t a fool. She had a rough idea of what was going on.

But it was so unbelievable that she wasn’t quite ready to accept it.

Still confused and unable to fully grasp it, Vanessa asked, “Can you tell me what that really is?”

“Do you really want to know?” Ethan looked at her seriously.

“Uh…” Vanessa hesitated for a moment at his question.

Vanessa realized something: was it really okay to casually share something this top-secret?

In movies, isn’t it always the case that people who know too much end up getting silenced for good?

Though she didn’t think that would happen here, she still cautiously asked, “Is it, uh, inconvenient to tell me?”

Ethan, however, just shrugged and denied it outright. “Nah, it’s not that. It’s just a bit complicated to explain.”

“…”

Vanessa was speechless. If that’s the case, why did you look so serious? You totally freaked me out for no reason.

She took a deep breath and said, “Alright, just tell me. I really want to know.”

Ethan gestured for her to sit on the couch across from him, then began explaining. “It’s actually pretty simple, Nessa. You can think of what you saw as things that happened to you in a parallel world.”

“Parallel world?”

Vanessa mulled over the concept, utterly shocked.

This kind of thing is real!?

Ethan continued, “That video site isn’t from our world. It exists in a place that connects multiple timelines and realities. The things you saw there are events that happened to versions of you in those parallel worlds, presented in the form you saw.”

Vanessa thought back to the video she had seen earlier, which looked like an animated performance. She mused, “So, in that world, me and the others, like Deng, are just characters in an animation?”

Ethan nodded approvingly. “You could think of it that way.”

This completely shattered Vanessa’s understanding of reality. It took her a while to process everything.

Finally, she sincerely thanked Ethan. “I get it now. Thanks for telling me.”

Ethan smiled softly, then asked, “Is there anything else you want to know?”

“Uh…”

Vanessa was a bit flustered. She hesitated before asking, “Wait, are you sure it’s okay to tell me all this?”

Ethan waved it off casually. “You already know, so learning a bit more won’t hurt. Besides, it’s not like I have a memory-wiping device or anything.”

Wait, does that mean if he did have one, he’d erase my memory?

Vanessa swallowed nervously and quickly shook her head. “Nope, I’m good. I don’t need to know anything else.”

Ethan looked a little disappointed, then asked, almost teasingly, “How about I copy that animation for you?”

What’s with this sudden enthusiasm?

Vanessa instinctively declined. “No, no, I’m not really into that kind of stuff.”

Ethan gave her a surprised look and reminded her, “In a way, that’s stuff that could happen to you in the future. You’re not even a little curious?”

Vanessa, staying rational, shook her head. “Since I already know what happens in the future, the butterfly effect means that future probably won’t happen anymore. So, it doesn’t really matter to me. No need to bother.”

Ethan was a bit taken aback. She knows about the butterfly effect? He was impressed but also a little disappointed.

He had just thought that if she actually watched it, the story of their world might take some interesting turns.

But since that was her decision, Ethan didn’t push it further. He just added one last thing.

“Alright, but I hope you can keep this a secret.”

Vanessa figured that even if she told anyone, no one would believe her, so she nodded obediently. “Don’t worry, I’m good at keeping secrets.”

With that, the conversation came to a close, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

They just sat there, staring at each other in the brightly lit room.

Eventually, Vanessa couldn’t take the silence anymore and broke it.

She suddenly remembered something important, looking around in mild panic.

“Wait, why am I even here?”

She’s only asking that now? Ethan thought, half-amused, half-exasperated.

He looked at her and asked, “Do you remember what happened?”

“I remember there was fog… and someone who seemed really dangerous.”

Vanessa tried hard to recall, but eventually gave up. “That’s where my memory cuts off.”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, after that, you passed out. I didn’t know where you lived, so I brought you back to my place.”