Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 370: So you resort to physical persuasion instead!?

“So, what exactly happened?”

Vanessa’s expression was one of utter confusion. In just a few hours, she had fainted twice.

“Well…”

Ethan hesitated, his face showing a mix of emotions, as if he was debating whether or not to tell her.

Seeing this, Vanessa asked, “Is this something you can’t talk about?”

She found it hard to believe. After all, he had just casually told her about something that completely turned her world upside down.

“Yes and no,” Ethan replied, giving a vague answer.

Vanessa tilted her head. “Huh?”

“Hold on a sec.”

With that, Ethan stood up, leaving Vanessa puzzled, and went to his bedroom to grab something. When he returned, he was wearing a pair of glasses.

Vanessa had no idea what the glasses were for, but after putting them on, Ethan started studying her intently. His gaze made her feel a bit uncomfortable, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Then, Ethan asked her a question: “Nessa, do you believe in things like superpowers, time travelers, or aliens?”

“…”

The sudden question left Vanessa stunned. She instinctively shook her head, then nodded.

“I didn’t believe in them before, but now… if you say they exist, I’d believe you.”

Hearing her answer, Ethan looked even more puzzled.

“That’s… kind of strange.”

Vanessa was even more confused now. “What are you talking about?”

Ethan explained, “The things I just mentioned are all… not part of the everyday world. What you experienced is the same. It’s not something you’d normally encounter.”

Vanessa immediately had a realization.

“So, the thick fog I saw, and that creepy guy with the red eyes… they’re… monsters?”

“Something like that.” Ethan nodded, continuing, “The reason I was hesitant to tell you the truth is because it might have a negative impact on you.”

“Because what you know can affect your place in the world. It’s like when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back. Once you’re aware of them, they might start noticing you too.”

Oh, so he was worried about me…

That was Vanessa’s first thought. But then, something else hit her.

“Wait, so you’re telling me this now because…”

She saw Ethan’s glasses glint sharply as he looked at her, almost like he was delivering a verdict.

“Because right now, you’re already entangled with something strange.”

In that moment, Vanessa felt a sudden chill in the warm living room, making her shiver.

But before she could fully process her fear, Ethan muttered to himself, as if he had just realized something.

“So that’s why she almost got hit by that truck yesterday…”

Huh? Vanessa froze. She had chalked up yesterday’s near-accident to being tired and distracted by some personal stuff. But now, she was hearing a completely different explanation.

And that wasn’t even the most shocking part. What really stunned her was what she heard next.

“Wait, how do you know what happened to me yesterday?”

“Uh…”

Ethan broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had slipped up again.

He quickly tried to cover it up. “Oh, uh, I saw it online. There was a video, and I recognized you in it.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Vanessa nodded.

But Ethan noticed she still seemed deep in thought, so he quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Anyway, you don’t need to worry too much about the weird stuff happening to you. I’ll help you out.”

“Huh? Weird stuff?”

Vanessa looked up at him, confused.

But then, she snapped out of it, realizing she had been too focused on him. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she cleared her throat too and asked seriously, “Who exactly are you?”

Ethan gave her a warm smile and asked, “Have you ever heard of the Time-Space Bureau?”

“Uh…” Vanessa thought for a moment, hesitating. “You mean, like the Avengers?”

Ethan’s face twitched slightly before he explained, “No, not quite. Just think of me as a guardian of the everyday world.”

The work of the Time-Space Bureau was really that simple. After all, there was a clear boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary, and most of the time, there wasn’t much to do. As someone who maintained the normal world, Ethan only got to use his special abilities when something out of the ordinary showed up.

Most of his time as a member of the Bureau was spent watching funny fan-made videos on some interdimensional website.

“But… are you really allowed to tell me all this?” Vanessa asked.

She wasn’t doubting him at all—he had already shown her proof. His bedroom had a computer that could connect to a network from another world.

Ethan guessed what she was thinking and shrugged. “Don’t worry. Knowing this stuff won’t affect you in any way.”

But Vanessa shook her head. “I’m not talking about me. I mean, won’t you get in trouble for telling me all this? Like, won’t your boss be mad or something?”

Ethan was taken aback for a moment, then his smile grew even brighter.

“Wow, you’re actually worried about me? Nessa, you’re pretty sweet, you know that?”

Hearing this, Vanessa’s cheeks flushed a little.

Ethan shrugged again. “Relax. I don’t have anyone above me, so no one’s going to come after me for this.”

Vanessa didn’t really understand how the Time-Space Bureau worked, but hearing him say that made her feel a bit relieved.

Then he continued, “But I’m not exactly an expert on this stuff. Even though the weirdness from earlier has been dealt with, it doesn’t seem like we’ve gotten to the root of the problem. But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”

Once again, Vanessa felt that sense of reassurance.

She realized that the guy in front of her seemed to be someone special in her life. It was like, as long as he was around, all the strange things happening didn’t feel as scary or real.

And now, hearing him say he’d help her…

She felt warmth, but also a bit conflicted.

Vanessa’s pride didn’t like the idea of being pitied. She wasn’t the type of girl who easily accepted help from others. But on the other hand, she knew that what she was dealing with wasn’t something she could just power through on her own. Right now, she had no idea how to handle it, except for relying on him.

Ethan watched as she bit her lip, her body trembling slightly. He sighed softly.

It wasn’t that he found Vanessa’s hesitation annoying. In fact, he thought it was kind of cute. After all, she was pretty, and let’s be honest, looks can be pretty persuasive.

The sigh was more of a mental preparation for what he was about to do—something he felt was necessary.

Then Ethan stood up. Vanessa looked at him, confused, as he walked over to her. Before she could react, he bent down, grabbed her cheeks with both hands, and pulled them apart.

At the same time, he shouted dramatically, “Why are you hesitating? Aren’t we friends? Stop trying to handle everything on your own!”

Ethan’s expression was about 70% sincere, 20% pained, and 10%… something else she couldn’t quite place.

Vanessa, on the other hand, couldn’t hear a word he was saying because he was pulling on her face so hard.

“I get it, I get it! I never said I wouldn’t accept your help! I will, okay?”

Vanessa’s spirit might have been strong, but her body had its limits.

After finally escaping his grasp, she rubbed her sore cheeks and glared at him, clearly annoyed.

This was the first time she’d ever heard of someone forcing someone else to accept their help.

Ethan pretended not to notice her angry expression and apologized with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m not great with words. I’ve never been good at convincing people.”

Not good with words? So you resort to physical persuasion instead!?

Vanessa mentally screamed, completely thrown off by Ethan’s sudden shift in behavior. Just a second ago, he was all fired up, and now that she’d agreed, he was acting all calm again. What was that about?

She had a sneaking suspicion that this guy was putting on an act.

Her eyes were still a little teary, but she held back. After all, she couldn’t cry three times in one day, right?