Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 371: I’ve decided… I’ll stay here tonight

When someone who’s bad at accepting kindness meets someone who’s bad at having their kindness rejected, the inevitable result is the former’s complete defeat.

Vanessa’s cheek stung a little, but she knew he did it for her sake, so she wasn’t mad… well, maybe she was a little mad.

How does this make sense? He bullies me, and I still have to thank him?

A rare feeling of frustration bubbled up inside her, and it took several deep breaths before she could calm down.

After that, she was ready to say her goodbyes and leave.

Ethan glanced at his phone and casually suggested, “It’s already past midnight. If you don’t mind, you could stay over.”

What kind of girl would stay at a guy’s place the first time they meet?

But Vanessa knew he didn’t mean anything by it—he was just being straightforward.

Still, she shook her head and politely declined, “No, I’ll head home.”

“Alright.” Ethan didn’t push it, but he added, “Wait a sec.”

Vanessa was a bit confused at first, but then she saw him stand up and start untying the belt of his robe.

She froze, then quickly covered her eyes, panicking. “W-What are you doing?!”

Ethan looked puzzled for a moment before realizing she’d misunderstood.

With a hint of exasperation, he said, “I’m turning into the Big Bad Wolf to eat you!”

Of course, Vanessa didn’t believe him. She peeked through her fingers and saw that he was still fully dressed under the robe.

Oh, so he’s not undressing after all.

She dropped her hands and asked, “What are you doing, then?”

Ethan glanced at her and replied, “Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking you home.”

He was wearing regular clothes under the robe, clearly having anticipated this situation.

“No… that’s really not necessary,” Vanessa tried to refuse again.

Ethan explained, “The trains have stopped running, and it’s not exactly safe out there. I wouldn’t feel right letting you go home alone.”

He wasn’t just talking about the usual dangers. Even though he’d dealt with the strange incident earlier, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t run into something else.

Vanessa understood what he meant but still hesitated.

“But isn’t this a huge hassle for you?”

Of course, it was a hassle. He didn’t exactly want to go out at this hour either.

But since they were friends now, he figured he had to follow through. Otherwise, it’d just be a superficial friendship.

So Ethan shook his head and said gently, “It’s no trouble. A friend of mine lives downstairs. I can borrow his car and drive you home.”

The friend he was referring to was Liam Hudson, the lead performer of the group “Jack-o’-Lantern,” and the younger brother of Grayson Hudson, the famous martial artist known for his incredible strength.

Ethan had crossed paths with both brothers through his part-time job, so they were on friendly terms.

Drive… a car?

Vanessa clearly remembered that Ethan was still in high school, so she asked in surprise, “You have a driver’s license?”

He shook his head without hesitation. “Nope, but don’t worry. There won’t be any cops out this late.”

Vanessa was stunned. Is that really what I’m worried about?

As Ethan walked toward the front door, he called out, “Come on, let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve gone for a late-night drive.”

The excitement in his voice made Vanessa even more nervous.

Is he really trying to take me home, or is he just looking for an excuse to go speeding?

If they got pulled over, she could already picture herself on the morning news as the delinquent girl caught joyriding with a street racer.

At that moment, she saw Ethan almost reach the door. In a panic, she rushed forward and grabbed his arm.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked, turning around with a puzzled look.

Vanessa’s cheeks flushed slightly as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. After taking a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, she tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“I’ve decided… I’ll stay here tonight.”

“Huh?”

Ethan looked confused, clearly not understanding why Vanessa had suddenly changed her mind.

“But won’t your family worry about you?” Ethan asked, still a bit reluctant.

Vanessa noticed the hint of disappointment in his voice, which only made her more certain that she’d made the right decision.

“It’s fine. My dad’s hardly ever home at night.”

She shook her head casually, then added, “But if I stay, I won’t be bothering your family, will I?”

Ethan froze for a second, then looked at her with a mix of surprise and alarm. “Wait, Nessa, did you see my family? There’s no one here. My mom passed away, and I’ve been an orphan ever since.”

“Huh?”

Vanessa was completely thrown off by his reaction. Is that what I meant?

Just as she was about to explain, she saw Ethan start to think deeply.

“Wait, I do have a sister. Does that still make me an orphan?”

Is that really the point here!?

Vanessa felt like she couldn’t keep up with his train of thought at all.

Ethan glanced at her, as if expecting an answer, but she had no idea how to respond to that. Instead, she just apologized.

“S-Sorry.”

Normally, family topics were sensitive, but Ethan seemed more concerned about whether he technically counted as an orphan than the topic itself. His reaction left her completely bewildered.

Luckily, he didn’t dwell on it for long.

“Forget it.” He shrugged, then smiled at her. “Anyway, my only family isn’t home, so you don’t need to worry. Just… make yourself at home.”

Make myself at home?

Vanessa wasn’t sure what crossed her mind at that moment, but her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

Ethan glanced at the time and said, “Alright, it’s getting late. You should go wash up and get some sleep, Nessa.”

With that, he gently nudged her toward the bathroom.

“Wait, hold on…”

Vanessa’s reaction was a bit strange—there was some resistance, but more than that, she seemed flustered.

But Ethan didn’t think much of it. He had something more important to check on.

Once they were in the bathroom, Ethan pointed to a small shelf next to the laundry basket. “The towel’s new, so feel free to use it. And these pajamas are my sister’s. I hope you don’t mind.”

After explaining everything, he left the bathroom.

It wasn’t until she heard the door close that Vanessa snapped back to reality.

She realized she’d been going along with everything without much thought. Now that she had a moment to calm down, her sharp mind kicked back into gear.

Wait a minute… the pajamas and towel were already prepared.

Did he plan on having me stay over from the start?

Thinking back on his behavior, it didn’t seem like he was ever really planning to drive her home.

As the pieces fell into place, Vanessa couldn’t hold back anymore.

This guy’s got some serious tricks up his sleeve!

And then, remembering her own thoughts from earlier, her face turned so red it felt like it might start dripping.

“What an idiot!” she muttered to herself before rushing into the inner bathroom without looking back.

Meanwhile, Ethan had no idea Vanessa was silently cursing him. He was sitting at his computer, finally able to relax.

After checking his browser history, he let out a sigh of relief.

Earlier, when he’d left the room, he suddenly remembered that his bookmarks were filled with some… questionable content. Things like “Vanessa’s Cutest Quotes” and “Vanessa’s Best Photos Collection.”

He had no idea when those weird things had snuck into his bookmarks, but he hadn’t dared to open a single one.

Even though Ethan felt like he had nothing to be ashamed of, if Vanessa had seen any of that, he would’ve died of embarrassment on the spot. She’d definitely think he was a total creep.