Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 45: From now on, we’re dating

Scarlett held a glass in one hand and her forehead in the other, her face twisted in pain. “But he’s still just a kid, this whole dating thing… it’s absurd…”

“Come on, what’s wrong with raising your own kid? He’s an adult now, isn’t that better? You get to mold him into exactly what you like!” Jessica clenched her fist, frustrated at Scarlett’s defeatist attitude.

“You guys aren’t even related by blood! Think about it, that slight sense of shame, doesn’t it just make your blood boil with excitement?”

“Shut up!” Scarlett snapped, her mind flashing back to the times she massaged Ethan, which they jokingly referred to as ‘Pecker’. Every time she thought about it, waves of embarrassment and awkwardness crashed over her.

Yet, she knew there was also a strange, indescribable thrill to it.

It was a forbidden thrill she hadn’t felt in thirty years.

That’s exactly why she kept her distance from Ethan.

Because she was scared.

Scared that one day, she might actually see Ethan…

Just the thought made her want to smash her head against the wall.

“How about we switch then…” Jessica suddenly propped her chin with her hand, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “Your Ethan likes older women, right? I’d be perfect, wouldn’t I?”

As she spoke, she lifted her other hand to prop up her chest, but her police uniform wasn’t quite right for the gesture. Her arm couldn’t hold the pose, and she awkwardly let it drop, trying to cover her embarrassment.

“I’d take this relationship seriously, you know. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Apologize to your uniform, you jerk.” Scarlett lowered her head, raising her glass, but Jessica reached out, holding her arm.

“What do you really think?” Jessica looked serious. “Don’t worry about everyone else. What do you really feel?”

Scarlett just lowered her head.

The next day came quickly.

Ethan was doing his rehabilitation exercises as usual. His attributes had now averaged out at 3 points, while an average man’s attributes were around 6, and a woman’s 5.

So, his 3 points put him at the level of a physically weaker woman.

In theory, walking independently shouldn’t be a problem.

But lying in a hospital bed for over a year had caused his muscles to deteriorate rapidly, and he needed time to regain control of his strength.

The attribute enhancement only raised the upper limit of his physical capabilities.

Like someone recovering from a severe illness, he still needed rehabilitation training to regain control of his body.

Sweat beaded on his forehead…

Ethan didn’t stop,he was more determined than anyone. Only those who have lost their health truly understand its value. He was desperate to walk on his own.

Scarlett sat nearby, watching Ethan struggle to stand up time and again, tirelessly persevering.

He was fighting against fate, keeping a promise to himself.

Every time Scarlett saw Ethan’s trembling legs, her heart ached. She wanted to help him up and let him lie back down.

Because his condition was incurable, no matter how hard he tried, the inevitable outcome was weakness and death.

But she couldn’t deny a man who was fighting desperately to live.

As two nurses walked by, they paused when they saw Ethan, stopping to watch. “It’s that miracle boy.”

“Yeah, they had already cleared out his hospital room, and he actually survived.”

“He must really love this world, how beautiful.”

After a brief exchange, the nurses walked away, laughing and chatting.

Scarlett saw everything and knew deep down that Ethan had survived for her.

She watched his silhouette against the setting sun, his frail body seemingly filled with endless vitality, and she was mesmerized.

After completing his planned exercise routine, Ethan approached with his walker. “Auntie, let’s head back to the room.”

He called out, but noticed Scarlett was lost in thought.

“Auntie?” he called again.

That snapped Scarlett back to reality.

“Oh, are you done already?” she blurted out, her eyes flickering with embarrassment. She had been caught daydreaming about some strange things.

“Yeah.” Ethan didn’t seem to mind and turned to push his walker. “I want to try walking back on my own.”

He felt his body rapidly regaining strength, knowing it wouldn’t be long before getting out of bed wouldn’t be an issue.

“Ethan…” Scarlett’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Huh?” Ethan turned around, seeing Scarlett avoiding his gaze. He immediately knew she was about to lay everything out on the table.

He even guessed she would reject him.

Even if the medical miracle had moved her, she wouldn’t agree to date him.

He had anticipated all this.

As long as she rejected him, she would feel guilty, and he would have his chance.

“Let’s… date,” Scarlett said, then clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and turned her head away, not daring to see Ethan’s reaction.

“?” Ethan’s pupils dilated, disbelief written all over his face.

She actually agreed…

How could she agree?

It was impossible. He must have heard wrong.

She only saw him as a child, how could she agree just like that!

His mind went blank at that moment, completely frozen.

Scarlett didn’t hear any response from Ethan for a while, so she turned around and saw his jaw dropped in disbelief. She blushed and chuckled lightly.

He was still just a young adult.

“Ahem.” Scarlett summoned her familial authority and walked over to take his hand. “From now on, we’re dating.”

“Ah, oh, okay, okay…” Ethan slowly came back to his senses, his face lighting up with joy. “Are we really dating?”

“Yes.” Scarlett nodded, reaching out to ruffle his hair, her demeanor recovering from the earlier shyness to take charge. “Yes, we are dating, but first, we need to set some ground rules.”

“Okay, not just three, I’d agree to a hundred!” Ethan was thrilled, knowing that dating would change their relationship fundamentally.

She would start to see him from a man’s perspective.

Changing perceptions was the hardest part.

“First, no sex before marriage,” Scarlett stated firmly, crossing her arms.

“Okay, I agree,” Ethan responded promptly.

Seeing how quickly he agreed, Scarlett relaxed. “We’ll keep our relationship a secret for now…”

Her voice trailed off, feeling her demands might be too much.

“Okay, I agree to whatever you ask, Auntie,” Ethan said with a goofy smile.

“Okay.” Scarlett suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Ethan trusted her unconditionally, yet she had her own motives. She looked at Ethan, her eyes filled with pity, and murmured:

“I’ve failed as both an adult and a family member…”