Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 49: Hello~ Sorry, hope we didn’t interrupt anything

“Are you really planning to date him?” Jessica came bounding over, her eyes sparkling as she unabashedly checked out Scarlett’s graceful figure.

“Cut it out, jerk!” Scarlett quickened her pace, fists clenched, half-tempted to punch her best friend in the face. “I told you, we’re not dating. It just seems too cruel to dismiss all his efforts outright.”

“Don’t you feel a bit ashamed, though? He’s barely legal.” Jessica hurried to catch up, clearly more concerned about the implications of an aunt dating her nephew than Scarlett’s reasoning.

“What?!!” Scarlett was about to lose it. Glancing around at the patients and doctors, she suppressed the urge to explode. “If you’re so curious, why don’t you try it out yourself!”

Jessica’s eyes lit up. “Really? You wouldn’t be mad?”

“If it were actually possible, I’d be curious to try with Ethan too!”

“You!!” Scarlett raised her hand, her fingertips trembling, but seeing Jessica’s cheeky grin, she withdrew her hand, took a deep breath, and ignored her, heading towards the ward.

Jessica, unfazed, giggled and followed behind.

She was always like this, and Scarlett had gotten used to it.

They arrived outside the ward together.

Seeing the closed door and the drawn curtains, Scarlett frowned. She had left the curtains open for ventilation when she left, but now they were shut.

A familiar dread settled in Scarlett’s heart.

Before, when she gave Ethan a footjob, she did it just like now, drawing the curtains and closing the door.

And Emily had been inside when she left.

Could it be… the two of them?

“What’s up?” Jessica nudged her arm. “Why not open the door? I want to meet this Ethan I’ve never seen before.”

“I… forgot to buy some stuff. Let’s head to the convenience store first,” Scarlett said, her eyes darting away, her emotions tangled.

Just when she was starting to think of Ethan as her man, this had to happen.

Paralyzed and still chasing other women, huh.

Scarlett couldn’t find the words to describe her mixed feelings.

“Yo~” Jessica eyed her suspiciously, then casually pulled out a card from her pocket and slid it into the door crack.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Scarlett jumped, reaching out to stop Jessica.

“Hospital doors are designed to prevent patients from locking themselves in too securely. They’re actually quite easy to open,” Jessica explained, flicking the card inside, and the ward door swung open.

“You!” Scarlett was furious, but her gaze involuntarily shot inside the ward.

Ethan was lying on the hospital bed, with Emily sitting beside him, both deep in conversation, the air filled with youthful energy.

“Auntie?”

Ethan, startled by the sudden opening of the door, nearly jumped out of bed, thankful he had just been talking to Emily about her family.

Emily seemed happy to talk about her home life too.

Their conversation atmosphere was quite pleasant.

“Yeah, I’m back,” Scarlett masked the awkwardness in her eyes, relieved to see that the scene inside wasn’t as bad as she had imagined.

Jessica walked up confidently, saying breezily, “Hey there, Ethan, I’m Jessica, your aunt’s best friend. You can call me Aunt Jessica too!”

Ethan’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at this vibrant and attractive ‘big sister’ type, thinking, “Who is this now?” He responded politely, “Hello.”

Jessica then turned to Emily, “Hello~ Sorry, hope we didn’t interrupt anything.”

She didn’t mention anything about using the card to open the door.

“Yep~” Emily’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s a rare weekend, and I just wanted some alone time with Ethan, but it seems that’s not going too smoothly.”

Jessica was taken aback,she hadn’t expected such an assertive response from the young girl.

She looked like she came from a wealthy, influential, and well-educated family.

Yet, Jessica’s smile only grew wider, sensing something interesting was about to unfold.

“Alright, let’s focus on dinner plans,” Scarlett intervened, grabbing Jessica by the arm. “What does Ethan want for dinner tonight? I’ll go get it.”

“Some chicken soup would be nice,” Ethan said, watching his aunt drag her friend away.

He noticed that this ‘big sister’ Jessica had first checked out his feet when she entered, before her gaze traveled up to his face.

Outside the ward.

“Are you still a kid?” Scarlett rubbed her forehead. “Arguing with a little girl, really?”

“Hey, I wasn’t,” Jessica retorted, still glancing back at the ward. “Who would’ve thought, Ethan’s quite popular. That girl is pretty cute, and she’s about his age too. If you don’t make a move soon, some other woman might snatch this good guy away.”

“Enough already, watch what you’re saying.” Scarlett covered her face with her hand. “If he really could find a girl his own age, I’d be happy for him.”

“Really?” Jessica leaned in closer. “You know, love is such a thing—if you miss it, you’ll regret it forever.”

She clasped her hands over her chest, dramatically exclaiming, “Ah~ To be deeply in love with one’s own aunt, only to be constantly rejected, and then some other girl swoops in. Hey, wait for me, don’t go!”

…

As the sun set in the west, the world seemed to take on a twilight hue.

After a day’s commotion.

Ethan lay in bed, watching his aunt clean the room: “She and I are just friends.”

Scarlett paused with the vacuum cleaner in hand, a flash of awkwardness crossing her eyes. It was strange to have to clarify such a thing.

Though they were nominally in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

But Scarlett knew in her heart that she only saw Ethan as a child.

“Tomorrow’s the weekend, I’ll take you out for a bit,” Scarlett put down the vacuum cleaner and sat beside the hospital bed.

“Ah?” Ethan was momentarily stunned, then delighted. “Is this a date?”

“Go to sleep early.” Scarlett reached out and flicked his forehead lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Ethan sensed that his aunt was a bit different today.

He wanted to talk more with her.

But Scarlett had already taken her change of clothes and gone to the bathroom.

The hot water cascaded down from the showerhead, filling the bathroom with steam.

Scarlett’s expression was complex. She was certain she had no romantic feelings for Ethan, but seeing him possibly getting cozy with another girl in the ward had left a hollow feeling in her heart.

She knew well Ethan’s feelings for her,he had been undergoing rehabilitation training for her sake.

Any woman would be moved by such simple and pure affection.

Scarlett also felt that denying all of his efforts would be too cruel.

At least she could try to see him as a grown man.

“I really am a terrible woman.”

Scarlett let the hot water wash over her face, sighing softly.