Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 171: Not smoking is good too

Ryan was acting no different than he had been outside. When he noticed Hannah looking his way, he simply turned his head away.

He couldn’t fathom why Hannah harbored such hostility towards him, making him feel like he had to avoid her whenever possible.

The way she looked at him was as if she saw him as nothing but trash.

But then again, from Ryan’s perspective, Hannah’s actions weren’t really problematic since they were all for Alice’s sake.

Given his unclear background and lack of capabilities, it was understandable that people were uneasy about him staying close to Alice.

Moreover, he himself hadn’t figured out what his role was in Alice’s life.

He was supposed to be killed by Alice, yet here he was, doing everything in his power to help her, even valuing her life more than his own.s are indeed complex creatures, loving and fighting all at once—it’s just that kind of feeling.

The more Ryan tried to avoid her, the sharper Hannah’s gaze became.

She seemed determined to see right through him, while Ryan just whistled and turned his back to her, refusing to face her anymore.

“Hannah, what’s up?”

Alice knew Hannah didn’t like Ryan, but Ryan had proven himself to be decent, and Alice hoped they could reconcile.

Hannah was silent for a moment. Although speaking up might panic Miss Alice, she couldn’t afford to play it smart like before.

“Miss Alice… we don’t have a sniper positioned on that building.”

Admitting this was akin to confessing her failure to protect, but for the sake of making more rational decisions in the future and keeping Alice out of danger, Hannah had to tell the truth.

“It wasn’t our guy?”

Alice hadn’t expected this outcome, and her pretty face instantly grew serious, filled with surprise.

If it wasn’t someone from their side or the enemy’s, then was the sniper just targeting her personally?

Had she unknowingly used the sniper to her advantage and just narrowly escaped danger?

But it wasn’t really unknowingly,it all seemed to be orchestrated by Ryan.

Alice suddenly thought of Ryan’s actions earlier. His confidence, his calm demeanor—it was all an act.

The assassin’s target was her, and Ryan must have known.

But what really caught Alice’s attention wasn’t Ryan’s ability to adapt on the fly, but his actions just before.

The way he had annoyingly stuck close to her back.

If he knew the sniper was targeting her, then his insistence on standing behind her…

Alice took a deep breath, unable to continue her train of thought, her mind in turmoil.

Her fingers were entwined without her realizing, and she sneaked glances at Ryan’s expression, trying to read something from his youthful face, but he looked as usual.

Couldn’t he just openly say he had saved her?

“Ryan…”

The girl spoke up, her voice still cold, but seemingly hesitant.

Ryan, startled by her tone—it seemed like the first time Alice had seriously called his name.

“What is it, Miss Alice?”

Ryan quickly turned around to face Alice, listening intently for her commands.

Alice’s eyes shimmered, wanting to ask what Ryan really intended.

Being forced to stay by her side, he had shown no complaints and even wanted to help her. The recent events made Alice even more puzzled about him.

But, he had responded to her, and he was looking at her—that was what mattered most.

[Alice’s Current Mood Level: 75/100 (Pleasant)]

Ryan glanced at Alice’s attributes, then somewhat puzzledly met her gaze.

Her Mood Level hadn’t increased during their escape, but it had surged when she called his name, happier than having successfully escaped?

Miss Alice’s thoughts were indeed beyond his understanding.

“Get in the car.”

In the end, Alice didn’t say much, just looked deeply at Ryan a few times as if trying to etch his face into her memory.

Ryan had many secrets, but Miss Alice wasn’t short on time,she would eventually unravel all these mysteries one by one.

Ryan and Hannah got into the car, and the first thing Hannah did was to make a call to arrange for more guards.

Alice was in big trouble, and without some precautions now, her role as an assistant would be utterly buried.

“Miss Alice, should we continue with the schedule as planned?”

Ryan, looking at the itinerary in his hand, voiced his concern. The mission wasn’t over yet, which meant more danger lay ahead.

In Ryan’s view, they should just head home and lay low for the day. It would be safer, and his task would be easily accomplished.

Alice pondered the question, her brow furrowing slightly before she nodded firmly.

She had a pretty good idea who was after her. She could dodge today, but what about tomorrow? The day after?

Constantly retreating was just a waste of time. Since the other party had made their move, they must be prepared to pay the ultimate price.

The schedule would continue,Alice decided to take the offensive.

Once Miss Alice made up her mind, there was no room for change. However, she then turned her gaze to Ryan, clearly seeking his opinion.

If it had been this morning, Hannah would never have allowed Alice to consider Ryan’s opinion.

But now, Hannah was just arranging the subsequent schedule on the side, not giving Ryan another glance.

Hannah knew what kind of person Tony was,the situation earlier was clearly deadly, yet Ryan had managed to get Alice out unscathed.

Hannah admitted she couldn’t have done that herself, and even if she didn’t like Ryan, she had to acknowledge him somewhat.

“Miss Alice is asking you a question, answer her.”

Though she acknowledged him, her tone was still harsh, stern without a hint of weakness, not betraying any sign of her broken arm.

Hannah didn’t repeat herself since Alice hadn’t reacted before, but after repeating, Alice’s face turned a bit red.

Since when did she need affirmation from someone else to make a decision, especially from a man?

“Alright, we’ll do as Miss Alice wishes.” Ryan, clueless about what was going on between them, just assumed Alice’s blush was due to the adrenaline rush from their narrow escape.

The vehicle moved again, and Ryan informed Alice of the next item on the itinerary, gaining a better understanding of what Alice was up to.

The result Alice wanted seemed a bit different from what he had expected.

Their next visit was still to a businessman, but unlike Tony, this one was a genuinely straightforward merchant.

They were to meet in a teahouse, and when Alice and her party arrived, an elderly man with white temples but vibrant spirit appeared in Ryan’s view.

Despite his age, he had no bodyguards with him, just a woman supporting him.

As the old man approached, a softness flickered in Alice’s eyes, and she immediately went to greet him.

“Mr. Carlson.”

Ryan had never seen Miss Alice show such respect to anyone,this was a completely different level compared to her meeting with Tony. Her respect for Mr. Carlson was genuinely heartfelt.

“Well, well, young lady, you’re here.”

“Come on in, join this old man for a few cups of tea.”

The old man looked kind and gentle, dressed simply in a plain long robe. As people age, their pursuit of material things tends to cool down.

Mr. Carlson gestured for the woman to let go, and she slowly stepped away from the old man, bowed quietly, and then retreated, her place taken by Alice.

The teahouse was small, but only a select few could come here. Surrounded by a tranquil environment, it was an excellent place for rejuvenation.

“Mr. Carlson, don’t you have a bodyguard?”

Ryan watched as Alice and the old man entered the tea room, the door closing slowly behind them, a flicker of worry crossing his mind.

Once bitten, twice shy. Even though Mr. Carlson seemed kind, Alice’s current situation was far from good.

“Mr. Carlson and the head of the family were close friends, and he used to be quite involved with Alice in the past few years. But after her father passed away, their relationship kind of faded.”

“There’s no need to be too guarded, though. Mr. Carlson wouldn’t harm Miss Alice.”

Hannah explained, fumbling in her pocket with her right hand, her movements awkward since her left arm was broken.

Ryan mulled over Hannah’s words,the ‘head of the family’ she mentioned must be Alice’s father, who was no longer in this world.

Ryan watched Hannah struggle and was tempted to help, but remembering her previous harsh attitude towards him, he decided against it. He didn’t want another scolding.

But this time, Hannah seemed different,at least she wasn’t looking at him like he was trash anymore.

“Hey, give me a hand.”

“Oh.”

Since she asked, Ryan saw no reason not to help.

He awkwardly lit a cigarette and handed it to Hannah, thinking that maybe the nicotine might help ease her pain.

“You don’t smoke?”

Hannah took a deep drag, then surprisingly started making conversation with Ryan.

Gradually, the edge in her voice softened,it seemed the earlier incident had changed her attitude a bit.

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s weird. You’re a man and you don’t smoke?”

Hannah eyed Ryan, the hostility gone, but her curiosity remained.

Ryan rolled his eyes, ready to retort—since when did not smoking make him any less of a man? What kind of bias was that?

But Hannah beat him to it, taking another deep inhale, the smoke mingling with a hint of blood as she exhaled.

“Not smoking is good too. Miss Alice doesn’t like the smell of smoke.”

Hannah winked at Ryan, then pressed the barely smoked cigarette into a nearby trash can and brushed off her shirt.

…

Ryan was momentarily stunned, unsure what to say or whether Hannah really wanted to smoke.

Weird, what did Miss Alice’s dislike of smoke have to do with him not smoking?