Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 231: Who’s the idiot that pissed off Miss Alice again?!

After leaving the coffee shop, Ryan and Anna wandered around a nearby food street for about an hour. Anna seemed to know the area well and kept dragging Ryan to try all sorts of snacks.

Hot dogs from the corner stand, fried tacos from a stall—Anna didn’t have much of an appetite herself, but she was more than happy to watch Ryan eat.

There was something about recommending snacks and then seeing Ryan actually try them that seemed to fascinate Anna.

Ryan cared about her, and he cared about what she said.

It was such a small thing, but she was oddly fixated on it.

And it seemed like she didn’t consider how much Ryan’s stomach could actually hold—she just kept piling food into him.

“I can’t, I can’t, I really can’t eat anymore.”

“Ryan, the fried chicken wings over there are really good too, you should try them~”

“No, seriously, I’m done. My stomach’s about to explode.”

“The oysters over there are amazing too. It’d be a shame to miss them.”

…

“I…”

“Ryan~”

Ryan had no idea how many times he’d begged for mercy, but it didn’t seem to make any difference. In the end, he just gave in.

He’d never seen this side of Anna before. She always seemed so calm and composed, but who knew she could be just as persuasive as Mia when she wanted to be.

Even though she wasn’t clinging to his arm, they were walking close enough that her hair occasionally brushed against his shoulder, making his heart flutter.

“Ryan~”

“Alright, alright, this is the last one. If I eat any more, I’m seriously going to need a hospital.”

Ryan bravely took the last bite of barbecue, then turned away from Anna, afraid she might suggest something else.

Anna had been watching him with starry eyes the whole time, and Ryan just couldn’t bring himself to say no. Plus, there was that lingering guilt from before, which led to the current situation.

They’d left the coffee shop at four in the afternoon, and Ryan had spent a solid hour with Anna on the food street, feeling like he’d eaten every snack he’d ever missed in his life.

After an hour, Ryan really couldn’t eat another bite, and only then did Anna, looking satisfied, help him over to a bench to rest.

“Anna, you really know your way around here. I’ve been in college for four years, and I don’t think I’ve ever explored this street as thoroughly as I did today.”

Ryan rubbed his stomach, speaking with a mix of amazement and exhaustion.

He used to come out for snacks with friends during college, but they always stuck to a few regular spots. He’d never tried this “sample everything” approach before.

He’d never even eaten this much during a full meal, and now Ryan felt like his stomach was about to burst.

But looking at the smile on the girl’s face beside him, it didn’t seem so bad after all.

“Wait a sec…”

Ryan turned to Anna, ready to say something more about the whole experience, but Anna cut him off.

She pulled a tissue from her bag, leaned in close, and carefully wiped a bit of grease from the corner of Ryan’s mouth.

With her so close, Ryan noticed for the first time that Anna had put on a light touch of makeup today. It was different from her usual natural look, adding a certain something else.

Even through the tissue, Ryan could feel the warmth of Anna’s fingertips. As she did this, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at her expression.

And that’s when it hit him.

Walking around the food street together, wiping away a bit of grease—wasn’t this just like a date?

But… but weren’t he and Anna just classmates? This kind of thing between classmates… it seemed reasonable, right?

“Ryan, what are you thinking about?”

Ryan’s face flushed a little. With Anna so close, he didn’t dare move a muscle. It wasn’t until she pulled her hand away and looked at him with amused curiosity that he finally snapped out of it.

“Nothing, nothing at all.”

“So, Anna, are you from around here?”

Ryan scratched the back of his head, quickly trying to change the subject, steering the conversation toward Anna’s background.

She seemed so familiar with the area that it didn’t feel like something she’d just picked up during college. The level of detail she knew suggested she might have lived here her whole life.

“Yeah, I’ve lived in this city my whole life.”

Anna responded with a smile, letting out a slow breath before swinging her pale legs slightly and glancing over at the barbecue stall nearby.

She loved this kind of lively atmosphere and had always wanted to be part of such a life. Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone as she’d hoped…

“So, do you live nearby too?”

Ryan asked, a bit surprised. This area wasn’t far from where he rented his place, and he hadn’t realized Anna lived so close.

But as soon as he asked, he noticed Anna’s body tense up slightly. She forced a smile, trying to keep her voice steady as she replied.

“I used to…”

Ryan fell silent at her words. He might not be the most emotionally intelligent person, but his empathy was top-notch, and he immediately picked up on the bitterness in Anna’s eyes.

“I’m not really that familiar with this area… Maybe next time you could…”

Ryan wasn’t sure if he should even be saying this. He only had one free day a week, and even if he promised Anna, he wasn’t sure he could actually follow through.

But the conversation had already reached this point, and Ryan couldn’t stop himself from saying it.

Anna’s eyes lit up when she heard Ryan speak, but she didn’t rush to respond. Instead, she continued to gaze into the distance with a slightly melancholic expression.

Just then, Ryan’s phone rang abruptly, breaking the moment. He gave Anna an apologetic smile before pulling out his phone.

“It’s okay, Ryan. Go ahead and take the call, don’t worry about it.”

Anna said gently, brushing her hair back and signaling that they could continue their conversation later.

She acted like she didn’t mind at all, but in reality, she was sneaking glances at Ryan’s phone. When she saw the caller ID, her face instantly turned cold.

Alice again…

If only Alice weren’t around, then Ryan would be hers.

Ryan didn’t notice any of this, nor did he have any idea what Anna was thinking. He had already answered the call, not daring to delay.

Alice sure had a lot of free time today—this was the second time she’d called him. He wondered if he should feel flattered by the attention.

“Miss Alice, what’s up?”

Ryan asked casually, assuming she was just following up on their earlier conversation about his plans.

But…

“You sound happy.”

A cold voice came through the line. Alice was clearly in a foul mood, not in the mood for jokes.

“Uh… no, not really…”

“Are you with someone?”

Alice’s voice was icy, still upset that Ryan hadn’t shared his plans with her earlier. She was stressed out by issues at the construction site, while Ryan seemed to be having a great time, as if nothing was wrong.

He was her assistant, wasn’t he supposed to be attuned to her emotions at all times?

“No, no one.”

Ryan felt a bit guilty as he rubbed his nose, glancing over at Anna, who was sitting quietly beside him. Their eyes met, and Ryan, remembering the earlier awkwardness, quickly looked away.

“Good. Now get over here, I’m in a bit of trouble.”

Ryan frowned as he listened to Alice. He’d been so caught up in eating snacks that he’d completely forgotten to check on Alice’s situation.

If Alice was saying this, something must have gone wrong.

Ryan quickly opened Alice’s status screen, and the data that appeared made his scalp tingle, sending a chill down his spine.

[Alice’s Emotional State: 3/100 (Despair)]

[Alice Darkening Level +5, Current: 30/100]

Fuck, who’s the idiot that pissed off Miss Alice again?!