Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 77: We're both adults，just relax here

Chapter 77: We’re both adults，just relax here

Scarlett held onto Ethan’s hand tightly, taking care of him as if she was worried he’d get squeezed in the crowd. “Ethan, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, just let me know, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Auntie, why are you fussing so much?” Ethan said with a wry smile, shaking his head.

This hardly seemed like a date,it was more like a mom taking her son out.

If he wanted to charm his aunt, he needed to find a way to show her his manly side.

“Look, there’s a booth over there, Ethan, wanna go check it out?” Scarlett pointed to an air rifle game booth. “I remember when you were little, you and Blair would always argue about wanting to play this.”

Ethan’s face twisted awkwardly, feeling that unintentional elder vibe.

Trying to create a romantic atmosphere with the woman who raised him was tough.

“There’s grilled squid over there.” Scarlett pulled him along, enjoying the fireworks show, and after visiting a few night stalls, their hands were full of various snacks.

“It really does need a festive atmosphere,the snacks taste at least twice as good as usual.”

“Hmm, are they really that tasty?” Ethan picked up a squid, stuffed it in his mouth, and the mix of seasonings tasted just like usual.

“Hehe, it’s all about the atmosphere, it makes everyone feel better,” Scarlett said, looking up at the sporadic fireworks in the sky.

“I can’t stop now, it feels so good, like nothing else matters.”

“Look, there’s a Duck Pond game over there.” Scarlett pointed excitedly at a small stall. “Wanna give it a try?”

Ethan could tell his aunt was genuinely happy and nodded, “Sure, sir, for two.”

They each took a hook and carefully tried to fish out the floating plastic ducks from the pool. Ethan aimed for the ducks with prize tags, but they always drifted away just out of reach.

“It’s really tough, isn’t it?” Ethan laughed helplessly after several attempts and put down his hook.

“Hehe,” Scarlett smiled, watching him while twirling her hair.

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Seeing that his aunt didn’t seem interested in continuing, Ethan stood up. “Even if we caught one, it’s not like there’s a guaranteed prize.”

“When you were little, you always nagged about wanting to buy all sorts of toys and game consoles.” Scarlett held his hand. “But you’d get bored of them quickly and eventually stopped playing these games.”

“Really?” Ethan looked at his aunt’s smiling face, suddenly realizing that these trivial, almost forgotten episodes were still remembered by her.

“Let’s go, the fireworks show is about to start. Let’s find a good spot on that slope.” Scarlett led the way, looking up at the gradually brightening fireworks:

“I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”

“Me too.” Ethan followed, holding her hand as a chain of fireworks lit up the night sky.

In that moment, it felt like they had traveled through time.

Scarlett held his hand, and the other hand held Blair’s.

The three of them stood together, watching the fireworks in the sky.

“It’s so beautiful, how it goes from red to blue as it ascends and bursts,” Scarlett remarked, the glow of the fireworks illuminating her face.

In that moment, the surrounding noise seemed to fade away, leaving only the dazzling fireworks.

The beauty of fireworks is fleeting.

Illuminating the sky, then gradually fading away.

“I’ve been invited out to dinner again,” Scarlett said, her back to Ethan. “It was a colleague who set it up. The guy’s pretty decent in every way.”

She turned around, saw Ethan looking visibly tense, and laughed. “Of course, I turned it down. After all, we agreed to give this a real shot.”

“Ah?” Ethan let out a sigh of relief but looked at Scarlett with a puzzled expression.

“Let’s go,” Scarlett said, taking his hand.

“Are we going back already?” Ethan felt something was off about his aunt, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Scarlett didn’t answer, just held his hand and led him away from the crowd.

The fireworks show wasn’t over yet.

They made their way through the crowd and soon arrived at the subway station.

But the subway wasn’t headed towards the hospital.

“Auntie, where are we going?” Ethan asked curiously.

Scarlett just shook her head, not saying a word.

They held hands, blending into the flow of subway passengers, and got off at one of the stations.

Stepping out of the subway station, Ethan saw a luxurious hotel in front of him and swallowed hard. He stole a glance at his aunt, noticing how beautifully she was dressed today.

No matter what she wore, she was flawlessly beautiful.

Taking him to a hotel.

What she really wanted to do, considering her age, it was normal to have needs.

And technically, they were dating.

So, it made sense to do this, right?

The thought barely crossed his mind before Ethan shook his head, trying to dismiss it.

How could his aunt ever consider such a thing?

Scarlett led him to the front desk to check in with her State ID.

The unique fragrance of the upscale hotel lobby filled Ethan’s nostrils.

He was still in a daze as she pulled him into the elevator, swiped the card to open the room door, and led him inside.

She had him sit on the plush bed.

“I’m going to take a shower first, then it’s your turn,” Scarlett said, a hint of blush crossing her face as she quickly turned away to avoid his gaze.

“Wait… wait a minute.” Even Ethan, usually slow to catch on, sensed something odd. As Scarlett turned around, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Auntie, what are you trying to do?”

“I…” Scarlett’s eyes darted away. “We’re dating, and doing this kind of thing is normal, right? We’re both adults. Just relax here.”

She pried Ethan’s fingers off her arm and turned to enter the bathroom.

“Ah?” Ethan had intended to hold on to her wrist firmly, but his strength was no match for hers, and he felt helpless.

He watched as his aunt disappeared into the bathroom and even closed the door behind her.

He was completely baffled.

“What’s going on here?!”

In the bathroom.

Scarlett took off her clothes, folded them neatly on the rack, and looked at her curvaceous figure in the mirror, shaking her head.

She stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

As the warm water cascaded down her face, steam began to fill the room.

“Ah.”

Scarlett covered her face with one hand, sighing deeply.

Images of her conversation today with her best friend flashed through her mind.

“He’s at that age where he’s curious about women,” Jessica had said, lounging back. “At this stage, they’re not picky,they like anything with a hole. If you don’t see a future with him, better cut it off early. Boys can get really deep into these things.”

“I know. But,” Scarlett pressed a hand to her forehead, “I agreed to date him, given the mood at the time.”

“You’ve never tried being with a man, have you?” Jessica squinted. “Your nephew’s got some assets, you know. Maybe after he tries, he’ll think women are just so-so, and lose interest.”

Scarlett was speechless. “I’ve been around schoolboys too long. Once he tries, he’ll only want more. His mind won’t think of anything but ‘that’.”