Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

"Hey, Sophia, did you even eat today?" Ethan asked, sprawled out on the couch with a somewhat complicated expression.

Sophia's strength wasn't just weak—it was practically nonexistent.

At this moment, she was kneeling behind him, her face twisted in concentration as she tried her best to give him a massage.

She was beyond frustrated. This was not how she imagined things going. She was using all her strength, yet this guy didn't seem to feel a thing!

And now, being questioned about whether she'd eaten only made Sophia even more annoyed.

"Oh? Not strong enough, huh?"

Sophia narrowed her eyes, her whole body radiating a dangerous vibe.

"Well then, how about I try a different massage technique?"

With that, she stood up on the couch, and her small foot landed squarely on Ethan's back.

"Sophia, what are you doing?" Ethan, feeling the sudden weight on his back, turned his head in surprise.

"I'm giving you a back walk! I used to do this for my mom when I was little," Sophia explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

But the problem was, her weight as a child was very different from now.

Not that Ethan was particularly concerned about that. He clarified, "That's not what I meant."

"Huh?" Sophia looked at him, confused.

Ethan sighed. "I meant, could you maybe wash your feet before stepping on me?"

"..."

"Go to hell!"

Sophia, now thoroughly embarrassed and furious, lifted her foot and aimed it straight at Ethan's head.

But Ethan wasn't exactly into feet—especially not ones that had been in socks all day—so he immediately started to struggle.

Even with Sophia standing on him, Ethan managed to twist his body, causing her to lose her balance. She wobbled for a moment before falling, landing right on his stomach.

For a second, they just stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Sophia's face instantly flushed bright red.

And then, as if things couldn't get worse, her stomach let out a loud growl.

It was the ultimate humiliation. Especially when she saw the look on Ethan's face—he was clearly thinking, I told you you hadn't eaten.

Before she could explode in anger, Ethan suddenly sat up, causing Sophia to yelp as she tumbled backward onto the couch.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sophia shouted, both embarrassed and angry.

Ethan stood up from the couch and said, "You're hungry, right? I'll make you something to eat."

"Who asked for your fake kindness?" Sophia huffed, crossing her arms in a show of defiance.

But once Ethan actually headed into the kitchen, she fell silent.

For some reason, she could feel a strange warmth from his actions. It was a silly thought, but it made her feel... conflicted.

Time passed quietly, and soon, the rich aroma of food wafted in from the kitchen.

Sophia's stomach growled again, louder this time.

Before long, Ethan returned to the living room, carrying a bowl of food. He placed it in front of her with a small smile. "Here you go."

Sophia looked down and saw a bowl of rice topped with char siu and a fried egg. She blinked in surprise. "This... what is this?"

Ethan grinned proudly. "This is 'The Taste of Despair'—guaranteed to make you reflect on life!"

Sophia should've said something in response, but instead, she just quietly picked up the bowl and took a bite.

Of course, nothing dramatic happened. Ethan hadn't spiked the food or anything, so there was no reason for her to suddenly burst into tears.

But Sophia was eerily quiet. She just kept eating, and though Ethan had no idea what was going on in her head, he didn't interrupt her.

When she finally finished the bowl, she set it down and looked up at Ethan, her gaze steady.

"Are you Blair's brother?" she asked.

"Huh?"

Hearing his sister's name from Sophia's mouth, Ethan froze for a moment, caught off guard.

He asked in surprise, "You know Blair?"

Sophia's suspicions were confirmed. She looked at Ethan with a complicated expression and said, "We used to be neighbors. Blair and I were friends."

Ethan heard her answer, but he still felt confused. He had no memory of Sophia at all.

Meanwhile, Sophia kept her gaze fixed on him.

The only reason she recognized Ethan was because of the bowl of char siu rice. She had eaten it once before.

Back then, her parents were going through a divorce. One day, her mom didn't come home because of work, and her dad wasn't around either. By chance, when she was about to go hungry, Blair from next door came over and brought her back to their house for dinner.

She remembered it clearly. That night, Blair's family had the same char siu rice for dinner. Although her memory of Blair's brother had faded over the years, she still remembered the taste of that meal.

So, she never expected that the man in front of her was the same Blair's brother she had met as a child.

Sophia let out a heavy sigh.

To be honest, she had a good impression of Blair's brother back then. That dinner had left a deep mark on her memory.

But now, she couldn't wrap her head around how, in just a few years, her friend's brother had turned into such a jerk.

Feeling disillusioned, Sophia sighed again, this time even more deeply.

"I feel like you're thinking something rude," Ethan commented, noticing her reaction.

"It's nothing."

Sophia shook her head, then glanced around the room before asking, "Is Blair not home?"

If this guy was Blair's brother and her old neighbor, it was strange that she hadn't run into Blair even once. What a coincidence.

"Blair doesn't live here right now. She's still in the hospital, but she'll be back on the weekend," Ethan explained.

Sophia was taken aback. She remembered that Blair had some health issues back then, but she hadn't expected it to get so bad that she needed to be hospitalized.

"Is Blair okay?" she asked, concerned.

Ethan reassured her, "Don't worry, she's fine. She'll be back this weekend, and she won't need to stay in the hospital anymore."

Sophia let out a small sigh of relief, but then she shot Ethan a glare.

"Why are you glaring at me again?" Ethan asked, confused.

"I just can't believe Blair's brother turned into such a scumbag."

Even though Sophia and Ethan had some history, that didn't change her stance. She still had to protect Vanessa from this guy.

Blair was just a friend from the past, but Vanessa—Nessa—was her everything now.

So, no matter what, she had to get Vanessa back!

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