Chapter 45: From now on, we're dating

Chapter 45: From now on, we're dating

Chapter 45: From now on, we’re dating

Scarlett held a glass in one hand and her forehead in the other, her face twisted in pain. “But he’s still just a kid, this whole dating thing... it’s absurd...”

“Come on, what’s wrong with raising your own kid? He’s an adult now, isn’t that better? You get to mold him into exactly what you like!” Jessica clenched her fist, frustrated at Scarlett’s defeatist attitude.

“You guys aren’t even related by blood! Think about it, that slight sense of shame, doesn’t it just make your blood boil with excitement?”

“Shut up!” Scarlett snapped, her mind flashing back to the times she massaged Ethan, which they jokingly referred to as ‘Pecker’. Every time she thought about it, waves of embarrassment and awkwardness crashed over her.

Yet, she knew there was also a strange, indescribable thrill to it.

It was a forbidden thrill she hadn’t felt in thirty years.

That’s exactly why she kept her distance from Ethan.

Because she was scared.

Scared that one day, she might actually see Ethan...

Just the thought made her want to smash her head against the wall.

“How about we switch then...” Jessica suddenly propped her chin with her hand, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “Your Ethan likes older women, right? I’d be perfect, wouldn’t I?”

As she spoke, she lifted her other hand to prop up her chest, but her police uniform wasn’t quite right for the gesture. Her arm couldn’t hold the pose, and she awkwardly let it drop, trying to cover her embarrassment.

“I’d take this relationship seriously, you know. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Apologize to your uniform, you jerk.” Scarlett lowered her head, raising her glass, but Jessica reached out, holding her arm.

“What do you really think?” Jessica looked serious. “Don’t worry about everyone else. What do you really feel?”

Scarlett just lowered her head.

The next day came quickly.

Ethan was doing his rehabilitation exercises as usual. His attributes had now averaged out at 3 points, while an average man’s attributes were around 6, and a woman’s 5.

So, his 3 points put him at the level of a physically weaker woman.

In theory, walking independently shouldn’t be a problem.

But lying in a hospital bed for over a year had caused his muscles to deteriorate rapidly, and he needed time to regain control of his strength.

The attribute enhancement only raised the upper limit of his physical capabilities.

Like someone recovering from a severe illness, he still needed rehabilitation training to regain control of his body.

He had anticipated all this.

As long as she rejected him, she would feel guilty, and he would have his chance.

“Let’s... date,” Scarlett said, then clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and turned her head away, not daring to see Ethan’s reaction.

“?” Ethan’s pupils dilated, disbelief written all over his face.

She actually agreed...

How could she agree?

It was impossible. He must have heard wrong.

She only saw him as a child, how could she agree just like that!

His mind went blank at that moment, completely frozen.

Scarlett didn’t hear any response from Ethan for a while, so she turned around and saw his jaw dropped in disbelief. She blushed and chuckled lightly.

He was still just a young adult.

“Ahem.” Scarlett summoned her familial authority and walked over to take his hand. “From now on, we’re dating.”

“Ah, oh, okay, okay...” Ethan slowly came back to his senses, his face lighting up with joy. “Are we really dating?”

“Yes.” Scarlett nodded, reaching out to ruffle his hair, her demeanor recovering from the earlier shyness to take charge. “Yes, we are dating, but first, we need to set some ground rules.”

“Okay, not just three, I’d agree to a hundred!” Ethan was thrilled, knowing that dating would change their relationship fundamentally.

She would start to see him from a man’s perspective.

Changing perceptions was the hardest part.

“First, no sex before marriage,” Scarlett stated firmly, crossing her arms.

“Okay, I agree,” Ethan responded promptly.

Seeing how quickly he agreed, Scarlett relaxed. “We’ll keep our relationship a secret for now...”

Her voice trailed off, feeling her demands might be too much.

“Okay, I agree to whatever you ask, Auntie,” Ethan said with a goofy smile.

“Okay.” Scarlett suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Ethan trusted her unconditionally, yet she had her own motives. She looked at Ethan, her eyes filled with pity, and murmured:

“I’ve failed as both an adult and a family member...”