Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 224: You really haven’t changed

Based on his experience living here, Ryan still remembered just how annoying that kitchen door was.

It seemed like there had been a problem since the furniture was first installed, making the kitchen door slightly bigger than the frame. Every time it was forcefully pushed open, it would make that grating sound of metal scraping against tile.

Timing it in his mind, he figured the girl should have reached the kitchen door by now, but for some reason, he hadn’t heard that distinctive noise.

The door hadn’t been replaced,Ryan remembered seeing it closed when he was outside just a moment ago.

Could it be that the girl hadn’t gone to the kitchen with something in her hands?

The footsteps had definitely sounded earlier, so where was she now?

Ryan pulled up a mental map of the room, pondering where the girl might be at this moment.

There was a dead-end corridor on the bedroom side, and Ryan was right here by the door,he was sure he hadn’t seen the girl come this way earlier.

That left only one possibility: she must have gone to the living room.

Tap tap—

Two more footsteps, but this time they carried a different meaning for Ryan.

The confidence he had just a moment ago was gone. His expression froze as he pinpointed the source of the sound.

Just through the wall from him…

Ryan was momentarily stunned, not expecting the girl to play her cards so unpredictably. Had she noticed something was off?

Ryan hid by the door, while on the other side of the wall, the girl squinted towards the bedroom doorway.

She slowly placed her shopping bag on the ground without making a sound, then quietly pulled out a gleaming chef’s knife and began edging towards the bedroom.

Unaware of the girl’s actions, Ryan hesitated, looking at the stone in his hand.

His heart pounded loudly, as if it might leap out of his throat. He didn’t know why he felt so panicked, as if something terrifying was about to happen.

Ryan took a deep breath, ready to peek out to check the situation, but before he could make his move, something unexpected happened.

Ah!!!

When did this happen! Ryan’s heart skipped a beat, his pupils dilating as he looked at something on the floor outside the bedroom, instantly regretting it.

He knew why the girl had noticed him now,it would have been a miracle if she hadn’t!

When he had left earlier, Ryan had hardly brought anything with him, but when he left the orphanage, he was laden with gifts from the children.

One of them, the largest, was a stuffed toy, supposedly given by Anna when she volunteered at the orphanage.

Now it had ended up in Ryan’s possession.

It was this very toy that had fallen out of his pocket, now lying in the hallway with a smiling face. Ryan felt like dying.

What he didn’t know was that this toy and his brief moment of distraction had just saved his life.

The girl outside, knife in hand gleaming coldly, had never done this sort of thing before, but when the moment to act truly came, she didn’t hesitate.

Perhaps in her mind, she had already considered herself a dead person, someone whose heart had stopped beating long ago. What did she have to fear from death?

She covered the knife with her jacket, not for concealment, but to avoid getting blood on the floor and dirtying Ryan’s room.

Someone had entered the room, she knew as soon as she walked in.

But why didn’t she retreat and call the police instead of taking such drastic action? She didn’t know.

After being rejected by Ryan, she felt less and less like herself.

The blade slowly moved forward, the girl fully aware that she was heralding the end of her own life, but she didn’t care anymore.

Die, this was her secret base, the only place she felt safe, and she wouldn’t allow any thief to trample it.

The blade drew nearer, the girl’s footsteps silent, danger looming over Ryan’s head.

But…

The girl had raised the knife, but her gaze was caught by something on the floor, her pupils shrinking rapidly, and she quickly hid the knife behind her back.

No way, it shouldn’t be possible, but… but…

The girl struggled emotionally, looking at the stuffed rabbit on the floor, her heart a mix of emotions. Yesterday’s experiences told her not to harbor any unrealistic hopes.

If Ryan really cared about her, really understood her, he wouldn’t have let her leave yesterday.

Why would Ryan suddenly come back here today? Shouldn’t he have stayed by Alice’s side?

A slight noise came from in front of her, and the girl’s eyes cleared up a bit. She placed the chef’s knife on a nearby cabinet, then quickly hid herself.

Then, under her watchful eye, a hand reached out from the bedroom, swiftly grabbing the stuffed rabbit and pulling it back inside.

It seemed Ryan felt a bit sorry for the toy,he dusted off the rabbit and tucked it into his embrace.

…

Ryan was ready to give up. Initially, he thought he could escape while the girl wasn’t aware of him, but his hiding spot was easily discovered.

He figured it might be better to just come out and explain things to the girl. If she would listen to his explanation, great,if not, he’d offer some money as compensation.

If she attacked him, he’d have no choice but to defend himself. In the worst case, he’d have to use the knockout gas he had prepared.

With a sigh, Ryan was about to get up.

But before he could finish his movement, the situation outside changed again.

Footsteps sounded, but they weren’t coming towards him,instead, they were moving away, seemingly towards the room’s entrance.

The entrance? Was the girl planning to leave?

That didn’t make sense. Her reaction earlier clearly indicated she had discovered him. Why would she just walk away so easily?

Ryan was confused,the continuous twists were making his head spin.

And indeed, the girl walked to the door and then left the apartment.

Bang—

A soft sound from outside confirmed the door had closed.

Ryan was dumbfounded. He quickly tiptoed out of the bedroom and pressed his ear against the door to listen for any sounds outside.

The shopping bag was carelessly placed in the living room, just a step away from the kitchen, yet she hadn’t gone there.

But why had she suddenly left…

Without much time to ponder why the girl had left, Ryan only heard the footsteps fading away until they were no longer audible.

She had really left.

“Let’s go…”

Ryan muttered to himself as he looked around the room. He had retrieved the notebook he needed.

Although he despised such actions, desperate times called for desperate measures.

If he didn’t leave now, it would be foolish. If the girl decided to double back, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Safety first, it was time to make a quick exit.

Ryan’s right hand pressed on the doorknob, slightly opening the door.

He held his breath, imagining the situation outside. Perhaps those departing footsteps were a trick to make him lower his guard.

Fortunately, things didn’t turn out as badly as Ryan had feared.

Peeking out, the sunlight was still bright, and the corridor was empty,the girl had truly left.

No time for hesitation, Ryan quickly opened the door and dashed out, only relaxing once he had left the complex.

It seemed the crisis was over.

At that moment, a hooded figure emerged from a hidden spot in the stairwell, looking down at Ryan’s retreating figure.

She took out her keys, re-entered the apartment, and carried the shopping bag to the kitchen before heading straight to the bedroom.

The bedroom was just as she had left it, and her target was clear. She didn’t glance at anything else as she walked straight to the bookshelf.

After a brief search, she knew exactly which notebook was missing. She understood why Ryan had come back.

“You really haven’t changed.”

“Next, you’ll probably call me, or maybe changing clothes would be better.”

“Senior, wait for me.”

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