Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 252: Ryan… are you okay?

Mia’s small hand pressed the power button on the remote, and the TV flickered on, landing right on CNN’s broadcast.

It was the morning news, and the familiar male anchor, dressed sharply in a suit, was passionately reporting one story after another.

[A murder has occurred at Capitol City University. The suspect and the victim were in a romantic relationship. The female suspect, suspecting her boyfriend of infidelity, stabbed him eighteen times. The victim died on the spot.]

[Local Dairy Farm Scandal: Rival Farmer Caught Red-Handed in Cow Heist.]

The man continued to deliver the news with a straight face, while the three people in front of the TV were left speechless.

Sometimes, being too normal can make you forget just how bizarre the world outside really is.

“So, what’s the point?” Ryan asked, looking at Mia with a puzzled expression. The cow heist had nothing to do with him, and the only thing remotely relevant was the murder case.

Wait, no. What does that murder have to do with me? I haven’t cheated on anyone.

Ryan glanced nervously at Alice, who was sitting next to him. Alice, however, seemed quite interested in the news, and when she noticed Ryan looking at her, she shot him a threatening glare.

Ryan felt a bit uneasy. Alice’s second “Dangerous Events” had been triggered, so the next news story was probably going to be about her.

Could they have tracked Alice down through him? That would be a disaster.

“Hold on, just watch,” Mia said, putting a finger to her lips to shush him, her eyes still glued to the TV.

“Alright, but this is pointless…” Ryan muttered, glancing at Alice. He reached out, intending to grab the remote from Mia. He figured if Alice saw something about herself on TV, it would probably upset her.

But Mia, clutching the remote, darted away like a rabbit, even turning back to stick her tongue out at him.

And just a few seconds later, the next news story confirmed why she had done that.

“A brawl broke out at the final stop of the city’s subway Line 8. Sources say the fight was sparked by a labor dispute.”

“Here’s footage from the scene.”

The screen cut to a shaky, low-quality phone video. The camera was all over the place, clearly filmed in a rush.

In the center of the frame, a group of middle-aged workers could be seen scattering in all directions. The next moment, the video cut to a scene of Ryan in the middle of the fight, throwing punches. The editing made it look pretty convincing.

It was definitely him. Ryan stared at the screen, his mouth hanging open in shock.

But at least Alice had warned him about this last night, so seeing it now didn’t hit him as hard as it could have.

“Ryan, you look pretty cool there~” Mia teased, watching the footage of Ryan fighting. She even threw a playful punch in the air.

If she ever got the chance to beat up Marco’s crew, she’d probably enjoy it even more.

Her big eyes sparkled as she scooted closer to Ryan, rubbing her cheek against his arm like a cat.

“Get off,” Ryan grumbled, pushing her away. Didn’t she see the murderous look Alice just gave me? There’s no way I’m getting cozy with Mia right now. He was still focused on the TV.

The video was clearly trying to pin the blame for the fight on him. In hindsight, it was a reckless move, and no wonder Alice had been so furious.

Ryan let out a deep sigh. If this was the end of it, he could probably deal with it. But, of course, this was just the beginning.

[Sources have identified the man in the video as Ryan, a student in the Department of English at Capitol City University.]

[He is frequently seen with… and is often spotted at…]

[There are rumors of his involvement with local underground gangs. He is considered extremely dangerous.]

[The police are now investigating. If you have any information, please call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). The government is offering a reward for tips.]

“What the…?” Ryan stared at the screen, his student ID now displayed for everyone to see. His mouth hung open, and he stammered, pointing at the TV, unable to believe what he was seeing.

He had thought just showing his face on TV was bad enough, but now they were broadcasting his full identity to the entire city. This was way too much.

Ryan was still a student, despite everything. Now that his identity had been exposed on TV, how was he supposed to go back to school?

And to make matters worse, the orphanage had been listed as one of his regular hangouts. This whole mess might even bring trouble to the kids there.

Damn it…

“Ryan… are you okay?” Alice asked, her brows furrowed in concern. She hadn’t expected Marco to go this far. Her right hand rested gently on Ryan’s shoulder, and she looked genuinely guilty.

Ryan wasn’t anyone important in the gang. Marco had no real reason to target him. The only explanation Alice could think of was that it was because of her.

Her emotions were a tangled mess. She knew she should feel sorry for him, maybe even guilty. But alongside those feelings, there was something else—an odd sense of satisfaction.

It shouldn’t be like this. Inside her, it felt like an angel and a devil were locked in battle.

The angel whispered that Ryan was in this situation because of her, and she should take responsibility.

But the devil said, Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? Ryan’s normal life is over. He can’t go back. Now, he’ll have no choice but to stay by your side.

But now wasn’t the time for that.

“I’m fine…” Ryan took a few deep breaths and forced a bitter smile. Just like Mia had said earlier, he was now famous—completely and utterly.

There was no way he could go back to school until this was all sorted out. The only reason he hadn’t received a call about being expelled yet was probably because the school couldn’t reach him.

In a strange way, Ryan felt a bit relieved. At least not many people cared about him. And thankfully, his mom, Miller, and Ethan’s family were all away on vacation. Otherwise, this would’ve caused a lot more trouble for them.

Rubbing his temples, Ryan stared at the student ID photo on the TV. The smile on his face in the picture was so bright, but the more he looked at it, the more it made his heart ache.

Overnight, he had become a villain broadcasted on national television—a public enemy. He was going to need some time to process all of this.

“I’m sorry, Ryan.” Alice’s voice broke through his thoughts. Seeing the hint of sadness on his face, she felt like her heart was being squeezed. In the end, her rational side won over her desires.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, Alice slowly moved closer to Ryan and gently wrapped her arms around his back in a soft embrace.

“It’s just a hug, don’t overthink it,” she muttered, her face slightly flushed. After hearing about what had happened last night from her maid, she was determined to squash any ideas Ryan might have. As soon as she hugged him, she issued a cold warning.

But anyone who understood the situation knew exactly who that warning was really for.

Ryan blinked in surprise, then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He patted Alice’s smooth, delicate hands, signaling that he was okay.

Sure, he was feeling pretty down, but he had always been good at adapting. After all, he’d survived eighteen years of loneliness. He knew when to push through and focus on what needed to be done.

Aside from the anger and sadness, though, there was something else gnawing at him—confusion.

The news had continued where it shouldn’t have, and then stopped just when he thought there’d be more.

And Alice… why wasn’t she mentioned in the report? Why was it only him and not Miss Alice?

Marco’s cruelty had exceeded Ryan’s expectations, and the system’s mission was becoming more and more baffling.

The system had been clear at the start: accompany Alice through three Dangerous Events. These events were supposed to be things Alice had to go through.

But now, the second event, Light or Gun?, had somehow been tied to him. Where had things gone wrong?

“Ryan, what’s wrong?” Alice asked, noticing his silence. She reached out and cupped his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her.

Staring into Alice’s eyes, the last bit of confusion in Ryan’s mind seemed to fade away.

On second thought, maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all. By taking Alice’s place as the target, he had, in a way, changed her fate.

“Nothing, really.”

“Let’s just focus on figuring out what to do next…”