Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 307: Am I right?

Meanwhile, sitting in the hematology ward’s hallway, Ryan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He sneezed out of nowhere, startling the little one in his arms awake. The sudden jolt caused her to blink her big, sleepy eyes in confusion as she looked up at him.

It wasn’t cold in the hospital, and it wasn’t the season for pollen or anything like that.

That sneeze came out of nowhere. Was someone talking about him?

But who could it be? Miss Alice? Bella? Or maybe Anna?

Ryan started counting on his fingers, trying to figure it out. Was it just his imagination, or did it feel like it could be any of them?

“Mm, good morning, Ryan!”

Ryan was still lost in thought when Mia, the little one in his arms, finally shook off her grogginess.

Her eyes were still half-closed as she yawned and covered her mouth with her tiny hand, greeting him in a sleepy voice.

“Uh, good morning…” Ryan replied, though he couldn’t help but think to himself, Isn’t it already noon?

Mia must be one of those people who believe that no matter what time it is, if you’ve just woken up, it’s still morning.

Now fully awake, Mia giggled, completely unbothered by her messy appearance.

Realizing where she was, she started squirming around in Ryan’s lap, as if she’d discovered some new, exciting place. She wriggled like she was exploring a jungle, full of energy and curiosity.

She curled up in his arms, turning just enough to bury her head against his chest. Even through his clothes, she could feel the warmth of his skin, which was different from her own cool, jelly-like softness.

Mia’s skin was smooth and cool, almost like chilled jelly, while Ryan, full of youthful energy, felt like a hot iron in comparison.

But Mia didn’t mind the heat. In fact, she clung to him even tighter, showing no intention of getting down.

“Now that you’re awake, how about you get down? You’re not exactly the calmest sleeper,” Ryan said, his neck starting to ache. Keeping Mia under control was no easy task. He had once complimented her for sleeping like a little bunny, but in reality, she was more like a wild calf.

And honestly, that wasn’t far from the truth. Bunnies have long mating seasons, which, in a way, made Mia’s behavior seem a bit similar.

From the moment she had climbed into his lap, she hadn’t stopped moving, squirming left and right. Her small hands gripped his wrists like iron clamps, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pry them off.

Luckily, Ryan was in decent shape. If it had been someone weaker, they might’ve been crushed under her relentless energy.

“You’re lying! I sleep just fine!” Mia protested, clearly offended by Ryan’s accusation. She spun around to sit on his lap, her small hands reaching up to pinch his cheeks, pulling them apart until his words came out in a funny, garbled mess.

“Fine? You practically roll on top of people when you sleep. If it wasn’t me, wouldn’t that be a problem?” Ryan shot back, his face aching but still refusing to back down. For some reason, he felt a bit annoyed, remembering how Mia had slept the first time. It had worried him.

Thank goodness it was him sitting next to her. With Mia’s lack of awareness, if a kidnapper had come along and thrown a sack over her, she probably wouldn’t have even woken up.

“That’s not true! If it wasn’t you, I wouldn’t—”

Mia’s anger flared up before she could even finish her sentence. Ryan was mad at her first, which was completely unexpected and only fueled her frustration.

And then, he had the nerve to say, “If it wasn’t me…”

How could Ryan still not understand her feelings? Was he made of wood?

Mia’s nose tingled as she fought back tears, feeling utterly wronged. If it wasn’t him, she wouldn’t have been so relaxed in the first place.

Leaning on someone else? No way. Normally, if anyone even dared to touch her, she’d throw them into the river to feed the fish.

In Mia’s mind, letting Ryan get close to her was a huge honor. And now, he was questioning it? How could she not be furious?

Sitting in Ryan’s lap, Mia was practically fuming. Her hands kept pinching his cheeks, and now her feet joined in, kicking at his legs as she jumped up and stomped on his shins.

The once-serious atmosphere in the hallway completely dissolved the moment Mia woke up. All eyes turned toward the two at the center of the commotion.

“Bad guy! Bad guy! You’re a bully!” Mia shouted, her voice full of indignation.

“How dare you pick on Mia! Unforgivable!”

When Mia got mad, she was like a prairie dog—fearless and ready to take on anyone. Ryan had never seen this side of her before and was completely defenseless against her barrage of slaps and pinches.

It wasn’t exactly a fight, but calling it playful banter seemed like an understatement, considering how hard Mia was hitting him.

Eventually, the head nurse couldn’t take it anymore and kicked the two of them out of the hallway on the 16th floor. After a stern warning, they were forced to sit in the stairwell, where things finally calmed down.

Ryan was in pretty rough shape. He had seriously underestimated Mia’s combat abilities. When she got mad, she was terrifying.

The price of learning this lesson? Ryan’s face was swollen like he had two eggs stuffed in his cheeks, and even speaking hurt like hell.

Mia, on the other hand, sat next to him with her arms crossed, muttering under her breath about how everything was Ryan’s fault. She didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty about her actions.

Ryan rubbed his sore face, lost in thought. What did Mia mean by what she said earlier? If it wasn’t him…

Was she saying that if it weren’t him, she wouldn’t have let her guard down so much?

After a few minutes, the whole ordeal ended with Ryan offering a full apology. As part of his penance, he was forced to repeat “I shouldn’t have doubted Mia’s feelings” over ten times and promise to give her three massages.

Ryan had no idea how Mia found out he could give massages, but no matter how much he tried to deny it, she wouldn’t believe him. He figured someone from Alice’s side must’ve spilled the beans.

After all, Mia seemed to know everything about Alice’s whereabouts, so learning that Ryan could give massages was probably the least of her intel.

Ryan’s large hands gently kneaded Mia’s small shoulders. He didn’t dare use too much force—not because he was afraid of hurting her, but because if he pressed too hard, she’d start making weird noises.

Things like, “Ryan, that’s too hard~” or “Slower… slower, ooh~.”

Mia was clearly enjoying herself, but for Ryan, it was pure torture. His suspicions were only growing stronger: Mia was a little devil, through and through.

If he could help it, he’d make sure not to end up in her clutches again.

As Ryan silently grumbled to himself, Mia was also deep in thought. She rubbed her smooth chin, pretending to be casual as she asked, “Ryan, your wanted status hasn’t been cleared yet. Is there something going on?”

“I’ve been thinking about it, and with Alice’s abilities, there’s no way what happened this morning should’ve happened.”

Mia was piecing things together bit by bit. The question had been bothering her ever since she came upstairs alone. She couldn’t believe that someone as powerful as Alice would be careless about something like this.

Plus, she’d heard that Alice had met with the third daughter of the Langston family last night, likely to discuss Ryan’s situation. With their combined influence, Ryan’s name should’ve been cleared all over the news by now.

Even if it was an oversight, how could two days have passed without any progress?

The more Mia thought about it, the stranger it seemed. She turned to face Ryan, her big eyes staring straight at him. She could only come up with one reasonable explanation for all of this.

“So, Ryan… you told Alice not to clear your wanted status or make any public statements, didn’t you?”

“Am I right?”