Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Benefit

Ethan’s gaze landed on Abigaile, who was clad in a trench coat that was buttoned up tight, with a khaki belt cinched at her waist accentuating her curves.

Surprisingly curvy.

Below the hem of her coat peeked out legs clad in black tights, the opaque kind, mismatched with her schoolgirl-style leather boots.

“I was doing a cosplay photoshoot in the park nearby,” Abigaile explained as she peeled an apple, chopped it into pieces, and placed them on a fruit plate. “I knew you were around here, so I thought I’d drop by and check on you.”

When Abigaile looked up, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Ethan. “It’s surprising to see a man who’s so charismatic on stage actually enduring pain, giving his best side to the audience. I’m… kind of curious what kind of well-endowed man you really are.”

The curious gaze from such a beautiful woman is something few men can withstand.

Ethan was equally taken aback, staring at her pretty face.

It goes without saying that Abigaile, with her stunning looks, didn’t need to say much. Just those big eyes of hers were enough to make a man’s heart race.

Abigaile didn’t speak further, just propped her chin on her hand and continued to gaze at him, filled with curiosity.

Sometimes, no words can match the exploration found in a pair of curious eyes.

What men desire most is recognition, especially from a beautiful woman of higher status.

Abigaile knew this, and she also knew she was beautiful. Her high-end technique was just that—effortlessly simple.

“Uh,” Ethan felt awkward under her gaze, his mind now preoccupied with the image of her sexy black tights and high heels.

All he wanted was to make money, earn her approval as a dependable man, and then, while she was moved, have a wild time with her.

“It’s not really as impressive as you think.”

Ethan wasn’t very empathetic.

His 10-inch “Pecker” smashing bottles was just a skill brought by the system, and being praised for it only made him feel awkward.

Right now, he just wanted to know if she was here to collaborate with him.

Maybe she was too embarrassed to say it outright, so she was setting the mood first.

“Heh, being too modest can come off as insincere,” Abigaile chuckled, pointing at him and then at herself, “You know, there’s actually a special connection between us.”

“Huh?” Ethan leaned back, puzzled about what possible connection he could have with this celebrity.

“A year ago, while filming a movie, I refused to use a stunt double and ended up breaking my leg.” As she spoke, Abigaile lifted her foot, pointing to her calf covered by her stocking, “Right here, I had surgery, and there’s still a scar, feel it.”

She then grabbed Ethan’s hand and placed it on her calf.

“?” Ethan was baffled, wondering how they had gotten so familiar, feeling the texture of her stocking under his palm.

Her black stockings felt different from the silky smooth ones his aunt wore.

The opaque stockings Abigaile wore had a more fibrous texture.

Ethan stared at Abigaile, a ridiculous thought crossing his mind—she couldn’t possibly be interested in him and teasing him, could she?

“Gulp.”

He swallowed hard, his heartbeat quickening.

The two of them had no prior connections.

But this beautiful woman was a genuine celebrity, always surrounded by a certain aura.

Just as he was about to conclude his thoughts.

Abigaile’s tone slowed, her voice deepening from its previous lightness, as if recalling a memory, “The doctor said I needed at least six months to recover. When I got that diagnosis, the world seemed to turn black at that moment.”

She looked up at Ethan, “Just thinking about how the whole crew had to stop filming because of me, I felt truly desperate for the first time.”

The atmosphere between them grew tense as she continued her story.

But then Abigaile’s tone lightened again: “You know what happened next. I stuck with my rehab and managed to get back on set in just three months!”

“So,” Abigaile said, taking Ethan’s right hand into both of hers, “when I saw you performing so passionately on stage, I saw my past self in you.”

“Oh, I see,” Ethan replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

What a life illusion, thinking she liked me.

Turns out, she just felt a connection because our experiences were similar, and she wanted to encourage me.

“My thoughts were really off base.”

Ethan felt ashamed, especially since just yesterday he was thinking about teaming up with her to boost their social media following.

“Can I be your friend?” Abigaile asked, holding his hand with a sincere look in her eyes.

“Ah, of course,” Ethan found no reason to refuse.

“That’s great.” Abigaile let go of his hand and smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with genuine sincerity: “Hang in there, don’t let the illness beat you. No matter how tough it gets, I’ll always support you!”

“Thank you.” Ethan was genuinely moved.

Looking at the beautiful, kind-hearted girl in front of him.

Who says all women in showbiz are schemers?

That’s just a sweeping generalization.

Here’s Abigaile, proving they’re not all the same.

“Let’s drop the serious talk,” Abigaile suddenly stood up. “Want to guess who I cosplayed as today?”

Ethan remembered her mentioning the cosplay photoshoot in the park when she arrived.

“Sorry, I’m not really into anime.”

“Hehe, no worries, you just have to tell me if it looks cute,” Abigaile said, unbothered as she opened her trench coat.

Beneath was a sailor-style red uniform with a white blouse peeking out at the collar and a dark plaid skirt that ended high on her thighs.

Under the short skirt were long legs clad in opaque black tights.

“This character is super popular, Ethan, haven’t you really seen it?”

Abigaile giggled behind her hand, the pretty star dressed in an innocent yet youthful sailor outfit, discussing adult topics.

Ethan was momentarily embarrassed by her.

“Ha ha,” Abigaile laughed lightly, spinning around. “I really like this character. I’ll send you the original photos I just took.”

She seemed so happy that as she spun, her skirt twirled with her movements.

The already short skirt flared up.

Revealing under the skirt, the black tights wrapped around her private area.

Abigaile quickly realized, frantically pressing down her skirt.

Ethan awkwardly turned his head away,he had seen it clearly for a moment. Even though the tights were opaque, the particular bulge and curve were too provocative.

“Ah~” Abigaile covered her embarrassment with her hand, picked up her trench coat, and sat back down in front of the hospital bed.

The atmosphere suddenly became incredibly awkward.

Abigaile’s gaze flitted about, stealing glances at Ethan, waiting for him to speak.

After such a performance.

Now was the time for him to bring up a serious topic to break the awkwardness.

The only legitimate topic between them was his plan mentioned last night to help boost her follower count.

After showing so much “benefit,” if this man wanted to close the gap between them, he should be the one to offer help without asking for anything in return.

And Ethan also felt awkward, ashamed that he, a man who found this beautiful, cute, kind, and somewhat naive girl

Had thought about using her to gain followers. That was just wrong.

From now on, he definitely couldn’t say such offensive things again.

The room fell into silence.