Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 260: Do you remember me?

“Excuse me, I’d like to borrow this book.”

A soft thud echoed as a book was gently placed on the library counter, interrupting Anna’s reading.

Though working as a librarian wasn’t exactly a busy job, it was still a role that involved serving others.

Anna had been sitting there all afternoon, and she had just reached the climax of her book. But now, she had no choice but to set it aside.

She casually grabbed a bookmark and slipped it between the pages, then discreetly tucked the book into a hidden spot behind the counter—somewhere no one else would notice.

It wasn’t easy to pull herself out of the story, but Anna composed herself and smiled at the girl standing in front of her.

“Hi, are you just borrowing this one?”

“Yes, just this one.”

Anna smiled politely, her demeanor calm and graceful, like a lazy but elegant ragdoll cat. The girl shyly nodded and pointed to the book she had placed on the counter.

Anna quickly processed the loan, watching the girl leave before letting out a quiet sigh of relief. She slowly sat back down, ready to dive back into her book.

Reading shouldn’t be something to hide, but this was a little different. The book she was currently engrossed in was a rather twisted love story.

This kind of literature wasn’t exactly mainstream—just like how traditional authors often look down on web novels.

Normally, Anna read classic works by foreign authors, but one day while browsing a bookstore, her eyes had landed on this book, and she hadn’t been able to put it down since.

“Trapped by a Yandere.” What a strange title.

Right now, she was dying to know what would happen next. The main characters had separated due to a misunderstanding, but the male lead had no idea how much he meant to the female lead.

Even the suggestion of a “cooling-off period” was seen as outright rejection by her. As her obsession grew, she tricked him into returning to their old home, where she locked him up.

“Don’t blame me. This is all because of love…”

Anna’s expression became a little dazed as she silently mouthed the lines from the book. For some reason, she felt a strange connection to the characters.

Love wasn’t something simple. It wasn’t just the sweet words couples casually exchanged while holding hands on the street.

If you weren’t ready to spend your entire life with the person you loved, if you didn’t have the determination to overcome every obstacle, how could you call it love?

So, if you truly loved someone, wasn’t it only natural to keep them by your side, no matter what?

Life at school was usually pretty uneventful—so uneventful, in fact, that it was almost boring. But lately, Anna had been in a surprisingly good mood.

Ryan had come home over the weekend. Even though they hadn’t officially reunited, that didn’t dampen Anna’s excitement.

Every day, she lay on Ryan’s bed, breathing in his scent, as if he were holding her in his arms.

Ryan had even gone out of his way to steal her phone number, which made everything feel surreal. If they hadn’t actually met that day, she might still be in a daze.

Ryan clearly had feelings for her. The moment he had the chance, he came looking for her. She couldn’t think of any other explanation.

This was a good sign—a sign that she might be able to pull Ryan away from Alice.

She and Mia had formed a secret alliance. Mia’s condition was simple: do whatever it took to get Ryan away from Alice. But honestly, Mia didn’t even need to ask. Anna would’ve done it anyway.

What thrilled her even more was that Ryan had agreed to go to an event with her that weekend.

Capitol City University was one of the top schools in the city, and it ranked highly nationwide. Its alumni network was even in the top three across the country.

Students at Capitol City University held their school in high regard, not just because of its rigorous academic standards, but also because of its rich cultural atmosphere.

College was a time for ambition and hard work, but it was also a time when young hearts were full of passion. During this period, no girl was immune to daydreams, and no boy lacked enthusiasm.

Since everyone had these needs, the university didn’t turn a blind eye. The annual ballroom dance was a long-standing tradition at Capitol City University.

Anna hadn’t dared to be too direct when she first asked Ryan to go with her. She was still a little afraid of being rejected. But now that he had agreed, the weight on her shoulders had finally lifted.

That afternoon, after her shift at the library, she didn’t head straight home. Instead, she left campus and caught a cab to the mall.

She had spotted a dress online earlier—a perfect choice for the ballroom dance. The white skirt was as soft and delicate as a swan’s feathers.

She could still remember the look of awe on Ryan’s face when he saw her last weekend. She was sure he’d love how she looked in that dress a week from now.

Thinking back to the time she spent with Ryan over the weekend, a gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Normally, she wasn’t the type to wear dresses. She preferred to wrap herself up in oversized hoodies, which suited her personality better.

But if she kept hiding herself away, no one would ever see her shine. To chase after the light that belonged to her, she had decided to change.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the mall. After paying the fare, Anna quickly rushed toward the store.

She hadn’t wasted a second after school, heading straight here to claim the dress. But when she reached the store, the white gown was no longer in the window.

Ryan would’ve loved that dress. He would’ve loved her in that dress. But now, she had messed it all up.

If only she had skipped class and come earlier. As the dress disappeared, so did her good mood. Her once bright expression turned cold.

Clinging to a last shred of hope, Anna pushed open the door to the store. It was fairly crowded, as it was close to Capitol City University, and most of the customers were young people.

She even recognized a few familiar faces—probably students from her year.

But she wasn’t in the mood for small talk. She politely asked a store clerk to take her to the display window.

“Are you looking for this dress?”

The clerk was sharp. She glanced at Anna’s face, then at her disappointed expression, and immediately understood what had happened.

But soon, a hint of awkwardness appeared on the clerk’s face. She could tell how much Anna had wanted that dress, but the timing was just too unfortunate.

“I’m really sorry, but someone just bought it.”

The clerk shrugged apologetically and started to suggest other dresses in the store. After all, she wasn’t going to let a potential customer walk away empty-handed.

But Anna wasn’t particularly interested in the other options. Once she realized there was no way to get the dress back, she turned to leave.

She felt disappointed, but she forced herself not to show it. There was still time. She could find something else.

She placed her hand on the glass door, ready to push it open, when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Anna, is that you?”

“It’s Colin. Do you remember me?”

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PS:

Oh boy, things definitely didn’t go the way Anna planned, huh? Rushing to the mall, determined to grab that perfect dress, only to find out someone else beat her to it. Talk about bad timing! But hey, that’s life, right? You can plan all you want, but sometimes fate just laughs and says, “Not today!” And poor Anna has to face it head-on. But don’t count her out yet—our girl is nothing if not determined.

Let’s be real, though. The real kicker is Colin showing up right as Anna’s about to make her exit. Like, of all the times and places, this is when fate decides to throw in a familiar face? Honestly, Colin’s timing is impeccable, but not necessarily in a good way. Can we all just take a moment to imagine Anna’s inner dialogue right now? She’s already fuming over the dress situation, and now she has to play nice with someone she probably didn’t expect (or want) to run into.

But let’s take a second to appreciate Anna here. Sure, she’s a bit wrapped up in her own world, but who can blame her? Between balancing a secret alliance with Mia, plotting how to win over Ryan, and maintaining her cool, “graceful librarian” persona at school, she’s got a lot going on.

Speaking of Ryan, how’s he going to react when he sees Anna at the big event? She’s already planning to knock his socks off, and now, with the dress situation in shambles, she’ll have to improvise. But hey, sometimes things not going according to plan leads to even better results, right? Maybe this setback will push her in a new direction that’ll catch Ryan’s eye in a way she didn’t even anticipate.

So, what do we think about Colin showing up at the end here? Friend, foe, or just another complication for Anna to juggle? One thing’s for sure: things are bound to get way more interesting. Stay tuned, Let’s all watch Anna’s wild ride together.