Chapter 13: One Shouldn't Be Both Clumsy and Diligent

"Senior Jace didn't suspect anything, did he?"

Afraid of being noticed by Jace Miller, Willow Avery sat in the back seat of the car, clutching the sachet Julian Kingston had given her.

It was a pale cyan color.

It made her fingertips appear exceptionally fair in contrast.

Julian’s gaze lingered on her hands for a brief second before shifting away as he handed her a takeout container. "He didn't."

Willow let out a breath of relief, tucked the sachet into her bag, and took the meal. She asked casually, "Are you taking this to eat at the hospital, Uncle Julian?"

Given the time, he likely hadn't had a chance to eat before rushing over.

Back at the restaurant, he hadn't touched his chopsticks either.

"It's for you."

Julian instructed the driver to return to the Kingston estate while he took the driver's seat and started the engine. "Eating only a bowl of tofu soup will leave you hungry."

Willow hugged the container, feeling surprised.

Her uncle had actually noticed how little she had eaten.

After a moment's thought, she said, "Uncle Julian, let's eat together."

Julian glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

The girl's pure face and almond-shaped eyes seemed to be looking at him expectantly.

He agreed: "Alright."

...

The car soon reached the Kingston Penthouse.

The two of them entered the dining room together.

Upon opening the containers, Willow was surprised to find that all the dishes were in the Riverford style she preferred.

Her uncle had specifically looked after her tastes.

While eating, Willow stole a glance at the man sitting across from her.

Unlike the raw youthfulness of her peers, every gesture he made exuded the aura of someone in a position of power.

His fingers were long, and his Adam's apple bobbed rhythmically as he swallowed.

Willow’s mind began to wander.

That night, he had been covered in sweat.

Beads of moisture had slid down his jawline, disappearing into the crook of his neck.

When he leaned close to her, his Adam's apple seemed to roll even more intensely.

Julian noticed Willow staring blankly and asked, "Are you full?"

"Huh?"

Even though the man couldn't read her thoughts, Willow still felt the embarrassment of being caught red-handed.

Covering her warming cheeks, she answered with a slight delay, "Yes."

Then, she scrambled to change the subject: "Are you finished too, Uncle Julian? I'll clear the table."

Perhaps because she had just been thinking about some "unhealthy" topics.

When Willow reached for the soup bowl in front of Julian, her hand shook uncontrollably.

As luck would have it, the soup splashed over the rim of the bowl.

It landed directly on the man's trousers.

"Uncle Julian, I'm so sorry!"

Seeing this, Willow hurriedly set the bowl down, grabbed a napkin from the table, and bent over to wipe his pants.

After only two wipes, she suddenly heard a muffled groan from the man.

At the same time, her wrist was caught in a firm grip.

Julian spoke in a low, strained voice: "It's fine. I'll go change."

Without waiting for Willow's reply, the man stood up abruptly and entered the walk-in closet.

Willow held the napkin, blinking her eyes in frustration.

Maybe she should wash the pants for him later?

After waiting for ten minutes, Julian finally emerged in fresh clothes.

Willow approached him to express her intention: "Uncle Julian, where are your pants? I'll wash them."

"No need," Julian said as he leisurely fastened his cufflinks. "I only wear my clothes once."

Willow nodded.

She knew that in top-tier wealthy families, clothes were often treated as disposables.

But she had noticed earlier that the clothes in his closet had been dry-cleaned.

When did he ever wear things only once?

How strange.

Was he just trying not to trouble her?

Julian soon left for work.

Willow cleared the dining table and walked sluggishly back to her bedroom.

Just as she curled up on the small sofa, a realization hit her, and she snapped into a bolt-upright position.

The soup had spilled right in the middle of his thighs.

And that was exactly where she had been wiping.

Unlike the firm, hard muscular lines of his legs...

The texture there had felt... a bit soft.

So, without a doubt, it was—

Well, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

No wonder he wouldn't let her wash the pants.

Thinking back, her uncle’s expression had been particularly strained at that moment.

Could she have accidentally hurt him?

Truly, one shouldn't be both clumsy and diligent.

Willow opened the WeChat interface and spent a long time typing in the message box, but she couldn't bring herself to send a single word.

She couldn't exactly ask him if it still worked, could she?

After poking at the screen aimlessly for a while, she decided to delete it and play dead. However, her palm slipped, and she accidentally tapped the send button.

[Is the xx down there... okay?]