Chapter 35: He Is a Pervert

It wasn't until Willow Avery stepped out of the school gates that it finally clicked.

Something was off.

Back when her hair got stuck, Uncle Julian could have easily found a girl to come over and help.

Why did he have to do it himself?

Even if he had told her to cover his eyes, the action was still inappropriate.

Could he be...

Several times she wanted to speak up, but looking at her uncle’s expressionless face, she didn't know how to bring it up.

Harboring doubts, she arrived at the hospital.

The moment she saw Sterling Kingston lying on the hospital bed, all of Willow’s worries vanished into thin air.

"Grandpa Sterling, what happened to you?"

Looking at Sterling with his oxygen mask on, her tears fell instantly. "It’s all my fault. If you hadn't gone to the school anniversary, this accident wouldn't have happened."

Sterling’s eyelids drooped, looking vastly drained of energy. He said weakly, "Willa, it’s not your fault. It’s..."

His gaze landed on Julian. "Julian, you... sigh."

Julian hadn't expected the old man to be this severely ill.

When he received the phone call, he had simply assumed his father had been jostled by the crowd.

He stepped forward immediately, intending to check his pulse.

"No need," Sterling waved his hand at him. "You go out first. Let me have some quiet."

Julian couldn't fathom how he had offended him.

However, he had to prioritize the patient’s emotional state first.

He turned and walked out.

Only Sterling and Willow were left in the ward.

Just as Willow was about to ask, Sterling began to weep first. "What a sin, truly a sin."

"Grandpa Sterling, don't get excited. Speak slowly."

Willow helped soothe Sterling’s breathing. "What on earth happened?"

"Willa, you were actually right," Sterling said in deep anguish. "Julian... he likes men."

"Huh?"

It was Willow’s turn to be shocked this time. "Grandpa Sterling, could you have misunderstood?"

She felt her uncle wouldn't go that far, right?

"It’s true," Sterling pressed the oxygen mask a bit tighter against his face. "I saw it with my own eyes. He was holding a man’s hand. The two of them were being all affectionate and having an intimate, deep conversation."

"No wonder drinking all that tonic soup before was useless. Turns out his energy wasn't being directed toward the proper channel..."

Willow blinked her eyelashes.

She froze.

He was so intense in bed; it was impossible for him to like men, right?

But those words were not something she could say out loud to Grandpa Sterling.

"Willa," Sterling grabbed her hand. "Think of a way for Grandpa. A way to bend Julian back straight."

Willow: "..."

What kind of way could she possibly have?

Yet she couldn't bear to see Sterling so distressed either.

After a moment's thought, she made a random suggestion: "How about we talk to Uncle Julian? Maybe he’ll change his mind."

"I have a plan now," Sterling clapped his hands. "Laced drinks plus throwing money at the problem. Perfectly foolproof."

Willow didn't quite catch his meaning.

But when it came to Grandpa Sterling, she chose unconditional support.

She flashed a thumbs-up. "Grandpa Sterling, you really are too clever."

Standing outside the ward, Julian pinched the bridge of his nose.

The ward wasn't soundproof; he had heard everything.

He wasn't surprised by his father doing these chaotic things.

But Willow actually agreed with them.

Was she really that...

Eager to push him away?

...

When Willow arrived at school the next day, Jace Miller proactively came to find her.

"Willow, I’m going abroad to study tomorrow."

"Senior Jace, so suddenly?"

Willow remembered that studying abroad required applying well in advance, and it usually happened during junior or senior year. Jace was only a sophomore.

Jace smiled, though it was hard to tell whether it was out of bitterness or happiness.

After struggling internally on his face for a good while, he finally opened his mouth: "To be honest with you, it was your uncle’s doing. Yesterday, I wanted to go on stage to give you flowers, but he stopped me."

At this point, he clenched his hands tightly. "He is a terrifying man. I'm afraid he harbors bad intentions toward you. Willow, you’re a good girl, and I don't want to see you get taken advantage of. Even though he’s your uncle, you must keep your guard up against him."

Willow’s almond eyes widened, somewhat unable to believe what she was hearing.

How could Uncle Julian possibly do such a thing?

"Senior, did you misunderstand something?"

"I know it’s hard for you to believe, but some men are just perverts. Even though you're his niece, he still..."

Jace pinched his hands in indignation, then let go out of sheer helplessness. "Willow, I just wanted to remind you today to protect yourself well. I’m leaving."

With that, he waved goodbye to her.

Willow was CO-instantly left with a mind in complete disarray.

She stood frozen on the spot for a very long time.

She was utterly distracted during classes the entire day.

She didn't even hear clearly whatever Luna Hayes said to her.

When school finished in the afternoon, Willow had originally intended to go ask Julian, but she received a phone call from her father first.

"Willa, which hospital was the one you accompanied your grandfather to before?"

During the summer break, her father had been away on a business trip, so she had accompanied her grandfather to a hospital visit.

Willow hurriedly reported the address, then asked, "Dad? What's wrong? Did something happen to Grandfather?"

"It’s nothing. Focus on your studies at school."

Willow's father hung up the phone.

Willow kept it on her mind, but by the time she got into Sterling's car, she had already collected her emotions.

"Grandpa Sterling."

"Willa," Sterling didn't notice anything unusual about her. He took her hand and said excitedly, "Today, we are going to pull off a major operation—to turn your uncle back into a normal person."