Chapter 60: Grown Right on Her Heartstrings

Inhaling the fragrance that filled his embrace, Julian Kingston looked down at the young girl's jubilant face, letting out a faint smile: "Is that so."

Willow Avery nodded, losing herself in her enthusiasm for a moment as she listed them off one by one.

"Incredible at English, incredible at traditional Chinese medicine, and also, and also," her almond eyes shimmered with light, "in bed..."

Suddenly meeting the man's deep eyes, she only then realized what kind of ghost stories she had just spoken.

What an absurd thing she had done.

Her face instantly burned to a bright red. She released Julian, straightened her posture, and worked hard to find a patch for her words: "In bed... the bedding is also gathered and tidied very neatly."

The young girl in Julian's eyes was abashed beyond recognition.

He raised his hand, covering her hair, and rubbed it with doting affection: "No more?"

Willow's heart began to beat frantically at this exact instant.

Her spine was stiff to an extreme.

This kind of feeling was exactly like when she harbored an unrequited love for a boy during middle school, and while performing the radio gymnastics, she accidentally brushed against his finger.

Heart-stirring yet heart-stopping.

Tense yet secretly joyful.

"There is," she secretly breathed out a sigh, working hard to make herself appear without any abnormality before she said, "It’s just, I haven't discovered it yet for the time being."

"Then I'll wait for you to slowly unearth it in the future."

After Julian finished speaking, his arm shifted to the back of her chair, resting lazily against it: "Look at the essay below."

Willow responded.

But she couldn't concentrate her spirit no matter what.

Turning her head toward the left, it was the man's profile close at hand.

On the right, it was his slender, fair hand.

Leaning back a bit further, it felt as though she were pressed into his embrace.

Julian finished explaining the key points and turned his gaze sideways toward Willow.

The young girl wore a constrained small face, not knowing what she was thinking about.

Just as he was about to ask, the ward door was pushed open.

Sterling Kingston and the butler walked inside.

"Julian, in a while..."

Sterling had only spoken half a sentence before he was dragged out by the butler.

He was bewildered: "What's wrong?"

The butler smiled mysteriously: "Master, don't disrupt the Third Young Master's dating."

Sterling was speechless: "Dating what dating, that's Willa!"

After speaking, he pushed open the door and walked back inside.

Leaving the butler entirely alone outside to be scrambled in a total muddle.

It actually turned out to be Miss Avery?

Those two were leaning so close together; he had truly thought they were a couple.

...

The very first instant Willow heard the commotion, she stood up.

"Sterling, you've come."

"How come you're standing up?" Sterling waved his hand at her. "There's no need to welcome me with such grandeur."

He swept a glance toward the table, saying in surprise: "Julian is teaching you how to do your homework?"

"Yes." Willow distanced herself a bit from the table, secretly pressing her cheek.

It was still so hot.

How about finding an excuse to go out first?

In case Sterling suspects...

Amidst her thoughts, Sterling walked to Julian's side, saying in annoyance: "You brat, did you bully Willa? Look at her, she’s so angry at you that her face has turned red!"

Julian: ?

He looked toward Willow.

The young girl wished nothing more than to bury her face into her own embrace.

Was this a case of not wanting to study English?

No wonder she spaced out previously.

"If Willa doesn't perform well in her studies, don't force it," Sterling lectured. "At worst, we'll just donate a few buildings."

Julian: "..."

Reminded him.

He nodded in agreement: "That works."

Willow shook her head: "I shouldn't fail the course."

Donating buildings just for failing a course was far too exaggerated.

"So that's how it is..."

Sterling murmured, immediately turning his spearhead toward Julian, "How are you acting as an uncle? To actually suspect Willa would fail her course, reflect on yourself."

Julian silently pinched the bridge of his nose, asking about the proper business: "What did you come to my place for?"

Having been hospitalized for several days, he had only come once in total.

Estimated that coming right now, there ought to be a matter.

"My birthday is coming up soon," Sterling sat down to the side. "I want to invite some old friends over to join in the fun."

Julian looked toward him, asking: "Is it old friends, or the daughters and granddaughters of old friends?"

He saw through what his father was thinking with a single glance.

Using the name of a birthday banquet to set up a blind date for him.

"Not just that, not just that," Sterling said excitedly, "There are also sons and grandsons, to pick one out for Willa as well."

Julian hadn't expected there would be this item too, his tone turning unfavorable: "She doesn't need it."

"What, you want to eat all the food yourself?" Sterling wore a fierce face, "If you can have one, Willa can't have one? Personally, my requirements are very high—he must be over 1.8 meters tall and possess regular and proper features. Oh right, also young, below twenty-four years old."

After he finished speaking, he turned toward Willow: "Willa, what do you think about it?"

"It’s quite good."

Willow knew the old master actually just wanted things to be lively.

As for a boyfriend, the right of decision still lay with her.

"Still Willa gives face," Sterling excitedly pulled out his phone, showing her photographs. "This one, a little fierce wolf-pup. This one, a little sweet milk-pup. Oh my, my descriptions aren't wrong, are they?"

Willow nodded repeatedly: "Not wrong at all. Sterling, you truly understand so well!"

Watching the two huddling together, Julian felt a bit uncomfortable in his chest.

What little milk-pup and little wolf-pup.

He opened his mouth unobtrusively: "Then what about me? What type am I?"

Sterling cast a glance at him: "A little wild stray-dog."

Heartless one.

Listening from the side, Willow restrained herself for a good while, but still couldn't hold it back, bursting out into a hearty laugh.

Julian wasn't clear about these terms, pulling out his phone to search them over.

"..."

Very good, it was insulting him.

...

On the day Julian was discharged from the hospital, Willow's midterm exam arrived as scheduled.

Looking at the empty seat in front of her belonging to Luna Hayes, she vaguely guessed something.

Although Julian hadn't said it directly previously, he had already dropped hints to her several times.

That car accident truly wasn't an accident.

Luna had done it deliberately, and the Kingston family wouldn't let the matter drop easily either.

Everyone had to pay a price for their own wrongdoings.

Recalling the scene from back then, she still felt a burst of lingering fear.

When that cargo truck came over back then, she truly thought Julian would die.

Thankfully he was perfectly well now.

The exam papers were distributed.

Willow collected her thoughts and began to answer the paper.

The method her uncle taught her was truly quite useful.

Although it couldn't guarantee a high score, passing the course wasn't a problem.

When the papers were collected, a stretch of autumn rain fell outside.

Pattering down, enwrapping a trace of chilliness.

The classmates of the class walked out of the teaching building one after another.

"Didn't bring an umbrella, can only run back."

"Are we sure going back like this won't cause a cold? Missing tomorrow's morning practice for this reason will earn a scolding from the teacher."

Willow hadn't brought an umbrella either.

Lifting her backpack over the top of her head, she rushed into the rain.

Having only run a few steps, a figure walked toward her.

The man held a black umbrella, his figure tall and slender, his meticulously sculpted face entirely filled with indifference and detachment.

But the moment he caught sight of her, he frowned in immediate worry.

His unhurried footsteps also accelerated quite a bit.

The sound of the rain and the voices of people beside her ear suddenly distanced themselves at this moment.

Willow froze on the spot, unable to move a single step further.

The last time he came to pick her up, she had merely felt he looked very handsome.

Looking at him again now.

Every part of his being was precisely at her aesthetic points.

He had simply grown right on her heartstrings.

The man arrived at her side very quickly.

She parted her lips: "Un..."

The remaining "cle" syllable was choked cleanly within her throat.

Difficult to utter.