CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 169: OH NO! BLAKE SINCLAIR GOT CALLED "UNCLE"?

After the lecture ended, Blake Sinclair politely declined the reception from the academy leaders and followed the location Holly Crowe sent him, heading to the library.

He didn’t expect that as soon as he arrived, he would see Holly being asked for her WeChat contact.

Jealousy surged in his heart, and he quickly stepped forward, discreetly positioning himself between them, blocking the boy’s view of her.

The boy didn’t recognize Blake Sinclair, but was intimidated by his naturally commanding presence, instinctively shrinking back a bit.

However, the boy’s pride wouldn’t allow him to back down in front of the girl he liked.

He straightened his neck and stood tall, trying to act calm: "Mister, who are you?"

Mister?!

Holly stood behind Blake Sinclair, seeing his shoulders shake slightly.

She quickly pressed her lips together, afraid she would burst into laughter.

Blake Sinclair felt a cold arrow pierce his heart over the age difference.

He looked down at the boy in front of him, around twenty years old.

Young, not lacking in looks.

And possessing the youthful spirit unique to his age.

He squinted slightly, his tone calm yet naturally imposing: "Which department are you in?"

Holly felt her heart skip a beat.

Uh-oh, this isn’t good.

But the boy had already blurted out: "Computer Science, junior year. Mister, where are you from?"

Oh dear, oh dear.

Disaster.

Holly didn’t even need to see Blake Sinclair’s face; just looking at his tensed back, she knew the jealousy was overflowing.

Around them, quite a few students had gathered, and some had even started taking pictures with their phones. Holly quickly stepped forward to ease the situation.

Holly proactively took Blake Sinclair’s hand, politely smiling: "Classmate, I’ve already graduated. This is my husband, we’re already married."

As she spoke, she raised her and Blake Sinclair’s interlocked hands, the wedding ring on her ring finger glinting in the sunlight.

Just a single moment, yet very striking.

The blush on the boy’s face instantly faded, leaving only disappointment, like a little puppy drenched in the rain.

He opened his mouth, his gaze shifting from their clasped hands to the man’s face, and finally just said "I’m sorry," before turning and running away.

The intense atmosphere around Blake Sinclair eased a little, and he held Holly’s hand a bit tighter.

There were quite a few people watching by now, and seeing someone taking pictures, Holly quickly pulled him towards a side path.

They ran along the stone path beside the library, the wind blowing past their ears.

The water cypress trees on both sides grew taller, their green shadows intertwined, and dappled light and shadow fell on their running footsteps.

Sage’s Lake lay at the end of the cypress grove, its emerald green waters rippling, and the wooden walkway by the lake creaked underfoot.

Holly pulled Blake Sinclair, running all the way to the middle of the walkway before stopping.

She bent over, hands on her knees, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Blake Sinclair stood beside her, his breathing still steady.

He reached out to pat her back, helping her catch her breath, his gaze falling on her flushed face, full of laughter.

Just a moment ago, while running, the wind lifted her hair tips, sunlight danced on her, a scene identical to countless dreams he had.

Just a moment ago, he stood on the podium, and amid the crowd, he spotted her at a glance.

Today, she wore a blue shirt, a dark gray tie at the collar, and a gray ankle-length pleated skirt matching the tie’s color for her bottom half.

She had braided her long hair into a fishtail braid, draped over one shoulder.

She wore a mask, her bent eyes the only part visible, carefully searching for a seat among the gaps in the back rows.

It seemed like she searched for quite a while before finding a small spot between two girls.

After realizing he had noticed her, she didn’t panic, playfully winking at him.

At that moment, Blake Sinclair felt a bit dazed.

The lights in the lecture hall seemed to soften, and the surrounding noise gradually faded away.

The Holly in front of him started to overlap with the girl from the freshman orientation ceremony.

That year, to make it to her freshman orientation, he started planning half a month in advance.

But as the departure date approached, the scheduled flight was unable to take off on time due to bad weather.

Amidst the typhoon, he drove from Eldoria Airport to Stenwick Airport, and experienced a layover in Vexburg.

The flight, originally scheduled for eleven hours, was delayed by a typhoon, and he arrived nine hours later than planned.

Fortunately, he made it just in time.

The freshman ceremony was nearing its end, with thousands of new students writing their hopes for the future on the Wall of Wishes in batches.

The crowd was teeming, the noise overwhelming.

In that sea of youth, he spotted her immediately.

The girl on tiptoe, carefully writing her wish at the highest point on the Wall of Wishes, stroke by stroke.

Sunlight shone upon her as she wore almost the identical shirt and pleated skirt as today. After finishing, she linked arms with the female classmate beside her, smiling with eyes that formed crescent moons.

At that time, she stood before the Wall of Wishes, while he lingered on the outskirts of the crowd, silently gazing at her back.

Later, he approached and, upon seeing the "See you in Corinium" she wrote on the new student Wall of Wishes, bought an apartment on the street next to the Royal Academy.

Throughout the long wait, he always hoped that one day, they might have a chance encounter at some street corner.

Yet until he returned home, they never managed to meet on a foreign street.

Today, the roles are reversed.

He was on stage, she hidden among the crowd.

But this time, their eyes connected through the crowd, leaving only each other.

Blake Sinclair looked down at their clasped hands, his eyes filled with an indelible tenderness.

Holly Crowe bent over for a while, then looked up to find Blake Sinclair staring at her, enthralled.

"How come you’re not out of breath at all? It’s like I’m the thirty-year-old here!"

As soon as she said this, Blake Sinclair’s eyes narrowed dangerously behind his glasses: "Hmm?"

Holly immediately changed her tone, smiling flatteringly: "I’m complimenting you! Praising how your daily workouts have shown results, praising your abs and endurance!"

Blake Sinclair chuckled, leaned closer.

He reached out to tidy her loose strands of hair, speaking in a lower tone: "My endurance, Holly knows very well. Since you admire me, how about considering joining me for workouts in the future?"

Holly quickly waved her hands: "No, no, I think it’s great as it is now, healthy!"

The two walked slowly along the lakeside path.

The shadows of the bald cypress trees stretched long on the boardwalk, the lake was calm, rippling only when teased by the wind.

They reached the middle, The Lakeheart Pavilion, and Holly pulled him to sit down.

"I never realized before; Beldon University has such a secluded place," Blake Sinclair remarked, looking at the cypress grove.

"Of course you didn’t," Holly pointed to the surrounding wooden path, introducing with a bit of pride,

"This used to be the secret meeting spot for couples at school! The environment is secluded, and the boardwalk leads to the teaching building, library, and dining hall, just that there are too many mosquitoes in summer, every visit required half a bottle of floral water..."

As she spoke, her voice gradually quieted, until it faded away completely, her little mouth closing up.

Holly turned silently and moved a step away, but soon after felt a chill on the back of her neck.

A pair of hands pressed lightly down, and Blake Sinclair’s voice sounded in her ear, teasingly, with a hint of danger, "Seems like Holly was a frequent visitor here too?"

Holly shrank her neck, turning in circles on the spot to avoid his hands.

She faced him, giving an innocent smile, explaining dryly, "Hahaha, no, no! I heard this from others as well! If it weren’t for coming here today, I’d nearly forgotten this place even existed at school! Hahaha, hahahaha..."

But soon, her awkward laughter faded under Blake Sinclair’s increasingly profound gaze.

Holly unconsciously moved half a step back, just reaching the pavilion’s railing, only to be scooped back by him, forced to lean into him.

He lowered his head slowly, lightly brushing against her nose, their warm breaths intermingling.

"Should I help you, remember properly?"

Before the words had left his mouth, his lips descended, sealing all explanations and evasions within that kiss.

This kiss carried a tinge of punishment, but mostly irresistible tenderness.

Eventually, Holly felt her legs go weak, barely able to stand.

Blake Sinclair naturally lifted her up, sitting on the bench in the pavilion, letting her sit on his lap, deepening the kiss.

Not until both were breathless, did he finally pull away.

Holly’s fishtail braid had become somewhat loose, strands lazily hanging by her ears, as she leaned in his arms, slightly panting, cheeks flushed.

"Holly," Blake Sinclair’s finger softly caressed her chin, his voice commanding, "from now on, only our memories belong here."

As if declaring his sovereignty, he again lifted her chin, bowing to lightly peck at her lips, once, then again.

This kind of kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water, that feels both near and far, was more captivating.

Holly was tickled and teased by him, heart itching. She took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, responding to his passion.