CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 65: LIGHTS OFF, TIME FOR PAYMENT

Holly was filled with curiosity, her mind completely occupied with how Blake Sinclair managed to do it.

She was completely unaware of how intimate their current position was, her whole body almost pressing against him.

Blake Sinclair lowered his gaze to look at the person close by, his eyes darkening behind his glasses.

He pretended to ponder mysteriously, with a slightly teasing tone, "Want to know?"

Holly nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.

He grabbed her wrist and led her to sit by the bed, "So what will Madam exchange for it?"

"Exchange?" Holly was confused.

She looked up at the playful glint in his eyes, silently marveling at how Blake Sinclair had learned to bargain.

"What do you want?" She squinted her eyes suspiciously.

Blake’s gaze drifted nonchalantly around the bedroom; the basic setups, from the curtains to the decor, felt very homey, the room was very clean without any dust, obviously often cleaned.

He withdrew his gaze, gently tapping her hand, "For example... a little secret Madam has kept for over a decade."

Holly folded her arms and shrank back slightly.

Blake was amused by her gesture, poking her thigh, "What are you thinking! Mom just told me some stories about you when you were young and mentioned you have a photo album here? I’d like to see it."

"Just that?" Holly raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of him being so easily satisfied.

"Otherwise... something else?" he intentionally dragged out his words.

"No!" Holly quickly pressed down his hand and ran to the bookshelf, "A photo album it is, I’ll get it for you!"

Watching her bend over to rummage through the cabinet, warmth nearly overflowed from Blake’s eyes.

Holly soon found the album, encased in a transparent hard shell, well protected.

"There aren’t many photos actually, all taken by my dad with his old camera."

Blake took the album, his fingers gently stroking the cover, as if touching a treasure.

He opened to the first page, slowly started looking through it.

Holly followed along, and when she saw the photo of her being held by her grandmother standing under The Myrica Tree, she embarrassingly covered it with her hand.

In the photo, she had two pigtail braids, her cheeks sunburned dark.

"That, when I was young... I was a bit wild, often running under the sun in Port Kallow, so I got a little tanned."

Blake removed her hand, "Quite adorable."

"Only three years old, what can you see." Holly murmured, blushing, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

Blake flipped through the pages one by one.

Then there were photos of her at five years old.

She lay on an old wicker chair under The Myrica Tree, a small stool in front of her with sliced watermelon, shoveling with a spoon, smiling carelessly.

The five-year-old her had started to grow into her features, her face not as dark, showing some resemblance to her current self.

Blake’s fingertip lingered on the photo for a long time, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

"There aren’t many photos of me at five, my mom said my dad’s camera was broken then, many photos were lost."

"Eh?"

Holly pointed at a photo in the album with confusion.

It was a Polaroid, the edges of the photo paper already yellowed but much clearer than the other photos.

In the photo, the little girl lay asleep on a wooden table, with a stack of math papers underneath her arms.

Holly picked up the photo, full of surprise, "Polaroids were expensive back then, who took it for me?"

She laughed at the photo for a long time, "Look at my sleeping posture, it’s so embarrassing... Must have been an older neighbor sibling who took it, I often hung around the neighbor’s houses then."

Blake "hmm-ed" in a low voice, sounding particularly gruff.

He looked at the photo of the little girl frowning in her sleep, his heart racing.

Behind the photos were mostly of Holly’s kindergarten, primary, and middle school graduation pictures or on-stage performance photos, feeling like her embarrassing past was being completely uncovered, yet Blake watched with great interest.

The photo album was soon finished, and Holly finally couldn’t hold back, leaning forward in front of him, "So now can you tell me?"

Blake just pulled himself away from his memories, looking at her with eyes as deep as a whirlpool, restraining the surging in his heart.

He flipped back the album, pulling out that Polaroid of her sleeping on the desk, "Exchange for this?"

Holly, although not understanding why he chose this photo, nodded, "Okay."

Blake looked at the photo, then suddenly leaned in, whispered into her ear, "I donated a library to Port Kallow Elementary."

Holly: "..."

She was stunned.

She had considered countless possibilities but hadn’t thought of this reason.

So simple, direct, and blunt?

So this is the power of money? Can investing solve everything?

But after all, it’s a library, which can be understood.

Holly was still slowly digesting, inadvertently looking up to see the mischievous smile in Blake’s eyes.

She immediately reacted, pointing at him, "You lied to me!"

Blake chuckled, catching her hand, "I will never lie to you. The library is real, but my parents agreed for more than one reason."

"What else?" Holly asked, full of curiosity.

Blake pulled her into his arms, pinching her fingers, "Equivalent exchange, there’s one more thing to swap."

Holly pursed her lips, "What more do you want? Want to see my college photos? Or..."

She was speaking when she felt the arms around her waist suddenly tighten.

Blake’s voice was husky, "This round I’m upping the stakes."

The warm breath brushed against her ear, he leaned in.

Hearing his words, Holly’s face instantly turned red, stammering, "You... you don’t mess around...."

Blake looked at her fully flushed face, speaking solemnly, "Then tonight, Madam will have to handle it personally."

Holly: "...."

Indeed, you capitalists are naturally cunning.

Port Kallow was far from the city, they had agreed beforehand to stay at the family home for a night.

That night, Holly just finished her bath and came out to see Blake sitting at the desk texting, wearing matching couple pajamas, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, exuding restraint and sophistication.

Hearing the sound, he lifted his gaze, casually taking off his glasses, the smile in his eyes uncontrollable.

Holly dared not look at him, ducked her head, lifted the blanket, and got into bed, laying down with her back to him, starting to scroll on her phone.

Blake chuckled lightly, after a while, he also lifted the blanket and got into bed.

He leaned back against the headboard, kept on looking at his phone, seeming in no rush at all.

The sound of fingers tapping on the keyboard was particularly clear in the quiet room.

As time ticked by, the little bunny next to him, lured by curiosity, finally couldn’t resist, quietly turned over, and, with a restless finger, gently poked his arm, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Turn off the light...."

With a "click," the light went out.

Darkness enveloped the room.

Blake caught the retreating hand, his voice laced with a sense of victory, "Now it’s time for me to collect my reward...."

The night couldn’t hide the slowly warming passion and heat in the air.

Who knows who leaned in first, the moment lips met, a spark ignited.

"Mm.. Holly..."

The room was intermittently filled with restrained whispers.

Outside the window, clusters of osmanthus blossoms quietly bloomed under the moonlight.

Their fragrance drifted through the cracks, entwining with the breaths at their noses.