Chapter 32: Calling Her Name

"Relax."

Julian Kingston uttered those two words as he pulled the tape measure taut and pressed it against her shoulder.

After confirming the length, he jotted down the numbers on the form beside him.

Next was the bust.

Willow Avery extended her arms, her posture rigid. She closed her eyes, not daring to look at Julian in front of her.

In the darkness, her senses were magnified.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely.

The pressure of the soft tape was incredibly light as it brushed against her thin clothing.

With the slightest movement, her entire body trembled.

She bit her lip in discomfort. "Are you done?"

The man didn't respond.

Countless messy thoughts flooded Willow’s mind.

Foremost among them was the fact that he had consumed so many supplements; now that the two of them were engaged in such an intimate act, surely he wouldn't... turn into a ravenous wolf, would he?

After all, he had been quite intense before.

But no, they couldn't.

The panic in her heart forced her to open her eyes.

The man had already moved behind her. He seemed to be standing very close; she could smell the scent of his body with total clarity.

"Uncle Julian," she chose her words carefully, "don't let your mind wander too much."

"What?"

Julian’s attention was entirely on the tape measure.

Afraid the girl would be shy, he had specifically moved to stand behind her.

However, he wasn't sure if the measurement was inaccurate, but it was 0.5 centimeters more than the size she had filled in herself last time.

Willow felt mortified. How was she supposed to explain this to her uncle?

But if she didn't make it clear, in case an accident happened...

"I mean," her almond eyes remained lowered, a pink hue rising in her cheeks, "don't have those... colorful thoughts."

Julian didn't look at internet slang much, but Adrian Cross was constantly droning on about it beside him.

So, he understood what she meant.

He calmly retracted the tape measure and spoke: "I am having no physiological reaction. Stop making wild conjectures."

Hearing this, Willow instinctively turned around, her gaze landing accurately on the man's lower half.

He was wearing loose-fitting sweatpants.

It really seemed like there was nothing.

Had she been wrong?

Being stared at directly by her, an unusual surge moved within Julian’s body.

If this continued, his secret would be exposed.

He deliberately made his voice cold: "Seen enough?"

"I couldn't tell yet..."

Halfway through her sentence, Willow stopped abruptly, waving her hands in a frantic explanation: "I mean, Uncle Julian is perfectly normal. It was my own petty mind."

For some reason, whenever she got close to him, her thoughts always drifted in that direction.

Perhaps it was her own mind... that wasn't "pure."

"Continue?" Julian asked her, and she nodded quickly.

The measurements for the rest of her body went very fast; they were basically the same as her previous sizes.

Once finished, Julian handed her the measurement chart.

Willow looked at the bust column, her almond eyes showing frustration.

She had gotten bigger again.

She usually wore chest binders; if she got any larger, it would affect her dance posture and elegance.

Julian stood to the side, watching the girl sighing at her own chest.

The clothes she wore were extremely form-fitting, outlining her perfect head-to-body ratio.

And her soft, straight legs.

Certain images he had deliberately suppressed deep in his mind surged up uninvited.

The way she had seduced him...

His nose felt a sudden heat. Julian frowned and turned away.

He really couldn't drink that tonic soup anymore.

If he kept drinking it, he would truly suffer from bottled-up frustration.

"Uncle Julian," Willow noticed his movement and asked with concern, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Julian answered curtly, wanting to go to the bathroom to deal with his nose.

Perhaps the visual impact she gave him was too strong; it was bleeding much more than it had at the hospital.

It showed no sign of stopping.

Willow sensed that Julian’s mood was off.

Could he be angry with her?

"Uncle Julian," she asked tentatively, "is it because I looked at your... private matters just now?"

Julian: "..."

The girl was wonderful in every way except one.

With that pure and innocent face, she was recklessly provocative.

"I’m going to take a shower."

Leaving behind those words, he turned and entered the bathroom.

Willow stood in place, somewhat puzzled.

What exactly did her uncle mean?

Did he mind, or did he not?

After thinking aimlessly for a while, Willow remembered the designer was still waiting outside.

She grabbed the chart and hurried out. As she passed the bathroom, she vaguely heard the man's voice.

He seemed to be... calling her name.

A hallucination. It must be a hallucination, she comforted herself.

She hadn't really offended her uncle that much; he surely wouldn't be gritting his teeth in anger at her like that.

...

It wasn't until Willow went to class that she realized many people had ordered custom costumes.

Although it was the school anniversary, it wasn't a strictly formal occasion.

Additionally, the school had always had students from wealthy families; as long as the overall effect wasn't compromised, the faculty tended to turn a blind eye.

"I'm just allergic to those low-quality materials," Luna Hayes said as she toyed with her custom dance costume. "You can all get custom ones made, as long as they are identical to the batch the school rented."

"Luna, this fabric looks so expensive. It must have cost a fortune, right?"

"It was alright," Luna smiled. "One hundred and twenty thousand."

A collective gasp went up in the classroom.

Luna came from a well-off family, so she was long used to this. she explained, "It's because the Suzhou embroidery on the skirt is expensive. My dad specifically found the most famous group of embroiderers in Jiangnan to do it."

She added considerately, "You don't need to worry about me stealing the spotlight. Once the stage lights are on, you won't be able to tell the difference."

Turning to see Willow arrive, she beckoned her over. "Willow, do you want me to help you order one? Your hometown is in Riverford; you probably don't know many designers in the city, right?"

"Thank you, Luna, but Uncle Julian has already helped me with it."

Willow had been feeling quite apprehensive about the custom dress, but seeing everyone else doing the same, she felt at ease.

"Luna, Willow has a good family background; she doesn't need your help. Why don't you give us some relief instead?"

A group of girls laughed and joked: "We don't need six figures, just a few thousand is fine."

It was all meant as a joke, but Luna accepted without hesitation.

"We're all classmates. I'll cover all the dance costumes this time. I'll call my dad to contact his people."

"Wow, thank you, Luna!"

The classroom was filled with cheers.

Training soon began.

Three weeks passed. Willow was the best dancer in the class.

A well-deserved center position.

The teacher was also exceptionally satisfied with her.

In the blink of an eye, the school anniversary arrived.