Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy Sherwood could only stomach a few bites before losing her appetite. Still, she put the leftovers away in the fridge; she could always reheat them tomorrow if she didn’t feel like cooking.

Ivy Sherwood felt a little better. Quentin Blackwood wanted her to lie down, but she couldn’t sleep.

”Quentin, since you’re here, there are a couple of questions I’d like to ask you.”

”Ask away.”

Quentin Blackwood wondered what kind of questions Ivy Sherwood would ask. Instead, she brought over two books, opened them, and placed them in front of him.

Her slender, pale fingers tapped on the page. ”I don’t quite understand these two sections. I’ve done some research, but I’m still a bit lost.”

She had originally planned to set the questions aside and find an expert to ask later, but since Quentin Blackwood was right here—a titan of the business world—it would be a crime not to ask.

Quentin Blackwood only needed a casual glance to see what was giving Ivy Sherwood trouble.

It was a technique not commonly used by market traders. He gave her a simple explanation, and understanding dawned on her almost immediately. ’Ah, so that’s how it works.’

Ivy Sherwood then asked about several other sections. She was extremely focused, jotting down notes in the margins as Quentin Blackwood spoke.

Quentin was sitting while she stood. To write, she had to lean over, and as she did, the top of her head brushed against his chin.

Quentin Blackwood caught the faint, subtle scent from her. Looking down, he could see Ivy Sherwood’s profile. Her face was small, her features delicate. Her lips were slightly pursed in concentration, an expression so earnest and focused that it was impossible to look away.

Seeing Ivy Sherwood so absorbed, he felt something stir in his heart.

”Like this?” After she finished writing, Ivy Sherwood looked up at Quentin Blackwood, her gaze meeting his before he had a chance to look away.

The connection felt like a jolt of electricity, making them both flinch.

Quentin Blackwood quickly averted his eyes. He tapped his fingers on the table, changing the subject. ”Right. Why are you reading these books?”

Ivy Sherwood didn’t dare to dwell on the moment. ”There’s no harm in reading a bit more,” she said. ”One can never learn too much.”

Besides, it was only after she started studying that she discovered the allure of finance.

”Go grab a chair and sit down,” Quentin Blackwood said.

Ivy Sherwood immediately pulled over a chair and sat down next to him.

The opportunity for a lesson from Professor Blackwood was rare. Finance was full of techniques, and Quentin Blackwood didn’t mind passing his knowledge on to Ivy Sherwood. The underlying principles were all quite similar; how she applied them, how she assessed situations, and how much she could absorb—that was up to her.

Quentin Blackwood also took up a pen, circling key concepts and jotting down important terms in the margin to give Ivy Sherwood a clearer understanding.

Ivy Sherwood stared intently at the words Quentin Blackwood wrote.

She pointed to a technical term. ”Could you write that one out for me again?”

Quentin Blackwood glanced over and wrote the phrase for her in the margin.

Ivy Sherwood’s eyes widened as she looked at the annotation. She grabbed the two books beside her. ”So all of these notes... you wrote them!”

Quentin Blackwood didn’t deny it. ”Yes.”

’His penmanship is exceptional,’ she thought, admiring its strong, principled feel. Every stroke was elegant, firm, and proper.

She had thought Zane Linton wrote them. She never would have guessed they were Quentin Blackwood’s.

’So Quentin had read this book before. He really knows so much.’

Ivy Sherwood chewed on the end of her pen as she listened to Professor Blackwood’s lecture. His explanations were much better than just reading the book; he would bring up case studies and relate them to current events.

Time flew by without them noticing. Ivy Sherwood was still completely engrossed when Quentin Blackwood shut his laptop and closed the book.

”Oh, are we done?”

”It’s eight o’clock. You need to rest.”

Ivy Sherwood finally checked the time. ’Is it eight already? Where did the time go?’

The time really had flown by. She thought it was still early, but Quentin Blackwood stood up, looking as if he were about to leave.

”Are you leaving?” Her eyes were still just as bright.

But to Quentin Blackwood, her eyes seemed to be saying, ’Don’t go.’

His heart skipped a beat, and Quentin Blackwood’s feet froze in place. ”Go lie down.”

”Then I won’t see you out. Thank you for today.”

’Thank you for coming, Quentin.’ She was very happy he had.

Ivy Sherwood went back to her bedroom and lay down on the bed. With only a single bedside lamp on, the room was dimly lit. She couldn’t really fall asleep.

’Quentin is still in the living room. He must be about to leave. I feel bad for taking up his entire afternoon.’

Just as Ivy Sherwood pushed herself up, about to grab her book for another look, the bedroom door unexpectedly swung open.

Quentin Blackwood walked in carrying a glass of water. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms with clearly visible veins. The Buddha Beads on his wrist were smooth and dark.

In his other hand, he held a packet of medicine. It seemed he had just gone to get it for her.

Ivy Sherwood blinked, making sure she wasn’t seeing things or dreaming.

”I thought you were leaving?”

Quentin Blackwood brought the medicine over. ”Take this.”

Ivy Sherwood took the pill, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it with a sip of water, tilting her head back.

Silhouetted against the light, Quentin Blackwood’s frame seemed to be edged in a golden glow. His usual sharp aura was gone, and his eyes, as dark and rich as ink, were impossibly gentle.

”Go to sleep. I’ll leave after you’ve drifted off.”

The man’s inky-black eyes seemed to cast a vast net, its thousands of threads seeping into every part of her, binding her tightly. The lamplight overhead suddenly felt scorching hot, as if she’d been plunged into a boiling abyss, being consumed bit by bit.

In that moment, Ivy Sherwood heard the sound of her own heart skipping a beat.

A flurry of panic rose within her. No longer daring to look at the man before her, Ivy Sherwood pulled the blanket over her head.

”I’m going to sleep then...” Her voice was muffled by the blanket.

Under the covers, her eyes were wide open, her heart thumping violently against her ribs like a clap of thunder.

’You can’t,’ she told herself, but some feelings were impossible to control.

’No wonder all those women like him so much.’ Before, Ivy Sherwood had never understood it, but now, she thought she finally did. Because Quentin Blackwood was just so good. So, so good.

Though her mind was a complete mess, it wasn’t long before drowsiness washed over her.

She wasn’t sure if the medicine had a sedative effect, but Ivy Sherwood’s consciousness gradually blurred, and finally, she drifted off to sleep.

Quentin Blackwood gently pulled the blanket down from Ivy Sherwood’s face so she could breathe more easily, then turned off the bedside lamp.

When Ivy Sherwood woke again, it was the middle of the night.

The room was empty. Quentin Blackwood was gone.

Now she was truly wide awake. She sat up, her mind filled with images of Quentin Blackwood.

She took out her phone and opened her photo gallery. She didn’t have many pictures; she wasn’t in the habit of taking selfies or photos of scenery. The gallery was mostly filled with pictures of important contracts and documents.

So, a single photo that was completely out of place stood out immediately.

Ivy Sherwood’s finger tapped the screen, and the photo opened.

It was the face of a man sleeping. The man in the photo had deep-set features, his eyes closed as if he were sound asleep.

It was a photo she had secretly taken at the airport last time, while Quentin Blackwood was asleep. Ivy Sherwood didn’t know why she opened it, but looking at him made her heart feel a little ticklish, as if a kitten were pawing at it. It also made her feel a little happy, a little... sweet!