Chapter 885
Aaron stood in the doorway, dressed in a sleek black silk pajama set. His freshly showered hair, slightly tousled, softened his usual sharp appearance, and a pair of rimless glasses perched elegantly on his high nose bridge gave him an air of refined sophistication. Lena had always known her uncle was handsome, but at that moment, he seemed almost impossibly so. The sight stirred an impulsive, fleeting thought in her—an inexplicable urge to claim him as her own. The notion passed as quickly as it came, leaving her cheeks flushed red. She hurriedly lowered her gaze, avoiding both his eyes and her own wandering thoughts.
“I saw your light was still on. Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Aaron’s voice was soft and slightly husky, magnetic and soothing in the stillness of the night.
“Can’t sleep,” Lena replied as she stepped out of her bedroom and made her way to the living room sofa. He followed her without prying further, though she explained on her own. “I have surgery tomorrow—a procedure on a fetus in utero.”
Aaron nodded, already aware of her schedule. At the tea station, he opened a tea tin, his elegant fingers selecting a few leaves and placing them in the pot. “Nervous?”
“Not really, but I’m still worried,” Lena admitted, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a stuffed bear under her chin. As the sound of water boiling filled the room, Lena turned her gaze toward him. “Uncle, do you like children?”
He pressed the button on the tea kettle and replied flatly, “Not really. They’re too noisy.”
“Not at all! Little kids are soft and cuddly—they’re adorable,” Lena said with enthusiasm, her experience delivering countless babies evident in her tone.
“Were you not noisy when you were little?” Aaron countered, pinning the blame squarely on her.
So, she was the reason he didn’t like kids. Lena chuckled softly. “Did I leave you traumatized…or something?”
“Almost. I used up all my patience soothing you when you were little. That’s probably why I don’t like kids now,” Aaron said as the water in the pot came to a boil, releasing the fragrant aroma of tea into the air.
“Aaron Ace, can you not blame me for everything?” Lena retorted boldly, using his full name.
He smiled faintly, focusing on the tea as if her words amused him. Lena’s eyes were inevitably drawn to him again. She started by watching the tea, but her gaze wandered to his profile—the fluid movements of his hands, the calm focus on his face. Somehow, even making tea seemed elegant and captivating. If he weren’t her uncle, she thought, she might not have been able to resist pursuing him.
As she stared, lost in thought, Aaron suddenly turned his head. Their eyes met, and she froze, feeling caught. Flustered, she quickly used her stuffed bear to shield her face. He noticed her small gesture and couldn’t suppress a smile. “Go to the fridge and grab a carton of milk.”
“Right.” She obediently got up, retrieved the milk, and handed it to him. Aaron added the milk to the tea, and the sweet aroma of milk tea filled the room.
Homemade milk tea. Was there anything he couldn’t do?
“Uncle, you’re way too talented,” Lena said, her admiration genuine.
He didn’t downplay it. “There’s more where that came from.”
Lena burst into laughter. “Uncle, I never realized how narcissistic you are!”
“Mocking me now?” Aaron reached out and lightly tapped her on the forehead.
“Uncle, you hit me again! If you keep doing that, I won’t introduce you to any girlfriends!” Lena teased, suddenly recalling the new pediatrician at the hospital.
“You’re really planning to set me up?” Aaron’s gaze lifted abruptly, his eyes carrying a chill that sent a shiver down Lena’s spine. Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened. “It’s Grandma and the others who asked me to, not me.”
“And what about you?” Aaron asked, his tone calm but probing. “Do you want me to find a girlfriend?”