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Chapter 209: Chapter 209: You’re So Mean

”Why didn’t you text me?”

Speaking of which, Ian Sterling was very unhappy. He grumbled, ”I waited for you to text me all day, but you were only thinking about Mrs. Sterling, not me.”

Lynn Winslow, however, said with a smile, ”But wasn’t your day quite full? You went to see Jasper Jennings, then Kenneth Keller, and you even went out with Nigel Abbott.”

”How did you know that?” Ian Sterling frowned.

Lynn turned to look at him, teasing him with a grin. ”I’m not telling.”

He had no idea that Lynn was in a group chat with his childhood friends, who had reported his entire afternoon’s schedule to her.

Ian Sterling pouted.

Lynn had driven to pick him up by herself. Since Ian had just had a few drinks, Lynn would be the one to drive them home.

Ian Sterling got into the passenger seat, a sweet warmth spreading through his heart as he watched Lynn drive.

Lynn glanced at him and asked, ”What are you so happy about?”

”Nothing.”

”Have you had dinner?”

”No.”

Lynn’s lips curved into a smile. ’How could I not know if he’s eaten or not?’ Jasper Jennings and the others had even told her exactly what Ian had eaten.

He had just eaten very little. Lynn said, ”Mrs. Sterling made us a ton of delicious food. I was waiting to eat with you.”

That one simple sentence was enough to placate Ian. He fought to hide his smug satisfaction and said nonchalantly, ”Then you should have come to get me sooner.”

”I was just thinking that it’s been a while since you’ve hung out with your friends.”

”You’re lying. You’re just trying to humor me. You obviously just now remembered me, otherwise you would’ve come for me sooner.” As he spoke about this, Ian felt even more wronged. ”Why else wouldn’t you text me?”

Lynn sighed helplessly. ”I’m really not lying. I wanted you to spend more time with them. You can’t just drop everything and only spend time with me once you’re in a relationship, right?”

”I want to be with you. I don’t want to hang out with them.” Ian didn’t care in the slightest what his friends thought of him. Their bond, forged since childhood, wasn’t so fragile that it would fade just because he wanted to spend all his time with his wife.

Lynn knew nothing she said would work. Taking advantage of a red light, she reached out and stroked Ian’s cheek, smiling. ”Alright, don’t be upset anymore. I promise I’ll text you more from now on.”

Ian grunted in acknowledgment, then turned and cupped Lynn’s face, planting a kiss on her lips.

He kissed her until the light turned green and the car behind them honked impatiently. Only then did Ian reluctantly let her go.

”I’m telling you, the netizens would flame you for being so reckless,” Lynn said, her lips slightly red and swollen from his kiss. She shot him a look, her eyes shimmering.

The rims of Ian’s eyes were moist and red. He huffed softly. ”Let them flame me. It’s their fault they don’t have a wife to kiss.”

”...” Lynn was speechless at his occasional rebellious streak. She started the car without another word.

When they arrived at Calyx Hall, Ian thought Mrs. Sterling would still be there, but the entire villa was empty except for two cats waiting by the elevator, meowing at them.

Lynn knew what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. She shot him a sideways glance and said, ”Mrs. Sterling knows you don’t like having other people in the house, so she’s already gone back to Amberly Bay.”

Ian let out a little ”Ah,” then wrapped his arms around Lynn with a grin. They ambled upstairs together, clinging to each other. ”Mrs. Sterling is the best,” he said as they walked.

”And yet you were jealous of her.”

”She’s great, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling like she’s stealing you from me.”

Lynn was speechless. Lynn said nothing. Lynn wanted to smack him.

They went upstairs, changed their clothes, and came back down for dinner.

Mrs. Sterling could cook much more than just plain noodles. Lynn had been a very picky eater as a child, even picky about chefs. Mrs. Sterling had gone so far as to get a chef’s certificate just for Lynn, all so she could take proper care of her.

”Want some wine?” Lynn asked, her eyes curving into crescents as she swirled the red wine in her glass.

Ian nodded. ”Yes!”

Lynn sat cross-legged across from him, sipping her wine and eating the food Ian placed on her plate.

”Grandpa said this afternoon that he’s going back to Morelia in a couple of days.”

Ian was taken aback for a moment, then said, ”He’s not waiting until after our engagement party?”

Lynn shook her head. ”He’s just more familiar with things over there. No matter how much fun he has here, it’s not home to him.”

”Alright,” Ian pursed his lips and thought for a moment before saying, ”In that case, let’s hold one party in Morelia and one in Veridia. That way, friends and family from both sides can attend. What do you think?”

Lynn said, ”Do we need to make such a big deal out of it? It’s not like we’re getting married.”

”Of course we do!” Ian began to lecture her at length. ”We absolutely can’t skip the one in Morelia. Besides the Winslow family’s close friends, you have your own childhood friends there. We have to let them know you have a fiancé.”

”And that’s not even mentioning Veridia. I’ve already talked to my parents. Just the guests the Sterling Family needs to invite could fill over a hundred tables, and that’s not even counting more distant relatives.”

”...” Lynn didn’t know what to say.

She just wanted something simple, not so grand. She hadn’t expected that Ian had already drawn up a guest list with his parents.

She really couldn’t object. Saying too much would make her seem unappreciative. After all, despite the Sterling family’s power and status, they had always been very low-key. Making such a huge spectacle this time was really to show everyone how much they valued her, their future daughter-in-law.

The next day, Lynn suggested they go to Aerie Garden. Ian, still groggy and half-asleep, was dragged out of bed by her.

”Why are we going so early? My parents probably aren’t even awake yet.”

Lynn frowned. ”Who visits their elders at noon? Get up. If you don’t get up right now, I’m going to get angry.”

Ian sat up in frustration and dragged his exhausted body into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Seeing that he still wasn’t fully awake, Lynn simply splashed some cold water on his face. Hearing him hiss, she asked with a grin, ”Awake now?”

”You’re so mean.”

”Good that you know. Now wake up, or don’t cry when I hit you.”

”Now you’re being even meaner.”

Lynn gave a couple of perfunctory ”uh-huhs,” then turned and walked out of the bathroom. She sat at her vanity to do her makeup. Once Ian was washed up and ready, he sat on the sofa, yawning, waiting for her. He even considered taking another nap.

”You’re not running out of steam, are you? You weren’t the one getting worn out last night, so how come you look even more tired than I do?”

Ian cracked his eyes open to look at her and said resignedly, ”All you had to do was lie there. I did all the work, so of course I’m tired.”

Lynn smiled sweetly and uttered a single word: ”Scram—”

Ian let out a muffled laugh. Then he heard Lynn continue, ”Fine. If you’re so tired, then we just won’t do it anymore. It’s not like I absolutely need it, anyway. It’ll save you the trouble of getting tired and then blaming me.”

Hearing this, Ian was wide awake in an instant. He shot up and hurried over to Lynn’s side, crouching down beside her and looking at her pitifully.