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Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Why Does a Man Have to Be So Handsome?

Lynn Winslow was getting sick of his incessant rambling and warned, ”If you keep it up, I really won’t forgive you.”

Ian Sterling fell silent at once. He nuzzled the back of her neck. Lynn Winslow sighed, rolled over, and buried herself in his embrace, patting his back.

”Go to sleep.”

Ian Sterling tightened his arms, completely content. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of satisfaction, his senses filled with her fragrance—a scent that brought him peace and fulfillment.

The next morning, Ian Sterling woke up early, concerned about Lynn Winslow. After carefully applying some ointment for her, he rubbed his lower back, which was aching again from his... exertions the night before. He then slipped back into bed and pulled Lynn into his arms.

The two of them slept until nearly noon, only to be woken by a call from Joel Winslow.

Ian Sterling grabbed the phone, answered it, and held it to the ear of a still groggy, sleepy-eyed Lynn Winslow. Joel Winslow’s voice drifted faintly from the receiver.

”Sis, when are you guys coming over? Grandpa’s getting a little upset.”

Lynn Winslow looked up at Ian Sterling, who was kneeling before her in an awkward position to hold the phone. The corners of her lips curved up. Deciding not to hold last night against him, she squeezed his wrist and said to Joel Winslow, ”Right away. We can be there in an hour.”

When it came to seeing her grandfather, Lynn Winslow wasn’t particularly concerned with her appearance. Ian Sterling, on the other hand, seemed to be trying on an endless succession of outfits.

Leaning against the headboard, Lynn Winslow rubbed her aching back and legs while acting as a consultant for Ian Sterling, helping him decide which outfit looked best.

Ian Sterling was immensely grateful he had packed several outfits. Otherwise, with the meeting with Lynn Winslow’s grandfather looming, he wouldn’t have had any time to go shopping.

In the end, the outfit he settled on was the very first one he’d tried on.

A loose-fitting white shirt and black trousers. The loose cut of the shirt offered a faint glimpse of his collarbones and well-defined chest.

Lynn Winslow stared at him, once again dazzled by the sight of his face. She beckoned to Ian Sterling, and when he drew near, she sat up and pinched his cheeks hard, her tone tinged with a hint of jealousy.

”What’s a grown man like you doing being so handsome for?”

Ian Sterling couldn’t help but laugh. He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek and coaxed softly, ”Let me carry you to wash up, and then I’ll help you get dressed, all right?”

Lynn Winslow moved her legs; they were still incredibly sore. With no other choice, she held out her arms for him to carry her.

The button on the white shirt Lynn Winslow had worn to the airport the previous night had been torn off, thanks to Ian Sterling’s lack of gentleness. Emerging from the shower in a bathrobe, Lynn stared at her clothes and took a deep, frustrated breath.

’Why is the quality of these custom-designed clothes so bad!’

Ian Sterling looked a little guilty. After a glance at the time, he could only suggest cautiously, ”How about... you make do with one of my shirts for now?”

Lynn Winslow shot him a sideways glance. It was her only option; they were running out of time. Thankfully, her shorts were still perfectly fine.

Ian Sterling only appeared tall and lean; in reality, he had low body fat and was all lean muscle, complete with pecs, abs, and V-lines. On Lynn Winslow, who was considerably shorter and slimmer, the shirt looked like a child had stolen an adult’s clothing.

Lynn Winslow had to tie a knot at the hem and roll up the sleeves several times for it to fit even remotely well. The overall effect was unconventionally attractive—at least to Ian Sterling, who felt thoroughly seduced. As they got into the car sent by the Winslow family, he was still staring downward, pondering how to coax Lynn into wearing his clothes more often.

”What’s on your mind?” Lynn Winslow glanced at him several times. Seeing him lost in thought, she assumed he was nervous.

Ian Sterling shook his head and laced his fingers through Lynn Winslow’s.

Upon arriving at Winslow Manor, Ian Sterling looked up, his eyes taking in the massive, European-style castle before him. He raised an eyebrow.

Aerie Garden and Winslow Manor were actually comparable in size, but Nina Norton’s preference for French architecture created a considerable difference in their appearance.

Elder Winslow was sitting in the garden at that moment, with Joel Winslow seated across from him, trying to coax him into a better mood. Joel’s efforts had almost succeeded, but Elder Winslow’s face turned cold again when he saw Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling approaching, hand in hand.

Elder Winslow sized up Ian Sterling, his gaze falling first on their matching hair color, then on the shirt Lynn was wearing—which was clearly different from the one she’d had on when she left the day before. He snorted coldly.

”Grandpa, this is Ian Sterling. He’s my boyfriend.” Lynn Winslow ignored Elder Winslow’s childishly petulant expression and pulled Ian Sterling to a stop in front of them.

”Yes, I’m not so old that I can’t see. I know he’s your boyfriend.” Elder Winslow shot a sideways glance at Ian Sterling, but after catching Lynn Winslow’s obviously displeased expression, he had no choice but to straighten his posture, finally adopting the air of a proper elder.

Ian Sterling was nervous, but he offered a small smile and a slight bow. ”Mr. Winslow, hello. I’m Ian Sterling, Lynn’s boyfriend.”

”I know,” Elder Winslow started, about to retort, but he stopped when he heard Lynn Winslow clear her throat. Swallowing the words that were on the tip of his tongue, he said coolly, ”Sit down. A visitor is a visitor. It won’t do to just have you standing there.”

Lynn Winslow led Ian Sterling to sit on Elder Winslow’s left. The moment they sat down, Elder Winslow leaned in and demanded in a hushed voice, ”What’s the deal with your clothes!”

”It got snagged on a doorknob at the hotel yesterday and the button broke.” Lynn Winslow had her excuse ready. She looked toward the butler and said, ”Remind me to contact the designer. Why was it so fragile? The button ripped right off with a simple snag.”

The butler suppressed a laugh and gave a murmur of assent. Elder Winslow was left speechless by her dead-serious explanation; now he had no grounds to pick a fight.

Joel Winslow took the initiative to stand and pour Ian Sterling some tea. He said with a smile, ”Finn, have some tea. This is what my sister won at an auction in Veridia three years ago and had sent over. Grandpa is quite fond of it.”

He deliberately mentioned ”three years ago” to remind Elder Winslow not to get sidetracked by Lynn’s glib excuses. As expected, the moment the words left his mouth, Lynn shot him a glare.

Elder Winslow was thus reminded of his primary objective. His severe gaze passed over Lynn to fix on Ian Sterling as he said coldly, ”Mr. Sterling, I heard my precious granddaughter caused you a great deal of trouble when she first arrived in Veridia. For that, I’ll apologize to you first. However, you rejected my precious granddaughter back then. Why do you want to be with my precious granddaughter now?”

Lynn Winslow found his tone overly accusatory. She frowned and said, ”Grandpa, what are you doing?”

Ian Sterling gave Lynn Winslow’s palm a reassuring squeeze before standing up to face Elder Winslow. ”Mr. Winslow, I know you must be angry. I came here this time not only to find Lynn, but also to explain the situation to you.”

”Lynn came to Quartos to find me, but deep down, I was afraid she would abandon me just like she did three years ago. That’s why I kept rejecting her, and in doing so, I hurt her.”

”I couldn’t forget her, either. When Lynn told me she wasn’t going to come looking for me anymore, I was finally forced to confront my own heart and realize what a coward I had been.”

”I wanted to reconcile from the very moment she came back. I was wrong to hurt Lynn because of my own pride and insecurities.”

Elder Winslow looked up at him. After a long moment, he averted his gaze, his tone a few degrees warmer than before. ”Sit down. You’re too tall; it’s tiring for me to crane my neck to look at you. Don’t you know how to be considerate of an old man?”