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Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Was It Really That Hard to Endure?

Ian Sterling sat across from her, looking at her with confusion.

”What do you want to talk about?”

Lynn Winslow cupped her face. ”Why do you say that?”

Ian Sterling had an ’I see right through you’ expression on his face as he poured himself a glass of wine.

”You either want to talk to me, or you want to avoid going back to the room with me.”

He lifted his gaze. ”Pick one.”

Lynn Winslow sighed. ’He always gets so aggressive at times like this.’

”It’s nothing important. I just wanted to ask if anything I don’t know about happened between you and Mia Rhodes during the years I was away.”

Although she knew the general direction of the plot, she was unaware of some of the details.

Ian Sterling lowered his gaze and thought about it seriously before saying, ”Nothing much. I just asked her for a photo of you once, and I gave her a business opportunity once.”

Lynn Winslow paused, then continued, ”And?”

”And?” Ian Sterling frowned. ”That’s it. Your cousin always brought her to the banquets. I don’t even know her well. If she wasn’t your cousin, I wouldn’t have even exchanged a single word with her.”

”I see.” Lynn Winslow looked down, recalling the plot. ’Somehow, I feel like it wasn’t that simple in the original book.’

”What’s wrong? You didn’t see or hear some baseless rumor again, did you?” Seeing her grave expression, Ian Sterling got up and sat next to Lynn Winslow. He turned her body to face him and looked at her seriously. ”There really was nothing else. You can’t just believe any old gossip.”

Lynn Winslow rolled her eyes, speechless. ”I’m just thinking,” she said, enunciating every word. ”Shut up, go away, and don’t bother me.”

”...”

”Oh.”

Sullen and wronged.

Lynn Winslow felt like her brain hadn’t been working properly ever since she and Ian Sterling got back together. She racked her brains for a long time but still couldn’t figure out what was going on.

She shot a glare at Ian Sterling. He looked back at her with an innocent expression, his eyes asking why she was glaring at him.

Lynn Winslow understood what he meant, but she still asked, ”Why aren’t you talking?”

Only then did Ian Sterling pout. ”Didn’t you tell me not to talk?”

”...” Fine. Lynn Winslow gave him a perfunctory peck on the cheek as compensation, then went back to her drink before Ian Sterling could retaliate.

Ian Sterling’s mouth fell open, his hand already raised halfway, not expecting Lynn Winslow to be so heartless.

When they were done drinking, Lynn Winslow patted Ian Sterling’s shoulder. ”Bedtime, bedtime.”

Ian Sterling’s eyes lit up. ”Then wait for me. I’m going to take another shower.”

Lynn Winslow nodded. After returning to the room, she flopped onto the bed. By the time Ian Sterling came out of the bathroom, she was already asleep.

”...” Ian Sterling’s excitement instantly plummeted. He climbed onto the bed and shook Lynn Winslow’s shoulder, trying to wake her up, only to receive a slap in return.

”Don’t touch me. I want to sleep.”

”...”

’I’ve been played for a fool,’ Ian Sterling thought. He sulkily yanked the blanket over himself and lay down to sleep.

The next morning, Lynn Winslow had just woken up when she turned over and saw Ian Sterling staring at her with a sullen face.

”What’s wrong?” Lynn Winslow stretched, her fingers playfully scratching Ian Sterling’s chin.

”What do you think?” Ian Sterling was still feeling wronged. ”I asked you to wait for me last night. I just took a quick shower—I was out in a few minutes—and you were already asleep.”

He pretended to be angry, rolling over to pin Lynn Winslow down. He pinched her cheeks and squished them a few times. ”Do you have any idea how hard last night was for me?”

Lynn Winslow mumbled, not quite understanding men. Like a genuine student seeking knowledge, she asked in a muffled voice, ”Is it really that hard to bear?”

”What do you think?” Ian Sterling shifted his body, and Lynn Winslow felt it.

”Okay.” Lynn Winslow shrank back a little, placatingly stroking his cheek. She wheedled, ”I was just too sleepy, so I fell asleep. Don’t be mad, okay?”

”Make it up to me.” Ian Sterling lowered his head, nuzzling Lynn Winslow’s neck with his hair. The tips of his hair tickled her, making her laugh.

Lynn Winslow vehemently refused, grabbing Ian Sterling’s hair. ”There’s definitely going to be a good show today. Mia Rhodes will certainly go back to my grandfather’s place. Don’t you want to go watch?”

”Not curious, don’t want to watch.” Ian Sterling didn’t let go, even with her pulling his hair.

’He’s just like a leashed wolfdog that refuses to budge after spotting a piece of meat,’ Lynn Winslow thought.

Lynn Winslow had to dodge his nuzzling as she said, ”But I’m curious! I want to see it. Please come with me?”

Ian Sterling was silent for a long time, then sat up in frustration. He ran his hands through his hair roughly, even pulling out a few strands.

”Fine. We’ll watch. Get up.”

”You’re the best.” Lynn Winslow grinned and got up, quickly ducking into the bathroom and locking the door from the inside.

She needed to shower and was afraid Ian Sterling would launch a sneak attack.

Ian Sterling had indeed been thinking just that. He tiptoed to the bathroom door and tried the knob, only to find it wouldn’t turn. Disappointed, he pressed his lips together and sighed.

’I’m just like those gluttonous, pathetic wolf cubs I keep at the countryside manor...’ he thought.

When Lynn Winslow came out of the shower, Ian Sterling was already in the living room downstairs playing with Kiki. When he saw her, he huffed and turned his head away, pointedly ignoring her.

Lynn Winslow shrugged, not bothering to argue with him. She waited for him to get up, and they took the elevator down to the underground garage together.

As she got in the car, Lynn Winslow was leisurely applying her lipstick. Her phone pinged beside her. After a glance, she started urging Ian Sterling to drive faster.

”Faster, faster! Mia Rhodes and her mother have arrived at the Powell family’s house. If we’re late, we might miss the full show.”

Ian Sterling didn’t get it. He had never been one for gossip, and he found the excitement on Lynn Winslow’s face completely baffling.

But his priority was to listen to her. He did whatever Lynn Winslow said, slamming the accelerator to the floor. They arrived at the Powell family’s home in no time.

At that moment, in the Powell family’s parking area, besides the nanny van that had blocked the road yesterday, there was also a dark blue sports coupe. It couldn’t belong to anyone but Ethan Powell.

Lynn Winslow got out of the car and hurried toward the villa. Looking back, she saw Ian Sterling strolling along as if he were out for a walk. Frowning, she went back and grabbed him, pulling him along in long strides.

”We’re already here. What’s the rush?”

Lynn Winslow glanced back and glared at him. ”What do you think? Can you walk any faster? I never realized you were such a slowpoke.”

”...” Ian Sterling scoffed. ”So you’re tired of me now, is that it?”

”How would I dare, Finn? Could I trouble you to speed it up a bit? Any later and we’ll miss the show.” Lynn Winslow gave him a fake smile. ”I’m begging you.”

Ian Sterling tilted his chin up with a hmph, but his pace did indeed quicken.

Lynn Winslow knew him all too well. She knew exactly how to smooth his ruffled feathers and make him happy.

Sure enough, the Powell family’s villa was already bustling with activity.

Lynn Winslow and Ian Sterling had just stepped into the foyer when the butler, who had been standing not far away with a clear view of the entrance, approached them silently.

He whispered to Lynn Winslow, ”The eldest young miss returned with Miss Mia.”

Lynn Winslow nodded in understanding and craned her neck to see the commotion inside.