You're not leaving this time.

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Similar Interests

Nina Norton, who had appeared behind them at some point, heard her youngest son’s shameless tone and snapped, ”In your dreams.”

Ian Sterling and Lynn Winslow jumped in surprise. Nina Norton took Lynn’s arm, shot her youngest son a glare, and went upstairs with Lynn.

As she walked, she instructed Lynn, her voice just loud enough for Ian to hear.

”Don’t mind my youngest son. Let’s go upstairs. Remember to lock your door later; don’t let him get his way.”

Lynn glanced back at Ian, giving him a fleeting look before nodding with a soft ”Mm.”

Ian Sterling rubbed his forehead and had no choice but to return to his own room alone.

Lynn didn’t think Ian would actually behave. She dutifully locked her bedroom door. She was nearly asleep and he still hadn’t appeared, so she thought he might have actually given up.

Until the middle of the night, when the door opened. Lynn groggily opened her eyes to see that Ian had already turned on the bedside lamp.

”How did you get in?” Lynn reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, her voice muffled with sleep.

Ian chuckled, lowering his head to kiss her. ”I have a key.”

They didn’t have any protection with them, so he could only resort to other methods to torment Lynn.

Drenched in a hot sweat, Lynn protested, ”Ian Sterling, that’s enough.”

Ian didn’t listen. While teasing her, he said, ”Weren’t you enjoying the show when you saw my mom picking on me just now? Why aren’t you laughing now?”

”Why are you so petty?” Lynn pushed at him. ”It wasn’t me picking on you. I was just enjoying the drama.”

Ian scoffed, unwilling to let her off the hook. He continued to torment her until tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Only then did he leisurely pull back, grabbing a tissue to wipe his hands as he asked, ”Will you laugh at me next time?”

Lynn shook her head, every strand of her hair damp. She gritted her teeth and enunciated each word, ”I won’t laugh.”

Satisfied, Ian Sterling hugged Lynn and whispered, ”Go to sleep. I have to leave early in the morning.”

”Jerk,” Lynn cursed him softly, but followed her heart and hugged him back.

She couldn’t sleep soundly when he wasn’t there.

But things went wrong in the morning. Unexpectedly, Ian Sterling didn’t wake up on time. And instead of looking for Lynn, Nina Norton went to find Ian, knocking on his door.

Nina Norton knocked for a long time with no response, so she pushed the door open and went in. Not finding Ian, she gave a cold smile and simply sat on the sofa in his room, crossing her arms to wait.

Ian was woken by a startled Lynn. He glanced at the time and headed downstairs, feeling helpless and annoyed. Worried about making too much noise, he could only walk down slowly and silently.

He didn’t run into Nina. He breathed a sigh of relief, hurried back to his room, and came face-to-face with her.

Nina Norton asked coldly, ”Where have you been?”

”Morning run,” Ian blurted out an excuse.

”A morning run in your pajamas?” Nina was so exasperated she almost laughed.

Ian lied without even blushing. ”I just like running in my pajamas. Is that a problem?”

Nina put her hands on her hips, trying to calm her short, angry breaths. She reached out, grabbed Ian’s ear, and twisted it hard. ”Can’t you be more considerate? It’s the girl’s first time staying at our house, and you just run into her room?”

Ian frowned and hissed in pain from the pinch. ”Why can’t I go see her? I can’t sleep when she’s not with me.”

”Fine.” Nina let go, poked Ian’s forehead hard with her finger, and turned to walk out of his room.

Ian rubbed his aching forehead and went into the bathroom. He discovered a red mark where Nina had poked him and sighed.

He changed his clothes and went downstairs. Lynn Winslow was still asleep. Only Sophia Shaw and Nina Norton were in the living room.

Hearing his voice, Nina glanced up at him coolly before turning her attention back to her conversation with Sophia.

Ian Sterling walked over to her side and, for the first time, used a placating tone with Nina Norton. ”Mom, don’t be angry.”

Nina ignored him, so Ian continued, ”We’ve been together for so long, and we’ve always lived together. Why can’t I share a room with Lynn now that we’re at our house?”

Sophia Shaw, seeing the unpleasant look on Nina’s face, explained on her behalf, ”Finn, you were in the wrong here. It’s Lynn’s first time visiting our family, and you two aren’t engaged. We can’t have her thinking we don’t value her, or that we think of her as some casual person.”

Ian Sterling rested a hand on his forehead, let out a breath, and said no more.

Later, when the whole family sat down for breakfast, Lynn glanced at Nina and said softly, ”Auntie, please don’t be angry.”

Nina Norton reassured her, ”I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at Finn. It’s one thing for him to be so reckless, but he doesn’t even know how to respect you.”

”Auntie, I know you’re looking out for me, but I don’t mind these things,” she said, looking at Ian. The red mark on his forehead was obvious, and it was easy to guess it came from being poked. ”I can’t be without him, either.”

This was the first time Lynn had seriously shown the Sterling family that she was the clingy one in the relationship, too.

Nina Norton was taken aback by her words for a moment, then sighed. ”I understand. Go on and eat, Lynn.”

After breakfast, Nina Norton instructed Ian with a displeased expression, ”Take good care of Lynn when you get back. And don’t you throw any of your young master tantrums.”

Ian replied helplessly, ”Like I have any ’young master tantrums’ left when I’m with her.”

Sophia Shaw and Lynn Winslow laughed at the side.

Picking up Kiki and Huffy, the couple and their two cats got into the car. On the way home, Lynn reached out and hooked her finger around Ian’s, asking softly, ”Does your forehead hurt?”

”It doesn’t hurt. It’s not like it’s a real injury.”

His skin was just fair, so it looked more obvious than it was. It didn’t actually hurt much.

Lynn murmured an ”Oh,” and gathered both Kiki and Huffy into her arms. Showing no favoritism, she petted each cat a few times. They were so comfortable they couldn’t stop purring.

During the few days they were away, Calyx Hall had been specially cared for by Ian Sterling’s butler and his team.

Because Lynn had been living there and liked to walk around the house only in her pajamas, the butler had never come to Calyx Hall before. This time, he brought a team and meticulously cleaned the entire place from top to bottom.

As Lynn and Ian stepped out of the elevator, they happened to run into the butler, who was about to leave.

”Sir, Miss Winslow, the cleaning is finished.”

Ian nodded and introduced him to Lynn. ”This is my butler. He usually only comes when we’re not here.”

Lynn smiled and greeted the butler. The butler caught a look from Ian, and he and his team scurried away.

The first thing they did upon returning home was shower and change their clothes.

Having gone to bed late and woken up early, both of them wanted to catch up on sleep.

As they lay down on the bed, Lynn suddenly started laughing. Ian looked at her, puzzled, and asked, ”What is it?”

”Have you noticed something?”

”What?”

”Ever since we started living together, we’ve both gotten a lot lazier.”

Ian thought about it and realized it was true. He let out a muffled laugh. ”I guess you could say we’re compatible.”