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“Where do you think you’re going?”

Ian Sterling raised an arm, blocking their path. He sneered, “Are the Sterling and Norton families just some drunken gossip for you?”

The man from the Norton family quickly shook his head. “No, no, cousin, don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Cousin? I don’t recall having any older cousins.”

The Norton man’s face turned awkward in an instant. Nigel Abbott’s cousin’s expression gradually grew cold, and he gritted his teeth. “Finn Sterling, don’t get all high and mighty here.”

“What? Are you planning to pick a fight with me using the Abbott family’s clout?” Ian Sterling crossed his arms and said mockingly, “Colin Carson, the Abbotts and the Sterlings are in-laws. Do you think Mrs. Abbott is going to side with her maiden family, or with her own son?”

“You!”

Colin Carson’s face was dark and ugly. He heard footsteps behind him and whipped his head around to see Nigel Abbott slowly approaching.

“Cousin, I…”

Nigel Abbott stared at Colin Carson, his expression blank. He said coldly, “Colin Carson, get lost.”

Ian Sterling was about to get engaged and didn’t want any trouble bringing him bad luck. Otherwise, he would have thrown a punch long ago. Why would he have stood there and let Colin Carson provoke him?

Nigel was grateful for Ian Sterling’s restraint, but he also made a mental note against Colin Carson.

Watching Colin Carson and the other man leave, Ian Sterling’s lips curled into a smirk. Nigel Abbott turned to him and said with a gentle smile, “I thought you were going to start a fight, so I rushed out.”

“I don’t have time for that. What if I accidentally messed up my face? I have to look good for the engagement,” Ian Sterling snorted, then turned and went into the restroom to wash his hands.

Nigel Abbott found this amusing but still sidled up to him. “Can you put in a good word for me with your sister?”

“Why?” Ian Sterling shot him a sidelong glance.

Nigel said, “You’re getting engaged, and Elias is about to have a kid. I’m jealous.”

Ian Sterling replied, “I’ll give you a tip. Go to my house and butter up my mom. It’s more effective than anything else. Of course, you can’t neglect the proper etiquette with my dad, either. Otherwise, he’ll dislike you even more.”

Nigel Abbott looked down, thinking it over seriously. After a moment, he said gratefully, “If it really works out, I’ll cover the venue for your wedding.”

The Abbott family’s influence in Quartos wasn’t just limited to one area; they had considerable assets. A suburban manor in Quartos was Nigel Abbott’s private property, designed just like a foreign castle estate. It would indeed be quite fitting for a wedding.

Ian Sterling smiled. “Alright, brother-in-law. Good luck.”

The two returned to the private room together. Colin Carson’s group had already left. Jasper Jennings asked in confusion, “Why did they look like they’d seen a ghost just now? I didn’t even get a chance to say anything before they ran off. Did you guys beat someone up out there?”

Ian Sterling gave him a half-smile. “Am I that kind of person?”

“…” Jasper Jennings recalled a time, right here, when some clueless people had offended Ian Sterling and been beaten so badly they didn’t wake up for days.

‘Forget it.’ Jasper Jennings didn’t want to argue with him. He watched as Ian Sterling bent down, picked up his glass, and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. “Lynn went home,” Ian said, “so I’m heading back too.”

“Hey, how long have you even been here?” Kenneth Keller tried to stop him, but Ian twisted away, saying with disdain, “Who wants to pull an all-nighter with a bunch of guys? See ya.”

He strode away, leaving the speechless group behind.

Lynn Winslow had already showered and was lying in bed. She wasn’t staying up all night these days, wanting to look her best on the day of the engagement.

Ian Sterling entered the room reeking of alcohol. Before Lynn Winslow could even frown, he had already pounced on her.

“Babe, I missed you so much.”

Surprised, Lynn Winslow stroked his hair and asked, puzzled, “Are you drunk?”

“Mmm… Cuddle.”

Lynn Winslow hugged him and asked, “You can hold your liquor so well. How did you get drunk? Did they force you to drink?”

While mentally apologizing to his friends, Ian Sterling nuzzled against the crook of Lynn Winslow’s neck like a spoiled child, the smell of alcohol soon clinging to her.

He said, “They said they wanted to congratulate me on the engagement, so they kept making me drink. I couldn’t really refuse, so I drank it all. There were too many of us, so I got drunk.”

“I’ll go get you some sobering tea. You lie down for a bit.” Lynn Winslow raised a hand to touch his forehead, her touch impossibly gentle.

Ian Sterling was lost in her tenderness, unable to pull himself out. A look of obsession colored his eyes as he grabbed Lynn Winslow, not letting her go.

“Don’t go. Stay with me.”

Lynn Winslow sighed in resignation and leaned against him, listening to his drunken ramblings. “I’m so happy. I’m going to be engaged to you. After we’re engaged, we can register our marriage. After we’re married, I can spend my whole life with you. And after this life, there’s the next life, and the one after that.”

“…” Lynn Winslow really didn’t know what to say, so she could only give a couple of perfunctory “mm-hmms.”

Ian Sterling didn’t mind. He continued, “You have no idea, they’re all so jealous of me. They say I’m so lucky to have found such a good wife. All the uncles and aunts from our family-friend circles are nagging their kids to find girlfriends, especially Jasper Jennings and the others, hehe.”

Lynn’s suspicions were completely dispelled. ‘If this isn’t drunk, what is?! He’s even started giggling like an idiot!’

She patted Ian Sterling’s chest and coaxed softly, “Honey, let me help you change your clothes first, okay? It’s not comfortable lying down like this. Take a quick shower, and I’ll go make some sobering tea and bring it up for you.”

“No, wifey, stay with me. I’m just too happy.” Ian Sterling clung to her, acting spoiled. His eyes gradually reddened and their rims filled with moisture. He began to cry just like that, his voice choked with sobs. “I never even dared to dream of this. I thought I was going to live this life full of regret. I never thought you’d come back for me, and I certainly never thought we’d get engaged.”

“They always say I’m lucky. I think so too. Being with you forever is the greatest luck I could ever have.”

Held in his arms, Lynn Winslow looked up at his eyes when she heard him say this. Seeing the tear tracks at the corners of his eyes, her heart ached. She said softly, “Me too.”

She lifted her chin to peck at his tears. Ian Sterling made a soft sound and, in turn, began to nibble at Lynn Winslow’s lips.

He was only pretending at first, but as he kept up the act, it was as if he’d really gotten drunk. Holding Lynn Winslow now, his consciousness was a little hazy.

Ian Sterling murmured endlessly, “Babe, babe—”

A smile on her lips, Lynn Winslow answered gently, “I’m here.”

They would never be separated again. Never.

“Babe, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Ian Sterling looked up, frowning seriously. “You can’t say ‘I love you, too.’ You have to say ‘I love you.’”

Lynn Winslow didn’t know what he was so hung up on, but she complied and said again, “Ian Sterling, I love you.”

“That’s more like it.” Ian Sterling relaxed again, pressing against Lynn Winslow and continuing to act spoiled. Pushing his luck, he said, “After we get engaged, can we register our marriage first? If you’re not in a hurry for the wedding, we don’t have to do it right away. Can we just get the certificate? I want a marriage certificate.”

Lynn Winslow was silent. Ian Sterling pestered her relentlessly, “Can we? Can we?”