Chapter 53: Sienna, will you take responsibility for me?

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Sienna, will you take responsibility for me?

Sienna: "..."

’I shouldn’t have asked!’

Julian arched a brow. He suddenly leaned forward, planting his hands on the back of the sofa behind her and trapping her within his arms.

Caught completely off guard, Sienna froze.

They were incredibly close, and the man’s crisp, clean scent wafted into her nostrils.

Sienna’s eyelashes fluttered. She snapped back to reality and tried to pull away, but with the sofa’s backrest behind her, there was nowhere to retreat.

She could only lean her head back. "What are you doing?"

Julian chuckled softly. For every inch she leaned back, he leaned forward, keeping his gaze fixed on her at close range.

With his eyes on her at such close range, Sienna’s heart skipped a beat, its rhythm thrown into chaos.

In the quiet, intimate space, Julian’s dark eyes were fixed on hers. A lazy, amused voice rumbled from his throat, indescribably sexy and alluring.

"Someone forced a kiss on me and now refuses to take responsibility for it. Sierra, why don’t you give me some advice? What should I do? Hmm?"

Sienna: "..."

Sienna pressed her crimson lips together and placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. "Just back up."

But the man didn’t budge, keeping her pinned between his arms and the sofa. "Help me out. What should I do?"

Sienna: "..."

Guilt-ridden, Sienna couldn’t meet his gaze and looked away.

Her gaze landed on Julian’s arm, which was propped against the sofa. The cuffs of his white shirt were rolled up, revealing a well-defined forearm. Faint veins stood out against his fair skin—a look that was both austere and sensual.

"Why won’t you look at me, Sienna? Hmm?"

His voice was low, husky, and magnetic, the last syllable lilting upward as his warm breath brushed against her ear.

A shiver shot through Sienna. Her back went rigid, and her fingers curled involuntarily. "Y-You... just back up."

Julian didn’t move. With his lashes lowered, his gaze slowly drifted over her brows and eyes, down the tip of her nose, inch by inch, until it finally settled on her crimson lips.

His intention was utterly transparent.

Sienna’s heart leaped into her throat, her pulse racing erratically. A shimmer of emotion rippled through her clear eyes, her face flushed red, and she even felt an impulse to squeeze her eyes shut.

"Julian, Sienna! Grandpa’s here to see you!"

Just then, a vigorous voice called out from outside.

Sienna gasped and immediately shoved Julian, whispering in embarrassment, "Grandpa’s here! Hurry and get up!"

Julian: "..."

He frowned and flicked his tongue against his cheek in irritation. He reached up and pinched her pale, soft earlobe before finally straightening up and releasing her.

Sienna immediately shot up from the sofa, the earlobe he had touched burning hot. Not daring to even glance at Julian, she turned and hurried out. "Grandpa, what brings you here?"

Julian watched her fleeing back, his eyes narrowing for a moment. After a few seconds, he looked down and chuckled, his expression one of fond indulgence.

Supported by Sienna, Howard Forrester walked into the living room, beaming. "Grandpa missed you, so I came over for a visit. How are things? Sienna, are you settling into Veridian Gardens alright?"

Sienna’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Yes, I’m settling in well. Grandpa, how has your health been recently?"

"Couldn’t be better! Just the other day, the family doctor was saying how much healthier I look! It makes your grandpa very happy to know you care so much, Sienna!"

"Grandpa, please have a seat."

Sienna helped the old man to the sofa and sat him down.

Howard glanced at Julian off to the side, a little surprised. ’Why does my grandson look so out of sorts? It’s as if he was in the middle of something good and got interrupted.’

"Sienna," Howard said, pulling her down to sit beside him and patting her hand affectionately. "You have to tell me honestly, has Julian been mistreating you?"

Sienna glanced in Julian’s direction, gave a slight cough, and shook her head. "No, Grandpa."

Howard was finally satisfied. He then looked at his grandson, and his brow furrowed. "Julian, how did you cut the corner of your lip?"

At this, Julian’s brow arched slightly.

Sienna’s stomach dropped. She shot him a glare, silently warning him not to say anything reckless.

Julian caught her signal, looked down to adjust his cuffs, and then said nonchalantly, "Sorry, Grandpa. Sienna told me not to say anything, so I can’t tell you that she was the one who bit my lip."

Sienna: "???"

’He... he...’

’How can he be so conniving!’

Upon hearing this, Howard’s face lit up with delight, and a grin he couldn’t contain spread across his face.

’Very good. My grandson and my granddaughter-in-law are getting along very well!’

’Then I can rest assured!’

Sienna’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she abruptly changed the subject. "So, Grandpa, what brings you here today?"

Howard held her hand, his eyes full of fatherly affection. "I came today to give you a gift, Sienna. It’s the Forrester family’s great fortune that you were willing to marry into it, and I haven’t even given you a proper welcoming gift yet."

Sienna quickly demurred, "Grandpa, you mustn’t say that."

Howard chuckled and had a servant bring in the gift. "Go on, Sienna, take a look. Tell me if you like it."

Sienna stood up to look and saw an antique guqin, an instrument of elegant and noble bearing, imbued with ancient charm.

Sienna recognized it instantly. This was no ordinary guqin. It was a renowned instrument passed down through the ages—"Fiona," one of the ten legendary guqins.

"Grandpa, this is..."

Sienna was speechless with astonishment.

A nostalgic look appeared in Howard’s eyes. "Sienna, your grandfather trained you to play the guqin from a young age, and you love the instrument yourself. Now that he has passed away... I went out of my way to find this particular qin. I hope you’ll like it."

Initially, Howard had wanted to commission an artisan to craft a custom guqin for Sienna from the finest materials available.

But no custom-made instrument could ever compare to the resonant charm of a legendary guqin passed down through the ages.

So he had spent a fortune to acquire this thousand-year-old instrument from a private collector.

Staring at the guqin, Sienna knew perfectly well that an ancient instrument like this would cost at least a hundred million to acquire.

’This gift is far too precious.’

Julian knew her too well; he could read her thoughts with a single glance. His voice was gentle as he said, "It’s a token of Grandpa’s affection. What matters most is that you like it."

Howard smiled and urged, "That’s right, Sienna. Do you like it? You can try playing it to see how it feels."

"Of course I love it. Thank you for going to all this trouble, Grandpa."

Sienna’s lips curved into a smile as bright as a blooming flower as she expressed her thanks.

She walked over and thought for a moment. ’I’ll try playing "Nine Provinces." ’

"Nine Provinces" was the first piece she had ever written; for her, it held a special meaning.