Chapter 210: Crybaby

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Crybaby

"I was just kidding, babe. Don’t hold it against me."

Lynn Winslow gave him a fake smile, then her expression turned cold as she went back to doing her makeup.

Ian Sterling had just been running his mouth. He knew better than to take his good fortune for granted.

He took Lynn Winslow’s hand with a pitiful look, brought it to his lips, and said, "Why don’t you slap me? It’s my stupid mouth’s fault."

Lynn Winslow looked down at him seriously. After a moment of silence, she slapped his hand away and then smacked him across the face.

The slap wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t soft either. Ian Sterling winced at the sting, pressed his lips together, and snuggled closer to Lynn Winslow.

"Don’t be mad..."

Lynn Winslow remained silent, determined not to let Ian Sterling off the hook so easily.

’Running his mouth was one thing, but now he was pushing it. If she didn’t teach him a lesson now,’ Lynn thought, ’she’d have an even harder time handling him in the future.’

By the time they were in the car, Ian Sterling was still sneaking cautious glances at Lynn Winslow. She glanced over at him, and his persistent gaze eventually softened her heart.

"Don’t let it happen again."

Ian Sterling’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. The car stopped on the driveway of Aerie Garden. The first thing he did after unbuckling his seatbelt was to pull Lynn Winslow into a hug, murmuring, "I promise I won’t run my mouth like that ever again."

Lynn Winslow scoffed lightly but didn’t press the issue.

Just then, the butler, who was in the courtyard to grab something, noticed Ian Sterling’s car had stopped but no one had gotten out. Puzzled, he walked over to take a look.

Seeing the butler approach through the car window, Lynn Winslow patted Ian Sterling on the back, signaling for him to let go.

"The butler’s coming."

Ian Sterling reluctantly let her go. He let out a breath before opening the car door and getting out.

"Finn, what a coincidence. Mr. Sterling and Young Master Jared are here as well."

The moment Ian Sterling heard "Mr. Sterling," he could almost feel an ache in his bones. He pursed his lips, his expression souring. Lynn Winslow saw his reluctance clearly.

"Is it your cousin you don’t want to see, or your uncle?"

She was asking the obvious. Ian Sterling huffed, walking around the car to stand in front of Lynn Winslow. He draped an arm over her and whispered, "Babe, can we just stay for a little while and then leave?"

This uncle of his was nothing like his father. The whole family was incredibly tolerant of Ian, but his uncle was always ready with a lecture, criticizing him every single time they met.

"That’s not happening. It’s been a while since I last visited; I have to catch up with your mom and sister-in-law," Lynn Winslow teased. Seeing his crestfallen expression, she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Didn’t you hang out with my mom and sister-in-law for days after the proposal? Can’t we cut the chat a little shorter today?" Ian Sterling tried to bargain.

Lynn Winslow gave a noncommittal nod. "We’ll see," she said.

With that, she shrugged off Ian Sterling’s arm and headed for the villa’s front door, ignoring the look of helpless resignation on his face.

The moment Lynn Winslow walked in the door, Nina Norton came over beaming, took Lynn’s hand, and led her into the living room, leaving her own favorite son in her wake.

"Lynn, what perfect timing! Your uncle is here. I’ll call your brothers and sisters to come home later, and we can all have a family dinner together."

Lynn Winslow smiled and nodded, then glanced back at a reluctant Ian Sterling. With a look of pure innocence, she said, "You should ask him, Auntie. See if he’s willing. He was just saying we should only stay for a little while and then head home."

Mr. Sterling happened to overhear this. His brows shot up as he glared at Ian Sterling and chided, "If you’re not happy to have dinner with me, then you can leave by yourself. How dare you try to boss Lynn around?"

Ian Sterling opened his mouth, but, not knowing how to argue, he simply closed it and swallowed his retort.

"Come on, over here. Sit next to me. We need to have a little chat." Mr. Sterling beckoned to Ian Sterling as if calling a puppy. Ian Sterling froze, not moving a muscle. Mr. Sterling’s eyes narrowed in a glare, and Ian had no choice but to walk over and sit down beside his uncle.

"Uncle, that’s not what I meant."

"So, are you saying Lynn lied? A sweet, well-behaved girl like her—do you really think she would lie?" His uncle reached up, grabbed Ian Sterling’s ear, and gave it a twist, making Ian yelp in pain.

Lynn, watching from the side, couldn’t help but step forward. "Um, Uncle, please don’t be so rough... He’s a bit... delicate."

Only then did Mr. Sterling let go. Lynn quickly rushed to Ian Sterling’s side and began rubbing his ear, whispering, "Does it hurt? Let me make it better."

Ian Sterling looked up at Lynn with a pitiful expression and whined softly, "It hurts."

Nina Norton, completely unconcerned for her son’s plight, scoffed from the side. "What a crybaby. He’s been like this since he was little. His uncle barely used any force. Don’t mind him, Lynn."

"Huh?" Puzzled, Lynn lowered her hand and took a closer look at Ian Sterling’s earlobe. It was still red. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it actually seemed a little swollen.

She frowned and met Ian Sterling’s eyes.

Just as she suspected, Ian Sterling avoided her gaze, too embarrassed to look her in the eye. Lynn understood instantly.

"You jerk, you tricked me." Lynn bit her lip. She wasn’t truly angry, but she was embarrassed, especially in front of everyone.

Ian Sterling grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "Hey," he whispered, "I was just teasing you."

Lynn huffed and turned her head away, ignoring him. As she did, her eyes met Jared Sterling’s. She offered him a small smile. She was rather curious about this cousin, whom she had met even fewer times than people like Jasper Jennings.

Ian Sterling, however, asked, "Didn’t you go abroad on business right after the proposal? When did you get back?"

"I’ve only been back a few days. I came with my dad to visit my uncle and aunt," Jared replied with a light chuckle. He then turned to Lynn. "We haven’t had many chances to meet. I’m his cousin."

"Hello, Cousin."

Mr. Sterling interjected from the side, "Look at you. Finn here has a fiancée and is about to be engaged. And you? You still have no plans for your own future. What? Are you planning to stay single until Finn’s kids are running all over the place?"

Jared Sterling shrugged nonchalantly. "There’s still Tanner, isn’t there?" he said lazily. "I’ll start thinking about it once he’s settled down."

Nina Norton rolled her eyes. "When it comes to that, Tanner is even more stubborn than Finn. Don’t be like him. You should learn a thing or two from Finn. Look at him—sure, he’s short-tempered, impatient, stubborn, dramatic, and a total crybaby, but when it comes to finding a wife, he’s top-tier."

"..." A dark cloud seemed to form over Ian Sterling’s head.

He honestly couldn’t tell if his own mother was praising him or roasting him.

But Lynn knew that Nina Norton was, in fact, praising *her*.

She abandoned Ian Sterling without a second thought, getting up to sit beside Nina Norton and linking her arm through Nina’s affectionately.

"Auntie, I just remembered," she said. "I had some custom jewelry made for you, your sister-in-law, and your two sisters. It should have been delivered to my place by now. I’ll have someone bring it over."

"Oh my," Nina Norton said, pleasantly surprised. "When did you secretly order all this? You sweet girl."