Chapter 249: The Grand Finale (Part 1)

Ian Sterling hugged Lynn Winslow and whined playfully, “Babe, let’s go home.”

It was already a struggle for Lynn to support him by herself. She gave a couple of noncommittal “uh-huhs” and shuffled them laboriously toward the exit.

Once they finally got into the car, Lynn said goodbye to the other four people and told the driver to head home quickly.

Ian leaned against Lynn, his hands restlessly roaming all over her, practically buzzing with excitement.

“We’re getting married, babe. You’re going to marry me, hehe.”

“My wish finally came true. Oh, babe, I’m so happy.”

Lynn glanced down at him, amused. “Even so, you didn’t have to keep them talking all night.”

But Ian didn’t answer her, just continued his drunken rambling, which left Lynn feeling both exasperated and soft-hearted.

When they got home, Kiki and Hengheng pounced on them, but Ian was in no state of mind to pay them any attention. Lynn had to juggle supporting Ian while cooing at the two pets.

After dumping Ian onto the bed, Lynn let out a deep breath and stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at him.

‘What can I do? He’s the one I love. I’ll just have to put up with it.’

Still, she never imagined Ian could be *this* clingy.

Lynn had originally planned to let Ian sleep in the bedroom by himself. She was covered in sweat and wanted to take a shower and sleep in the guest room, worried the overwhelming smell of alcohol on Ian would knock her out too.

But who would have thought that just as she got into the bathroom and turned on the water, Ian would come stumbling in? He ignored the fact that she was standing under the spray and lunged right at her.

“Why aren’t you with me? Sneaking off to take a shower?”

Lynn sighed and raised a hand to cover her chest, stopping Ian’s mischievous hands from wandering. “Can you please just go back to bed and lie down properly?”

“No, you wash me,” Ian said, starting to strip off his own clothes.

“You’re drunk, you shouldn’t take a shower,” Lynn tried to reason with him, but Ian was in no condition to listen. He just pounced on her again.

Lynn had to both prevent him from collapsing and endure his aggressive advances.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, Lynn was mentally and physically exhausted.

As for Ian, content after his wild behavior and still under the influence, he fell asleep almost instantly.

Lynn knelt on one knee beside him, gritting her teeth. She wanted to bite his head off. If their wedding wasn’t just around the corner, she would have bitten his face and disfigured him!

The next morning, Ian woke up early. The combination of a hangover and a shower had left him feeling unwell.

He got up, suppressed a cough, and hurried out of the bedroom. He went out to the second-floor balcony and coughed violently a few times. His head felt heavy, and his nose was a bit stuffy now too.

When Lynn woke up, he was already wearing a mask and keeping a three-meter distance from her.

“What’s wrong?”

Ian’s voice was muffled. “I think I’ve caught a cold. Don’t get too close, I don’t want you to catch it. I’m going to the hospital in a bit.”

Lynn frowned and stepped forward, wanting to touch him, but Ian reflexively backed away.

She felt a pang of guilt, but Ian didn’t seem to mind. “Just don’t get sick,” he said. “My colds go away quickly.”

“Let me go to the hospital with you.” The thought of him going to the hospital alone made her heart ache.

Ian held up his phone and gave it a little shake. “I have someone to go with me, so don’t worry. Just stay home and get some rest. I’ll have someone come over to disinfect the place later. I won’t come over to keep you company until I’m better.”

Lynn bit her lip and said softly, “It’s my fault for not taking good care of you last night.”

“It’s my own fault. I drank too much and bothered you all night.” Ian felt even more guilty than Lynn.

Watching Ian get in the car and leave, Lynn felt annoyed with herself. But then, she got a call from Nina Norton.

“Lynn, Finn told me you’re feeling guilty because he caught a cold,” Nina said in a light, cheerful tone, chuckling reassuringly. “It’s okay, don’t take it to heart. He told me himself, isn’t it his own fault? Drinking that much and making you take care of him—he was the one being inconsiderate.”

Lynn squatted beside Kiki and Hengheng, watching them eat, and mumbled unhappily, “I didn’t take good care of him. The wedding is right around the corner, and now he has to suffer through a cold.”

Hearing this, Nina immediately said, “Don’t you dare think like that. In our family, the women don’t take care of the men. From your grandparents on both sides down to your eldest brother and sister-in-law, it’s never the woman taking care of the man.”

Lynn’s mood lifted slightly, but she was still worried about Ian.

As if she could read her mind, Nina said, “Don’t worry, Connor is with him.”

Lynn finally felt a little more at ease.

Fortunately, Ian recovered two days before the wedding. Otherwise, both he and Lynn would have been mortified.

They didn’t have any of those “can’t see each other before the wedding” customs, so he and Lynn were inseparable right up to the eve of the ceremony.

Later, when she tried to recall the events of her wedding day, Lynn’s memories were a confused and hazy blur. From the beginning of the day until they returned to the bridal suite, the only thing that stood out clearly in her mind was what happened there.

The bridal suite was decorated in a rather traditional style, a suggestion adopted from Elder Winslow. Although Elder Winslow had lived in Morelia for a long time, at heart, he was still a man of Veridia.

Everything was a sea of crimson. Lynn felt a bit helpless as she sat on the edge of the bed, soothing her sore feet after a full day in high heels.

Seeing this, Ian went to get some hot water and knelt by Lynn’s legs to wash her feet for her.

“They want us to go downstairs and hang out. Do you want to go?”

Lynn was conflicted. She wanted to go, but she also felt exhausted.

Ian sensed her mood and said with a soft chuckle, “It’s okay. If you don’t want to go, we can join them after you’ve rested.”

He lowered his eyes, massaging the soles of Lynn’s feet, and sighed. “To be honest, I don’t want to go either. I’m just afraid something unexpected might happen. It’s a good thing we’ve already gotten our marriage certificate, but I’m still scared.”

Lynn wiggled her ankle and said softly, “Then let’s not go. Let’s just have our wedding night?”

Ian smiled and nodded.

*

He lowered his head to kiss Lynn, his eyes wet. Tears fell onto her body with his kisses and movements.

Lynn’s cheeks were flushed. She lifted her hands to cup Ian’s face and said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t cry. Your eyes will be swollen tomorrow, and Mom and Dad will think I bullied you.”

Her words came out in fits and starts. Ian’s voice was raspy but clear as he nibbled on the tip of Lynn’s ear and murmured, “They won’t. They’ll just be happy for me.”

The lights were dim, with only a single, faint yellow wall lamp left on, but it was enough for Ian to see Lynn’s face clearly.

“Wife, hurry and say you love me.”

Lynn bit her lip and gave him a light slap. “I love you, I love you.”

“You have to call me ‘husband,’ wifey. If you don’t call me ‘husband,’ how will I know who you really love in your heart?”

His mischievous streak was getting stronger. Lynn had no choice but to give in, repeatedly calling out the word “husband.”

He whispered something in Lynn’s ear. Her eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head, biting her lip. “No.”

“It’s not like it’ll happen on the first try…”

Before Lynn could stop him, Ian had already acted on his impulse. Lynn lowered her head and bit down on his neck and shoulder.