Chapter 252: Extra: The Life of the Scorned Puppy Zhou

After Anne Sterling was born, Ian Sterling and Lynn Winslow hardly ever had a moment of peace to themselves.

Every time Ian Sterling was about to make a move, Anne Sterling would start wailing, completely deflating him every single time.

But there was nothing he could do about Anne. She was the apple of her grandparents’, uncles’, and aunts’ eyes.

Lynn Winslow, who had been on the phone with the nanny, hung up. Smiling, she pushed him away, got up, and went downstairs to the nursery. The nanny was holding Anne, whose face was red from crying, and trying to soothe her. But it was all noise and no tears—it looked for all the world like she was faking it.

But the moment she saw Lynn, Anne’s crying faltered for a second before she let loose again, this time with tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

Lynn’s heart ached seeing this. She took the baby from the nanny’s arms, whispering soft reassurances.

Ever since becoming a mother, Lynn was filled with a gentle, maternal radiance. A radiance that shone not only on Anne, but on Ian as well.

Sometimes, after spending a long time with Anne, Lynn would be alone with Ian, but her maternal aura would still be in full force, shining directly onto him.

Especially during… those moments, when Ian was competing with Anne for her ‘rations’.

Lynn would find herself patting Ian’s head, sometimes even humming a lullaby meant for Anne. This would only provoke Ian into teasing her more relentlessly.

As Lynn was soothing Anne, Ian walked in, his hair a rumpled mess from where she had been running her hands through it. Seeing Anne nuzzling restlessly against Lynn’s chest, he chuckled and crossed his arms, content to watch the show.

The nanny whispered, “Ma’am, I think the young miss is hungry.”

Lynn froze for a second. The nanny took that as her cue and discreetly left the nursery, giving them some privacy.

Lynn looked down at Anne, who was now tugging insistently at her clothes. After a moment’s hesitation, she began to unbutton her blouse.

Anne got what she wanted, but a moment later, she let out another WAIL and burst into tears again. The ‘rations’ were long gone, thanks to that scoundrel Ian.

Seeing Anne’s miserable cries, Ian couldn’t help but laugh. He sauntered over to her, patting her little cheek before turning to leave the nursery and mix some formula for her.

It took a while, but once Anne was finally asleep and in the nanny’s care, Lynn and Ian returned to their room upstairs.

The moment they were in the room, Lynn gave Ian a light kick. “If you ever do that again,” she said, flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, “I’m sleeping with Anne.”

Ian, however, was shameless. He pulled Lynn into an embrace, his hands immediately getting frisky, returning to where they had been so busy before the interruption. He whispered, “You were already coddling me like a baby. Can’t I fight with Anne for a little snack?”

Exasperated, Lynn swatted him.

The next day, the family of three, along with their nanny, headed to Aerie Garden. Nina Norton had called, saying Spencer Sterling had mentioned little Anne several times. He clearly missed his precious granddaughter, so she told them to bring Anne over to stay for a while.

Lynn didn’t mind. With the Spring Festival approaching, they would have to move in for a bit anyway. It was Ian who wasn’t thrilled.

“Couldn’t we just leave Anne with Mom and Dad for a few days and go back to our own place?”

“…What kind of father are you?” Lynn laughed in spite of her anger, reaching out to pinch his arm. Her action made Anne, who was nestled in her lap, giggle.

Seeing his daughter’s happy laughter, Ian gritted his teeth. “What kind of daughter laughs at her own dad? You think it’s funny when I get hit?”

It was impossible to know if Anne understood, but Lynn shot him a look. “You were just plotting to abandon her. You’re not going to let her have a laugh at your expense?”

Outnumbered two to one, Ian couldn’t win the argument. He huffed, but worried that holding the baby would tire Lynn, he gently but firmly lifted Anne out of her arms.

Just as Anne was about to cry, Ian quickly and gently pinched her lips together. “If you cry,” he whispered, “I won’t let you play with Kiki and Humph later.”

Whether she understood or not, who knows, but Anne was well-behaved for the rest of the ride and didn’t ask for Lynn to hold her.

When they arrived at Aerie Garden, Nina Norton and Spencer Sterling were already waiting at the door, having spotted the car from afar. Spencer, in particular, looked outwardly calm and composed, but he had been rubbing his hands together in anticipation more times than he could count.

Nina saw it all and hid a smile, not wanting to expose her husband, who was so concerned with keeping up appearances.

The moment Ian got out of the car with Anne, Nina intercepted him, taking the baby and placing her right into the arms of Spencer, who had been bursting with anticipation.

Spencer held Anne, not even sparing his son a single glance. He gave Lynn a warm nod before turning and heading straight into the villa.

Nina couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She looped her arm through Lynn’s and led her inside, leaving Ian, the youngest son who had fallen from grace long ago, standing by himself.

As soon as they were inside, Anne was already stretching out her little hands, eager to find Kiki and Humph.

Ever since Anne had gotten a little bigger, the family of three had moved back to Calyx Hall. Kiki and Humph were perfectly happy at Aerie Garden and stayed behind, especially since the family visited often.

Spencer, doting on his granddaughter, squatted down with her in his arms in front of the cat bed. Meanwhile, Nina led Lynn to the sofa and pressed a warm cup of tea into her hands.

“It’s cold out. Drink this to warm up.”

Lynn nodded obediently and took a couple of sips from the cup she was cradling.

Nina smiled gently. “Stay for a while this time. Your eldest brother and sister-in-law are coming back from their trip in a day or two. I’ll call your second brother and your sisters to come over as well. It’ll be much livelier with the whole family together.”

Ian, leaning back on the sofa, snorted. “Eldest brother and his wife are sure taking it easy.”

Ever since Anne was born, the pressure on Elias Sterling and Samuel Shaw had eased considerably. With a new baby to occupy their parents, they were in no hurry. Taking advantage of their child-free status, they’d embarked on a trip around the world.

Lynn frowned slightly and kicked Ian. He really had no filter.

“Don’t mind him,” Nina said, shooting Ian a glare. She pulled Lynn closer to share a secret, and the two of them—mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—laughed happily, completely ignoring Ian.

With no one paying him any attention, Ian had no choice but to wander over to his father and daughter. But the two of them were completely engrossed in playing with Kiki and Humph and ignored him too. Frustrated, Ian stood in the middle of the living room for a long time, hands on his hips. He was certainly conspicuous, but he was also in the way.

At least, that’s what Spencer thought.

“If you’re really that bored, go to the office. Stop standing there like a statue.”

After Ian had woken up, he had been too busy pursuing Lynn to start his own company. Now, Spencer had strong-armed him into taking a position. He didn’t have to go into the office often, but he was at least expected to check in.

His excuse for not going to work was that he needed to care for Anne. But now that Anne was here with plenty of caregivers, there was no need for Ian to be hanging around getting in the way.

Ian’s chest heaved in frustration. He glanced at Anne, who had completely forgotten him, then over at Lynn. He decided it was better to go bother Lynn.

He didn’t care that Nina was watching. Ian sat down right next to Lynn and, without a word, lay down and rested his head on her lap.