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Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Kiss First, Talk Later

During the meal, Lynn Winslow kept glancing at Ian Sterling, but he just kept his eyes downcast, focused on eating.

Lynn had no choice but to start a conversation. She used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of food he used to like and placed it on his plate, saying softly, "I remember you like this."

Ian paused, then said indifferently, "I don’t like it anymore."

Lynn bit her lip and awkwardly put down the serving chopsticks.

The rest of the lunch passed in silence. After they finished, Ian looked up at Lynn for the first time since they had entered the restaurant. His tone was still just as cold. "Finished?"

Lynn nodded, and Ian stood up. "If you’re finished, let’s go."

He was a regular at this restaurant, so the owner simply put the meal on Ian’s tab. The two of them stood at the entrance. Ian faced Lynn, his eyes covered in a layer of frost, utterly devoid of warmth.

"You can go now."

Lynn’s fingertips trembled slightly. As her gaze met his icy stare, she felt a heavy, cold weight settle on her chest.

"Ian Sterling." She murmured his name, took a step forward, grabbed the front of his shirt, and stood on her tiptoes to gently kiss him.

Ian took a step back and turned his head to dodge her, snapping, "What do you think you’re doing?"

Lynn gave a bitter smile and said softly, "Can I just hug you one more time?"

Ian was silent. Seeing this, Lynn knew he had agreed, or was at least hesitating. So she simply stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, her arms trembling as she gradually squeezed tighter.

Ian looked down, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles hurt. He fought the urge to hug her back, feeling as if his heart had split open, letting a cold wind whistle through the crack. He even found himself a little ridiculous at that moment.

After a long moment, Ian said sternly, "That’s enough."

Lynn let out a muffled "mhm," then took a step back, pulling the corners of her lips into a smile. "Goodbye."

Ian turned and walked away without a word. Lynn stood still, watching his back, then suddenly ran after him. She cut off the astonished Ian, stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and bit his lip.

Caught completely off guard, Ian staggered a step back from her pounce. His blood seemed to freeze in his veins. By the time he came to his senses, Lynn had already bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood.

He felt a surge of anger and helplessness well up inside him. He shoved Lynn away forcefully. His gaze was dark and fractured as he stared at her, and he spoke through gritted teeth, enunciating every word. "Lynn Winslow, what in the world are you trying to do?!"

Lynn bit her lip, her eyes turning slightly red. Her lashes trembled as she said pitifully, "Can’t I even kiss you one last time before I go? You used to always kiss me goodbye whenever I left."

Ian let out a heavy breath. He felt like he would go crazy if he stayed a second longer. He walked straight around Lynn and strode away.

Only after he was far away did Lynn drop her wronged expression. She tilted her head, watching his retreating back, and suddenly broke into a smile, like a child who had just pulled off a successful prank.

’Leave? In his dreams. Every word she had said, every expression she had made, was just an act to deceive Ian Sterling.’

Lynn walked away with a spring in her step, heading in the opposite direction from Ian, the corners of her mouth refusing to stay down.

’Who cares about the consequences? I got my kiss, that’s what matters. As long as I’m happy right now, it’s all good.’

Lynn was the type to live for the moment. The instant Ian had told her to go back, her mind had started spinning, figuring out how to trick him into having lunch with her and then seize the opportunity to get a little something for herself.

Ian stormed away, walking a long distance before he finally looked back. Lynn was nowhere in sight.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, and an unshakeable frustration was etched between his brows.

’Lynn had agreed to leave. He should have been happy about that.’

Ian rubbed his chest, which felt tight and pained as if he couldn’t quite catch his breath. After returning to the office, he locked himself in the break room, refusing to answer the door for anyone.

Zachary Quincy called him, but he didn’t pick up, so Zachary called Eugene Chandler instead.

Eugene glanced at the closed door of the break room and said softly, "Mr. Sterling went into the break room as soon as he got to the office and hasn’t come out since."

Jasper Jennings was with Zachary and overheard Eugene’s words. He looked down, fiddling with his lighter as a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.

Lynn had no idea how furious she had made Ian. She leisurely strolled through the nearby shopping malls and was even in high enough spirits to get a pretty manicure.

When she got home, Kiki was sleeping on the sofa. Not caring whether she was disturbing the pet, she went over, scooped it up, and smothered it with kisses.

Kiki, annoyed, tried to kick her away. Lynn knew Kiki well and dodged, then held out the back of her hand to the pet. "Look, isn’t it pretty?"

Kiki flicked its tail, thumping it against the sofa with a WHAP WHAP sound, and ignored her. But Lynn was in an excellent mood from having gotten the better of Ian, so she didn’t mind being ignored by Kiki. Humming a tune, she went upstairs.

Lynn decided to lie low for a few days to make Ian think she had really left. She chose to spend a few days having fun in a nearby city and would only return to Quartos before the Flowing Light Banquet.

And Ian Sterling truly believed that Lynn had left.

While drinking with his childhood friends, Jasper Jennings said, "We secured that plot of land, and I gave the video to Frank Wyatt."

Ian sat on a high stool, spinning it with one foot on the floor. He gave a noncommittal "mhm."

Zachary Quincy was playing mahjong with a few others. He took a moment to glance over at Ian before looking back at his tiles. "Something’s off with you lately."

Even he, as slow as he was on the uptake, could feel it. For the past few days, Ian had been acting like he’d just walked out of an ice cellar, radiating a glacial aura. He ignored everyone and had come to the get-together with a sullen look on his face.

Jasper scoffed and said sarcastically, not holding back in the slightest, "Any idiot could guess who it’s about."

Ian coldly lifted his gaze to glare at his friends, who were stifling their laughter. He pushed his glass away and stood up to leave.

"Why are you leaving? Feeling called out? Or do you just not like hearing the truth?" Jasper leaned back against the sofa and said lazily, "Since you’ve decided not to get back together, you should just chill out. Now that she’s not coming around to bother you, you’re still unhappy. You were petty when you were a kid, why are you still like this now that you’re grown up?"

Everyone present had grown up with Ian. They were all a few years older than him and were intimately familiar with his difficult personality from childhood. Hearing Jasper’s words, they no longer bothered to save Ian any face and burst out laughing together.

Ian gritted his teeth. "When was I ever unhappy?"

Zachary, arranging his mahjong tiles, retorted, "When have you ever been happy lately?"

"Fine, I’m just messed up, alright?" Ian spun around to glare at him, his voice dripping with self-mockery.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say. Now get back here and sit down. Let your big bro teach you a thing or two." Kenneth Keller stood up, pulled Ian over to the sofa, and pushed him down with a grin. "It’s just a woman, right? Hell, if you wanted a guy with three legs, your big bros could find one for you. Stop letting your brain chase after one woman."

Ian crossed his arms, his face cold, radiating an ’I don’t care what you say, I’m not listening’ vibe.

"If you still like her, then get back together," Jasper said, pouring him a drink and handing him the glass.

Ian turned his face away, refusing to look at it, and said coldly, "I don’t."

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