The reception didn't end on a particularly high note.
As it was a wedding banquet attending by many seniors from both the business and political spheres, Edward Sterling didn't dare to do anything too outrageous. However, being scolded by Ethan Caldwell made it impossible for him to hold back. Or perhaps it was Julian Sterling's sudden "uprising" that caused Edward to lose control. Consequently, for the latter half of the party, his face remained dark and sullen.
Eventually, the news reached Richard and Catherine Sterling. Before the couple could say a word, Ethan had already taken Julian's hand and walked up to them, offered a brief farewell, and left. He even stated bluntly that he would send someone to collect Julian's belongings and bring them to their new marital home, making it clear that Julian would not be returning to the Sterling residence.
Although they didn't make a scene, Julian's parents knew all too well that this "son-in-law" had significant grievances with their family.
...
Since both of them had been drinking that night, Ethan called his assistant, Oliver Quinn, to drive them.
Perhaps because there was an outsider present, Ethan didn't mention what had happened earlier. Julian sat to one side, turning his head to gaze at the scenery passing by the car window.
The night view of Saint Lawrence City was breathtaking; the brilliant city lights outshone even the moon. Julian watched the scenery for a while before letting out a soft sigh. In Ethan's eyes, this demeanor made him look exactly like a child disappointed by the adults at home, sitting in a corner feeling aggrieved and blaming the world.
In reality, Julian was simply reflecting on what had just occurred.
Earlier, he had taken a moment to browse the web on his phone to see what had made Edward so angry. He didn't know who had the audacity to post directly on the Saint Lawrence University forum. The content was quite dramatic, essentially detailing how miserable Julian's fate was: swapped at birth and living in hardship for over a decade, only to struggle his way back to his biological family, where he found a cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest. And that cuckoo was thick-skinned enough to take everything that belonged to someone else, claiming all the credit for the good deeds while pushing the blame for the bad ones onto the real young master.
The language wasn't vulgar, but it was dripping with sarcasm.
It seemed Edward had already tried to intervene but found no way to suppress the topic. Saint Lawrence University had its own influence and respected the freedom of its students. As long as the information didn't damage the school's reputation, break the law, or spread fabrication, they wouldn't delete it. Therefore, even if Edward tried to use the power of the Sterling family, it was useless.
Julian lowered his head to gaze at the tips of his shoes, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile as he silently muttered two words: sheer stupidity.
If Edward himself couldn't touch the Saint Lawrence University forum, did he really think Julian was capable enough to find a student from that school and get them to post it?
Only current students had the right to post on the Saint Lawrence University forum; outsiders were not permitted to start new threads.
However, Julian truly didn't know who had posted that information.
If one were to say Aaron Sterling wanted to frame him, that wouldn't make sense either. To put it bluntly, this method would only invite more attacks on Aaron and offered him no benefit. Saint Lawrence University placed great importance on personal image. Regardless of whether Aaron was the victim of this cyber-bullying, the fact that he stubbornly remained in the Sterling household was the truth.
In the eyes of many, Aaron had stolen over ten years of parental love that belonged to Julian. By all rights, he should have returned it to Julian by now, rather than staying put and hogging the affection of the Sterling family.
The tipping point of the matter was Aaron being accepted as an intern at the Sterling Group, while Julian was pushed into an arranged marriage.
Although the Sterling family hadn't publicly announced who Julian was marrying, in the eyes of those online, Julian was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn being sent away. Meanwhile, the fake son was still pampered like a biological child.
Overall, this long post was like a slap straight across the faces of Aaron and the Sterling family.
The person who benefited most was Julian.
No wonder Edward didn't even bother to think it through and immediately assumed Julian was the culprit.
Julian suddenly felt a bit tired. He felt as if this world was a giant, tangled ball of yarn; he held one end of the string but didn't know where the exit was or how he should proceed.
At present, he had no money, no power, and no ability.
Suddenly, a warm hand grasped his. Julian looked up to meet Ethan's calm gaze. Ethan pulled him into his embrace and patted his back gently. "Sleep for a bit. We won't be home for a while."
Julian pursed his lips, gave a very soft hum of agreement, and buried himself in Ethan's arms.
Oh well, for now, he would just take things one step at a time.
Their marital home was Ethan's private property - a high-end apartment located in the city center. It was quite close to where Ethan worked, but rather far from Saint Lawrence University. Initially, Grandpa Arthur and Ethan wanted to find another apartment closer to his school for convenience. However, Julian later said he wanted to transfer schools anyway, so they decided to stay here for the time being.
By the time they arrived, it was nearly ten o'clock at night.
Even though it had been an intimate gathering, Ethan had consumed a fair amount of alcohol. After all, in the business world, relationships were often built at the dinner table.
He had been fine at the party, but upon returning home, Ethan began to feel slightly dizzy. He spoke briefly to Julian, telling him to shower in the master bedroom while he took a towel to the guest bathroom.
Julian showered quite quickly.
He hadn't drunk any alcohol today - at most, he had just touched his lips to the glass. Therefore, Julian was quite sober. After drying off, he stood before the mirror and examined his face for a moment.
This body was not only petite and exquisite, but the skin was also very tender. Although Edward hadn't used excessive force, Julian's face was still slightly swollen and flushed red.
Julian pursed his lips, used the tip of his tongue to push against his cheek, and narrowed his eyes slightly, his thoughts unreadable.
A moment later, Julian reached for the soft velvet bathrobe hanging on the rack and draped it over his body.
When Ethan returned to the room with a towel wrapped around his waist, he saw a young boy burrowing into his duvet. The boy's left cheek was slightly red. Hearing footsteps, he shifted slightly to sit up. The silk robe, being too large, gaped open slightly, revealing glimpses of two reddish points behind the black fabric. The boy called out softly, "Ethan."
Ethan felt the alcohol surge again, making his entire body heat up. He involuntarily swallowed.
Yet, the troublemaker seemed oblivious. He turned over in bed to make room for Ethan, but because his movement was too vigorous, the blanket lifted, exposing a pristine white ankle against the jet-black bedsheets.
The bathrobe he was wearing belonged to Ethan, so it was several sizes too big. One shoulder had slipped down, and the hem was in disarray, concealing some parts while revealing others.
"I didn't bring any clothes, so..." He looked shy, his toes curling and his cheeks flushed crimson as he spoke softly, enunciating every word. "Could you lend me a set of clothes? I... I don't have anything to wear..."
"I already called Quinn to go to the Sterling house and pick up your things," Ethan's voice was husky as he walked toward the bed.
Hearing this, Julian nodded. He watched Ethan prepare to climb into bed and scooted to the side. Then, as if a thought struck him, his face turned bright red. Seeing him like this, Ethan felt his own body temperature rising.
"What's wrong?" Ethan leaned down to embrace Julian, letting the boy lean against his solid chest, and whispered the question.
He watched as Julian's face grew redder and redder, the flush spreading down his neck and turning his cute little ears crimson.
Unable to resist, Ethan kissed the rim of Julian's ear.
In response, the body in his arms trembled slightly.
Julian tilted his head back to look at him, his large, round eyes glistening with moisture. In terms of appearance, the "skin sack" Julian possessed in this life was absolutely top-tier. White skin, red lips, and fluffy black hair that curled slightly. When he first transmigrated, he had been a bit thin, looking rather sickly.
But in recent weeks, due to his frequent "interactions" with Ethan, the Sterling family had taken better care of him, and Ethan often took him out to eat. As a result, Julian had gained a little weight. It didn't negatively affect his looks; on the contrary, it made him look more beautiful, his body well-proportioned with a little meat on his cheeks.
Ethan lowered his head and kissed those lips, which were as red as the sunset clouds.
Julian squeezed his eyes shut.
At first, the kiss was very gentle. Ethan's lips caressed his, soft yet accompanied by a tingling sensation that sent a numbness down Julian's spine.
He knelt on the bed, wrapping his arms around Ethan's neck, tilting his head back to accept the kiss that was tending toward something more savage.
Julian was kissed until he couldn't breathe; his chest heaved, and his eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
The sound of lips and tongues intertwining filled the air, turning Julian's ears a deep red.
He leaned hazily against the man, feeling the heat radiating from him. His own body felt like dry grass catching a spark, gradually heating up.
Without realizing when it happened, Julian was pushed onto his back, the man's solid body pressing down on top of him.
Ethan temporarily spared his flushed red lips, replacing the contact with the sound of Julian's panting breath. He looked at the boy for a moment, chuckled softly, sucked a few times on the slightly upturned lip, and then gradually moved his kisses lower.
"Mmm..."
Ethan's lips lingered affectionately on his neck, making Julian feel ticklish. He tried to lift his upper body slightly, placing both hands on Ethan's shoulders to push, but he had absolutely no strength.
Seeing this, Ethan laughed softly. He used his hands to lift Julian's hips, pulling the boy's legs to wrap around his waist.
When his hand slid further down, his eyes suddenly darkened.
He dared to not wear underwear?
Seeing Ethan's pitch-black gaze, Julian buried his face in the blanket in embarrassment and mumbled, "I told you I didn't have any clothes..."