Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 61: Accompany Me as a Formailty

"Huh? Right now?"

"What time is it anyway? Are you sure the store’s still open?"

When Ian Preston mentioned taking Thea Lynch to buy pea cake, Silas Cheney was dumbfounded and motioned for Sean Bell to check the time.

Sean Bell: "It’s almost midnight, it’s already closed."

Silas Cheney looked at the freshly awakened Thea Lynch, "Why the sudden craving for that stuff in the middle of the night?"

Even this late, the pea cake wasn’t too hard to find. Many shops or street vendors still sold it, surely they could find one still open.

The problem was, Thea was picky and only wanted the original store of that old brand. Even the branch stores weren’t good enough for her.

None of them particularly liked this dessert, and they couldn’t taste the difference between the original store and the branches. After all, they were part of the same brand, what could be different? But Thea insisted, only the original store tasted good.

Though they voiced their lack of understanding, Silas and Sean were already standing up.

Silas put on his jacket, grabbed his phone, and asked Donovan Ryan, "Isn’t the original store just near your shop? Do you have their number? Find it."

She didn’t move, and Ian gently held her hand, leading her out.

——

Sitting in the car with the wind rushing past, the waves of emotions in Thea’s heart began to calm.

Deep down, she knew that like before, it wasn’t really the pea cake she craved.

She simply wanted to confirm something, to test their reactions, to fill the void of her vanishing sense of security.

She always thought she no longer needed these things.

But the sense of loss and emptiness upon waking from that dream, combined with her growing emotions after seeing her brother today, forced her to quickly face reality.

Every person is an independent entity; in this world, no one is indispensable to anyone else, even the best relationships. Cracks will always be dents, irreparable.

Thus, she could cut off contact with them for many years and live well on her own.

But now, that strong sense of belonging, that blatant favoritism, was impossible to ignore.

She realized her source of security still emanated from them.

It had never changed over the years.

She always remembered her brother’s words when he was at military school. Unable to come out often, he had urged her to seek Ian and the others if needed.

Back then, she was only in primary school.

Many classmates envied her, saying she had many brothers, with different ones picking her up every day after school. Spending so much time with them, her brother remarked she was becoming more spoiled, habits indulged by them.

Her brother’s words were indeed true.

She grew up in a big courtyard, her parents lived outside, and she only saw them once or twice a week. So, those who most spoiled her were these few people.

Thinking about it now, even the most ill-tempered Ian had never been angry with her back then.

"How about we just forget it?" Up front, Sean was driving, and Silas was on the phone.

Hearing this, Silas didn’t hang up, immediately replying, "Why let it go? Tonight, we have to make sure you get some."

"It’s too much trouble," she laughed, "I could just have it tomorrow. I was just casually mentioning it."

"It’s not like getting stars or the moon, so what’s the trouble?" Silas remained relaxed, "It’s just a dessert, why wait until tomorrow."

"It’s not just about wanting a piece of pea cake. Since you’ve spoken up, we have to live up to being called your brothers."

He turned around with a meaningful look at Ian, "Right, Third Brother?"

"Even if you really wanted stars or the moon, just say the word, and I’m sure Third Brother here wouldn’t need our help. We can only do these insignificant little things."

"The rest can’t compare to Third Brother, though."

After hearing his words, Sean couldn’t help but laugh abruptly. Silas knew what he meant and shot him a glare, signaling him to shut up.

Thea glanced at Ian, surprised to find he was also looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly before Thea looked away first.

She no longer spoke, just lowered the car window a bit, leaning on it, watching the bustling Crown Avenue outside.

As they arrived at their destination, Sean and Silas got out of the car together.

"Third Brother, you and Thea wait here for a bit, we’ll go get it." Silas’ words halted Thea’s attempt to get out of the car.

The surrounding quiet was somewhat unsettling for Thea.

Turning her head, she started a conversation, "Did you guys visit my brother while I was away?"

Not expecting her question, Ian’s expression blanked briefly before he replied:

"Yes."

"Did you go together?"

"Yeah, we made sure to go on his birthday and during Spring Festival every year."

In recent years, the few times they gathered were mostly to visit Aaron Lynch. Only then did they talk a little.

The focus of conversation inevitably revolved around Aaron and Thea, never escaping the sibling pair.

"Did you do the same for my parents? You must be busy during the Spring Festival." Thea’s smile was somewhat bitter.

Back then, her brother was supposed to be buried beside their parents.

But in the end, their grandfather decided to keep him in the cemetery among other comrades.

So, the cemetery where her parents lay and the graveyard where her brother was ended up being in opposite directions, spanning across Coronet City. If caught in peak traffic, a round trip could easily take the whole day.

Thinking about how busy they were every New Year, yet making time to visit her parents and brother, Thea felt both sad and amused.

"Not just that," Ian seemed to truly be reminiscing, "During Spring Festival, there’s also a trip to Westmere."

"..."

Oh, right.

Thea remembered, her grandparents had mentioned Ian would visit them over New Year too.

"When do you usually go? Is it on the first day?"

"I head over on the evening of the first day and return on the second evening."

In the region between Coronet City and Westmere, there’s a tradition of visiting grandparents on the second day.

Ian’s maternal grandfather was Grandpa White, who lived in the same large courtyard, just two minutes away, not necessarily requiring a visit on the second day itself.

Thus, on the second day, Ian typically spent time dining with Thea’s grandparents in Westmere.

She couldn’t quite describe the feeling stirred within her, asking casually: "When you’re not home on the first day, Grandpa Qin and Grandpa White must’ve been upset, didn’t you tell them you went for me?"

"No, just took a couple of scolding words, that’s all." His tone was nonchalant.

Thea: "..."

She mumbled, "Why not mention it? If you’d just said it was for me, they wouldn’t have scolded you."

Once they knew it was because of her, Grandpa Qin and Grandpa White surely wouldn’t hold it against him.

"Looking at it this way, I seem to owe Third Brother quite a bit, I’ll have to find an opportunity to properly thank him."

Not to mention all else, she was genuinely grateful to Ian for helping her and her brother with their elders; his attentiveness was real.

"I’m going to Briggate for a business trip next month, might catch an auction. By then, Third Brother, see if there’s anything you like, and I’ll bring it back for you."

"No need for things." Ian lightly tapped his fingertips on the armrest, fixing his deep gaze on her silhouette, "But there’s a formal dinner next week I can’t dodge. Care to accompany me just for the appearance?"