Chapter 263 - 261: Giving the Younger Brother a "Little" Shock

This was the first time in his life that Ethan Sterling had ever been to the Capital, Lorcain.

The moment he stepped off the plane, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath. It was just as the books described—every place had its own unique scent in the air.

Veridia’s was humid and sweet.

Lorcain’s, by contrast, was crisp and fragrant.

"Whoa, it’s so cold, Sis!"

In the underground parking garage, without the warmth of the terminal’s heating, the late-February Lorcain weather made Ethan Sterling shiver uncontrollably. He quickly pulled his leather jacket tighter around himself.

Cecilia Sterling, however, was perfectly composed. Wrapped in a cashmere coat, she watched her brother with an amused glint in her eyes. "I told you to change into something warmer in the restroom, but you refused. Did you think a northern winter was just playing around?"

"Our second sister bought this for me! It’s a genuine leather jacket, it’s supposed to be thick!" Ethan Sterling said, looking aggrieved. "How was I supposed to know the winter here is a raw, biting cold? It cut right through this leather jacket in an instant!"

Cecilia Sterling gave a helpless smile. "Then hurry up. The car is just up ahead!"

A moment later, when Ethan Sterling caught sight of his sister’s stunning Rolls-Royce Cullinan, he couldn’t help but gasp and rush forward. "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!"

He looked up at his sister, his eyes sparkling. "Sis, this car is so, so, *so* cool! A Cullinan! What are the specs? Is it the top-of-the-line model? That must be, what, a million?"

"Something like that," Cecilia Sterling said, popping the trunk and urging her brother to put the luggage in. "Hurry up and get in. You’re not cold anymore?"

Ethan Sterling grinned. "Seeing this car got my blood pumping!"

Once in the car, Ethan Sterling couldn’t stop squirming, as if he had ants in his pants. His mouth didn’t stop moving either. "Wow, Sis, luxury cars really are something else! This is my first time in such an expensive car. The seats are so comfortable, and there’s so much space! You have amazing taste! I’m surprised you picked this model, though. Don’t most girls like small convertible sports cars?"

"That’s just your stereotype of women. And besides, what’s wrong with liking convertibles? When I have some free time, I’ll buy one of those, too."

"Okay, okay. You’re right, Sis."

After he finished marveling at his sister’s car, Ethan Sterling turned his curious gaze to the Lorcain nightscape outside the window.

Veridia was also one of the country’s top-tier cities, its nights glittering with neon. The nightscape here in Lorcain wasn’t drastically different, but the streets and buildings were all unfamiliar. A pang of homesickness washed over Ethan Sterling once again.

But then he thought about how he would be living here from now on, even attending university here, and he felt a flicker of anticipation and longing for the unknown future.

However, the shocks his sister had in store for him were far from over.

"Oh my God!"

The car came to a casual stop in the garden. Ethan Sterling was still inside when he saw the massive, luxurious villa before him. He pushed the door open, his jaw slack, and got out. He looked around in disbelief, feeling for a moment as if he were in a dream.

He video-chatted with his sister occasionally, but he’d never thought to ask for a tour of her home in Lorcain. He’d heard their mother mention that his sister had bought a villa, and that it was big and luxurious, but he never imagined it would be *this* big!

’What’s the difference between this and a full-blown estate?’

"Sis, is this really your house?" Ethan Sterling was stunned. He couldn’t have even dreamed up a house like this.

Cecilia Sterling gently slapped the back of his head. "What a silly question. This isn’t my house, it’s *our* house. From now on, this is our home."

"Now hurry up and take your luggage inside, then go pick any room you like."

Hearing this, Ethan Sterling was so excited he looked like he wanted to pick his sister up and spin her around. He grabbed his two large suitcases and charged toward the villa’s front door.

Cecilia watched him go with a fond smile, remembering to call out, "The passcode is my birthday."

"Got it!"

Cecilia locked the car at a leisurely pace before heading inside. The moment she entered, she could hear her brother whooping and hollering in the living room, clearly overcome with excitement.

"Sis, this new house is amazing! I’d be willing to sleep on the floor! I’m definitely too excited to sleep tonight." Ethan Sterling was rolling around on the living room carpet. Feeling the warmth radiating from below, he asked in astonishment, "Sis, the floor is warm! Is this that ’underfloor heating’ they have up north?"

"That’s right. It’s underfloor heating. The entire villa has it, so every room is nice and warm." Cecilia walked over and gave her brother a playful kick on the butt. "It’s getting late. You still need to unpack, shower, and get ready for bed. You have to get up early to register at your new school tomorrow, so hurry upstairs and pick a room."

Ethan Sterling sprang to his feet from the floor with a perfect kip-up, then shot his sister a crisp salute. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Then he bounded up the stairs. "Be careful on the stairs in your bare feet!" Cecilia called out. "There’s an elevator on the side!"

In the end, Ethan Sterling chose a large room on the third floor, directly across the hall from Lily’s.

While her brother was busy unpacking, Cecilia went to the kitchen and boiled some frozen dumplings for them to have as a late-night snack.

At the dining table, Ethan Sterling looked at the dumplings in front of him and couldn’t help but comment, "Sis, it looks like you’ve really gotten used to living in the north. We grew up eating wontons, we hardly ever had dumplings."

Cecilia didn’t deny it. In her past life, she had lived in Lorcain ever since getting into university, so she had long since completely assimilated.

"There were only dumplings in the house. Tomorrow, I’ll hire a temporary cook for us through the property management’s service group. I’ll see if I can find someone who’s also from our hometown."

She was worried her brother wouldn’t be able to get used to the food here.

"I’ll be fine, Sis. I’ll eat anything, so don’t worry about me." Ethan Sterling flashed a sunny smile, looking completely unbothered.

But Cecilia knew his feelings today were all genuine. The wistfulness of leaving Veridia was real, and so was the excitement of being in a new city like Lorcain.

Especially with him starting at a new school tomorrow. Even though her brother was highly adaptable, no one could move from the south to the north and be expected to fit in perfectly right away.

She had been the one to make this decision, but truthfully, she wasn’t completely at ease herself. She just couldn’t show any weakness in front of their mother, who needed her strength more.

"Ethan," she began, "I know it’s a lot to ask you to transfer here so suddenly. But this was the most effective way to stop the Fultons from bothering you, and to stop Mom from worrying sick every day."

"If you find it hard to adjust at your new school, you have to promise to tell me. I’ll figure something else out."

Sensing the worry in his sister’s voice, Ethan gave her a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about me, Sis. I’ve already thought it all through. It’s only for the next three months, anyway. If the atmosphere at the new school is good and I can make some friends, that would be great. But if I really can’t fit in, it doesn’t matter. My goal is to get into a good university. This new school is just a temporary stop for me. My main focus will be on my studies, so none of the other stuff really matters."