Chapter 1151 - Dom, The Beauty King
The news stories about Rose Young's failed sinister plot against Jin Liwei and her subsequent daring but successful rescue from police custody were now just starting to die down. As for the murder of the four young men who were Rose Young's accomplices, the authorities decided to seal any information about them to prevent any unwanted leaks or interference during their investigations. The public only knew that four young men were murdered but didn't know that they were connected to Rose Young at all. Other news replaced these stories.
Nevertheless, Iris Long's name still kept on appearing in the headlines, regardless of her obvious withdrawal from showbiz after her marriage with CEO Jin Liwei.
Everyone was still talking about and celebrating the successful launch of Jin Chonglin's Prinz men's line with Orchidia Beauty and how he sold out all of his products in 2.69 seconds that night. Orchidia Beauty worked fast and immediately restocked but the Prinz men's line was still selling out like crazy. Jin Chonglin was now a record holder due to this.
While people were talking about Jin Chonglin's men's line, they also didn't fail to gossip about Iris Long's drastic weight loss as shown in her video message during the launch event. There were many speculations as to why she lost so much weight in a short period of time.
The most popular opinion said that all the stress of becoming the new Madam Jin became too much for her. They speculated that she was unable to handle all the duties and responsibilities associated with becoming the wife of an elite billionaire businessman like CEO Jin Liwei. Many sympathized with CEO Jin for marrying such a young and immature wife who had no skills in fulfilling the important role of Madam Jin.
Others said that her weight loss was a deliberate act on her part to gain the pity of the people after Rose Young tried stealing her husband right after they announced their marriage to the public.
Of course, these negative opinions were unforgivable to the Black Stars. They swarmed the web and attacked all those who badmouthed their Boss Iris. There was little to no distinction between the regular Black Stars and the group's infamous troll unit, Slippers Army, when it came to defending their goddess. All raised their mighty virtual slippers to whack the bashers to the deepest level of internet hell.
While all of these were happening, the Black Stars received good news. Their Boss Iris' official website and her social media accounts announced that the first ever international offshoot of the fan club was established.
"Welcome to the Black Stars, our fellow Singaporean brothers and sisters!"
"Raise your mighty slippers to this important milestone for our Boss Iris and to us, Black Stars!"
"I can't wait for the Singaporean unit of Slippers Army to form, too!"
In addition to this good news, CEO Jin Liwei also announced that his special contest would be extended in order to give more time for Black Stars Singapore to submit their own entries. Of course, he added more amazing prizes.
Now that there was a Singaporean offshoot of the Black Stars, they wondered which country would be the next to create a local version of the fan club.
"Isn't Assistant Dom a Filipino? Wouldn't it be awesome if he establishes Black Stars Philippines?"
"Great idea! If I remember correctly, Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin's song 'Shining Eyes' topped the music charts in both Singapore and the Philippines. It makes sense that there should also be Black Stars Philippines!"
"Calling for @DomtheBeautyKing to create Black Stars Philippines for our Boss Iris!"
"@DomtheBeautyKing I second the motion!"
It only took about an hour for Dominic Chua to make an official response to all their calls. He was also quite famous among the Black Stars and even in showbiz circles for being Iris Long's talented, loyal and flamboyant Filipino assistant. He was even featured in some fashion magazines for being stylish just like Iris Long. Iris was also very vocal in her friendship with her assistant, calling Dom her best friend.
At first, people thought that she was just saying this to appear nice. Then they all saw Dom as the man of honour in her wedding with CEO Jin Liwei as featured in the magazine à la Mode China. They had no choice but to believe that her assistant was really her best friend as well.
Dom posted his official response not only on his own social media account but also on Iris Long's official website, social media accounts, and of course, the Black Stars website.
"@DomtheBeautyKing: My handsome and beautiful self is regretting so much that I didn't think about establishing Black Stars Philippines first. Thank you, fellow Black Stars, for suggesting this idea to me. I should've already done this a long time ago. This is my carelessness. I promise to remedy this as soon as possible. I hereby announce to each and every one of you that I, the gorgeous assistant of our Boss Iris, Dominic Chua, will now do everything in my power to establish Black Stars Philippines. I can't wait for my fellow Filipinos to wave their mighty slippers (and high heels) for our amazing Boss Iris!"
All the Black Stars celebrated. Their family was growing and it felt wonderful.
This news story didn't make it into the headlines but the major entertainment news platforms still published and broadcast it as minor news, along with the story about the establishment of Black Stars Singapore.
Another minor news that didn't make a big splash but still garnered the interest of a small group of people, particularly the rich who belonged to high society, was the introduction of René Alejandro, son of the Spanish viscount who married Wei Lan.
His first official appearance to Chinese high society circles was during Wei Lan's charity dinner for Iris of Hope. Wei Lan, or Vizcondesa Lan as she liked to be referred after her second marriage, made his stepson as the guest of honour at her charity dinner.
René Alejandro charmed not only the ladies but also the gentlemen in the charity dinner. Although he was only adopted, his status was still significant because the viscount only recognized him as the heir. Unless Wei Lan gave birth to another child for the viscount, René Alejandro had no competitors to his father's wealth and legacy.
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Chapter 1152 - New Eligible Bachelor
After Wei Lan's charity dinner to raise money for her daughter's foundation, Iris of Hope, she began bringing her stepson René Alejandro to all sorts of social events. With him around, Wei Lan became even more in demand at various gatherings. Many befriended her despite her notorious past reputation because they wanted to get close to René Alejandro, the son of a Spanish viscount.
When they discovered that René Alejandro intended to stay in China for quite a while, he quickly became one of the top eligible bachelors in the country alongside Jin Chonglin.
Before Jin Liwei married Iris Long, he was the number one eligible bachelor in the country. It didn't matter that there were many rumours about him being gay before. Many were still willing to marry him even if those rumours were true because of his billionaire status. Marrying him was the ultimate shortcut to a life of luxury. Too bad that Iris Long managed to fish such a gigantic whale before anyone else, leaving the others who wanted to marry Jin Liwei disappointed and even heartbroken.
Jin Chonglin became the next top eligible bachelor, not only in the country but abroad as well where his fame reached. He was a superstar whom many were fantasizing to be their boyfriend, lover, and husband. In addition, his identity as the younger brother of billionaire CEO Jin Liwei also made him more desirable to a lot of dreamers hoping to marry him.
Another eligible bachelor was Lu Zihao. However, not many people were familiar with him. Most of the general public had no idea who he was. Only those who knew him as Sir Lu Jianhong's grandson were gunning to attract him as a prospective husband. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Now that René Alejandro entered the scene, almost all the young, unmarried ladies in high society wanted to forge a connection with him. Not only was he the only son of a Spanish viscount and heir to old, noble money, but he also founded his own cybersecurity company which was doing quite well abroad. In short, he was also rich in his own right even without depending on his adoptive father's wealth.
Wei Lan kept on showing him off as if René Alejandro was her own biological child. She wasn't even this enthusiastic when it came to her own daughter, Iris Long, back in the days.
This topic about René Alejandro was considered minor news but still quite important in the country's high society circles. If a Chinese lady married him, she wouldn't only become directly connected to Spanish nobility by marriage but would also enjoy her husband's wealth, not to mention the chance to give birth to beautiful half-Spanish children. These advantages alone were enough to raise her status in high society by several levels. Who wouldn't want to fight for this kind of opportunity?
While high society was clamouring to know more about René Alejandro, Jin Chonglin launched another high-profile eventâthe official grand opening of the country's newest entertainment company, LXC Studio.
Iris Long didn't attend again, citing health issues, but her husband, CEO Jin Liwei attended for both of them. He joined his younger brother in cutting the ribbon to the newly renovated building that they converted to house LXC Studio. The Jin brothers sat down with the journalists and other invited media representatives to answer some questions.
The focus was of course on the establishment of LXC Studio after Jin Chonglin and Iris Long both left their previous talent management company, Bright Summit. Even though the reporters wanted to make an issue between LXC Studio and Bright Summit, they couldn't. How could they when Bright Summit's current president attended LXC Studio's grand opening to openly show support?
"This is a question for CEO Jin," a reporter said. "Many of us want to know why your wife, Iris Long, hasn't shown herself to the public for so long since her marriage with you. Is she really ill or is there some other reason? If she's really ill, may we know what kind of illness she's suffering from?"
"My wife is ill and in complete bed rest," Jin Liwei answered. His expression was cold but his tone had a trace of gentleness when talking about his wife. "We're not ready to disclose her specific health condition yet. I want her to recover and become healthy again first before letting her clarify everything and return to work."
There were audible gasps among everyone present upon learning that Iris Long was in complete bed rest. Was her condition that serious?
Another reporter asked, "CEO Jin, did Iris Long become ill because of what happened to you? Or more specifically, when Rose Young, the former CMO of Jin Corporation, plotted to violate you?"
"Hey!" Jin Chonglin gestured for Lin Dong to stop the reporter for asking such a loaded question during what was supposed to be a day of celebration.
Lin Dong, now the Chief of Talent Management at LXC Studio, was about to move but Jin Liwei stopped him.
"It's fine. I'll answer the question."
"Big Bro, you don't have to," Jin Chonglin whispered to him.
"It's fine," Jin Liwei repeated. Then he looked at the reporter who asked him the question straight in the eyes, causing the intimidated man to back up a few steps. "My wife's health hasn't been the greatest even before our wedding, but you're right."
All eyes of the reporters present lit up with interest. They leaned forward, eager to learn more and afraid to miss any words from CEO Jin's answer.
"My wife fell ill the night that Rose Young plotted against me," he admitted. "In fact, she tried to run to where I was but her condition turned for the worse. Her doctor had no choice but to order a complete bed rest for my wife. That's why I can't forgive what the evil woman did. If it were only me, I might have let her off depending on how sincere her apology was, but since her actions against me caused direct harm to my own wife, I can't find it in me to be merciful."
Murmurs arose from everyone. The reporters were busy taking notes of what he said. After that, Jin Liwei refused to answer any more questions that wasn't related to LXC Studio.
In the end, the professional Jin Chonglin took over. LXC Studio's grand opening ended on a high note.
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Chapter 1153 - Sealed Invitation
"Welcome to our new home sweeeeeet hoooooooome~" Wei Lan twirled in delight inside the front hall of her new mansion. She looked like an excited little girl as she spun around. Then she suddenly stopped and became fierce as she strutted like the former model that she was before striking an alluring pose at the foot of the grand staircase.
Randy was ready and snapped several photos of her from different angles. "Beautiful! Stunning!"
Wei Lan stopped posing and checked the photos Randy took. "Ooooh! I like thiiiiiiis one and thaaaaaaat one. Ugh! What is thaaaaat?! Delete thaaaaaaat horror! Edit the ones I chose, Raaaaaaandy doll. Make sure to smooooooth out the wrinkles, okaaaaay? So uglyyyyyyy!"
"What wrinkles? All I see is an elegant and beautiful vizcondesa who looks as young as your daughter, Miss Xiulan."
"Oh, yoooooouuuuu!" She gave the Zumba instructor a playful smack on his muscled arm. Then she turned to face the large decorative mirror to check out her reflection. She smiled, extremely pleased at what she was seeing. "Indeed, sooooooo many people have been telling me lately that my daughter and I looooooook like sisters!"
"Do you want me to post these photos on your local blog and on Snappygram too, Vizcondesa?" Randy asked.
"Yes! Think up a smart-sounding status for meeeeeee. Okay, Raaaaaandy doll?"
"No problem, Vizcondesa."
While the two were preoccupied with creating the perfect status update to show off the new mansion, Yi Mei was directing the movers and the younger penthouse staff where to put the rest of Wei Lan's countless wardrobe items. These were basically the only things that Wei Lan brought from her daughter's penthouse to her new home. Almost everything in the mansion was newly bought from the furniture to the appliances and were all already set up by her interior design team before the official move today.
It wasn't Yi Mei's job to help out Wei Lan in her move today but the old housekeeper had surprisingly grown a bit attached to Wei Lan ever since the woman started temporarily living in her daughter's penthouse. Wei Lan was still narcissistic as always but her toxic personality had improved by leaps and bounds compared to how she had been prior to getting married to her new husband, the Spanish viscount. As long as Wei Lan didn't give trouble to the Young Miss Xiulanâno, she was the new Young Madam Jin nowâYi Mei didn't mind helping out the woman as needed.
"Yi Meeeeeeeei~" Wei Lan called.
"Yes, Vizcondesa," the old housekeeper replied and headed to where Wei Lan and Randy were hanging out by the staircase. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
"Are you suuuuuuuuure that you don't want to come with meeeeeeeee here? Look! My mansion is sooooooooo much biiiiiiiiiigger and beeeeeeeetter than my daughter's penthouse!"
"Thank you for your offer, Vizcondesa. I appreciate it. Really, I do. But this humble housekeeper is already so old. This mansion is too big that my old bones won't be able to keep up working here. Young Miss XiulanâI mean the Young Madam's penthouse is where I've already grown comfortable after working there for years."
Wei Lan pouted and sighed in a dramatic manner. "Fine! This vizcondesa has a biiiiiiiig heart so I won't force yoooooooouuuu if you don't want to leave thaaaaaaat little penthouse."
'What little? The penthouse occupies the entire two top-most floors of the condominium building. There are families struggling to fit everyone in a small box of an apartment and yet this tone-deaf woman calls a massive luxury penthouse in the city little?'
Yi Mei fought the urge to roll her eyes. Fortunately, her decades of experience as a professional housekeeper gave her the ability to maintain a neutral expression regardless of her true thoughts and emotions inside.
Then Wei Lan added, "I just wiiiiiiiish that my next housekeeper is as goooooood as you, Yi Meeeeeeei."
Yi Mei's mood improved after hearing the praise. She made a little bow before excusing herself to continue directing the movers.
Then the big main double doors opened. René Alejandro entered and immediately caught everyone's attention.
"Oooooooh, you're heeeeere!" Wei Lan beamed and waited for her stepson to come to her.
René Alejandro headed straight to her and gave her two kisses on her cheeks. "Mamá."
Then he greeted Randy and the others. He looked around the place and nodded in appreciation.
"You like our new hooooooooome?" Wei Lan asked.
"Yes, Mamá. It's just right for our family, no?"
Her smile became brighter when he said "our family". She tossed her perfectly blow-dried hair over her shoulder and felt proud of herself.
"Your bedroom is ready, my deeeeeaaar. Do you neeeeeed help in moooooving your stuff?"
"Thank you, Mamá, but no need. I'm already this big so I should handle my own things, no? I also have my brothers to help me. They're at the guest house right now and organizing their own things."
"Ooooooh! Do they liiiiiiiike it there?"
"Of course, Mamá. They love it, as I do."
"Excellent!" Wei Lan beamed again. "Go and join your friends, my deeeeaaaar René Alejandro. I'll have some snaaaacks and driiiiiinks sent to the guest house. Later toniiiiiiiight, we can have our first eveeeeeeer dinner at our new hooooooooome together with Raaaaaandy doll and your friends!"
René Alejandro agreed to her plan. He was about to return to the guest house when an unfamiliar group entered the mansion. He might not know the new arrivals but could figure out their identities based on their outfits. All of them were wearing sharp bodyguard suits.
The man leading the group greeted Wei Lan while handing her a huge bouquet of flowers. "Vizcondesa Lan, our master and mistress send you their congratulations on moving to your new home. Please accept their small tokens of housewarming and good wishes."
His comrades immediately presented Wei Lan an assortment of extravagant presents. There was even a key for a luxury car. It was obvious that the gifts weren't "small" tokens at all. Wei Lan didn't stand on ceremony and readily (almost greedily) accepted everything.
"Dear Liwei and my daughter sent all of these?" she asked.
"Yes, Vizcondesa. They also instructed us to give you this."
Wei Lan received a beautiful and elegant sealed invitation. René Alejandro also received one. The stepmom and stepson looked at each other. They had no idea what the invitations were for.
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Chapter 1154 - Befriend The Wife And The Husband Will Follow
After Jin Liwei's subordinates left, Wei Lan and René Alejandro opened the envelopes and read the invitations. Each of them received slightly different ones but both were handwritten. Based on the elegant and feminine penmanship, they must have been written by Iris herself.
On Wei Lan's invitation, it said:
"Dear Mother,
"We invite you to celebrate Christmas with us at our home at Dragon Palace Home #10 on the 24th and 25th of December. It will be a gathering of family and close friends only. Please confirm if you're able to come.
"Sincerely,
"Liwei and Xiulan"
René Alejandro's invitation was written in Spanish, impressing him. It said:
"Dear René Alejandro,
"We invite you to join us for a Christmas celebration with family and friends at our home at Dragon Palace Home #10 on the 24th and 25th of December. We are looking forward to finally meeting you in person. Please call us if you are able to come or if you have any questions about the Christmas gathering.
"Sincerely,
"Liam and Iris"
The corners of his mouth curved up. His dimples on both cheeks charmed everyone, especially Randy who kept on batting his false eyelashes at him. Nobody noticed the glint in René Alejandro's eyes.
"Fiiiiiiinally!" Wei Lan exclaimed while waving the handwritten invitation. "It has been a looooooong time since I last saw deeeeaaaar Liwei and Xiulan! I've been wanting to introduce yooooouuuuu, René Alejandro, for sooooooo looooooong. Now you can fiiiiiiiiinally meet your sister!"
"I'm glad that Iris and Liam extended an invitation to me even before meeting me," René Alejandro said. "This is a gathering for family and close friends only, yes?"
"Of cooooooouuuurse, they should invite you! You're faaaaaaamily too, René Alejandro. Even if they didn't invite you, don't wooooooorry, my dear, I would've still brought you with meeeeee. It's about time that my daughter meets her new broooooooother! Oooooh, I can't wait! Raaaaaandy doll, help me chooooose my outfit for the Christmas party. And oh, you're coming with meeeeeee!"
Randy shimmied in excitement. "Yay! We're going to look so fab!"
Wei Lan handed him her invitation. "You keep it, Raaaaandy doll. I might looooose it."
"No problem, Vizcondesa."
Wei Lan crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just soooooo confused why my son-in-law and daughter would make a biiiiiig deal and celebrate Christmas like thiiiiiiis!"
"Oh, I know the reason, Vizcondesa. When I was still holding Zumba classes for Miss Xiulan and the others, Dom mentioned to me that it's because of him that Miss Xiulan started celebrating Filipino-style Christmas. I heard that Christmas is a big deal in the Philippines. Miss Xiulan liked the first time she tried celebrating Christmas so much that she decided to make it into a yearly tradition at home."
"Is that sooooooo?" Wei Lan raised an eyebrow. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
"Spanish people also love Christmas," René Alejandro interjected. "Mamá, forgive Papá for not celebrating Christmas properly with you last year, yes? We were all so busy with work back then that we barely had any time to spend time with each other after Papá and Mamá married. I hope that we can also begin a wonderful Christmas tradition together as a family after Papá joins us here at our new home."
Wei Lan fished out a lace handkerchief from her expensive handbag and wiped her nonexistent tears. "That's such a sweeeeeeet idea, my deeeaaaar! Of coooooouuurse, we're going to do that! We're faaaaamily after all! Ooooooh! How I miss your dad sooooooo much!"
"I'm sure that Papá misses you so much too, Mamá." He smiled again, flashing his charming dimples and almost causing the macho Zumba instructor to swoon.
René Alejandro chatted a bit more with his stepmom and her best friend before excusing himself to return to the guest house. He smiled and nodded at the passing movers. When he finally reached the guest house, the smile on his face disappeared replaced by a predatory look. He clutched the invitation in his hand and headed to where his brothers gathered.
They had just finished setting up all of their computers and other hacking gears in what should have been the massive entertainment room. The pool table, mah-jong table, arcade machines, and video game stations were all pushed to one corner.
Everything was still disorganized but the former entertainment room was now starting to look more like a mission control centre. Although the guest house wasn't as large as the main mansion, it was still very spacious. They had more than enough room to fit all of their computers and gears.
"Staying in a luxury suite at a five-star hotel is cool and all but it's still better to have our own place," a brother commented. "I'm so glad that we can finally set up a more permanent base. It's so tiring to always drag our computers to different places."
"So true. And we don't have to worry about privacy and security here. We've already checked the entire place and secured it. Ah, so comfy!"
René Alejandro arrived. "Settled in, my brothers?"
"Not quite but almost."
He nodded and sat on a lounge chair. Then he waved the invitation in front of his brothers. They looked at him with questioning eyes. He tossed it to his nearest brother. The others crowded to read the contents of the invitation together.
"Yes! Finally!"
"We'll finally enter the next stage of our plans."
"Good luck, brother! I heard that Liam Jin is a tough nut to crack but I know that you can charm him."
René Alejandro raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "If he's really a tough nut to crack then it'll just be a big waste of time trying to get close to him, no?"
"But you have to befriend him. That's the plan."
"I know." He smirked. "You know the key to get close to Liam Jin?"
Some of his brothers looked confused while the others appeared to know the answer.
"Befriend the wife and the husband will follow," he said with flourish.
"Ah."
"Makes sense."
One of them, however, was doubtful. "Will that really work? What if Liam gets jealous and think that you're stealing his wife?"
"That'll depend on my ability, no?"
René Alejandro didn't look worried at all. He was already looking forward to the Christmas gathering at Dragon Palace.
This was a mission that he couldn't afford to fail. He was determined to succeed no matter what or suffer the consequences.
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Chapter 1155 - Breakthrough
Dragon Palace Home #10.
With the help of Theresa Blipsburg's initial treatment, Iris' complexion quickly became rosy again. Her mood also improved a lot and she felt less bored, although this might be attributed to the presence of her friends from Cross Academy. Theresa had been shocked when she took a look at Iris' medical records with Iris' private doctor.
"Goodness, Xiulan! You're having twins?!" Theresa was impressed as she looked at Iris' small and flat waist. Then she turned serious. "Expecting twins increases possible complications especially if the mother has weak health. We need to be more careful and really focus on making you healthier so that the babies could safely grow inside your womb and be born as close to your full term as possible. It's going to be uncomfortable but bear with it."
"I understand, Theresa," Iris replied. "I trust you and I'll follow whatever you think is best for my health and that of my twin babies."
Theresa left some important instructions to Iris' private doctor before flying back to her lab at Cross Academy using Jin Liwei's private jet. She was going to make customized supplements for Iris and also ask for her mentor's advice on designing the best treatment plan for the delicate Iris who was pregnant with twins.
Florence O'Sevan also said goodbye to Iris and the others because she needed to return to India. Although the inventor wanted to stay with her friends longer, her latest sustainability project in India was reaching a critical stage. She hoped to complete it before the end of the year. It would benefit several impoverished villages in the country in terms of giving alternative jobs and also give more options to the youth in those areas to escape poverty.
In addition, she still needed to confirm the pledge of some of the wealthy Indians who promised to sponsor the education of the young students from the poor villages. She had to make sure that the pledge wasn't just empty promises. If possible, Florence wanted to sponsor all of the children herself but her personal financial capabilities were limited compared to her other Cross Academy schoolmates.
The funds that the academy was providing her were spent almost all on her research and inventions. Being an inventor was an expensive undertaking after all, especially for someone like her who focused more on sustainable alternatives. Compared to using cheap mass-produced materials like plastic, inventing something new but also renewable was almost always guaranteed to be more expensive. Not always, but most of the time.
It was safe to say that Florence O'Sevan was the poorest among the current students at Cross Academy. Though this was only relative to her fellow Cross Academy students. When compared to regular people in many parts of the world, she definitely had a very privileged lifestyle.
Iris had always been impressed by Florence O'Sevan's work not only as a brilliant inventor but as a visionary of a better planet for all future generations. Now that she was a mother, she hoped that her children could grow up in a better place.
"You are one of my inspirations why I decided to create an all-natural beauty company," she told Florence. "If you need additional funding, I'm always willing to invest in your projects because I believe in your work. My own foundation, Iris of Hope, can also offer help in your charitable missions."
"Thank you, Xiulan." Florence looked a little embarrassed but she still accepted Iris' offer. After all, she really needed more funding in order to complete her current project on schedule without any delays or sacrificing quality.
"Give me the investment information of your project. I'll review it and discuss it with my financial manager. Then I'll let my financial manager coordinate with you."
Florence was teary as she thanked Iris again. She left for India that same day after handing Iris all the relevant information about her current sustainability project and charitable mission. Iris offered to send her on another one of Jin Liwei' private jets but Florence declined. Instead, she flew via regular commercial airline on economy class.
With Theresa and Florence gone, Iris felt a little sad. Being forced into bed rest for half a month made her appreciate others' company more. Fortunately, the others decided to stay longer. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Amanpio Kileksky was always at Orchidia Beauty. It seemed that he was working on something new with Alric Bauer. Iris knew what they were working on from Ketchup's gossipy reports. She didn't stop Amanpio from disrupting Alric's current work because the two men's collaboration would still end up benefitting her Orchidia Beauty anyway. If a genius inventor like Amanpio was willing to inject something new and innovative into her company, of course Iris was going to let him!
As for Ashandra Knightson and AJ Zheneres, they assured Iris that they were going to accompany her for longer before returning to Cross Academy. The three of them were having fun spending time together despite staying in the mansion. Still, Iris encouraged them to enjoy other places as well.
While Ashandra and AJ went out to visit some tourist spots, Iris was listening to her AI children's reports. It seemed that there was finally a breakthrough in Zhu Ning's case.
Important evidence that another person was the mastermind of the bombing incident at the mall and not Zhu Ning surfaced. It was actually Bacon who unearthed the evidence from the clues that Iris compiled in the protected e-folder that she handed to ShaWn.
"Mother, Bacon has confirmed that Eagle contacted Tian Kong first. I have traced their initial correspondence. There were subsequent communications between Tian Kong and another hacker but Bacon is having trouble retrieving them."
Iris' expression was serious. "You already did a great job, Bacon. I bet the other hacker is El Payaso, that old guy. Don't poke around him too much. That old guy is very cunning. You and Ketchup are still far from reaching his level. Wait for me to recover and I'll show you firsthand how to fight him."
"Understood, Mother." Bacon's tail rotated into a blur. It was obvious that his mother's praise made him happy.
"So it seems that I was really the main target for that bombing," Iris muttered.
She felt disturbed especially after remembering all of the innocent victims who got injured that time alongside her, Dom, and Jin Chonglin.
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Chapter 1156 - Bring It On
"Mother, please give Bacon permission to destroy that Tian Kong and everything around him. How dare he bomb my mother? He deserves to be bombed back into bits for the evil scourge that he is to humanity." The black cat AI's golden eyes narrowed and glinted like a predator about to attack his prey.
The white, fluffy cat beside him also hissed, baring her shiny fangs and extending her sharp claws. Ketchup's attempt to appear threatening, however, failed big time. Her overdramatic exaggerations and expressions that looked so much like Iris just wouldn't allow her to appear anything other than adorable.
"The cute and mighty Ketchup also wants to beat up that evil poopoo-head Tian Kong for hurting Mommy! Ketchup's mighty paws of justice will smack that stinky bomber to the deepest level of poopoo hell! Mreow!!!"
Iris was also too angry that she didn't correct her AI children's vicious words. Her anger was more due to the fact that so many innocent people were injured, including Dom and Jin Chonglin, just because someone wanted her dead. Target her alone! She would face the bastard and fight. Why involve so many others?
The smartwatch that Theresa Blipsburg gave her blinked. It looked more like a sleek platinum bracelet than a smartwatch.
"Mother, your heart rate is increasing. Please calm down. Bacon will put off destroying the bomber for now."
She closed her eyes and focused on taking deep, even breaths. It was only when her heart rate returned to almost normal that her AI children stopped nagging at her. She opened her eyes and cast a cold look at the ceiling.
"Continue your report, Bacon."
Her cat AI son obeyed. Bacon revealed that he unearthed deleted surveillance video footage of suspicious people scouting the mall about a week before the bombing. Another person dropped off the bomb close to the mall so that Tian Kong could pick it up.
"Uncle Zihao is already hunting for the people shown in the surveillance footages, Mother."
"Does your uncle have any leads on the identities of those people?" Iris asked. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Bacon's golden eyes glowed brighter before returning to normal. "Yes, Mother. Two of the men who scouted the mall have been identified as people employed by Jin Chenggong when the traitor still belonged to our Jin clan before Father kicked him and his entire branch family out. Uncle Zihao thinks that all of the scouts were the traitor's people."
Iris gripped the duvet as her nostrils flared. "Jin Chenggong? He's involved? Does your dad know about this?"
"Yes, Mommy! Ketchup immediately told Daddy as soon as my little kitty brother Bacon discovered this evidence! Daddy was super-duper to the highest level mad like an evil dragon! Oh, sooooo scary but the cute and mighty me approves! Meow!"
"What's your dad doing now?"
"Father is currently at Shadow Winds headquarters beating up the traitor. Mother, please don't stop Father. The traitor deserves to be beaten up for being party to endangering Mother."
Iris let go of the duvet and once again focused on regulating her breathing. Once she was calm enough, she told Bacon, "Don't let your dad kill that snake. Jin Chenggong isn't worth it to stain your dad's hands with dirty blood. There are punishments that are worse than death."
"Understood, Mother. Bacon will relay your words to Father now."
The black cat AI disappeared before returning a few seconds later.
"Done, Mother. Father says that he understands. He also says not to stress yourself too much and leave everything to him and Uncle Zihao."
"Oh oh oh! Ketchup and Bacon too, Mommy! Relax and leave everything to Daddy, Uncle Haohao, and us kitty babies! Love ya lots, Mommy! Please don't get hurt anymore. Meow~"
Iris sighed but there was a soft smile on her face. The cold fury she was feeling dissipated by a lot although it didn't completely disappear. Despite this, she still felt frustrated that she was unable to do anything helpful to aid in solving all of these problems that her family was experiencing. She wanted her bed rest to end so badly.
"Alright. I trust in all of you."
Bacon's tail rotated into a blur and his golden eyes glowed so brightly that Ketchup pretended to shield her green eyes with her fluffy paws. While the two AI siblings were messing around with each other, Iris couldn't help but wonder who wanted her dead.
Was it Jin Chenggong?
Maybe but not likely.
The Young family?
They had the biggest motive to murder her because she was on the way of their ambition to instate Rose Young as Jin Liwei's wife.
How about the mysterious group backing the Youngs?
There was too little information known about this dangerous force. If the group was really specifically targeting her with the intention of killing her off, she didn't know why they would do that. What was their motive? What benefit would they receive upon her death?
Therefore, at the moment, she believed that it must be the Youngs who ordered her murder. They must have used Jin Chenggong to assist Tian Kong in the bombing incident to kill her along with all the innocent people who attended her mall show with Jin Chonglin. This way, the incident would be labelled as a large-scale terrorist attack instead of targeted murder. Then they found a scapegoat in the form of Zhu Ning who had been very vocal in her hatred for the mother and daughter, Wei Lan and Iris Long.
And they almost pulled it off. For sure, there were some loose ends, but as long as no evidence contradicting the current setup surfaced, their plan would've succeeded without any hitch.
Too bad they encountered Iris Long who was secretly a world-class hacker and her two powerful AI children. Iris with the help of the multitasking Ketchup and ShaWn laid the groundwork in collecting, organizing, and performing the initial analyses on the evidence they gathered. Then Bacon used all the information to successfully unearth parts of the important evidence in the truth of what really happened.
Iris sneered.
"Very good, Young family. First, you want Rose Young to marry my husband. Then you want to steal Jin Corporation. And now you want to murder me? I didn't die in my past life to only end up being killed by insignificant ants like you. You want war? Bring it on!"
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Chapter 1157 - Cunning Old Guy
Both Ketchup and Bacon looked pumped after hearing their mother's aggressive words of challenge. Ketchup wanted to keep on chattering but Iris stopped her to allow Bacon to continue with the rest of his report.
Afterwards, Iris felt disappointed that they were unable to find any concrete evidence to prove that the Youngs were the true masterminds behind the bombing incidents in the attempt to kill her off. Not yet, at least.
If it were only Eagle who was protecting the despicable Young family, then Iris was confident that it wouldn't take this long for her side to solve everything once and for all. The presence of El Payaso, however, was a huge curveball that she hadn't expected. Although not completely impossible, it would be many times harder to dig for evidence when El Payaso was protecting the Youngs.
The last time that she battled as Fantom against the cunning old guy was just before her death. She had won, of course.
There were times that she had lost against El Payaso before but those were when she was trying new techniques that she hadn't perfected yet. In short, she basically treated El Payaso and the other old guys as her hacking sparring partners. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
El Payaso wasn't very innovative but he was definitely a very tough and persistent opponent. If a hacker was impatient or had fragile ego, then he or she would never win against El Payaso. The old guy's specialty was in playing with his opponent's mentality. He excelled in using feints and dirty, deceptive tactics to one-up and eventually crumble his opponent's confidence. He also didn't shy away from using despicable methods.
Nevertheless, Iris still respected the old guy's skills as a hacker. He was definitely one of the best in the world, no doubt about it. Before Fantom came into the stage, there was already El Payaso maintaining his position as one of the top hackers in the world for years.
It wasn't only him. The other old guys were also very impressive. She learned a lot from challenging and battling them over the years. All of them were already recognized by everyone in the hacker world as some of the best in the world. She as Fantom was the youngest to join their ranks, hence why she referred to them as the old guys.
Back to the present, she once again emphasized to both her AI children to be careful and not to poke around El Payaso too much. Now that she knew that El Payaso was involved with the mysterious power backing the Youngs, she had to be extra cautious. El Payaso would definitely want such highly advanced and sophisticated AIs like Ketchup and Bacon if he ever discovered them.
Iris was looking forward to battling against El Payaso again. She couldn't wait to recover from her bed rest and regain normal mobility. She wanted to know how their current levels compared to each other. Most importantly, she wanted to use the opportunity of battling against a top-level hacker to train both Ketchup and Bacon. She was especially interested in testing the various applications of Bacon's new abilities after his unexpected evolution to become the power flood.
Next, it was Ketchup's turn to report. Hers was simpler than Bacon's but still managed to talk longer because, well, she was Ketchup, the chatterbox.
At the end of her long chatter, Ketchup finally said, "Mommy, Daddy is now on his way back to Jin Corporation to meet up with Atty. Kang Huizhong. Daddy says that Mommy shouldn't worry about the old hag Zhu Ning's case anymore. Atty. Kang is now in the process of getting her out of jail with the evidence that Bacon unearthed. Meow~"
Iris didn't look too interested. "Who's worried about that woman? Not me. If it weren't for my deal with Long Jian, I wouldn't bother helping Zhu Ning."
After chatting with her AI children, Iris decided to take nap. Her drowsiness was something that hadn't improved at all since she became pregnant. She instructed Ketchup to wake her up half an hour before her virtual lesson with Professor Kalisha Schwarz.
All the problems regarding Zhu Ning, Jin Chenggong, the Youngs, the mysterious power backing them including Eagle and especially El Payaso had to wait. Taking care of her health and that of her twin babies took priority over anything else.
Iris fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
###
"Thank you, Robin," Long Jinjing thanked the female assassin as she climbed out of the car.
Although the way Long Jinjing viewed both Robin and Shun changed since learning that they were an assassin and a former yakuza member respectively, she still tried her best to treat them the same way like before. She was afraid of them of course, but at the same time, she couldn't forget how the two took special care of her on behalf of Lu Zihao.
At the moment, Robin drove her to Orchidia Beauty's factory. Ever since Lu Zihao revealed Shadow Winds to her, he persuaded her to limit the times that she had to drive on her own. Instead, he wanted either Shun or Robin to chauffeur her if he wasn't available himself to do so. It was for her safety, he said.
Lu Zihao went somewhere today. According to Bacon, he went to search for the accomplices in the bombing incident that injured Iris, Dom, Jin Chonglin, and hundreds of fans and other people who only happened to be at the mall that day.
Long Jinjing was worried for Lu Zihao's safety but she also wanted the accomplices to pay for their crime. She still felt complicated about discovering the true nature of Lu Zihao's work. Her moral values continued to clash against her love for him.
"Welcome, CFO Long," the factory manager greeted her by the front entrance.
"Thank you." Long Jinjing temporarily swept all thoughts of Lu Zihao and his recent shocking revelations out of her mind to focus on work.
The manager led her inside the factory. It was usually Chen Fei or sometimes Iris who performed regular inspections at the factory but both were unavailable today. Chen Fei was busy attending publicity events with Jin Chonglin while Iris was still in bed rest. Long Jinjing had to step in and do the inspection herself today.
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Chapter 1158 - Buy Something For My Boyfriend
Everything was fine during the inspection. The factory management was meticulous in following Orchidia Beauty's safety standards and quality control, especially since both Iris and Chen Fei who did the inspections before were both strict.
Iris treated people nicely but she was also very straightforward in pointing out any mistakes or deviations from her vision for her business. Her perfectionism was the most severe among the so-called Orchidia Beauty's trinity of goddesses. Since she was a perfectionist, she held high expectations of everyone working for her company. She had no qualms temporarily shutting down the entire factory if she ever found any problems that might lower the quality of Orchidia Beauty's products.
Similarly, Chen Fei had an innate bossy personality. She liked being in control and not afraid to show it to everyone. Like Iris, she was also very blunt but her words were much more poisonous. The factory employees were actually more afraid of her than Iris because of her vicious tongue. Despite this, she never crossed the line into verbal abuse territory. She knew her limits.
Compared to the two of them, Long Jinjing was considered to be the gentlest and most reasonable among the executives of Orchidia Beauty. Only when money was involved that she would turn fierce.
The factory manager looked relieved that it was her who came to do the inspection today. There would be no critiques in improving the already high standards in the factory from President Iris Long and no severe tongue lashing from COO Chen Fei. Nevertheless, Long Jinjing still took the inspection seriously and followed the official protocol.
After ensuring that everything in the factory was within Orchidia Beauty's high standards, Long Jinjing said goodbye to everyone and left. Robin was waiting for her outside with the car. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
"Where to, Miss Jinjing?" Robin asked.
Long Jinjing looked at the time on her wristwatch. It was already late in the afternoon. There was no point in returning to the company because she already completed all her tasks today. She could go home now but thought of something. She smiled.
"Please drive me to the grocery store," she said.
"Okay, Miss Jinjing."
The car started moving. Long Jinjing fished out her phone from her purse and called Lu Zihao. There was no answer. She pursed her lips but didn't feel disappointed. After all, he was doing important work by catching the accomplices in the bombing accident. She didn't attempt to call him a second time, but just as she returned her phone inside her purse, he called her. She immediately answered.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"N-nothing. I just missed you."
Silence.
"Uhm, sorry for disturbing you. I just want to ask if you'll still be able to make it for our date tonight. If not, it's okay...."
"I'll make it tonight but I might be late. At your place, right?"
"Yes...."
"Hm." There was some muffled noises on his side.
"I won't disturb you anymore. Continue what you're doing. But please stay safe, okay?"
"Hm, I will."
"See you tonight, NikâZihao." She quickly corrected herself upon remembering that Robin could hear her.
"See you."
"I love you," she whispered.
"I miss you," he whispered back.
His voice was so sexy that something melted inside her. Her breathing accelerated and so did her heart rate.
The phone call ended. Although he didn't say that he loved her back, she was already happy that he admitted that he missed her.
She saw Robin glancing at her through the rear-view mirror. When she looked at her reflection on her window, she was taken aback by the stupid grin on her face. Her face and neck heated up from embarrassment. She tried fighting the smile but it couldn't be stopped. In the end, she gave up and just continued smiling like an idiot until they finally arrived at the grocery story.
Robin accompanied her inside. Long Jinjing bought ingredients for her dinner date with Lu Zihao tonight. She planned on cooking for him. There were a lot of meat dishes in the menu. He liked eating almost anything that had meat in it. She wasn't worried of cooking too much because Lu Zihao could finish eating everything served on the table all by himself. She noticed that his appetite was always impressive.
For tonight's dinner date, she requested that they do it at her condo. She didn't feel comfortable cooking in her sister and brother-in-law's huge, professional-grade kitchen. The people cooking there were literally certified chefs. She would only feel intimidated if she attempted to cook there.
In addition, she knew that Lu Zihao liked having sex with her after dinner. He said that she was his favourite dessert. Although everyone at Dragon Palace could already figure out that the two of them were sleeping together, she still felt shy.
The most important reason why she insisted that they stay at her place tonight, however, was because she wanted to be alone with Lu Zihao. She promised to woo him and that was what she planned on doing. Staying at Dragon Palace where many eyes were watching would just make her too self-conscious. It was better to execute her plans in the comfort of her own home. That way, she could feel braver in wooing the man who she hoped to become her husband and the father of her children in the future.
After she and Robin packed all the grocery bags inside the car, she saw a menswear boutique across the street. She told Robin to wait for her in the car and crossed to the other side by herself.
She stood in front of the boutique and hesitated for a moment before finally going in. A female sales associate greeted her and offered to help.
"Uhm, I'm looking to buy something for my b-boyfriend. Can you please recommend something nice?"
The associate recommended a bunch of items. Most of them were clothes. Long Jinjing didn't think that they would suit Lu Zihao at all. If they were for her brother-in-law Jin Liwei, then they would be perfect, but not for Lu Zihao. She was about to give up when a tall figure stepped in front of her view and handed her a simple yet high-quality leather belt with a solid metal buckle.
"May I suggest this?" the grey-eyed, foreign white man said with a smile.
Long Jinjing stared at the deep, charming dimples on both his cheeks.
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Chapter 1159 - Niggling Feeling
"Uhm, thank you," Long Jinjing said in a small voice. She took the leather belt and avoided the foreign man's gaze while taking a few steps away to create some distance between them. He was so tall, taller than Lu Zihao that he seemed to be invading her personal space by just standing there and looking at her.
"You're very welcome." The man smiled, making his dimples appear deeper on both his cheeks.
The female associates in the boutique kept on stealing glances at him. They straightened their postures and made quick adjustments on their hair and clothes in the hopes of attracting his attention. Their attempts, however, were all futile. The handsome, foreign man's eyes were all on the lone female customer of the boutique at this time.
Long Jinjing studied the leather belt and could immediately imagine Lu Zihao wearing it. The belt was simple yet appeared very masculine. Its thick, metal buckle looked durable but also luxurious at the same time. She glanced at the foreign man who recommended it to her. He had good taste, she admitted.
However, she still decided not to buy this particular belt. She chose another similar one instead with a different buckle design. This was because she felt uncomfortable buying something that the strange, foreign man recommended for her own boyfriend. Nevertheless, she still continued holding the belt, not wanting to appear rude by discarding it immediately after someone just recommended it to her. She would just leave it off at the cashier later.
Long Jinjing didn't want to stay at the boutique for too long but didn't want to leave empty-handed either. It was difficult to decide which ones to buy but she eventually chose a leather belt, a pair of leather gloves, and an all-black cowl scarf that could also function as a face mask.
She chose the last item because it might help Lu Zihao hide his identity by covering his face when doing...whatever he did for work. Her moral values screamed at her for choosing such a gift, making her feel a little guilty like an accomplice to a crime. She forced the feeling out of her mind and instead focused on the growing anticipation for her dinner date with Lu Zihao tonight.
While she handed all three of her chosen items to the female sales associate, including the leather belt that the foreigner gave her earlier (which she planned on ditching at the cashier later), a huge shadow blocked her from behind. She was startled and released a little shriek.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" The foreigner asked her with kind eyes and a smile.
She patted her chest and could feel her wildly beating heart.
'Calm down, Jinjing!' she scolded herself and flushed in embarrassment under the gaze of everyone in the boutique who witnessed her overreaction.
"I...I'm fine. I'm just naturally a little j-jumpy. Please don't mind it and continue with your shopping. I'll be off first."
She walked away, not waiting for him to respond to her excuse, and headed straight to the cashier area to pay for her chosen items. There was a weird niggling feeling at the back of her mind. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was but she was sure that it was because of the foreign man. For some reason, there was something about him that bothered her.
It wasn't because he was giving her bad vibes. Well, yes, he was emitting some bad vibes but not in a perverted way. On the contrary, she sensed something familiar about him. It was confusing her so much. For now, she decided to avoid interacting with the foreigner. They were strangers anyway and wouldn't see each other again after this.
The man, however, didn't seem to realize that she was avoiding him. He followed her to the cashier while another sales associate helped ring up his items. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
"Great choices," he commented while looking at her purchases. "I bet your boyfriend will love all of them because a beautiful woman personally chose and bought them for him. He's a lucky man, no?"
Despite wanting to distance herself from the foreigner, she couldn't help but smile upon hearing his compliments. Her thoughts were immediately filled with Lu Zihao. She was imagining his reaction once she gave him the presents that she was currently buying for him. They weren't anything too expensive or rare but she hoped that he would like them just because she chose them for him.
"Thanks," she whispered.
He flashed a bigger smile and the effect was immediate. A few sales associate lost control and squealed. His smile just magnified his handsomeness.
Only Long Jinjing turned her head away and avoided looking directly at him. Deep inside, she admitted that the man was indeed handsome.
'My Nikolai is more handsome and more masculine.'
Her thoughts calmed her down. She finally finished paying for her items and took the shopping bag. The man also finished up at the cashier and took his own shopping bag. She walked away quickly but he was faster. He soon overtook her and opened the door for her.
"Thank you," she said to be polite.
"My pleasure. It was lovely meeting you today. By the way, my name is René Alejandro. May I also have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful lady?"
She flushed at being called a beautiful lady to her face. Still, she was hesitant in giving him her name. "Uhm...."
"Miss, are you finished?" Robin appeared and reached over to carry her shopping bag. "Shall we go home now?"
"Ah...y-yes!" She glanced at the foreigner who introduced himself as René Alejandro. But before she could say anything to him, Robin took her arm and pulled her away like a child.
Once they were gone, René Alejandro stayed standing in front of the boutique. There was a slight smile on his face, yet his eyes were devoid of any emotions. Passersby couldn't help but pause walking to look at him. Some even took photos and videos of him. He wasn't worried at all. In fact, he wanted his presence as René Alejandro, the son of the Vizconde of Castillo de Estrellas of Spain, to be known across China.
A few minutes later, a sports car parked beside him. He got on it and it sped away to the admiration of the spectators.
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Chapter 1160 - Suspicious
Inside the car, Long Jinjing began feeling nervous at Robin's silence. Although the female assassin didn't look angry at her, she could still feel some tension in the air.
"Uhm, Robin....?"
"Miss Jinjing, I apologize for pulling you like that earlier." Robin quickly turned her head to look at her in the backseat and gave her an apologetic smile. "Did I hurt you?"
"N-no! It's fine. I didn't mind it at all. And no, I'm not hurt. Actually, thank you for appearing that time. That foreigner...uhm, he kept on talking to me and it made me a little...uncomfortable."
Robin's eyes narrowed and something dangerous flashed in them. "Did he hit on you, Miss?"
"Uh, n-no...I don't think so." Then she remembered the foreigner calling her a beautiful lady.
"Are you sure, Miss?"
She hesitated but still decided to be truthful. "He called me beautiful a couple of times but I think that he's just...complimenting me and not, you know, uhm, hitting on me."
Robin sighed. "Miss Jinjing, I know that it's not my place to tell you what to do but I advise you to be careful when interacting with other men who look like they might have ulterior motives for getting close to you. Boss Hao ordered Shun and me not to let other men sniff around you. We don't dare disobey him. Please understand."
"Okay, Robin. Don't worry. I'll talk to Zihao and tell him not to be jealous of every male around me. Also, it's not like I'm going to cheat on him with another man." Then she muttered, "He should have more trust in me."
She pouted and sighed while looking at the urban view they were passing by outside her window. Her mind was filled entirely with thoughts of Lu Zihao. The encounter with the foreign man at the menswear boutique was already pushed to the back of her mind. However, Robin brought the man up again.
"Miss Jinjing, don't you recognize the foreigner?"
"Huh? Do I know him?" Long Jinjing frowned and thought about it but came up blank. "He said that his name is René Alejandro but I don't know anyone...hm? Wait, his name sounds familiar. Where did I hear about it before?"
"He's Madam Wei Lan's Spanish stepson."
"Oh." Long Jinjing's eyes widened in realization. "Yes, I remember the name now! But I didn't know what he looks like until now. How did you know?"
"It's part of my job to know these things, Miss. Boss Hao insists on it."
"Oh, I see." She was silent while pondering about the matter. "Robin, do you think that René Alejandro knew who I was?"
"It's possible, Miss Jinjing, but we can't also rule out the possibility that he doesn't know about you. After all, it's Miss Xiulan who's the daughter of his stepmother and not you."
"That's true."
"But of course, it's better to be cautious regardless of the possibilities. We don't know much about that Spaniard except for his public information."
Long Jinjing nodded. After learning about Shadow Winds and the criminal nature of their business, she told herself to be extra careful of everything. She didn't want to betray Lu Zihao and his people even by accident. He loved him too much to do that.
"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Robin."
"Don't mention it, Miss."
The drive to her home was relaxing after their conversation. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
###
"What happened, brother? Your face has the expression whenever you find a new chick that you want to fuck."
René Alejandro chuckled after hearing his brother's comment. He was sitting in the front passenger seat while one of his brothers was driving the sports car. They were now headed home to the new mansion.
"Not quite accurate but close. Guess who I met today."
"Who? Didn't you have an appointment with a few local rich kids who you met at your stepmom's charity dinner?"
René Alejandro sneered. "I'm not talking about those spoiled brats. They're around the same age as us but they have the mentality of toddlers. It's already a challenge for me to endure their shallow company. It'll be an insult to my intelligence if I keep on talking about them even in private, no?"
"Then who are you talking about?"
"Long Jinjing."
"Who? Oh, you mean Iris' half-sister? The CFO of her company, Orchidia Beauty?"
"Yes." René Alejandro shared how he encountered the woman at the menswear boutique. "I immediately recognized her so I followed her. She's not bad. Not drop-dead gorgeous like Iris but she has her own charm. Haha. She's like a skittish mouse in front of me. Cute, no?"
His brother raised an eyebrow before whistling. "You want to fuck her?"
He sighed. "That would be nice but she has a boyfriend. Tsk tsk."
"But that never stopped you before."
"Haha! True. But you know that I can't mess around this time. I need to worm my way inside Liam and Iris' inner circles. Jinjing belongs to one of those inner circles so I can't play around with her even if I wanted to. It's a different story if she approaches me first though. That would be interesting, yes? Hahaha."
"Just smile at her. Women will immediately spread their legs for you once you show them your dimples."
"Haha. We'll see."
"By the way, who's her boyfriend?"
"I think it's still Hunter. One of his female subordinates that we identified in our files pulled Jinjing away from me, looking like a Mama Bear protecting her cub. If I remember correctly, she should be the one called Robin."
"Oh? She's still dating that scarred bodybuilder? But our reports said that they should've already broken up because they hadn't met for a while."
René Alejandro shrugged. "Getting back together with an ex is possible, no?"
"True. But brother, that Hunter guy and his subordinates are suspicious. We can't dig anything more about him. And his background history is also weird like Iris. Both of them had drastic change in their personalities after waking up from coma. It's like the two of them turned into completely different people."
René Alejandro drummed his fingers on his knees while thinking. "I'll find out what caused their personality change once I get close to them. Hunter is a target as well because he's the grandson of Lu Jianhong."
"Good luck, brother. He looks like a tougher nut to crack than Liam."
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