His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1241
It was finally time for dinner.
Jin Liwei asked Dom to wake Wang Yingjie, Meimei, and Ice Cream. Wang Yingjie looked alert despite having slept for only a few minutes. Meimei appeared more energetic but her dark circles, eye bags and pallor still made her look like a zombie. As for the lazy Ice Cream, the fat grey cat looked grumpy at being disturbed from her precious beauty sleep (as usual) but immediately demanded for her Uncle Dom, a.k.a. Slave #1, to carry her after hearing that it was dinnertime.
Everyone moved to the adjacent hall where they were greeted by delicious food served in buffet tables. It wasn't just a simple buffet though. There were also ten chefs in their own stations who would prepare their specialties in real time. Kid and cat-friendly options were also available for the children and the cats.
The aroma of all the food was mouth-watering. It was like entering food paradise. Even someone like Wei Lan, a former model who strictly controlled her diet, couldn't wait to gorge herself tonight after seeing all the inviting food. All of them felt the same way except for one.
As soon as Iris stepped inside, her face twisted and she gagged. She covered her nose and mouth before rushing back to the room that they had been before. The mishmash of aroma in the air was just too much for her. She couldn't take it.
A worried Jin Liwei followed her back. "I knew that you're going to feel sick. I told you to stay here and wait for me to get you food."
She pouted and pressed her face against his chest, inhaling as much of his scent as possible to cleanse away the tainted smell from her nose. "I thought I'm going to be fine."
He sighed and stroked her hair. "Wait for me here. I'll go get us food."
She nodded.
"Let me do it, Sir Boss!" Dom interrupted from behind them. "I'll get food for both of you instead so that Sir Boss doesn't need to leave Boss here alone."
Jin Liwei nodded his thanks. Seconds later, he received a video call from Dom and Clover. The siblings used the camera to show the wide selection of food to the couple and asked them what they wanted to eat.
Dom and Clover joined Iris and Jin Liwei to eat dinner together but sat a little farther away. Their actions didn't escape the others' notice. Most of them also wanted to sit with Iris and Jin Liwei but Grandma Li stopped all of them.
"If all of us go there, the smell of our food will only make Xiulan feel sicker," she said. "Let's just stay here and let my grandson and Reina's children take care of her."
Reina Chua nodded. "Dom and Clover will bring whatever food Xiulan and Liwei want. Also, we're going to join each other again later when it's time to distribute the presents."
"Pwesents! Pwesents!"
"Yay! I want pwesents!"
Little Jun and Marjorie's son both became excited as soon as they heard that presents would be distributed soon. Jiang Ying Yue and Marjorie had to calm their sons first in order to continue feeding them. Marjorie's daughter was older so she wasn't as vocal but the excitement was still clear in the little girl's eyes. The cats, Ice Cream and Popcorn, were busy eating their own food at a corner away from the hustle and bustle of people exploring the variety of dishes. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Back to the other room, Iris consumed soup first to ease her nausea and unsettled stomach. She didn't have that much of an appetite after being disgusted by what she smelled in the adjacent hall. Still, she did her best to eat as much of what she could swallow as possible. It was a struggle at first but her stomach gradually warmed up. She felt better and ate more.
"Ask Bacon what time Grandpa Lu, Big Brother and Big Sister are going to come," she whispered to her husband.
Jin Liwei used the concealed earpiece to do what she asked. He listened to his AI son's report before sharing it to his wife.
"Thank goodness that they're going to arrive before dinner ends. We can save food for them if they really miss it but it's not fun if they don't join us for dinner."
"En."
After finishing off their first plates, Iris and Jin Liwei slipped away and walked somewhere else.
On the way, she asked, "Darling, what's your impression of René Alejandro?"
"He has good manners," he replied.
She waited for him to say more but he didn't. "That's it?"
He shrugged. As long as René Alejandro didn't covet his wife, he would be polite to the Spaniard. So far, he was satisfied that the man didn't allow his eyes to linger on his wife for too long. René Alejandro also seemed to get along well with his younger brother and fourth brother. Overall, he didn't have much of an interest in the Spaniard.
However, he noticed the contemplative look on his wife. "What's the matter, love? You don't like him?"
She nodded.
Both his eyebrows rose before his expression became serious. His wife must have a reason why she didn't like René Alejandro who she only met today. Their interactions with the Spaniard so far were few and far between. René Alejandro interacted with Jin Chonglin and Yu Mo the most.
"He hides it well but the persona he's showing us isn't the real him," she said. "I don't know how to explain it to you in a way that you'll understand but...I sensed a familiar feeling from him."
He frowned. "Familiar feeling? You think that you've met him before?"
"That's not it. I'm sure that I have never met him before."
"Then...how?" He was confused and waited for her to explain.
"He somehow feels similar to some of the best agents from, you know, our family organization back then."
His frown deepened.
"But he also feels different at the same time." Her eyebrows scrunched as she struggled to find the right words to express her thoughts. "Think of a chocolate bar. One is a classic dark bittersweet chocolate with almonds while the other is a milk chocolate with a tinge of peanut butter flavour. They're similar because they're both chocolate but still smell and taste differ from each other."
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1242
"Does that make sense to you?" Iris asked with a tilt of her head.
Jin Liwei paused and thought about it first. "I think I get what you're trying to say. Somewhat."
He wanted to ask for more clarification but saw that his wife was now distracted. She appeared to be thinking about something while swallowing and even licking her lower lip.
Her expression reminded him of the way she would look at him whenever she was aroused and he stood naked in front of her. His eyes darkened, thinking that his wife wanted to get some action with him. He was about to whisper some words of seduction to her ear and pull her to the nearest empty room but her next words dashed his hopes.
"Talking about chocolates is making me crave for some." She licked her lips again. "Let's hurry up, darling. I want to eat some brownies."
Jin Liwei stiffened upon realizing that his wife was craving for chocolates and not his body. Dammit! Were chocolates more delicious than him?
"Hm? What's wrong, darling?" Iris shook his hand when he didn't reply.
He sighed and released a dry chuckle. Then he fished something from his pocket. It was a bite-sized chocolate. He now had the habit of filling his pockets with sweets ever since his wife became pregnant. He unwrapped the small chocolate and fed it to his wife's waiting mouth.
"Mmm~" Iris closed her eyes and literally looked like she was having an orgasm.
Jin Liwei's eyes darkened even further. This time, he was the one who swallowed hard. A familiar something below his belt also started hardening.
"Is it delicious?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
Still in the middle of savouring the sweet taste of the chocolate on her tongue, she automatically nodded after hearing her husband's question, not realizing his change of mood.
"Can I taste it, too?"
"Huh?"
She finally looked at her husband but before she could complete her movements, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her for a hard kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth and swept inside. She moaned and was about to respond when he pulled away.
"Sweet." This time, he was the one who licked his moist lips while staring straight at her dazed eyes. "But not necessarily delicious."
She blinked a few times, frowning.
"My wife is sweeter and more delicious than any chocolate in the world," he said.
Her frown disappeared in an instant, replaced by a smile.
"How about you, wife? Which do you think is sweeter and more deliciousâchocolates or me?"
Her smile widened. "Guess."
"Me, of course."
She giggled but quickly restrained herself and scoffed, pretending to be critical of his claim. "From where did you get your confidence?"
He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her ears. "Naturally, from my wife's love. I know that she loves me the most."
"Your wife sounds like a great woman."
"Indeed. She's the best. Nobody else in the world can compare to her."
Iris couldn't stop herself from smiling. Her arms wrapped around his waist while she enjoyed her husband flirting with her.
"So, wife, do you agree that you love me more than chocolates?"
She didn't reply but tightened her arms around his waist.
"Chocolates can only give you momentary pleasure from the sugar high, but I can give you longer-lasting pleasure that will blow your mind." He punctuated his words with a slow but firm grind of his hips.
Iris immediately felt his erection on her belly. She gasped and looked up at him.
"You pervert!"
Although this was what she said, she looked just as hungry as him. The way they looked at each other was as sensual as sizzling foreplay.
"Let's do it quick?" he whispered the seductive suggestion directly to her ear and began nibbling on her earlobe, making her shiver.
She was tempted but her wits stayed with her. Looking around, the hallway was empty. Still, she could sense the presence of patrolling guards who most likely only hid themselves to give her and her husband some privacy.
"I would love to do it, darling...."
His eyes lit up. He licked her ear.
She shivered again and wanted to continue what they were doing somewhere else but sighed in regret.
"...but it's not the right time. We have guests waiting for us. We're the ones hosting this Christmas gathering. It's rude to leave everyone hanging without completing what we planned for tonight. The kids are looking forward to receiving their presents. Also, I still want to see Grandpa Lu, Big Brother and Big Sister tonight. I want to know how everything went for them."
Jin Liwei released a big sigh of regret as well. His erection was uncomfortable but it couldn't be helped.
She patted his cheek. "Just wait and we'll do it later in bed. Okay, darling?"
"You'll be too exhausted by then, love."
"Then tomorrow morning?"
"Okay." He bent his head down and pecked her lips. "Don't worry about me anymore, love. I can bear it. Let's go. Bacon just said that Grandpa Lu and the others have entered the village gates. They'll be here in about half an hour."
They hurried to their destination. It was the hall where Iris and Jin Liwei held their wedding banquet. Buffet tables and another ten chefs in their own specialty stations were displayed. The space was larger and the food much more abundant here.
"Master!"
"Mistress!"
"Sir!"
"Madam!"
Their staff greeted them. There was a lot of them, hence Iris and Jin Liwei chose the staff Christmas gathering in this large hall. Despite this, the staff members still had to take turns to eat and have fun because some of them were still on duty. A few of them already started their holiday break but returned just for today to join the Christmas gathering. The rest would also take turns having their holiday break in the next few days so that the mansion wouldn't be left empty.
It was livelier here compared to the gathering that the couple were holding for their family and friends, mainly due to the sheer number of their staff. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Iris looked around and felt happy to see the staff enjoying themselves. They were playing various parlour games. She and Jin Liwei provided the prizes which were comparable to the Black Stars' three-nation bonanza earlier this month.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1243
Iris and Jin Liwei interacted with their staff for a few minutes but stayed near the entrance away from the buffet tables due to the smell of the food. Yi Mei and the other staff from the penthouse came to greet them as well. Iris was happy to see them again.
Then the couple announced that everyone would receive additional holiday bonus as thanks for their loyalty and quality service. Everyone cheered and thanked their sir boss and lady boss.
The couple was satisfied after seeing their staff's happiness. Jin Liwei marvelled at the sight and the feeling. Before his wife came into his life, the mansion was like a necropolis. Everything was cold and lifeless. His staff never dared to express any emotions in front of him, much less openly celebrate like what they were doing now.
He didn't see anything wrong about it back then. Now, however, he was grateful for the existence of his wife in his life. Without her, he would still live in a colourless world devoid of warmth and true fulfillment like this.
Similarly, Iris had never experienced anything so festive like this in her past life as Evelina Vetrova. Most of the credit for teaching and showing her how to have fun on special occasions should go to her best friend and assistant, Dom. Without Dom's insistence, she wouldn't even bother celebrating these special occasions that she didn't think important enough to her own passions in life.
On the way back to the Christmas gathering with their own family and friends, the husband and wife were both preoccupied with their own thoughts of gratitude for the huge, positive changes in their lives.
Most of their guests were still mingling with each other while enjoying the food in the buffet hall when they returned. The kids and the cats already finished eating and were circling the presents spilling under the Christmas tree. Yes, even the lazy Ice Cream joined in the fun, perhaps because she had energy after eating.
"Mama, Papa!" Little Jun noticed their arrival and ran towards them.
Jin Liwei scooped up the toddler and carried him in his arms.
"Junjun pwesents!" Little Jun pointed at the presents.
Jiang Ying Yue reached them with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about this. He's getting impatient."
Iris waved her concern away before glancing at the time. "The kids will feel sleepy soon. I think we should distribute the children's presents ahead of time before they become too tired to stay awake."
Marjorie also reached them while carrying her own toddler on one hip. Her daughter was busy playing with the cats by the Christmas tree.
"Is it okay if we do that?" Marjorie asked. "My son isn't as well-behaved as Little Jun. I'm afraid that he might throw a tantrum if he doesn't get his presents soon. Such a brat."
"Of course, we can do that," Iris replied and glanced at her husband.
"En." Jin Liwei nodded.
Since the hosts of the Christmas gathering already gave their permission, Dom and Clover immediately made a show to hunt all the presents addressed to the children and cats from the large pile and distribute them accordingly. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
Little Jun received the most presents but Marjorie's children still received a lot. Of course, Ice Cream and Popcorn weren't forgotten.
Children would still be children, though, and cats would be cats.
The two toddlers, Little Jun and Marjorie's son, quickly lost interest in their other presents after receiving robots and toy cars. As for the cats, they didn't care much about the contents but were having an absolute blast playing with the empty boxes and wrapping papers.
Only Marjorie's daughter was old enough to appreciate all of her presents. She burst into tears upon receiving a portable mobile gaming device complete with a variety of popular games appropriate for her age from Iris and Jin Liwei. She leaped to her feet with joy and hugged both Iris and Jin Liwei.
"Thank you so much, Auntie Xiulan and Uncle Liwei! You're the best! How did you know that this is what I wanted for Christmas?"
"You're welcome, sweetie," Iris told her with a smile. "Your Uncle Dom told us."
Jin Liwei patted her head. "Don't forget to study hard."
The girl nodded while beaming before skipping to her father, Paul Ferrer, to ask him how to set up and operate the gaming device.
Seeing the children so joyful in opening and playing with their presents, everyone was in a good mood.
Even René Alejandro who only met everyone today prepared something for Little Jun and the cats. He didn't know about Marjorie's children so he hadn't brought anything for the two beforehand. He asked Jin Chonglin and Yu Mo for advice and they helped him get some empty red packets from the butler. He filled them with money and handed them to the children.
Afterwards, he could feel that everyone's impression of him improved a great deal. This was proof that showing gentleness and kindness towards cute children and animals would earn good feelings from others.
He glanced at Jin Liwei and Iris to see their reactions. The husband and wife both had neutral expressions. He felt a little disappointed.
The door opened for the latecomers. René Alejandro watched as Iris became excited and moved to run to the new arrivals before Jin Liwei stopped her. The Spaniard also became excited upon seeing the new arrivals.
Finally.
His other main target, Lu Jianhong, had arrived. Lu Zihao and Long Jinjing followed behind the old man.
The place was soon filled with the boisterous, booming voice of the old man plus the loud, painful-sounding smacks he gave the men in the room. René Alejandro's eyes widened when even the legendary hitmaker, Enrique Valdez, was smacked in the back. What was even more amazing was that Enrique Valdez accepted it in good spirits.
Then the old man's eyes fell on him, René Alejandro.
"Oh? Who's this kid? Tell me, I want to know!"
Wei Lan squeezed her way forward and grabbed René Alejandro, introducing him to the old man as her beloved stepson, the one and only son of her viscount husband.
Lu Jianhong looked at him from head to toe and back up again. René Alejandro stayed still. For some reason, he held his breath as faint panic rose inside him under the old man's sharp eyes.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1244
It was a good thing that the old man's nerve-wracking scrutiny didn't last long. René Alejandro released the breath that he had been holding. Lu Jianhong grinned at him and then suddenly began smacking him on the back. He was shocked by the force at first, especially since he wasn't expecting it at all. Such an old man and still so strong, Lu Jianhong was quite impressive for his advanced age.
"Welcome, kid! Are Liwei my boy and Xiulan my girl hosting you well tonight? Tell me, I want to know!"
René Alejandro smiled at him while allowing himself to be smacked. "Thank you, Sir Lu. Yes, please do not worry. They are wonderful hosts, as I'm sure everyone here will attest, no? All of you are so kind that I feel like I'm having Christmas with my own family."
"Good! Very good!"
The old man narrowed his eyes at René Alejandro who continued smiling at him like there was nothing wrong. Mischief flashed in the old man's eyes. Then the smacks became louder and heavier, making the surrounding people wince. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]
"Sir Lu must tell me about your secrets in maintaining your youth, yes? You are as strong as a bull. I want to be like you when I reach your age. And hopefully, I reach that age."
"Bahahahahaha! Not bad. Not bad at all! Bahahahaha!"
The old man gave him a final smack on the back. It was the hardest and heaviest. The sound was so loud that some thought René Alejandro should have flown across the room and crashed against the wall. When he didn't and maintained an amiable smile on his face, even managing to look relaxed, they were quite surprised.
All of the men who received the old man's smacks looked like they were going to vomit their internal organs, including Jin Liwei. Only one had ever been able to take the smacks without any change in expressionâLu Zihao.
And now, another one appeared.
For René Alejandro, the smacks were really nothing. Yes, he could feel the impact but his sturdy body hardened through training and experience since childhood didn't allow him to register pain in the same way as normal people did. Compared to the countless life and death experiences he went through in life, the old man's smacks were almost ticklish for someone like him.
"You have quite a solid body," Lu Jianhong commented. "Like my grandson! Haohao, come here and meet this sturdy, Spanish kid!"
René Alejandro glanced behind the old man and saw a big, muscled man. His breath caught in his throat as Lu Zihao's dark eyes bored down on him like a charging bulldozer. The man was huge. René Alejandro was already tall but Lu Zihao towered over him not only in height but also in build. Those muscles were simply incredible. They were definitely bigger and bulkier than average Olympic-level athletes but sleeker and more natural than hardcore bodybuilders.
These thoughts weren't at the forefront of René Alejandro's mind, however, because he was too busy dealing with the man's domineering aura. His pupils contracted.
For some reason, an image of a vengeful, dark and evil emperor appeared in his mind and looked like it was going to swallow his consciousness. The image sent a chill up his spine which stunned him.
'This!'
His mask almost cracked before the old man smacked his grandson's back next. The sounds alone indicated that the smacks he was giving Lu Zihao were the hardest and heaviest out of all the smacks he gave the others including René Alejandro.
"Why are you scaring your third brother and little sister's foreign guest, huh? Tell me, I want to know!"
Lu Zihao retracted his aura, an apathetic expression on his face. His arm, however, pulled a petite woman closer to his side. Long Jinjing stared at René Alejandro with wide eyes.
René Alejandro recovered quickly after Lu Zihao's invisible assault on his mentality. Cold sweat beaded on his skin but he didn't show any of his inner disturbance on the outside. He pretended to be surprised when facing Long Jinjing.
"Miss, it's you. A pleasure to see you again." He glanced at Lu Zihao's belt. "I see that your boyfriend is wearing your gift."
"What is this?" Lu Jianhong demanded, looking at the threeâRené Alejandro, Long Jinjing and Lu Zihao. "Jinjing my girl, you've met this Spanish kid before? Tell Grandpa, I want to know!"
Lu Zihao's apathetic expression darkened into a dangerous level. He brought Long Jinjing behind him and looked ready to choke René Alejandro with his eyes alone.
René Alejandro's competitive spirit flared up. He didn't want to lose against the man despite his cowardly reactions earlier. He was just caught unawares before, that was all. He, René Alejandro, was one of the most important, young team leaders in the organization.
Someone like Lu Zihao couldn't possibly match up against him. The man only looked big and scary but René Alejandro was confident that he could take Lu Zihao and win any time.
"Oy oy oy!" The old man stepped between the two men. "What are you two dunderheads doing?! See how this old man will bang your two heads against each other!"
"Zihao, please." Long Jinjing tried to pull Lu Zihao back.
Wei Lan also stepped in front of René Alejandro in a protective manner even though it was clear that she herself was intimidated by the scary Lu Zihao.
"Enough," a cold voice interrupted everyone.
It wasn't loud but it was firm and full of authority. Jin Liwei swept his displeased eyes on the two men, unimpressed by their actions inside his home in the middle of the Christmas gathering that he and his wife were currently hosting.
Lu Zihao snorted before breaking eye contact with the Spaniard. René Alejandro also regained his usual amiable expression. He sent an apologetic look to everyone, especially to Jin Liwei and the old man.
"Big Sister, you've met René Alejandro before?" Iris repeated Grandpa Lu's earlier question.
"Y-yes," Long Jinjing admitted.
"They only met at a store when Jinjing was buying something for me," Lu Zihao said. "That's all."
"I helped Miss Long choose the belt she gave you," René Alejandro said before he could stop himself.
Two invisible powerful forces once again clashed against each other. One dark, the other grey.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1245
"Meow!" An orange blur rocketed towards Long Jinjing but her slow reflexes didn't allow her to react in time.
Lu Zihao immediately abandoned his stare-down with the Spaniard to catch the orange cat just in time before it could crash into his woman.
"You brat," he snarled at Popcorn who curled in fright in his arms.
"Zihao, don't be too fierce on Popcorn." Long Jinjing took the trembling cat from him and comforted her poor feline nephew.
Lu Zihao snorted, his eyes sweeping from her head to toe and back up again to make sure that she was fine. He glanced at her stomach for a few seconds longer but his expression didn't expose anything to others.
She hugged the affectionate Popcorn who acted like a baby and focused most of her attention on the cat while hiding behind Lu Zihao to avoid the Spaniard's gaze. In the end, Iris stepped forward and pulled her away from the testosterone-filled clash of dominant domains between the two men. Long Jinjing glanced at Lu Zihao who gave her a nod, letting her go with his sister.
Iris gave him and René Alejandro a look but didn't show much of her thoughts on her expression. She pulled Long Jinjing and returned to her husband's side where it was safe and comfortable. The husband and wife didn't miss the big sigh of relief from Long Jinjing.
Fortunately, not everyone was focusing on what happened between Lu Zihao and René Alejandro. Dom and Clover quickly distracted the guests after a meaningful look from Jin Liwei. Yu Mo and Jin Chonglin also stepped in to separate the two men.
The party continued without any issues after this. It was obvious that Lu Zihao and René Alejandro disliked each other for some reason. Even others could feel their hostility towards each other. Thankfully, the two men didn't repeat their tense stare-down from earlier and just settled on ignoring each other.
Lu Zihao stuck to Long Jinjing's side while René Alejandro returned to his charismatic self, chatting with the other guests.
The sleepy children were ushered out for bedtime by their parents. Ice Cream and Popcorn followed them. After their departure, the adults let themselves loose a bit more. The chatter and laughter became a little more boisterous and the wine flowed a little more freely.
As time ticked by, Iris became increasingly annoyed at her husband and older brother's constant hovering over her and Long Jinjing. It was fine during the first half of the party but the two men just wouldn't leave them alone even for a second. She finally snapped at them and told them to go chat with the other guests. Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao wouldn't listen to her at first but eventually relented when she looked like she was going to explode on them.
She and Long Jinjing sighed when the two men left and joined the others. Still, Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao kept their eyes on them despite the distance.
Chen Fei approached and sat beside her best friend, rolling her eyes at Lu Zihao who wasn't taking his eyes off Long Jingjing.
"Finally, he's away from you! I wanted to talk to you as soon as you arrived but Dom and Clover kept me away for fear that I'll scratch that asshole's face as soon as I go near him. Hmph! Do those siblings think so low of me? Well, it's true that I want to scratch that asshole's face for all the things he did to you but it's not like I'm going to make a scene in front of everyone and ruin this Christmas party."
"Xiao Fei," Long Jinjing sighed. "Please don't call Zihao like that."
"Like what?" Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.
"Like...you know what I'm talking about."
Chen Fei harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. "An asshole is an asshole. To me, the moment he did all those things to you, that jerk has automatically become an asshole."
"Sssh! What if somebody hears you?" Long Jinjing looked around, making sure that nobody was eavesdropping on their conversation. "What if somebody hears you? I don't want people to say that my best friend and my...my b-boyfriend are at odds with each other."
"Don't care too much about what others say or think, Big Sister," Iris interjected in friends' conversation. "Your life is for you to live, not theirs."
"Facts." Chen Fei nodded.
"But I agree that you shouldn't call Big Brother Zihao an asshole. He is, after all, the father of Big Sister Jinjing's baby. And as you can see, he's not running away from his responsibility."
"Hmph!"
Long Jinjing smiled and subconsciously rubbed her belly while looking at the bored Lu Zihao. The two of them locked eyes with each other. He was about to head back towards her but Jin Liwei caught and stopped him.
Iris chuckled and sent her husband an approving smile. Then she turned to Long Jinjing and asked her, "By the way, why did you arrive so late?"
Chen Fei also stopped talking and waited for her answer.
Long Jinjing blushed. "Zihao and Grandpa Lu came with me to meet my mom."
Chen Fei's eyes widened. "You're already at that stage?"
"They should already be at this stage," Iris said. "They're going to have a baby, remember?"
"I know but...shit! This is all just happening so fast!" Chen Fei looked emotional. "I mean the two of us only graduated this year and began working at Orchidia Beauty. I thought that the two of us will be focusing on our careers first and yet...look at where you are right now! You hooked up with that asshole and even got yourself pregnant."
Iris rested her head on her hand. "And what's wrong with that? I'm younger than Big Sister but I'm already married and pregnant."
"I'm not saying that it's wrong, just...unexpected."
"That's life."
Chen Fei sighed, feeling defeated. She looked at her best friend and sighed again but there was now a small smile on her face.. "I know I may not look like it but I'm happy for you especially since I can feel that this is what you want, Jing."
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1246
"I know." Long Jinjing smiled, grabbing her best friend's hand and squeezing it.
"So what happened when you brought that assâZihao and Grandpa Lu to meet with Auntie Jingfei?" Chen Fei asked.
Iris was also interested to hear about it.
Long Jinjing lowered her head and didn't say anything but her quickly reddening face only made the two more curious about what happened. Iris and Chen Fei looked at each other before leaning towards Long Jinjing and persuading her to spill everything to them. At that moment, the siblings Dom and Clover finally joined them, unaware that they arrived at a juicy time.
The only people missing from their girl squad were Jiang Ying Yue who was still not back yet from putting her son Little Jun to sleep and Meimei who once again fell asleep at a hidden corner after eating dinner.
The siblings quickly caught up with what was happening after Chen Fei's succinct explanation. Dom and Clover's eyes immediately shone with anticipation and turned their heads in unison at the blushing Long Jinjing.
"Uhm..." Long Jinjing bit her lower lip and hesitated for a few moments more before finally relenting.
The friends gathered their heads together while she whispered to them what happened during her visit with Lu Zihao and Grandpa Lu at her mother's home.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"
Everyone was startled by Dom and Clover's squeals. They all looked at the group and saw the crazed siblings, a blushing Long Jinjing, a calm Iris Long, and a torn Chen Fei.
While the others were curious about what happened and even directly asked Iris' group, Lu Zihao watched Long Jinjing with deep eyes. Based on her red, embarrassed face, he already had an idea why the Chua siblings were acting like demented fangirls. His mouth curved. Then he sent his brother-in-law a look before walking away.
Jin Liwei raised an eyebrow before excusing himself and following Lu Zihao to the buffet hall next door. Moments later, their other sworn brothers plus Jin Chonglin received text messages. The clueless men also excused themselves and headed to the buffet hall. Their disappearance was noticed but didn't affect the party's cheerful atmosphere. Everyone returned to their own groups and continued chatting away.
After some time, only Lu Zihao returned. Jin Liwei and the others were nowhere to be seen. Iris was curious but wasn't worried about her husband. She watched as her big brother headed straight towards them and extended his hand to Long Jinjing.
"Let's go," he said.
"Huh? Go where?" Long Jinjing looked at him in confusion.
He gave her a devilish smirk. "Don't tell me you're not planning on speaking with your father about us."
"Oh." Her face which only returned to her normal complexion just a few minutes ago after the Chua siblings' teasing turned red again.
When she still didn't move from her seat, Lu Zihao stepped forward and hauled her up to her feet. "I'll be taking her for now."
"Go ahead." Iris waved a hand to them.
The friends watched as the couple headed towards Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui. Then the four excused themselves and left.
Later, Jin Liwei returned and called for everyone's attention. He asked everyone to follow the butler. Everyone was confused but still followed Jin Liwei's instructions, trusting him as the host of tonight's Christmas party. They thought that Jin Liwei and Iris must have prepared a special event for everyone. Iris, however, had no idea what was going on.
"What's happening?" Iris asked her husband in a low tone as they followed the crowd out of the room into the hallway.
He whispered directly to her ear, preventing others, even her friends, from overhearing. Iris gasped. Then the husband and wife exchanged conspiratorial smiles.
Dom and Clover didn't forget to wake up Meimei. They followed everyone out of the party room.
The large group walked a long way but nobody complained because the Christmas decorations all around them were wonderful. The atmosphere was very festive. Even the long walk was enjoyable. In addition, they were experiencing the thrill of the unknown. They were looking forward to the surprise that Jin Liwei and Iris Long had prepared for them.
For some reason, Grandpa Lu was chuckling like a mischievous devil. No matter how the others asked the old man, he wouldn't say anything, only continuing to chuckle with an unmistakable glint in his eyes.
A few steps behind, René Alejandro was walking with Wei Lan and Randy. He knew that something was up. Yu Mo and Jin Chonglin left one after another after receiving a phone message, leaving him to fend for himself. He didn't mind because it gave him more opportunity to try getting closer to the other guests and judging which ones would be useful to him.
After what happened with Lu Zihao earlier, he was mentally beating himself up for his carelessness. As a result, he approached Lu Jianhong and apologized to his earlier rude behaviour to the old man's grandson. Lu Jianhong didn't seem to take it to heart, even assuring him with boisterous laughter that everything was fine, but René Alejandro could sense that the old man was now more guarded and perhaps even suspicious of him.
'Damn it. Now I have to work even harder to get closer to the old man. It's Hunter's fault, that cocky bastard! If it weren't for his arrogant gaze, I wouldn't have reacted so badly. What's up with him? I'm not the type to lose control so easily like this, no? Even Liam has become a few degrees colder towards my presence after what happened.'
René Alejandro knew that he got off at a wrong start. His mind was filled with various plans to rectify the situation in order to prevent his mission from heading towards utter failure. He maintained a pleasant and interested expression, appearing as if he was listening to his step-mother's nonsensical conversation with Randy, when in fact, he was busy calculating the possibility of solving his predicament before the Christmas party was over tonight.
While he was occupied with his thoughts, the large group arrived at the indoor forest.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1247
Unlike the rest of the mansion, there were no Christmas decorations in the indoor forest. There were, however, beautiful fairy lights hanging on some of the trees and shrubs, lightly swaying here and there like leisurely fireflies.
Iris and Jin Liwei, along with the butler, led everyone through the main trail to the centre of the indoor forest. Before long, they all saw the koi fish pond. There were gasps as their eyes feasted on the scene in front of them.
Small red candles were burning on top of lily pads floating on the pond. They cast a captivating illumination on the clear water, reaching underneath where the colourful koi fish swam curiously along the firelights.
Aboveground, two rows of bigger and taller candles lined up the edges of the mini bridge leading to the islet in the middle of the pond. A carpet of red rose petals covered the entire bridge.
Jin Chonglin stood just outside the pond while holding a video camera and recording everyone's arrival. He flashed them with his killer smile before nodding at his older brother.
Jin Liwei nodded back. He and Iris instructed everyone to stand a little farther away from the main trail and to keep quiet. While doing so, they all glanced at the islet in the middle of the pond.
Lu Zihao stood there together with two of his sworn brothers. He was busy listening to Wang Yingjie who was busy speaking to someone on the phone. Yu Mo circled around them and recording everything with a handheld video camera like Jin Chonglin.
Moments later, Jin Liwei shushed everyone. All the murmurings stopped. It didn't take long for footsteps to be heard.
"What's happening?" a female voice asked in a tiny, nervous voice.
"Relax," another female voice soothed her. "Everything will be fine."
Finally, everyone saw the new arrivals. Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan were leading a blindfolded Long Jinjing. Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui followed behind them.
Lin Yehan was also holding a video camera and recording the event. He gave a signal to his sworn brothers before looking at Jiang Ying Yue. She nodded and together with Lin Yehan, they both led the blindfolded Jiang Ying Yue on the bridge while Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui joined the rest of the spectators.
Jiang Ying Yue transferred Long Jinjing's hand to Lu Zihao before retreating.
"Zihao?" Long Jinjing asked, her voice a whisper.
"Hm, it's me," he replied.
She sighed in relief, her nervousness decreasing by half due to his presence alone. Although she couldn't see anything, she could hear the gentle splashes of water and smell the fresh earthy scent of nature. She knew that they were in the indoor forest. But that was it. She didn't know what was going on.
After she and Lu Zihao spoke to Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui earlier, Lu Zihao excused himself, leaving her to have some heart to heart talk with her father and stepmother. Later, Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue arrived and blindfolded her, saying that she was among a small group of randomly chosen ones who were selected to win a big Christmas surprise.
She didn't doubt their claim for one bit because her sister Iris and brother-in-law Jin Liwei had always been excellent in throwing parties and making their guests enjoy themselves. Maybe this was another one of the couple's ways to liven up the atmosphere and make the Christmas gathering memorable for everyone.
Back to the present, Long Jinjing stuck close to Lu Zihao's side, taking comfort in his presence. Her excitement was quickly trumping over her nervousness.
Lu Zihao's lips touched her earlobe, causing her skin to flush red, before his devilish whisper asked, "Are you ready?"
She nodded like a pecking chicken. Finally, the cloth covering her eyes was removed. At first, she didn't notice anything amiss. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. Then she hesitated when she saw the setup around her.
"W-what...."
Before she could form a coherent thought, Lu Zihao knelt in front of her and opened a small velvet box. A diamond ring shone inside.
Her hands covered her gasping mouth.
"Long Jinjing, will you marry me?"
It felt like fireworks went off inside her mind. Her IQ fell to amoeblevel. It took a few moments before her consciousness returned.
"Jinjing?" the still kneeling Lu Zihao continued to ask her.
She stared at him like a stupid idiot.
He frowned but didn't move from his kneeling position and continued to wait for her reply.
She wasn't aware because her IQ was currently at the level of an amoeba but the spectators were almost dying from anxiety watching the proposal playing in front of them. She didn't notice the restless Grandpa Lu who was being stopped by Grandma Li from running towards the islet to assist his own grandson's proposal.
The seconds ticked by and Long Jinjing still hadn't replied. Lu Zihao couldn't hold it anymore.
"Are you not going to accept my proposal?"
The frown remained on his face but others couldn't see any additional emotion. Nobody detected his sweaty palms or the slight trembling of the hand holding the velvet box containing the diamond ring. To others, he remained steady despite the long wait for his lady's response to his proposal.
It was a slow process but Long Jinjing finally recovered some of her IQ. Not much but at least her mind wasn't at the level of amoeba anymore.
"I...NiâZihao, you..." she stammered.
He raised an eyebrow and lifted the small velvet box closer to her.
"B-but we're already engaged," she said. "Didn't I already propose to you before? And you already accepted it. Why are you p-proposing to me?"
Lu Zihao sighed. "I want to give you a proper proposal. So? What's your answer? Will you marry me?"
"But you should already know my answer."
"Dammit, Jinjing! Yes or no?"
"Yes!" Tears flowed down her face. "Oh yes, I'll marry you!"
The frown disappeared from Lu Zihao's face replaced by a faint but genuine smile. He quickly slid the diamond ring on Long Jinjing's finger before standing up and sweeping her in his embrace and kissing her in front of the cheering spectators.
Chapter Title:
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1248
The Christmas Eve celebration ended on a high note with Lu Zihao's successful marriage proposal to Long Jinjing. A few days later, the year also officially ended amidst a thick blanket of snow.
Iris and Jin Liwei chose to welcome the New Year together at home. This time, they didn't host a party because most people preferred to celebrate the New Year at the comfort of their own homes. Nevertheless, it wasn't lonely. On the contrary, the couple and their loved ones couldn't be any happier as they said goodbyes to the old year and ushered the New Year.
The holiday atmosphere quickly ended as people returned to work as usual. This was also true to Iris and Jin Liwei especially after the Chua family left and returned to the Philippines.
By this time, Iris' baby bump continued to grow bigger although she still didn't look pregnant yet when wearing loose clothing. Unless she wore figure-hugging clothes, others wouldn't notice that she was pregnant at all.
Work picked up quickly during this time of the New Year and soon everyone became busy. Jin Corporation maintained its position as the number one multinational company in the country. Yet instead of spending more time at work, Jin Liwei quickly shed his reputation as a workaholic.
The time he spent in the company became lesser and lesser. At first, the board of directors became worried that his shortened work hours would negatively affect the company's performance and profits. Then Jin Liwei showed them his might as a business leader, letting the results speak for themselves.
"It's not about quantity but the quality of work," he coldly told them during a meeting.
The voices of dissatisfaction were silenced. Still, Jin Liwei didn't allow himself to grow complacent. Even though he expressed his willingness to become a househusband many times before to assure his wife that their family was more important than his work, it didn't mean that he would allow the company to fall into ruins under his leadership.
His sense of responsibility had always been strong when it came to Jin Corporation. The company was the fruit of Grandfather Jin and Grandpa Lu's blood, sweat and tears after all. It would be a huge disrespect to the two elders if Jin Corporation collapsed in his hands. The least he could do was to maintain its glory before handing it to the next generation. For him, continuing this legacy was an important mission.
More importantly, he wanted his children to inherit the company and continue the legacy just like what he was doing right now. Of course, he wouldn't force his children if they didn't want to manage the company. His wife would most definitely be the first one to fight him if he ever forced any of their children towards careers that they didn't want.
These thoughts played in his mind as he sat behind his desk inside his top-floor office. His lips curved up and his gaze softened. It was a typical workday at Jin Corporation but his mind wasn't all filled with work.
There were no urgent tasks today so he had time to take frequent breaks to view his wife's photos on his phone. This had become a daily habit of him to relax himself.
His thumb paused when the current photo on his phone showed the latest ultrasound image of his wife. His soft smile became a grin. His twins were no longer small beans. They were growing well. Anticipation filled him. He and his wife would finally meet their human babies soon this coming summer, spring if the twins decided to come earlier than their due dates.
"As long as you don't put your mother through unnecessary pain and hardship, I won't hold it against you," he murmured, softly scolding his yet unborn twins through their ultrasound photo.
"Daddy, daddy!" Ketchup's adorable child's voice interrupted him.
He glanced at his computer monitor to see his AI daughter jumping in excitement.
"Uncle Dom says that Mommy will come here at the company to eat lunch with Daddy after her meeting at Orchidia Beauty! Is Daddy excited? Of course, you are! The cute and mighty Ketchup is super-duper to the highest level excited, too! Meow~"
Jin Liwei chuckled. His expression was the epitome of pure joy. After confirming with Ketchup the time his wife would arrive, he decided to be productive and finish as many tasks as he could so that he could spend quality time with his family without any worries later.
But before that, he used his phone as an electronic key to open a small, newly-added hidden drawer under his desk. It slid open. Then he took out a framed photo and stared at it, mesmerized.
The candid photo showed a gorgeous woman with a subtle smile. Her golden-blonde hair shone while her emerald-green eyes looked as if they were filled with profound mysteries.
He touched the beautiful face, tracing the soft, delicate lines on the photo.
"Evelina," he whispered.
No matter how many times he looked at his wife's photos of her past self, he always felt his heart drum as if something within him wanted to jump out of his body, out of this time and place, and find his wife in her past self. His heart was filled with love, of course, but it also ached whenever he remembered the tragedy his wife experienced in her past life.
He sighed, his eyes lingering on the beautiful woman, before returning the framed photo in the hidden drawer and locking it again out of sight.
It took him a few minutes to reorient his frame of mind and continue working on his tasks.
About an hour later, his grin was back as he personally picked up his wife at the lobby downstairs. Iris' arrival was soon spread throughout the company. The Black Stars within the company almost couldn't contain their excitement.
Jin Liwei swiftly led his wife to his top-floor office, not giving his employees a chance to pester his wife and intrude in their lovey-dovey time. It was up to him to control his employees because his wife would never disregard her fans no matter the time and place.
The Black Stars working in his company had long resented him for this but he didn't give a damn.. Not one bit.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1249
Iris laughed at her husband's overprotective actions. He supported her from walking to sitting down. She had already grown used to him acting like this. He wouldn't listen to her protests anyway. All she could do was change her mindset and think that he wasn't treating her as an invalid but as an empress to be served instead.
She wasn't the one who conjured this empress analogy. It was Dom. Not surprisingly, Jin Liwei didn't refute it, even telling her that she was indeed his beloved empress.
As a result, her previous misgivings about his overcautious treatment of her all faded away. Of course, the previous miscarriage scare was a huge lesson for her. She knew that it was mostly her fault for not controlling her emotions better and allowing her hard-headedness to get the better of her good sense.
This was why even without her husband and the others' careful treatment of her, she would take better care of her pregnancy herself. Her body was no longer hers alone. It was now her husband's, and during the duration of her pregnancy, their twin babies' as well. She had to take better care of herself for her family.
Jin Liwei continued to fuss over her even as Dom and Xu Tian were laying out delicious and nutritious dishes on the table. All the food was delivered from home around the same time Iris' entourage arrived at Jin Corporation.
Knowing that their mistress was going to eat with their master, the chefs at home took extra care in preparing the food and making sure that they suited their pregnant mistress' tastes. By this time, the chefs at home had already mastered dishes that would minimize their mistress' nausea.
Iris no longer felt sick when eating but this only applied to food prepared by their private chefs. There were still instances that she would feel sick when encountering food prepared outside. This was why Jin Liwei prevented others from giving her food not made from home.
Dom and Xu Tian left to eat their own lunch, leaving the husband and wife alone in the CEO's office. Even the talkative Ketchup didn't disturb her parents and followed her Uncle Dom instead. The two chatterboxes had a lively conversation while the helpless Xu Tian could only resign himself to the ear torture.
Back at the CEO's office, Jin Liwei was attentive as usual, serving his wife food. They sat together on the couch and ate lunch in a relaxed manner.
"Have you spoken to Bacon yet?" Iris asked.
"En. The kid dropped by my computer earlier today and said that he's busy helping his Uncle Zihao at Shadow Winds and also helping out Long Jinjing whenever he has free time."
Iris smiled. "He's working hard."
Jin Liwei put more meat in his wife's bowl and said, "He's happy to work hard and earn more money from his uncle and aunt."
She chuckled. "Let him. If it makes him happy, that's all that matters."
"En."
"The new configurations I did on his system will make sure that we're alerted if he's doing something too dangerous and beyond his current abilities."
He nodded and poured hot tea for her. He didn't bother telling his wife that he paid their AI son premium money to blackmail Lu Zihao into acting less restless. So far, it was effective. Bacon was now freely using his Aunt Jinjing to make his Uncle Zihao agree to most of demands.
Lu Zihao was resentful but still backed down a great deal. The activities of his group Shadow Winds had become less frequent and more mindful. Jin Liwei was very satisfied. As long as Lu Zihao curbed his recklessness, Iris and Long Jinjing who were both pregnant wouldn't have to worry themselves sick.
After lunch, Iris stayed in Jin Liwei's office and even helped him interpret a call with a foreign partner. It was after that business call that Iris noticed something on his desk. She took it and began reading.
Jin Liwei saw what she was reading and told her, "It's from René Alejandro. He had someone send it to my office this morning."
Iris raised an eyebrow. "It's addressed to both of us and yet he sent it here to Jin Corporation?"
He shrugged. "Maybe he finds it easier to send it here after personally experiencing the strict security at Dragon Palace."
She pursed her lips and continued to study the invitation.
"Do you want to attend?" he asked but still said, "I think that it's better that you don't. It's only a birthday party anyway. We can just send him a gift. No need to personally attendâ"
"Excuse me, Mommy and Daddy! Grandma Lan is calling Mommy's number. Should Ketchup accept the call? Meow~"
Jin Liwei looked at his wife. Iris hesitated for a second before sighing and letting Ketchup accept the call. After the phone call, she felt exhausted, irritated, and a dull ache started in her temples.
A displeased Jin Liwei carried her to the connecting bedroom in his office and laid her down on the bed before starting to massage her head. His expression was cold but her movements were gentle.
"Why did you agree to attend René Alejandro's birthday party?" he asked with a frown.
He had wanted to take over the phone call with Wei Lan but his wife gestured for him to not interfere. Although reluctant, he backed down and listened in silence to Wei Lan successfully persuade his wife to attend René Alejandro's birthday party.
"We'll just show our faces and leave," Iris replied with a sigh. She closed her eyes and enjoyed her husband's gentle ministrations. Then she opened them again and looked at him. "Ever since the Christmas party, René Alejandro has been accompanying Wei Lan whenever she visits us at home. He also brings his own gifts for the kids separate from Wei Lan. The way he acts is really as if he considers us as his family."
"Your older brother hates him," he commented.
She had to agree. Whenever Lu Zihao and René Alejandro encountered each other by chance, they would look like they would start brawling. Fortunately, there was Long Jinjing who would always stop Lu Zihao.
As for Iris, she was actually quite curious to watch an actual physical fight between her older brother and the Spaniard.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1250
Although Iris was curious, common sense told her that there was no reason for her older brother and René Alejandro to actually fight each other. Maybe the two men just didn't vibe well, hence their hostility with each other.
She thought this way, and yet deep inside, she still couldn't help but feel that there was something about the Spaniard that made her ill at ease. She already shared her opinions about René Alejandro with her husband.
"His background is clean," Jin Liwei said before adding, "on paper."
She pursed her lips. Indeed, on paper, René Alejandro was clean. She and her two AI children plus ShaWn had been working together to dig deeper into the Spaniard's background but they couldn't find any dirty information about him other than her initial findings back then about his adoptive father, Wei Lan's current husband's charity involvement with orphanages and that school for orphans.
Normally, this wasn't suspicious by itself. Even René Alejandro personally shared to them before during one of her visits with Wei Lan that his father adopted him from one of the orphanages and that he attended the school for orphans. Despite this, Iris just couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something iffy about him. The fact that her older brother was so hostile to the man was also enough for her to be suspicious.
Jin Liwei leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Don't stress over René Alejandro. It's bad for you and our twins. If the man really has bad intentions against us, your older brother and I will deal with him. Besides, Ketchup and Bacon are already keeping an eye on him."
"Alright." Iris sighed, starting to feel sleepy. "I'll give birth safely first and really dig for more information about him if we still don't have anything new by then."
"En."
"Maybe we can glean something from him if we attend his birthday party."
Jin Liwei doubted it but didn't contradict his wife's suggestion. He continued massaging his wife until she fell asleep. It was only then that he left the connecting bedroom and return to work in his office.
Iris' nap only lasted for half an hour before she woke up. The husband and wife left Jin Corporation together even though work hours weren't done yet. Jin Liwei wanted to accompany his wife because today was an important day for her.
Later, they arrived at a newly-built commercial building owned by a real estate business under Jin Corporation. Iris bought it through her real estate company, Gold Heights. Of course, Jin Liwei approved it and had his own people facilitate the process to make everything smooth for his wife.
The building wasn't that large but it was in an excellent and prominent location. Passersby couldn't help but glance at the new building, especially after a big and brand-new logo was erected on it.
Eve Holdings.
Iris smiled. She was delighted behind her mask and large sunglasses. Jin Liwei accompanied his wife to stare at her new holding company. He squeezed her hand.
"Congrats, love," he whispered directly to her ear.
"Thank you." She pulled his hand and led him to the building's main entrance.
He chuckled at her combined excitement and impatience. Dom followed behind them holding his phone and recording the moment on video. Bodyguards protected them without being too obvious.
Their impressive appearance garnered many glances from other people but their simple disguise was quite effective. Nobody recognized them, and even if someone did, this place was considered as a new extension of the city's business district. People here were all busy and walked with purpose. They had no time to idle around and care about other people they passed by on the streets.
Compared to the prime location of Jin Corporation's main headquarters, this place was less busy. Iris preferred it this way. There were more possibilities for future development in this area. This was one of the reasons why she personally chose this place among the options that her husband presented to her.
As soon as they entered the building, Iris' new staff greeted her. As someone who had several businesses under her name, she was already experienced in choosing and hiring staff. Jin Liwei helped her as much as possible, of course, but the majority of the administrative selection was personally done by her.
This was her company after all. She didn't want her own employees to have the impression that Jin Liwei was their real boss and that she was just a symbolic head. She wanted to show her employees and everyone that she was a competent businessperson just like her husband in her own right.
Iris removed her mask and sunglasses. Then she looked at her employees. Most of them were young, new graduates. There were a few familiar faces that she transferred from her other businesses, mainly from Orchidia Beauty. As a result, it was inevitable that the majority of them were Black Stars.
"Boss Iris!"
They were visibly trembling with excitement as soon as they saw her full face. Yet they controlled themselves very well and did their best to remain as professional as possible. Even though all they wanted at the moment was to run to their Boss Iris and express their love and adoration for her, they didn't want to embarrass their goddess. They had already vowed to help their Boss Iris establish herself as a capable business leader.
Iris and Dom interacted with the staff while Jin Liwei and the bodyguards watched over them. There weren't many of them yet but Iris made sure that all the key positions were filled first.
Afterwards, they followed Iris' new administrative assistant in a tour of the building. She already toured it before but this was the first time that she was seeing the completed look of everything. Most of the places were still empty but she could already envision a flourishing atmosphere in the future.
This was only the start.
Iris appointed herself as the President-CEO of Eve Holdings.. She had no choice but to hire a new administrative assistant because Dom was unable to handle the additional work even though his education qualified him for the job.