Chapter 142: 1411 - 1420

Chapter 1411 Angry Mob

Mao Qiuyue reached her hand and was about to rip the hair out of the disgusting slut stalking her husband when the woman suddenly dodged and backhanded her. Before Mao Qiuyue could react, she was already lying on the floor.

People screamed.

"Qiuyue!"

"Oh, my gosh! Qiuyue, are you okay?"

"Ambulance! Call an ambulance! Quickly!"

Her friends finally caught up with her. They panicked and ran around like headless chickens. Mao Qiuyue groaned, rolled over to her side on the floor, and attempted to get up. She coughed. Her throat hurt from where the bitch hit her. She glared at the bitch who dared to do this to her, but the woman looked down on her with cold eyes that made her shiver. No! The hell she would allow the bitch to scare her. She scrambled to her feet and almost fell again on her butt if not for her friend catching her. The hit affected her more than she expected. Her head felt like it was spinning. She struggled to hold her balance. "You bi—"

"I have a bodycam both in my front body and back," the woman who backhanded her said coldly. "I can show it to the authorities as evidence to prove that you are the one who moved to attack me first. So what I did is purely self-defence."

Mao Qiuyue's curse stuck in her throat. Her friends looked at the cold woman in disbelief...and fear.

A man carrying a child squeezed through the growing crowd. "Qiuyue?" Long Hui asked. He was perplexed by the situation. Then his expression turned suspicious. "What are you doing here? Are you following me?"

She was enraged at his reaction. "You think that I'm following you?!" She pointed at the cold-faced woman who hit her. "Why don't you ask this shameless bitch instead?! I saw her stalking you!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Stalking me?"

"Yes! She was following after helping you stop that ugly bastard son of yours from throwing a tantrum!"

Long Hui's expression turned ugly. "I dare you to say that again about my son to my face!"

"What? It's true, isn't it? That kid is a bastard! An ugly bastard!"

Little Jun was frightened at the ugly woman screaming at him. So he started howling at the top of his lungs.

The spectators were angered by Mao Qiuyue's viciousness. "Whoa, lady! How can you talk like that about a child? Can't you be any more inhuman?"

"Poor child. If someone dares to treat my own child like that in front of me, I'm sorry, but that person will end up in the hospital. I don't care if I get arrested. Nobody treats my child like that!"

"Is that the child's father? The woman just called the child a bastard. What's the story here?"

Long Hui flushed after hearing the crowd gossiping about them. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Don't make a scene here, Qiuyue. Let's go talk somewhere else private."

Mao Qiuyue slapped his hand away. "No!" Then she looked around. "You want to hear the whole story?"

He glared at her. "Qiuyue, don't you dare."

"I'll tell you the whole story!" She pointed at Long Hui. "This is my husband!" Then she pointed at Little Jun. "And this is his bastard son with his mistress!"

In an instant, the crowd's opinion shifted in favour of her. They sent Long Hui dirty, judgmental looks. This scared Little Jun even more. The poor child thought that the people were scolding him. He cried even louder.

Long Hui hugged his son more tightly and tried to cover his head protectively. "Don't twist the truth, Qiuyue!"

She sneered. "I'm twisting the truth?! Tell everyone. Are you married to me or not? Is that ugly child your illegitimate son or not? You can't answer, right? It's because everything that I said is true!"

"Bad monstah! Bad!!! Uwaaaaaah! Go away, bad monstah! Junjun scayed! Mommi! Mama! Papa! Anko Han! Waaaaaaaaaah!!! Chechup! Baykohn! Ashkweem! Popkohn! Gwaby! Junjun scayed! Bad monstah, scawy! Uwaaaaaaaah!!!" (Bad monster! Bad!!! Uwah! Go away, bad monster! Junjun is scared! Mommy! Mama! Papa! Uncle Yehan! Wah!!! Ketchup! Bacon! Ice Cream! Popcorn! Gravy! Junjun is scared! Bad monster is scary! Uwah!!!)

"Who are you calling a monster? Shut up, you ugly bastard!!!"

Mao Qiuyue lunged at Long Hui and reached for Little Jun with her claws before any of her friends could stop her. But before she could reach them, someone flew and threw her to the floor. "Ugh!" Her breath was knocked out of her as she face-planted on the floor. She couldn't even scream from the impact. Before she knew it, she was lying on her stomach on the floor with someone twisting her arms behind her back. Then a knee was pushed on her back, followed by a person's full weight pressing her down to the floor.

People started screaming again. "What are you doing?! Get off her!"

"Help!"

"Assault! Call the police! This is physical assault!"

Mao Qiuyue's friends attempted to help her, but a group of scary-looking people blocked them. They wore regular clothing, but their expressions and overall aura were too cold and intimidating. It took a few moments for Mao Qiuyue to catch her breath. She struggled against the person on the top of her back but to no avail. Finally, she twisted her head and looked behind her. It was the bitch who backhanded her earlier!

"Get off me! Slut, how dare you treat me this way! I'm Mao Qiuyue! My father is the chairman of Mao Textiles! My father-in-law is the head of Long Industries! You'll regret doing this to me!"

Long Hui watched as his son's bodyguards treated his wife like a criminal. For a moment, he almost wanted to protect her. But when he felt his son's arms wrapped tightly around his neck and listened to the child's frightened cries, his heart hardened for his wife.

The woman called his son an ugly bastard in front of so many people. As a father, this was a direct insult. Even though Mao Qiuyue was his legal wife, he couldn't just excuse her words to his son just like that. With a last look at his wife struggling on the floor, he turned his back on her and carried his son away from this crowded place. Another group of bodyguards formed a protective circle around the father and son as they walked away from the commotion. "Hui! Long Hui! Where are you going?! Are you leaving me just like that?! How dare you?!!!" Mao Qiuyue couldn't believe her eyes while watching her husband walk away from her without even glancing back. What kind of husband was this? Useless!

Hateful!

Some of the concerned people among the crowd stepped forward and were about to help, but the civilian-clothed bodyguards blocked them. One of the disguised bodyguards explained to the crowd, "We're the child's bodyguards. Please understand that we're only doing our job—to protect our little master from danger, including this female attacker. We aren't doing anything that violates the law. This is considered self-defence, not assault. My colleagues and I all have bodycams to prove our case."

The crowd began to settle down after hearing the explanation. Although the people still had a lot of opinions about the situation, they no longer bothered to stand up for the woman being pressed to the floor. The one who was pressing down on her was a fellow woman. They also witnessed that it was indeed Mao Qiuyue who moved to attack first. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Regardless of what she said about her husband having an illegitimate son, it wasn't good to attack such a young child. She should have just targeted her husband, not the child.

"Shameless!"

"Liar!"

Shoes and slippers began raining down from out of nowhere. They landed around Mao Qiuyue, not hitting her at all, but it was clear that she was the target.

A new angry mob appeared. Most of them were barefoot or wearing socks. The others were in the middle of taking their footwear off to throw at Mao Qiuyue.

"How dare you hurt our dear Little Junjun like that?! Unforgivable! Shame on you!"

"Protect our Boss Iris' nephew and godson!"

"You dare to call our cute Little Junie boy a mistress' child? Do you have poop in your brain or what?! Come on! Tell everyone the real truth! That you were the mistress first! The real homewrecker!"

"Fuck! I really want to beat up this shameless homewrecker with my mighty slippers! Which part of our dear Little Jun is an ugly bastard? He's so cute! He looks like our Boss Iris! This bitch is not only shameless and vicious, but she's also blind as hell! She's the one who's ugly with the face she bought from a plastic surgeon, and yet she has the audacity to call a natural cutie like our dear Little Jun ugly? Gah! I'm so angry!"

Mao Qiuyue, her friends and the crowd were alarmed by these new arrivals. Even the bodyguards didn't know how to react. At first, they thought that they were attackers but quickly realized that they were...er, allies. Right?

And that wasn't the end yet. More people arrived in the same manner. Footwear quickly flew, landing near Mao Qiuyue but not hitting her. "I really want to hit her, but KittyBaby said that we shouldn't to avoid us being slapped with a physical assault charge. Shit!"

"Where's the bitch who hurt our Baby Junjun?! Quick, show your ugly face! Let me slap you with my mighty slippers of justice!"

This wasn't the end but only the beginning. Another group arrived. "Is this the place?"

"I think so. Look at the GPS pin that PantherBaby sent us. It should be here."

"Oh, I see people who don't have shoes. They should be our comrades. Let's go join them!"

Chapter 1412 Weirdos

Long Hui continued carrying his son until they finally left the restaurant section of the mall. Earlier today, he disdained the presence of the bodyguards following him and his son wherever they went. He thought that it was an insult to him as a father, not only from Jiang Ying Yue but also from Iris and Jin Liwei. They must have thought that he was unfit to keep his own son safe from danger. Or maybe they felt that he was a danger to his own son. This had been a source of resentment for him for almost the entire day.

Now, however, he changed his mind. If it weren't for the bodyguards, his wife might have done something worse to his son besides screaming insults and scaring the poor little boy. If Mao Qiuyue somehow managed to physically hurt his son, Long Hui would go crazy. For him, the woman crossed the line today.

Little Jun was no longer howling at the top of his lungs, but he still looked pitiful with his aggrieved expression. He only whimpered as tears continued flowing down his face.

Long Hui's chest tightened seeing his son like this. He didn't even mind that he couldn't breathe properly because of how tight Little Jun was hugging his neck.

"It's fine now, Little Jun," he comforted his son. "The bad woman is now gone. She won't be able to hurt you. Dad won't let her hurt you."

"Wuwuwu. Junjun scayed. Bad monstah, ugly! Bad! Wuwuwu." (Wuwuwu. Junjun is scared. Bad monster is ugly! She's bad! Wuwuwu.)

"I know, son. Don't cry anymore."

"Junjun go home. Dada, home! Wuwuwu. Junjun want Mommi. Want Mama, Papa. Popkohn, Gwaby. Anko Domdom. Wuwuwu." (Junjun wants to go home. Daddy, let's go home! Wuwuwu. Junjun wants Mommy. I want Mama and Papa. Popcorn and Gravy. Uncle Dom. Wuwuwu.)

Long Hui's lips pressed into a thin line. He wanted to spend more time with his son today, but everything was ruined because of Mao Qiuyue. There was still time before he was supposed to return his son to Jiang Ying Yue, but now, he had no choice but to return Little Jun earlier than expected. Of course, he could always delay returning his son until the appointed time, but Little Jun was too scared about what happened. He looked at the bodyguards. "I'll drive my son to Dragon Palace."

"Sir, no need for that. Miss Jiang told us that we'll take the little master home."

"I'll drive my son," Long Hui repeated in a firmer tone. The bodyguards looked at each other. Then, finally, one of them stepped away and fished out a phone, presumably to contact Jiang Ying Yue.

Long Hui gritted his teeth. He hated this complicated arrangement just to spend time with his own son. Regardless of his complaints, he still restrained his temper. He admitted that he was responsible for what happened with Mao Qiuyue today. He should have been more careful and prevented the woman from getting the opportunity to even get close to his son. The bodyguard returned and handed him the phone. Long Hui took it. "Hello?" Nôv(el)B\\jnn

All he could hear was some heavy breathing. He could almost see Jiang Ying Yue's furious expression in front of him. "Y-ying Yue?"

"Don't call me that! I already told you! Long Hui, if I find a single scratch on my son, I swear I'll beat up your wife with my bare hands until no teeth are left inside her dirty mouth! How dare she attack my son?! How dare you let your wife attack our son?! Long Hui, I shouldn't have let you take my son out today! Look what happened!!!"

Long Hui wanted to explain and defend himself but couldn't find the opportunity to interrupt Jiang Ying Yue's tirade. Little Jun heard his mother's voice on the phone and began crying for her. "Mommi? Uwah! Mommi! Junjun scayed! Junjun want Mommi! Go home! Mommi! Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" ("Mommy? Uwah! Mommy! Junjun is scared! Junjun wants Mommy! I want to go home! Mommy! Wah!!!)

"Is that my son?" Jiang Ying Yue finally stopped her tirade. "Give the phone to my son. I want to talk to him."

Long Hui sighed and held the phone to his son's ear. He could barely hear what his ex was saying to their son, but her tone drastically changed from furious to gentle and comforting. Little Jun stopped crying and began to calm down a little. His pitiful whimpers continued, though. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

After the call, Long Hui followed the bodyguards out of the mall. Along the way, they encountered a bunch of weird people. "I finally found our dear Little Junie boy!"

"Comrades, into our formation! Protect our Little Junjun!"

"Don't be too overexcited! You'll scare our dear nephew."

Long Hui was bewildered. Who were these weirdos? How did they know about his son?

He hugged Little Jun closer and cast a suspicious look at the weirdos. Then he glanced at the bodyguards. They didn't seem to treat the weirdos as threats to his son's safety. As a matter of fact, they even nodded to the weirdos. "Hmph! We don't care about you, Long Hui. We're doing this for the sake of our Boss Iris' dear nephew, not for you!"

"You really know how to choose a woman to marry! Big Sis Ying Yue is super cool and awesome, and yet you cheated on her with an ugly witch instead. Now, look at what the ugly witch did to our dear Little Junie boy!"

It was only then that Long Hui understood the identity of these weirdos. So they were Iris Long's fans. Crazy people.

Although their words angered him, he chose to ignore them instead. This wasn't the time to lash out. His frightened son was still trembling in his arms. His first priority was to comfort Little Jun and bring him to safety. If these weirdos could help him, he had no choice but to swallow his complaints against them. At least, for now. "Hmph! At least you know what's good for you. Don't worry. We're not shameless like you and your evil witch of a wife. We're proud Black Stars and know our limits. We won't cause trouble for our Boss Iris."

"Let's hurry up. I can hear the police sirens. I want to see what happens to that evil witch after we get Little Junie boy to safety."

"Don't worry. Our comrades are providing live updates on our group chat. They're not going to let Mao Qiuyue off so easily for all the mean things she said to our dearest nephew."

Long Hui stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

The Black Stars weirdos rolled their eyes at him. Their dislike of him was clear as day, but they still answered his question. They explained that some of their comrades mobbed Mao Qiuyue for what she did to Little Jun. Since they were far from the restaurant section, their group was assigned to help escort Little Jun out to safety instead, even though they also wanted to join the mob against Mao Qiuyue. "Did my sister order you to do this?" Long Hui asked. One of them snorted. "No, Boss Iris didn't. We did this on our own accord. Don't underestimate us, the Black Stars, especially those who are hardcore members of the Slippers Army. Two of the best leaders of the Slippers Army alerted us about the situation. They requested backup from any Black Stars in the vicinity of this mall. Those two leaders are really good with computers. That's why they could direct us so accurately to find either your evil witch of a wife or you and Little Jun."

Long Hui fell silent. He could believe what they said. Wasn't the current CEO of Planet Monkey and head developer of the popular game "Supreme Ascension" a member of Black Stars and Slippers Army?

Long Hui also knew other more impressive members of his sister's fan club. A few of the most respected ladies in high society were known Black Stars, including the wife of the Police Chief.

He pursed his lips and stopped talking about this topic. He wouldn't admit his admiration of the wide variety of Iris' fans. The loyalty that her fans had for her was something that he could only imagine. In many ways, he was envious. But right now, he was actually thankful. The timely response of Iris' fans gave him an odd sense of security, especially after what happened with his wife. Little Jun also began to smile again. The Black Stars escorting them were friendly and called him by his name. The child could sense their friendliness. Finally, they reached the parking lot. "Bye-bye!" Little Jun waved at the friendly aunts and uncles.

"Aaaw, so cute!"

"Goodbye, Little Junie boy! Take care!"

The Black Stars gave the child some snacks and little toys that they were able to grab in a hurry along the way. One even gave him instant cup noodles.

Long Hui didn't bother stopping them from giving trash to his son. It was enough to see Little Jun happy again. He tossed his car key to one of the bodyguards. He wanted to drive by himself at first but changed his mind. His current mental state wasn't too good. He couldn't risk driving with a distracted mind while his son rode with him.

Long Hui could see some police officers entering the mall as his car drove away from the parking lot. It was a good thing that he could take his son away so quickly, or they would have to stay longer to speak to the police. He didn't want that to add stress to his already frightened son.

Chapter 1413 Ceasefire

The father and son sat in the backseat of the car while two bodyguards sat in the front. One drove while the other sat in the front passenger seat. The other bodyguards followed them in a separate vehicle.

Long Hui helped his son open the snacks and knickknacks that the Black Stars weirdos gave Little Jun. They were all cheap things, but the child would exclaim with happiness whenever he finished opening one. His son's reaction made Long Hui stop himself from showing open disdain for all this trash. When they reached the highway, his phone began ringing.

It was one of Mao Qiuyue's friends calling. He ignored it. The call stopped. Then he received an angry message telling him that the police had taken his wife. In the next few minutes, his phone began ringing nonstop.

His mother-in-law, father-in-law, and even his mother called him, demanding to leave his son and help his wife instead. Long Hui read their furious messages to him. His in-laws' words were particularly nasty. They were basically threatening to withdraw their support if he let their daughter get into trouble.

He wavered for a moment, but when he looked at his innocent son, who still had red and puffy eyes from crying so much, his eyes turned cold, and his heart hardened towards his wife and in-laws. He might have already sold himself to the Maos, but that didn't mean that he would abandon his son for his wife.

A wife could always be changed, but his son would forever be his child. Long Hui could tolerate if his wife disliked his child with Jiang Ying Yue, as long as she never directly attacked Little Jun. But that was precisely what she did today. It was only thanks to his son's bodyguards that she failed. She crossed the line today. He couldn't find it in his heart to find the compassion as a husband and rescue her from the police. In fact, even a part of him wished that she would be locked in jail forever. But that was just a useless fantasy.

He had to admit that he still needed Mao Qiuyue and her family to achieve his ambitions. But for now, he wanted to be with his son.

The sky was already dark when they reached the main gates of Dragon Palace. After verifying their identities, the gates were opened, and they drove inside. Long Hui's eyes widened at this development. At first, he thought they would stop outside the exclusive village. He would say goodbye to his son and drive away by himself. But, he didn't expect them to enter Dragon Palace with him still inside the car.

"Uhm, is this okay?" he asked the bodyguards at the front.

"Miss Jiang wants to speak with you first."

Long Hui finally understood. So it was like that.

More than half an hour later, they finally arrived at Dragon Palace Home #10. Long Hui bundled up his son with an extra coat because the night air was already cold. Then he carried Little Jun out of the car and looked at the palatial mansion.

It was, without a doubt, one of the grandest homes that he had set foot in his life ever. If a person wasn't used to this kind of extravagance and luxury, one would definitely feel intimidated. Long Hui was a wealthy scion, so he wasn't ignorant of this kind of extravagance and luxury, but even he felt a little intimidated. He glanced at his son, who now called this place home.

When they finally entered, a figure rushed forward and snatched Little Jun from Long Hui's arms.

"Mommi!" Little Jun hugged his mother.

Jiang Ying Yue glared at Long Hui before checking her son from head to toe and back up again. Lin Yehan stood beside her. A little farther away, Iris and Jin Liwei stood together by the grand twin staircases looking down at the scene. Both of their expressions were cold. "Little Jun isn't injured," Long Hui said while trying not to let himself quail under everyone's heavy gazes.

Jiang Ying Yue glared at him again.

Little Jun greeted his mother, Uncle Yehan, and of course, his Mama and Papa. Then he turned around and reached for his own father.

"Dada!"

Long Hui also wanted to take him, but Jiang Ying Yue was reluctant. Only when Little Jun began struggling that she handed their son to him. "You want to talk?" he asked. She nodded but hesitated because their son was acting very sticky to him. She didn't want to pull their son away from him by force.

"Dada, dis Junjun home! Junjun show Popkohn, show Gwaby. Show baby bwoders!" (Daddy, this is Junjun's home! Junjun will show you Popcorn and Gravy. And also my baby brothers!) n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The child tried pulling his father inside, but Long Hui stayed put. Little Jun felt his resistance and looked like he was about to cry again. Jiang Ying Yue was about to intervene when a cold voice interrupted.

"Let my godson show you around," Jin Liwei announced. Everyone looked at him in surprise, including Iris.

"Look at my godson. It's clear that he misses his father and wants to spend more time with Long Hui. My godson has already been through too much today. Let's not upset him further by cutting his time with his father short. We can deal with the other matters after my godson falls asleep."

Iris nodded after hearing her husband's reason for allowing Long Hui to stay in their home longer. Indeed, their godson had been through too much today. Little Jun deserved to be happy after what happened. If the little guy wanted to spend more time with his father, then so be it. Since the master and mistress of the house had already spoken, Jiang Ying Yue had no complaints.

But Jin Liwei still warned Long Hui. "This is for my godson. Remember that you are now inside my territory. So don't make trouble, or I'll let you experience the worst consequence."

Long Hui didn't reply. His expression was ugly. He looked like he had a lot of complaints but didn't dare to say them out loud. Jin Liwei was right. Long Hui was alone in enemy territory. It wasn't wise to attempt any monkey business in this place.

He also didn't want to stay. Who wanted to remain in enemy territory where there was danger everywhere? Not him!

But he was also reluctant to leave his son so soon. If it weren't for what happened with Mao Qiuyue at the mall, this day would have been perfect. He had fun taking his son to the zoo and spending time together as father and son.

For this reason, he could only swallow his complaints and follow his son inside the huge mansion.

The others followed behind them. Midway, Iris and Jin Liwei separated from them and headed to another place instead, while Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan continued to follow the father and son. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

The first destination was Little Jun's bedroom. "Meow!"

"Ruff! Ruff!"

An orange cat and a puppy greeted the little guy.

"Dada, wook! Dis Popkohn! Dis Gwaby!" (Daddy, look! This is Popcorn! And this is Gravy!)

Long Hui had already met the hyperactive ginger cat before. Popcorn also seemed to remember him. The cat rubbed himself all over Long Hui's legs. On the other hand, the puppy Gravy was more cautious of this new stranger. He barked and growled at Long Hui. "No, Gwaby! Stop! Dis Junjun dada! No bad." (No, Gravy! Stop! This is Junjun's daddy! He's not bad.)

Long Hui squatted down and let the puppy sniff his hands. It continued to be suspicious of him, but at least it wasn't trying to attack him anymore.

He looked around his son's bedroom. With just one look, he knew that everything had been customized for his son. The space was large, bright and colourful while feeling cozy all at the same time. There were a lot of toys displayed on the wall shelves. He even recognized some of them as ones he had given his son before. He couldn't help but glance at his ex, Jiang Ying Yue. It turned out that despite their ruined relationship, she wasn't that bitter to the point that she would throw away everything he had given their son. She would even allow them to display the items in their son's room. Jiang Ying Yue noticed how he looked at her and some of the toys. She instantly understood what he was thinking. "Little Jun loves all the toys in his room," she explained. "They're just toys. So I let him keep what he wants. Doesn't matter who gave them to him."

Lin Yehan never once interrupted their conversation. He was just a quiet presence beside Jiang Ying Yue, which she really appreciated. Both were uncomfortable with Long Hui's presence here, but seeing Little Jun's joy and excitement was enough to increase their tolerance for the man.

Indeed, Jin Liwei was right. They should give this much to Little Jun. The little guy deserved it after all he went through earlier today.

Hence, everyone tacitly agreed that tonight would be a ceasefire. After showing his bedroom, Little Jun led his father to another place. This time, Popcorn and Gravy followed them as well.

They soon arrived at the nursery.

"What the f—hell-icopter are you doing here?" Lu Zihao almost cursed but quickly changed his wording after remembering that children were present. He glowered at the sight of Long Hui. Long Jinjing patted her husband's arm, silently asking him to calm down, before greeting her brother. "Eldest Brother Hui."

Chapter 1414 Uncle Hui

Long Hui somewhat felt ambushed by all the unfriendly gazes directed at him. Lu Zihao looked like he was about to beat him up if not for Long Jinjing holding him back. Iris and Jin Liwei were also present. But, just like before, the couple's gazes on him were cold. Only his other half-sister, Long Jinjing, gave him a welcoming albeit nervous smile.

He wanted to leave, but his excited son pulled him farther into the nursery. A fat, grey cat blocked their path and glared at Long Hui. He remembered this temperamental cat. It was called Ice Cream if he remembered correctly. Sometimes, she would be pleasant and even friendly when in a good mood, but more often than not, she looked like she wanted to claw someone's face off. This cat was the total opposite of the warm and affectionate Popcorn.

Little Jun hugged the glaring Ice Cream and tried to assure his feline cousin that his father meant no harm, just like what he did earlier with the puppy, Gravy. Unfortunately, Ice Cream didn't seem to change her mind and continued throwing a murderous look at Long Hui, but at least she didn't look like she was about to scratch his face off.

As for Little Jun, he was already used to Ice Cream's grumpiness. He was feeling too happy introducing his father to his four baby cousins. Both Little Mochi and Little Matcha were on the carpeted floor while the Lu twins were in their parents' arms. They looked at the stranger with wariness, perhaps remembering what happened with René Alejandro before.

Little Jun was too young to read and analyze the tense atmosphere. His enthusiasm was the only positive aspect in the room at the moment.

"Dada, dis Junjun baby bwoders! Dis Mochi, dis Matcha. Dat Dima, dat Misha! Junjun wuv babies!" (Daddy, these are Junjun's baby brothers! This is Mochi and Matcha. That's Dima and Misha! Junjun loves the babies!)

Long Hui studied his nephews. That was right. All four babies were his biological nephews.

The ones on the carpeted floor were the Jin twins. They didn't look alike at all. One was Jin Liwei's carbon copy, while the other resembled Iris. No, that wasn't entirely accurate. The other one resembled Wei Lan.

As for the Lu twins, they were identical. However, they didn't resemble any of their parents at all.

Little Jun pulled his father and sat beside his Jin cousins on the carpet.

"Mochi, Matcha, dis Junjun dada!" (Mochi, Matcha, this is Junjun's daddy!)

Then he began regaling his baby cousins with his adventures earlier that day, mainly about the animals he saw at the zoo. The adults present couldn't understand most of what he was babbling about. Nevertheless, his baby cousins appeared absorbed in listening to him. The babies' wariness towards Long Hui disappeared as their full attention shifted to their Big Brother Jun instead. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Little Jun seemed to have forgotten about the scary encounter with the ugly female monster who screamed at him at the mall.

Long Hui ignored his discomfort at the current situation. Instead, he only focused on his son and observed his nephews, who he was meeting for the first time. The curious Popcorn sniffed around him before displaying its friendliness by plopping its furry body on Long Hui's lap. In contrast, Ice Cream and Gravy continued looking at him with suspicion. Long Hui happened to meet Little Mochi's eyes. The baby grinned at him, displaying a gummy smile with a single front tooth not fully emerged yet. It was odd.

Long Hui thought that he would despise the baby not only for being that child of his biggest sibling enemy, Iris, but also for resembling the hateful Wei Lan. But contrary to his expectations, he found the baby adorable. He was already smiling back at the baby before he realized what he was doing.

This interaction made him more comfortable. Then, his paternal instincts kicked in, and he began to initiate play with the babies. Little Mochi was the first one to accept his gesture. Unlike René Alejandro, Long Hui didn't even think of teasing the babies. Instead, he just played with them together with his son.

At first, Little Matcha didn't seem interested. But later, he also joined after seeing his twin brother and elder cousin laughing in delight.

The twins' parents, Iris and Jin Liwei, felt complicated while watching the scene. It wasn't only them. Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan also didn't know how to process what was happening right in front of them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It felt like they were seeing a stranger—a nice stranger—instead of the douchebag, Long Hui.

At that moment, Long Jinjing also joined the group on the carpet while holding one of her twin sons. Then, she presented the baby to Long Hui. "Eldest Brother Hui, meet my second son, Lu Zhiyuan. We call him Little Dima."

"Jinjing," Lu Zihao said in warning tone. He was displeased by her action. He didn't want his wife and children near the scumbag. It didn't matter if the motherfucker was his wife's biological brother and his children's biological uncle. Lu Zihao acted as if Long Hui was contaminated with an incurable and contagious disease.

Long Jinjing ignored her husband's displeasure. She continued introducing her son to her brother.

Like the others, Long Hui also felt complicated and even confused. He looked at Long Jinjing, the only adult present kind to him. This half-sister of his had always been kind, gentle, and in so many ways, easy to bully. He had never been close to Long Jinjing. Still, he treated her better than their other siblings because of her lack of interest in joining the battle of succession. She was no threat to him, unlike Long Jian and especially Iris.

Since Long Jinjing was trying her best to ease the tension among all the adults present, Long Hui decided to go along and accept her kind gesture. So he smiled at tLittle Dima. The baby looked like he was about to cry at the sight of him, but Long Hui smiled, interrupting the baby. Little Dima seemed fascinated by Long Hui, perhaps because he looked like the baby's elder cousin, Little Jun.

"Would you like to hold him?" Long Jinjing offered. "No way!" Lu Zihao was quick to reject his wife's suggestion. If it weren't for the presence of the children, he would have already cursed at Long Hui and kicked him out of here like a stinky bag of trash. There was a deep, heavy sigh. It came from Iris. She left her husband's side and sat with her twins on the carpet. Long Hui flinched at her close proximity. She ignored his reaction and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Like what my husband said earlier, this is for Little Jun," she said. "We'll pretend that everything is fine for the sake of my godson but only for tonight. This will be the only time you'll meet your nephews like this. These children are all innocent to the enmity we adults have for each other."

A relieved smile appeared on Long Jinjing's face. Then she offered Long Hui to hold Little Dima again.

Long Hui took one look at the baby and remembered the time when Little Jun was also this small. Without his control, something warm and fuzzy filled his chest. His body also began to move before he could think about his actions. The baby was already in his arms when he returned to his senses.

Little Dima stared at him with innocent and very adorable eyes. The baby was soft and warm—everything that stimulated his paternal instincts.

"Good baby," he murmured. His expression was soft.

A few feet away, Little Misha began to struggle in his father's arms. "Mikhail, stop it," Lu Zihao reprimanded. Unfortunately, Little Misha continued wiggling like a slippery worm. He tried reaching out to his mother's group on the carpet. His twin brother and cousins were all there. Why was he the only one left out? He wanted to join them, too! His daddy was no fun at all. The exasperated Lu Zihao's patience was almost at its limit.

"Stop it, you little—"

"Zihao, please," Long Jinjing said in a pleading tone.

He didn't want to give in, but what could he do when his wife looked at him like that? Sighing, he grudgingly brought their other son to join the group on the floor. But, of course, he didn't forget to continue glaring at Long Hui. Little Misha was still unable to hold his head without support, but that didn't stop the daring baby from wanting to join in all the fun. He waved his little arms and kicked his little feet until his bad-tempered daddy placed him beside his cousins.

"This is Lu Tianyu," Long Jinjing introduced her eldest twin son to Long Hui. "We call him Little Misha."

"Your sons look exactly the same," Long Hui commented. "I can't tell them apart."

Lu Zihao rolled his eyes. "They're identical twins. Of course, they look alike."

Long Hui ignored the man's sarcasm. He didn't remember offending Lu Zihao at all, but the scar-faced man seemed to hate him even more than Jin Liwei did for the sake of Iris.

Never mind what the man thought about him. Every single one of these people, except for the innocent children, were his enemies anyway.

He would just take advantage of this moment to bond with his own son and nephews. This might be the last time that a ceasefire like this would happen. His nephews might grow to despise and avoid him in the future, but that was something he didn't need to worry about right now.

Just for tonight, he would be their Uncle Hui. And that was enough.

Chapter 1415 Mayhem

This harmonious scene continued until the children began to feel drowsy. The Lu twins were the ones who fell asleep first. Their parents, Lu Zihao and Long Jinjing, took them away to their own bedroom. Then the Jin twins started nodding off as well. Iris and Jin Liwei also carried their babies to the master bedroom. Ice Cream followed them.

It was clear that Little Jun was also feeling sleepy, but the child was doing his best to keep awake. He hugged his father's neck and looked like he wanted to stay like that for the rest of the night.

"Time for bed, Little Jun." Jiang Ying Yue tried taking him, but the child refused to let go of his father. "Dada," Little Jun whimpered. "Dada, stay. Junjun want Dada." (Daddy, stay. Junjun wants Daddy.)

Long Hui's eyes were red and suspiciously moist. He also hugged his son and looked like he didn't want to let go.

Jiang Ying Yue was torn. She glanced at Lin Yehan, who looked as helpless as her.

"Lead the way to my son's bedroom," Long Hui told them. "I'll put Little Jun to bed."

She hesitated but eventually nodded and did just that.

Even when they arrived in the child's bedroom, Little Jun continued to act spoiled. He refused to sleep even when he kept on yawning. Long Hui helped bathe his son and even read him bedtime stories. Finally, in the middle of the fourth bedtime storybook, Little Jun could no longer hold on. The little guy eventually fell asleep.

All three adults released big sighs of relief. Long Hui kissed his son's forehead and caressed the child's face. He wanted to stamp this memory in his mind for the rest of his life. This was also the first time in a long time, ever since he and Jiang Ying Yue broke up, that he felt so peaceful.

Feeling peaceful in enemy territory, wasn't it ironic?

He almost laughed out loud—to mock himself.

But he knew that this peace would only last tonight. Everything would return to the shitty, harsh reality tomorrow. He was about to leave but felt a light tug on his shirt. He glanced down and saw that Little Jun was clutching the hem of his shirt tightly with his small hand despite being asleep. Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan both saw the situation. Both felt complicated, especially Jiang Ying Yue. She had a lot of opinions against her ex but seeing her son acting so sticky like this with Long Hui made her feel guilty and terrible. Lin Yehan must have sensed her feelings because he patted her back, trying to reassure her. Long Hui sighed and worked on gently prying his son's little hand to let go of his shirt, but there was a soft yet sad smile on his face. When his shirt was freed, he didn't leave right away. Instead, he stared at his son and kissed the child a few times before leaving with a heavy heart.

Outside Little Jun's bedroom, the atmosphere changed in an instant. "We still need to talk about what your wife did to my son," Jiang Ying Yue announced.

"Alright." Long Hui knew that he couldn't escape this conversation. His expression turned cold, but he didn't bother glaring at Lin Yehan, who stuck close to Jiang Ying Yue. Long Hui felt exhausted after everything that happened today. He didn't have the energy to quarrel with his ex and her new lover tonight. He followed them to a nearby sitting area. Iris and Jin Liwei were already waiting there when they arrived. Long Hui wasn't surprised at their presence. After all, Iris and Jin Liwei were Little Jun's godparents.

The conversation didn't last for too long because none wanted to waste any time. All of them felt exhausted.

When it was over, Long Hui left and drove his own car out of Dragon Palace Home #10. He looked at the palatial mansion looming behind him through his rearview mirror. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As he drove farther and farther away, the weight on his shoulders seemed to return and become heavier and heavier.

For a moment, he didn't want to go back to his wife, to the life he had chosen.

But unfortunately, he couldn't turn back now. It was already too late.

The night sky was still dark. When the sun started to rise tomorrow, the ceasefire would end. And once again, it would be war.

###

The next day was pure mayhem.

It was like watching the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

Mao Qiuyue was arrested yesterday after she allegedly attempted to physically attack her husband's young son. There were many witnesses to what she did. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

The ones most willing to testify against her were Black Stars. In addition, the child's team of bodyguards who immobilized Mao Qiuyue had clear video footage from their bodycams. Even before these video footages were handed to the police, copies had already been uploaded and spread on the internet to let the netizens judge Mao Qiuyue's deplorable actions. As expected, people were outraged after watching what she did to a child. The fact that she had been called a homewrecker and one-half of the cheating duo with Long Hui by Iris Long not too long ago also contributed to the public hatred against her.

How dare a homewrecker like her to treat her husband's original fiancée like that? So evil!

Poor child. He must have been so frightened.

It was a great thing that Iris Long and CEO Jin had the foresight to provide their godson with a team of bodyguards. If it weren't for the bodyguards, then the evil woman might have succeeded in hurting the poor child. Even the major news programs and papers featured this story for the entire day. By the afternoon, Iris Long's known lawyer, Atty. Hong Shaoqiang, filed an official legal case against Mao Qiuyue for his client, Miss Jiang Ying Yue, the minor's mother involved in the incident.

While the media was having a field day covering this news story, things were even more chaotic when Long Hui finally met with his in-laws. He spent a night at a hotel after leaving Dragon Palace. Surprisingly, he had a great night of sleep—something that he had not experienced for a long time since leaving Jiang Ying Yue and getting together with Mao Qiuyue. Maybe it was because his son and baby nephews provided him with soothing, positive energy that helped refresh his stressed and exhausted psyche.

He left the hotel and drove directly to his in-laws' house.

Pak!

Long Hui's head almost snapped off his neck. His father-in-law slapped him with force so great that he stumbled as soon as he stepped inside the house. "What a great husband you are! Disappearing when your wife needs you the most! Where have you been?! We've been calling and messaging you all night! We didn't sleep a wink because of what happened to our daughter, your wife! Did you spend the night with your bastard son's mother?! Did you get back together with that lowly bodyguard?!"

Mao Qiuyue's parents barraged him with harsh scolding and hundreds of questions. He stayed quiet for the most part. He already expected this kind of reception from his in-laws. There were many times that he wanted to snap at them but had to restrain himself. He couldn't afford to entirely fall out with the Maos. He had already sacrificed too much in exchange for their support.

"I'm sorry, Father and Mother," he forced himself to say. He made his expression and tone as apologetic as possible. "I know that I'm wrong. I'll do everything in my power to save my wife."

"You better do that, or I'll make you regret it!"

Mao Qiuyue's father was enraged and looked like he wanted to beat up Long Hui. Mao Qiuyue's mother was also mad at Long Hui, but not to the same extent as her husband. It was because she was close with Long Hui's mother, Zheng Suyin. She and Zheng Suyin were the ones who paired up Long Hui and Mao Qiuyue. "I already talked to your mother," she told Long Hui. "She's also asking her connections to help my daughter, your wife. But she has been gone from the social scene for too long that her pleas might not be effective. So your mother suggests that you ask your father for help."

Long Hui frowned. "Father?"

"Yes. We already called and asked your father for help, but he didn't promise anything. That's why we think that you should ask your father directly. If it comes from you, I'm sure that he won't be able to reject our request. No matter what happens, you're still his eldest legitimate son."

Even though Long Hui didn't think this plan would go smoothly, he still agreed.

###

Long Ancestral Residence.

The chamberlain had just announced the arrival of the Young Master Hui, who requested to speak with his father, Long Tengfei. Coincidentally, Long Tengfei took a rare weekday off to spend quality time with his wife. She still held some resentment over how Zheng Suyin, his first ex-wife, treated them at Long Hui and Mao Qiuyue's wedding.

Yang Jiahui crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her husband. They were having afternoon tea when the chamberlain interrupted them. The husband and wife already knew what happened yesterday and today after Meimei told them everything. Meimei was usually locked in her studio working on her webtoon. Still, today she sought them to share what Dom told her over the phone. Yang Jiahui was upset after learning what had happened. She doted on Little Jun and the two pairs of twins like her own grandchildren. "If you dare help your son save his bitch of a wife, forget that I'm your wife!"

Chapter 1416 No Mercy

Long Tengfei's expression turned dark at his wife's warning. "What do you mean? You plan to divorce me?" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Yang Jiahui snorted. "I'm not stupid to divorce you because of your first family. As long as you don't personally sin against me, I won't divorce you. But I can always leave an old man like you to live alone in this big, ancient residence. I still have my own house where I used to live with my niece. Meimei and I can live by ourselves. I still have my own savings from when I was still working. It may not be much compared to yours, but it's enough for me to live on. Meimei also has her own successful career. She doesn't need me to financially support her anymore. It's nice to have a husband, but I don't need one to feed myself! Hmph!"

"Jiahui, you." Long Tengfei sighed.

It was very rare for his wife to throw a tantrum, but whenever she did, it meant that her tolerance had reached its limit. She had always been understanding of the issues with his children and exes. But after Long Hui and Mao Qiuyue's wedding, she didn't bother hiding her indignance about how she was treated.

Long Tengfei loved this wife. He didn't want to divorce her. This was why he had been doing his best to make it up to her after Long Hui's wedding. He even took a rare day off today just to spend time with her. Unfortunately, his eldest son just had to ruin it again.

Yang Jiahui reiterated her warning. "I'm telling you, Tengfei. There has to be a limit to how often you help your eldest son. He's an adult, for goodness' sake! Your other children no longer rely on you as your eldest son does! And remember that your first grandson is involved in this matter! I dare you save Mao Qiuyue after what she did to Little Jun!"

He took a deep breath as his eyes turned cold. But, of course, this coldness wasn't directed at his wife but at his new daughter-in-law.

"Don't worry, wife. I know what to do."

"Hmph!"

She left the room and went to her niece's studio. There was no way that she would join her husband in meeting Long Hui. She might really lose it when facing her stepson. So it was better to leave it to her husband. Whether Long Tengfei would make a satisfactory decision or not remained to be seen. Long Tengfei leaned back on his chair and released a heavy sigh. It was at times like this that he felt his age. He was really getting old now.

Before this, he never really had any significant problems with his eldest son. It had always been his youngest daughter who made trouble left and right, causing him headaches almost every day back then. When Iris changed for the better, Long Tengfei thought he could finally sit back and relax. He never imagined that it would be his eldest son's turn to cause trouble left and right like this. He had been doing his best to protect his eldest son despite his increasing disappointment. No matter what, Long Hui was still his child. He couldn't find it in his heart to completely leave his son to suffer. This time, however, was a different matter. It involved his grandchild.

Long Jun was his first-ever grandson. His importance in his heart was different. "Bring my son here," he instructed. The chamberlain obeyed.

A few minutes later, Long Hui arrived. He didn't look as haggard as Long Tengfei expected. Still, all the accumulated stress took a toll on his son's usually handsome face. Long Hui's eyes were dull. He looked like he was more tired of the world than his father. "Father," he greeted.

"You want to ask my help for your wife."

Long Tengfei was direct to the point. His words were not a question but a statement.

"Y-yes. Father—"

"I won't help this time, son."

"—huh, what?"

"I said I won't help your wife."

Long Hui stared at his father for a long time. Long Tengfei met his son's eyes. He was prepared for an argument, but his son only nodded, contrary to expectations. There was a sense of defeat in his son's overall demeanour. His shoulders were slumped as if he was carrying all the weight in the world. "I understand, Father." Long Hui plopped himself on a seat, no longer caring about his image in front of his father. He just didn't have the energy to care anymore.

Long Tengfei frowned. The frown wasn't due to disapproval but concern instead. "What's going on with you, son?"

Long Hui opened his mouth but then closed it again. He struggled with whether to share his worries with his father or not. In the end, he decided to keep it all in.

Having a heart-to-heart talk with his father wasn't something they would normally do anyway.

"I'm...fine."

Long Tengfei's frown deepened. He also opened his mouth but closed it back again. He had a lot of things to say but didn't know how to express them to his son. The father and son sat there in awkward silence. "Sorry for disturbing you, Father." Long Hui stood up and got ready to leave. "Qiuyue...my wife...never mind."

"Son."

"Yes, Father?"

"Who is more important to you—your son or your wife?"

The question enraged Long Hui. "What kind of question is that? Of course, it's my son!"

Long Tengfei remained calm in the face of his son's outburst. "There you have it. That's your answer."

Long Hui was silenced. "I, too, think the same way as you, son. That's why I left a lot of women but kept all my children. I'm not the best father by any means. I know that I have many shortcomings as a parent. But I still care about all four of you, my children, in my own way."

Long Hui stayed silent. "Normally, I would have helped you," Long Tengfei continued. "But it's different this time. My grandson, your son, is involved in this matter."

Long Hui's expression cracked.

Bang!

Tea splashed all over the table when Long Tengfei hit it with his hand. "I can't find any shred of compassion in me to help your wife after what she did to my grandson! If not for you, I would have already helped Jiang Ying Yue in her legal case against Mao Qiuyue instead! Your wife deserves to be punished for what she did to my grandson! I'm already doing you a favour by not interfering in any way because I know that your situation with your in-laws is precarious."

He gave his son a final warning. "This is the last time that I'll listen to you ask me for a favour on behalf of the Maos."

Long Hui ground his teeth so hard that his jaw felt locked. But he still replied, "Yes, Father."

Without waiting for his father's reaction, he left.

Long Hui continued walking. Many servants greeted him, but he ignored all of them. He just wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible. The residence had stopped feeling like home a long time ago.

Only when he was sitting inside his own car did he finally release the breath he didn't know that he had been holding. His father's refusal to help wasn't unexpected. As a matter of fact, he already predicted this outcome. He wasn't upset at his father either. Truth be told, he felt somewhat relieved that his father refused to help Mao Qiuyue.

If Long Tengfei did help, Long Hui's now strained relationship with his in-laws would improve. However, he would still feel horrible if that happened.

His son would be wronged on so many levels if Long Hui allowed his father to help his wife.

"What the hell should I do?"

He asked himself while sitting alone in his car, but there was no answer. His mind was a mess.

His life had become a total mess.

So he just stayed there inside his car. All alone and with nobody to turn to for comfort.

###

In the end, no one came forward to help Mao Qiuyue from avoiding the legal case filed against her by Atty. Hong Shaoqiang on behalf of Jiang Ying Yue. However, Mao Qiuyue was still permitted to pay bail. She was released from police detention while waiting for the case against her to proceed in court. Back at Dragon Palace Home #10, Iris and the others were unhappy at Mao Qiuyue's temporary release. However, this was within their expectations in accordance with the law. They decided to play within the legal boundaries and let the law decide Mao Qiuyue's official punishment. After all, their side had substantial evidence and plenty of witnesses to back their claim against the woman. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Nevertheless, this didn't mean that Iris and Jin Liwei would do nothing after what happened to their godson. Yes, they would leave it to the law to decide Mao Qiuyue's official punishment. Still, there were also other ways to vent their anger. It wasn't only Iris and Jin Liwei who felt like this. There were quite a number of people who doted on Little Jun. What Mao Qiuyue did to the adorable little boy outraged them. Jin Liwei and his brothers held a meeting at home.

Iris also held one with her friends in the girl squad. Even Clover joined via video call all the way from France.

Their topic?

How to sabotage Mao Qiuyue and her Mao family.

There was no need for mercy. Did Mao Qiuyue have mercy on Little Jun? No.

Since that was the case, then they had no reservations in meting out their own judgment to the woman.

Chapter 1417 Jump Out of a Sinking Ship

The next few days felt like all hell had broken loose for Mao Qiuyue and her family. It wasn't only her increasingly stinky reputation that they needed to worry about. They were also forced to scramble like headless chickens to save their company, Mao Textiles. This time, it wasn't only Lin Yehan who was putting pressure on their company. Various forces were working together to sabotage them.

Jin Corporation was the most notable one. And it wasn't just Jin Liwei who made the command either. Insiders knew that even the legendary business genius, Sir Lu Jianhong, came out of retirement once again to express his rage about what happened to who the old man called his "eldest great-grandbaby". One of these elite business leaders was enough to shake the entire domestic industry to its core. What more when they combined their powers? Any entity that they targeted would definitely be obliterated. And that was precisely what was happening to the Maos.

In addition, Iris Long's Eve Holdings was also flexing its fast-growing influence in the business industry by joining in the fray. The company might still be far from Jin Corporation regarding wealth, power and prestige, but it wasn't significant either. Coupled with Iris Long's popularity and her fierce fans, the Black Stars, Eve Holdings was proving extremely dangerous to Mao Textiles.

Other hidden forces were also targeting Mao Textiles. They weren't as easy to identify as Jin Corporation, Eve Holdings, and Lin Yehan's work, but it was clear to spectators that all these forces were pushing Mao Textiles to the brink. A few days after what Mao Qiuyue did to her husband's illegitimate son, Mao Textiles was forced into its last dying breath.

Inside his in-laws' home, Long Hui watched his wife and parents-in-law panicking in despair as if it was the end of the world. And in some way, it was indeed the end of the world but only for them.

He felt numb. Even when his wife, Mao Qiuyue, started to slap, hit, and scratch him, he stood there like a cold, unfeeling statue.

"Useless! You're a useless husband! I regret marrying you!"

Mao Qiuyue looked like a completely different person. She was the kind of person obsessed with her looks. On a typical day, she would take hours to get ready.

But today, she looked like a total wreck. She wore no makeup. Her hair was a dry, stringy mess. Her skin was dull, and her face was swollen due to stress and lack of sleep.

Long Hui felt disgusted just by looking at her. However, he didn't retaliate and let her vent by hitting him. His father-in-law's hair turned white almost overnight. He looked old and tired...and extremely furious at Long Hui. Even his mother-in-law, who was usually the most sensible among them, didn't bother trying to be nice to him. So what was the use of being nice when they were about to lose everything?

While the Mao family was busy blaming Long Hui for everything happening to them, the chairman's assistant arrived.

"What?!" Father Mao barked. The poor assistant looked resentful but answered, "Chairman, the company has received a formal letter from the authorities informing us that they require Mao Textiles to undergo investigations into claims of bribery, tax evasion, embezzlement within the board of directors, and labour law violations."

Father Mao's face turned ashen.

"There must be a mistake!" Mother Mao denied the allegations.

The assistant pursed his lips and just directly handed the formal letter from the authorities to Father Mao. He also included an additional note.

"Chairman, this is my letter of resignation. I quit!"

Then he left without turning back.

"This can't be happening," Father Mao muttered as he read the formal letter. His complexion worsened after reading it. "We're ruined!"

He caught sight of Long Hui and threw a punch at his son-in-law's face. "All because of you! This is all your fault! All your fault! You're a scourge to my family! I regret ever agreeing to support a worthless good-for-nothing like you! I even married my daughter to you!"

Mao Qiuyue joined his father and beat up her husband. Mother Mao only watched on the sidelines. She might not be helping them beat up her son-in-law, but she wasn't moving to stop them either.

When the father and daughter got tired, Long Hui was in a sorry state. He had a black eye, and many parts of his face were already swelling. His usual handsome appearance was nowhere to be found. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

"Are you done?" he asked in a cold voice while struggling to stand on his own two feet. "How dare you use that tone with me?!" Father Mao was enraged. He looked like he wanted to have another go with his son-in-law. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Long Hui sneered and wiped the blood from his nose and split lip. "You say that you regret helping me. Well, I also regret accepting your help!"

"What did you say?!" Father Mao moved to punch him again, but Long Hui dodged this time. The older man stumbled and almost fell down to the floor. She glared at her husband. "How dare you treat my father like this?! He's your father-in-law!"

"Not for long."

Everyone stiffened. "What the hell do you mean by that?!" Mao Qiuyue demanded.

Long Hui looked at her straight in the eyes. He no longer bothered to hide his disgust for her. "I'm divorcing you, Mao Qiuyue. My biggest regret is ever marrying a repulsive woman like you. Do you know that I have to stop myself from vomiting every time I bed you?"

His words angered Father Mao and Mother Mao, while Mao Qiuyue started wailing. Mother Mao no longer held herself back and pounced on Long Hui to attack him. Unfortunately, Long Hui was done being their punching bag. He deftly dodged his mother-in-law. Then he addressed his crying wife, "You keep on blaming me, but this is your fault. None of this would have happened if you didn't touch my son. I have already told you many times that I'll never give up on my son. If you only listened to me, we wouldn't have reached this point. Mao Qiuyue, the moment you targeted my son was also the moment that I gave up on you!"

Like what the chairman's assistant did earlier, Long Hui also turned his back and walked away without turning back. He ignored the furious shouts and curses behind him. He jumped into his car and drove away in a heartbeat. A few minutes later, his phone rang. It was his mother. At first, he didn't want to answer, but his mother was persistent and kept on calling. In the end, he still picked up the call.

"I'm divorcing Mao Qiuyue," he told her directly. "You can't change my mind, Mother."

Zheng Suyin fell silent. Then she said, "Alright. Then divorce her."

Long Hui was taken aback at her acceptance of his decision. "You're not going to persuade me to change my mind?"

"The Maos are already a sinking ship. It's best to jump out of it and save yourself from drowning with them. You made the best decision, son."

Zheng Suyin's words were apathetic. It was as if she didn't share any friendship with Mother Mao. She and Mother Mao had been the ones who actively paired up her son with Mao Qiuyue at the beginning. But now, she was totally unsympathetic to the Mao family's plight. Long Hui became calmer after listening to his mother. He felt better about his decision to divorce his wife. "Don't worry about divorcing Mao Qiuyue, son. If she refuses to sign the papers, I'll help you 'persuade' her until she has no choice but to agree with the divorce. I'm an experienced divorcée after all. I learned a few tricks when your father divorced me to marry that slut, Wei Lan."

He could sense his mother's grudge against his father and Wei Lan. He also felt indignant on behalf of his mother. Because if it weren't for Wei Lan stealing his father from his mother, then Long Hui's position as the legitimate heir would have been more secure and stable than now. As the legitimate wife, his mother would have provided him with a stronger support system.

Alas, nobody could change the past. They all had to live with the present and fight to make a better future for themselves.

"I understand, Mother. Thank you."

After the phone call with his mother, Long Hui called his lawyer and the PR team he had previously hired to help him with the public apology. They made a plan.

Later, he walked to a police station accompanied by his lawyer to report his in-laws for physical assault. He didn't clean up or do any first aid on his injuries for maximum effect. Even his shirt remained torn and bloodied.

Just like his mother, he also learned a trick or two after getting into constant trouble. He fished a recording pen from his pocket and presented it to the police.

It contained a clear audio recording of how his wife and in-laws verbally and physically abused him and blamed him for all the trouble that Maos and their company were currently experiencing.

The audio recording was unedited to avoid drawing suspicion to himself. He didn't trust any professional claiming that they could edit the recording and make it look as if it was untouched.

As a result, the audio recording still contained all the unpleasant insults he threw at his own wife about him being disgusted while bedding her. Despite this, he still handed the full audio recording to the police. He would go down, but Mao Qiuyue and her parents would go down deeper than him.

His Genius Wife is a Superstar C1418

Winter had finally arrived. The snowfall this year was particularly heavy. White covered almost everything outside, transforming it into a winter wonderland. At least, this was the case at Dragon Palace Home #10. Iris, Long Jinjing and their husbands took their own set of twins outside to carefully expose the babies to their first winter snow. Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan were also present and brought Little Jun. All five puppies—Pudding, Chowder, Ham, Mash and Gravy—accompanied the children. Little Jun played in the snow with all the puppies that were growing very fast during this period. They didn't look small anymore.

Little Mochi's excited laughter filled everyone's ears as he watched his elder cousin and the puppies playing in the snow. He waved his little arms and kicked his little feet until his daddy carefully supported him on the snowy ground. Iris did the same thing with Little Matcha. The Jin twins couldn't walk on their own yet, so the husband and wife helped their babies walk in the snow.

Little Mochi was beyond ecstatic. It was a good thing that Jin Liwei was the one holding him. If it was Iris, she might not have been able to hold her naughty, wiggly son as stably as Jin Liwei. Even the quiet Little Matcha was enjoying it. His one-toothed grin looked adorable. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Their puppies, Pudding and Chowder, ran around the two babies while being careful not to bump into them. All puppies were well-trained and already knew how to protect the babies even from themselves.

Iris couldn't describe her happiness as she watched her family spending time together. Her smile was no less ecstatic than her babies. Jin Liwei's gaze softened when he looked at her. "Mama! Mama!"

Iris stiffened but quickly caught herself. She smiled at Little Mochi. "Yes, I'm Mama. Are you calling me?"

Little Mochi grinned and pointed at her. "Mama!"

She glanced at her husband. "Is our son really calling me? He's not just babbling some baby gibberish like usual, is he?"

Jin Liwei looked at their son. "I think he's really saying Mama this time."

"Oh!" Her eyes watered. Then she swooped down and gave their eldest twin son lots of kisses on the face.

Little Mochi giggled.

"Mama!"

Iris stiffened once again. She glanced at her other son. Little Matcha, who looked so much like his daddy, was pouting at her. The baby looked disgruntled that his mommy was only kissing his brother and not him. "Oh!" Iris also kissed her other twin son. Afterwards, she turned to her husband with a big smile. "They really called me Mama this time!"

"En." Jin Liwei was also happy for his wife. This wasn't the first time that the couple heard their twins saying what sounded like "Mama" or "Dada" or sometimes even "Papa". However, they weren't sure if their babies were really calling for them or just babbling something that coincidentally sounded like those words.

It was only today that Iris and Jin Liwei felt sure. Little Mochi and Little Matcha's words were very clear, not to mention that they looked directly at their mommy's eyes when calling for her.

"Say it again. Say Mama!"

"Mama! Hehehe. Mama!"

"Mama."

Iris laughed and gave another round of kisses to her babies. Little Mochi's loud laughter could be heard even from a distance. Little Matcha also giggled and snuggled closer to his mommy. Jin Liwei squatted beside them and looked at both his babies. "Call me Dada."

Little Mochi grinned at him and blew a raspberry with his mouth instead. Little Matcha only blinked at their daddy.

"Call Dada." Jin Liwei didn't want to give up.

Little Mochi farted. Little Matcha continued snuggling with his mommy.

Jin Liwei sighed and sulked a little. "Don't feel bad, darling." Iris gave her husband's cheek a light peck. "I'm sure that they'll eventually learn to call you soon. The doctor already mentioned before that Mama is often easier to learn to say first for most babies."

"En." Although he said this, he still felt a little jealous.

"They already know to call you Mama?" Long Jinjing asked.

She and Lu Zihao arrived next to Iris and Jin Liwei. They were carrying their own twins in a carrier strapped to their chests.

"Yes!" Iris couldn't wait to share the excitement. She asked her twins to call her again. "Mama! Mama! Hehehe."

"Mama."

Long Jinjing also felt excited. Then she looked at her own twins. She couldn't wait for them to call her Mama as well. "They don't know how to call you yet?" Lu Zihao asked his brother-in-law.

Jin Liwei ignored the man's mocking tone. "They'll learn it soon."

Lin Yehan slung his arms over his third and fifth brothers' shoulders. "Don't make fun of our third brother, Fifth Brother. You'll likely experience the same thing."

Lu Zihao glanced at Little Misha strapped to his front body. "You have to know how to call me as soon as you learn to call for your mom. Do you understand, Mikhail?"

Little Misha drooled. "Tsk." Lu Zihao fished out a baby towel from out of nowhere and wiped his son's drool.

Lin Yehan chuckled. Then his gaze followed his fiancée, who was playing with Little Jun and the puppies in the snow. Jiang Ying Yue was wearing gloves, but he knew that there was now a simple engagement ring with a tiny diamond on her finger inside. Yes, he gave her a ring even when she was the one who proposed to him. He wanted to give her a ring with a big diamond but knew that she wouldn't like it. Her intense daily training and physical work in security made it inconvenient to wear jewelry with any large, protruding gems. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao followed his line of sight. All of them already knew about the engagement between the two.

"When do you plan to marry Jiang Ying Yue, Eldest Brother?" Jin Liwei asked. "I want to marry as soon as possible, but Ying Yue and I agreed to wait until Little Jun becomes more comfortable with my presence in their lives. That's why I'm doing my best to come here every day."

Jin Liwei nodded. As Little Jun's godfather, he appreciated his eldest brother's thoughtfulness for the child. Then he thought of something. "You'll take Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun to live with you after the marriage?"

Lin Yehan hesitated before replying in a measured tone. "That's the plan."

"I see." Jin Liwei glanced at his godson. He would miss the little guy living here. Lin Yehan sighed and patted his third brother's back. "Don't worry. Ying Yue intends to continue working here. She'll bring Little Jun to spend the day here and come home to my farm villa after work."

"That's fine, then. I'll tell the head of security to give her only the day shift from now on."

"Thanks, Third Brother. I appreciate it."

"En."

The men watched their wives playing with the children. When Little Mochi sneezed, the adults decided that it was enough playing outside in the snow. So they all headed inside to warm up. The babies were fed and put to sleep in the nursery. Little Jun also ate a snack before heading to the playroom with the puppies to find Popcorn.

The adults relaxed in a lounge room for tea time. Now that the children weren't with them, they were free to talk about serious and unpleasant topics—specifically, about Long Hui. By this time, Long Hui's divorce had been finalized. The process went unexpectedly fast. It was reported that Mao Qiuyue refused to sign the divorce papers at first but eventually did not struggle anymore shortly after.

"The Maos are finished," Lu Zihao said as if commenting on roadkill he passed by. They all agreed with his assessment. Mao Textiles became bankrupt. The authorities seized most of its assets after evidence of the company's violations surfaced. Its shareholders lost almost everything. The biggest loser, of course, was the Maos.

"This is what they get for touching my godson," Iris said. Her tone was cold and ruthless. She sounded very similar to Lu Zihao.

"What about the case Sis Yue filed against Mao Qiuyue?" Long Jinjing asked. "Still awaiting court ruling," Lin Yehan replied. "But we're confident that we'll win. It's just that we have to go along with the slow legal process."

"In the meantime, we're ensuring that Mao Qiuyue and the Maos can't escape abroad," Jin Liwei said.

Iris nodded. "Mao Qiuyue will likely go to jail. Atty. Hong is pushing for the worst child abuse punishment for her. But, to be honest, Long Hui actually helped our case by suing the Maos for assault."

"That's what he's good at," Jiang Ying Yue spoke for the first time in this conversation. "Pushing down others and escaping to save himself when things start to deviate from his own plans."

Lu Zihao sneered. "A coward."

Long Jinjing pouted. Her eyes looked sad and disappointed. "Eldest Brother was so nice to our kids when he met his nephews for the first time. He even sent presents for the babies afterwards."

Nobody could deny that.

Long Hui was indeed like a completely different person that night. However, everyone understood that the ceasefire would only happen that one time. The enmity they had with him was too deep.

"I still hope that he changes for the better," Long Jinjing murmured. "Little Sister Xiulan changed and matured a lot. Maybe Eldest Brother Hui can also do the same thing."

Lu Zihao snorted. Iris pursed her lips. Jin Liwei sighed and shook his head.

"It's too late," Jiang Ying Yue whispered.

Lin Yehan took her hand where she wore her engagement ring and kissed it. "Yes, it's too late."

His Genius Wife is a Superstar C1419

It was almost the end of another year. Companies were busy working on their last hurrah and making as many profits as possible. Jin Corporation and Eve Holdings weren't any different. Orchidia, the fastest-growing company under Eve Holdings, made a big announcement. They signed a major endorsement deal with the entire national shooting team. However, the most significant focus was on the young shooting athlete, Ren Jiyu.

It turned out that Orchidia Beauty chose him to endorse their new regular line of men's products in addition to a new skincare line targeted at teenagers and young adults. As for his teammates, the entire national shooting team was endorsing Orchidia Beauty's new sports skincare line consisting of heavy-duty products that would work even under intense sweating, rigorous activities, and prolonged exposure to harsh weather conditions.

Orchidia Beauty also signed a special endorsement deal with the oldest team member to endorse the company's anti-aging skincare line, both the existing and new ones.

Fans of the national shooting team were excited for their favourite athletes. Those who hadn't yet tried Orchidia Beauty products expressed their interest in checking the company out. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

Ren Jiyu's fans were incredibly excited. They were younger and more energetic in trying out new things. Regular consumers of Orchidia Beauty products were also thrilled by this endorsement deal, not because they particularly liked the national shooting team but because of the variety of new products. The sports line was the most appealing. Heavy-duty skincare products weren't only beneficial to athletes but also to those who often spent time under physically demanding activities or harsh weather conditioners. Even those who simply wanted to look good while working out in a gym or jogging in public would benefit from this new Orchidia Beauty skincare line.

Right after the national shooting team's widespread advertisements were rolled out across the country, the pre-orders for all the products they endorsed were already sold out within a single day. Everyone was demanding for more, but Orchidia Beauty didn't budge and refused to increase the pre-orders. They only told everyone to wait until the official launch of the new products. ###

Orchidia.

Chen Fei laughed like an evil mastermind while looking at the latest report regarding the national shooting team's endorsement deal. She was the one who ironed out all the details of the endorsement deal with the team. It was actually the most expensive endorsement deal they signed with anyone, including Jin Chonglin. But that was because Iris took advantage of her brother-in-law and made Jin Chonglin sign at a steep discount. Not that he signed a losing deal. Not at all!

On the contrary, he profited many times more than he was originally paid because in addition to the discounted endorsement fee, he also received lifetime royalty for all the products sold under his special men's line. So in a way, he was still the most expensive endorser. But in exchange, he pulled in his large army of fans and turned them into regular Orchidia Beauty consumers. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Back at Chen Fei's office, she continued chuckling until her assistant felt a little scared. Her boss really looked like a villainess! Help!

"We need to take advantage of marketing these new products with the national shooting team. Jing—I mean CFO Long will return soon after the new year from her maternity leave. So everyone will be subjected to strict budget control again. Even Xiu—I mean President Long will find it difficult to allocate this kind of big budget again once the CFO returns."

Chen Fei then gave her assistant more detailed instructions according to Iris' guidelines for this season.

"Understood, COO Chen." The assistant left afterwards.

Chen Fei left her desk and stood by the windows to stretch her body. The end of the year was always busy for almost any company. Orchidia was no different. The good news was that they already had valuable experience from last year. Their performance this year was much smoother and more efficient. Her phone beeped. It was a message from the annoying diva man, her so-called nominal boyfriend. Come to think of it, they hadn't contacted each other for quite a while. They had gone into a handful of dates for appearance's sake. She had even accompanied the annoying man to a couple of red-carpet events. These instances were such a hassle, but she could only swallow her anger and smile for the paparazzi following the narcissistic diva man. However, contrary to Jin Chonglin's assurances, the public interest in their so-called relationship didn't die down at all. In fact, their so-called relationship became an even hotter topic!

It was already too late to "break up" now. If they did, they would only garner more attention. She would definitely suffer the full brunt of negative media scrutiny. As Orchidia's COO, she couldn't risk tainting the company's reputation with her own personal life, especially at this end of the year season. They had to focus on ending the year with a triumphant bang for the company. Therefore, she could only suck it up and continue being in a fake relationship with Jin Chonglin.

Her phone beeped again.

She ignored it and continued stretching. Her body, especially her back and neck, felt stiff.

Her phone began ringing. "Dammit!"

She picked up the dirty dog's call. "What do you want?!"

"And hello to you too, sweetheart," Jin Chonglin replied in a cloyingly sweet tone. Chen Fei almost vomited. She was about to curse at him when she heard some suspicious noises.

"Where are you?" she asked him. "Oh, I'm at home."

Her eyes narrowed. She knew that he was lying. Her intuition told her that there was definitely something weird about the situation. The noises she heard earlier were now gone. It might just be her imagination, but she trusted her intuition. "I see. Sorry for yelling at you just now. You know my temper when someone disturbs me when I'm busing working."

"That's fine, sweetheart. You're fine just the way you are." He paused. "I called because I just want to tell you that...I miss you."

Chen Fei heard another suspicious sound, like a shriek. Multiple shrieks. But they stopped in an instant. She was sure that the man was lying when he told her that he was at home. He must be in a show! She was familiar with this kind of program. The host would dare their celebrity guests to call someone, usually a lover, and then talk to the person in front of everyone.

In this case, Jin Chonglin called her because everyone believed that she was his girlfriend!

Chen Fei wanted to curse but stopped herself in time. If her suspicions were correct, this conversation would be shown on national TV and the internet. She couldn't disgrace herself that way, especially not as Orchidia's COO. For this reason, she could only grit her teeth and reply, "I miss you too, honey."

She almost vomited at her own cloyingly sweet tone and words. She was extremely embarrassed. Fortunately, nobody could see her face. Jin Chonglin laughed. Others laughed as well. Finally, someone else spoke and introduced himself as the host. He explained that Jin Chonglin was currently guesting at a popular variety show. The other guests and the audience all made noise at the same time to make their presence known to Chen Fei. Her guess was proven right.

It was a good thing that she trusted her intuition. Normally, she would have quarrelled with Jin Chonglin. If she followed their usual routine, the whole world would drown her with saliva after scolding her for treating their beloved Prince Lin Lin so poorly. Blah blah blah.

She rolled her eyes but forced her voice to be disgustingly sweet and pleasant while chatting with the program's host. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have a meeting scheduled in five minutes."

No such meeting today existed, but it was the only excuse that she could think of at the moment. "We understand, COO Chen. Our apologies for disturbing you at work at this busy time. Here's your boyfriend, Prince Lin Lin."

She almost blurted out, "No need."

"Sweetheart?" Jin Chonglin's voice might have made millions of people swoon just by hearing it, but to Chen Fei, it made her want to kick him in the nuts instead. "Yes, honey?"

Blegh! Oof, she almost puked at her disgustingly sweet tone.

"Don't make yourself too exhausted at work, okay? I worry about you all the time. Tell me if the work is too much. I'll talk to my sister-in-law and tell her off."

Chen Fei almost snorted.

'I dare you to tell Xiulan off. If she doesn't obliterate you with her sharp tongue, your wife-doting brother will.'

This was what she thought but what came out of her mouth was, "President Iris Long is not a slave driver. She's a wonderful boss. Most importantly, I enjoy my work. Don't worry too much about me, honey. I'm the one who's worried that you're working too hard."

Jin Chonglin chuckled while Chen Fei heard a wave of shrieks in the background. "So sweet!"

"Ah, Prince Lin Lin's girlfriend is so lucky! I wish I was his girlfriend instead!"

Chen Fei wanted to argue with them. What lucky? She didn't feel lucky at all! She thought that Jin Chonglin was a disaster instead. 'I also wish that all of you were his girlfriend instead of me!'

But of course, she gritted her teeth and acted all lovey-dovey with the man on the phone.

When it was over, Chen Fei slumped on the couch and felt like half of her life had been drained from her just with that single phone conversation.

"Damn you, Jin Chonglin! I'll get you back for putting me on the spot like this."

Chapter 1420 Not Good At All

Dragon Palace Home #10. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Dom shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth and laughed while pointing at the TV. It was playing a popular variety show. Tonight's guest was Jin Chonglin. "Stop laughing, Dom!" Chen Fei felt annoyed and embarrassed at the same time.

Unfortunately for her, Dom not only didn't stop laughing, but he teased her as well. "I miss you, sweetheart~ I miss you too, honey~ Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

She threw a pillow at him. Iris, Long Jinjing and Jiang Ying Yue chuckled at them. They watched the variety show in amusement.

Normally, they wouldn't watch this show, but they tuned in just for tonight after Chen Fei informed them about it in their girl squad group chat. Meimei was too busy working on her webtoon to come to Dragon Palace and watch the show together with them. Clover was still in France. So the two could only watch the variety show by themselves and discuss it with the others in their group chat. Chen Fei was worried that her being featured on the variety show would negatively impact Orchidia's reputation. Contrary to her worries, however, Iris assured her that it was actually a good thing. This kind of publicity was beneficial for their company. Even though Iris told her many times that there was no need to worry so much about negatively affecting Orchidia's reputation, Chen Fei remained concerned about it. She was actually the most anxious about the company's reputation among them.

As a celebrity, Iris was already used to dealing with negative publicity. Her mentality forged through countless bashing was many times tougher than any of her friends. She wasn't too worried about ruining her company's reputation. All of her companies weren't easily toppled by something trivial like a COO's dating life with a superstar. Iris worked hard to ensure that each of her companies had stable foundations, including the ready-made ones like Gold Heights.

Back at the lounge room where the girl squad members were hanging out, the friends continued making fun of Chen Fei. According to her, the actual phone call only lasted for a few minutes. However, it was clear that the production deliberately prolonged the segment featuring the phone call to increase the suspense and maximize the entertainment value. "Smart," Iris murmured in approval. "I like the part that they took the effort to make a special short introduction of Chen Fei's background as Orchidia's COO. Brother Chonglin also made sure to mention LXC Studio every chance he got. Very good."

Long Jinjing and the others nodded, except Chen Fei who pouted.

Deep inside, however, Chen Fei had to admit that Iris was right. Chen Fei's specialty was in marketing. It was her major in business school. She agreed that the variety show should produce good results in marketing both Orchidia and LXC Studio.

"The show isn't as bad as I initially expected," she said.

Iris chuckled. "Brother Chonglin is an expert in making the most of his guest appearances in shows like this. His current status in showbiz is high enough that most shows who want to feature him have to consider his approval in how he's portrayed. Since he agreed to accept this dare of calling you on national television, he knows that he can protect you regardless of how the phone call turns out. I'm sure that he would have demanded the show to edit it out if the phone call resulted in a situation that puts you in a bad light."

Chen Fei pouted even more. She refused to admit what Iris said about Jin Chonglin, but Iris was right. Jin Chonglin might be indecisive about many things, but he wouldn't throw people under the bus without any valid reason. Her thoughts about the man were starting to become muddled. She still disdained Jin Chonglin and his narcissistic arrogance about his superstar status. But what bothered her the most was his messy dating history in the past. She didn't want to become involved with a man who had such a complicated history with so many women. What the hell was she thinking when she agreed to become his fake girlfriend?

"By the way, until when will you continue pretending to be in a fake relationship with Jin Chonglin?" Jiang Ying Yue asked. Chen Fei's mood worsened at the question. "I don't know! Back then, he said three months. But by how things are looking right now, the original three-month deadline doesn't seem possible anymore. My assistant would bring me tabloids almost every morning, and I'll be on the headlines with Jin Chonglin. The most ridiculous headlines say that we're secretly married and that I'm already pregnant."

Dom laughed. "That sounds like Boss and Sir Boss! Ahahahaha!"

Indeed, Iris and Jin Liwei successfully managed to keep their wedding and pregnancy a secret from the public for an impressive period of time last year. Although a few rumours had hit the bullseye, most of the general public didn't think that they would marry and form a family so soon. That was why it was such a massive series of bombshells when the couple finally revealed their secret wedding and Iris' pregnancy a few months later.

It seemed that the tabloids were using Iris and Jin Liwei's template to make juicy rumours about Jin Chonglin and Chen Fei.

She cast a resentful glance at Iris.

Iris raised an eyebrow at her. "Why look at me like that? If you really dislike being associated with Brother Chonglin, you can always 'dump' him and end this ridiculous fake relationship with him. You're a free woman who can make your own choices. Nobody is forcing you to go along with him...not unless you like it."

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah! I bet she likes it!"

"Shut up, Dom!" Chen Fei glared at her overdramatic friend.

"Hehehe. Admit it, Sis Fei! You actually like Prince Lin Lin, don't you?!"

"No way! Never!"

"Weh." Dom tossed his non-existent long hair over his shoulders. "My super-duper to the highest level accurate intuition tells me I'm right! I can feel it in my beautiful bones!"

She rolled her eyes. She was adamant in her dislike for Jin Chonglin. Even so, her mind still couldn't help but become confused.

This was not good. Not good at all. ###

While the girl squad members were having fun at Chen Fei's expense, Jin Liwei and his sworn brothers were tasked with babysitting in the nursery. Jin Liwei was confident enough in his parenting skills to give the nannies a short break for today.

Only three of the five sworn brothers were present today—Jin Liwei, Lu Zihao and Lin Yehan. Wang Yingjie was busy with multiple scheduled surgeries that he didn't have time to meet up with his brothers. Yu Mo was in America attending an international conference for Systema practitioners.

The three brothers—Jin Liwei, Lu Zihao and Lin Yehan—didn't mind it too much that their other brothers weren't present. The three were already fathers, and the other two might not be able to relate to their usual conversations anymore. Yes, Lin Yehan already considered himself a father, specifically a stepfather to Little Jun. But, stepfather or not, he cared for the little boy like his own son. He watched Little Jun playing with his cousins. Little Jun was starting to become more patient and caring towards his baby cousins. Before, he was like Popcorn, who held very little interest in the babies because they couldn't play with him yet. But now that the babies had grown a little bigger, especially the Jin twins, Little Jun had begun to seek them out almost every day to play. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l (dot) com. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow the author on Instagram: @arriacross]

He would teach his baby cousins how to play with toys. Then he would entertain them by showing off basic tricks with the five puppies.

The Lu twins were still young to actively play with him, but the Jin twins had already grown enough to follow their Big Brother Junjun. The three adult men watched as Little Mochi and Little Matcha crawled after Little Jun, doing their best to chase their Big Brother Junjun, Big Brother Popcorn, and the five puppies all over the large nursery room.

Ice Cream still despised the puppies, so she stayed on top of a storage cabinet and watched over everything with her judgmental eyes. If someone walked into the nursery right now, they would think that it was extremely chaotic and noisy with all the children and animals running all over the place. However, the three adult men looked relaxed, as if all the noises sounded like a gentle breeze or the sweet chirping of birds. They were already used to this kind of scene. They had to get used to it, or they would go insane. Even Lin Yehan ended up getting used to it because he would come to Dragon Palace to spend time with Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun almost every day.

Now that the Jin twins could crawl, they had become so much more active. Even the well-behaved Little Matcha couldn't help but explore every nook and cranny as soon as he could crawl. Little Mochi had always been naughty, so it was no surprise when he had a few close calls. There were instances when the fat and lazy Ice Cream went beyond her capabilities to save Little Mochi. She had jumped like a flash of lightning to block him and physically push the baby back to protect him from danger.

Of course, the nursery was fully baby-proofed. Still, naughty, curious babies would always find a way to get into trouble despite everyone keeping a close eye on them. Little Mochi was that kind of mischievous baby.