Chapter 1541 Chen Fei VS. the Media
"First of all, we just got engaged so we don't know the wedding date yet," Chen Fei began speaking in confident English. She wasn't intimidated by the aggressive reporters and paparazzi at all.
"Second, if you are good reporters, then you should be able to research how much my engagement ring costs without asking us point-blank and trying to present us as tacky nouveau riche who only care about the expensiveness of things. Also, let me tell you that I don't care about the price of my ring at all. The fact that my boyfriend who's now my fiancé gave it to me is enough to make me happy. It's the thought behind the ring that counts, not the price. Even if he gave me a hand-woven straw ring, I would still accept it as long as he worked hard to weave it himself. And for your information, I'm not so poor as to not afford to buy myself some nice jewellery. I don't need a man to do that for me. Well, except for my father, and now, my lover.
"Third, I'm not pregnant. And even if I were pregnant, it's none of your damn business to judge me. Chonglin is the one who's a celebrity, not me. Attacking a law-abiding, tax-paying, hardworking citizen for being a decent human being is a new low that only trash reporters and paparazzi like you do to find some sense in your useless existence. I respect reporters and those who work for the media who have integrity. Now tell me, all of you who are asking me and my partner these disgusting questions, do you still have integrity in your work?" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Hearing her increasingly scathing words offended quite a few of the media representatives. Most of them, however, felt excited because what she was doing now would surely be hot news.
The cameras and the microphones were all pointed in her direction, not wanting to miss any of her words.
Before those who felt offended by her words could retort, she continued her cool, calm yet very savage answers to their earlier questions.
"Fourth, wait, what was the fourth question again? Oh, right. How do I feel to be engaged to a known playboy? I was feeling happy, but now that you mentioned it, I feel uncomfortable, thanks to all of you. But it doesn't matter. I'll deal with Chonglin myself and his disgraceful past. There's no need for any of you to interfere with our relationship. How would you feel if, I, a total stranger came up in front of you and your lover/wife and began sowing discord out of nowhere? I bet that you'll want to slap me. That's how I feel right now, but because I'm a law-abiding person unlike some of you who like to walk along the grey areas of the law to terrorize celebrities and their families, I won't act on my impulse. Instead, my fiancé and I will consult a lawyer if any of you representatives from the media have violated any laws today when asking me and Chonglin all these upsetting questions.
"Fifth of all, I was only pranking Chonglin when I rejected his proposal at first. I don't care if you think otherwise. How sad it is to live without a sense of humour. I don't want to be like you."
By this time, Jin Chonglin was already grinning. He looked like he was watching the greatest show in the world. His eyes were filled with pride and admiration for his fiancée as she battled the reporters and paparazzi with her confidence, wit, and venomous tongue.
This was his woman!
How amazing was she?
As expected of him, Jin Chonglin, for choosing such a strong and independent woman who could wipe his critics' faces on the floor without breaking a sweat!
If Chen Fei could hear his thoughts, she would definitely roll her eyes. Fortunately for him, she couldn't hear his thoughts. She was too busy battling the reporters and paparazzi with her savage words.
"And finally, yes, this is Chonglin's second engagement but so what? Our situation is not unique. If a relationship doesn't work out, then break up. Look for someone else who's better. Or are you the type of people who think that having an ex makes you a tainted person? Because if you are, then shame on you. You don't belong in our modern world but in the ancient era instead. Please stay away from me because I don't even want to touch people like you with a ten-foot pole. Your outdated thinking is not only discriminatory but also very narrow-minded. You lack the qualities to progress with the rest of humanity.
"Also, my man dodged a bullet with his ex-fiancée. That woman was a dangerous, evil criminal who attempted to murder Iris Long, my close friend. Even without Chonglin in the picture, I would want to beat that woman up for committing a deadly crime against my friend. Granted, Iris and I weren't friends yet when that happened back then, but we are friends now, so I feel indignant for her.
"And if you still try goading me with unsavoury questions about that evil criminal even after I said all this, then it must mean that you're all sympathetic toward a convicted attempted murderer. I would have all the more reason to want to avoid you all and not want to touch you with a hundred-foot pole.
"I also want to remind you all that my man, Jin Chonglin, had only been engaged to that evil criminal. He had never been married to her. Jin Chonglin is Chen Fei's man now. Mine! I'm the one he's going to marry. Whether our relationship lasts or not is none of your damn business. If he cheats on me, then that will only prove that he's a shameful human being who deserves to burn in the deepest pits of hell. I won't care about him then. But right now, he loves me and treats me just the way I like it. If he continues to stay with me without betraying me, then I'll also treat him the same way. That's all I have to say."
With that, she grabbed Jin Chonglin's hand and walked away.
Chapter 1542 LinFei
The reporters and paparazzi yelled after them, but Chen Fei didn't look back. She continued dragging Jin Chonglin toward Liberté.
Along the way, Jin Chonglin's army of fans cheered for the couple. Even the Black Stars joined in showing their support.
"Good job, COO Chen!"
"Show them who's the boss!"
"Wow! COO Chen is as cool as our Boss Iris!"
"Why do I feel like our Prince Lin Lin is the damsel in distress being protected by Miss Chen who's the knight in shining armour?"
"Look at Prince Lin Lin's silly grin!"
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Jin Chonglin flashed his killer smile and waved at his fans on instinct. He didn't hear his fans making of him again with the Black Stars.
Chen Fei heard everything. Although she didn't acknowledge the fans (she wasn't a celebrity herself, so why would she try to satisfy any fans' request?), the corners of her mouth still curved up.
When the couple finally entered Liberté, they were greeted by applause.
Iris gave them an approving smile. Jin Liwei didn't even look at them. He was more concerned about ensuring that his wife stayed comfortable.
Dom and Clover gave them big thumbs up.
Jin Chonglin ran to them and began bragging about his fiancée's domineering battle of wits against the media representatives outside.
Chen Fei released a heavy breath she didn't know she was holding. Iris approached her and patted her shoulder. Chen Fei smiled.
There were no words between the friends but the silent support was more than enough.
Iris gave Chen Fei a couple of minutes to recollect herself. Afterward, she gave Clover the signal. Clover nodded.
Finally, Liberté opened its doors to the public.
The first wave of customers entered. Most of them were Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's fans, but some locals lined up early, curious about what the rebranded perfumery had to offer.
Iris, Jin Liwei, and the others all interacted with the customers, acting as salespeople along with the staff.
"Ah, it smells so good here."
"It's so relaxing. I feel like I'm in the spa."
"Everything looks so classy and elegant."
"50% off, you guys. Everything is 50% today! If only they hadn't imposed a limit of two per type of perfume, I would have bought a lot for my entire family and friends."
"Even with the limit of two, it's still a lot. Remember that there are six types per fragrance according to concentration. I'll buy everything!"
"I'll only buy 'Eve' for now. It smells so good." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"I smelled 'Eve' on Boss Iris when she passed by us. She smells so good. When I tried it on myself, I also smelled good but it's different from Boss Iris. Isn't it cool?"
"I'm usually stressed out, so I'll get 'Sérénité'. I don't know if its aromatherapy features will really work, but even if it doesn't, this is my type of fragrance. So subtle yet still makes me feel high class."
"I don't care that I'm a woman. I'll buy 'Vaillance' to support Prince Lin Lin. I'll buy another one for my dad."
"I'll buy all three fragrances!"
Iris and Yin Meixing didn't force the customers to buy their corresponding fragrances. Jin Chonglin, on the other hand, tried his hardest to influence those who bought only "Eve" and "Sérénité" to also buy his "Vaillance".
After the first wave came a second wave of customers. Then a third, and so on and so forth.
Iris and the others took turns taking short breaks in one of the private showrooms.
Since this was the grand opening to the public, these private showrooms weren't open yet. They would only be opened starting tomorrow for VIP customers who made reservations.
Although Liberté was only offering three official ready-made fragrances now, it was still a perfumery. They also provided a custom-order service where they concoct original fragrances for VIP customers. This service would be conducted in the private showrooms by expert perfumers.
After resting in a private showroom and calling Grandpa Lu to ask about the twins, Iris and Jin Liwei returned to the main store area where endless but organized waves of customers shopped for perfumes.
The whole morning came and went. By lunchtime, the waves of customers still didn't slow down. In fact, there was still a long lineup outside.
Clover had arranged for a few staff members to hand out lunch sandwiches with bottled water for the waiting customers and the police officers helping to maintain order outside.
Even the remaining media representatives got their share despite their aggressive treatment of Jin Chonglin and Chen Fei earlier.
Liberté's actions made the reporters and paparazzi feel better.
Iris, Jin Liwei, and the others also took this time to bid goodbye to everyone.
Yin Meixing and Tang Yiyi left first, followed by Jin Chonglin and Chen Fei.
As soon as the newly engaged couple came out of the perfumery, the reporters and paparazzi once again directed their energy on the two of them.
This time, Jin Chonglin followed his fiancée's example and didn't acknowledge them. However, he did flash his iconic killer smile and waved at the fans still waiting in the line to enter Liberté.
"Prince Lin Lin, we love you!"
"Please take care of our Prince Lin Lin, COO Chen!"
"You're so cool, Chen Fei!"
Then someone started chanting, "LinFei! LinFei! LinFei!"
"LINFEI!!! LINFEI!!! LINFEI!!!"
Chen Fei wasn't paying attention to the chant at first, but Jin Chonglin forced her to stop walking. He nodded along, a pleased grin on his face.
"Our couple name sounds so good," he told her.
She pursed her lips, thinking that it was too corny, but in the end, she didn't say anything caustic this time. Let her man be pleased.
Truth be told, she also liked it deep inside.
She shook her head, fighting a smile from appearing on her lips, before dragging her silly man away and stuffing him inside the waiting vehicle.
Everything had been documented by the reporters and paparazzi on video.
Feeling offended on behalf of their Prince Lin Lin and COO Chen, the fans glared at the media representatives and kept chanting "LinFei" in front of the cameras.
They needed the world to know that they, the fans, supported their Prince Lin Lin. Who were the others to criticize him and his fiancée?
Hmph!
Chapter 1543 Congratulatory Gifts (Part I)
After Jin Chonglin and Chen Fei left, Iris and Jin Liwei didn't leave immediately. Instead, Iris took some time to appreciate the congratulatory flower arrangements and gift baskets that friends and acquaintances sent Liberté.
One of the most conspicuous was a huge flower arrangement with a shining black star in the middle. Her fans sent it. The fan club's president, Zhou Mei'er (a.k.a. CaptainBlackStar), signed it on behalf of everyone.
Other notable members of the Black Stars sent their own congratulatory presents including Madame Feng Wan (a.k.a. MrsLovePhantom) and her three posh friendsâSi Xinyue (a.k.a. JJNumber1Fan and the Chief of Police's wife), Bai Li (a.k.a. JJNumber2Fan), and Kung Mian (JJNumber2Fan).
Hou Liang (a.k.a. MonkeyFace) and Wu Chen (a.k.a. iEatSlippers) also sent a huge flower arrangement on behalf of their gaming company, Planet Monkey.
Iris stopped by an adorable flower arrangement which featured white and black stuffed toy cats. The card said that it was sent by KittyBaby and PantherBaby of the BlackStars.
She showed her husband the card. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Jin Liwei smiled. What he didn't tell his wife was that he knew all about their AI cat children's gift for the grand opening of their mother's Liberté perfumery. In fact, he helped Ketchup and Bacon choose a design that their mother would surely appreciate. And he was right. Iris almost couldn't take her eyes off the adorable stuffed toy cats.
"Let's have Clover save them after today and send them to you later," he suggested.
Her eyes lit up. "Okay."
They moved on to the other congratulatory presents.
There were many sent by Iris and Jin Liwei's family and closest friends.
Lu Zihao, Long Jinjing, and their twins. Even Long Jinjing's mother, Sun Jingfei, sent something.
Lin Yehan, Jiang Ying Yue, and Little Jun.
Dom, who came with them to Paris, still prepared a fabulous flower basket with sparkly ribbons. He also prepared a separate one to represent his family, the Chuas, as instructed by his parents.
Meimei also asked Dom to prepare one for her as well.
Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui sent their own congratulatory present.
Long Jian sent one as well, causing Iris to feel surprised for a moment. But only for a moment. Her relationship with Long Jian had already improved a lot after they agreed to become allies at Long Industries. When she thought about it more deeply, it wasn't that surprising that he would send Liberté a congratulatory gift.
The most surprising, however, was Long Hui. The man sent the simplest and smallest basket. If Jin Liwei hadn't accidentally kicked it on the floor, Iris wouldn't have noticed it. She picked it up and read the card. It read:
"Congratulations on Liberté's grand opening, from Long Hui."
Iris raised an eyebrow and handed the card to Jin Liwei. He read it with a cold face. Then he tucked the card back into the small basket and placed it back along the other flower arrangements.
"Don't overthink it, love."
She nodded.
Indeed, there was no use in overthinking about Long Hui's motives. Her conscience was clear. His wasn't.
Sending presents like this couldn't prove whether the man was sincere or not. He needed to show it through his actions.
Next, Iris chuckled after discovering that the over-the-top flower curtain snaking throughout one of the walls was sent by Grandpa Lu. She thought that it was a last-minute decoration addition by the organizer. Fortunately, the flower curtain was beautiful and matched Liberté's aesthetics.
Wei Lan also sent something together with her husband, Vizconde Marco Sebastian del Aguila y Gonzales.
"Isn't the vizconde still in a coma?" Iris whispered.
"En, this congratulatory present should be Wei Lan's idea," Jin Liwei said.
Iris frowned. "Are you sure? I don't think she's that type of person to remember unless we repeatedly remind her."
Then her eyes caught something. The next gift basket came from René Alejandro. "Ah. He must have reminded Wei Lan."
Jin Liwei made an affirmative sound in his throat. His tone was dismissive of the Spaniard.
Although René Alejandro had shown some goodwill toward him and his wife before he and Wei Lan left for Barbados to take care of the injured vizconde, Jin Liwei still couldn't find it in himself to treat the Spaniard like a friend. Even so, it was difficult to slap a smiling face.
Iris frowned and tilted her head to the side upon reading who sent the next flower arrangement. Curious, Jin Liwei leaned over and took a look. He scowled.
It was from Emilio Miguel.
The gorgeous man who René Alejandro introduced as his older brother, a fellow orphan that the vizconde sponsored. Unfortunately, the vizconde only formally adopted René Alejandro.
Jin Liwei still remembered his intense jealousy after seeing the stunned reaction of his wife when they first met Emilio Miguel at an auction. Iris had admitted back then that she found the man extremely handsome. However, that wasn't what upset him.
It was the way that Emilio Miguel had ogled Iris that made Jin Liwei want to punch the man's face. It was utterly disrespectful to look at someone else's woman with clear lust in his eyes. Jin Liwei would never forget it.
Just remembering it was enough to put him in a bad mood. Without even thinking, he grabbed the flower arrangement and the card, called one of their bodyguards, and ordered for the flowers to be disposed of.
Iris didn't say anything. She, too, hated the way the man looked at her back then. It felt like Emilio Miguel had been peeling her clothes off with his eyes.
The husband and wife had a tacit agreement not to comment about it anymore. They moved on to the other congratulatory gifts.
Fortunately for them, Clover who noticed something amiss with the couple reacted quickly and told a little white lie to the nearby curious customers. "CEO Jin is allergic to that kind of small flowers. That's why he had it taken away."
"Oh~" The customers believed her and no longer thought about the incident. They continued browsing around the shop.
Iris' Cross Academy friends also sent a variety of lovely flower arrangements.
Ashandra Knightson was unable to attend today's grand opening to the public because she had to prepare for her art exhibition in a couple of days. But she did send a beautiful flower basket so artfully arranged that Iris took it and displayed it in a more prominent position in the middle of the store.
AJ Zheneres, Theresa Blipsburg, and Florence O'Sevan all sent flower baskets as well. In addition, Amanpio Kileksky sent an enormous flower wreath on behalf of their other schoolmates including Michael Exlorsson, Logann Wiztein, and Trumann Seekerton.
Cross Academy's Headmaster, Professor Erwan Dupont.
Cross Academy's admissions counsellor, Giulia Moretti.
Iris' foreign languages instructors, Professor Kalisha Schwartz and Professor Hisakawa Akio.
Her music mentors, Maestro Ludovico de Luca, and of course, the legendary hitmaker Enrique Valdez.
Grandpa Lu's old friends and fellow Cross Academy alumnus also sent simple flower arrangements.
The French magnate.
The nerdy tech billionaire.
Sheikha Amira and her friend, the daughter of a British marquess.
Director Jabar Wilkins.
People from Iris' Orchidia family including:
Alric Bauer, Orchidia's Chief Product Officer.
Alona Bauer, Orchidia Germany's head.
Chapter 1544 Congratulatory Gifts (Part II)
There were still many congratulatory gifts. Iris pulled Jin Liwei, intending to check and appreciate each and every one of them.
LXC Studio sent a beautiful and elegant flower arrangement to congratulate not only Liberté but also all three celebrity ambassadorsâIris Long, Jin Chonglin, and Yin Meixing.
Iris knew that her manager, Tang Yiyi, was the one who arranged this congratulatory gift.
She smiled when she saw one sent by the rock band, Pandemonium. Its membersâBlaze, Eros, Night, and Thunderâwere all thriving as one of the first artists signed under LXC Studio. She considered all of them like her little brothers, although they were mostly older than her.
Almost all the artists signed under LXC Studio sent separate flower baskets including the newly signed Ren Jiyu and his teammates from the national shooting team.
Bright Summit Entertainment Company, the former management company that handled her career and Jin Chonglin's, also sent a lovely flower arrangement. Thanks to Jin Liwei's backing, her and Jin Chonglin's relationship with their former management company never soured. Bright Summit and LXC Studio continued to maintain a friendly cooperative relationship.
All of Iris' businessesâOrchidia, Planet Monkey, Gold Heights, and their mother company, Eve Holdingsâalso sent something to congratulate Liberté. These businesses were now all one family, after all.
Even Phantom Dragon Funds sent one but the flower basket had been deliberately separated from the others by Clover to prevent anyone from associating it with Iris. For now, Iris wanted to keep Phantom Dragon Funds' ownership a secret for a little longer.
Her eyebrows raised when she saw a flower basket sent by Long Industries. Long Tengfei had already sent a personal one with his wife, Yang Jiahui.
"I don't think that this is Long Tengfei's idea," she murmured. "He's not that thoughtful. I bet even the other flower basket was sent according to Aunt Jiahui's instructions."
Jin Liwei examined the accompanying card. It was a standard congratulatory message.
"Maybe it's Long Jian's idea," he said. "You've mentioned to me several times before that he has helped you a lot in establishing your influence in Long Industries."
"Maybe.
" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
They didn't talk much about Long Jian.
Jin Liwei understood Iris' complicated relationship with Long Jian. They had been hostile to each other before, then became allies, and now, they were essentially friends. Neither of them would admit it, though.
"Oh, there's one from Elder Long Jufang," Iris said next.
Speaking of allies, Iris had a more utilitarian relationship with Elder Long Jufang than with Long Jian. They were just using each other for mutual benefits in the Longs' battle of succession.
Elder Long Jufang was a firm member of her camp, supporting her to become the next head of Long Industries and the Long clan. Although Iris was only interested in Long Industries for the sake of her godson, Little Jun, she wouldn't reject the elder's support. In fact, Elder Long Jufang was proving to be instrumental in helping Dragon Phantom Funds' acquisition of scattered Long Industries shares.
In exchange, Iris gave the elder many benefits including preferential treatment in her and her husband's businesses. As long as Elder Long Jufang didn't become too greedy, the couple would continue giving him many benefits for his tremendous help in supporting Iris Long in the Longs' battle of succession.
"Look, it's from Mom and Grandma," Iris said, pulling her husband to a pair of simple yet elegant flower arrangements.
They were from Jin Liwei's mother, Huang Yuyan, and grandmother, Li Zhiruo.
"Mom mentioned to me that she wanted to come with us here to Paris, but she suddenly caught a cold," Iris said with a sigh. "I wish Grandma Li could also come but her health is too worrying especially for long-haul flights."
Jin Liwei's eyes softened. He loved that his wife was close to his birth family. In turn, his mother and grandmother also loved her very much.
"Let's invite my mother to Orchidia Germany's launch instead," he said.
"Okay. I hope that she could come. As for Grandma Li, it's better to just let her stay in her mountain villa to rest. We'll buy more souvenirs for her."
"En."
The couple moved on to the next gifts. There were a lot sent by Iris' acquaintances in showbiz.
Director He of "MusicFest Tonight."
DJ Song, a popular radio host and JJ's friend.
Feng Jiu, host of "A Closer Look with Feng Jiu" talk show. She was also Madame Feng Wan's cousin but the public was unaware of this connection.
Guan Jintao, legendary blind Paralympian gold-medalist swimmer, whose mother's life story became the basis of the award-winning indie film, "Strong Yet Broken".
Atty. Hong Shaoqiang, Iris' private lawyer.
Atty. Kang Huizhong, Jin Liwei's corporate lawyer.
Even the Honourable Deng Gui sent a flower basket to congratulate Liberté. He was one of Grandpa Lu's old friends who held a seat at the International Court of Justice before semi-retiring as a private lawyer. He had helped a lot in defending Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun against Long Hui and his ex-wife, Mao Qiuyue. His involvement in the case alone had been a major advantage in turning the case in their favour.
Iris checked out the next flower arrangement and couldn't help but chuckle. She showed it to her husband. The card was handwritten by Jasper Leung to represent WhiteTigress International Virtual Assistants.
"Ketchup pestered Jasper Leung for several days to send a handwritten card directly from Singapore," Jin Liwei said, an amused smile on his face.
"That does sound like Ketchup." She placed the card back on the flower arrangement carefully.
Jasper Leung had been instrumental in organizing Black Stars Singapore and spreading Iris Long's influence there. He also helped a lot in setting up Orchidia Singapore using the manpower from WhiteTigress International Virtual Assistants. Although he was no longer involved in Orchidia Singapore, he was the one who chose the relevant figures to run the business.
Iris remembered Jasper Leung's origins. He had been an employee at Jin Corporation's Singapore branch but quit due to the Young family's corrupt practices.
Chapter 1545 Crucifying Headlines
The Youngs tried to suppress Jasper Leung and make the poor guy's life miserable by blacklisting him from Singapore's corporate industry. Fortunately, Ketchup found him and scammedâahem, ahemâhired him to represent her as the head of her very own company, WhiteTigress International Virtual Assistants. Now, his life had become better compared to when he worked at the corrupt Jin Corporation's Singapore branch.
Iris would never forget Jasper Leung because she admired the man's integrity. His idol was her husband, Jin Liwei, so he couldn't stomach watching the Youngs and their minions use Jin Corporation for their corrupt practices.
To reward Jasper Leung's loyalty to their family, Iris and Jin Liwei appointed him as their unofficial representative in Singapore. He was doing an excellent job so far. The husband and wife could also rest assured with him because Ketchup was always there watching the man.
Iris and Jin Liwei continued checking the rest of the congratulatory gifts.
Jiong Jun (a.k.a. JJ), Iris' music producer and friend.
Qiao Yu, Iris' long-time financial manager.
Second Brother Wang Yingjie and Fourth Brother Yu Mo.
There were so many more gifts sent by other people. Iris recognized some but not all of them.
This made her realize that she now knew so many people, something that was a luxury to her in her past life as a sheltered daughter of the Vetrovs.
There were even congratulatory gifts sent by her staff at her Gold Heights condo even though she hadn't lived there for a long time since she started cohabiting with Jin Liwei. Their household and security staff at Dragon Palace Home #10 also sent flower baskets to Liberté.
Iris couldn't help but say, "I'm so happy."
Jin Liwei pulled her closer to him in a half-hug. "Most of these people sent these congratulatory gifts to Liberté because of you."
She smiled.
After saying a final goodbye to everyone, the husband and wife finally left together with Dom and their team of bodyguards.
#
Liberté's launch was a huge success.
The local French media, the Chinese media back home, and the international media all wrote mostly favourable articles about Liberté.
When it came to Jin Chonglin's unexpected proposal to Chen Fei, however, many didn't mince their words.
Footage of Chen Fei's scathing answers to the reporters' questions at Liberté's public grand opening was constantly played by news programs all over the world. There were even discussions about her among so-called "experts" in the news programs.
Some supported her in protecting her relationship with Jin Chonglin from the media's unfair aggression. Many, however, criticized her. There were a lot of headlines that basically wanted to crucify her.
"Superstar Jin Chonglin's Fiancée, a Woman of No Class"
"Chen Fei, Superstar Jin Chonglin's Fiancée, Unfit as Orchidia's COO"
"Jin Chonglin's Future Wife Doesn't Know How to Deal with Future Husband's Superstardom" "Why Superstar Jin Chonglin's Relationship with Chinese COO Won't Last"
"Chen Fei Too Ugly For Jin Chonglin"
The next day at their Parisian home, Dom reported the offensive headlines to Iris. She frowned, fury filling her up. She was about to go find Chen Fei when Chen Fei arrived to join them.
"Oh, so you saw them?" Chen Fei asked nonchalantly as she sat down and poured herself a cup of black tea. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"I'm sorry," Iris said. "I shouldn't have used Brother Chonglin's proposal to you to publicize Liberté."
Chen Fei shrugged. "It's not your fault. It's Chonglin who proposed out of nowhere without informing you or Clover. He's the one who used Liberté's launch party to make a high-profile proposal to me in front of so many VIP guests. Whether we like it or not, he already associated Liberté with his proposal to me."
Iris sighed and pointed at the ugly headlines shown on her tablet. "You want me to help you suppress these?"
"No, it's fine."
Dom couldn't take it anymore. "What do you mean it's fine? No, it's not fine, Sis Fei! This is cyberbullying!"
"Let them say whatever they want," Chen Fei said while waving a dismissive hand. "I already gave the media a piece of my mind. People will always have their own opinions anyway whether I explain myself or not. This is who I am. Jin Chonglin accepts and loves me, so who are these people to criticize me and our relationship?"
Iris smiled, nodding in approval.
"Yes, Sis Fei!" Dom raised a hand and asked Chen Fei for a high-five.
Chen Fei rolled her eyes but still raised her hand for a high-five. Then she told Iris, "Don't worry about the headlines. I'm not a celebrity like you or Chonglin. I don't care about what they say about me. They don't know the real me anyway. If push comes to shove, I'll just sue all of them for cyberbullying, character assassination, or whatever crimes my lawyer can pin on them."
"Alright, I understand." Iris nodded.
Although she said this, Iris still planned to help out Chen Fei. She was her friend after all. At the same time, she planned to remind Jin Chonglin to be more mindful next time.
Unbeknown to her, Jin Liwei already went ahead and scolded his younger brother. At the same time that the three friends were chatting, Jin Liwei found Jin Chonglin and dragged his brother to the residence's study.
Then he showed him the headlines crucifying Chen Fei.
"Look at what you did."
Jin Chonglin read all the headlines, his expression getting uglier by the second. "How dare these people?!"
Jin Liwei crossed his arms over his chest. Jin Chonglin quailed under his older brother's glare.
"This is what you get for being impulsive," Jin Liwei said. "There are so many more appropriate and private places where you can propose to Chen Fei, but instead you chose Liberté's launch party. You didn't even make the effort to sit down and plan ahead, to make your proposal special. Even the ring that you chose is off-the-rack, not custom-made. I bet you chose it based on its price tag."
Jin Chognlin shrank even more in his seat. It felt like his elder brother's words were like arrows shooting directly at his guilty heart.
Chapter 1546 Can We Make a Baby Now?
"I didn't choose it because of the price tag," Jin Chonglin tried explaining.
"Based on the size, then," Jin Liwei said in a cold tone.
Jin Chonglin shut up because his older brother hit the nail on the head. He chose the biggest diamond ring that the jewellery boutique had available to buy immediately.
"I won't fault you anymore about your less-than-ideal proposal but you need to learn how to protect your woman better, Chonglin," Jin Liwei said. "I've already wiped your a** so many times in the past whenever you f*cked up a relationship with a woman. But this is the last time. I have my own family to think about now. I can't always clean up after you."
Jin Chonglin remained silent, sulking a little.
"Do you understand?" Jin Liwei asked, his tone brooking no argument.
"I get it, Big Bro."
Jin Liwei stared at his younger brother for a while before nodding. "I'll take care of the headlines. But like I told you, Chonglin, this is the last time. You're a Jin. Use your status, your name, your wealth, use everything that you have at your disposal to protect your womanâif you really love her. Remember, it's easy to lose a good woman but difficult to get her back. Especially strong, independent women like my wife and her friends, including your Chen Fei. Don't make any regrets."
With that, he left his younger brother alone in the study.
Jin Chonglin sat there by himself for a few minutes, thinking about his older brother's criticisms.
It was true that his proposal was due to impulsiveness. Even his urge to have a baby with Chen Fei could also be said to be impulsive.
When he secretly bought the huge diamond ring for Chen Fei, he was excited. He had looked forward to her reaction. He had wanted to propose as soon as possible. There was a ready-made eventâLiberté's launch party, so he decided to propose right there and then.
Now that he thought about it, he had been indeed extremely impulsive. His lack of careful consideration had allowed Chen Fei to suffer.
He stood up and ran out of the study to look for his fiancée. He ran for a while without any success, so he stopped and asked one of the staff members.
"Do you know where my fiancée is?"
The staff pointed a direction to him. He immediately started running again.
Finally, he reached the place where the three girl squad friends were chatting just as they were about to leave.
"Babe!"
"Huh, Chonglin?" Chen Fei was surprised at first but immediately frowned upon seeing his sweaty appearance. "Why are you running?"
Iris and Dom looked at each other. The two moved aside but didn't leave. Dom's eyes were shining as he looked back and forth between Jin Chonglin and Chen Fei. Seeing this, Iris snickered before deciding to stay as well.
Jin Chonglin didn't stop running.
"What the hell?!" Chen Fei was alarmed.
He was about to crash into her. But before she could dodge, he caught her and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, babe."
Chen Fei was about to complain about his sweaty body but swallowed the words in her throat after hearing his apology. She instantly understood why he was apologizing. Sighing, she patted his back.
"I'm fine," she said.
"I'm sorry," he insisted.
"Alright. I forgive you."
He continued hugging her for a couple more minutes before letting her go. Chen Fei pulled him to sit down before noticing that there were still two lightbulbs in the room, their eyes shining brightly on the two of them.
She rolled her eyes and waved them away. "Shoo!"
"Aaaaw~" Dom pouted.
Iris laughed before shrugging. "Let's go, Dom."
Dom pouted and muttered complaints under his breath. Iris dragged him away while chuckling.
Now that the lightbulbs had left, Chen Fei grabbed some tissues from a box nearby and helped wipe Jin Chonglin's sweaty face.
Jin Chonglin took her hand and looked at the large diamond ring on her finger. "Do you like this ring?"
"Of course," Chen Fei replied with no hesitation.
"Are you sure? If you don't like it, we'll order a customized one just for you."
She paused and observed his expression. "Did you not hear what I said to the reporters and paparazzi yesterday?"
He looked at her like a stupid idiot. To be honest, he couldn't remember all the things that she said to the media representatives yesterday. All he could remember was the awe and pride he felt while watching her annihilate the reporters and paparazzi with her savage words.
She sighed, shaking her head. "I told them that I don't care about the price of the ring. What I care about is the thought behind it. You wanted to marry me, so you immediately bought a ring to propose."
"Don't you think that I'm impulsive?"
"Of course, you're impulsive! Duh."
Her quick answer made him sulk again.
She laughed. "But I also love that about you. It makes life more exciting, don't you think?"
"Really?" he asked in an uncertain yet hopeful tone.
"Yeah. Do you think I'll bother to lie to you? If I don't like something, I'll tell it to your face."
"That's true," he said, nodding. Then he grinned and became smug again. "As expected of the woman I chose to marry! I'm still the best!"
She kicked his heel. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You know me. If you ever cheat on me or hurt me, Jin Chonglin, prepare yourself for a lifetime of revenge. If I didn't love you yet, I might just ignore you for the rest of my life. But now that you've made me fall in love with you, I won't stop until I send you to the deepest pit of hell myself. But that's only if you make the mistake of cheating and hurting me." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Jin Chonglin immediately grabbed her hand and shook his head. "I won't do that to you, babe. I love you! My heart, my body, everything is yours!"
She smirked. "Yes, you're mine."
"So..." He leaned forward and whispered to her ear, "Can we make a baby now?"
Chapter 1547 Making Her Go Crazy
[Warning: 18+ scenes ahead!!! Reader discretion is advised.]
Jin Chonglin caught Chen Fei's mouth and gave her a deep kiss. Their tongues danced together until both of them couldn't breathe anymore.
Chen Fei was the first to turn her head away, ending the kiss. Jin Chonglin chased after her mouth, but she blocked his face with her hand.
"Babe," he panted.
She also panted, but her mind was still clear. "Not here. Let's go to the bedroom."
"It's fine."
"No." She glared at him. "This isn't our house. I'm not going to have sex in a common space in another person's house. And did you bring condoms with you right now?"
It took a few moments for Jin Chonglin to register what she was saying. "Huh? No, I don't have condoms with me. It's in our room."
"Then all the more reason that we shouldn't have sex here. You don't even have condoms with you."
"But aren't we going to make a baby?"
She rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm going to let you impregnate me before marriage? Don't be too full of yourself, Jin Chonglin! We might be engaged right now, but without a marriage certificate, I'm not going to give birth to a baby for you."
"That's why I told you that we should marry right away!"
She grabbed a throw pillow and hit him several times with it.
"Hey, babe! Stop it!" He blocked the pillow with his hands but she kept on hitting him. It didn't hurt. In fact, he started laughing. He loved it when she acted furious like this.
In his eyes, she looked so beautiful whenever she scolded him. Her eyes would turn fiery as if he was going to be swallowed in their depths.
"You're laughing?!" Chen Fei asked, furious. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She hit him harder, but in the end, it suddenly turned into a wrestling match. She found herself pinned on the couch with Jin Chonglin on top of her. His arousal pressed on her stomach, greatly affecting her as well.
He leaned down and started raining down kisses on her face, nose, chin, and neck. Then he moved his lips upward to capture her mouth, once again giving her a mind-blowing kiss.
She could fault him for anything except for his lovemaking skills. The man was an expert in touching her the way she liked it in bed. The pleasure he gave her was unlike anything that she had ever felt before.
There was never a moment whenever they made love that she would feel insecure about her own body. He looked at her as if she had the best figure a woman could ever have. She also noticed that he loved it when she took the lead.
When his hand slipped inside her shirt and grabbed one of her breasts, she moaned. Even so, she still grabbed his naughty hand, stopping him from going further.
"I said not here," she said, panting for breath. "Let's go to our room."
He groaned, closing his eyes, and trying to catch his breath.
She allowed him to lay on top of her, not moving to avoid arousing him even further. A few minutes later, she could feel him softening against her stomach. But not all the way. He was still semi-hard.
Jin Chonglin sat up and pulled her up with him. Then he carried her like a princess and hurried to their bedroom.
"Let me down," she said. "I can walk by myself."
He didn't answer. He was too focused on getting to their room as soon as possible. His breathing, however, was starting to become laboured.
She snickered.
He glanced at her. "Something funny?"
"I'm just thinking that if you tire yourself too much from carrying me all the way to our room, you might not be able to perform later in bed."
His eyes narrowed with danger. "Oh yeah? You think I won't be able to perform?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to provoke him. "Look at you. You're almost gasping from exhaustionâmph!"
He shut her up with an aggressive, deep kiss.
It was super effective.
She didn't bother talking to him anymore. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her. Whether he could perform in bed later or not would be up to him.
The corners of her mouth lifted up, but she hid it by pressing her face against the crook of his neck. She smelled the bold fragrance of "Vaillance".
Hm? It felt like a ball of fire was burning hotter and hotter by the second low in her stomach.
Chen Fei wondered if the perfumers who developed "Vaillance" unintentionally added an aphrodisiac effect to the fragrance. The more she smelled "Vaillance" on her man, the more she wanted to pounce on him and devour him.
"Faster, Chonglin," she demanded.
He chuckled and gave her butt a couple of pats. Then he walked faster despite starting to struggle with his breathing.
Finally, they arrived in their bedroom. He used his feet to kick the door close before gently laying his lady on the bed. He followed her, pressing her on the bed below him, and kissed her as if he were a thirsty man seeing water for the first time.
Chen Fei responded to the kiss with all her might.
His "Vaillance" scent was making her go crazy.
No, he was the one making her go crazy.
She stroked his back with one hand while her other hand grabbed his hair, trying to press his head closer to her, fusing their mouths together until they felt there was almost no space between the two of them.
Jin Chonglin's hands started roaming all over her body, making her feel so hot that she didn't bother waiting for him to undress her. She pushed him away and took off her shirt and bra before pulling his head back, silently demanding him to pleasure her.
He obeyed. His mouth closed in on one of her nipples and sucked hard.
"Ah!"
She threw her head back and arched her back, wanting more.
Chapter 1548 Cherish the Memories
[Warning: 18+ scenes ahead!!! Reader discretion is advised.]
Jin Chonglin broke their kiss, earning a whine from his lady. "Wait, babe. I'll be back."
He climbed off the bed, hurried to the bedside table, opened a drawer, and took an opened box of condoms. There were still a few left. Then he began quickly undressing as he walked back to the bed.
At the same time, Chen Fei also removed her trousers and panties.
When Jin Chonglin returned, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes dilated at the sight in front of him.
Chen Fei was lying on the bed with her legs spread wide open. Her hand moved between her legs, using her fingers to pleasure herself. Her other hand squeezed her breasts while she looked at her aroused man in front of her.
Jin Chonglin's erection hardened even more at her actions. He wrapped his hard length in his hand and moved it up and down, pleasuring himself in time with her movements.
"Babe, you're so hot," he couldn't help but sigh in pleasure.
She inserted a finger inside her wet heat and moved it in and out. She moaned and licked her lips before inserting another finger inside of her.
"F*ck, babe." Jin Chonglin couldn't take it anymore. He pounced on her.
She welcomed him with open arms and legs.
"Yes," she whispered in his ear. "F*ck me."
There was no need to prolong their agony. They had already teased each other long enough.
He tore off the packaging of one condom and sheathed it on his erection. Then he positioned himself, straightened his hips, and pierced inside her.
She cried out and hugged him.
He groaned and closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of being wrapped inside her delicious wet heat.
"Move," she whined, trying to push her hips against him but he was too heavy.
He chuckled. "As you wish."
Then he started pumping. Slowly at first, then gradually started getting faster and harder.
"Oh yeah!"
Chen Fei enjoyed it very much. She opened her legs wider to give him easier access.
Jin Chonglin changed their positions. He flipped her and entered her from behind. His hands held her hips as he slammed into her again and again.
The sounds of their wet lovemaking filled the bedroom.
Chen Fei felt like she was being slowly burned alive with the fires of passion. It became hotter and hotter until she couldn't take it anymore. She screamed and trembled when she reached the peak.
He paused his movements but pushed himself deeper inside her, savouring her tight contractions. If he hadn't pushed himself harder inside her, her contractions would have pushed him out.
A smirk appeared on his face.
He knew that he had satisfied her with a mind-blowing orgasm.
As for him?
He hadn't had enough of her yet.
When she calmed down, he pulled out of her and flipped her on her back again.
"Hm?" She looked confused. "Did you finish already?"
A glance at his sheathed arousal revealed that, no, he hadn't climaxed yet.
"What are you doing?" she asked, a little dazed, while watching him move downward.
He opened her legs wide and put his face between her thighs. Then he started lapping her up.
In no time, she became a hot, moaning mess. He gave her another orgasm with just his tongue and fingers.
Before she could recover, he once again slammed inside her.
He was relentless, like an angry, provoked bull.
"Yes! Like that. F*ck me hard!"
Chen Fei was already out of her mind. She was no longer aware of the words coming out of her mouth. All she could feel was the pure pleasure her man was giving her.
Jin Chonglin was focused on watching her face. He suppressed his desire to ejaculate and instead waited until she reached another climax before letting himself go.
When it was over, he slumped to the side to prevent his full weight from crushing her down. They both gasped for breath while feeling peace in each other's presence.
He pulled her closer to him and hugged her with both his arms and legs.
"You're sweaty." She gave him a weak swat.
Of course, he wouldn't move away from her. He even rubbed his sweaty body all over her, causing her to laugh from anger.
"If I'm not feeling too weak right now, I would castrate you! Hahaha!"
He tickled her, leading to another wrestling match between the two of them.
"Another round?" he asked.
She glanced down and saw his little brother standing strong and proud yet again. She rolled her eyes and pretended to disdain him but her body was already craving for him.
To his credit, Jin Chonglin waited for her reply.
She snorted and said, "Fine."
Deep in her heart, however, she felt sweet.
Even though she still had quite a few reservations about their relationship, she decided that it was worth it to take the plunge with Jin Chonglin. He might not have the best reputation when it came to women, but she wasn't an easy persimmon either.
She wasn't joking when she warned him not to cheat on her or hurt her. She would make his life a living hell if that ever happened.
But there was no use in anticipating the worst, especially in a relationship. It was better to enjoy the moment and cherish all the memories that they were building together.
Before Jin Chonglin could capture her mouth for another kiss, Chen Fei framed his face with her hands and looked at him straight in the eyes.
He gave her a confused look.
"I love you, Jin Chonglin."
His eyes lit up. He smirked.
This time, she didn't have the urge to smack the smirk off his face. She just waited.
He chuckled. "I love you, too, Chen Fei. Please marry me soon." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
She rolled her eyes while a big smile spread on her face. "I want a big, extravagant wedding."
"I'll give it to you," he said.
His kisses started raining down on her again.
Her breath hitched when he kissed her breasts. "I don't want any media present at our wedding."
"No problem."
"Okay."
The two stayed inside the bedroom for hours.
Nobody disturbed them.
Chapter 1549 Generations
After a day of rest and spending time with their twin sons, Iris and Jin Liwei prepared to attend Ashandra Knightson's art exhibition. It was a black-tie event, so the couple prepared for it as if it were an awards show.
Iris had a full glam team to help her prepare a few hours before the event. Jin Liwei was more relaxed, but he did help Dom take photos of his wife to post on her social media accounts as a treat for the Black Stars.
When she was finally ready, Iris stood in front of a full-length mirror. She examined herself while her glam team made some adjustments to her hair, makeup, dress, and accessories.
She wore an off-the-shoulder, dark emerald, floor-length dress. It hugged her body like a glove. A hint of her cleavage peaked at the front yet still looked quite conservative, making Jin Liwei nod in approval. She also wore long, opera gloves up to her elbow in the same material and colour of her dress.
Her hair and makeup were styled in an old Hollywood vibe, making her appear classically beautiful and glamorous. The makeup artist even dotted a small beauty mark on top of her lip. It emphasized her plump, red lips.
Jin Liwei's tuxedo suit matched her dress and styling. His bowtie and pocket square were both dark emerald. His hair was also styled.
When the couple stood side by side, they looked as if they had stepped out of an old Hollywood movie premiere.
Dom couldn't help but squeal, as he directed the husband and wife to pose this way and that. His camera clicked nonstop. Another member of Iris' glam team recorded everything on video so that LXC Studio could edit it into a promo video for Iris' social media accounts.
Finally, it was time to leave.
"Where are the twins?" Iris asked.
"In the playroom with the nannies," Dom answered while examining the photos that he had just taken. "Don't worry, Boss and Sir Boss. I'll help watch over them. Just enjoy yourselves tonight at Ashandra's art exhibition."
"Thanks, Dom. It would be great to have you come with us, but I can't rest assured leaving the twins at home without family in a foreign country."
"No worries, Boss!"
Jin Liwei also nodded his thanks to Dom. "We'll be leaving, then."
Iris sighed. "I wanted to at least say goodbye to the twins, but I know that they won't let us leave if they see us, especially Little Mochi. That little guy would definitely throw a tantrum."
"En. Don't worry, love. We won't stay out too late."
She nodded.
The husband and wife bid goodbye to Dom and everyone else while their covert group of bodyguards followed behind them.
Their bodyguards would be disguised as other guests. Ashandra Knightson was already aware of this arrangement and even handed additional invitations to the bodyguards.
Despite the couple's meticulous preparations, they were still very low-key when they arrived at the art exhibition.
There were a couple of reporters covering the event outside, but they weren't allowed to enter. They could only stay outside and ask the guests if they were willing to speak in front of the camera. Most guests refused, but some agreed.
Iris decided not to speak with the media this time around. She and her Liberté had already received more than enough media coverage in the past few days. There was no need to overdo it.
She also knew that the media was more interested in her brother-in-law's engagement with Chen Fei than anything else right now. Today was her good friend's important art exhibition. She didn't want her perfumery or her brother-in-law's engagement to overshadow Ashandra tonight.
It was only when Iris and Jin Liwei showed their invitation and were about to enter that the reporters recognized them. The couple had been featured in the news along with Liberté, and of course, Jin Chonglin. Their faces were instantly recognizable for those who had been watching and reading the news in the past few days.
Unfortunately for the reporters, the couple pretended not to hear them calling. Iris and Jin Liwei quickly entered the premises, leaving behind the frustrated reporters who hoped to interview the couple for more tea about the superstar Jin Chonglin.
The beautiful Ashandra Knightson quickly excused herself from the group she was speaking with to greet the husband and wife.
"Xiulan, you're finally here!"
The friends hugged each other.
Ashandra also greeted Jin Liwei, but it was obvious that she was closer to Iris.
"You look gorgeous," Iris complimented.
"And so are you," Ashandra returned the compliment. "Welcome to my exhibition! I titled my collection 'Generations'. Later, I'll show you a surprise I prepared just for you."
Iris' eyes lit up. "Surprise for me? I can't wait!"
Ashandra smiled before looking behind the couple. "You're the only one who came?"
"You know my brother-in-law will steal all the attention if he attends tonight, so Liwei advised him and Chen Fei not to attend. The two of them couldn't even step out of the house without being hounded by reporters and paparazzi. I hope that you don't mind, Ashandra. They send their congratulations and regards to you, though." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"I understand, Xiulan. Sir Lu also personally called me earlier that he won't be coming because he has a prior appointment with another group of old friends tonight. He sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers. I was hoping Dominic would come."
Iris sighed. "I'm sorry, but he's helping watch over the twins."
"Oh, I see. That's fine, then. The babies are more important. If they were old enough, I would've insisted that you bring Mochi and Matcha. I adore those babies like my own!"
They laughed and talked about the twins for a couple of minutes before Ashandra had to excuse herself to greet another group of new arrivals.
Iris and Jin Liwei watched the busy Ashandra.
"Let's go, love."
Jin Liwei offered his elbow. When she took it, he led her deeper inside the art exhibition.
The curator greeted them and gave them a formal introduction to the art exhibition. "Feel free to roam around and enjoy Mademoiselle Knightson's incredible art. We also have a silent auction for all of the pieces. If you're interested in participating, you only need to write your bids on these paper slips and put them inside these slots. If you win the bid, we will contact you after the art exhibition ends to finalize the purchase."
"Okay, thank you." Iris smiled at the curator.
The curator smiled back but continued looking at her mysteriously.
Iris looked at the man with a question mark on her head. Jin Liwei's smile disappeared.
Good thing that the curator said in a hurry, "Mademoiselle Knightson has instructed us that a portion of the proceeds from the silent auction will be donated to Madame Jin's Iris of Hope foundation."
Iris' eyes widened. "I wasn't aware of this."
Jin Liwei's expression returned to normal. The barely noticeable smile returned to his face.
The curator gave a mental sigh of relief.
Phew!
Fortunately, he dodged the danger. CEO Jin was scary when he glared at him. His knees almost shook from the CEO's intimidating aura.
"Is this the surprise that Ashandra was telling me about?" Iris wondered.
"No, Madame," the curator said. "Mademoiselle Knightson has another surprise for you later."
Iris grew more curious and excited. She held onto her husband's elbow and couldn't help but squeeze it. She couldn't wait to see her good friend's surprise for her.
Jin Liwei patted her hand. He was also curious about what Ashandra had prepared for his wife. Seeing how excited his wife acted, he also looked forward to the surprise.
The curator excused himself to greet the next guests.
Jin Liwei nodded at their bodyguards disguised as guests. The bodyguards pretended to look around while some even chatted with other genuine guests. Despite this, they all stayed in close proximity with the couple.
He recognized a few who belonged to his brother-in-law from Shadow Winds. Their presence made Jin Liwei feel reassured that his wife would be safe from any danger.
Iris and Jin Liwei didn't bother the busy Ashandra Knightson. They started walking around to admire the artwork displayed in the main wing. Each of them showed Ashandra's skillful artistry.
Now they understood why Ashandra titled this collection "Generations". The paintings depicted family (both by blood and by choice), parentage, ancestry, and roots.
Not all showcased humans, though. There were animals, beasts, and even mythical creatures.
Iris couldn't help but admire the details in the paintings showcasing mythical creatures. Ashandra made them believable in a beautiful yet also frightening way.
"Which one do you like, love?" Jin Liwei asked. "I'll bid on them for you."
"This one." She pointed at a painting depicting a humanoid creature.
The upper body was that of a beautiful female but its lower body resembled a giant octopus. The creature was cradling an infant version of itself, both cute and scary at the same time, while the dark ocean roared around them.
Just looking at it made her get goosebumps.
"I think that Ashandra wants to convey that all creaturesâhuman or not and scary or notâare all the same when it comes to protecting their young," Iris murmured.
Now that Iris was a mother herself, she understood this kind of maternal instinct even better than before.
"I want this, darling," she said.
Jin Liwei already took a paper slip and wrote his bid on the painting titled "Monster Mother" for his wife. He wrote a large price just to make sure.
Not only would it make his wife happy to own this painting, but a portion of the proceeds would also be donated to his wife's Iris of Hope foundation.
No matter how he looked at it, winning the bid would be a win-win for his wife. As long as his wife was happy, he would also be happy.
Chapter 1550 Once a Mother, Forever a Mother
The ushers gathered all the guests.
Iris and Jin Liwei followed everyone. Their disguised bodyguards positioned themselves strategically around the couple.
Waiters served everyone some refreshments. Jin Liwei took two glasses of champagne and gave one to his wife.
Ashandra Knightson also held a glass of champagne in one hand and the microphone in her other hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my art exhibition! First of all, thank you very much for coming today. This collection, 'Generations', is the biggest and most emotional collection that I've ever created so far. I don't know how many times I had to stop myself and take a break while creating these art pieces because of my emotions. I even needed to attend a few therapy sessions to help me navigate all the plethora of emotions I was experiencing at that time."
Some of the guests gasped.
Most of them, however, didn't bat an eye. They just credited it to Ashandra Knighton's eccentricity as a genius artist. A lot of them believed that geniuses, especially creative ones like Ashandra, were a little unhinged anyway. Tales of super-talented artists going insane weren't too uncommon either. So the fact that she underwent therapy while creating her latest collection wasn't too shocking.
Iris, however, felt concerned about her friend. She grabbed her husband's elbow and squeezed it. She had already heard a little about Ashandra's struggles while creating this latest collection of hers when Ashandra came over to stay at her family's Parisian residence the night before Liberté's launch party. Iris sympathized with her friend, but she didn't know that Ashandra's struggles became so serious that she needed to undergo therapy.
"But please don't worry too much about me," Ashandra said. "I'm alright now. I've experienced a lot of negative emotions during the creation process of this art collection, but there were also a lot of positive emotions. Most importantly, I think that experiencing all this has helped me grow not only as an artist but also as a person. I feel that I've become a much more mature individual.
"I hope that this art collection, 'Generations', will also resonate with a lot of you as much as it resonated with me. 'Generations' is about family, about connections, and about legacy. Family is not only the one that we are born into but also the connections that we make by choice.
"Even animals that we choose to take care of become members of our family. They become part of our history, and eventually, even our legacy. Places are also important. Special places become our homes, and maybe in time, our descendants will also decide to take root in these same places, adding to our family history and legacy.
"Regardless of who we are or what we are, whether we are humans or not, we all have a desire to belong in a unit with the most important one being the family. Our family is our most important support system. It is also an important record of who we are, our origins, and what we have become. Even when we are gone on earth, these records will always remain. Not just the written records on documents, depictions on paintings, memories on photos or videos, but the most important of all, the DNA records we leave in our descendants. Our descendants are the most precious legacy that we can ever leave in the world.
"I hope that you all enjoy my collection, 'Generations'. I also want to thank my good friend, Madame Iris Long, and her husband, Monsieur Liam Jin, for gracing all of us with their presence. I also have to confess that their beautiful family has been a huge inspiration for this art collection."
Iris and Jin Liwei smiled and raised their champagne glasses to Ashandra Knightson. She responded by raising her glass and nodding at them.
The other guests all looked at Iris and Jin Liwei. Some of them had also attended Liberté's launch party, so they were familiar with the couple. Those who hadn't attended still recognized them because of the media coverage of Liberté's launch party and also because of Jin Chonglin's high-profile proposal to his now fiancée, a woman named Chen Fei.
The ones who attended Liberté's launch party knew that Iris was friends with Ashandra Knightson. The others didn't know, so they were surprised to learn that Ashandra Knightson was friends with the Asian couple. She even mentioned that their family was a huge inspiration to this latest collection of hers, "Generations."
"I would also like to mention for those who haven't been informed yet that a portion of proceeds from tonight's silent auction will be donated to my friend Madame Iris Long's charitable foundation, Iris of Hope," Ashandra continued. "Iris of Hope is one of the foundations that I trust to be transparent all the time. Their charitable projects are always relevant and meaningful. They are also very active in helping people all around the world. That's why it's my first choice whenever I want to donate. Please rest assured that a portion of your money will be put to good use in helping people who need it the most through Iris of Hope."
Iris bowed her head to her friend and nodded at the other guests who raised their champagne glasses at her.
"Finally, I would like to welcome you once again! Please enjoy!"
Everyone gave a warm round of applause to the beautiful and talented Ashandra Knightson.
As soon as the speech ended, the other guests surrounded Iris and Jin Liwei. Of course, their disguised bodyguards also joined in to protect them just in case.
The guests were interested in knowing more about Iris of Hope. Iris was more than happy to explain her foundation's missions. Although she hadn't been aware that Ashandra was going to donate a portion of tonight's silent auction's proceeds to Iris of Hope, she wasn't mad at all. In fact, she was happy because her foundation would be able to help more people with the money.
"Did you know about this?" Iris asked when the guests finally left them.
"En." Jin Liwei nodded.
She gave him a side-eye, but there was a smile on her lips.
"Iris of Hope's president informed me about it some time ago," he said. "Ashandra wanted to keep it a secret from you as a surprise."
She could only chuckle while shaking her head. "Ashandra really knows how to give me a wonderful surprise. I wonder what she prepared for me later."
"Me, too."
The husband and wife walked while holding hands. Ashandra met their eyes. They only smiled and nodded their heads. Ashandra was too busy to keep the couple company.
Iris didn't want to hog her friends' time and attention, so she dragged her husband to enjoy her friend's art pieces. Jin Liwei would also bid for the ones his wife wanted.
There weren't only paintings in the art exhibition. In another wing, Ashandra also made some sculptures. Most of them were made of clay, but there were also a few carved from wood. One was even from marble.
Iris marvelled at the delicate details of the marble sculpture. It was a three-foot figure of a pregnant woman covered in a veil. Ashandra was able to carve the marble and make the veil look transparent.
"How incredible." Iris sighed in amazement.
She wanted to touch the sculpture but restrained herself.
Without even asking her, Jin Liwei took a paper slip and bid for the marble sculpture.
Then the curator called for everyone's attention.
"Please follow me to the special exhibition wing. This is Mademoiselle Knightson's most prized pieces in the collection. There are only a few pieces but every single one of them is extremely special. The starting bid prices for these pieces will also be higher than the ones you've seen in the regular wings."
Whispers of curiosity and excitement spread among the guests.
Ashandra Knightson found her way to Iris and Jin Liwei.
"Xiulan, follow me," Ashandra said before holding Iris' hand.
"Is the surprise inside?" Iris asked.
"Yes."
Iris couldn't hide her anticipation.
The curator opened the large, ornate doors to the special wing. Ashandra entered with Iris and Jin Liwei while the rest of the guests followed after them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The art pieces inside were definitely on a different scale compared to the ones outside. There were huge paintings, and a few towering sculptures, including a ten-foot marble sculpture.
However, Iris' attention was soon drawn to the biggest, most conspicuous painting hanging on a wall. It was the only painting on that wall.
Its size was about ten by twenty feet, perhaps even bigger.
As soon as Iris saw it, tears flowed down her face. Jin Liwei hugged her close. He also felt a little choked up.
The painting showed a beautiful Iris lounging on a daybed while cradling two babies, Little Mochi and Little Matcha when they were only a few months old. There was also Ice Cream sleeping beside her. Popcorn was playing with his tail on the floor near her feet.
A white cat, Ketchup, sat smiling on Iris' other side. A black cat, Bacon, folded himself like a loaf of bread on top of the daybed's backrest near Iris' head.
There were also two German Shepherd puppies scattered on the floor, Pudding and Chowder.
Gentle sunlight streamed down on the beautiful scene making it glow and appear dreamy. Anyone who viewed the painting would feel the love and gentleness emanating from Iris' figure.
Ashandra also teared up upon seeing Iris getting emotional.
Iris hugged her. "Thank you, Ashandra. This painting is the most beautiful that I've ever seen. I love it."
Ashandra hugged her back. "It has been my pleasure to paint you with your children, Xiulan. I call it 'Once a Mother, Forever a Mother'."