Chapter 157: 1561 - 1570

Chapter 1561 The Life She Chose For Herself

Iris' frown deepened. "Do you believe that?"

"I think it's a load of bullsh*t," Ashandra Knightson said, unable to hide her anger. "My curator and docent aren't even rich nor are they immigrants. They're French locals. They don't belong to the target profiles of those criminals. But the police say that maybe this is also a case of mistaken identities, that the criminals wrongfully identified them as targets and attacked them. Or worse, that the criminals still went ahead and attacked the two despite knowing that they didn't fit their usual target profiles."

"I'm so sorry about what happened, Ashandra," Iris could only say.

"We're all sorry," Ashandra replied. "I feel sorry for the victims' families. I also feel partly responsible."

"Why?" Iris didn't like to hear that her friend was blaming herself. "This isn't something that you can control. It's those criminals who are 100% responsible for their crimes, not you. In fact, I think that their families should thank you for raising the alarm so early. I heard that they hadn't even felt concerned yet but you insisted on escalating the matter to the police. If not for you, two lives might have been lost. There's still hope that the curator would survive."

Ashandra sighed. "I understand what you're saying, but I can't help feeling a little guilty. It's because of my art exhibition that the gallery decided to extend its hours late into the evening. If not for it, then maybe my curator and docent wouldn't have to walk in the streets so late at night."

"It's not your fault that your art exhibition is so popular, Ashandra. Please stop blaming yourself. Nobody wants this terrible incident to happen

," Iris continued trying to console her friend.

"Thank you, Xiulan," Ashandra said. "I feel bad that this has to happen when you're on vacation with your family. I originally didn't plan on telling you about it because I didn't want to disturb you, but I guess Sir Lu couldn't help but tell you all about it."

Once again, Iris didn't correct her friend. Ashandra Knightson might begin thinking that the old man couldn't keep his mouth shut from here on. Iris mentally apologized to Grandpa Lu for taking the blame.

"I'll return to Paris to be with you," Iris said all of a sudden.

She glanced at her husband. Jin Liwei nodded, fully supporting her decision. She sighed in relief and smiled at him, her expression filled with gratitude.

"No, Xiulan. Please don't cut your family trip short because of my own problem. I'm already cooperating with the French police. Sir Lu has also promised to ask his friends to continue pressuring the police so that the investigations will not stall. There's nothing you and I could do to help except in trying to provide emotional comfort and financial support to the victims' families. Let the police do their jobs. And hopefully, they'll be able to catch the real suspects soon."

Iris didn't reply right away. She pondered about whether to go with her decision to cut her family trip short and return to Paris or to follow Ashandra's wish and stay here with her family.

Jin Liwei took her hand and kissed it. Even without saying anything, she understood what his actions meant. Whatever she decided, he would follow and support her.

Ashandra continued, "It's better to spend more time with your family, especially with your babies. I know that your husband has been looking forward to spending quality time with you. I don't want to take that precious time away from you, Xiulan.

"Besides, I've already decided to end my art exhibition here in Paris earlier than planned. I just can't find it in me to continue while all this is happening. Worse, the media is having a field day. They've already surrounded the gallery. Even if I have nothing to do with what happened, I know that the media will spin false narratives just to make sensational headlines."

As a celebrity, Iris knew about this firsthand. "I'll send some bodyguards for you. Please don't reject me this time, Ashandra. I don't want any reporters or paparazzi harrassing you because of something that you obviously didn't do. Liwei made sure to bring many bodyguards for our family. We can spare a few for my friends' protection. Chen Fei also got two bodyguards after her engagement with my brother-in-law."

"Alright, Xiulan. I won't reject your offer, then. Thank you very much. I feel exhausted."

"Anyone would be exhausted if something like that happened," Iris comforted her. "I won't disturb you any longer, then. I know that you must be busy dealing with the aftermath of what happened. Just let me know if you need any help."

"Okay, Xiulan. Thanks again. Please kiss Mochi and Matcha for me." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Will do."

The friends bid each other goodbye.

After the phone call, Iris still felt worried about her friend. However, she also understood why Ashandra didn't want her to come.

First, the victims weren't directly related to them.

Second, the media was already feasting on Ashandra Knightson's connection to the tragic incident. If Iris Long stepped in and involved herself, then the media would definitely weave more outlandish false narratives.

This was the kind of publicity that Iris didn't need especially with the upcoming launch of Orchidia's foreign bases.

Anything involving deadly crimes and the police was something that Iris wanted to avoid if possible.

"So are we returning to Paris?" Dom asked, interrupting Iris' thoughts.

Jin Liwei also looked at her, waiting for her final decision.

She sighed. "Ashandra is right. We won't be of any help if we all return there. It's better to stay out of Paris while the investigations are heating up there. Ketchup."

"Yes, Mommy? Meow~"

"Please help investigate. We'll respect your Auntie Ashandra's wish and stay out of it, but it doesn't hurt to secretly help the progress of the investigations."

"Aye aye, Mommy! The cute and mighty Ketchup will help investigate. Meow~"

"I think we should also ask Bacon's help," Jin Liwei suggested. "He should have more resources to investigate deadly crimes like this."

Iris nodded. "Ketchup, please call your younger brother, Bacon."

"Okey do—oh, you're here?! So fast?! Meowowow!"

"Greetings, Mother, Father, and Uncle Dominic." A pure black cat with golden eyes appeared beside Ketchup.

"How about the cute and mighty Ketchup? Why didn't Bacon greet your super-duper to the highest level adorable big sister?! Bacon, you big meanie! Meow!"

Bacon ignored his yapping sister. His fluffy tail swayed behind him. "Mother, do you need something?"

Iris shared a quick summary of what happened to her cat AI son. "Please assist in the investigations, Bacon. Your Auntie Ashandra must be stressing out right now."

"Understood, Mother. Bacon will do my best to find something to help the progress of the investigations."

"Don't forget Ketchup! The cute and mighty Ketchup will also do my super-duper to the highest level best! Meow~"

Iris felt more reassured with her cat AI children's involvement.

Jin Liwei then took over and gave important reminders to both Ketchup and Bacon to always be careful and to prioritize their safety in avoiding detection.

After the two AI cats left to start their own investigations, Iris released a heavy sigh.

"Let's help out the victims' families," she said.

"En, I'll take care of it," Jin Liwei replied.

Dom stood up. "Boss, sir boss, please excuse me. I want to call Sis Fei and ask her if she knew what happened at Ashandra's art exhibition."

Iris nodded. "Okay, go ahead."

Dom left the husband and wife alone in the sitting room.

Jin Liwei pulled her into his embrace. "Don't think too much about it. I know that you're worried about Ashandra and also sympathize with the victims, but I don't want you stressing because of them."

"I know." She rested her head on his chest and inhaled his masculine scent, drawing warm comfort from him. "I just hope that the attackers get arrested soon."

"En."

###

Ivy Lau clicked her seatbelt into place. The business class cabin in this commercial flight was full. She glanced at the other seats from the corner of her eyes and saw her "bodyguards" in strategic locations. They were disguised and looked like other regular passengers.

She knew that although they were technically her "bodyguards", they were more like her jailors. They were tasked with keeping an eye on her and reporting all her actions to her lover.

The plane took off.

Once the flight stabilized in the sky, some of the passengers began removing their seatbelts.

Ivy stayed in her seat. She wore a mask, covering half of her face. Only her cold eyes were visible.

Half a day later, Ivy was picked up at the airport back in China. Her "bodyguards" that she flew with had other transportation arrangements. It wasn't her problem. They could all die for all she cared.

Unfortunately, she would never be truly free in this lifetime. There was another set of "bodyguards" assigned to her as soon as she left the airport.

It didn't matter.

As long as she could achieve her goals, then she would happily remain as someone's pet. This was the life that she chose for herself.

She removed the mask, revealing her face that resembled Iris Long.

"Is it taken care of?" she asked.

The man in the front passenger seat beside the driver glanced at her. "Your registration form at the art exhibition has been destroyed by one of our men disguised as a cleaner. The docent is dead but the curator managed to survive. We're working on making his death in the ICU look like a cardiac arrest."

Chapter 1562 Blame Your Bad Luck

Ivy Lau shrugged. "Whatever."

The knowledge that her actions led to a person's death didn't bother her at all. In fact, she even looked impatient and annoyed that something so unimportant would be reported to her.

The man sitting in the front passenger seat gave her another look. "The boss is not pleased with your actions."

She pursed her lips, feeling irritated, but still made a sound in her throat. It was up to the a**hole how he interpreted it. Her lover would punish her either way anyway.

The truth was that she didn't understand why what she did in Paris was such a big deal. But according to her lover, she had left a big mess that he needed his people to clean up.

In her opinion, her lover just wanted a reason to murder people for his own enjoyment. She already knew him long enough to understand his twisted personality.

He was the devil himself.

She was just one of his pawns. She understood her role perfectly. Whatever he needed her for, she just needed to fulfill it. If he needed to use her to justify his sadistic murderous urges, then she had no choice but to comply.

Despite the faults in his personality, she actually found herself halfway in love with him.

She smirked.

Perhaps the saying was right—that birds of a feather flocked together.

"Just do what you need to do," she said in a bored tone.

The driver and the man sitting in the front passenger seat didn't respond. Their tasks were clear. They would serve this woman according to their boss' orders, but that didn't mean that they were her servants. Anything beyond their boss' orders, they wouldn't hesitate to refuse and would even embarrass her.

She was just one of the boss' playthings anyway. Someday, they would have to dispose of her corpse just like the other playthings that their boss had grown tired of. It was as simple as that.

Ivy didn't know that the two men in front of her were already thinking about her future—or lack thereof.

Even if she knew, she wouldn't care.

Her goals were clear.

She just needed to focus on achieving them no matter what. Even if her final fate was death—she didn't care as long as she got what she wanted in the end.

###

Inside a hospital in Paris at night.

Visitor hours had already ended. In the ICU department, there were two police officers standing guard outside one of the rooms.

The medical staff had already been informed about the circumstances of that particular room's patient. They secretly gossiped among themselves, lamenting how unlucky the poor guy was to be attacked by lunatics while walking late at night in the streets. At the same time, they also felt scared about their own safety, especially the night-shift staff.

"I need to pee," one of the police officers said to his partner.

"Go ahead. I'll stay here."

When the police officer left to go to the men's room, his partner stood up and walked back and forth in front of the ICU room door to stretch his legs.

A nurse appeared and greeted him. She was a petite older woman with a kind smile and a lot of grey hair.

"Good evening, Officer. I'm here to check the patient's vitals."

The police officer checked her ID and waved her in. The nurse looked like a veteran. The hospital must be prioritizing this particular patient. They sent their best medical staff to treat him. The police still needed the patient to wake up and provide his statement about what happened to him.

At the same time, the police officers shook his head. These veteran nurses couldn't catch a break. They were already so old and close to retirement yet still needed to work night-shift. How tough!

Well, being a police officer wasn't easy either.

While the police officer was absorbed in his own thoughts, the nurse closed the door to the ICU. Her smiling expression remained on her face, as she checked the patient's vitals. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

She made a show to check the attending doctor's written order, then took a vial from the medicine tray. She opened a new syringe, stabbed the vial, and drew out the liquid. Then she injected the liquid into the patient's IV line.

After taking some notes and doing a final check, she left the room with the medicine tray.

"Have a good night, Officer," she said.

The police officers waved at her, appreciating her kindness. Later, his partner returned from the men's room.

"You took so long to pee?" he asked.

His partner gave a sheepish smile and rubbed his stomach. "I had to do number two. Must be the sandwich I ate earlier."

"I warned you not to order the salmon sandwich. It's not in season."

"Tsk. It's the bistro's special, half-price. Can't say no to half-price."

The police officer shook his head at his partner's stinginess. They chatted about the patient's case.

Then another nurse arrived. She was a middle-aged woman, heavier in weight, and looked quite strict.

"Good evening, Officers," she greeted in a perfunctory tone. "I'm here to check the patient's vitals."

"Let me check your ID first," the police officer who just came from the men's room said.

"Hold it!" The other police officer raised a hand to stop him. "There was a nurse who already went inside and left just now. How often do you guys check the vitals here?"

The nurse frowned, looking confused and impatient at the same time. "Hospital management knows that this patient is involved in a criminal case, so they want to limit the number of staff who can access his room. I'm the only nurse in charge of this patient tonight. What do you mean that there was a nurse who already went inside?"

Both of the police officers turned pale.

"Hurry, check the patient!"

"Open the door!"

The nurse blocked them. "I'm sorry, Officers. But this is the ICU, please wear the appropriate personal protective equipment first!"

"We can't waste any time! The patient might be in danger—"

An alarm sounded in the room.

The nurse abandoned the police officers and directly went inside the room. Soon after, a doctor and a few other nurses arrived and rushed inside.

Unfortunately for the police officers, they still weren't allowed to enter. They hurriedly put on all the PPEs, wasting a lot of time in the process. Even then, they had to remain standing outside to avoid getting in the way of the medical staff trying to save the patient's life.

While the ICU department was in chaos trying to pull a patient from the brink of death, the petite veteran nurse whom the police officer allowed to enter the room earlier had now exited the hospital. She had changed from a nurse's uniform into one worn by the housekeeping staff.

An old minivan picked her up. She climbed into front passenger seat.

"Done?" the driver asked in Spanish.

"Done," she answered before removing the grey-haired wig from her head.

"Let's dispose of the trash quickly," a man said from the back passenger seat. "Paris is swarming with cops these days. I'm about to break into hives."

The woman glanced at him but didn't reply. She wasn't an older woman close to retirement at all but a younger woman in her early thirties instead. The drastic change in her appearance was thanks to the power of makeup and lifelike prosthetics.

They avoided all the police checkpoints and exited the city. They drove for a couple more hours before reaching a small, rural town. Everyone was asleep. They didn't enter the town but stopped nearby where a small river ran.

All they could see were endless fields, trees, and shrubbery. The three people—two men and one woman—climbed out of the van and opened the rear hatch door.

Curled inside was the real veteran nurse whom the younger woman impersonated at the hospital. The two men dragged the older woman out of the minivan.

"Ugh." The real nurse groaned and was awakened by the impact of her body falling to the ground.

She was still dazed but soon came to her senses upon realizing the great danger that she was in. Her mouth was duct-taped. Only faint gurgles could be heard from her. She struggled against the ropes tying her hands and feet behind her, curling her into an unnatural reverse shrimp-shaped position.

When she saw the younger woman who resembled her face thanks to makeup and prosthetics, her fear intensified. She shouted and struggled but to no avail.

The younger woman squatted beside the terrified veteran nurse and caressed her sweat-soaked grey hair.

"Sorry about this," she said in accented French. "It's nothing personal. We're just following orders. You can only blame your bad luck."

Then she stood up and gave the veteran nurse a final look before walking away and returning inside the minivan. She sat in the front passenger seat and worked on removing her makeup and prosthetics from her face.

Little by little, her real face was revealed. It was an utterly average and forgettable face, perfect for someone like her whose expertise is in disguise and impersonating other people.

Later, the two men returned.

"Done?" It was her turn to ask this time.

"Done," both of them answered.

"Let's go. We need to leave France as soon as possible."

They moved like ghosts, dodging law enforcement along the way. They were experts in what they did.

A few hours later, when the sun rose in the sky, a farmer went to his fields to check his crops. He walked by the riverside to wash his boots but then saw something floating on the water stuck to a big rock.

When he came closer and saw what it was, he screamed.

Chapter 1563 Murder Case

Iris and Jin Liwei heard what happened the next day. Ketchup informed them first thing in the morning. They were still in their bedroom, wearing pyjamas, with their twin sons.

The husband and wife looked at each other.

"This is a clear murder case," Iris said. "Someone wants to silence the curator that they even murdered an innocent nurse to use her appearance and credentials to do the deed."

Jin Liwei didn't say anything as he was busy herding their sons off the bed, but his expression showed that he, too, was shocked at what happened in Paris after they left.

"I must call Ashandra," Iris murmured. "I'm worried about her."

After only a few rings, Ashandra Knightson picked up the call. "Xiulan, have you heard what happened already?"

"Yes!" Iris replied. "I think you should leave France soon, Ashandra. What happened to your curator at the hospital ICU makes it clear that something more sinister is happening. This is not a simple case of hate crime anymore. It's a deliberate targeted murder case!"

"I know. I'm already packing."

Iris heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. I'll ask my husband to arrange one of his private jets for you."

"I won't reject your offer this time, Xiulan. I was so frightened and shaky that I could barely think straight. It's only thanks to the bodyguards you arranged for me that I managed to even function again in the first place. They're the ones who reminded me that I might be the real target. I don't know if that's true or not, but I sure as hell won't want to risk my life here in Paris. I already announced the termination of my art exhibition."

"Okay, Ashandra. Don't panic too much. If you're not sure about what to do next, just rely on the bodyguards for now. We'll figure out what to do next once you leave France."

"I'll do my best. Thank you, Xiulan."

Iris gave Ashandra a few more words of advice. After the phone call, Iris asked for her husband's help.

"No problem, love," Jin Liwei said after hearing about it. "Let me arrange the private jet now."

Iris took over changing the twins' clothes while Jin Liwei called someone on his phone to make the private flight arrangements for Ashandra Knightson.

"Done," he said after the phone call. "Someone will contact Ashandra to ask for her departure preferences."

"Thanks, darling." She stood on her tippy-toes and kissed the corner of his cheek.

He held her waist and squeezed it a little. Then he gave her luscious lips a quick peck.

"Chi chi yah yah!" (Mochi wants a kiss, too!)

Although Iris and Jin Liwei didn't understand what their son was talking about, they could guess by his actions.

Iris chuckled, instantly improving her mood. "Come, my little sweetheart. Mommy will give you a kiss."

She lifted the clingy baby and gave each of his cheeks a loud, smacking kiss. Little Mochi giggled, loving all the attention his mommy was showering on him.

Then she felt a light tug on her pyjama pants.

It was Little Matcha. "Mama, uh uh." (Mommy, I want a kiss, too.)

Of course, Iris had no reason to reject her son's request. She handed Little Mochi to her husband and lifted Little Matcha next. She also gave Little Matcha's each cheek a loud, smacking kiss.

The baby's reaction was more subdued compared to his lively elder twin brother, but there was still a clear smile on Little Matcha's face.

Afterwards, the husband and wife also freshened up and changed into appropriate day outfits. The family headed out of their bedroom for breakfast.

"Darling, I'm not comfortable staying here in France anymore," Iris said. "I'm sad that we have to cut our family trip short, but I just can't find it in myself to enjoy our next days here at the chateau after hearing what happened. I also want to meet up with Ashandra before Orchidia Germany's launch to check on her."

"Okay, love. I'll make the arrangements."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. I also still need to meet up with Jabar and Amira before we leave to tell them my decisions regarding their proposals."

"Do you need me to join you?" Jin Liwei asked.

"Only at the meeting with the director. I can handle the meeting with the sheikha by myself."

"En."

After eating breakfast, Iris announced to Dom, the nannies, and their other staff that they would be leaving France soon ahead of schedule. Dom and the others didn't mind especially after hearing about the reason why they had to depart earlier than expected.

"Oh no!" Dom also looked worried. "Will Ashandra be fine? If she's the real target, then she shouldn't attend Orchidia Germany's launch anymore! She should lie low for a while for her own safety."

"That's what I'm thinking, too," Iris said, nodding. "She should return to Cross Academy. It should be safest there for her. I'll call her again later to tell her."

"I'll also call Sis Fei to let her know to start packing because we'll leave France soon," Dom said.

"Please do that. Thanks, Dom."

"No problem, Boss." He turned to the nannies. "We should also start packing soon."

The two nannies nodded.

Everyone became busy afterwards.

The chateau's head butler felt a little disappointed that he and his subordinates weren't able to show their best work performance to their new employers yet.

Iris was already preoccupied with arranging meetings with Director Jabar Wilkins and Sheikha Amira.

Jin Liwei didn't disturb his wife. He could take care of the other things by himself. No problem at all.

While making arrangements for his family's departure, he also took the time to speak to the chateau's head butler.

"There will be an interior designer coming in the next week or so to assess the entire chateau. My wife and I plan on improving the entire chateau's style. We haven't toured every single nook and cranny in this place yet, so if you have any suggestions for areas that need to be renovated, just let the designer know. He'll convey it to us and make arrangements with contractors if needed."

"Understood, Monsieur. Please leave everything about the chateau with me. I wish you and Madame Jin a safe trip."

"En."

Jin Liwei hadn't yet mentioned his and Iris' plan about renting out part of the chateau as a venue for special events such as weddings, photoshoots, etc. He planned to wait until all the renovations were completed before making arrangements to start a new income source for the chateau.

As for the possibility of ticketed tours, Jin Liwei would discuss it more carefully with his wife.

What happened at Ashandra Knightson's art exhibition made him more cautious about safety. Although he didn't know whether someone was really targeting Ashandra or not, he didn't want to risk his family's safety, especially since his wife was a close friend of the genius artist.

Ticketed tours were great and all but it was also quite risky. Vandalism and theft were usually the biggest worries for most ticketed tours, but Jin Liwei now also had to worry about premeditated attacks on his family.

Screening each of the guests who bought tickets might also be too much of a hassle especially if there were scheduled tours every day. Jin Liwei didn't want to waste Ketchup's bandwidth by assigning her this task.

At least, for venue reservations, there should be ample time, usually months ahead of the special event, to thoroughly screen not only the celebrants and their invited guests but also any staff involved.

Jin Liwei had everything planned in his mind. He would do what needed to be done to lessen the burden on his wife.

This period was extremely important to his wife. Her businesses were flourishing. At the same time, she was also preparing for her showbiz comeback. He wanted—no, needed to always be there to support her in whatever way he could.

This was what he discovered to be his real purpose in life.

And it always made him happy.

###

The next day, the weather appeared gloomy. The sun was nowhere in sight, covered by thick, grey clouds. There was a light drizzle and intermittent cold winds.

Iris bundled her twin sons in thick clothes, covering them from head to toe.

Little Mochi was annoyed by all the layers and tried removing them from his body. Unfortunately, his daddy gave him a scary look. Little Mochi whined at his mommy instead but he was out of luck this time. His mommy refused to remove the thick clothes.

"Don't be too naughty, baby," Iris said before kissing her fussy baby's smooth, chubby cheek.

Little Mochi behaved after getting a kiss from his mommy. He giggled and didn't bother trying to remove his annoying clothes anymore.

In contrast to him, Little Matcha wasn't bothered by his thick clothes at all. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Of course, Iris didn't forget to reward him with a kiss on the cheek as well. "My Little Matcha is such a sweet boy."

The baby grinned and smiled for a while before reverting back to his usual unbothered expression.

Jin Liwei came in to check on his family after confirming that everything was ready with the staff.

"Ready, love?" he asked.

Iris smiled. "Yes."

"Ready, boys?" he asked his sons next.

"Yah yah!" (Yes, I'm ready!) Little Mochi pumped his little fists in the air.

"Uh." (Yes.) Little Matcha toddled to his daddy and reached up to him.

Jin Liwei bent down and carried his son. Iris was about to carry their other son but Jin Liwei moved faster.

"Let me carry both of them," he said and carried Little Mochi with his other arm. "They're heavier with these thick clothes."

Chapter 1564 Decisions

Iris followed her husband and sons to the grand hall, where they met Dom and the nannies. Once they stepped outside, the butlers held large black umbrellas over their heads.

The head butler and servants lined up to bid their new employer's family goodbye.

"Thank you, everyone," Iris told them. My family and I had a wonderful stay at the chateau. We're sad that we had to cut our trip short, but we'll definitely return next time. Please take care of the place in our absence."

"Please leave everything here to us, Madame," the head butler replied on behalf of everyone. "Please have a safe trip. We're all looking forward to your return."

"Yah yah!" (Bye-bye!) Little Mochi waved his little hands at the head butler and the others.

Little Matcha followed suit, waving his little hand before resting his head on his father's shoulder and yawning. The gloomy weather was making him sleepy.

The head butler and his subordinates couldn't stop themselves from smiling and waving back at the adorable babies. They were such a joy to have around.

Little Mochi was a bit naughty, but his energy made the chateau feel so much livelier. Little Matcha was also very adorable in the way he lived his baby life at his own pace. Both were definitely the cutest babies that they had ever seen in their entire lives. They wished that their new employers would bring the babies back to the chateau soon.

Jin Liwei urged the others to hurry up. He didn't want his wife and sons exposed to the wet and chilly weather.

Once everyone was ready, the motorcade of vehicles finally left the chateau.

Iris couldn't help but look back at the chateau's beautiful scenery as they drove away. She felt sorry that they hadn't been able to enjoy the place to the fullest. It couldn't be helped. Hearing about the murders so close in connection with her friend, Ashandra, made her too worried.

Jin Liwei seemed to know what she was thinking about. He held her hand and squeezed it. "We'll return here next time for another family trip. The chateau should already be updated by then. We'll enjoy ourselves better next time."

She nodded.

By afternoon, they finally returned to their Parisian residence. Chen Fei had been waiting for them. She immediately hugged the twins, missing them. Grandpa Lu also called that he would be coming later with his packed luggage.

Everyone ate a quick lunch.

Iris had no time to waste. Right after lunch, a household staff member informed her that the guest she was expecting had arrived. She nodded and headed to the study.

Once she arrived there, she saw Sheikha Amira sipping tea.

"Iris!" Sheikha Amira stood up.

"Amira." Iris went for a hug and an air kiss. "Let's sit down."

"You have a beautiful home," the sheikha said.

Iris smiled. "Thank you, Amira. I'm glad you came today."

"How could I not come? I've been waiting for you to invite me." Amira handed Iris a gift bag. "This is for you."

"Oh, you didn't have to! Thank you!" Iris opened the gift. It was a vintage red wine—very expensive.

Her husband should like it.

Amira was pleased by her reaction to her gift. "I don't like wasting time. Shall we get right down to business?"

"Sure, I also don't like wasting time," Iris said. This time, her smile was more genuine. She liked strong, independent women who knew exactly what they wanted.

Just like her.

"So have made your decision?" Amira asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Yes." Iris nodded.

"Tell me about it. I can't wait."

Iris chuckled. "I've decided to accept your proposal to cooperate with Liberté."

Amira's face bloomed with a bright smile. "Yes! This is the best news I've gotten in days!"

The woman's enthusiasm infected Iris. She momentarily forgot her worries for her friend, Ashandra Knightson. Her entire focus was on this meeting.

"I've decided to go ahead with this cooperation but I have a few conditions," Iris said.

Amira became serious. "Let me hear about your conditions."

"First of all, I want you to uphold Liberté's values of promoting inclusivity over exclusivity," Iris said. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"No problem. I might be a member of my nation's royal family but I basically grew up in England. Please don't worry because my own personal values align with that of Liberté's."

Iris nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

The two women continued their discussion which evolved into negotiations. They pushed and pulled until reaching a satisfying conclusion.

"I'll have a contract drafted and sent to Liberté," Amira said. "If you're satisfied, then we can go ahead with the cooperation."

"Yes." Iris stood up and offered her hand.

Amira took it.

The two women shook hands.

"I would love to invite you for dinner, but I'm pressed for time today," Iris said. "My family and I are leaving France tonight. Tell you what. If you have time, I want to invite you to my other company's launch in Germany."

"Orchidia, right?" It seemed that the sheikha did her research.

"Yes."

"Sure, I would love to come," Amira said.

"I'll send you an invitation."

Iris personally walked Sheikha Amira to the door. The two women bid each other goodbye, feeling satisfied with the results of their negotiations. Before Amira left, Iris gave her some baked desserts that she requested the private chef to make in advance.

"Done?" Jin Liwei asked, appearing beside her.

She nodded. "Amira is one tough cookie. I'm starting to really like her."

He had no comment about the woman. "As long as you're satisfied."

"She's an amateur when it comes to discussing specific details of starting a business, but she makes it up with her determination and willingness to learn. I hope that she follows through on her promise to fulfill my conditions for allowing her to open a Liberté franchise store in Dubai."

"So you've decided on the franchise route?" he asked.

"Yes. It's too risky for us to directly open a Liberté branch in Dubai by ourselves. A franchise store also has risks but at least we don't have to worry too much about running the daily operations by ourselves. Amira has that covered.

"Ketchup already ran a background check on her. No ruling family is completely devoid of shady businesses, but Amira herself is not bad. I've decided to trust her. As long as she doesn't allow herself to be too controlled by anyone in her family, then we'll have a happy cooperation with her. If not, I'll just treat it as a momentary lapse in judgment and accept my business losses. Hopefully, everything runs smoothly."

Jin Liwei nodded. "Jabar is coming in an hour. I already informed Chonglin about our decision. He also wants to join the project."

Iris was relieved. "Good. The more people we have, the more money we can raise to fund the project. Jabar's proposal is very ambitious. It's going to burn a lot of money. But if we do things just right, the rewards will also be incredible. If we're able to turn the project into a film franchise like what Jabar originally planned, then it's going to be super exciting."

"En. High risk, high reward." Then he said, "Once Chonglin heard about it, he immediately wanted to jump on a plane and fly here directly to meet Jabar. I told him to finish his work obligations first."

She laughed. "Your brother has grown more and more childish over the years."

"He has always been childish, always doing whatever he wants."

"But that's also one of the main reasons why he's so successful. His childishness adds to his charisma, endearing him to his fans. Of course, most of his fans believe that he's a cool man with only occasional bouts of childishness. They don't know that he's more childish than what they initially expected."

"Hm." Jin Liwei had already lost interest in the conversation.

It wasn't like he didn't care about his younger brother. In fact, he cared about Jin Chonglin very much and would always find ways to help him out as much as possible. Nevertheless, he still found his brother quite annoying especially when Jin Chongin acted like a childish diva.

"Brother Chonglin might have grown childish over the years, but it seems that he listens to Chen Fei well," Iris commented. "I never expected that their relationship would work this smoothly."

"En. Chen Fei has her hands full with my brother. If they have a child together in the future, she might feel like she's raising two kids instead of one."

She snickered.

The husband and wife chatted while taking a walk. The dreary weather extended to Paris, but Iris' mood had improved a lot. Her successful negotiation with Sheikha Amira made her feel more enthusiastic.

Ten minutes before their appointment, Director Jabar Wilkins finally arrived. Iris and Jin Liwei personally welcomed him at the front door.

"I don't know what to bring you so I just bought whatever," he said, shoving a nicely-wrapped box to Jin Liwei. "Here you go."

Iris could already smell the sweet scent of freshly baked macarons. "Oh, my eldest twin son loves eating these!"

"Really?! Good!" The director beamed, his straight white teeth looking brighter than usual. "Just tell me what you like and I'll get it for you next time."

Iris chuckled. She liked the man's fighting spirit and seemingly endless optimism. There was no need to act like strangers with a genuine person like him, so she said, "Okay. I won't stand on ceremony, then. My husband and I are fine, but our children would be ecstatic to receive presents."

Jabar Wilkins laughed. "Then Uncle Jabar will buy presents for the kiddos from now on!"

Chapter 1565 Welcome, Partners!

Iris and Jin Liwei led Director Jabar Wilkins to a nearby sitting room. The atmosphere was more casual than Iris' meeting with Sheikha Amira earlier. The husband and wife also didn't rush down right to business but chatted with the American director for a while.

Finally, the director was the first to bring up the film project in their conversation.

"So I'm guessing that you've already made your final decision?" he asked, his eyes expectant.

Iris chuckled. "Yes, we would love to help fund your film project as investors."

"En." Jin Liwei nodded.

Director Jabar Wilkins froze for a couple seconds before standing up and laughing uproariously. "That's what I'm talking about! Welcome, partners!"

He shook hands with the husband and wife, making them laugh. After he calmed down, Iris explained the rough details about how they would invest.

"Since you can't find a production house for your film, we're thinking of allowing our entertainment company to produce it instead," Iris said. "LXC Studio might be relatively new, but we're confident that we can handle the production costs without any problem. Even if the company funds aren't enough, we're willing to dip into our personal money to keep the project going. We also want to use this chance to allow LXC Studio to jump fully into the international scene and become one of the major players. This is a risk we're willing to take. Also, my brother-in-law, Jin Chonglin, is interested in becoming an executive producer like me."

The director couldn't hide his excitement. In fact, he wasn't willing to hide it.

"Good! This is the best news that I've heard in months!"

The three discussed the project. There was palpable excitement in the air. The American director's laughter was so contagious that Iris and Jin Liwei couldn't help but laugh as well.

"We're leaving France tonight, but I'll send someone to represent us," Iris said. "You can go ahead and start gathering your team, Jabar. Oh, right. I almost forgot. We'll also send a lawyer to help you re-negotiate the book option. If they won't let you renew it anymore before the expiry date, then we'll just option it under our names. Whatever works, we'll do it."

Jabar Wilkins nodded. "Yes, yes! Let's do that. I'll start working on gathering people right away. Now that I've secured investors, there should be people interested in working with me again. We might not be able to cast any top actors and actresses for the main characters, but I'm not interested in them anyway. I'd rather find promising newbies to raise up. That'd be more interesting, don't you think?"

Iris' eyes lit up, indeed finding the idea interesting. "Do what you need to do, Jabar. I won't interfere with the casting at all. I just want you to choose people who can play the characters the best."

"That's a given," he said. "I've always been meticulous in all the films I make."

"But I still need to see the cast members during filming, so that I can tailor the soundtrack to the scenes better."

"You're an important investor so feel free to drop in anytime during the filming. I'm also looking forward to how you'll compose the film score."

The three still wanted to continue the discussions but time was tight.

"We apologize that we can't invite you to dinner tonight because we have a flight to catch, but we'll make it up to you next time," Iris said.

Jabar waved his hand in a "no worries" gesture. "I also plan to leave France in a few days and return to America to get to work in gathering a solid team for our film project. I'll contact you for updates, and of course, if I need more budget."

"Sure, Jabar."

Iris and Jin Liwei led the director back to the front hall where Dom was waiting with a box of assorted baked desserts made by the private chef. Iris took it and gave it to the director.

"This is for you. Thanks for the macarons you gave us earlier. I'm sure that my eldest twin son will love them."

"How about your other son?" he asked.

"My other son inherited a lot of his traits from his father," Iris said with a helpless smile. "They don't really have a sweet tooth."

"Ah, what a sad life to live." Jabar gave an exaggerated sigh.

Everyone laughed.

"Mama!" Little Mochi called out as his nanny carried him out.

"Ma!" Little Matcha followed suit in his nanny's arms.

"Oh, here are my sons," Iris said. "Let me introduce you."

The husband and wife took their sons from the nannies.

"Jabar, this is Haoyu. His nickname is Mochi. English name is Viktor. And this is Lingyu. Nickname is Mochi. English name is Yuri. We don't really call them by their English names yet, so they might not acknowledge you if you use their English names."

"Oh, how cute!" Jabar Wilkins squatted to the ground, making himself appear smaller. "You're Mochi, right? And Matcha?"

Little Mochi was a little scared of the big, dark man. He hugged his mommy's neck and peeked at the director from the corner of his eyes.

In contrast, Little Matcha wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"Uh," he said and nodded after hearing the stranger calling his name.

The little guy could already read the room. He had noticed that his parents were very friendly with the big, dark man just like how they treated his uncles back home. This meant that the stranger was no threat.

Little Matcha's treatment of the American director was completely different from how he treated the French magnate. He could sense when his parents were acting friendly or hostile to another person, and he would follow their example.

Although the American director looked intimidating, his big smile was extremely genuine and friendly. Little Matcha felt comfortable with him.

Seeing that his twin brother acknowledged the scary man, Little Mochi grew curious. He steeled himself and faced the stranger before offering a shy smile.

"Yah!" (Hi!) He waved his little hand.

Jabar Wilkins laughed. "Mochi and Matcha are good kids. Uncle Jabar will get you better gifts next time."

Then he slowly stood up, making sure not to startle the babies. "Thanks for today, Iris and Liam. You all have a safe trip. When the project is finally underway, drop by my place in America. I'll host you!"

"Thank you, Jabar. We won't stand in ceremony at that time, then." Iris smiled.

"En." Jin Liwei nodded.

Little Matcha: "Uh." (Bye.)

Little Mochi: "Yah yah!" (Bye-bye!)

Finally, the American director left with the beautifully packed box of assorted desserts.

Iris was in a good mood. Despite cutting their family trip short and leaving Paris ahead of schedule, today's back-to-back meetings had been fruitful. She was extremely satisfied with the results.

Jin Liwei kissed her forehead. He was glad that his wife's mood had improved.

By this time, the huge front doors opened. In came a sprightly old man.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Grandpa Lu's voice boomed in the front hall. "I want to know!"

The babies struggled against their parents' arms and insisted on being put down. Iris and Jin Liwei humoured them. The two babies toddled toward their great-grandfather.

"Ah, my dear Little Mochi and Little Matcha are still as cute as ever! Great-grandpa Lu missed you two so much! Did you miss your Great-Grandpa Lu as well? Tell me, I want to know!"

The babies were already used to their great-grandfather's booming voice, so they weren't startled one bit.

Little Mochi: "Yah yah!" (Miss you!)

Little Matcha: "Uh." (Yes.)

Grandpa Lu couldn't understand what the babies said, of course, but he believed that they said that they missed their great-grandpa the most. He was so pleased that he kissed the babies' cheeks again, tickling them with his mustache.

While Little Mochi and Little Matcha giggled, Jin Liwei checked with Dom and the staff about their departure itinerary. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"We'll have dinner at the plane," Jin Liwei said. "Make sure that you've packed everything because we have to leave in half an hour."

"Okay, sir boss," Dom said with a thumbs up. "I'll go call Sis Fei now."

Iris let her husband handle all the departure arrangements. She went to a corner and called Ashandra Knightson. Fortunately, her friend quickly picked up the call.

"Hi, Xiulan. I'm back here in the academy. Thank you and your husband for lending me your private jet."

"You're welcome, Ashandra," Iris said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing so much better now. I'm seeing my therapist again because what happened in Paris has been giving me nightmares."

"Do whatever it needs to get better, Ashandra. Stay there in the academy until we figure out why the curator, the docent, and the nurse were killed. I don't want you to risk your safety."

"I know. The headmaster and my mentors said the same thing. They're also helping launch a private investigation for me."

"Good."

Ashandra sighed. "Xiulan, at this rate, I won't be able to attend Orchidia Germany's launch."

"Why are you so worried about it?" Iris asked. "You already came to attend Liberté's launch which means so much to me. In addition, you gave me such a precious gift. I love the painting, Ashandra. I can't wait until we get it. My husband already has a place to hang it at Dragon Palace."

"I'm glad you love it. My representatives should be dealing with the silent auction results at this very moment. Once everything is done, they'll personally deliver the painting to your home."

"I can't wait." Iris caught her sons who toddled over to her. "Don't worry about attending Orchidia Germany's launch anymore. Your safety is more important."

"What about AJ and the others?" Ashandra asked. "Are they coming to Germany? I haven't spoken to them because they haven't returned to the academy yet."

Chapter 1566 Stolen Footage

"I've spoken to AJ," Iris said. "She's still busy doing errands for the headmaster but confirmed that she'll attend Orchidia Germany's launch. Amanpio has also confirmed that he's coming. I haven't heard yet from Theresa. I think that she's still in America for the convention."

"I see," Ashandra Knightson said. "Florence said that she won't be able to attend the launch in Germany, right?"

"That's right. She's still in India. But she did say before that she'll attend one launch in Asia. She's still not sure yet which one, though—the Philippines or Singapore. I hope that she can attend both, but she's too busy with her humanitarian work."

"I wish I could attend all," Ashandra sighed.

"Don't worry about it anymore, Ashandra n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

," Iris said before changing to a more light-hearted topic.

She didn't want her friend to dwell too much about what happened in Paris, so she refrained from talking about the murders. She still wanted to chat with Ashandra but her twins started getting too rowdy.

The nannies tried taking them, but they refused. Iris signalled to the nannies that it was fine.

Little Mochi hugged her leg and wouldn't let go.

Even Little Matcha, for some reason, was acting very clingy today. Although he wasn't hanging on her leg, he still grabbed her trousers and refused to let go.

"I'm sorry, Ashandra," Iris said. "I have to go. My sons are becoming too restless."

"Okay, Xiulan. Please kiss the twins for me. I already miss them so much."

"Here, talk to them." Iris put the call on loudspeaker and held it close to her sons. "Sweethearts, come say hello to your Auntie Asha."

"Hi, Mochi and Matcha! Auntie Asha misses you so much!"

The twins were extremely familiar with Ashandra's voice because their mother frequently spoke to her on the phone.

Little Mochi: "Asha yah!" (Auntie Asha, hello!)

Little Matcha: "Uh." (Hi.)

Ashandra's beautiful laughter sounded. "Don't be too naughty, boys. Take it easy on your mommy."

Little Mochi: "Yah yah yah!" (I'm a good boy!)

Little Matcha: "Uh." (Sure.)

Iris and Ashandra didn't know what the babies' babbles meant but just listening to them was enough to make the women smile. Finally, the phone call ended after another round of reluctant goodbyes.

Jin Liwei arrived. "Ready, love?"

"Yes." Iris nodded.

He tried taking Little Mochi but the little guy howled, refusing to let go of his mommy's leg. "Jin Haoyu!"

Iris sighed, feeling a little helpless. "I'll take him."

Jin Liwei gave a stern look at Little Mochi who hid his face behind his mother's leg. "Come, Jin Lingyu."

Little Matcha was extremely reluctant. He also wanted to go with his mother.

"Jin Lingyu, come to Dad," Jin Liwei said in a stern tone. "Your mom can't carry both you and your brother at the same time."

Little Matcha pouted but still obeyed. He let go of his mother's trousers and reached up to his father to carry him.

The husband and wife were both relieved. They each carried a baby in their arms.

"Oof." Iris adjusted Little Mochi in her arms.

Jin Liwei noticed. "The twins have gotten heavier. Next time, I'll carry both of them. Little Mochi has to learn that not everything will go his way. Let him cry. He'll get over it."

"I'm fine, darling. I want to carry our babies while I still can. They're growing up so fast. The day that they'll be too big for us to carry will come sooner than we think."

The two of them sighed at the thought.

Everyone gathered, ready to depart. Dom, Chen Fei, and Grandpa Lu. The nannies, Iris' entourage including her glam team, the family's large security team. And of course, Iris, Jin Liwei and twin sons.

Much later, the jumbo plane, LX Air, cruised in the night sky. Everyone had already eaten the prepared dinner in the plane.

Iris and Jin Liwei left the now sleeping babies to the nannies in the plane's bedroom.

This was a quick flight, only an hour or so. Only the babies fell asleep. The adults didn't bother taking a nap as they would be landing soon.

The husband and wife chose a comfortable spot to lounge together. It was quite private with a half-wall separating the cozy space from the rest of the area.

Jin Liwei was half-lying on the seat. Iris sat beside him, almost sitting on his lap but not quite. Her head and upper body rested on Jin Liwei's chest.

"What happened?" she asked. "You excused yourself during dinner and was gone for a while."

"Ah, I was going to talk to you about it, but I didn't want to worry you and ruin your good mood," Jin Liwei said. "So I originally planned on telling you about it tomorrow instead."

She straightened. "You must tell me now."

He sighed but still nodded. "En."

"What is it?"

Jin Liwei also straightened. He felt a little bad that they couldn't continue cuddling. "Ketchup and Bacon contacted me during dinner to share their latest findings."

She listened, gesturing for him to continue.

"Ketchup first detected some abnormalities in the art gallery's CCTV system. They had been tampered with. She tried hard but couldn't recover the missing footage. The person who deleted the footage made it so that it wouldn't be noticeable to most people. It was only because it was Ketchup that she discovered that the CCTV system had been tampered with in the first place. She asked for Bacon's help. But even with the two of them working together, they still couldn't recover the stolen footage.

"There's another thing. Bacon discovered it by directing the Shadow Winds agents who joined our security team. Someone apparently disguised as a cleaner at the gallery and destroyed a few of the registration forms to enter the special wing of the art exhibition. It's too suspicious to pass up as a coincidence. We believe that it's connected to the murders."

Iris had a deep frown.

Jin Liwei didn't want to stress his wife out, but he knew that she would want to know everything. So he had to continue with the dreadful topic.

"Ketchup also checked the CCTV systems at the hospital and the streets surrounding it. Same thing. They were all tampered with. But this time, the person who did it didn't bother to conceal that it was tampered with in the first place. The footage was directly stolen, leaving a gaping hole in the day's recording."

Iris finally spoke. "Ketchup and Bacon also failed to recover the footage from the hospital?"

"En."

She took a few deep breaths. "If even our cat AI children can't do anything about it, this tells me that a world-class hacker is involved."

"Does this mean that a criminal organization is involved?" Jin Liwei asked.

She shook her head. "Not all world-class hackers are involved in organized crimes. A lot of them are rogues. I consider myself as one, too, even though I was a Vetrov. I never used my hacking skills to aid the Vetrovs in the past. Maybe that was why my mother back then always criticized me."

He pulled her into a tight, comforting embrace. Fortunately, his wife didn't dwell on her painful past as a Vetrov this time. She was more focused on Ketchup and Bacon's new discovery that the CCTV systems at the gallery and hospital had been tampered with, and that their AI cat children failed to recover the stolen footage.

"I want to try recovering the lost footage myself," she said. "I'm curious why Ketchup and Bacon couldn't recover the footage themselves."

"But you're already too busy, love. Do you have time?"

She sighed. "That's the problem. I'm pressed for time. If the other side is really a world-class hacker, then I'll need all my wits with me. I can't be distracted."

"You know what?" Jin Liwei said. "Don't worry about this incident for now. Focus on your business affairs first. You've been working so hard to get to this point. I don't want you to regret anything. I know that you're worried about Ashandra, but she's not your average person either. She has Cross Academy behind her. If the academy can't handle it, then you can always help them out later as Drakon."

She didn't reply right away. Indeed, she was worried about her friend's safety.

The more Ketchup and Bacon discovered about the murders of the curator, docent, and the nurse, the more concerning the developments were becoming. If she could help, then she would gladly do so.

However, her husband was also right. She might be a world-class hacker, but she was only one person. Not only was she busy with her business affairs and the preparations for her upcoming showbiz comeback, but she also needed to prioritize her family, especially her babies who were still too young to spend away from their parents.

Sighing, she made a decision with great reluctance.

"Fine, I'll put Ashandra's matter on the back burner. For now. Also, tell Ketchup and Bacon to withdraw from their own investigations. Until we know for sure the extent of the other hacker's skills and abilities, I don't want Ketchup and Bacon to risk exposing their existence. I have to be the one to personally test the waters when I have the time and 100% focus on the matter."

"En, that's for the best." Jin Liwei was relieved that his wife decided to back down this time.

If this were before, he was certain that Iris wouldn't listen to him and would definitely conduct her own investigations to the detriment of her health.

She wouldn't abandon her business affairs and celebrity work, so she could only forego sleep and rest to do everything at the same time. She already had a history of neglecting her health before and locking herself inside her computer room whenever something piqued her interest as a hacker.

Chapter 1567 Always Choose the Family

Jin Liwei was thankful every single day that his wife felt settled with their family now, and that she always had to think twice before doing something tireless that might risk her health.

"Don't worry, love," he said. "If you're still too worried about Ashandra, I'll hire others to help with the investigations instead. My connections might not be as effective as you or Bacon, but they're better than nothing. I also know that you prefer not to let Nikolai make a move to prevent his group from being exposed, so I won't bother him either."

Iris still looked reluctant. She was really curious about why Ketchup and Bacon failed to recover the stolen footage. This alone was enough to ignite her competitive spirit.

It reminded her of her past life as Evelina Vetrova. Whenever she encountered a situation where an excellent hacker might have a hand, she would always want to check the other party out as Fantom. She had interfered in a lot of cyber operations in her past life and became a thorn in other hackers' eyes, but she enjoyed every single minute of it.

Now that she couldn't do any of that, she felt extremely reluctant. In the end, however, she still chose to restrain her impulses this time. She now had a beautiful family. Her babies were still very young.

If the choice were between testing an excellent hacker and prioritizing her current family, she would always, always, ALWAYS choose her family. There wasn't even a need to question it.

With a sigh, Iris said, "Okay. I'll leave it to you."

Jin Liwei also released a mental sigh of relief. Although he knew that his wife would always prioritize their family from now on, there were times that he still felt insecure.

His genius wife was just too incredible a human being that he felt afraid she would disappear someday. Now that they were married and had children, he was able to control his possessive streak a lot better than before.

However, there were still times when he had the urge to tie his wife to himself so that she would never be able to leave him. He knew that she would never tolerate this kind of mad possessiveness from him, so he would always have to restrain himself.

Back to the present, the pilot made an announcement that they would be starting their descent very soon.

The husband and wife stopped their conversation and went to the main bedroom to check on their sons. The twins were still sleeping.

"Go back to your seats," Iris told the nannies. "We'll be landing soon."

"Yes, Madam."

Iris and Jin Liwei each took a baby before returning to their seats and strapping on their seatbelts.

As usual, Little Matcha remained fast asleep, not even stirring a little in his mommy's arms.

Little Mochi, on the other hand, started howling as soon as his daddy carried him. It took a lot of coaxing from both Iris and Jin Liwei before they could persuade the fussy baby to calm down.

Much later, LX Air finally landed in Munich, Germany.

A long line of private vehicles waited to pick them up. After everything was settled with customs and immigration, they all drove to a five-star hotel.

The hour was late, so most of the staff headed straight to their assigned bedrooms to settle for the night.

"Good night, kids!" Grandpa Lu said, waving at everyone. "This old man's bones aren't as young as they used to be. I'm going to sleep now, and you all should, too!"

"Good night, Grandpa Lu."

"Good night, Grandfather."

"Good night, Grandpa Boss!"

The others also wished the old man good night and to sleep tight.

The family's security team, however, immediately divided into smaller teams to secure the entire hotel and its perimeter. Iris and her family didn't enter the Presidential suite until their security gave them the green light.

Dom and the nannies would be staying in the same suite in their own bedrooms while Iris, Jin Liwei, and their twins would sleep in the suite's main bedroom.

The hotel staff had already set up a crib bed beside the main bed. It was smaller than what the babies were used to but it would do for now.

"Go to sleep now," Iris told Dom and the nannies.

Dom: "Okay, Boss! Good night!"

He also gave the twins a flying kiss each. They didn't notice it because they were already asleep, but Dom didn't mind. It was the thought that counted, not the actual kiss.

The nannies followed him out.

Jin Liwei stepped inside after taking a call from the balcony.

"Mom's coming?" Iris asked.

"En. She's about to take a jet with Alric Bauer. They'll be here by tomorrow."

Iris nodded. "Good. Alric should be looking forward to returning to his homeland and seeing his sister again after so long. As for Mom, I don't think we should tell her about what happened in Paris. She adores Ashandra and she might be too worried to enjoy Orchidia's launch here in Germany. I want Mom to enjoy the trip and not worry about anything else."

"En."

Iris took a shower first. Jin Liwei wanted to join in but remembered the hellish temperature his wife preferred, so he decided to shower after her instead.

Besides, all of them were exhausted. He wanted his wife to rest up, so he didn't bother her in bed tonight. He just cuddled her close to him and slept in peace.

###

The next morning, everyone except for Grandpa Lu went downstairs to the hotel buffet to eat breakfast together.

Alona Bauer also came to meet up first thing in the morning. The German woman appeared more sophisticated now than when Iris had met her for the first time.

"Xiulan!!!" The blonde immediately hugged Iris, squeezing her from side to side. "I missed you so much!"

Iris chuckled. "Alona, it's good to see you again."

Next, the German woman greeted Jin Liwei and the others. Then her eyes fell on the twins sitting on hotel-provided high chairs.

"Oh, my goodness! Are these Mochi and Matcha?! How come they're so big already?!"

Iris introduced Alona Bauer to her sons. "Mochi, Matcha. This is Auntie Alona. She's your Uncle Alric's sister."

The twins weren't familiar with the cheery blonde auntie in front of them.

Little Mochi was curious and smiled back. "Yah!" (Hello!)

Little Mochi, however, wasn't interested at all. The baby ignored the new person and focused on nibbling on a slice of soft bread dipped in milk. He even called for his daddy's attention to help him wipe his mouth and chin.

Alona laughed, finding the babies too adorable that she could die. "My brother is right. Your twins have completely different personalities from each other. How fun!"

"Sit down and eat with us, Alona," Iris said and gestured at the empty seat opposite hers.

The two women chatted with each other while eating.

"I can't wait to show you our Orchidia office here in Munich," Alona said. "It's already making waves here in Germany even before the launch. It's because many of our customers at the market back then knew that Orchidia would sell my brother's products. They can't wait for Orchidia's launch, knowing that most of the products had been developed by my brother."

"You have a lot of customers back then?" Iris asked. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"A lot by a street vendor's standards," Alona said with a chuckle. "Our old customers worked hard in spreading Orchidia's upcoming launch here in Munich to their friends and acquaintances. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. You'd expect that we, Germans, don't bother to gossip like that, but all aunties are the same everywhere."

They laughed.

Alona continued, "Our old customers have always remembered my brother's products and how effective they were. They told me that they had been so disappointed when my brother and I stopped coming to the market to sell homemade skincare products. Now that I told them that we'll be launching the improved versions of my brother's products soon, they couldn't wait to try them out. They also showed their loyalty by helping us out with the advertising through word of mouth. I saved the company a lot of marketing budget!"

"Excellent job, Alona," Iris said with a smile. "Alric will be coming with my mother-in-law later today. Do you want to come with us when we go pick them up at the airport?"

"Of course!"

The two women chatted again. Dom interjected now and then in English. But for the most part, only Iris and Alona chatted in German. Grandpa Lu could also speak German but the old man had been too tired from last night, so he didn't join everyone for breakfast this morning.

"The launch isn't until the weekend," Alona said. "So you should all relax and have fun. I also want to spend time with my brother when he arrives."

"I want to see the office first tomorrow," Iris said. "Just give me a quick tour. No need for anything too fancy. I just want to have a good understanding of Orchidia's actual situation here in Germany so far."

"Okay, no problem. My staff are also all so excited to meet you. I hired from all over Europe because we're going to serve most of the continent right here in Munich."

"Good. I'm looking forward to it."

They ate desserts while continuing to chat.

"After visiting the office tomorrow morning, I'm planning on taking out my mother-in-law to go shopping," Iris said. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Can I?"

"Of course."

"Then yes!" Alona wasn't the least bit shy. She already considered Iris and her family like her own.

Just like that, a shopping appointment was made.

Chapter 1568 Wonderful Genius Wife Who Changed His Life

Later, Iris and the others picked up her mother-in-law, Huang Yuyan, and Alric Bauer from the airport. Then all of them, except Grandpa Lu, headed to a restaurant and ate lunch together.

Huang Yuyan missed her grandsons very much. She insisted on having the twins sit on either side of her.

"Mom, Little Mochi is a messy eater," Iris said. "He'll get your dress dirty."

"I don't mind." Huang Yuyan waved a dismissive hand before smiling at her adorable twin grandsons. "Chonglin was also an extremely messy child. He even ate his own poop when we weren't looking. His nanny almost had a heart attack when she found out. Little Mochi must have inherited his uncle's messiness."

"Pft!" Chen Fei choked and started coughing.

"Sis Fei! Hahaha! Are you okay? Hahahaha!" Dom patted Chen Fei's back but was also laughing at Jin Chonglin's expense.

The others thought that Chen Fei might be upset about her future mother-in-law sharing such an embarrassing story about Jin Chonglin in front of people, but contrary to their expectations, Chen Fei doubled over and laughed along with Dom.

Chen Fei: "Ahahahaha! Chonglin really ate his own poop? Auntie Yuyan, is that true?! Hahahaha!"

Huang Yuyan giggled like a little girl. "Yes, he did. And Xiao Fei, my dear, please call me Mom. Once you and my son marry, you'll be an official part of our family. It's not too early to practice calling me mom."

Chen Fei's cheeks turned crimson. "Okay, Mom."

Huang Yuyan smiled even more, looking so much younger than her actual age. "I'll show you photos of Chonglin as a baby after we return home."

Chen Fei's eyes lit up. "I want to see Chonglin's baby pictures!"

"Okay, Mom will show you."

Iris smiled and glanced at her own husband. She remembered when her mother-in-law also showed her photos of Jin Liwei back then. She enjoyed the experience. In fact, she even asked her mother-in-law for some of her husband's baby albums to store in Dragon Palace Home #10. One day, when their sons were old enough, she would show them what their dad looked like when he was a baby.

She also had baby albums of the original Long Xiulan.

Even though Wei Lan was far from a perfect mother, the woman still had a lot of the original young Long Xiulan's photos taken.

This was because Wei Lan had already planned to push her daughter into show business at such a young age. As a baby, the original Long Xiulan had already become a commercial model for baby products. This continued throughout the original Long Xiulan's entire childhood until she became a teenage pop singer and began to rebel against her own mother's control.

Wei Lan probably figured that childhood photos were important in becoming a celebrity.

First, to prove that her daughter's beauty was all natural—not due to cosmetic surgery and entirely inherited from her own gorgeous mother, Wei Lan.

Second, childhood photos were one way to endear the original Long Xiulan to the fans.

Third, Wei Lan probably wanted to portray herself as a wonderful, caring mother to the public eye. Even though the nannies and household staff were the ones who took almost all the childhood photos of the original Long Xiulan, Wei Lan could always claim that she did all of that.

Unfortunately, due to the original Long Xiulan's unpleasant personality, people still loved to hate her and made up various rumours—each more horrible than the last.

Back to the present, Iris couldn't help but sigh in sympathy for the original Long Xiulan. Due to the parents' emotional neglect, the original Long Xiulan's personality became twisted, offending so many people, and eventually leading to her own demise.

Iris glanced at her own sons. Although everybody kept saying that Little Mochi resembled her Uncle Lin Lin, Iris believed that her son inherited most of the original Long Xiulan's personality.

'I'll raise my children well,' she vowed to herself. 'I'll give them all the love and care that they deserve and more. What the original Long Xiulan experienced, and what I as Evelina Vetrova experienced in my past life, I would never allow my own children to experience.'

Sitting beside her, Jin Liwei keenly noticed his wife's melancholic mood. He wasn't sure what happened but his hand moved on instinct. He grabbed his wife's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, providing her warmth and comfort.

She glanced at him with a grateful smile. The husband and wife had a momentary two-person world while the others around them were all laughing at the discovery that Jin Chonglin, a superstar, had once eaten his own poop as a child.

Chen Fei wiped the tears from her eyes due to too much laughing. "Thanks, Mom. Now I have more ammunition against Chonglin if he dares to upset me again. I'll tell him that I know that he ate his own poop! Hahahaha!"

Huang Yuyan continued giggling like a little girl, not at all sorry for revealing her own son's deepest and darkest childhood secret. "Chonglin only became neater after he entered showbiz. And that's mostly because of Manager Lin Dong who helped manage his personal life as well as managing his showbiz career. Now Chonglin's millions of fans believe that their Prince Lin Lin is the coolest prince charming in the world. I don't think they'll ever believe that he once ate his own poop as a child."

"Pft! Hahahaha! I can't stop laughing. Mom, you must spill more of Chonglin's embarrassing antics as a child."

"Okay, Xiao Fei."

Dom's eyes were also shining in anticipation. He didn't interrupt the future mother-in-law and daughter-in-law's conversation, but his gossip radar didn't allow him to not listen. This was juicy content!

He shoved more bread in his mouth while listening in rapt attention, once again proving his reputation in the family as a food vacuum.

"By the way, Liwei, where's your grandfather?" Huang Yuyan asked her son after a while.

"In the hotel," Jin Liwei said.

Huang Yuyan waited for her son to elaborate, but as usual, Jin Liwei remained taciturn. She shook her head, sighing, and turned to her daughter-in-law instead.

Iris didn't disappoint and provided more details. "Grandpa Lu still feel

s too tired, so he's resting in his room. We don't force him to go out with us because we want him to relax. The majority of the time when we were in Paris, Grandpa Lu met with a lot of his friends instead of spending time with us. I think he also plans to meet with some of his friends here in Germany. He hasn't been able to take a long vacation ever since the two sets of Jin and Lu twins were born."

Huang Yuyan nodded. "You're right, my dear. Your Grandpa Lu is also getting old now. It's already a wonder that he's still so energetic despite being older than your Grandma Li. Speaking of your Grandma Li, she also wanted to come with me here in Germany to support your Orchidia launch in Europe, but you know that her health has not been the best in recent years. She's getting older now and can't handle too much stress."

"I know, Mom. I already spoke to her on the phone to assure her that it's fine if she can't come. Her health is more important. Rest up for today, Mom. Tomorrow, let's go shopping. We'll buy more souvenirs for Grandma Li."

Huang Yuyan's eyes lit up. "Excellent idea! Oh, it has been a long time since I went shopping here in Munich. I hope we can also go to Berlin. There are a lot of fashionable boutiques there. I plan to buy a lot of new clothes for our Little Mochi and Little Matcha. I'm sure that they'll look more adorable! But it's okay, Xiulan my dear. I know that you're busy. There are still a lot of nice shops here in Munich. Can I also come with you to the Philippines and Singapore for your next Orchidia launches? I have never been to the Philippines before. I also missed shopping in Singapore."

"Sure, Mom," Iris said. "But I have to drop by Cross Academy first to check in with the headmaster after the launch. After I return here to Germany, we'll fly directly to the Philippines."

"Okay, my dear. Just do what you need to do. Don't worry about Mom." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jin Liwei watched as his wife and mother chatted. He could feel that the two women genuinely treated each other like family. This made him happy and thankful. He also noticed that he had become closer to his family after marrying his wife. His wife had become an undeniable glue bringing all of them closer together.

"Dada!" Little Mochi's call interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm?" Jin Liwei glanced at his son and saw that Little Mochi once again wanted him to wipe his mouth and little hands.

He did, carefully wiping his son's dirty mouth, face, and hands. He knew the feeling because his son inherited this obsession for cleanliness from him.

It was also only after he married his wife that his obsession for cleanliness found an exception—namely, his wife. He didn't mind it when his wife made a mess. The good thing was that she wasn't a messy person to begin with. But whenever she made a mess, he didn't feel disgusted. On the contrary, he even sought to make her messier especially when they were in bed.

In extension, he also didn't mind that his other son, Little Mochi, was a messy baby. Sure, he would scold and discipline the baby for the child's own sake, but Little Mochi's mess didn't really bother him all that much.

This was all due to his wife.

His wonderful genius wife who had changed his life.

Chapter 1569 Visiting Orchidia Germany (Part I)

At the other end of the table, Alona Bauer sat with his brother, Alric Bauer. The siblings hadn't seen each other for a long time. Although Alona would sometimes fly to China to celebrate some special occasions with Iris and her family, she wasn't able to stay for too long before flying back to Germany again to continue setting up Orchidia's first European base there.

Similarly, Alric was extremely busy developing new products and improving Orchidia's current product formulations. As a result, the Bauer siblings hadn't spent that much time together.

"How does it feel to be back home?" Alona asked his brother.

Alric shrugged. "Good."

She chuckled. "Many of our old customers have been asking me when my 'mad scientist' brother will return. I told them that if they attend and support Orchidia Germany's launch, they'll be able to see you again."

He nodded. "Orchidia is no longer just a beauty and skincare company. We also offer other products under the company's different brands. Don't just focus on advertising the products that I developed. Make sure that the customers also know the company's different brands such as Orchidia Mommy and Orchidia Baby."

"Of course! I'm not such a selfish person. I'm the one in charge of Orchidia Germany, so I sure as hell will make sure that it succeeds."

He nodded again. "Make sure to always remember where we came from, how we got here, and especially who's the one who allowed us to have our successful careers in the first place."

"You don't have to tell me that. I'm always grateful to Xiulan and Orchidia. Don't worry, Alric. You know me. I'm not the type of person to betray people's trust."

"Just making sure. Orchidia is growing at a fast rate. There's a lot of room for error. I can't help much in running the company, so I'm doing my best to develop the best products that I can. Xiulan is excellent but she's only one person. I hope that you can be as dependable as CFO Long Jinjing and COO Chen Fei when it comes to helping Xiulan run the company. Also, don't forget that I own shares in the company. As long as Orchidia succeeds, we'll also succeed."

"Wow, Alric. You've become much more talkative. I'm so proud of you!"

He gave his sister a cold stare. "I'm serious."

Alona laughed but still stopped teasing his brother. "Okay, I get it. Don't worry. I won't mess it up. I'll make sure that Orchidia Germany succeeds under my watch."

It was only after she said this that Alric looked satisfied. He continued eating and returned to his previous taciturn self, only nodding now and then at his sister's chattiness.

Unbeknownst to them, Iris heard their entire conversation due to her excellent hearing despite sitting at the other end of the table. She smiled in satisfaction. The Bauer siblings had been one of the best investments she made for Orchidia. There was no doubt about it.

Alric was the type of person who would do his utmost best as long as he had the right environment to continue with his experiments. This was why she always advised Long Jinjing to grant Alric more budget. As long as the man was happy, he would do his best to create more amazing products for the company.

After lunch, everyone returned to their hotel.

Huang Yuyan felt a little too excited and wanted to drag Iris to go shopping immediately.

Iris didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Mom, please rest first. We can go shopping tomorrow."

Her mother-in-law looked like she was about to continue persuading Iris.

Jin Liwei stepped forward. "Mom, go rest. If you get sick because you didn't rest, you won't be able to go shopping much less attend your daughter-in-law's company launch in a few days."

Huang Yuyan pouted like a little girl but still obeyed her son but not before muttering under her breath, "You're just like your dad. So rigid." Then she smiled at her daughter-in-law, "Xiulan, my dear, let's go to the hotel spa after shopping tomorrow. Half a day flying in a plane has dried out my skin so badly!"

"Okay, Mom. I'll make a reservation at the hotel spa for tomorrow."

Her mother-in-law smiled at Iris before hugging the twins.

Finally, Jin Liwei released a sigh of relief after his mother left. Iris was amused at his actions.

"Mom is just as lively as Brother Chonglin," she said. "Don't be too strict on her. It's good that she looks and acts younger than her age. Keeps her young."

He shook his head but there was a smile on his face. He knew his own mother. Huang Yuyan was a wonderful mother, but she could be quite selfish sometimes. Despite this, he was still thankful that his mother wasn't as bad as Wei Lan.

Perhaps Huang Yuyan's biggest fault was insisting on the engagement between Jin Chonglin and Fan Luo back then. That had been a huge disaster.

Fortunately, Huang Yuyan had already learned from her mistake and didn't interfere with Jin Chonglin's relationships anymore.

"Mama." Little Mochi hugged Iris' leg, interrupting them.

"Ma." Little Matcha hugged her other leg.

"Hm? What's wrong, my sweethearts?" Iris couldn't carry the two of them anymore at the same time so she just rubbed their fluffy heads.

"They're acting fussy," Jin Liwei said. "Time for a nap."

This time, Little Mochi didn't throw a tantrum when his daddy carried him. He rested her head on his daddy's wide shoulder, looking drowsy but still wanting to be coaxed.

Iris carried their other son.

Little Matcha looked pleased that his mommy was the one carrying him. Unlike his brother, he fell asleep as soon as he rested his head on his mommy's shoulder.

Iris placed Little Matcha on the crib bed before helping her husband coax their other son to sleep. Soon, Little Mochi also fell asleep as well.

"They're growing so fast," Iris couldn't help but comment as she looked at their twins with a loving gaze.

"En."

"I don't want them to grow too fast, Liwei."

He pulled her into a hug. "We can't do anything about that, love. What we can do is to do our best to be present as much as we can."

She sighed. "I know. I'm just panicking a little. It feels like yesterday when I gave birth to our sons. Now I can't even carry them both at the same time."

He could only hug her more tightly and kiss her forehead to comfort her. He understood what his wife was feeling because he also felt it. However, unlike her, he didn't want their kids to remain small forever. Well, sometimes he did.

More often than not, he even wished for their twins to grow up faster so that he could enjoy an uninterrupted two-person world with his beloved wife again.

Was that too much to wish for?

Iris didn't know that her husband was praying for a completely different wish from her. She sighed once again, lamenting at how fast time flew by.

At the same time, she also marvelled at how amazing it felt to watch Little Mochi and Little Matcha grow up and develop their own distinct personalities.

She bent down and kissed each of her son's cheeks. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Good thing that Little Mochi didn't wake up. The fussy baby continued sleeping, even smiling as if he knew that his mommy just kissed him.

###

Early the next morning, Iris, Dom, Chen Fei and Alric Bauer followed Alona Buaer to Orchidia Germany's office.

They stood outside the building. It looked like every other office building in the area, but to Iris, it looked the best.

She touched the large, concrete Orchidia logo in front of the gate.

It was sleek and simple, yet elegant at the same time.

Perfect.

"Boss! Stand in front of the logo. I'll take a picture of you!" Dom waved his phone.

Iris had no reason to say no. She posed in front of the large Orchidia logo. After a few shots, Chen Fei and the Bauer siblings also joined.

Then Dom asked a bodyguard disguised as a passerby to take photos of all of them.

After their short photoshoot, Alona led everyone inside the building. The interior had a completely different atmosphere compared to the Orchidia headquarters office.

This German base had a more minimalist style.

Iris looked around. Although she wouldn't have chosen an interior design like this, for some reason, it fit the place perfectly.

They were welcomed by the other employees. Alona introduced all the key people to her.

The employees consisted of a wide range of nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. They came from all over Europe, proving Alona's claim that she hired from all over the continent.

"Everyone, thank you for the warm welcome," Iris said. "Please don't feel pressured about my presence here today. Continue doing what you need to do. I know that time is tight, but I hope that we can make our upcoming launch a success. I have high expectations for Orchidia Germany, and I hope that you can all help me achieve my goals for the company. If you do, I'll make sure to give everyone a nice bonus."

All the employees cheered.

"We'll work hard, Chairman!"

"Bonus, here we come!"

"How come our chairwoman is so beautiful? How come? How come?!!!"

Iris heard a lot of the employees' little conversations with her excellent hearing. It was like walking in a United Nations forum. She could hear different languages being spoken at the same time. This made her feel excited as a polyglot.

Then Orchidia Germany's employees learned that their Chairwoman could speak all their languages. Some even wanted to test her by speaking their original native tongue from their original countries before immigrating, but to their surprise, Iris could still perfectly converse with them.

Chapter 1570 Visiting Orchidia Germany (Part II)

Iris Long continued to chat with everyone, mostly about their work in the company. Although this was the first time the staff met her, it felt like she had been working alongside them all this time. She had no trouble at all in understanding technical terms. There were times when her comprehension was even better than theirs, benefitting them instead.

It was clear that she was kept updated about the progress of the company despite her not being actually present in person in Germany. She lived in another country and still had an excellent grasp of the company's entire situation.

Everyone's eyes couldn't help but land on their founder and chairwoman, Iris Long. They had heard that she was a celebrity back in China and married to a billionaire so their expectations of her were quite low. A few even admitted being somewhat disdainful of her identity as a billionaire's wife, thinking of her as just a figurehead in the business.

Seeing her in person today, however, dashed all of their preconceived notions about her, most of which were negative.

The majority of the staff came from all over Europe and hadn't been familiar with this new company, Orchidia. However, they still tried their luck and applied for the job postings because of the tempting above-average salary and excellent benefits.

Those who received job offers after the rigorous interview sessions decided to move directly to Germany after confirming that the company was legitimate. They figured that if it was a scam, the company wouldn't spend so much time, effort, and money to relocate them and even make their stay in Germany comfortable.

Included in their job benefits was an option for them to move their families after a three-month probation period. This alone was enough to completely entice them to accept the job offer without any reservations.

Once hired, they were immediately put to work preparing for the company's grand launch. The company placed great importance on the launch because they wouldn't only serve German customers but customers across Europe as well.

The scale was akin to a large multinational company, exciting the newly hired employees, most of whom were new graduates. Of course, there were a few who were poached from other companies, but it seemed that Orchidia focused on hiring newbies instead of experienced corporate workers. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Once they started working in the company, they finally understood why.

Orchidia prioritized innovation and forward thinking rather than traditional corporate values.

New ideas were encouraged.

Credit stealing was discouraged.

The rewards for contribution were excellent. On the other hand, the punishments were grave.

Since the new company was still new, everyone was having a blast following the company policies. Everything was exciting. It was like the perfect company of their dreams especially for the new graduates fresh out of university. As a result, they quickly built loyalty and pride in the company despite it not actually launching yet.

Meeting their chairwoman today also gave them much more reassurance that the company would succeed.

It wasn't just her beauty, wealth, multilingual skills, or surprising grasp of company matters that impressed them. It was also her undeniable aura as a leader.

She was feminine all throughout and yet still exuded an intimidating aura. Not intimidating in a scary way. More like intimidating in an impressive way.

Iris continued to chat with the Orchidia employees, focusing on having in-depth conversations with executive-level staff. She wanted to gauge their personalities by engaging them in discussions.

It was a trick that Grandpa Lu had taught her long ago and something that she frequently employed when determining if a candidate was the right fit for a job position in her businesses. So far, she was satisfied with Alona Bauer's hiring decisions.

She glanced at Chen Fei who was also focused on listening to the other employees. Iris knew that for Chen Fei, this was an invaluable learning experience to improve her leadership skills.

As for Dom, he stayed right beside Iris as a loyal and reliable assistant. He had a tablet that he used to take notes.

"This is my assistant and right-hand man, Dominic Chua," Iris would always introduce him when talking with another person.

Those astute enough immediately understood that this was her signal to them that they should treat Dom like they would treat her, especially whenever he had to execute an order of hers.

Iris glanced at her wristwatch and signalled Alona Bauer to call for everyone's attention. Then Alona handed the "stage" to Iris.

"Not all of us are Germans but since we are here in Germany, we must follow the local customs and prioritize punctuality and valuing time," Iris said, smiling, but her tone was firm. "On behalf of Orchidia headquarters COO Chen Fei, my assistant Dominic Chua, and of course, myself, thank you very much for welcoming us here today. As promised, we won't take too much of your time. I must say that I am pleased with what I've observed today.

"I hope that you continue to hold this kind of enthusiasm and motivation to work for Orchidia. This isn't just my company anymore. This is our company! As the founder, owner, and chairman, I promise to all of you that as long as you contribute to Orchidia's success, I will not shortchange you with generous rewards. Please join me in making Orchidia a success, not only here in Germany and Europe, but all around the globe as well!"

Everyone felt passion burn inside them while listening to her speech. They cheered, feeling like they shared the same goal—to make Orchidia a global success.

"We'll do our best, Chairwoman!"

"Orchidia is the best company ever!"

"Chairwoman Iris Long is the best!"

Iris smiled, pleased to see that her words had successfully motivated everyone. This was her goal in coming here today.

Checking on the company's progress in person was only secondary. She needed to make sure that the employees felt passionate enough about the company to encourage continuous innovation. This was crucial in allowing Orchidia to compete in a cutthroat corporate industry, especially in Germany where so many multinational companies had already long established themselves, their status remaining unshaken for decades, some even for centuries.

If Orchidia didn't take any bold risks right from the start, it would just fall behind even before it had a chance to establish a firm foundation.

Just being a member of Cross Academy's exclusive business network wasn't a guarantee of success. Orchidia, as a member, still needed to put in the work.

For an ambitious businesswoman like Iris, she would never depend on pure connections alone for the success of any of her businesses. If she were stupid enough to do so, then she didn't deserve to be a Cross Academy student and Lu Jianhong's disciple.

Back to the present, Alona Bauer walked with Iris, Dom, and Chen Fei out of Orchidia Germany.

"I still have a lot to learn from you, Xiulan," Alona said when they were out of earshot from the staff. "I don't think I could've motivated them as effectively as you did with just a few words. You're really something else. As expected of a Cross Academy student."

"I don't think being a Cross Academy student has to do with it," Iris said. "Anyone can motivate others. Maybe I just feel the most passionate about Orchidia than anybody else because it's my first business baby."

"It's my first business baby, too," Chen Fei chimed in. "I'm sure that Jinjing feels the same way."

"You're right." Iris didn't contradict her.

Dom didn't want to be left out. "Mine, too!"

"I'll need to work harder, then," Alona said. "My brother has stakes in the company. He already told me to do better than this. Even if not for you, I'll have to work harder or my brother will nag me to no end."

Everyone laughed.

"I gave myself a day off today to join you shopping and also to spend more time with my brother," Alona said.

Iris glanced at her wristwatch again. "Let's go back to the hotel, then. We'll pick up my mother-in-law and go shopping immediately."

"Will your husband come with us?" Chen Fei asked.

"No, he won't," Iris replied.

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow. Dom also had wide, disbelieving eyes. Alona had the most normal reaction.

Iris chuckled. "Liwei originally wanted to come with us but my mother-in-law banned him, saying that he should just stay at the hotel with the twins. Today is a girls' day. No boys are allowed."

Chen Fei: "Good!"

Dom tossed his non-existent long hair and fluttered his eyelashes. "Girls just wanna have fun."

Alona laughed. "It has been a long time since I had a fun day out with any friends. I'm looking forward to our shopping trip."

Chen Fei: "Me, too. I want to buy a lot of souvenirs."

Dom: "I'll take a lot of photos of us enjoying ourselves today and make Clover and Meimei jealous."

Alona: "How about Jinjing?"

Dom sighed. "Sis Jing doesn't really get jealous about things like this. She'll just tell us to have fun."

Chen Fei: "That's so damn true."

Iris: "I can't wait to buy a lot of souvenirs for all the kids."

Of course, when she said "kids", she meant all the children (her sons and their cousins) including the cats and dogs.

Everyone agreed with her. For some reason, shopping for the kids excited them more than buying things for themselves. The products in the kids section were just too adorable.

They all returned to the hotel to pick up Huang Yuyan.

Jin Liwei left the twins to the nannies while he walked his wife, his mother, and the others to the hotel driveway where a vehicle was already waiting.

He looked like a puppy being abandoned