1581 Mommy is Here
After speaking with the doctor, Jin Liwei and Iris' expressions became grave.
It seemed that Jin Liwei's eyes had lost all hope. Iris hugged his waist, trying to comfort her husband. He didn't reject her. His arms wrapped around her, and he hugged her tightly.
"The doctor says that Grandma Li still needs to undergo many tests," Iris whispered. "Maybe the prognosis will change and turn for the better."
"En." Although he made a sound of agreement, the tone wasn't optimistic.
Before leaving, the doctor told them that Grandma Li's condition appeared to be quickly deteriorating despite finally regaining consciousness. Of course, more tests were needed to ascertain her exact condition.
"Are you going to tell Mom and the others?" Iris asked.
Jin Liwei shook his head. "Let's wait until the test results come out."
She nodded while looking at the patient's room. "I don't think we'll be able to come home tonight after all. I don't like breaking promises to our children."
"I need to stay here, love. Grandpa Lu's old. My mother and brother aren't that reliable."
"I know."
"But you should go home tonight. The kids will be happy to see you even if I'm not there."
She looked at him, observing his face. His eyes were bloodshot. There were dark circles around his eyes. His skin tone looked dull. He hadn't shaved in the past two days.
Truth be told, if he weren't her husband, he wouldn't be able to physically attract her with the way he looked right now. But who told her to love this man?
Even when he looked exhausted and unkempt, she still felt the stirrings of attraction. Sighing, she rested her head on his chest.
She could hear the rhythmic beating of his heart. He looked quite pitiful. If possible, she wanted to stay with him at all times, but their children needed her.
In the end, she could only harden her resolve to be with their children instead of her husband. "I'll go home tonight."
"En." He kissed her forehead.
She looked at him. Her expression was full of warning. "You better take care of yourself or I'll have my big brother drag you home whether you like it or not."
At this moment, Lu Zihao entered the suite again. He managed to hear the last part of what she said.
"I'll take you home," he announced.
Jin Liwei looked relieved. "Thanks."
"I'm not doing it for you but for my sister's safety."
"I know. But still, thanks."
Lu Zihao snorted. Then his eyes automatically landed on Grandpa Lu who was still in the patient's room with Huang Yuyan and Jin Chonglin. "While I'm gone, have someone watch over the old man. Make sure he eats regular meals and gets enough sleep."
"En, don't worry. I'll personally check on Grandpa Lu if needed."
"Hm." Lu Zihao looked at his sister. "You ready?"
"Wait, Big Brother. I need to speak with the others first."
Iris went to say goodbye to Grandpa Lu and the others. Chen Fei looked like she wanted to say something.
"What is it?" Iris asked while organizing her bag.
Chen Fei sighed. "I'm tempted to go with you. I've had enough staying in the hospital to last me a lifetime. But I just can't leave my stupid idiot alone. What if he really parades in the street naked? Just thinking about it is enough to give me white hair!"
Iris chuckled. "Just stay here. Treat it as practice for when you need a maternity leave in the future."
Chen Fei rolled her eyes but surprisingly didn't retort. "Go on then. Kiss the kids for me."
Jin Liwei walked Iris and Lu Zihao down the underground parking lot. The bodyguards already secured the area to avoid any paparazzi and fans from seeing Iris Long.
"Remember what I told you," Iris said while standing on her tippy-toes to give the corner of Jin Liwei's mouth a kiss. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone."
"En. I'll call you."
Lu Zihao interrupted the husband and wife. "Hurry up, Evelinka. We have to leave now if you want to arrive home while the brats are still awake."
She glanced at her brother before hugging her husband's neck. Jin Liwei's arms wrapped around her waist. The two kissed each other.
Lu Zihao glared at them but couldn't do anything else. He was tempted to drag his sister away from her husband but managed to restrain himself. He could only snort and look away, pretending that the boring parking lot was interesting.
"I'm ready, Big Brother," Iris announced.
Finally.
19:48
Jin Liwei was reluctant to let his wife leave, even though he was the one who insisted on letting her go home to be with their children. It took everything in his power to let her go.
"Answer me when I call, love," he reminded her.
"Okay." She smiled at him.
Jin Liwei watched as the vehicles carrying his wife, brother-in-law, and bodyguards left. Even when they were already out of sight, he stayed standing in the parking lot for another ten minutes before returning to the hospital with great reluctance.
###
Dragon Palace Home #10.
It was already late in the evening when Iris and Lu Zihao returned. The mountain winds were quite strong so the pilot had to fly the helicopter more carefully.
"You're back, Boss!" Dom welcomed the two of them at the front hall with the butler. "Big Brother Boss, you're here, too!"
"The twins?" Iris asked while handing the butler her sweater and handbag.
"They just fell asleep in your bedroom," Dom replied. "They wanted to wait for you but couldn't stay awake past their sleep time."
"My wife and brats?" Lu Zihao asked next.
"They're in your room, Big Brother Boss! I think Little Misha and Little Dima are already asleep, but Sis Jing should still be awake."
Iris had always kept the room that Lu Zihao and Long Jinjing used when they lived in the mansion for them. It was no longer a guest room but the Lus' exclusive bedroom instead.
"Hm." Lu Zihao nodded before glancing at his sister. "See you tomorrow, Evelinka," he said in Russian.
"Good night, Big Brother," Iris said.
She and Dom watched Lu Zihao leave. Then they headed to the master suite together. At the same time, Iris updated Dom about what happened to Grandma Li.
Dom's eyes watered. "I prayed every day for Grandma Boss to wake up. My prayers have been answered. Hallelujah! But if what the doctor says is true, then Grandma Boss doesn't have long left to live. I'm going to cry, Boss!"
Iris sighed.
They finally reached the master suite. Iris headed straight to the bedroom where the nannies were watching over the sleeping twins.
"Welcome back, Young Madam."
"The twins missed you so much, Young Madam."
Iris smiled at them. "Thanks for your hard work. You may go rest for the night."
Once the nannies left, Iris leaned over the large crib bed to kiss her babies' chubby cheeks.
Perhaps sensing her presence (or maybe smelling her scent), Little Mochi's eyes flew open. He immediately burst into tears upon seeing her.
"Mama! Mama!"
It felt like someone squeezed Iris' heart. "Ah, my baby."
She carried Little Mochi and immediately started coaxing the wailing baby who refused to let her neck go.
"Ma?" Little Matcha rubbed his sleepy eyes. Upon making sure that it was indeed his mommy, he sat up and reached his little arms to her as well. "Mama!"
"Yes, baby. Mommy's here." Iris sat on the crib bed.
Good thing that Dom already unlatched and slid open one side of the crib bed's railing. Iris was able to sit down and hug both her babies at the same time. The twins had already grown too heavy for her to carry together.
Her sons hugged her neck and wetted her shoulders with their tears. Little Mochi was bawling as if there was no tomorrow. Little Matcha wasn't as loud but his soft whimpers made Iris' heart clench.
"I'm sorry, my babies. Mommy wasn't here with you. I missed you two so much! Your daddy also misses you. He can't wait to hug and kiss you soon!"
Little Mochi: "Mama! Wuwuwu!!!"
Little Matcha: "Ma...wuwu...."
At the moment, the twins didn't care about their daddy at all. They just wanted their mommy. They missed her so much! It felt like forever since they hugged and kissed her.
Tears pooled in Iris' eyes. She had been hesitating whether to leave her husband at the hospital, but now, she was glad that she went home to their children. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Jin Liwei could take care of himself, but their sons were still babies. They needed their parents.
Iris and Dom worked together to coax the twins to sleep again. It took a long time, but the two never lost patience with the babies.
Once the twins fell asleep, Dom watched over them while Iris went to take a much-needed long, hot shower.
After she put on clothes and returned to the bedroom, Dom told her, "I'll sleep here tonight."
"Okay. Thanks, Dom."
Of course, what Dom meant was that he would sleep on the chaise longue and not on the bed beside Iris. Dom went to the walk-in closet and took some extra bedding and pillows to put over the chaise longue.
Iris' phone rang. It was Jin Liwei.
The husband and wife chatted with each other. Iris fell asleep while still talking to Jin Liwei.
"Dom, I'll leave my family to you," Jin Liwei said after a while.
Dom took the phone from the sleeping Iris. "Don't worry, Sir Boss!"
The phone call ended.
While the wife slept with the kids at home, Jin Liwei sat beside his grandmother for the entire night.
Follow Author on Instagram
Chapter 1582 Buster
Jin Liwei was afraid that his grandmother wouldn't wake up again. Fortunately, just as the sun rose in the sky the next morning, Grandma Li opened her eyes again. Jin Liwei released a sigh of relief.
"Grandma, it's Liwei," he said in a soft, hoarse voice. "How are you feeling?"
The old lady squinted but she still couldn't see her eldest grandson clearly. "You sound...exhausted. You...have...not...slept yet?"
Instead of replying, he asked instead, "Anything hurts, Grandma?"
Of course, Grandma Li understood that her grandson was just deflecting her question. It meant that he really hadn't slept at all.
"You...called...lawyer...yet?"
He paused. "Yes. Your lawyer should be coming later this morning."
"Good."
Silence.
Jin Liwei took his grandmother's frail, wrinkled hand. After growing up, the times he held his grandmother's hand could be counted on one hand. Perhaps even less. This was the first time he did this in so many years.
He wasn't the openly affectionate type. His grandmother was the same kind of person. Only after building a family with the love of her life and age did the previous ice beauty, Li Zhiruo, mellow out.
Jin Liwei was the same. Only after falling for his wife did he shed his ice-cold personality to a select group of people.
"Li...wei...."
He leaned forward. "Yes, Grandma? I'm here."
"Where...Xiulan?" she asked.
"I asked her to go home last night. Our children have been missing their mommy and daddy. I figured that one of us should go home to be with the kids. She was reluctant to leave, but I persuaded her."
"Good...twins...still....babies...too...small...away...from...parents. Sorry...."
His jaw clenched but his tone remained soft. "Don't be sorry, Grandma. It's not your fault that this happened to you."
A teardrop slid down from one of her eyes down the side of her face to her ear. "Li...wei...."
"I'm here, Grandma."
"Time...not much...left."
His heart felt like it stopped for a couple of seconds. It felt like it was getting harder to breathe. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying hard not to let the tears flow down.
"Don't say that, Grandma." His voice started to crack. "Once you regain enough strength, I'll transfer you to a better hospital in the capital. If you can't handle it, then I'll invite the best doctors in the country and even abroad to treat you here. You'll get better, Grandma. The twins miss their great-grandma."
A faint sight escaped from the old lady's thin lips. "My dear...sorry...."
Jin Liwei bowed his head, pressing his face against his grandmother's hand.
Grandma Li's tears flowed down as she felt wetness on her hand.
There was only silence in the room. It should have been peaceful, but their hearts felt heavy.
###
Dragon Palace Home #10.
Iris opened her eyes with a start. Her chest felt heavy. Was she having a heart attack?
She was still so young!
"Meow~" Ice Cream greeted her good morning and proceeded to roll on her chest, acting cute.
"Ice Cream, you scared Mommy," Iris murmured while petting the big, grey cat.
So she wasn't having a heart attack after all. It was just her fat and lazy cat daughter lying on top of her chest so early in the morning.
Something orange pounced on her from the side.
"Meow! Meow! MEEEEOOOOW!!!" Popcorn begged for attention next.
Iris chuckled at the sight of her overactive cat son. Popcorn acted more like a dog than the actual dogs, Pudding and Chowder.
The two German Shepherd dogs sat on the floor by her bed, waiting patiently for her to pay attention to them next. She couldn't help but once again praise the handlers' ability to train the dogs.
She sat up on the bed and glanced at the crib bed. Her babies were nowhere in sight. However, she could hear their giggles together with Dom and the nannies' voices in the living area outside.
After she had rubbed Pudding and Chowder, the two German Shepherd dogs finally felt satisfied. They left the bedroom to find the babies to continue protecting them.
Iris didn't immediately follow. She knew that her sons were in good hands.
It must have been Dom's decision to prevent the cats and dogs from sleeping in the bedroom last night so as not to disturb her. Dom had always been thoughtful, prioritizing her health even more than she did.
After freshening up and changing into day clothes, she finally left the bedroom and saw Dom and the nannies playing with the twins.
Little Matcha was the first one to notice her. "Ma! Mama!"
The little guy toddled over to her.
She squatted on the floor and opened her arms, waiting for her baby to come to her.
"Good morning, my baby!"
"Uh, Ma!" (Morning, Mommy!)
Of course, Little Mochi wouldn't let himself be left far behind his twin brother. He also toddled towards her with the biggest smile on his face.
"Mama! Mama, yah yah!" (Mommy! Mommy, good morning!)
Iris also caught her other son. "Good morning to you, too, baby." Then she greeted Dom and the nannies as well. "Good morning."
"Morning, Boss!"
"Good morning, Madam."
Iris played with her sons for a few minutes before leading everyone to the dining area for breakfast. She met Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue on the way.
"Mama!"
Unlike her own sons, Little Jun had grown up a lot. He could now run quickly. She caught her godson and gave Little Jun the biggest, tightest hug.
"Misshu, Mama." (I miss you, Mama.)
Iris kissed her godson's cheek. "I miss you, too, sweetheart."
Gravy, Little Jun's German Shepherd dog, limped towards her.
Iris would always have a grateful heart for the heroic dog who almost sacrificed its life to protect her godson. "Good morning, Gravy."
"Woof woof!"
Gravy wagged his tail. After getting a satisfying rub from her, he returned to his little master's side to continue protecting Little Jun. He was still an excellent guard dog despite his permanent injuries.
"Mama, wook! Junjun new doggie!" (Mama, look! This is my new dog!)
Iris looked behind Jiang Ying Yue and saw a German Shepherd puppy. It looked wary of her but not hostile.
There was an unfamiliar female following Jiang Ying Yue. The aura the female emitted was something Iris could recognize.
Shadow Winds.
This person must be one of her big brother's people.
"Hello, Madam," the unfamiliar female greeted her first. "I apologize for intruding into your home. Boss Hao assigned me to be the handler of Young Master Jun's new guard dog."
Iris nodded. She already knew that her brother got her godson a new guard dog after Gravy got injured during the kidnapping. It took some time to train a new guard dog, so it was only now that Little Jun received this puppy.
"Buster, come," the female handler commanded the puppy.
In an instant, the puppy's wariness towards Iris disappeared as it obeyed the handler's command.
"Madam, please." The handler gestured for Iris to come closer.
Iris knew the protocol after the previous guard dogs were given to the children. She allowed the German Shepherd puppy to sniff her hand, memorizing her scent. In no time, the puppy's tail began wagging.
"Your name is Buster, little one?"
The puppy's tail wagged faster.
"Buster already knew your scent before," the handler said. "It's one of the earliest scents that Boss Hao instructed me to train Buster how to recognize. Buster didn't know what you looked like until now but he knows your scent. Now that he has connected the face and the scent, he should no longer treat you like a stranger."
Iris wasn't surprised at all. His big brother was nothing but thorough when it came to things like this, especially when it concerned her safety.
"Who named this little one Buster?" Iris asked while continuing to pet the puppy.
"Boss Hao," the handler replied.
Iris sighed.
Jiang Ying Yue chuckled. Dom also snickered.
She glanced at her two friends, pouting a little. Then she cast a regretful gaze at the new puppy. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
How nice it would have been if she were the one who named it?
Chilli.
Mac, short for Macaroni.
Sushi.
Ah, so many excellent name options.
Her big brother just had to go ahead and named the puppy Buster. How boring.
"Little Jun, sweetheart."
"Mama?" Little Jun tilted his head up to her.
"Do you like your new puppy Buster?" she asked.
He nodded. "Junjun wuv Gwavy. Junjun wuv Bushtah chu!" (I love Gravy. I love Buster, too!)
"Do you want Mama Xiulan to change Buster's name?" Iris asked.
"Oh, Xiulan." Jiang Ying Yue sighed, shaking her head, but there was an amused smile on her face.
"Hehehe." Dom continued snickering by the side.
The twins were too preoccupied with playing with the cats and dogs. They had no idea about their mother's sinister plan of trying to change the name of their eldest cousin's new puppy.
Little Jun blinked his innocent eyes. "Huh? Bushtah is Bushtah!" (What do you mean? Buster is Buster!)
"How about Taco? It's a good name, isn't it?" Iris didn't want to give up.
Her godson shook his head. "Mama, no. Bushtah is Bushtah!" (Mama, no. Buster is Buster!)
She could only give up. "Okay, you're right. Buster is Buster. Sorry, Little Jun."
Behind her, she could hear some incoming footsteps with her great hearing. There were several.
"I knew it," a male, devilish voice said. "Good thing that I already named the little beast ahead of you, little sister. I was afraid you'd name the poor beast Adobo or something ridiculous again like you always do."
She looked behind her and saw Lu Zihao walking towards them with his family, Long Jinjing and their twins, Little Misha and Little Dima, along with their German Shepherd dogs, Ham and Mash.
She couldn't help but harrumph.
What did her brother mean by that?
She had an excellent naming sense!
Her husband had said so!
Chapter 1583 Inheriting Personalities From the Originals
The others already knew about Iris' inflated opinion about her naming sense. Her husband's fault wasn't small in this matter either. Jin Liwei's misguided praises made her believe that she had an excellent naming sense.
Her poor kids.
It was a pity that the names of Gravy (Little Jun's first guard dog), Ham (Little Misha's guard dog), and Mash (Little Dima' guard dog) had already been set. The dogs only responded to these names.
Lu Zihao did everything to give them good, proper dog names during training, but Bacon had stopped him with all his might. The little bugger insisted that since he was the one gifting his little brothers and cousins the guard dogs, then it was up to him to decide who had the right to name them. And Bacon decided to give the right to his beloved mother.
And indeed, Iris didn't disappoint. Her naming sense had always been consistent.
Consistently terrible!
This time, Bacon had no say since Lu Zihao was the one who offered to give Little Jun another guard dog in the first place after Gravy, the child's first guard dog, became injured during the kidnapping.
The black AI cat could only grumble to itself, silently plotting to overthrow his Uncle Haohao, so that he could lead Shadow Winds by himself and control everything in the crime organization according to his wishes (and his mother's). Never mind his father. His mother was the most important anyway.
Back to the present, the children cheered upon seeing each other again. Little Jun led his little cousins into hugging each other.
The adults were all amused watching them. The kids acted like they hadn't seen each other for decades.
Popcorn and the dogs circled around the kids. Ice Cream glanced at them with disdainful eyes.
Finally, the group headed to the dining area to eat breakfast together. The table was chaotic with the kids present.
Little Mochi and Little Misha were both naughty babies.
Little Mochi was fussy and loved to show off while Little Misha always needed to join in the fun.
Fortunately, Little Matcha and Little Dima were well-behaved babies. They sat quietly in their high chairs, waiting for their parents to feed them.
Little Matcha inherited his obsession with cleanliness from his father, Jin Liwei. He would ask his mother, Iris, to wipe his mouth and hands clean every few minutes.
Although Little Dima wasn't a clean freak like his cousin, he still preferred to mind his own business. He opened his mouth whenever his mother, Long Jinjing, fed him with baby food. He didn't mind that his mouth was messy with the food unlike his cousin, Little Matcha. His quiet personality was inherited from his mother.
Lu Zihao looked at him, satisfied at this son of his. On the other hand, he cast an annoyed (yet doting) gaze at his other son.
"I don't know where Mikhail inherited his rowdy personality," he began but was soon interrupted by his wife.
"Grandpa Lu said that Little Misha inherited it from you," she said. "He said that you were the naughtiest when you were a kid."
He shut up.
The (real) siblings, Iris (Evelina) and Lu Zihao (Nikolai), looked at each other.
They knew that Little Misha must have inherited his personality from the original Lu Zihao and not from Nikolai.
It was similar to how Iris (Evelina) felt that her son, Little Mochi, inherited his exact personality from the original Long Xiulan. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
In a way, the original owners of their bodies continued on in the form of the children.
Grandpa Lu might have an idea about his grandson, Lu Zihao, being reborn. And perhaps the old man also knew about Iris' rebirth as well.
However, Long Jinjing still had no clue. She might only think that it was her husband's kink to be called Nikolai in private. She believed that the person she married was Lu Zihaoâthe original Lu Zihao whose personality had changed after waking up after being comatose, just like her younger sister.
Iris didn't know if her brother's decision to not tell his wife about his rebirth was the right choice or not. As for her, she was glad that her husband knew the truth. It felt like Jin Liwei truly loved her for who she wasâthe real Evelina Vetrova now living as Iris Long.
She wouldn't interfere in her brother and his wife's relationship. Whether her brother told his wife or not should only be their business and not hers.
"Mama!" Little Mochi called her attention.
"Yes, baby?"
The baby pointed at the champorado (Filipino chocolate rice pudding) that the chef prepared thanks to Dom's vehement request.
Iris sighed. "You can't eat too much of this, sweetheart. But I'll let you eat a little. If your father were here, he wouldn't allow you to eat it at all."
Little Mochi blinked his eyes in quick succession, fluttering his long eyelashes, and grinned widely, showing off his (now) four teeth.
The way her baby acted cute to her was too effective. Iris couldn't possibly deny him!
She fed him two spoons of the champorado. Okay, maybe three!
"Hehe." Little Mochi was already satisfied.
He continued making a mess of himself alongside his cousin, Little Misha.
"By the way, little sister, how's Grandma Li?" asked Long Jinjing. "I heard from Zihao that she woke up yesterday."
The others turned their attention to the conversation. They, too, wanted to hear about Grandma Li's condition.
Iris told them about what happened.
"At first, I wanted to stay at the hospital with Liwei, but I missed my babies too much. I'm so glad I listened to Liwei and went home. I just hope that Grandma Li recovers. She should be undergoing more medical tests today. We'll know her real prognosis after we get the results."
Lu Zihao didn't comment. He continued trying to feed his disobedient son, Little Misha. His movements were not clumsy at all, a testament to him doing this on a regular basis.
"Yehan plans to visit Grandma Li again soon," Jiang Ying Yue said next. "Second Brother Yingjie and Fourth Brother Mo are planning to go with him. My husband is just waiting until Second Brother Yingjie is finished with all his scheduled surgeries this week.
Chapter 1584 A Well-Rounded Child
"Are you coming with Eldest Brother Yehan?" Iris asked.
"I don't think I will," Jiang Ying Yue said in a whisper. "I think that Sir Liwei will appreciate his brothers' presence more than mine." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Iris sighed. "I won't force you. Also, call Liwei Third Brother instead of Sir."
Jiang Ying Yue made a sheepish face. "I don't think I can do that yet, Xiulan. I'm so used to calling him sir that calling him Third Brother sounds too weird for me."
"How about Big Brother Boss?" Dom asked in a teasing tone. "You also call him Sir Zihao instead of Fifth Brother."
This time, Jiang Ying Yue winced. If Jin Liwei intimidated her, then Lu Zihao outright terrified her.
Lu Zihao gave them a side eye but otherwise didn't comment. He continued trying to feed the rowdy and messy Little Misha.
There were splashes of orange baby food on his shirt. If it were only him present, he might have already begun lecturing his son but his wife was there to stop him.
Long Jinjing had grown a stronger spine ever since she began therapy to deal with her post-partum depression. She was now able to state her mind clearly to her own husband, not allowing him to get his way all the time, especially when it came to their differing views on how to discipline their children.
Lu Zihao could only restrain his temper and wait patiently until his sons grew up a little to begin training them into strong, disciplined young men.
Little Jun's kidnapping was tragic and extremely traumatic to the child, but Lu Zihao thought that it brought unexpected results for them. It made his wife and sister realize the importance of training all their children in self-defence. Now, both his wife and sister weren't resistant to the idea of him training his sons and nephews in the near future how to fight.
Of course, the two women insisted that what the kids should learn was mainly self-defence, but since Lu Zihao planned to be in charge of the training, he would make sure that the rascals would learn much more than just basic self-defence skills. He would make sure that they would be prepared for almost anything so that what happened to their eldest cousin Little Jun wouldn't happen to any of them in the future.
Neither Long Jinjing nor Iris had any idea that their husband/brother was planning on running their kids to the ground with harsh training in the future.
After breakfast, Iris received a phone call from her husband.
The couple chatted for a while.
She sensed Jin Liwei's depressed mood and tried lifting it up by coaxing her babies and their cousins to say hello to him. It worked...but only a little. She knew that he was just forcing himself to smile for their family's sake.
"I'm okay, love," he tried reassuring her. "Grandma Li is awake. We'll know the results of her medical tests later today. I requested that they fast-track the results."
"Take care of yourself, darling. I love you."
This time, his smile was genuine. "I love you, too, Evelina."
The phone call ended.
"Dom," Iris called.
"Yes, Boss?"
"Can you please arrange nutritious meals to be delivered for my husband and the others at the hospital? I'm worried about them, especially Liwei. He has lost a lot of weight since Grandma Li collapsed."
Dom's smiling face turned serious in an instant. He nodded. "Roger, Boss! Will take care of it right now!"
He whipped out his own phone and began making the necessary arrangements. Iris knew that he would order the best meals for her husband and everyone. Dom was very meticulous when it came to caring for the family.
Iris gave herself a day off today on purpose. She wanted to spend quality time with her children and her friends for the whole day. Her twin sons were extremely ecstatic to be with her. They clung to her, even Little Matcha who wasn't usually as clingy as his twin brother.
By dusk, Dragon Palace Home #10 regained its usual liveliness with the return of its young madam.
Iris stood in the front hall with an expression filled with reluctance.
"Say goodbye to Mama Xiulan now, Little Jun," Jiang Ying Yue said.
"Bye-bye, Mama!" Little Jun hugged his godmother.
Iris gave her godson two smacking kisses on each cheek. "Goodbye, sweetheart."
"Leggo, Mommy, Daddy!" (Let's go, Mommy and Daddy)
The little guy held his mother and stepfather's hands.
Iris felt sad that her godson didn't feel reluctant to part with her anymore.
"Why don't you sleep with Mama Xiulan here tonight?" Iris tried to tempt her godson.
Little Jun paused and thought about it.
"Oh, Xiulan." Jiang Ying Yue chuckled, shaking her head.
Lin Yehan also smiled.
Iris didn't pay attention to them. She waited for the child's reply.
Little Jun shook his head. "No, Mama. Junjun schweep with doggie, Gwavy and Bushtah! Mommy, Daddy, schweep togwethah!" (No, Mama. I will sleep with my dogs, Gravy and Buster! Mommy and Daddy sleep together!)
Lin Yehan laughed while Jiang Ying Yue's cheeks turned crimson.
Iris sighed.
Time really did fly by so quickly. Her Little Jun had already grown up. He wasn't reluctant to leave her, his beloved Mama Xiulan, anymore.
At the same time, Iris also felt happy for her godson. It was such a relief that Little Jun seemed to regain his previous lively and cheerful self. However, according to Jiang Ying Yue, the little guy would still sometimes wake up in the middle of the night screaming.
The trauma from the kidnapping was still deeply embedded in the child's subconscious mind. Hence, it was of paramount importance that Little Jun continued attending his psychiatrist's therapy sessions.
According to Jiang Ying Yue again, Dr. Poon's therapy sessions with the child didn't look or feel like therapy at all. The child psychiatrist was an expert in her field. Little Jun loved meeting with Dr. Poon because she made the therapy feel like fun playtime. So far, it seemed to be working. Little Jun had become much more cheerful and well-rounded, albeit a little too mature than the adults would have liked.
"Good night, sweetheart," Iris whispered as she watched the Lin family including the guard dogs, Gravy and Buster (and the female handler), leave in Lin Yehan's car.
Chapter 1585 A Week
Iris sighed again and allowed the butler to close the front doors before heading to the nursery.
"Ma!" Like before, Little Matcha was the first to notice her.
Little Mochi was busy playing with his equally naughty cousin, Little Misha.
Little Matcha shakily stood up from the floor and toddled towards her. She caught and carried him, eliciting a big smile from the usually indifferent baby.
"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Seeing that his twin brother was getting all the attention from their mommy, Little Matcha abandoned his little cousin and ran towards them.
Iris's heart almost stopped while she watched her eldest twin son run with unsteady footsteps. However, she restrained herself from helping him. The nursery floor has been constructed to be bouncy to protect the children in these situations.
Fortunately, Little Mochi was steadier than Iris gave him credit for. He reached his mommy and hugged her leg. His arms reached up to her, wanting her to carry him, too.
Long Jinjing and the nannies chuckled upon seeing this.
Iris smiled and kissed Little Matcha before putting him down. Then she carried her other son, showering the clingy baby with kisses as well.
After the Jin twins had enough of their mommy's loving hugs and kisses, they returned to where they had been playing before. Little Mochi went back to Little Misha and played with the fat baby. Little Matcha preferred to play with a toy truck on his own.
Iris sat beside Long Jinjing on a couch. Little Dima sat on Long Jinjing's lap, looking content with watching his twin brother and cousins play instead of joining them.
"Where's Dom?" Iris asked the nannies.
"Sir Dom's family called, so he went somewhere else to speak with them."
Iris nodded.
The Chua family should be extremely busy preparing for the launch of Orchidia Philippines.
At the same time, Paul Ferrer, Marjorie Chua's husband, should also be busy with his new construction and development company. Jin Liwei had invested in the company. Dom mentioned to Iris before that his brother-in-law had been working really hard to make the company a success.
Iris sighed.
"What's wrong?" Long Jinjing asked while bouncing Little Dima on her knee.
"I wasn't able to be there at Orchidia Germany's launch," Iris said. "I wonder if I'll be able to attend the launch events for Orchidia Philippines and Singapore."
Sympathy filled Long Jinjing's eyes. "Your grandmother-in-law's failing health isn't something you can control. I know that it must feel disappointing not to be able to attend the launches of our company's new foreign bases, but at the end of the day, you chose the best people to lead those foreign bases. Even without your actual presence, they should be able to run the bases smoothly. I would also have loved to attend at least one launch, but your nephews are still too young. Zihao and I aren't comfortable with bringing our twins outside the country."
"I know." Iris sighed again. "But more than feeling disappointed at missing the launch events, I feel so worried about my husband. He has lost a lot of weight ever since Grandma Li collapsed. I hope that Grandma Li recovers soon."
Long Jinjing patted her shoulder. She didn't know how else to comfort her little sister.
Iris looked at her and smiled.
"W-what?" Long Jinjing asked, feeling a little confused about the look her little sister gave her.
"Thank you," Iris whispered.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"For staying here tonight. I know that I should be happy to be with my children. I AM happy. But the house just feels too empty without Liwei. If you and my big brother had left just like Little Jun, I might not be able to fall asleep tonight."
"Zihao and I decided to stay here until your husband returns," Long Jinjing said. "Zihao didn't want to leave you alone. He's planning to return to the hospital, possibly tomorrow, to once again try persuading Grandpa Lu to come home with him. So your nephews and I will stay here to accompany you. Besides, my twins love being around your twins. Although Little Dima might look like he doesn't want to play with anyone, he actually enjoys watching his cousins have fun. This is his weird way of having fun."
Iris laughed. She took Little Dima and tried bouncing the fat baby on her lap. It was a struggle. If the elder twin brother, Little Misha, was big, Little Dima was bigger. Perhaps it was because this baby rarely moved, he burned fewer calories and thus became heavier.
"Wow. Your babies...are really solid, huh?"
Long Jinjing chuckled. "They're my daily workout. Their nannies needed to start working out because the babies were getting too heavy even for them." Nôv(el)B\\jnn
The two women continued to chat while watching the babies. Dom also returned and joined them, eliciting loud laughter from everyone.
Night came.
Once again, Dom intended to sleep in the master bedroom with Iris and the babies. The cats, Ice Cream and Popcorn, and the dogs, Pudding and Chowder, would be sleeping with them this time.
Iris dismissed the nannies early for the night, so she and Dom worked together to put the twins to sleep. Ice Cream also helped, purring loudly to help lull her little brothers to sleep, unlike Popcorn who still wanted to play around.
Later, Iris' phone rang.
It was her husband.
"Have you received the results of Grandma Li's medical tests yet?" she asked.
Jin Liwei didn't reply right away.
She sensed that something wasn't right. She gestured at Dom to watch the kids while she went to the suite's living area to avoid disturbing her sleeping twins.
"You're scaring me, Liwei," she whispered.
She heard a heavy sigh. Her heart also felt heavier.
"Grandma...she only has a few days left to live," Jin Liwei finally said. "A week at most."
If not for her excellent hearing, Iris might not have heard him. His voice was too soft as if he was struggling to speak properly.
"A week?"
Iris' mind went blank for two seconds.
Then various thoughts flooded her mind.
Chapter 1586 She's Dying
Although Iris had a feeling that Grandma Li might not have long left to live, she didn't expect that it would be this soon. Hearing her husband's cracking voice made her heart feel like breaking for him. Of course, she cared about Grandma Li, but she cared about her husband more.
Before Iris could say anything, Jin Liwei continued, "Grandma met her lawyer this morning. She knows that she's not going to make it, so she's updating her last will and testament."
A lump formed in her throat. She might have personally experienced death before, but talking about it wasn't something that she looked forward to especially when it involved her family.
"I'll fly there tonight," she eventually said.
"No, love. The mountain winds are dangerous tonight. Stay at home with the kids. I heard that Long Jinjing is there to accompany you. Eldest Brother Yehan and the others will fly here tomorrow, including Nikolai. If...if Grandma will really pass away soon, then we've decided to transfer her to a hospital near our Jin family home. The doctors...they've already advised us to focus on fulfilling Grandma's final wishes and making her last days as comfortable as possible instead of...trying to treat her. Because it's...it's already too late. We can't treat her anymore, love. She's dying, Evelina. My grandmother is dying."
Iris' eyes pooled with tears as she listened to her husband losing control of his emotions.
It was very rare for him to break into tears like this. Perhaps the last time that she witnessed him grieving like this was when he finally realized that the original Lu Zihao, his Fifth Brother, was already dead and someone else was now occupying his body.
"I'm sorry, darling," she whispered.
"Thank you." Jin Liwei sounded like he had managed to once again regain control of his emotions.
The eldest grandson like him who was also the current head of the family needed to be strong, especially at critical times like this. He was the one who had to make the decisions.
It must be heartbreaking for a grandson to start preparing for his grandmother's death, but as the head of the family, he needed to execute all these decisions without fumbling.
His mother, Huang Yuyan, and younger brother, Jin Chonglin, weren't people who could be relied upon in difficult times like this. They were the type who needed to rely on others instead.
Iris took a few deep breaths and regained control of her emotions, too. As the wife of the current head of the Jin family, she also needed to be strong.
"Do whatever you need to do there, okay? I'll go to the Jin family house tomorrow and prepare for your arrival. We'll all be staying there so that we'll be close to the hospital once you've transferred Grandma Li."
"You and the kids don't have to stay at the family houseâ"
"Liwei," she interrupted him. "I'm your wife. I'm not just going to leave you alone to do everything by yourself. You can depend on me, too."
She heard his breath shake.
"Yes, you're right," he whispered. "I love you, Evelina. And thank you."
"I love you, too. Come back safely. Our kids and I will be waiting for your return."
The phone call ended.
Dom appeared with a grave expression. Iris already knew that he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with her husband. She didn't mind.
"You heard everything?" she asked.
"Yes, Boss." Dom wiped the corners of his eyes his knuckles. "I'll help you prepare the Jin family house tomorrow."
She sighed. "Please."
"Don't worry, Boss! Whatever happens in the future, I'll always be there for you and your family. We're all family here!"
His words made her smile. "Right. We're all family."
That night proved to be a restless one.
Iris barely slept. However, she still got up when the alarm rang.
The sky was still dark outside. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Dom also woke up and returned to his bedroom to get ready. The nannies had already arrived to watch the still-sleeping twins while Iris also got ready in the en-suite bathroom.
The twins were still sleeping when Iris and Dom were ready to leave.
Iris kissed her sons, careful not to wake them up. She also put a finger on her lips, gesturing for the cats and dogs not to wake the twins up.
Ice Cream and the dogs understood. Popcorn, however, continued meowing and rubbing himself around Iris' feet. Dom had to carry the orange cat out of the bedroom.
Long Jinjing met them at the front hall.
"You didn't have to see us off," Iris told her.
"I already saw Zihao off earlier," Long Jinjing said. "I couldn't sleep anymore, so I figured I'd just see you off, too."
Iris gave her a grateful smile.
"I heard from Zihao about Grandma Li. I'm sorry, little sister."
Iris sighed.
Long Jinjing patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about the kids. I'll stay here and help watch over them with the nannies. We'll stay here at the mansion until our husbands return."
"Thank you."
Iris and Dom left. Of course, a team of bodyguards followed them without catching too much attention.
The best friends headed to the Jin family house. The housekeeper was already informed about their arrival.
"Welcome back, Young Madam. Sir Dominic."
"Thank you." Iris smiled at the household staff.
She didn't waste any more time and began giving out instructions. The entire place needed to be cleaned and the bedrooms prepared. There wasn't much to be cleaned because the housekeeper and her subordinates kept the place in order regularly.
"My husband and I and our children will be staying here," Iris said. "I'm not sure if Brother Chonglin and Chen Fei would want to stay as well, but let's prepare Brother Chonglin's bedroom just in case."
"Understood, Young Madam," the housekeeper replied.
"Keep Mom's bedroom as it is. I don't want to intrude into her space." Iris glanced at Dom who was helping relay her instructions to the other household staff members. "Also prepare a guest bedroom for Dominic. He'll be staying with us, too."
Everyone kept busy the entire morning.
Follow Author on Instagram
Chapter 1587 Stay With Us
The housekeeper had just called Iris and Dom for lunchtime when Jin Liwei called.
"We're almost finished preparing the house," Iris informed her husband. "I had all the guest bedrooms cleaned and prepared just in case your other brothers decide to stay with us."
"Thanks, love," Jin Liwei said. "Fourth Brother Mo will be staying with us for a few days to help me out."
"Anyone else?"
"No, only him. Eldest Brother Yehan is busy because it's harvest time at his farms. Second Brother Yingjie has scheduled surgeries. Fifth Brother...uh, Nikolai will also help out but you know he's also busy with his, uh, own stuff."
Iris understood without him explaining. Then she asked next, "What about Grandpa Lu?"
Jin Liwei turned silent.
She waited patiently until he was ready to speak. He sighed. "Grandpa Lu has been unusually quiet ever since the doctors announced that Grandma only has a few days left to live. Nikolai wants to bring him to Dragon Palace and stay with the kids, hoping that the kids would cheer him up."
Iris sighed, too. "Grandpa Lu must be so affected like all of you. He watched his best friend and best friend's son die before. And now he has to watch his best friend's wife die next. It must be tough to live that long, watching the people you love die one after another."
"En."
The husband and wife chatted for a few more minutes before ending the phone call.
"When are they transferring Grandma Li to the hospital here?" Dom asked.
"The earliest is tomorrow morning," Iris said. "The latest is the day after tomorrow. Liwei is trying to fast-track the transfer, but the doctors want to stabilize Grandma Li's condition first and make sure that she won't die during the transfer."
"That would be too tragic," Dom said with furrowed brows.
Iris sighed yet again. Then she rested her head on Dom's shoulder. "Oh, Dom. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Ehehe." Dom had no energy in his voice. The atmosphere was too heavy that he was also affected by it. "I'm glad that Sir Boss isn't here to hear you say those words. He might kill me!"
Iris laughed. Like him, there was no energy in her voice.
Even so, it was true that she was grateful for her assistant/best friend's presence in her life. He was like another limb of hers. He knew the way her mind worked and so was capable of making decisions on her behalf. During emergencies like this, he was an irreplaceable presence that prevented her from being too overwhelmed, especially without her husband beside her.
Iris laughed. Like him, there was no energy in her voice.
Even so, it was true that she was grateful for her assistant/best friend's presence in her life. He was like another limb of hers. He knew the way her mind worked and so was capable of making decisions on her behalf. During emergencies like this, he was an irreplaceable presence that prevented her from being too overwhelmed, especially without her husband beside her.
"If I weren't in love with my husband, I would have married you instead, Dominic Chua," she said. "You make my life so much easier to live."
Dom shivered and covered his chest with his arms. "Please, no! My maiden heart only likes handsome men! I love you, Boss, but not that way!"
Iris threw her head back and laughed.
The housekeeper and the other household staff who heard their conversation also giggled quietly by the side.
"Ehehehe." Dom was glad to see Iris laughing a bit with more sincerity.
"I know." Iris wiped the tear from the corner of her eyes with a finger caused by too much laughing. "That was a great laugh. Thank you, Dom."
"My pleasure! But I'm serious, you're not my type, Boss. So please don't scare me again like that! If Sir Boss heard you say that, he might push down a pillow on my face while I'm sleeping. Gasp! Assassination! Ah, just imagining it is enough to give me nightmares!"
Iris laughed again. "Okay, I won't say these words again, especially in front of Liwei. Just to give you some peace of mind."
"Phew! Thanks, boss!" Dom wiped the sweat on his forehead.
He might have sounded like he was joking but he was actually serious!
The best friends ate lunch and stayed at the Jin family house until the afternoon before returning to Dragon Palace.
Iris felt sorry that she wasn't able to spend the whole day with her children, but everything was too hectic for everyone right now. She was just glad that she was able to go home and sleep with them at night.
###
The next day, Iris and Dom packed their bags and brought the twins, the cats and the dogs with them. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Long Jinjing saw them off again.
"Zihao told me about the situation," Long Jinjing said. "Grandpa Lu refused to stay here at Dragon Palace and wants to stay at the Jin family house instead."
"I know," Iris replied with a sigh. "Good thing that I had all the bedrooms cleaned and prepared yesterday. How about you and my nephews? Why don't you stay there with us, too? I'm sure that Grandpa Lu would love to be with his great-grandsons."
Long Jinjing bit her lower lip. "I can stay at your home because you're my sister but staying in your husband's family house is a bit...you know."
"Think about it. I don't think my big brother would mind."
"You're right. But you know Zihao. He'll want to inspect the entire property and fortify the security and all that. I don't want him interfering with anything in a place that's not ours."
Iris opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. If it were only up to her, she wouldn't mind her big brother doing his magic. But that was the Jin family house. Although she was now the Jins' young madam, there was still her mother-in-law living in the Jin family house. She needed to respect Huang Yuyan's opinion first before making decisions.
Long Jinjing understood her predicament. "Don't worry about it, little sister. I'll wait for Zihao to return and we'll decide what to do together. Just worry about your grandmother-in-law."
Iris nodded. "Thank you, Big Sister."
Later, at the Jin family house, the housekeeper and the household staff members welcomed Iris and Dom once again. They were also ecstatic to welcome the little masters.
"Little Master Haoyu looks so handsome! Just like Second Master Chonglin when he was young!"
"Little Master Lingyu is the Master's carbon copy!"
"Young Miss Ice Cream, Young Master Popcorn, welcome back!"
"Ah, what's the name of the little masters' guard dogs again? I forgot."
"Young Master Pudding and Young Master Chowder."
Chapter 1588 Goodbye, Grandma Li (Part I)
Nine days later, a row of black vehicles were parked in a neat line at a private memorial garden.
It was a beautiful sunny day. It should have been a perfect day if not for the wind chill. The air was cold and crisp. When the wind blew, people couldn't help but shiver and shrink into their coats.
Jin Liwei held an exquisite urn in his arms. The urn was simple yet elegant, with no over-the-top embellishments. His expression was icy and dark.
Beside him, Iris Long kept on rubbing his back but remained silent all the way. Her eyes were concealed by large, dark sunglasses. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
A little before them, Jin Chonglin held a framed photo of the Jin family's old matriarch. His shoulders shook and his mother, Huang Yuyan, stood beside him, also sobbing her heart out.
The superstar, Jin Chonglin, wore the largest and darkest sunglasses among the people present. Yet, they couldn't conceal the abundant tears streaming down his face. His fiancé, Chen Fei, kept on wiping as much of his tears as possible but they just kept on flowing.
Everyone listened to the chants by the invited monks.
As the monks chanted longer, it seemed to calm everyone, including the distraught Huang Yuyan and Jin Chonglin who couldn't seem to stop sobbing.
Grandma Li held no particular religious beliefs. However, she began living a more Buddhist spiritual life after the death of her husband, and especially after the death of her only son, the father of Jin Liwei and Jin Chonglin.
To respect her final wishes, her family gave her a Buddhist ceremony during her funeral.
Everything was simple. Even the flower arrangements were nothing too extravagant.
Simple and elegant. And with the ice-cold wind, it was as if the heavens were welcoming the arrival of Li Zhiruo, formerly known for her ice-cold beauty.
After Grandma Li's peaceful death, Iris helped her husband arrange the funeral. The husband and wife were the busiest.
Huang Yuyan and Jin Chonglin tried to help but the two were more hindrances than helpful.
Fortunately, Chen Fei and Long Jinjing stepped forward to help Iris with her share of the burden while Jin Liwei's sworn brothersâLin Yehan, Wang Yingjie, and Yumoâhelped with his share. His brother-in-law, Nikolai (Lu Zihao) helped block the media from intruding during the wake and the funeral.
It was inevitable that the media would want to acquire snapshots and footage of the wake and funeral. After all, there were two famous celebrities in the family.
Iris Long was a multi-award-winning musician known for her beauty, magnificent voice, and incredible artistry. Not to mention her shocking redemption arc from being a spoiled teenage pop star who everyone loved to hate into a much-loved musical artist who repeatedly made history.
Then there was the superstar, Jin Chonglin. There was no need to list his achievements. He was a true icon in every sense of the word despite only being in his late twenties. His meteoric rise in showbiz wasn't without any scandal but his contribution to the domestic showbusiness industry was undeniable.
Just these two were already media magnets.
However, there was also the current head of Jin Corporation, Jin Liwei, who was not only Iris Long's husband but Jin Chonglin's older brother as well. He could also be considered as a semi-celebrity.
The presence of these three people was enough to pique the media's desire to intrude at a private funeral.
To the media's disappointment and confusion, however, they failed again and again to obtain any useful snapshots and footage. The security surrounding the wake and funeral was incredibly tight.
Those who disguised themselves were all caught. Their expensive drones were all shot down.
What was worse was that they were all caught by the police. Even the Chief of Police was involved, adding not only to the embarrassment but also to the severity of the trespassing charges against them.
Back to the present, the urn was finally sealed.
A new tombstone was erected.
Now Grandma Li was finally reunited with her beloved husband.
Not only did everyone present paid their final respects to Grandma Li, but also paid their respects to her husband, one of the original founders of Jin Corporation.
This time, Grandpa Lu led everyone in paying respects. He poured one of his most expensive alcohol from his wine cellar.
"My brother, now that Zhiruo is with you, you won't have peace anymore!" Grandpa Lu's loud voice boomed in the memorial garden. "She'll nag at you night and day. I pity you, my brother. Bahahaha!"
Tears pooled in the old man's wrinkled eyes, but there was a wide smile on his face. "All of you have left me, but don't you worry! I, Lu Jianhong, am a man of my word! I will look after both of our families! I'll watch our families grow in your stead. I'll also ensure that Jin Corporation doesn't fall as long as I'm alive! Well, you have to thank our boy, Liwei, for that. He has always been reliable just like you, my brother...."
Everyone wiped tears from their eyes but also chuckled while listening to the old man ramble on and on. Nobody stopped him. Nobody thought that his words were too boring. In fact, everyone liked listening to his words. They were a welcome light-hearted respite to the heavy atmosphere.
"And now you, my boy," Grandpa Lu then moved on to the next grave.
It was Jin Liwei and Jin Chonglin's father who died young.
Huang Yuyan cried harder. She missed her husband every single day.
"I wish that you were here," Grandpa Lu said, pouring another bottle of alcohol. "Your mother and wife almost broke down and gave up on their lives when you left, but thanks to your eldest son who picked up the mantle, the family continues to thrive. As for your youngest son, although he did rebel at first, and ran away from home to enter showbiz, he did get lucky and succeeded. He's now a superstar."
"Grandpa, my success was all due to my talent, not luck!" Jin Chonglin protested. "Do you hear me?! My talent, not luck!!!"
Chapter 1589 Goodbye, Grandma Li (Part II)
The continuous laughter lightened the heavy atmosphere. Even the sobbing Huang Yuyan couldn't stop herself from chuckling.
Watching them, Iris Long hugged her husband. Although it was sad to watch a loved one pass away, seeing this manner of paying respects filled with love was something that she was experiencing for the first time. The Vetrovs certainly didn't pay respects to the dead like this.
The dead were the dead if you were a member of the most powerful criminal family in the underworld. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Of course, taking revenge was always inevitable, but after that, there was nothing.
For a criminal family like the Vetrovs, their life spans were statistically shorter than normal. Their lives were wrought with nonstop danger and cruelty. It was difficult for anyone among them to live past a certain age. There were so many others who targeted them, wanting their livesâmostly for revenge, as well.
To the Vetrovs, the dead would have to follow the rules of the dead.
Decompose obediently and return to ashes obediently.
Simple.
And brutal.
But that was the reality for organized criminals.
Iris glanced at her big brother behind her dark sunglasses.
Lu Zihao stood behind Grandpa Lu. His wife, Long Jinjing, stood beside him. His expression was cold and expressionless. The scars on his face appeared more distinct under the bright sunlight.
He seemed to sense her gaze. He turned his head and looked at her.
She sighed. Her brother's senses were still as accurate as ever. She seemed to have glimpsed Nikolai Vetrov's original face. But when she looked more closely, it was still Lu Zihao's scarred face.
In a way, there was a feeling of dissonance for the two of them.
This kind of love-filled funeral was something that neither of them, brother and sister, had experienced before. It felt warm despite the bitingly cold wind.
"Are you alright?" Jin Liwei whispered in her ear. His hot breath felt very comfortable. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his body heat.
She nodded. "How about you? Are you alright?"
He gave her a weak smile. "With you and our children by my side, I should be alright." He kissed her head, then whispered to her ear again. "Please don't leave me, love. Okay?"
She could hear the desperation in his low voice. Her heart softened. She pushed away all the thoughts about the Vetrovs out of her mind and focused on the present. Her husband and her in-laws needed her.
"I won't," she said. "I'll always be here for you."
After the funeral, everyone made their way back to the Jin family house.
The Chief of Police and his wife, Si Xinyue (JJNumber1Fan), also attended the funeral because of their relationship with Iris Long. Even before being asked, the Police Chief had already volunteered to assist the Jin family and the funeral attendees from being harassed by the media.
Lu Zihao's Shadow Winds also helped behind the scenes while making sure to stay far away from the police force. Their methods were much less honourable compared to the police but were swifter and more effective.
Of course, Bacon and Ketchup were also irreplaceable. The AI cat siblings' contribution to their family maintaining privacy during this difficult time was extremely important. They easily detected any intruders via the public CCTV system and relayed their findings to their parents' security team and Uncle Haohao's subordinates.
As for the police, never mind them. They had direct access to the public CCTV system. If they couldn't utilize their own instruments, then they were idiots.
This was Bacon's opinion. The black AI cat had already been directly influenced by his Uncle Haohao's crooked values.
Ketchup didn't think much about it. She was just happy to help her mommy and daddy and their whole family.
Back to the present, the vehicles entered the Jin family house's yard one by one.
Although the property wasn't as large as the palatial Dragon Palace Home #10, it was still a veritable villa. Calling it a simple family house didn't do it any justice, but the humbleness in the address was something that Iris always appreciated.
It felt more like an ancestral home than the Long ancestral home with its long history. There were more happy memories contained within the Jin family house compared to the cold, distant history shackled by numerous rules at the Long ancestral home.
As the current mistress of the Jin family house, Huang Yuyan was the first to disembark the vehicle followed by her eldest son and daughter-in-law. Jin Liwei escorted both his wife and mother as they all entered the house.
Following behind them in another vehicle was the Jin's second master, Jin Chonglin and his fiancée, Chen Fei.
Next were Grandpa Lu, Lu Zihao, and Long Jinjing.
All of them stood by the front hall to welcome and thank all of the people who attended the old matriarch's funeral today.
There were quite a number of people who made the time and effort to attend today's funeral. Family, friends, relatives, acquaintances, and business partners.
Iris thanked all of them along with her husband and the others. Some of them attended because of their relationship with her. She didn't have the time to chat with them earlier at the funeral, so she took this time to express her gratitude to them.
Jin Liwei's sworn brothers all attended and helped with the funeral arrangements.
Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue.
Wang Yingjie.
Yu Mo.
They joined the Jin and Lu families in greeting and thanking the attendees at the front hall.
Long Tengfei and his wife, Yang Jiahui, came with their niece, Meimei.
The elder, Long Jufang, also thickened his face and came with them to attend the funeral.
Iris didn't mind the elder's presence. They might be using each other to achieve their own goals in the Longs' battle of succession, but it was a fact that the elder had given Iris and her Phantom Dragon Funds tremendous help in buying scattered Long Industry shares.
Surprisingly, Long Jian also came today. He offered condolence to the Jin and Lu families. Then when it came to her, he harrumphed.
"I didn't come for you, so don't think that we're close," he said.
She chuckled. "I know."
Then he whispered, "Long Hui wanted to come but Father scolded him and told him to stay away from the funeral."
Chapter 1590 Goodbye, Grandma Li (Part III)
Iris raised an eyebrow.
Long Jian wanted to tell her more, but the other attendees started arriving. He hesitated before saying, "I'll talk to you later."
She nodded.
This wasn't the time to gossip. She needed to perform her duties as the Jin family head's wife.
Clover Chua and Alona Bauer took time off from their busy schedules and flew from Europe to attend the funeral.
Alric Buaer and the other representatives of the Orchidia headquarters also came.
Executives from Jin Corporation and Jin Liwei's close business partners.
Qiao Yu, Iris' long-time financial manager.
Representatives from Iris' other businesses.
Hou Liang (MonkeyFace) and Wu Chen (iEatSlippers) represented not only Planet Monkey but also the Black Stars.
Other Black Stars also attended. The four posh ladies came. Feng Wan (MrsLovePhantom) and her friends, Bai Li (JJNumber2Fan) and Kung Mian (JJNumber3Fan). Of course, Si Xinyue (JJNumber1Fan) attended with her Chief of Police husband.
Madam Feng Wan's cousin, Feng Jui, also attended. She was the host of the long-running talk show, "A Close Look with Feng Jiu".
There were also representatives from Bright Summit Entertainment Company, the former management of both Iris Long and Jin Chonglin.
Lin Dong, Jin Chonglin's long-time manager, and Tang Yiyi, Iris Long's manager attended as well.
JJ also came to offer his condolences.
Atty. Kang Huizhong, Jin Liwei's corporate lawyer.
Enrique Valdez came as well.
Not only him. Others flew all the way from Cross Academy to attend the funeral.
AJ Zheneres, Theresa Blipsburg, and Amanpio Kileksky all came.
Ashandra Knightson already called Iris. She wanted to come, too, but since the threat to her safety hadn't been cleared yet, she had to continue staying at the academy and could only offer her condolences over the phone.
Even Professor Erwan Dupont, the academy headmaster, and Giulia Moretti, the admissions officer sent their own representatives.
Iris' other mentors and schoolmates from the academy couldn't attend but all of them already contacted her beforehand.
Even the absent Wei Lan had called her last night to offer her condolence to the entire Jin family. Fortunately, Wei Lan was quite tactful this time and didn't annoy Iris at all with her usual drivel.
It seemed that René Alejandro also called but Iris didn't get the chance to speak with him. Dom was the one who answered the call.
Wei Lan and her stepson were still taking care of the severely injured Spanish viscount in Barbados. There was still no news as to when they would leave there.
More people attended the funeral.
Friends and acquaintances of Grandma Li, Huang Yuyan, and Jin Chonglin. Of course, some came because of their relationship with Grandpa Lu.
The members of the Jin family branches came. This time, nobody made any trouble.
After what happened to Jin Chenggong and his mysterious disappearance, nobody dared to go against Jin Liwei anymore. They understood that Jin Liwei now led their clan with an iron fist. More importantly, they had no choice but to accept Iris Long as the head's wife. If they didn't, they might suffer the consequences like Jin Chenggong and his family. Although none of them knew what exactly happened to him, the speculations were too frightening to even consider.
When everyone came inside the house, Iris and Jin Liwei invited everyone to eat lunch together. Nothing too formal. People were free to roam around while eating to chat with each other. Most of them chatted about Grandma Li.
Iris took this chance to check on the children. Long Jinjing and Jiang Ying Yue had the same idea as her.
They all went upstairs.
"Mommy! Mama! Anty!"
Little Jun was the fastest. He barrelled towards them. Jiang Ying Yue caught her son. No problem at all.
"Mama! Mama!"
"Ma!"
Next, the Jin twins toddled towards their mommy.
Behind them, the Lu twins crawled towards their own mother.
Their guard dogs walked beside their little masters, making sure that they didn't trip or fall on their faces.
Gravy limped and sat down by Jiang Ying Yue's feet, wagging his tail. Behind him, Little Jun's new guard dog, Buster, followed suit, mimicking his older brother, Gravy, a hero who had saved their little master.
Dom followed behind the children along with the nannies.
"Thanks, Dom, for helping look after the kids," Iris said.
Long Jinjing and Jiang Ying Yue also sent him grateful smiles. As mothers, although they trusted their children's nannies, they trusted their friend more. The nannies received compensation for their job of taking care of the children, but Dom did it for his pure love for the kids. Iris and the other two knew that Dom would never do anything bad to their children and would protect them with his life.
"Don't mention it." Dom tried to play it cool but the doting look in his eyes couldn't be concealed.
"Come and eat with us downstairs," Iris said.
"Clover and Meimei are already wolfing down your favourite dishes," Long Jinjing said next. "If you don't come and eat yet, there won't be anything left for you."
"They dare!" Dom sent the kids rapid flying kisses before running downstairs.
Food was life, after all.
Jiang Ying Yue chuckled. Her son, Little Jun, followed suit, laughing alongside her despite not understanding what was so funny.
The three mothers herded their children downstairs with the help of the nannies. The German Shepherd guard dogs were all disciplined. They formed a protective circle around the group, performing their duties naturally without needing any commands.
Iris looked around. "Where are Ice Cream and Popcorn?" Nôv(el)B\\jnn
One of the nannies answered, "Reporting to Madam, Housekeeper Yi Mei took the two cats somewhere to prevent them from being frightened by the visitors."
"Oh." Iris nodded.
But she smiled at the mention of her old housekeeper. Yi Mei had been watching over her old Gold Heights penthouse. She rarely went to stay there anymore, but Yi Mei would still update her about the penthouse's maintenance. Yi Mei and her subordinates would also clean up the condo unit that Iris gifted to her godson, Little Jun, located in the same building.
This time, Iris called Yi Mei to come help with looking after her cat children. Ice Cream and Popcorn both grew up at her penthouse unit, so they were very familiar with Yi Mei.