Chapter 181 - When Are We Going To Marry?
After Jin Chonglin completed his cool down exercises, he headed for the showers.
Lin Dong went to the kitchen for something to eat. As a celebrity, Jin Chonglin was very weight conscious and strict of his own diet so all the food in his kitchen were "healthy". Lin Dong sighed looking at the unappetizing (for him) choices. In the end, he settled for some dried squid before heading to the living room to watch TV.
Finally, Jin Chonglin appeared. His hair was still damp. He went to his kitchen and started cooking.
"Want some eggs?" he hollered to his manager.
"Yeah!" Lin Dong immediately abandoned the dried squid and returned to the kitchen.
Within a few minutes, Jin Chonglin cooked egg omelettes. He gave two to his manager and made one for himself. Lin Dong started eating immediately, while Jin Chonglin prepared a ripe avocado to go with his own omelette.
They were interrupted by the sound of Jin Chonglin's ringing phone.
He glanced at the caller. He frowned, deciding not to answer it.
Lin Dong could already guess who it was just based on Jin Chonglin's expression.
The phone stopped ringing but two seconds later, it rang again. Jin Chonglin sighed deeply before answering the phone. His unwillingness was clear on his face.
"Hello, Xiao Luo?"
"Big Brother Lin, what took you so long to answer my call? Where are you? Who are you with?" Fan Luo's voice could be heard even when the call wasn't on speakerphone. Even Lin Dong could hear her.
Jin Chonglin scowled, feeling irritated. She didn't even greet him properly, bombarding him instead with her suspicious questions. "Why did you call, Xiao Luo?"
"Oh Big Brother Lin, you're so cold to me now!" She began making crying noises.
He fought the urge to roll his eyes. He gave his manager a helpless look. "Tell me why you called."
"I'm your fiancée! Do I need a reason every time I want to call you?! We never spend time together anymore. I miss you so much, Big Brother Lin! Can I come over to your house today?"
"No," he immediately said. "Sorry, but I'm busy right now. I'm planning to write my next music so I don't want to be disturbed."
"Busy! You're always busy every time I want to spend time with you! You don't love me anymore!"
Jin Chonglin sighed, looking up at the ceiling. He wished for more patience. He never loved Fan Luo. He only cared about her as a childhood friend and almost like a sister. Then he became attracted to her body as a lover. Recently, however, Fan Luo was getting on his nerves more frequently that he could feel his heart turning cold towards her.
"Xiao Luo, if that's all you have to say, I'm hanging up."
"No! Please don't, Big Brother Lin! I need to talk to you!"
"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"
"Big Brother, when are we going to marry? We've been engaged for almost two years now, but you still won't allow me to start planning our wedding. Everyone is getting impatient. Our parents want to have grandchildren soon."
He frowned. "It's not the right time yet."
"You always say that! When will be the right time for you? If I continue to wait, I'll be an old maid by then."
"I told you I'm busy right now. I have a lot of work commitments that I just can't abandon."
"Big Brother, you're Jin Chonglin! You're already a big star! It won't hurt you even if you take an entire year off or more."
"Xiao Luo! You don't know how brutal it is working in showbiz. Don't talk like you know what it's like! Becoming a big star doesn't give anyone immunity in this industry!"
"Why are you yelling at me?" she whined. "You've become so harsh to me!"
Jin Chonglin closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he calmed down a little, he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just don't like that you make it sound as if showbiz is easy when it isn't."
"Alright, Big Brother," she said. "Even if you're treating me so coldly and harshly, I still love you."
"Mmn." He made a noise, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"So can we marry soon?"
He scowled.
"I think that we should marry soon and prove to everyone that our families are still close as ever! You don't know how my family is suffering right now!" She began sobbing. "Oh Big Brother Lin, everyone is mocking us because Jin Corporation doesn't want to work with our company anymore. They're saying that our families have become estranged and that our wedding is cancelled! My entire Fan family feels so humiliated! My mother and I are both suffering from depression! My dad, brothers and uncles barely have any face left in the business industry. Why is Elder Brother Liwei suddenly acting so cruel to us?!"
"I'm sure my brother has a reason. Don't think too much about it," he told her.
"But Big Brother Lin! We can't take the mockery and humiliation any longer! Elder Brother Liwei refuses to give us an explanation. Even when Auntie spoke to him on our behalf, he's still continuing to be cruel to us!"
Jin Chonglin didn't like how she was accusing his older brother. He might not be very close to his older brother especially in recent years but Jin Liwei was still his brother. He felt defensive hearing other people badmouthing his family.
"It's not my brother's fault. He's not the one mocking or humiliating your family. All he did was to reject your company's business proposals. My brother is an excellent businessman. All of us Jins trust in his leadership. I'm sure that he has a logical reason for his decision to reject your company's proposals. Perhaps there's something wrong with the proposals you presented."
"What logical reason? He just clearly hates us! And our proposals are perfect!" Fan Luo was beyond reason now.
"Stop it! I refuse to talk to you if you continue being unreasonable like this. Stop blaming my brother, do you understand?"
Then he hung up the phone without waiting for her reply.
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Chapter 182 - Yes Or No
Ten seconds later, the phone started ringing again.
Jin Chonglin thought of ignoring it but thinking of the consequences, he still decided to answer the phone. If he ignored Fan Luo's call, she would likely call him nonstop. Worse, she might decide to storm his house.
When he picked up the call, he hadn't even said anything yet before hearing her crying loudly.
"Big Brother Lin, I'm so sorry! I just feel so upset about what's happening to my family. Please don't be mad at me!" She sobbed hard.
His heart softened a bit. Although she frequently got on his nerves, he couldn't just discard the fact that he watched her grow up from a little girl to a woman.
Sighing, he told her in a gentler voice, "Alright. Don't cry anymore."
She cried some more before calming down. The she asked, "Can I ask a favour?"
"What favour?"
"It's like this... Can you speak to Elder Brother Liwei? My dad, brothers and uncles don't mind the proposals he rejected anymore. Honestly! It's just that...there's this business project that our company really wants to participate in. My father says that we need this project to grow our company to the next level."
"Is it a Jin Corporation project?" he asked.
"No."
He frowned, confused. "Then why do you need me to talk to my brother when it's not even his business project?"
"It's because ever since Jin Corporation rejected our last proposals, other companies started snubbing us. Even though Jin Corporation is not directly involved in this upcoming business project, the ones involved have connections with Jin Corporation. All we need is a good word from Elder Brother Liwei. Although he doesn't want to work with us anymore, that doesn't mean that he'll stop us from working with others, right? Please, Big Brother Lin! Can you talk to him? This is really important to my family!"
Jin Chonglin hesitated. "I need to think about this first."
"Big Brother Lin, please! I'm begging you!"
"Have you talked to my mother about this yet?"
"We did. Both Mom and I talked to Auntie. She said that she already tried talking to Elder Brother Liwei but he won't do anything. That's why I'm asking you, Big Brother Lin. Please do this for me! Or even just for the sake of our dead baby!"
He immediately scowled. "Xiao Luo! We already talked about this. I told you not to use the child you miscarried like this."
She started crying again. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just still so depressed over my miscarriage. Big Brother Lin, I want a baby!"
His lips pressed together into a thin line. "We're not going to talk about this right now."
"But I really want a baby. Mom and Auntie are also looking forward to a grandchild."
"Xiao Luo!"
"Fine. I'll stop but I hope that you won't forget that we have a dead baby. Even if you don't want to talk about it, you can't erase that part of our past."
Jin Chonglin massaged his temples. Lin Dong poured him a cup of orange juice. He nodded his thanks to his manager before drinking.
"Alright," he said, sighing. "I'll try talking to my brother."
"Really? Thank you!"
"But don't get your hopes up. If even our mother can't persuade him, there's even less chance that he'll listen to me."
"Please just try!"
He sighed again. "Okay."
"Thank you, Big Brother Lin! I love you so much!"
He made a noncommittal sound. He let her chatter for a few more moments before finally hanging up the phone. Slumping on a stool, he felt exhausted all of a sudden.
"Why don't you break up with her?" Lin Dong asked, patting him on the shoulder. "You're so miserable now. You're clearly not happy. This is not the Jin Chonglin that I know."
Jin Chonglin sighed deeply. "You think it's that easy to break up? If it's just her, I would've broken up with her long ago. But there's our families that I need to consider. I personally don't care about the Fans, but my mother adores them. With my brother suddenly distancing Jin Corporation from the Fans, if I break up with Xiao Luo, there's no doubt that our two families will immediately turn hostile and become enemies. My mother will become heartbroken if that happens. I shouldn't have proposed to her in the first place."
"What a pain in the a**," Lin Dong commented. "I often envy you for being born into such a prestigious and rich family but in a situation like this, I'm glad that I'm from a normal household. You can't even break up with your girlfriend, I mean your fiancée, without triggering a war between families. Hai! So complicated."
"Yeah, unfortunately."
They were interrupted once again by another phone call.
"Is it her again?" Lin Dong asked.
Jin Chonglin checked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Curious, Lin Dong peeked and saw "Big Bro" on the caller display. "Whoa. Is that who I think it is?"
"Yeah."
"Holy sh*t! Answer it quickly! This is Jin Liwei we're talking about!"
Jin Chonglin gave him a side-eye. "He's just my brother, you know. Why are you acting so starstruck?"
"Are you kidding me?! I know he's your brother, but he's also THE Jin Liwei! Hurry up and answer! I wanna hear his voice."
Jin Chonglin rolled his eyes, and then answered the phone. "Hello?"
"It's me," Jin Liwei's cold voice said as a greeting.
"I know. It's so rare that you're calling me, Big Bro."
"I need to talk to you."
"Alright. What is it?"
"Are you alone?"
Jin Chonglin glanced at the excited Lin Dong. "No, my manager is with me."
"Either ask him to leave or you go somewhere else."
He immediately felt curious. "Alright. Wait." Turning to his manager, he told him, "Sorry, can you go to the living room for now? My brother has something important to tell me."
"Oh. Okay," Lin Dong was disappointed but respected the request. He left the kitchen to give the brothers privacy.
"He's gone," Jin Chonglin said.
"Good." Jin Liwei hesitated for a couple of seconds before asking, "Do you really want to marry Fan Luo?"
Jin Chonglin was surprised. "Why do you ask?"
"Answer me. Yes or no."
"I..."
Jin Chonglin was indecisive but Jin Liwei waited for his reply patiently. More than a minute passed before he finally answered.
"No, I don't want to marry her."
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Chapter 183 - We're Brothers
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jin Chonglin immediately felt lighter. It felt good to admit aloud that he no longer wanted to marry his fiancée. However, he still couldn't stop the feeling of guilt because after all he was the one who proposed to Fan Luo in the first place.
He had no idea why his brother was suddenly asking him this. Jin Liwei was cold and bossy, so for a rebel like Jin Chonglin who refused to work for the company and carved his own path in showbiz instead, it may appear to others that the brothers didn't get along. Their five-year age gap also fueled this speculation even further.
Contrary to what others thought, the brothers actually got along well. Although it was true that they didn't interact much in recent years, it was only because Jin Liwei had to abruptly succeed as head of Jin Corporation during his mid-twenties after their father died due to heart failure. Jin Liwei became too busy with stabilizing the company after their father's death and also in establishing his own position.
Jin Chonglin could still remember when they were children that his older brother always looked out for him. Even then, Jin Liwei already had a cold and indifferent personality but he cared for the people important to him.
He always held great respect for his older brother because he knew that he could never be as firm or reliable as Jin Liwei. Jin Chonglin could be as wild and unfettered as he wanted because he knew that his older brother would always be there to clean up his mess and balance things out.
However, at the end of the day, he was still a member of the Jin family. He knew that there were some limits that he couldn't cross. If there was no Fan family attached to his fiancée, he would've broken up with her long ago. To make matters more complicated was that his mother treated the Fans as family and adored Fan Luo like her own daughter.
Jin Chonglin was a rebel but he wasn't heartless. He could forsake the Jins and perhaps even his older brother, but never would he dare hurt his mother.
So in this matter with Fan Luo, he felt torn. He knew that his brother prioritized the good of the family. Jin Chonglin honestly didn't know how Jin Liwei would react to his admission.
Finally, Jin Liwei replied. "Good. You shouldn't marry that kind of insane woman."
"Eh?" Jin Chonglin was taken aback. Did his brother just refer to Fan Luo as an insane woman?
"Now listen to what I'm going to say," Jin Liwei continued, oblivious to his brother's surprise. "We're going to plan your breakup in a way that minimizes the impact on both families, especially on Mother."
"Ah? What?" Jin Chonglin was too stunned to make sense of what his brother was saying.
"The Fans are very ambitious and had clung to their connection to us Jins in order to reach their current status. They won't allow you to escape their clutches that easily. I'm already starting to distance Jin Corporation from them, but if your marriage with their daughter continued as planned, I'm sure they will find various ways to worm inside the company."
"Why the sudden aversion to the Fans? Did they do something against you?"
Jin Liwei didn't answer immediately.
"Not to me personally," he eventually said. "But to someone important to me. Now I'm regretting my connection to the Fans. I wish I didn't directly involve myself in their matters, even though my intention was to protect our family."
"Someone important to you? Who?" Jin Chonglin was confused. Was it their mother? But their mother was still close to the Fans as ever. Who else was close to his brother? Was it his four best friends? But those guys could take care of themselves. Or was it him?
"Never mind about that for now. You'll eventually find out."
"Alright. So what's your plan, Big Bro?"
"You can't breakup with Fan Luo for now because she'll most likely go crazy. Just distance yourself from her and avoid any interactions with her as much as possible. If she or her family starts harassing you or asks our mother to intervene, call me immediately. I'll send some of my subordinates to guard you if you need them."
Jin Chonglin listened attentively as Jin Liwei gave more specific instructions. Afterwards, he couldn't help but sigh. "I know that the situation is serious but I didn't realize that it's this serious. It won't be very easy for us to disentangle ourselves from the Fans, especially with Mom involved. I wish I didn't do what I did. I'm regretting it so badly now. I didn't think that I would change my mind and feelings like this when I made that decision in the past."
"Yeah. Me too," Jin Liwei also said with a deep sigh. "But what's past is already in the past. All we can do is change ourselves in the present and work for a different future."
Jin Chonglin didn't know why his brother said these words but he decided not to comment. The brothers discussed their plans some more. Now Jin Chonglin felt less indecisive and a little more confident. He wished he talked to his older brother sooner. Jin Liwei always solved things.
"Thanks, Big Bro," he said.
"We're brothers," Jin Liwei's calm voice replied.
"Yeah, we're brothers."
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Chapter 184 - KeymonSTER
Just like Jin Chonglin predicted, "Rebirth Melodies" couldn't reach the top of the music charts. It fluctuated around the eighth, ninth and tenth positions, sometimes even looking like it would fall down from the top 10.
The piano version of "Rebirth" and "Phantom of Your Love" were in the tenth and eighteenth positions respectively while "Black Star" was thirty-sixth in the singles ranking.
Although these results looked disappointing, especially when compared to the success of the original "Rebirth" album which was still reigning at the top of the music charts, it already defied the predictions made by most of the music industry experts. For an instrumental album like this to reach this height was already a great and unexpected achievement, especially when it was by a musician who many considered as a "second-rate pop singer".
Only Iris Long's dedicated haters mocked her piano album for not reaching the same level of success as the original "Rebirth" album. They chose to ignore the piano album's growing success overseas, especially in Europe. It had now entered the top 20 in six European countries. In three of these countries, "Rebirth Melodies" was in the top 10 in the music charts.
In fact, JJ's record label was already receiving various offers from abroad inviting Iris Long to perform in those countries. Of course JJ wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste, deliberately leaking the information to the public.
When Iris' fans learned of this, they went crazy with delight. Her official fan club, the Black Stars, were especially ecstatic and proud.
CaptainBlackStar: "Listen up, comrades! This is the proof that our boss is now a world-class musician! We, the Black Stars, need to prepare ourselves when our boss decides to take on the international scene. We need to be there to support her all the way!"
"Yeah! Our boss is the best!"
"I'm crying. I feel so emotional. Someone pinch me. I think I'm dreaming."
iEatSlippers: "What pinch? Here, I'll whack you with my mighty slippers instead! You're not dreaming! THIS IS NOT A DREAM!!!"
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"Wow. Just wow. Boss is just so wow."
iEatSlippers: "Slippers Army, let's follow Captain's instructions and prepare ourselves. Go polish your slippers because when our boss ventures out into the international scene, we need to be ready to wave our mighty slippers in her honour and whack anyone who dares stand in her way!"
LittlePhoenix: "Yeah! All hail our mighty slippers! In the name of Boss Iris!"
"This uncle will follow the boss wherever she wants to go! I'm ready! Let's go!"
MrsLovePhantom: "I'm so proud of Iris. She deserves the recognition she's getting both in our country and abroad as well. She's such a talented girl. I can't wait to see how far she'll go. I'll continue to support her."
Her three friends echoed her statement.
Many netizens also commented on this leak. Although many were like the Black Stars, supporting and congratulating Iris Long, there were also some who were skeptical.
"This is just unsubstantiated rumour. There is no confirmation whether these alleged offers from abroad are real or not."
"Who leaked this? Answer: Iris Long!"
"Iris Long is getting too ahead of herself. She just wants more publicity to maintain her current top position in the music charts."
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Of course, her haters wouldn't miss this chance to hate on her even more.
"Hah! I told you. A fame wh*re will always be a fame wh*re! Iris changed her image to a goody two-shoes but deep inside she's still the same black-hearted fame wh*re!"
"What invitations from abroad? They're probably sent by strip clubs or something. Maybe even brothels! Because that's where sl*ts like her belong!"
"I hate you, Iris Long! I wish you died in the car crash! Go kill yourself!"
The last comment was reported by many users as abusive and the web admins eventually removed it. There were many other dummy accounts like this. Their sole purpose was to hate on Iris Long.
A few hours later, a number of people's identities and personal information were all revealed to the internet. These people were apparently connected to the anti-Iris dummy accounts, either by using the accounts themselves or by hiring others to leave hate comments about Iris Long on the web.
When their real identities and personal information were revealed to the public, many people were shocked because most of them were young socialites from some of the most prominent families in the country.
But this was not all.
In addition to their real identities and personal information, scandals about them were also exposed for everyone to see. A lot of them were featured in nude photos and a couple of them even had sex tapes. Records of abortions, secret children, and all kinds of dirt were also dug out.
The families of these socialites immediately went into lockdown mode, refusing to speak to the media, as they frantically contacted their respective PR teams to salvage their reputation.
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A few days later, the authorities issued a search warrant for a hacker named KeymonSTER. It seemed that the hacker taunted the socialites' families that if they didn't control their children, he would expose all the dirty laundry these families were hiding. He was very bold by revealing his hacker name.
Overnight, KeymonSTER became a household name as an infamous hacker.
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Chapter 185 - Posh Gossip Over Champagne
Feng Wan and her three friends were watching the evening news on TV inside her mansion. They just ate a fine French-inspired dinner cooked by a private chef. Now they were relaxing in the living area while sipping rosé champagne in sparkling crystal flutes.
The news were currently covering the recent scandals surrounding the young socialites and the newly infamous hacker who exposed them, KeymonSTER.
Although the four posh ladies disapproved of the hacker's cruel method, they didn't have any sympathy for the socialites either. After all, they wrote such hateful and abusive comments about Iris Long on the internet. For that alone, the ladies already thought badly of them.
"We know many of these children," Feng Wan's first friend commented, shaking her head. "I can't believe that they can be so despicable!"
The second friend nodded. "I'm even friends with some of their parents. Now I have to re-evaluate my relationship with them. I'm so aghast!"
"Hmm... I always see this group of children together," the third friend who was also the wife of the Police Chief said. "They're all friends, but I think they're missing someone. I can't remember who..."
"It's the Fan girl," Feng Wan replied after sipping her champagne. "If I remember correctly, she's the leader of this group. How odd that she's not included."
First friend: "Oh! You're right! Now I remember."
Second friend: "I wonder why she's not included in this disgraced group. Perhaps she's a real good girl and has no scandal that can be exposed."
The Chief of Police's wife scoffed. "Good girl? I doubt it. It's an open secret that the Fans are slimy opportunists who keep on using their connection to the Jins to raise their status."
"True." The second friend nodded. "The Fans were originally just a local pawnshop in their province before their current Madam married into the Fan family. Madam Fan's former school friend was already Madam Jin that time, so she reconnected with her.
First friend: "Yes, I also know this story. The Jins were already at the top of the business world by that time along with the Lus. If we really think about it, if she didn't reconnect with Madam Jin, the Fans would probably still be in their province running their little pawnshop. But look at them now."
"Indeed," the Chief of Police's wife agreed. "They've expanded their business big time and even crossed over to several other fields, using their connection to the Jins. My husband tells me that the Fans are involved in some corruption but since nobody has exposed or reported them yet, the police can't do anything. Besides, their connection to the Jins is something to be wary of."
Second friend: "But I heard that the two families aren't on good terms anymore. I'm sure all of you heard about Jin Corporation rejecting all of the Fans' proposals to participate in the corporation's business projects. There are also rumours that the Fan girl and the Jin's second son have broken up."
First friend: "Those are just rumours. The Jin's Second Master is a big celebrity, even more famous than our dear Iris. If he really broke up with the Fan girl, I'm sure that it'll be all over the news."
The ladies nodded.
"If they're still engaged and have not broken up, then why would Jin Corporation suddenly stop wanting to work with the Fans?" The Chief of Police's wife was puzzled.
Feng Wan set her champagne flute on the accent table beside her. "You just said that your husband knows that the Fans are involved in some kind of corruption. Perhaps Jin Liwei also became aware of it. That boy is smart and knows his priorities. Although he hasn't been able to take Jin Corporation to a new higher level, he's doing an excellent job in maintaining the company's top position in the country's business world. That alone already shows his topnotch abilities. The Fans may be a family friend but it's not worth it to be dragged in the mud with them when their dirty laundry is aired to the public. That boy will prioritize his family and Jin Corporation over others."
Second friend: "You seem to know a lot about Jin Liwei."
Feng Wan shrugged. "Not really. This is just my own conjecture. Who knows? Perhaps the Fans' business proposals just sucked very badly that the boy had no choice but to reject them. Maybe that's the real reason why he's suddenly distancing Jin Corporation from the Fans."
The ladies all laughed.
Afterwards, the first friend returned to the earlier topic they were discussing. "So do you think the Fan girl is also involved in these young socialites' hate campaign against our dear Iris?"
Second friend: "Yes."
The wife of the Police Chief nodded.
"It's possible," Feng Wan said. "If I remember correctly, there were rumours about an affair between our dear Iris and that Jin Chonglin boy. There also seems to be an incident when the Fan girl denounced our dear Iris as the 'other woman'. Just with these alone, I'm sure that the Fan girl has bad feelings for our dear Iris."
Her friends all agreed with her.
"If she really has something to do with this hate campaign, then she's really crafty," Feng Wan continued. "I don't believe that KeymonSTER hacker will exclude her if he found about her, so she must've directed her friends on the hate campaign without doing the dirty deeds herself. But who knows? Perhaps the Fan girl is really innocent in this matter and we're just overthinking."
Her friends scoffed. Innocent? Someone spawned by the Fans?
The four posh ladies continued to gossip over champagne well into the night.
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Chapter 186 - Cuckoo Monster
Platinum Sky Condominium.
After their business lesson that day, Grandpa Lu invited Iris to go with him somewhere. He said that he wanted to introduce her to his dearest friend who was currently staying in the countryside. Iris had no reason to decline and she was also curious, so she agreed.
She followed him up to the rooftop where a private helicopter was already waiting for them. She was only momentarily surprised seeing a helipad on top of the building, but since this was Grandpa Lu's property, she didn't think it was that unusual.
The pilot greeted them and assisted the two of them into the helicopter. Grandpa Lu glared at the male pilot who tried to fasten Iris' seat belt.
"No touching my granddaughter, boy!"
The poor pilot flinched at the sharp warning, but he was a professional and quickly recovered. He apologized before backing away.
Iris glanced at Grandpa Lu. Did he just call her his granddaughter?
"What?" Grandpa Lu asked, catching her looking at him. "You're my student but I already consider you as my granddaughter. You're already family to me. Besides, you're already calling me Grandpa! What's wrong with me calling you my granddaughter? I want to know!"
She felt touched by his words. "There's nothing wrong, Grandpa Lu. Thank you."
"Ahaha! Good. Very good!" Then he personally helped her fasten her seat belt.
The pilot handed each of them aviation headsets before heading to the cockpit at the front. Grandpa Lu's two bodyguards sat at the back.
Moments later, they were flying in the air.
Iris watched in fascination at the aerial view of the city she now called home. It was all concrete and modern buildings. Not really beautiful or breathtaking, but she imagined that it would be mesmerizing at night with all the city lights. Perhaps she would be able to see the aerial night view of the city later depending on what time they returned from wherever they were going.
"Xiulan my girl, I heard that you're having trouble with some young socialites around your age? Why do they hate you so much? I want to know!" Grandpa Lu's booming voice sounded over her headset.
She shrugged. "I'm not having trouble with them. I don't even know most of them. Besides, there are many people who hate me. They're not the first ones."
"Hmph! They're just entitled brats who are jealous that you're working for your own success when all they're doing is waiting for their parents to drop dead so that they could start collecting their inheritance! Absolute garbage! Those socialites have always been a bunch of snobs!"
Iris looked uninterested.
Grandpa Lu saw her reaction or lack thereof. He threw his head back and laugh uproariously. "Ahaha! That's my granddaughter! I'm so glad that you're not like those Longs who're some of the most snobbish people I've ever encountered in my life. They look down on other people too much that they're looking up instead. Maybe that's why your family crest depicts a dragon looking up! The Longs think too highly of themselves that they're forgetting to keep their feet on the ground!"
She leaned to the window and continued to observe the aerial view of the ground. They already left the city and was now above the highways.
"Don't take my words as an insult to your family, my girl! Your father, Long Tengfei, is a good man. He is like his father, your grandfatherâbless his soulâwho was a talented businessman. Not as good as me, of course! Ahahaha! Good men, both of them. A bit stupid when it comes to women but other than that, they're unlike the rest of the Longs, especially the old ones."
Iris nodded, agreeing that Long Tengfei was indeed a good man. As for the rest of the Longs, she didn't really have much opinion about them. All she had were the unpleasant memories of the original Iris about them, especially of the elders who kept on criticizing her and her mother, Wei Lan. They were strangers to her, so she didn't really care about them.
"By the way, my girl! That hacker who exposed those brats on the internet, I forgot the name, Cookie Monster or something? Are you that Cookie Monster hacker?"
"No, Grandpa Lu," she said, chuckling at his mistake. "It wasn't me. And it's KeymonSTER, not Cookie Monster."
"KeymonSTER, Cookie Monster...Cuckoo Monster. They all sound the same! Why choose such a weird and ugly name when there are so many other cooler names to choose from? I want to know!"
Iris just laughed, feeling very entertained by his words.
Grandpa Lu looked pleased that she was now showing interest in what he was saying. He didn't really mind her earlier disinterest because both of them were from Cross Academy. He understood and could relate to her. After all, most geniuses followed their own pace without really caring about what other people thought of them.
However, he must train her not to show her disinterest so obviously to others especially in the world of business. Networking was extremely important in business. Showing disinterest while networking was detrimental. He wasn't worried, though. The girl was a fast learner and would surely improve in this aspect.
"So you're not Cuckoo Monster. Then it means that there's another hacker who's helping you."
"Yes."
"Do you know who Cuckoo Monster is?"
She nodded.
"You do? Ahaha! Are you friends? Did you tell him to help you? I want to know!"
"No, we're not friends. I just met him once before, but he doesn't know that I'm also a hacker. He only knows me as Iris Long. And no, I didn't ask him to do anything for me. He did everything on his own volition."
"Well, Xiulan my girl. You may have many haters, but it seems that you also have many supporters. Good. Very good!" He reached over and patted her shoulder. "Don't mind the haters. The higher you go, the more haters you'll acquire and the bigger their jealousy will grow because they wish they can climb as high as you but can't. That's why they wish for your downfall, so that they can feel better about their pathetic selves."
Iris shrugged, beginning to become disinterested again. "I don't care about what the haters think about me. I don't think about them at all."
"Ahaha! That's what I want to hear!"
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Chapter 187 - The Two Madams
The helicopter landed in a designated helipad within a mountainous estate. The plant life in the place looked abundant and natural yet also orderly. At first glance, the place looked untouched yet the man-made infrastructures such as the helipad, power lines, and paved roads obviously meant that it was already developed for human living.
Everyone disembarked from the helicopter. A man in a black coat welcomed them.
"Welcome back, Sir Lu and...Miss. The two Madams are already waiting for you in the country house."
"Oh? Yuyan is here too?" Grandpa Lu asked.
"Yes, sir Lu."
"Good!" Grandpa Lu turned to Iris. "It seems that my dearest friend's daughter-in-law is also here. I'll introduce you to both of them, my girl."
"Alright, Grandpa Lu."
"Don't worry! Both of them are nice! Nobody will dare disrespect Lu Jianhong's student!"
The man who welcomed them looked surprised after hearing Grandpa Lu. Then he looked at Iris with more curiosity. However, he only looked for a few seconds before reverting to his professional bearing.
Everyone followed him up a beautiful stone steps towards a huge brick country house visible in the distance. Iris thought that it looked very lovely, especially with such a beautiful view on top of the mountains.
As it was already autumn, she wore a maxi coat. However, the mountains were much colder, almost feeling like winter. Grandpa Lu noticed her discomfort so he gave a meaningful look at his bodyguards. One of them handed Iris a thick knitted shawl still in its original packaging.
"Thank you." She wrapped the shawl around her neck and mouth. Her vocal chords must always be protected as a singer.
Finally, they reached the country house and quickly entered. The warmth inside welcomed them.
"Brother Jianhong, you're finally here," an elderly woman's smooth voice said.
Two ladies walked towards them. The one who had spoken was an elegant willowy woman. Her back stooped a little but other than that, her entire posture was tall and regal. Her white hair was styled into a beautiful chignon. The wrinkles on her face didn't diminish her cold beauty.
The other lady looked young at first glance but was actually already middle aged. Unlike the elderly one, she was small and looked almost cute. Even with her age, she still had an air of innocence around her. She had a bashful smile on her face. She looked pretty more than beautiful.
"Ahaha! Yes, we're here!" Grandpa Lu's booming voice echoed in the entrance hall. "Sister Zhiruo, you look beautiful as always. And you, Yuyan. Nice to see you here. I swear you never age! You still look like a kid!"
"And you're still as loud as ever, Brother Jianhong."
"Uncle, you're so mean."
"I'm mean? Yuyan, I'm praising you! What part of my words was I mean to you, ah? I want to know!"
"Alright, you two, that's enough. Brother, won't you introduce us to the young lady with you?"
"Ahahaha! Of course! Xiulan my girl, come here."
Iris stepped forward and smiled at the two ladies.
"Xiulan my girl, this is my dearest friend, Li Zhiruo. Her husband and I were the best of friends, brothers! We miss him every day." The atmosphere turned sad for a few seconds before Grandpa Lu gestured to the other lady. "And this is her daughter-in-law, Huang Yuyan. She may look like she's about your age but the truth is that she's already in herâ"
"Uncle, please!" Huang Yuyan's face was all red.
Li Zhiruo sighed but her sharp eyes were dancing in amusement. "Stop teasing Yuyan, Brother."
"Ahahaha! I was complimenting her!"
Iris was amused that the three older people were acting like children teasing each other. Then Grandpa Lu pulled her closer and continued the introductions.
"And this is my new student who I already consider as my granddaughter, Long Xiulan. Beautiful, isn't she?"
"Indeed, what a beautiful child," Li Zhiruo said. "Come closer, Xiulan my dear. Let me see your face."
Iris obeyed. "Hello, Madam Li. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me in your beautiful home."
Li Zhiruo nodded after she studied Iris' face, looking pleased at what she was seeing. "You're very welcome. I'm glad to meet you today. Since Brother Jianhong already considers you as his grandchild, please call me Grandma as well."
Iris hesitated.
"My girl, what are you waiting for? Just call her Grandma already!"
Iris blinked. It seemed that these two were really the dearest of friends. When they met her for the first time, they already wanted her to call them Grandpa and Grandma. Was this the norm for them?
"Grandma Li," she finally said.
"En." Grandma Li nodded, pleased.
"Ahaha! Good!"
Then Iris turned to the other lady and greeted her. "Hello, Madam Huang. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, my dear. Please call me Auntie Yuyan. But only if you're comfortable, of course. If not, it's completely fine. You don't need to force yourself."
"Auntie Yuyan," Iris said.
Then Huang Yuyan suddenly grabbed Iris' hands. "Oh, you're so beautiful! I wish I have a daughter like you. I only have two sons. I love them very much but they don't spend much time with me anymore. They're too busy with their own careers. Daughters spend more time with their mothers. Too bad that I don't have any."
Iris just smiled politely, not knowing how to respond. She couldn't relate. She never had a close relationship to either of her mothers both in her previous and present lives.
After the pleasantries, the man who welcomed them at the helipad took their coats. Then they all headed to the living area where a large stone fireplace was currently burning. It was enclosed by glass. The heat felt heavenly especially in this chilly mountain weather.
"Hai! Why do you insist on staying here in the mountains? I want to know!" Grandpa Lu complained as he occupied an armchair. "Nobody is around and it's so hard to get here. If I don't have a helicopter, do you expect me to climb all the way here with my old frail legs?!"
Grandma Li scoffed elegantly. She occupied the other armchair opposite him. "You? Frail? You can be described in many different ways but frail is not one of them."
Iris and Huang Yuyan sat together on the sofa. They watched the two elders bantering with each other. A maid appeared to serve them hot Pu'erh tea with dried osmanthus flowers.
Grandma Li ignored Grandpa Lu. She turned to Iris and suddenly asked, "Xiulan my dear, tell Grandma, are you single?"
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Chapter 188 - Birds And A Worm
Iris couldn't stop herself from giggling. She was amused that Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li would be so similar to each other when she met them for the first time on different occasions.
Grandma Li raised an eyebrow.
"My apologies, Grandma Li. I wasn't laughing at you. I just remembered Grandpa Lu asking me the same question."
"Oh? So he also asked whether you're single or not?" Grandma Li gave Grandpa Lu a side-eye, narrowing her eyes.
"Sister Zhiruo, why are you looking at me like that? I want to know! As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm!"
Grandma Li lifted her chin at him. "But this worm has free will so she has the right to choose which bird she wants to be with."
"Y-you! Don't you dare! My bird has first priority!" Grandpa Lu looked enraged.
Iris knew what the saying meant, but she couldn't understand what they were talking about. So she turned to Huang Yuyan beside her. "Auntie Yuyan, what do they mean? I don't understand."
"Oh..." Huang Yuyan laughed awkwardly, her face turning red.
Iris tilted her head to the side. It seemed that Auntie Yuyan didn't want to answer her. What was going on? It seemed that she was the only one who didn't understand.
Before she could ask either Grandpa Lu or Grandma Li to clarify, Huang Yuyan nervously interjected.
"Mother, actually...well, the truth is...our two birds are already taken. I mean, they already have their own...worms."
Grandma Li: "Yuyan, what are you talking about? I know that our youngest bird is already taken but our eldest is still available."
Huang Yuyan: "Actually...he's already taken as well."
Pause.
"Ahahaha! What? You didn't know?" Grandpa Lu smacked his thighs as he laughed out loud. "Even I know about this!"
Grandma Li didn't look pleased. She turned to her daughter-in-law. Even though she was frowning, she still looked graceful. "Why wasn't I informed about this?"
Huang Yuyan bowed her head. "Sorry, Mother. I was going to tell you today, that's why I came here. But I just couldn't find the right time."
"Oh, my dear Yuyan. After all these years, you're still so timid," Grandma Li said with a sigh.
Huang Yuyan bit her lip.
Grandpa Lu: "Don't be so hard on Yuyan! That's part of her charms! That's why your son fell in love with her in the first place! Ahaha!"
Huang Yuyan reddened.
Grandma Li's eyes saddened for a moment before smiling softly. Then she turned to Iris. "So? You still haven't answered my question, my dear. Are you single or not?"
"I'm not, Grandma Li. I have a boyfriend," Iris said. Then she added, "And I like him very much."
Grandpa Lu: "Hmph!"
"I see. How unfortunate. It seems that everyone is already taken." Grandma Li sighed but after a few moments, she smiled again. "I have two grandsons. They're both a little older than you. You won't mind meeting them, would you, Xiulan my dear? If possible, I would like you to be friends with them."
Friends? Iris' eyes lit up. If the grandsons were like Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li, she wouldn't mind being friends with them for sure. So she agreed. "Of course, Grandma Li. I would be glad to meet them."
Grandma Li smiled, her sharp eyes glinting. She ignored her scowling friend who was glaring daggers at her.
They chatted about other topics afterwards. Grandpa Lu started raving about Iris and how he was so proud to be her mentor. He also mentioned Cross Academy several times. Iris observed that Grandma Li didn't even bat an eye at the mention of the academy. Well, it was only natural. Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li were dear friends so she must have known that he was an important figure at the academy.
On the other hand, Huang Yuyan looked very shocked when she heard that Iris was a Cross Academy student. She stared at Iris for a long time, as if looking at a rare creature. Then she grabbed Iris' hands. "Oh, Xiulan! How I wish you were my daughter!"
"Oy oy oy! Yuyan, what are you saying? I want to know!" Grandpa Lu's voice boomed. "Xiulan is my granddaughter!"
Grandma Li chuckled coldly. "Brother Jianhong, didn't you hear Xiulan call me Grandma? It means that she's already my granddaughter as well."
"You!" Grandpa Lu looked like he would choke on his own anger.
Iris felt warmth spread within her. Her eyes pricked. She blinked quickly and took deep breaths to control her emotions. Although the two were arguing, there was fondness in how they treated each other. And they were extending their fondness to her. They just met her but they were already treating her like family.
"Grandpa Lu, Grandma Li, Auntie Yuyan," Iris called. "Thank you very much for your kindness! I will never forget how well you're treating me."
Grandpa Lu: "Don't be so formal, my girl!"
Grandma Li nodded and smiled at kindly at her.
Huang Yuyan continued to grip Iris' hands. She sighed. "How I wish I have another son to introduce to you!"
'What nice people,' Iris thought. They really were treating her like family and wanted her to be friends with their sons or grandsons.
"What's wrong with introducing her to your two sons?" Grandma Li asked, raising an eyebrow.
"But Mother...they're already taken."
Grandma Li scoffed. "For our youngest, almost two years of engagement but still no signs of tying the knot. I may not be a man but even I know when a man doesn't want to marry the woman he's engaged to."
"I'm sure they're just taking their time."
"Oh?" Grandma Li raised her eyebrow even more. "Or perhaps they're just not meant to be together. I keep saying this but it's beyond my comprehension why he even proposed to that girl in the first place! Absolutely ridiculous!"
"Mother! Little Luo Luo is a nice girl!"
Grandma Li sniffed in contempt. "I promised your husband, my son, that I wouldn't meddle in his sons' lives too much. That's why I stay here in the mountains to prevent myself from prying too much in their personal affairs. So even if I disagree, I'll let our youngest make his own decisions. But if he still goes ahead and marries that girl, then I daresay that he's a stupid blind idiot! I'll feel truly ashamed to have a fool like him in our Jin family!"
"Mother, that's too harsh!"
"Harsh? I'm only telling the truth, my dear."
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Chapter 189 - As Handsome As My Boyfriend
Iris felt like she shouldn't be listening to this kind of private family matters. Although they were very nice to her and insisted on treating her like family, they just met each other today for the first time after all. So she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Then she excused herself to go the washroom.
Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan finally realized that they said too much in front of her. They stiffened. On the other hand, Grandpa Lu looked carefree.
A maid led Iris to the nearest powder room.
When she was gone, Grandpa Lu's carefree expression turned into a scowl. "Hmph! Just so you know, I'm already eyeing Xiulan for my Haohao!" He glared at his friend. "Your grandsons are already taken so don't even try stealing her away!"
"Our youngest might be engaged, but there's still our eldest," Grandma Li retorted.
"But Mother, he already has a girlfriend," Huang Yuyan said.
Grandma Li: "A girlfriend is not a wife, nor a fiancée. Wait, are you sure it's girlfriend and not a boyfriend?"
"Uh, I'm sure he said that it's a girlfriend."
Grandpa Lu: "Ahahaha!"
"He also told me that he plans to marry his girlfriend."
"What? Marry?!" Grandma Li looked stunned. "Who's his girlfriend?"
"I don't know. But he said that he'll introduce her to us soon."
"He sounds serious. It matches his personality. He's very decisive, just like his grandfather." Grandma Li sighed. "I just wish he met Xiulan earlier than his girlfriend. It would be great to have a granddaughter-in-law who's a Cross Academy student. Brother Jianhong, why didn't you introduce Xiulan to us sooner?"
"Hmph! I'm now regretting introducing her to you in the first place! If I only knew that you'll also eye her, I would've hidden her until my Haohao returns to the country!"
"You selfish, old man." Grandma Li rolled her eyes.
"You thieving, old hag!"
"Say that again, you loud-mouthed gorilla!"
The two continued to insult and glare at each other, while Huang Yuyan looked at them helplessly.
Finally, Iris returned. The two bickering friends immediately transformed into dignified elders. They began chatting pleasantly with each other, as if they weren't bickering like two unruly children just a few seconds ago.
Huang Yuyan sighed in relief and gave Iris a grateful smile.
Iris smiled back, clueless as to what happened.
The four chatted together. The two older ladies were very curious about Iris. Grandpa Lu mentioned that Iris was busy with her career in addition to learning from him and her other instructors. They asked what her work was.
"I'm a musician," she answered.
"Oh! My younger son is also a musician," Huang Yuyan said.
Grandma Li nodded.
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, I do feel like I've seen you before. You look familiar," Huang Yuyan said, studying Iris. "Have you released any songs recently?"
Before Iris could answer, Grandpa Lu's voice boomed. "Of course! Xiulan is a popular celebrity! Her music is currently number 1 in the music charts! She even defeated your son! Ahahaha!"
Iris tilted her head to the side. What did he mean by she defeated Auntie Yuyan's son?
"No, the one who defeated my son is the singer named Iris Long..." Then Huang Yuyan's eyes widened. "Long Xiulan...Iris Long...Long... Wait, don't tell me!"
Iris had no reason to lie. "Yes, Auntie. I am Iris Long."
"Oh!"
Grandma Li looked at them. She had no interest in showbiz matters, so she had no idea what they were talking about. She asked her daughter-in-law. "You recognize Xiulan?"
Huang Yuyan nodded. "Yes, Mother. Her music is currently being played everywhere. Like Uncle Jianhong said, her music is currently number 1 in the music charts. My son was originally number 1 but she kicked him off."
Realization dawned on Iris. "Auntie, is your son Jin Chonglin?"
"Yes, he's my son."
"Oh." Then another more important realization struck Iris. "Then your older son is Jin Liwei?"
"Yes."
Iris bit her lower lip, trying hard not to laugh out loud at the sheer coincidence. It was only a few days ago when Jin Liwei told her that he wanted to introduce her to his grandmother and mother. She felt really nervous and worried at that time, but today she unknowingly met them and was even calling them Grandma and Auntie.
She could've told the two ladies that she was Jin Liwei's girlfriend but suddenly feeling mischievous, she ended up not telling them. How amusing it would be to watch everyone's reactions when they learned about the truth. She was looking forward to her man's reaction the most. She bet that he would be stupefied. Just imagining his reaction was making her giggle.
"Oy oy, girl!" Grandpa Lu gave Iris a suspicious look. "Why are you smiling like that? Do you have a crush on that Liwei boy? I want to know!"
"Hmm... Jin Liwei is handsome. He's as handsome as my boyfriend."
"Hmph! My Haohao is the most handsome! Only second to me, of course!"
"How shameless," Grandma Li retorted. "My late husband was more handsome than you, so of course our grandson will be more handsome than your grandson."
"What did you say?!"
The two bickered once again like children. Iris chatted with Huang Yuyan. Now that Iris knew that she was Jin Liwei's mother, she treated her even more warmly.
Later, they were called for dinner. They headed to the dining area and ate an array of dishes. The food was more comforting than sumptuous. They looked and tasted very much like delicious homemade food. They were very appropriate for the cold weather.
After dinner, they headed to a lounge room to drink digestive tea. Iris had another busy schedule the next day, so she and Grandpa Lu only stayed for another thirty minutes before bidding goodbye to the two Madams.
Huang Yuyan already felt attached to her and almost didn't want to let her go. She tried inviting Iris to sleep over, but Iris had to decline. In the end, Grandma Li needed to pull her daughter-in-law from Iris.
"Grandma Li, Auntie Yuyan, thank you very much for today. I promise that we'll see each other again soon," Iris told him. 'Perhaps the next time will be with Liwei,' she thought.
"Good," Grandma Li said. "You can come back whenever you want to. If your Grandpa Lu doesn't lend you his helicopter, just give me a call, my dear, and I'll send one to pick you up."
"Who're you calling selfish?!"
Iris thanked them once again. They bid each other goodbye and goodnight.
Later, the two ladies heard the sound of a helicopter taking off from a distance.
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Chapter 190 - Don't Worry, Mommy!
At long last, Iris finally finished composing the entire film score that she had been working on. All that was left was to record them. JJ was personally involved in the recording process, since his record label would be the one releasing the film's soundtrack album.
As usual, he and Iris argued like two evil dragons as to how the music should sound. The staff and the musicians working with them were already used to their arguments, so they didn't think much about them anymore. All they knew was that after the two reached a compromise, the final music they came up with would be amazing.
However, the film's representative who was sent to observe the recording process was shocked. She bought the "Rebirth" album, so she had watched the "making of" footage of Iris and JJ quarreling but she always thought that it was staged and scripted. After all, this was THE JJ they were talking about. He was notorious for reducing his artists to tears, even the veterans, with his extremely high standards and demands. Who had the guts to argue against someone like him?
Iris Long, apparently.
'So it's true,' she thought. 'Iris is actually so amazing!'
She was doubtful about the authenticity of Iris' skills before but at that moment, she converted into a true Iris Long fan.
Holding a video camera, she filmed Iris and JJ's arguments and the entire recording process. The video recordings would be used as part of the film's own special "making of" footage.
As a new college graduate, she originally treated this indie film as a necessary stepping stone to advance her career. She had no hopes of it becoming a hit, especially with the limited production budget. But when the director and the producer pulled Iris Long into the film, good fortune started raining down on them. They even obtained a production partner. LX Productions was just a newly established company, but it was very generous and professional in its assistance to the film.
Watching Iris Long and JJ record the film score, her initial low expectations for the film disappeared. She had not heard the entire score yet but from what she heard so far, she knew that it would sound phenomenal. Excitement and anticipation bubbled within her.
This film would be a dark horse, she bet.
###
The appointed day finally arrived. Iris and Jin Liwei would be visiting the Long ancestral residence for dinner. This would be their first visit as a couple.
They rode a large 3-row luxury SUV. Jin Liwei's two subordinates were at the front; one driving and the other one sitting beside his colleague. Iris and Jin Liwei sat behind them. Jin Liwei was a little displeased because there was a space between their seats. He wanted to feel her body close to him. Unfortunately, this was the best seat arrangement for the current occasion because behind them sat Dom, Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue.
When Long Hui heard that Iris would be formally introducing her boyfriend to the family during dinner, he called Iris and requested that they bring his son as well. He finally wanted to introduce his son to Long Tengfei.
Iris was amused. "So you wanted to piggyback on me introducing my boyfriend to lessen the pressure on you when you introduce Little Jun to Father. What a scaredy-cat."
"You!" Long Hui sounded enraged but couldn't retort because she was right.
"Well, I don't mind," Iris said. "However, you need to speak to your child's mother first."
"Can youâ"
"No. I already told you, Elder Brother. Your relationship with Ying Yue is none of my business. All I care about is my nephew. I'm not going to interfere with the relationship between the two of you. You're a grown man. Don't ask your little sister to solve your problems."
"I really hate your poison tongue."
"Hm? What do you mean? I'm only telling the truth."
"That's why I hate it." He sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to Ying Yue first, then I'll call you."
In the end, Jiang Ying Yue reluctantly agreed. At first, Long Hui wanted to introduce her and their son together to Long Tengfei but she quickly rejected his suggestion. She now understood that she shouldn't deprive her son of his connection to his paternal side of the family but as for her, she personally didn't want to have anything to do with the Longs. They hurt her too much.
That was why she would only be accompanying them in the vehicle. She trusted Iris. She felt assured that her son would be safe in her care while they introduced Little Jun to his grandfather. Despite this, Jiang Ying Yue still couldn't help but feel anxious.
What if Long Tengfei didn't acknowledge Little Jun?
Jiang Ying Yue told herself that she didn't care, that she didn't need the Longs to raise her child. But just thinking about the possibility that her son would be forsaken by his own grandfather was heartbreaking for her.
"Mommi!" Little Jun called and then smiled at her. He sat in a car seat between Jiang Ying Yue and Dom.
Dom translated, "Junie boy said, 'Don't worry, Mommy! I'll be okay! Mama Xiulan, Papa Liwei and my super-duper handsome and gorgeous Uncle Dom will take care of me. Grandpa will surely love me!' Ehehe."
Little Jun squealed and started giggling. Everyone laughed, except for Jin Liwei and his two stoic subordinates. But their mouths curved up a bit.
"Thank you," Jiang Ying Yue said. She kissed her son's forehead. "Please take care of Little Jun."
Dom put a hand on his chest. "Don't worry, Big Sis Yue! My gorgeous self won't let anything happen to Junie boy. Not to mention that boss and sir boss are with us. Additionally, my twin sister Meimei will also be there. She adores Junie boy. The two of us will be his knights in sparkling and glittering armours! Ehehe."
"Anko!" Little Jun said, pointing at Dom.
He looked shocked. "W-what?"
The others also froze.
"What did you say, Junie boy?"
"Anko!" Little Jun repeated, clapping his tiny hands.
"Uwah! He called me Uncle! He just called my Uncle!" Dom started sobbing. "Wuwuwu! I'm so happy! I love you so much, Junie boy! Wuwuwu!"
Little Jun was shocked to see his Uncle Dom crying. His little face scrunched up and he started crying as well.
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