Chapter 321 - Give It All Up
Iris listened to Meimei rant about the Long family members. She wasn't really affected much about hearing the Longs trash talking her. To her, those people were strangers and not worth her time and energy.
When the call ended, Yi Mei called them to eat dinner.
The dinner was once again in buffet style like when they celebrated Christmas and New Year with the Chua family before. They liked its festive and informal vibe. Everyone ate and chatted together. While the penthouse staff was already used to Iris' casual and inclusive treatment of her employees, the mansion staff was still getting used to it.
After dinner, they continued to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Less than an hour before midnight, Jin Chonglin performed a mash-up of some of his greatest hits in a spectacular production. It was obvious that many of the live audience were from his army of fans with all the deafening screams, cheering and applause.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. The paparazzo joined my Shadow Winds," Lu Zihao told her in a low voice.
"Hm?" It took Iris a few seconds before she understood what he meant. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? You recruited him?"
"Not really. He asked to join. The guy has sharp intuition. He guessed correctly that we were the Shadow Winds. He practically sold himself to us, saying that he's extremely useful."
She tilted her head to the side. "I was wondering why the police didn't include him in the investigations regarding the tabloid case. So it was you. You must've done something to protect him, didn't you?"
"Something like that," he said in a nonchalant manner. "Well, he's still on a trial period to prove his loyalty to my group. He's not a full member yet. I put him in a surveillance team but he'll still continue his work as a paparazzo. It'll be useful to have someone from the media. We can get lots of insider information without spending too much time hacking or sending some spies."
Iris looked at him with a complicated expression. "Big Brother, please don't do anything dangerous."
He froze for only less than a second before chuckling. "What are you talking about, little sister? Didn't I tell you before that my Shadow Winds exists for justice? Don't worry about me. Anyway, let's not talk about this anymore. This Spring Festival celebration is very interesting. Let's enjoy it."
She still looked like she wanted to ask him more but seeing his blatant change of subject, she decided to let it go. For now.
A few minutes before the midnight countdown, Jin Liwei initiated a video call. Although he couldn't leave the banquet as of yet, he still wanted to celebrate the Lunar New Year by seeing and talking to her.
Some of the household staff were already lighting up all the firecrackers outside. The loud noises frightened both Ice Cream and Popcorn. They squeezed themselves into tight balls on top of Iris and Lu Zihao's laps. Little Jun already fell asleep on the couch, while Dom and Jiang Ying Yue talked about the gala performances on TV.
Finally, the countdown started.
"3, 2, 1!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
Dom started jumping all around. He and his family also did this when they celebrated the January 1 New Year. They said that in the Philippines, it was believed that jumping during New Year would make a person grow taller. Fortunately, all the ruckus didn't wake up Little Jun. The little guy must've exhausted himself from playing so much earlier.
"Happy New Year, love," Jin Liwei greeted her in the video chat. "I'll come home soon. Wait for me."
"Happy New Year, darling. Yes, I'll wait for you. Be safe."
"En."
Iris and Lu Zihao also greeted each other, feeling a little weird doing so. They didn't really celebrate this occasion in their past life before. But they liked it.
Iris distributed red packets to everyone. As usual, she was very generous. They were all delighted and profusely thanked her. The one who got the most from his red packet was Little Jun. Iris gave it to Jiang Ying Yue.
About half an hour later, Jin Liwei finally came home. He arrived at the same time with Long Hui who he met at the village entrance. Long Hui was stopped by the guards. He was about to call Iris to let him in when Jin Liwei noticed him.
Jin Liwei headed straight to his baby girl, embracing and kissing her. Then he turned to Lu Zihao.
"Thanks for accompanying Xiulan, Fifth Brother."
"Xiulan is my sister. This is only natural."
Jin Liwei nodded.
Long Hui hurried to Jiang Ying Yue and his son. He gently stroked Little Jun's head.
"Happy New Year, son," he whispered to him.
Jiang Ying Yue blinked rapidly, trying to control the emotions filling up her chest at seeing Long Hui. She was very surprised that he came.
"Happy New Year, Ying Yue," he greeted her next.
She cleared her throat before greeting him back. "Happy New Year. I didn't know that you were coming."
He kissed his son's forehead before sitting beside Jiang Ying Yue. She froze but forced herself to relax.
"I want to start this new year with my son...and with you," he told her in a soft voice.
She didn't know how to reply to his words.
"Did you watch the press conference?" he asked her.
"Yes."
"I meant everything that I said during the press conference. Ying Yue, I want to try again. Won't you give us another chance? Even if it's just for the sake of our son. Please?"
"Long Hui..." Her heart beat faster. Longing shone in her eyes, but then her brows scrunched together and she trembled. She frowned. "I don't..."
"Ying Yue, I love you."
She gasped and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh."
"I know that I never told you this before. It's only when I lost you that I realized how much I love you. Ying Yue, please. Give us another chance, okay? I love you. I want to be with you and of course our son. I want us to be a complete family. Our Little Jun deserves a complete and happy family."
Her eyes quickly filled up with tears. Her mind was telling her to reject him but her heart was telling her to jump in his arms.
"Long Hui...can I...can I ask you a question first?"
"Of course. What is it?"
She took a few deep breaths before speaking again. "If...if I ask you to give up on your position as the heir of the Long family, would you do it for me and our son?"
"What?" He was taken aback by her question.
"Well, can you do it?"
He frowned, confused that she was asking him this. "Is this your condition?"
"No! I mean...I'm just asking. But I want to know your answer. What is it?"
"I'll choose you and our son," he said, looking at her directly in the eyes. "I've been groomed from a very young age to succeed my father as heir of the family and our business. It's also my life-long goal to continue my father's legacy and make the Longs prosper under my leadership. However, if it means losing my child and lover, I'd rather give it all up. If I lose you and our son, my life will lose its meaning."
Jiang Ying Yue couldn't stop the tears from falling down her eyes anymore. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Yes." He reached over and wiped her tears gently with his fingers. "Ying Yue, do you love me?"
Tears continued to fall down her face. Everyone was silent. It was not only Long Hui who was waiting for her answer. The others had been eavesdropping on their conversation since the beginning.
"Y-yes..."
Long Hui froze only for a moment before joy filled his face. "Say it, Ying Yue."
"Long Hui..."
"Call me Hui."
"H-hui...I l-love you..."
Long Hui threw his head back and laughed out loud. It was a sound of pure joy and triumph. Then he pulled Jiang Ying Yue in his arms, embracing her tightly, as if afraid that she would run away again if he ever let her go.
She stiffened when he hugged her, but then quickly melted as she felt his touch once again. Her arms wrapped around him, and she buried her face against his chest. She could hear Dom cheering and clapping in the background. She felt a little embarrassed but didn't want to care anymore.
"Thank you, Ying Yue. I promise I won't let you and our son down," Long Hui whispered to her.
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Chapter 322 - Gladly Step In
Long Hui coaxed Jiang Ying Yue to lift her head so that they were looking directly at each other's eyes. Then he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. She clutched onto him and surrendered herself to the kiss.
It was as if they never separated. The skin-to-skin contact instantly reignited the dormant fire of desire within them. Their bodies certainly remembered their hunger for each other.
"Mommi?" A child's voice interrupted them from their passionate haze.
As the mother, Jiang Ying Yue was very sensitive to her son's every sound and need. Even though it was difficult to do so, she pulled herself away from Long Hui and ended their kiss. Then she quickly went into mother mode.
"Hello, Little Jun. Sorry. Did we wake you up?" She walked over to him and carried the sleepy toddler.
Little Jun rubbed his eyes with his cute little fists. He squinted at Long Hui. "Dada?"
It took him longer to recover from the delicious kiss. But when he did, he also went into father mode. "Yes, Little Jun. It's me. Daddy's here. Come."
"Dada!" Little Jun stretched his little arms and struggled in his mother's arms to get to his father.
Long Hui chuckled as he took his son from Jiang Ying Yue. He repeatedly kissed the child's soft and chubby cheeks. He felt so happy today. It was the best New Year that he ever experienced in his life so far.
"Yay! Congrats, Big Brother Boss & Big Sis Yue!" Dom told them, clapping his hands excitedly.
Long Hui grinned. He looked joyful and smug at the same time. In his happiness, he had already forgotten about the ordeal he faced earlier during the Long family banquet when almost everyone was criticizing him for the press conference. He was so happy that he didn't notice the faint uneasiness in Jiang Ying Yue's eyes.
Iris, Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao also gave them their best wishes.
As a fellow woman and perhaps because they had grown closer, Iris sensed Jiang Ying Yue's unease. Although she didn't give a whit about the relationship between Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue, she wanted what was best for her godson.
The two getting back together was definitely the ideal situation for Little Jun. That was why Iris was curious about why there was still some hesitation in Jiang Ying Yue, even though she gave Long Hui another chance for them to try again just now.
However curious she was, Iris refrained from prying. Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui should solve their relationship problems on their own. If this was before, Iris would've already asked Jiang Ying Yue directly what was the matter, but she was in a relationship right now as well.
She personally didn't like other people interfering with her relationship with Jin Liwei. In the same way, she figured it would be disrespectful to pry or interfere with Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui's relationship. The two should figure things out by themselves.
As long as Little Jun was happy and safe, Iris didn't care what happened to Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui, whether they ended up staying together or separating once again. It was cold of Iris, yes, but the two were both adults.
Their problem wasn't her problem. But if the problem affected Little Jun in a negative way, then it would become her problem. Nobody should mess with her godson.
She was already feeling annoyed when Meimei told her earlier how the other members of the Long family were treating Long Hui during the banquet because they disapproved of him publicly claiming Little Jun as his son. She had no interest or whatsoever in the Long family at all. Maintaining good relations with Long Tengfei and Long Hui was already enough for her.
But if those Longs started giving trouble to her godson, she didn't mind reorganizing and even doing some purging in that family to make it more livable for Little Jun.
Hopefully, it wouldn't need to come to that point. As for Long Hui, even though he made that emotional declaration of giving up his heir position for Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun, Iris wasn't sure if he really could do that. He was born and raised to be an heir. It was part of his identity. Could he really give it up without any regrets?
Even Iris was doubtful if he could stay strong enough to face all the pressure from the elders and the other members of the Long family. Only time would tell if he could stand by his words. She hoped that he would also be strong enough to protect Little Jun.
If not, then she would gladly step in. She would show no mercy to anyone foolish enough to hurt her godson. And she knew that Jin Liwei also felt the same way.
###
Both Lu Zihao and Long Hui planned to sleep over at the mansion because it was already very late. Lu Zihao had his own designated room in the mansion from before, so he just directly headed there. As for Long Hui, he attached himself to Jiang Ying Yue, intending to sleep with her in the same room.
Jiang Ying Yue felt awkward. She glanced at Iris and Jin Liwei, waiting for them to offer Long Hui a separate guest bedroom. However, both Iris and Jin Liwei pretended not to notice her.
Instead, Jin Liwei took Little Jun from Long Hui. The toddler was sleeping soundly once again. Long Hui didn't try to stop Jin Liwei from taking his son like usual. He actually felt grateful because he knew that his sister and her fiancé were helping him. They were giving him a chance to romance his lady for tonight, so of course he wasn't going to waste it!
"The bed in your room is not very big. Three people won't fit there comfortably, so Little Jun will be sleeping with me and Liwei in our room tonight. Our bed is many times bigger than yours," Iris gave them this lame excuse.
Jiang Ying Yue hurriedly tried to refute her. "Actually, I think we three can fitâ"
Long Hui interrupted her by talking to Iris at the same time. "Oh, is that so? I see. We'll have to bother you then, little sister. Please take care of our son tonight. Come, Ying Yue. Don't worry about Little Jun. He's in safe hands with his godparents."
"I..."
"Goodnight and Happy New Year," Iris told them before leaving with her darling, godson and two cats.
"Ehehe. Goodnight!" Dom waggled his eyebrows at Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue before scurrying to his own room as well.
Jiang Ying Yue's face was burning red when everyone else left, leaving only the two of them.
Long Hui nuzzled her ear before whispering, "Come, my sweet Ying Yue. It's time for bed."
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Chapter 323 - Just Getting Started
Anticipation and desire simmered inside Jiang Ying Yue. It had been so long. Their separation only made her yearn for Long Hui more. However, she also felt nervous and awkward.
As for Long Hui, he couldn't wait any longer. He missed his Ying Yue so much! While she was still distracted by her thoughts while they walked to her room, he suddenly carried her like a princess. He strained a little because she seemed to have gained a bit of weight than he remembered. He didn't mind, though. For him, she was still as beautiful and sexy as always.
"Where?" he asked, his voice husky.
She pointed the way. When they finally entered the bedroom and locked the door behind them, he gently put her back on her own feet. She quickly dimmed off the lights, feeling shy at the intense way he was looking at her.
Reaching over, he touched her face with his hands, stroking her soft skin with his fingers. He gazed at her for so long that Jiang Ying Yue began to feel self-conscious. However, she also couldn't stop herself from gazing back at him. Both of them could sense each other's desire.
His hands moved down from her face, to her neck and then shoulders before pulling her into his embrace. She lifted her head up, offering her lips to him. Of course he gladly accepted her offer. He dipped his head and claimed her mouth, kissing her.
The kiss was slow and sensual at first. Then it gradually became deeper, more intense...hungrier.
Their hands touched all over each other's bodies through their clothes. It was obvious from their desperate movements that they wanted so much more.
Long Hui broke the kiss. His eyes were dark, wild and slightly crazed when he looked at her. "Ying Yue, can I?"
Desire fogged her mind. Her entire body was screaming for him, but a small part of her brain warned her not to give in so easily. It reminded her of the hurt, fear and humiliation she went through....
"Ying Yue?" he asked her again while stroking her wet lips with his thumb.
Just this simple touch of his made the fire inside her burn more fiercely. She allowed it to drown the bad memories and negative feelings trying to destroy this wonderful moment.
"Yes!" she replied before she could change her mind.
He didn't need to hear anything more. The word barely left her lips when his hungry mouth descended upon her again, washing away all of her doubts for tonight. She could worry again tomorrow or some other time, but tonight she wanted to be one with him again. Her arms wrapped around his neck and responded to his kiss with everything she got.
Groaning, he continued to kiss her while his hands started divesting her of her clothes. When he removed her shirt and then her bra, she tried covering her body. She felt shy and a bit insecure because her body had changed after giving birth.
However, Long Hui caught her hands and held them away. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her nude upper body. Her breasts were larger and fuller than how he remembered them. She also had more curves for him to enjoy touching. She was a delightful mixture of soft and hard with all of her muscles that he loved so much. She was so beautiful! So sexy!
He released her hands and quickly covered her soft mounds with his hands. He started kneading her breasts, eliciting a moan from her. His head dove and caught one of her nipples with his mouth, sucking her hard.
"Ah!" Jiang Ying Yue closed her eyes and pressed her chest harder against him. Her hands held his head, stroking his hair while also pulling him closer to herself.
They fell to the bed in a flurry of wild movements, kissing and touching each other. It was like they were possessed. They couldn't even remember how they took off all of their clothes. All they could think about was relieving the ache they had for each other.
Long Hui's hand moved downward until it touched the apex between her thighs. He sucked in a sharp breath when he felt her wet heat. She was dripping and it was all for him. His hand rubbed her all over, making her hips jerk. He watched her face as she moaned in pleasure. Then he inserted a finger inside her, making her cry out in pleasure.
He moved his finger inside her slowly in and out a few times before inserting another finger. He sped up while his thumb rubbed her button of pleasure like crazy.
"Oh! Hui, oh no. Oh yes! Yes!!!"
Her body stiffened and she cried out in a loud, hoarse voice, squeezing his fingers inside of her. He swallowed the rest of cries and moans while sweeping his tongue inside her mouth.
After her orgasm, he sucked his hand dripping with her juices. She tasted so good. His erection twitched, leaking a little.
She wrapped her hand around his hard length and began stroking him. However, he stopped her after just a few moments.
"I want to...no, I NEED to be inside you right now," he growled.
"Yes... I need you too, Hui. Please..."
He quickly moved between her legs, spreading them wider. He positioned his erection on the entrance of her waiting heat, and then slammed deep inside her.
"Ah!" Jiang Ying Yue reached over to him, pulling him down on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He groaned, his eyes almost rolling back inside his head. So good! The best! He fit so perfectly inside of her. This was where he belonged, inside her.
Placing his elbows by her shoulders and using them to support his weight, he began thrusting inside her. They quickly found a rhythm, working together to increase their mutual pleasure. She wrapped her legs around his waist. This changed the angle a bit, and he was able to hit her deeper inside.
"Oh, Hui! Yes. Give me more..."
He obeyed, pumping his hips faster and harder. He lowered himself until their chests were pressing against each other. She didn't mind his weight on top of her. In fact, she loved it. She wasn't fragile. She could take it. They kissed desperately, as his thrusts became even more frenzied.
The pleasure inside them intensified, building and climbing until they couldn't take it anymore. Jiang Ying Yue was the first one to reach her climax. Her body went stiff, crying out again and again.
Long Hui could feel her contractions squeezing him tightly and deliciously. It sent him over the edge. He stiffened and poured his release inside of her.
When both of them calmed down, Long Hui slid out of her. His abundant release poured out soon after. Feeling smug at the sight, he rubbed it all over her entrance, making it even wetter.
Then he lay down beside her, pulling her to his chest. He kissed her head, a big smile on his face.
"Hui..."
"Hm?"
"We forgot to use protection..." Her voice was soft and weak, still not fully recovered from their activity.
Of course he didn't use protection. They didn't need it! He would love to give Little Jun a sibling. However, he didn't say it to her. Instead he told her, "Oh. I didn't bring any condoms with me. I'll pull out later. Don't worry."
"Later?"
"Yeah." He smirked at her. "My sweet Ying Yue, we're just getting started."
They made love until the crack of dawn. They felt exhausted yet satisfied at the same time. If possible, they didn't want to stop. They missed each other so much. However, sleep finally overcame them.
Jiang Ying Yue was too preoccupied by pleasure that she failed to notice that Long Hui never pulled out of her even once like he promised. He released everything inside her.
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Chapter 324 - Back To Work
The Spring Festival holidays finally ended. All the people returned to their regular lives. The children went back to school while the adults returned to work.
Of course, Iris and Jin Liwei were no exception. In fact, they had no time to adjust, immediately diving back to their busy and heavy workloads.
Iris began shooting various ads for the endorsements she signed before the Spring Festival. This included the ad for Lin Yehan's premium tea company.
Actually, some of the offers she accepted were withdrawn by the companies when the tabloid scandal about her having a love child with Jin Chonglin hit the news. When it was proven that the scandal was not true, the companies reoffered the endorsements to her again. However, she rejected them the second time around. She wasn't interested in endorsing companies who had so little trust in her character.
In the end, she ended up with only five endorsements.
First was Serenity Premium TeaâLin Yehan's company. Second was Meili Nails. It was the nail polish company who fought against the Alarm Girls in court after the trio physically assaulted Mr. Chen's secretary. Third was for a new phone model. Fourth, an endorsement for high-end earphones and headphones. And lastly, a toothpaste endorsement.
All of these endorsement deals were worth a total of about 10 million RMB. The initial offers were actually lower, adding up to only about 4 million RMB. Tang Yiyi worked hard in negotiating with the companies and was able to increase the offers.
"The day will come when you'll get a minimum of 10 million per endorsement," Tang Yiyi told her. "So just continue to work hard for now."
"I will. Thank you for the hard work, Elder Sister Yiyi," Iris said in a sincere tone. "The offers already exceeded my initial expectations. I was expecting to receive about 2 million for all five endorsements."
"Your expectations are too low. Iris, you're now one of the hottest celebrities in the country. Although your level of fame is still very far from someone like Jin Chonglin, you have the potential to become a superstar that'll eclipse him someday. Your showbiz career will definitely be worth more than this 10 million of endorsement deals."
Iris nodded, grateful for Tang Yiyi.
While she busied herself with the endorsements, the Bauer siblings finally arrived to the country all the way from Germany. They were here to stay and start working with her on their company Orchidia Beauty.
Amanpio Kileksy also came with them to install the various special equipment he built with Alric Bauer. Iris spent tens of millions of dollars before Amanpio and Alric were able to complete building all the equipment. They went through a lot of failed prototypes which cost millions.
Although Iris had the urge to strangle Amanpio several times for draining so much money, she appreciated his firm belief in using only the highest quality materials. In the end, Alric Bauer told her that the equipment they built were even better than what he originally envisioned.
Iris helped Alric file several patent applications for all of the equipment. He and Amanpio agreed to share the patents under their names. The two also already agreed to sign an exclusive licence to Orchidia Beauty once the patents were approved.
Before they arrived in the country, Iris already made preparations. Orchidia Beauty now had a lab to develop products, a factory, warehouse and even a small commercial building which would serve as the company's headquarters.
For accommodations, Iris assigned the Bauer siblings to a large unit at Gold Heights Condominium building where her penthouse was located. There were several vacancies after she evicted the residents who colluded with the reporters in hunting down Little Jun.
As for Amanpio, she allowed him to stay at the penthouse as a guest. She already warned Yi Mei that Amanpio was weird, so the household staff should prepare themselves not to be too shocked by any of his behaviour. She also gave Yi Mei authority to kick him out if he ever disrespected any of them. The guy was a Cross Academy student. He could afford a hotel.
Iris gave them a few days to adjust to the country and recover from jet lag before they started working on their business. It was already registered. She also successfully secured several ethical sources of high-quality ingredients and other raw materials needed to manufacture their products.
Lin Yehan had been instrumental in helping Iris connect with local farmers. In fact, Iris already signed Lin Yehan as one of the main producers of some of the ingredients they needed. He owned several farms and plantations after all.
However, there were still other ingredients and raw materials that they couldn't get within the country. They had to source them from other countries instead. Shipping costs could get very expensive, especially for a new company like theirs.
That was why Iris scheduled an appointment with Long Tengfei. The shipping business was a major part of Long Industries, especially under Long Tengfei's leadership. She told him that she wanted to discuss a business opportunity with him. Curious, he immediately made time for her.
A couple of days later, Iris brought the Bauer siblings, Amanpio Kileksy and her financial manager Qiao Yu for their appointment with Long Tengfei. Since it was Long Industries, Iris didn't bother putting on a disguise. She just wore sunglasses and that was it. Her surname was still Long, after all.
She wore a tailored yet very chic and feminine business suit with high heels. The Bauer siblings also dressed up in their best business attires. Qiao Yu dressed in his usual accountant outfit. Only Amanpio dressed like he was just lazing around in his own home.
"Hello, good afternoon. Welcome to Long Industries," the receptionist greeted them with a warm, professional smile. "How may I helpâoh my God! You're Iris Long!"
The surrounding people all whipped their heads to their direction after hearing the receptionist's loud, excited cry. An audible murmur arose from them as they craned their necks to get a better look at Iris.
"Is it really Iris Long?"
"Wow. She looks even more beautiful in person."
"What's she doing here?"
"Oh God. Don't tell me she's going to start working here."
"Well, she is the President's daughter."
"Are you kidding me? What does she know about working in business?"
Iris could hear most of what they were saying with her great hearing. However, she didn't react. She gave a polite smile to the receptionist instead.
"Oh oh! B-boss Iris...I'm a f-fan! I mean, I'm a Black Star... I love you so much!"
The receptionist threw away her professionalism out of the window. Faced with Iris Long, all she could feel was awe at seeing her in person.
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Chapter 325 - Proud Father
The receptionist asked Iris for an autograph and a picture with her before her manager arrived and reprimanded her. The manager took over the counter.
"Miss Long, we've already been informed of your appointment with the President. Please follow me."
The manager led them to the elevators headed to the topmost floor. They encountered several employees who immediately recognized Iris. They had mixed reactions upon seeing her.
Of course they knew who she was. They knew her not only as a celebrity but also as the youngest daughter of their President-CEO. They also knew about her past reputation as a spoiled brat who was estranged from the Long family. Many of them continued to believe that she was still the difficult princess who brought nothing but trouble to her family. These businesspeople didn't really think highly of her.
However, there were a few of them who, like the receptionist from earlier, were Black Stars. They excitedly asked for her autograph and photos with her which she gladly obliged.
Finally, they arrived at the topmost floor. The manager handed them over to Cao Guang who was already waiting for them by the elevator. Cao Guang brought them to Long Tengfei's office.
There were other people inside the office besides Long Tengfei. Long Hui was there and another man around Long Tengfei's age. He introduced himself as the company's COO. Their respective assistants were also present, sitting inconspicuously behind their bosses.
"Father, thank you for granting us an appointment today." Iris was truly grateful to Long Tengfei. She knew that his schedule must be full but he still made time for her.
He nodded. Looking at the foreign people accompanying her, he couldn't hide the curiosity from showing in his eyes. He wanted to know why exactly she requested an appointment with him. She only told him that it was about a business opportunity.
If this was before, he wouldn't bother calling her to the company, much less inviting the COO and Long Hui, who was currently the Deputy CFO. However, his daughter was now the student of the business legend Lu Jianhong. Long Tengfei figured that if she said that it was a business opportunity, it would really be a business opportunity.
Long Hui was also curious like Long Tengfei when he was called to join the meeting.
As for the other man, the COO, it was understandable that he wasn't very happy. He thought that Long Tengfei was abusing his power as the President-CEO just to spoil his younger daughter who was known as a brat and a troublemaker. He didn't appreciate being called to leave his mountain of work just to join a meeting involving a young celebrity who didn't know anything about the business industry.
"Miss Long, as you requested, we prepared a projector for you. Is there anything else that you need?" Cao Guang asked her.
"No, thank you," Iris replied.
She quickly connected her laptop to the projector. The Bauer siblings also opened the suitcase they brought and pulled out samples of skincare products.
Amanpio Kileksky watched his companions busying themselves while he just sat there munching on the biscuits prepared as refreshments. He acted like he was in his own living room. But he quickly got bored after only a few moments. He stood up and started walking around the entire office, checking out the books and knick-knacks from the shelves without permission.
Iris only gave him a glance before telling Long Tengfei, "Don't mind him. He's just a weird person."
Moments later, their set-up was finally complete.
On the projector screen, a beautiful logo was displayed. It was of an orchid blossom which also looked like a silhouette of a female face. Then written below it were the words Orchidia Beauty.
Iris commissioned Meimei to make the logo.
Everyone became even more curious after seeing it.
"Hello, everyone. Thank you for your time. My name is Iris Long and I'm the founder, owner and President of Orchidia Beauty. We are a skincare company. Here with me are the original developers of the product. This is Alric Bauer and his sister Alona Bauer. They came all the way from Germany."
The siblings greeted Long Tengfei and the others in accented English.
Iris continued. "And the weird guy snooping over there is Amanpio Kileksky, an inventor who has several patents under his name. He helped us build several special equipment we need to make the formulas of our products. He's also my fellow student at Cross Academy."
Several loud gasps could be heard from the room.
"What?!" The COO's eyes almost popped out of his head.
His assistant and Long Hui's assistant also looked shocked.
"Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say Cross Academy? Ahaha. I think I'm getting old. I'm starting to mishear things..." The COO laughed awkwardly.
"No. You're not mishearing things. My daughter is a student of Cross Academy, that legendary school for geniuses," Long Tengfei told his colleague with a proud expression on his face. It felt so good to brag about his daughter!
"W-what..." The COO looked dazed.
Iris didn't give him any time to recover his wits. She immediately launched into her business presentation. She described her business and its current progress so far. Of course, the star of the company were the products themselves. The Bauer siblings distributed the samples to everyone in the room to try.
"All the ingredients and materials we use in our products are 100% pure and natural. In order to make them into the formulas, they undergo chemical changes through naturally occurring biological processes, never synthetic ones. Alric and Amanpio have developed technology and equipment to make these processes more effective and refined. The patents for their technology are already pending for approval. This means that we are the only one in the world at the moment who use this technology to make our products."
The COO's dazed eyes started to clear as he listened more of Iris' presentation. He was very impressed by her confidence, eloquence, and just her overall bearing in presenting her business in clear and direct to the point manner. Her explanations were very thorough yet also easy to understand.
As for Long Tengfei, he could barely contain his pride from showing on his face. It was taking all of his effort not burst into loud cheers at how amazing his daughter was performing in front of them.
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Chapter 326 - Important Lesson
"We came here today because we want to use Long Industries' excellent shipping services to import some of our ingredients and raw materials that we have to source from overseas," Iris finally mentioned her purpose for asking for their audience. "Not only that. We are also hoping for Long Industries to be our shipping partner in delivering our products to our long-distance customers domestically and internationally when we reach that point in our business."
Impressed by the presentation, the COO had now entered business mode. "Miss Long, may I ask a few questions before we discuss your request?"
"Of course. Please go ahead and ask away."
It wasn't only the COO who began asking questions. Even Long Tengfei and Long Hui did. They were all serious in asking about various aspects of Orchidia Beauty. Iris was also very serious in answering their questions.
When it came to the products themselves, she allowed the Bauer siblings to answer the questions and to explain the details more fully. The siblings spoke in German, so Iris became their translator.
It only made the COO and everyone else more impressed by her.
Qiao Yu also had the chance to speak when the discussion reached the financial situation of the company. He was temporarily handling Orchidia Beauty's finances until Iris found a suitable person to serve as the company's CFO.
Amanpio Kileksky was also called over to answer some questions about the technology he developed with Alric. He spoke in English. Iris didn't need to translate because everyone in the room knew English. He assured everyone that the technology they developed was not something that anyone could easily replicate.
"With my name on the application forms, I'm sure that our patents will get approved soon. I always have patent pending because I invent a lot of things," he boasted. "Besides, if anyone dares try replicating my technology with Alric, we'll just sue the crap out of them! Then we'll get more money to develop even more advanced technology that they won't be able to keep up with us. Ahaha!"
Long Tengfei and the others laughed at his words, thinking that he was joking. Iris, however, nodded in agreement with Amanpio. Both of them were serious. As if they would allow anyone to replicate the technology Amanpio and Alric developed. It was a given that Amanpio wouldn't allow it because he was the inventor. Iris also wouldn't allow it because she spent such a huge amount of money in the development of those technology.
Finally, they started the negotiations for the shipping services.
"I would like to get a discounted price of 95% off for shipping domestically, 93% off for Asian locations and 90% off for other parts of the world," Iris asked with a straight face.
Everyone's jaw dropped, except for Long Tengfei who looked amused.
"I think you mean you'll pay 95% for domestic shipping, so it should be 5% off," the CEO said.
"No. I meant exactly what I said. It's 95% off, so I'll only need to pay 5%," Iris insisted.
"Xiulan! Are you joking?" As the Deputy CFO, Long Hui couldn't take it any longer. "What a ridiculous demand! You might as well ask for the shipping services to be free!"
Iris tilted her head to the side. "First of all, it's not a demand. It's my opening asking price which is open for negotiation. Second of all, yes, I already thought about asking for the shipping services to be free. After all, I'm the daughter of Father who is the President-CEO of Long Industries. I think that it's only natural that I get the shipping services for free. However, I'm being nice and considerate by asking for a discount instead."
"You!" Long Hui was speechless.
This was one of the most important business lessons she learned from Grandpa Lu.
'Don't be afraid to be shameless, especially in front of family. They'll still love you, anyway. Bahahaha!'
Iris took Grandpa Lu's lesson to heart. She could almost hear his booming voice when he taught it to her. Shamelessness, she learned, was also an important skill in business.
"Huh? What's happening? What are you talking about? They don't want to accept your asking price?" Amanpio suddenly interrupted, asking her in English. "I told you that it's better if we just use the academy's network!"
"The academy offers only 50% discount. I want at least 90%. I can only get that rate from family," she replied.
"Aren't you friends with AJ Zheneres? You can just negotiate with her to increase the discount. Her influence in handling the academy's business is growing by the day. I'm sure that if she requests in your stead, the admins will give in because she's making the academy so much money with her golden touch."
"Hmm..." Iris thought about Amanpio's suggestion carefully.
"Or maybe just ask that fiancé of yours. If he really loves you, he'll give you the shipping services for free!"
A lovely smile lifted the corner of her lips. "You're right. I'm sure he will. But I won't. I don't want to use him like that for my own benefit before we're married."
"Huh? What are you saying? Aren't you using your father's company for your own benefit?" Amanpio said.
"But he's my father. I'm allowed to do this and it'll still be acceptable. After all, I'm his daughter."
"Well, yeah. You're right, I guess," he mumbled.
"What do you mean it's acceptable?" Long Hui interjected. "It's not. Xiulan, your asking price is too much. We'll give you a family discount for sure but not anything above 90%."
"What's your counter offer then? 89% off?" Iris' shamelessness continued.
"Y-you..." Long Hui had to take a few deep breaths to calm his exasperation.
The COO was about to mediate when Long Tengfei spoke with his authority as the President-CEO of Long Industries.
"No need for any negotiations. Long Industries will become Orchidia Beauty's shipping partner. Your request for the following discounts will also be granted: 95% off domestically, 93% off in Asia, and 90% off in other countries. President Long Xiulan, do we have a deal?"
A bright smile broke out of Iris' face. "Yes, President Long Tengfei. We have a deal."
The father and daughter stood up and shook hands, symbolically sealing the business deal.
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Chapter 327 - In The Name Of Our Noble Family
"Father!" Long Hui began to protest against Long Tengfei's decision. "Isn't this too much? Our company won't make any money with this deal. We'll have to incur losses instead!"
"Son, I'm the President-CEO of Long Industries. And Xiulan is my daughter and your sister. Long Industries is, in its very essence, a family business. She is family. I don't plan on making money off of my own daughter." Long Tengfei said these words in a light tone but the impact was heavy.
Long Hui could only back off and sigh.
After Iris and Long Tengfei's handshake, the others joined in.
The Bauer siblings looked delighted that the deal was successful, while Amanpio Kileksky looked relieved that that the meeting was finally over. He was already feeling very bored.
As for the COO, he was extremely impressed by Iris Long. So this was the President's youngest daughter. Rumours shouldn't be really believed. What good-for-nothing? The young lady obviously had a knack for business, not to mention that she was a Cross Academy student! This alone was enough to impress him for several lifetimes.
She was also a force to be reckoned with in the negotiation table. He could only chuckle remembering the way she shamelessly laid down the ridiculous discount rates she wanted with a straight face. Her way of doing business reminded him of a certain legend whom businesspeople like him looked up to.
The COO was also inwardly laughing at the ones who were still thinking that the Young Miss Xiulan was the most useless member of the Long family. How could a Cross Academy student be useless? Other people had no idea that she was actually the most brilliant among President Long's children.
'It seems that the most worthy to inherit the throne isn't the crown prince as everyone thinks, but the youngest princess instead who everyone keeps on overlooking and underestimating,' he thought to himself.
###
Later that day, the news about the Young Miss Xiulan having a meeting at Long Industries spread among the members of the Long family. They heard that she came with the financial manager Qiao Yu and a bunch of foreigners.
This alone wouldn't have bothered them if it weren't for the fact that Long Tengfei also called Long Industries' COO and Long Hui (Deputy CFO) to join the meeting. Although they still didn't know the full specifics, they heard that she got a one-sided business deal with Long Industries. One-sided because it would only benefit her, not Long Industries.
They wasted no time ridiculing her among themselves. They were especially disgruntled at Long Tengfei for showing obvious favouritism for his daughter who they thought didn't deserve to get anything from Long Industries.
"That's why that child is so spoiled! Tengfei hands everything to her in a silver platter! Ever since the establishment of the company, the main family has had a tight hold of its control. They don't allow all the Long relatives to work in the company, only hiring the most capable ones. All of us from the branch families need to work hard just to be qualified to work for our own family business, and yet that spoiled brat only needed to sweet-talk her father. Unbelievable!" Long Jufang complained among the members of his own branch family.
"But Grandfather, it doesn't seem like Cousin Xiulan will be working at Long Industries. I heard that she only got a business deal, not a position," one of his grandsons commented.
"And you think that's better? How naïve, boy! The business deal that she got is reportedly disadvantageous for the company. It's like a gift from Tengfei himself without expecting anything in return. Meaning, she got it for free without working for it just because she's the company head's daughter. Giving her a position on the other hand, while still dubious because of her lack of qualifications, is still within the realm of acceptability. She has to at least work for the company and prove to everyone that she deserves the position given to her. Now you see the difference?" Long Jufang explained to her grandson.
"Oh. I see. That really is unfair." The grandson was still in middle school, so he still didn't understand the complicatedness of the family politics and business. "Even Cousin Hui has to work hard and he's the heir."
"Exactly. Hmph! Speaking of that cousin of yours, he's been making a lot of stupid decisions lately. Maybe because he's been spending so much time with Xiulan. This is what he gets for getting close to his good-for-nothing youngest sister. If he continues to walk this downhill path, our noble Long family will deteriorate when it's time for him to succeed."
Long Jufang looked genuinely concerned about the family's future. It was just that his version of the ideal future was still stuck in the values commonly upheld in ancient times.
His children, their spouses and grandchildren all nodded their heads in agreement with him. He was the head of this branch family. All of them were very proud of their aristocratic origins. All of the daughters from this branch family refused to marry into their husbands' families. Instead, the husbands married into the family, preserving their Long lineage.
"But I hear that Xiulan has been very good and sensible lately," his daughter-in-law said. "What if she really changed and has become responsible? Can't we give her a chance? At the end of the day, she still has the blood of the Longs flowing in her veins."
"If that's the case, then good!" Long Jufang immediately replied. "But she really has to change her old ways and rediscover the pride of having Long blood within her. If she's really serious about reintegrating into the family, she should quit showbiz and that low class career of hers. If she can become a proper young lady fit for our noble Long family, then all of us will welcome her back with open arms."
"You're right, Father," his son said. "If Xiulan can just fix herself, then it's definitely good news for our family. If for some reason Hui is unable to succeed the family and the business, I'd rather have her as the next head than those illegitimate children of Cousin Tengfei."
"Exactly!" Long Jufang scowled at the mention of Long Tengfei's illegitimate children. "It's such a disgrace allowing those bastards to work at our family business! I heard that Tengfei will be promoting that bastard son of his to work at the main company in a few months. Unbelievable! And his bastard daughter will also start working at a branch division after she graduates from university this summer."
"But Father, Cousin Tengfei's other son and daughter are very smart and capable. Both of them are top of their classes and are rather popular among their peers. They also behave well when we meet them during family gatherings," his daughter-in-law said.
Long Jufang snorted. "So what if they're all that? No matter how many times you flip the world upside down, those children will still be illegitimate. They're the shame of our noble Long family. Although Tengfei announced to everyone that he'll change his will if any of his other children prove themselves to be more capable than Hui, I would never allow an illegitimate child of his to succeed. Over my dead body! If either Hui or Xiulan are unable to succeed their father, then our branch family will just have to take over and become the main family instead! If it's for the best interests of our family and to make our noble Long name flourish again, our branch family will gladly take this burden upon our shoulders."
Everyone nodded, their expressions grave. They acted as if it was a great sacrifice on their part if their branch family were to take over as head of the entire Long clan. But deep within their hearts, the desire for control and power burned a little hotter.
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Chapter 328 - Music Awards
Showbiz became busier and more exciting at this time of the year. Everyone was preparing for the awards season. First up was the biggest and the most recognized music awards in the country, Harmony Music Awards.
When the nominations were finally announced, everyone was surprised and amazed by someone whose name appeared several times in the lists.
Iris Long was nominated for a grand total of nine different categories. She turned out to be the most nominated artist for the music awards this year. She actually exceeded Jin Chonglin who had eight nominations, making him the second most nominated this year.
In fact, the two of them were direct competitors. They were nominated in four of the same award categories. These four were considered to be the most important and most sought-after in the music awardsânamely, Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Music Video.
It was no wonder that their respective fans were going crazy.
The Black Stars almost couldn't contain themselves in their delight and excitement. Although they weren't surprised that their Boss Iris was nominated for the music awards, they didn't expect her to receive so many nominations. They felt so proud of her.
Similarly, Jin Chonglin's army of fans were happy for their Prince Lin Lin's nominations. They didn't mind that someone got more nominations than him. To them, eight nominations were already awesome. Even though Jin Chonglin was a familiar face at the music awards every year, they still supported him every single time that he was nominated throughout the years.
In addition to the music awards' official categories in which the winners would be decided by a voting council, there were also special awards. These were called the people's choice awards because the winners were decided by fan votes.
Iris Long was included in the Most Popular Female Artist ranking, while Jin Chonglin was in the Most Popular Male Artist.
Unlike the regular categories in which the nominees were carefully selected, the people's choice awards were free-for-all. Anyone could nominate (a.k.a. add) just about any names they liked to the nominee list. The organizers only monitored the list to remove anyone who was ineligibleâmeaning, those who weren't musicians.
Leading the Most Popular Male Artist ranking with the most votes was, unsurprisingly, Jin Chonglin. He already won the same award five times in the past. He won the last three titles in a row with the latest one being just last year. The other two, he won during the early period of his career.
As for the Most Popular Female Artist ranking, Iris Long was going up and down the second and the third positions. Her opponents were more popular and more established singers than her. They also had bigger fan clubs, formed throughout the years of their careers. Compared to them, the Black Stars were only formed very recently.
Despite this, the Black Stars refused to give up. They voted with all their might, using different devices. They asked their families, friends, coworkers and even strangers on the streets to vote for their Boss Iris. With their efforts, Iris stabilized her position in second place.
However, the Black Stars were still unsatisfied. They wanted their boss to win this award. Fortunately, the Pandemonium fans also gave their full support to Iris. As a result, Iris' name began to close the gap with the popular singer-actress at the number 1 position.
The competition in the Most Popular Female Artist ranking was extremely fierce. On the other hand, the Most Popular Male Artist ranking was without any suspense. Barring any miracles from happening, the award would most likely go to Jin Chonglin again this year.
From the fans to the artists themselves, everyone was busy working hard for the upcoming music awards.
Who would be the winners? Who would be the losers?
These questions could only be answered during the award ceremony itself.
###
It was drizzling on the day of the music awards. The sky was grey, the sun barely shining through the thick clouds. Nevertheless, countless fans still braved the wet and slightly cold weather just for a glimpse of their favourite celebrities on the red carpet.
When the fans started screaming behind the barricades, everyone knew that the stars had begun arriving. Famous and not so famous musicians began posing for the cameras. Among them were the nominees, of course, who all received loud cheers and well wishes from everyone.
Other celebrities also arrived, from models, actors and actresses to directors and producers, and other TV and movie personalities. Some of the most popular social media influencers also received invitations to walk the red carpet. A few socialites also attended. Some came by themselves, while others came as partners of the invited celebrities.
"Kyaaaah! Prince Lin Lin, we love you! Please win all eight awards that you're nominated for!"
The screams from Jin Chonglin's army of fans when he finally arrived on the red carpet was deafening. The other celebrities and guests still posing on the red carpet all turned their heads to his direction.
Jin Chonglin arrived in a gorgeous tailored pinkish-grey suit. There were only a few men in the world who could pull off such a bold choice of unusual colour for a suit and still look hot and manly. Jin Chonglin certainly rocked it, overshadowing the other men on the red carpet.
His army of fans were going crazy calling his name and screaming for him. He posed for the photos before taking the time to interact with his fans in person.
"Good luck, Prince Lin Lin. We hope that you win tonight! We'll support you all the way!"
"Thank you, everyone. I love you all," he told them in a loud voice before throwing a wink and a flying kiss at them.
Many fainted in overexcitement as a result of his words and actions.
Before he returned to posing for the cameras on the red carpet, his eyes caught a distinct group among the crowd behind the barricades. They all wore black suits, looking like triad members instead of fans. There was an organized and disciplined air among them which other fan clubs lacked.
"The Black Stars, huh..." Jin Chonglin muttered.
Suddenly, their polite expressions transformed into excited ones. Then they began screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Boss Iris!"
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Chapter 329 - Bombshell
Iris walked the red carpet together with JJ.
She wore a long, fitted qipao-style sleeveless red dress that accentuated her hourglass figure. The dress flared below her thighs in a mermaid skirt that swept elegantly around her feet. There were golden lotus floral patterns embroidered throughout the dress and sparkling crystals on her neckline and chest area like dewdrops.
A fluffy white faux fur cape wrapped around her shoulders to protect her from the cold while on the red carpet. Her hair was arranged in a classic chignon, accented by a delicate gold leaf hair piece. She carried a red fan with an image of a flying golden dragon painted on it.
With her red lips, gorgeous outfit and graceful bearing, she looked like a queen. Everyone couldn't stop themselves from staring at her. All of the cameras pointed at her, the flashes making the crystals on her dress and her jewelry, especially her diamond ring, glitter like stars in a red sky.
"Damn! She's so beautiful," a male celebrity exclaimed in the middle of his interview on the red carpet.
Just like everybody else, Jin Chonglin was also dazed at seeing her. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Then his gaze fell on the diamond ring on her finger, effectively reminding him that the woman was engaged to his own brother. It jolted him out of his brief trance.
Iris posed for the cameras with JJ. Some of the cameramen requested for Iris to pose solo. JJ harrumphed for a bit before leaving her side to have her solo moment with the wildly flashing cameras. She gave them several classy poses, playing with her fan to give them a variety of shots.
Afterwards, she made her way to the Black Stars, instantly identifying them by their conspicuous suits among the normally dressed people around them. She met Jin Chonglin along the way.
"Beautiful Sister Xiulan, you look like a bride with that red dress of yours," he told her.
Her brows raised before chuckling in amusement. "Ah, maybe that's why my fiancé insisted that I choose this dress design for tonight. So that's why. Well, my darling has good taste. Don't you agree, Brother Chonglin?"
Jin Chonglin scowled for only a second before catching himself. His famous smile returned to his face. Ah, that was dangerous. If the cameras caught that negative expression on his face, there would surely be another tabloid scandal involving him and her the next day.
He was smiling on the outside but on the inside, he grumbled. What the hell was this? She wasn't even with his brother right now, yet he was still being force-fed with dog food! These lovers' sweetness to each other would kill others from overdose one day. And he might just be the first casualty.
The two went on their separate ways after only a brief conversation. If they talked for a bit longer, tongues would begin wagging and speculating about their relationship.
Actually, it was already too late. The LinRis shippers among the crowd was already mentally writing romantic fan fiction about them.
After interacting with the Black Stars, Iris returned beside JJ. They granted some short interviews on the red carpet before finally entering the multi-purpose arena where the music awards would be held tonight.
It was at that moment that a series of audible gasps arose from the crowd. The next person to walk the red carpet was someone they thought would never attend the music awards.
Jin Liwei swept his cold eyes across everyone. Disinterest and disappointment turned his eyes even colder when he didn't find the one person he wanted to see the most. It seemed that he missed his baby girl on the red carpet. No matter. He would see her later during the awards ceremony.
The organizers immediately hurried to welcome him. They looked very excited and eager to please. This was the first time that Jin Liwei accepted their invitation to attend the music awards. They invited him every year, but he rejected them every single time.
Jin Liwei posed briefly for the cameras. His cold and indifferent aura made the surrounding people behave and bring out their best manners. All of the ladies (and the ladies at heart) sighed in awe at his handsomeness and oozing masculinity. Even the men couldn't help but admire his regal and powerful aura. His sharp suit only magnified his attractiveness.
Everyone was very surprised that he attended this year's music awards. They all thought that he came to support his brother, Jin Chonglin, who was nominated for eight awards. Too bad that someone got more nominations than him. Nevertheless, they were confident that Jin Chonglin was going to win the most awards tonight.
A reporter mustered up all of her courage and called out to Jin Liwei. "Mr. Jin! C-can you answer some questions from us?"
Her fellow reporters and the cameramen all froze and held their breaths. They didn't have much hope as Jin Liwei never had patience for trivial interviews. He only granted interviews when they were about business.
"En." Jin Liwei nodded and walked in front of the reporter who called out to him.
"A-ah?" The poor reporter's mind went blank at his sudden close proximity to her.
Another reporter asked instead, "Mr. Jin, are you granting us an interview?"
"En." He nodded again. "Be quick."
All the media representatives immediately left their original spots and swarmed around Jin Liwei. They started throwing questions at him like excited, salivating dogs.
The celebrities they were interviewing could only smile wryly at being abandoned. However, they didn't dare complain. Who was Jin Liwei? He was the most powerful man in the country's business world of his generation.
"Mr. Jin, this is the first time that you attended the music awards. Are you here to support someone?"
An image of his beautiful baby girl appeared in his mind. "Yes," he replied.
"What a strong brotherly bond! Jin Chonglin must be happy that his brother is here to support him!"
Jin Liwei frowned. He was about to correct their misunderstanding when he was interrupted by another question.
"CEO Lu, we can see that you came by yourself. There are so many beautiful ladies who'll die for a chance to be your partner tonight. Is there no one that you would like to escort for this event?"
"I have no interest in escorting other women except for my fiancée. It's not convenient for us at the moment to attend this event together, so I came by myself. Besides, I don't want to upset her by getting close to other women. She's the only one for me," he answered with a straight face.
The reactions of everyone, however, were a sight to see. Their jaws fell down and their eyes almost popped out of their heads. Shock was a mild word to describe their current expressions.
"What do you mean by that? CEO Lu, are you telling us that you're engaged?!"
"Yes," he confirmed.
Loud gasps.
"What?!"
Then the questions started raining down on him nonstop. He filtered the questions, only answering the ones that he liked.
"Who's the lucky lady? Is she beautiful?"
"I'm the lucky one. Yes, the most beautiful," he answered.
"Have you been engaged for long? When are you planning to get married?"
"A few months ago. We'll marry whenever she's ready."
"Can you tell us who she is?"
He hesitated before saying in a mysterious tone, "You'll all know who she is when the time is right."
Then he began to leave.
"Wait, Mr. Jin! Please give us a hint about your fiancée! Even just a small one!"
He stopped and thought about it for a few moments. The reporters held their breaths, waiting and hoping for his answer.
"Hmm... She's here tonight."
After dropping that bombshell, Jin Liwei left the flabbergasted people behind and headed inside the arena.
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Chapter 330 - Not On The Same Level
The bombshell Jin Liwei dropped on the red carpet instantly became the topic of conversations by the viewers watching the event's live telecast. They were all very shocked.
Although Jin Liwei wasn't a showbiz figure like his younger brother, he was still quite famous. And it wasn't just because he was the President-CEO of the number one company in the country. If people had to choose who was more handsome between the Jin brothers, an overwhelming majority of them would say that Jin Liwei was more physically attractive than Jin Chonglin.
Even more than Jin Chonglin who was a big celebrity idolized by many, Jin Liwei was actually the one considered to be the most eligible bachelor in the entire country. He was tall, rich, handsome and powerful.
Although many were afraid of him, it didn't stop many women from vying for the position of Madam Jin. By marrying him, they would be set for the rest of their lives. A lavish life of wealth and power, not to mention a gorgeous man to sleep withâwho could resist such a "perfect" life?
As a result, countless women (and some men) tried seducing him in the past but no one succeeded. This led people to believe that he was incapable of being in a sexual relationship, much less a romantic one. That was why many people couldn't believe that the cold and indifferent Jin Liwei was now engaged to someone.
"Isn't he gay? He can't marry a man in this country, so he can only be engaged to a woman. Is he entering a sham marriage just to cover up his sexuality and fulfill his duty as the head of the Jin family?"
"That's possible. Or maybe it's an arranged marriage. It's pretty common for men with his status to marry young ladies from other powerful families."
"There has never been any concrete evidence that CEO Jin is gay. I think he just found his true love. He keeps on rejecting all those thirsty people throwing themselves at him because they're not his fated one. But he must've found the one for him so he immediately popped the question. Isn't it romantic? Oh, be still my heart!"
Conversations like these could be heard all over the country. The awards ceremony hadn't started yet, but the most talked-about figure at the moment was not even one of the nominees.
"Quick! Look around! He said that his fiancée is here tonight!"
The audience members at the arena and the viewers watching at home all made wild guesses as to the identity of Jin Liwei's mysterious fiancée. What kind of woman could make such a man like Jin Liwei, who many believed to be unattainable, to settle down? She must be super amazing.
They suspected many of the single celebrity ladies who attended the music awards as Jin Liwei's possible fiancée.
That singer or that actress. Maybe that model or that socialite. Was she the one? Or maybe her?
As for the women, they played coy when asked whether they were Jin Liwei's fiancée. Sensing an opportunity to create drama, most of them gave vague answers. They neither confirmed nor denied anything.
However, it was interesting that people only suspected women who were in their mid-twenties and above. They didn't bother suspecting the younger ones.
"I'll never believe that CEO Jin will have a relationship with a teenager. So we can remove those kids from our list of suspects. I also think that even the ones who are in their early twenties are still too young for him. I mean, that's about a decade of age difference between them! CEO Jin is the head of the number one company in the country, so he must be super smart. I bet that those young women aren't mature enough to keep up with a worldly man like him."
"I agree with you. Ah, I can't wait to know the identity of his fiancée! When will he introduce her to the public? He did mention during his interview earlier in the red carpet that we'll eventually know who she is when it's the right time. The suspense is killing me!"
The music awards would be starting soon. Instead of talking about who would win the awards, the people were hunting for Jin Liwei's soon-to-be wife instead.
Then a Black Star posted her guess in an online forum.
"Wait. Is it just me or others are also thinking that CEO Jin's fiancée might just be our Boss Iris? Didn't she say before that her fiancé is a businessman? Plus she also got engaged a few months ago, just like CEO Jin. If it's true, OMG! I'm gonna hyperventilate! Wouldn't this mean that our Boss Iris will become the next Madam Jin? Our Boss Iris will then become the ultimate boss!"
"Ahahaha! You have such a wild imagination. I'm laughing so hard. CEO Jin Liwei is engaged to Iris Long? Funniest thing I heard today. Ahahaha!"
"Girl, your guess is way off the mark. I can still believe it if you say that Iris Long is engaged to Jin Chonglin. But to CEO Jin Liwei? There is absolutely no way that's true. This is CEO Jin we're talking about."
Another Black Star took offense at the words of these people. "What do you mean by that? What's wrong with our Boss Iris? Why can't she be CEO Jin's fiancée?"
"The answer is simple. They're not on the same level. CEO Jin is way up there. You think that a man with wealth and status like him will marry a young pop star with a troubled past? Not to mention that she's constantly linked to his own brother. Sure, Iris Long is also from a rich family but we all know that she's not really on good terms with them despite her older brother saying that they're okay now. And even though she has matured a lot and moved past from her teenage trouble-making days, she hasn't ascended to such a level yet as to be worthy for us to even consider her as the future Madam Jin. It's just too far-fetched and unbelievable."
Of course the Black Stars staunchly defended their Boss Iris. Yet the majority of them also didn't dare believe that their boss might really be Jin Liwei's fiancée. Besides, they didn't want her to be with someone like Jin Liwei either. He was too scary and too cold. Their boss deserved someone who would love her and pamper her for the rest of her life. They just couldn't imagine the cold, indifferent and reportedly ruthless President-CEO of Jin Corporation as a loving and doting husband.
Similarly, the LinRis shippers immediately rejected this notion. Yes, they wanted to pair up Iris with a Jin but not to the wrong brother. For them, the only Jin man who was perfectly suitable for her was Jin Chonglin.
"LinRis forever! There will be no other pairings that we'll accept except for LinRis! Prince Lin Lin and Boss Iris all the way! They're the most perfect couple ever!"
And with that, Iris Long's name was kicked out of the list of women who could possibly be Jin Liwei's fiancée.
Despite this, there remained a handful of people who couldn't quite remove the niggling feeling within their hearts that Iris Long and Jin Liwei might really be engaged.
Was it just a coincidence that both Iris Long and Jin Liwei were engaged to mysterious partners a few months ago? Although the clues matched, their opinions were unpopular and ignored by the masses, so they only kept their speculations among themselves.
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