Chapter 37: 361 - 370

Chapter 361 - Hidden Dragon

"Mother, please calm down," Wu Qianxi said as she pulled her mother back to her seat.

Although she also felt furious for being called a homewrecker by those bitches, she needed to maintain her image as a classy lady in front of the Longs, especially to Long Tengfei and the elders.

She didn't think much of Yang Jiahui. After all, she was already the third wife. It was possible that she might not be the last. Why should she be worried about someone easily replaceable? Besides, she would eventually become the next Madam Long when Long Hui succeeded.

"Jiahui, I advise you to be careful of your words," Long Jufang spoke for the first time since Long Tengfei silenced the elders with his threat. "The Wus are long-time friends of our Long family. And most importantly, our two families have partnered in several business projects over the years. As the Madam of our Long family, it is not wise to alienate them with your careless words."

The Wus looked smug after hearing the Long elder defend them.

Long Tengfei spoke next. His impassive expression made it difficult for the others to read his thoughts. He looked at the Wus. "So tell me what you want to happen? Is it for my son to break up with his fiancée and marry Wu Qianxi instead?"

Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue both tensed, while the expressions of Iris and the others darkened. Long Jian also wore an impassive expression like his father, but inside he was laughing at Long Hui's misfortune.

"Yes, that's the most ideal scenario," Long Meng replied. "It's also what is right and what should happen since our two families already have an agreement to marry Young Master Hui and Miss Wu Qianxi."

"Agreement? Why wasn't I informed that there is a signed agreement between our two families? Who's the one who made this decision and bypassed me, the head of the family?"

"There is no written agreement, Father," Long Hui said.

"Brother Tengfei, Elder Long Meng is talking about the verbal agreement that the elders of our families made when our children were young. They agreed that this union between Long Hui and my daughter is for the best to deepen the relationship between our two families," Sir Wu explained.

Long Tengfei looked at Sir Wu like the man had just lost his mind. "We're both businessmen. You know very well that verbal agreements don't mean anything, only written and signed ones do. What were you thinking, using a verbal agreement from a long time ago to force a marriage between our two children? This is absolutely ridiculous.

"I also want to make something clear. Even though I am their father, I don't have the right to control the lives of my adult children. They are their own persons. Whatever decision they make is completely up to them. I can influence them, yes, but it's still their choice whether they do as I say or not. As a father, I don't have the right to dictate my children's lives. All of you have even less right than me to do so.

"This meeting is over. My son, Long Hui, will decide who he wants to marry. It will not be decided by me, and most certainly not by any of you. End of discussion." Long Tengfei's tone was final and dared anyone to defy his decision.

Delight and relief filled Long Hui's expression. "Thank you, Father!"

Long Jian's eyes turned cold. He was displeased that the scolding of Long Hui that he was expecting didn't happen. He thought that this was another example of their father's favouritism towards the legitimate son.

Wu Qianxi started sobbing once again. Her parents' expression became ugly.

Sir Wu couldn't accept it. "Brother Tengfei! You want to throw away our friendship for that gold digging slut?! Think about the close business relationship between our companies! If you continue to allow your son to hurt and humiliate my daughter and embarrass our Wu family like this, we'll pull out of all our business partnerships with Long Industries!"

The elders paled when they heard his threat.

"Calm down, you two," Long Jufang requested. "Tengfei, please think about this matter more carefully. Long Industries will lose hundreds of millions if the business partnerships between the two companies are dissolved! Both sides will suffer!"

The Wus looked smug seeing the panicked elders. They felt sure that Long Tengfei would change his mind when business became involved. Long Tengfei was a born and bred businessman. They thought that he would never risk losing hundreds of millions for the sake of his son's selfishness.

However, they were wrong.

Long Tengfei might not ever win any Best Father awards because of his hands-off approach of parenting, but he truly loved all of his children. To him, they were his most precious treasures and the most important accomplishments of his life.

"It seems that I, Long Tengfei, have been too complacent in these last few years. I'm actually being threatened. It seems that people think that I am an easy target now. Let me make this clear to all of you. My children, my own flesh and blood, are of course more important to me than any so-called 'friends'. And what kind of 'friend' will threaten me to sacrifice my own child's happiness or they'll make my business suffer? I'll be more than happy to cut such a 'friend' out of my life. Good riddance!"

Sir Wu was enraged. "Tengfei, you dare say that to me?! Fine! All the Wus will pull out from all the business partnerships we have with Long Industries! Even though both sides will suffer, I'll make sure that if we're going down, we'll take the Longs down with us!"

"I plead for the two of you to calm down!" Long Meng cried in a panic. "This is not a trivial matter that should be decided in the heat of the moment. The two of you are friends. Our families are long-time friends. Let's not destroy our years of friendship in just one night!"

Madam Wu pointed a furious finger at Jiang Ying Yue. "This is all the fault of that gold digging slut! Not only did she steal my daughter's happiness, but she's also the reason why our two families' long-time friendship is destroyed!"

"Please stop insulting and accusing my fiancée, Madam. She has done nothing wrong to warrant such treatment," Long Hui defended Jiang Ying Yue while tightening his hold on her hand.

Long Jian finally spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "Father, I think this decision to cut all ties with the Wu family is too extreme. The Wus are a major partner for some of our major projects. Please think about our employees who'll suffer because of this loss."

Iris wasn't pleased that someone sitting together with them wasn't taking their side. Her currently evolving emotional range was far from stable yet. It was still filled with ill feelings regarding the Long family. Long Jian's comment made Iris dislike him even more along with the elders.

She ignored Long Jian. Then she turned to Long Tengfei, showing him a confident look. "Father, don't worry. Long Industries doesn't need the Wus. I give you my word that Long Industries will not suffer in this business break-up."

Knowing his youngest daughter's true capabilities, Long Tengfei nodded. "Alright. I feel more at ease with your words."

Everyone was shocked by Iris' audacity to claim such a thing. What was even more shocking was that Long Tengfei acted as if he trusted her words. Even Long Jinjing, Chen Fei and Long Jian couldn't believe what she just said and how Long Tengfei reacted.

"Tengfei, have you gone mad?!" Long Jufang exclaimed in disbelief. "What can Xiulan do? She knows nothing about business! So what if she started a business recently? That doesn't make her an expert who can save Long Industries!"

Long Meng also piped in. "Young Miss Xiulan, please stay out of this serious business discussion. You don't know what you're saying. This is business, not showbiz where you can bluff your way to greatness."

The other Long relatives present also expressed their incredulity at Iris' claim. Of course, the Wu family didn't miss this chance to mock her for her "delusions".

Iris just raised an eyebrow at them.

As for Long Tengfei, Yang Jiahui, Meimei, Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue who knew about Iris' status as a Cross Academy student, they looked calm and even amused at how the others continued to underestimate the true hidden dragon among them.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

A young relative in his early twenties entered the library. He looked extremely excited. "I apologize for disturbing your meeting, but a super important guest has just arrived! I think that Uncle Tengfei and Aunt Jiahui should greet them as soon as possible!"

"Important? Our meeting is more important! Tell whoever it is to wait!" Long Jufang was displeased. He didn't think anybody in their level was important enough to make them run to greet him or her.

"But it's Sir Lu Jianhong! The newly arrived guest is the business genius himself, Sir Lu!!!"

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Chapter 362 Start Of A Life - Long Connection

"What?!!"

Everyone couldn't believe what they just heard. The legendary business genius Lu Jianhong came to the party? This was totally unprecedented!

"Are you telling the truth?" Long Meng asked the youth who brought the news.

"Yes, Grandaunt Meng. Sir Lu Jianhong is currently mingling with the guests. He asked where the celebrant is. He said that he wants to greet Uncle Tengfei a happy birthday."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go and greet Sir Lu! We shouldn't keep such an esteemed guest waiting for too long," Long Jufang said and looked at Long Tengfei impatiently.

As for the Wu family, they didn't wait for Long Tengfei's permission. Wu Qianxi and her parents left the library and headed directly to look for the business legend. They treated this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. They didn't care whether Sir Lu Jianhong came for Long Tengfei who they just cut ties with. Establishing a connection with someone as powerful in the business world as Sir Lu was more important than leaving the party because of their anger at the hosts.

"Alright, let's go," Long Tengfei finally said.

Upon receiving his permission, the elders and the relatives moved like they had rocket boosters in their shoes with how fast they left the library. They were all extremely excited and couldn't wait to meet such a powerful figure. Long Jian also followed behind them, not waiting for the rest of the "main family" to leave together.

Chen Fei and Long Jinjing also couldn't wait to meet Sir Lu Jianhong in person. Both of them were business majors. Their professors and even their textbooks used him a lot as the best example of a successful businessperson.

They all walked out of the library together. Except for Chen Fei and Long Jinjing, all of them had already met the business legend through Iris.

"Father, you invited Grandpa Lu?" Iris whispered to Long Tengfei.

"Yes, of course. He's your mentor and has done a lot for you. It would be rude if I didn't at least send him an invitation," he replied. "But I never expected him to come."

"Well, he's probably bored so he came," she said with a shrug.

Then Iris excused herself and separated from the group. She needed to use the powder room. Meimei and Jiang Ying Yue went with her. Long Hui went ahead with Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui to greet Grandpa Lu.

Seeing them, Long Jinjing pulled Chen Fei to accompany the three to the powder room. Chen Fei complained a bit because she was so excited to meet Sir Lu. But in the end, she still went with them.

The five of them chatted while inside the powder room. They took turns using the toilet. They also retouched their make-up.

"Xiulan, you started a business?" Chen Fei asked.

"Yes," Iris replied while washing her hands on the sink.

"What kind of business?"

"The one the elders were talking about during the meeting earlier is my beauty company."

"The one? What do you mean? You have more than one businesses?"

Iris nodded. "Yes, I have two others for a total of three. At least for now."

Chen Fei looked at her in surprised disbelief.

"Three businesses? That's amazing, little sister," Long Jinjing told Iris.

She was holding her dress up because it was currently unzipped at the back. Meimei was applying cold compress made from small towels soaked in cold water on the ugly bruises decorating her waist.

"I built two of them from the ground up. My beauty company and my gaming company. Orchidia Beauty hasn't launched yet, but my gaming company Planet Monkey recently released our first game. My third company was given to me by my fiancé as a gift, so I don't really have to do much. It's already well-established and running on its own. I just need to monitor its performance now and then," Iris explained to them.

"Your fiancé gifted you a company?! Is your fiancé crazy?!" Chen Fei exclaimed. She couldn't believe a man could be so stupid as to gift a company to a spoiled brat. She pitied the poor company, thinking that it was doomed to become bankrupt soon.

"Your fiancé must really love you a lot, little sister," Long Jinjing commented, wincing a little when Meimei accidentally pressed hard on her bruises.

Iris smiled. "Yes. My darling loves me a lot. I also love him a lot."

"Yeah! The couple always drown me with dog food whenever I'm near them. I even feel like I'm in danger of getting diabetes whenever I witness their overflowing sweetness to each other," Meimei told them.

The inner door to the toilet opened and Jiang Ying Yue came out. She headed straight to the sink to wash her hands.

"Yes, Xiulan and her fiancé are perfect for each other. I've never seen a man so in love with a woman before I met Xiulan's fiancé," Jiang Ying Yue said.

"But you have Elder Brother," Long Jinjing told her. "He loves you very much."

Jiang Ying Yue gave a slightly subdued smile. She was happy that she and Long Hui were together, but there was still a sense of uncertainty as to whether they could live in peace as husband and wife.

"If that big idiot hurts you or makes you unhappy, just leave him and find a better man." Iris was merciless in her words regarding Long Hui.

Meimei giggled.

"Little sister, he's our brother," Long Jinjing said.

"Hmph. So what if he's our brother? A jerk is a jerk whether he's family or not."

The ill feelings towards Long Hui and most of the Longs were still roiling inside Iris, making her grumpy when talking about them. In fact, she was actually still feeling annoyed at Long Jinjing as well, but at the same time she was starting to like her. That was why she was tolerating Long Jinjing and Chen Fei, even though they annoyed her. She thought that the two women weren't that bad.

They continued to chat until Chen Fei grew impatient.

"Is everyone finished already?" she asked. "Let's hurry! I can't wait to meet Sir Lu Jianhong in person!"

"Me too..." Jinjing said shyly. Her dress was already zipped up. As for her bruises, they still hurt but she could manage.

Meimei and Jiang Ying Yue looked at the nonchalant Iris. They were amused, knowing Iris' close connection with Grandpa Lu who Chen Fei and Long Jinjing idolized.

"Let's go, then," Iris announced.

The five young women walked together, not knowing that this night was the start of their life-long connection to each other.

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Chapter 363 - Beloved Granddaughter

A great crowd of people surrounded the legendary Sir Lu Jianhong. They couldn't believe that such a super important figure attended this party. They were very impressed at Long Tengfei's capability of inviting such a personage.

The Wu family arrived, but they couldn't squeeze through the sea of people surrounding Sir Lu. Nobody made way for them because their status wasn't really higher than any of these people.

Besides, the guests' impression of them lowered after witnessing their crass behaviour earlier. Some of the ladies even started looking down and ridiculing Wu Qianxi behind her back, calling her a desperate man-chaser.

The elders came shortly after. Compared to the Wus, the guests parted and made way for them because they were Longs, the hosts of this party.

"Welcome, Sir Lu! It's an honour to our entire Long family to receive your presence tonight. I am Long Jufang, Long Tengfei's uncle and an elder of the Long family."

Long Meng and the other elders also introduced themselves, including some of the younger heads of the various branch families.

Grandpa Lu only greeted them out of politeness. He wasn't interested in chatting with any of them. To his eyes, most of the Longs were self-important, haughty people who foolishly thought that they were better than others. If his Lu family and the Jins didn't rise up to where they were now, these Longs would probably look down on him now.

It was an open secret in high society that the "aristocratic" Longs used to disdain business families like the Lus and the Jins. It was only when they transformed into a business family themselves that they began to treat other successful business families with respect.

Although his beloved granddaughter didn't tell him anything bad about them, he learned from his own sources how the elders and the other members of the Long family badly treated her. Granted, he discovered that his granddaughter used to be such a wild and disrespectful spoiled brat, but she was just a kid back then! That was just part of youth! Even his Haohao used to be so wild and happy-go-lucky before his accident as well.

That was why he didn't have any good opinions about these snooty Longs. Despite his obvious disinterest, the elders continued trying hard to engage him in conversation.

Finally, he was relieved from the annoying flies when Long Tengfei, Yang Jiahui and Long Hui arrived.

Everyone's eyes almost popped out of their heads when the three acted like old friends with Sir Lu Jianhong. The business legend also seemed to transform into a gaily old man whose voice and laughter boomed throughout the place. All the people watched in awe at the group. Long Tengfei's status was instantly elevated in their eyes. They couldn't wait to use him to get close to the business legend as well.

As for the elders, they looked very proud. Their chests puffed out, feeling superior that their family was connected to such an extremely important figure.

Grandpa Lu, Long Tengfei, Yang Jiahui and Long Hui continued to chat with each other in their own little group. They acted as if nobody was around them and weren't the centre of attention.

"Where's my beloved granddaughter? I want to know! I was told that she will be attending today, that's why I came!" Grandpa Lu's voice boomed.

"She just went somewhere with her sister and friends. They should be back soon," Yang Jiahui said.

The people around them heard his booming words. They were very surprised by what he just said.

"Does Sir Lu have a granddaughter? Maybe my memory is failing me because I don't remember him having one," someone commented.

"I don't think he has a granddaughter, but I know that he has a grandson who reportedly fell from a mountain and almost died."

"Yeah, I heard it was a ski accident. Tsk tsk. How careless. But about this granddaughter, I'm so surprised. Oh, I'm so curious what she looks like!"

"I'm so glad that I attended this party tonight. It's so eventful! Long Tengfei keeps on throwing surprises at us one after another. We had no idea that Sir Lu was coming, and now we discover that Sir Lu's granddaughter is also here. So many important figures!"

The Wu family looked in envy at Long Tengfei and his family happily chatting with Sir Lu Jianhong. But hearing the conversations around them about Sir Lu's never before seen granddaughter, hope and ambition ignited in the Wus' hearts.

Madam Wu whispered to her daughter, "Qianqian, this is a big chance for our Wu family. Let go of that scoundrel Long Hui. Let's also forget about the Longs. The Lus are on another league than them. Wealthier and more powerful. Make sure to befriend that granddaughter. Once you establish a close friendship with her, it'll become more natural for our Wu family to get closer to the entire Lu family. I also hear that Sir Lu dotes on his grandson. If you marry the grandson, you'll be set for life. You'll also elevate the status of our family. Then the Longs will be beneath us."

"I understand, Mother," Wu Qianxi replied. Her eyes flashed with greed and desire.

Sir Wu nodded in approval at his wife and daughter's plan. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to rise higher in the social hierarchy of high society.

The Wu family forced their way through the crowd until they arrived close to the little group. Then they shamelessly introduced themselves to the business legend, disregarding Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui's disapproving looks.

"Sir Lu, this is my daughter, Wu Qianxi. She's quite a successful interior designer who worked with many celebrities on the international level," Sir Wu bragged to Grandpa Lu.

Wu Qianxi flashed her sweetest smile. "Sir Lu, I hear that your granddaughter is present tonight. I can't wait to meet her. I hope we can be friends. I think we'll get along quite well."

Long Tengfei, Yang Jiahui and Long Hui looked at her as if she was the biggest joke in the planet. This fool wanted to befriend Iris? How laughable!

Until finally...

"There you are, my girl! Where have you been? I want to know! Come here and greet your beloved Grandpa!"

Grandpa Lu's booming voice caught everyone's attention. They followed his line of sight and felt confused when all they saw were Iris and her group. They looked behind the five women, thinking that perhaps the granddaughter was behind them.

Then Iris' expression lit up. A breathtaking smile broke out of her face, blinding the people with her beauty. She hurried, almost running. Her companions followed after her.

"Grandpa Lu! You came!" she exclaimed happily.

"I got bored so I came! Bahahaha!"

She giggled and gave an "I told you so" look at Long Tengfei.

Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui chuckled.

Many minds went blank after watching this scene. What did they just witness? Long Xiulan, a.k.a. Iris Long, was Sir Lu Jianhong's granddaughter?

Everyone couldn't process the information inside their brains right away. It was just too unbelievable!

Chen Fei and Long Jinjing looked at Iris as if she just transformed into a unicorn right in front of their eyes. The elders and the other relatives also had similar reactions. It was as if they were seeing Iris for the first time. Behind them, Long Jian wore a serious expression. He looked like he just encountered a new threat.

As for Wu Qianxi and her parents, they paled from utter disbelief. Wu Qianxi, who claimed earlier that she couldn't wait to befriend Sir Lu's granddaughter, wished for the ground to open up and swallow her. How could that useless spoiled brat be the business legend's granddaughter?!

Unbothered by the shocked silence surrounding them, Iris and Grandpa Lu continued to chat with each other. Of course, Long Tengfei and the others who already knew about their connection joined in as well.

"I was planning on dragging your Big Brother Haohao to attend with me tonight but I can't find him! Where in the world is that rascal? I want to know! Does he not know how worried his beloved Grandpa is? I'll smack that dunderhead the next time I see him! Hmph!" Grandpa Lu complained.

"The last time I talked to Big Brother was a week ago. He said that he'd be very busy, so he might be unavailable to be contacted," Iris explained. "He also mentioned travelling in several parts of the country for some business. I'm not sure exactly where he is now, though."

"So he's still in the country? He didn't go abroad? He has been so busy ever since he returned to the country! His body isn't 100% recovered yet. What's he thinking running around? I want to know! What if he breaks his neck again?"

Iris was also worried but she trusted her brother.

Hearing their conversation, the crowd began to regain their senses. They gossiped among themselves. A speculation formed in their minds.

Someone gathered his courage and asked Grandpa Lu directly, "May we ask if Miss Long's mysterious fiancé is Sir Lu's grandson?"

Because Grandpa Lu also treated Jin Liwei as his own grandson, he immediately replied, "Yes, of course! What a lucky man that grandson of mine is! I can't wait for the two of them to marry and give me great-grandbabies!"

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Chapter 364 - Walk Of Shame

Many eyes almost popped out and jaws fell down after hearing Grandpa Lu's words. To them, he just proved their speculation. Now everyone thought that Iris was engaged to Grandpa Lu's grandson, Lu Zihao.

As for Iris, she was exactly on the same page as Grandpa Lu. The two of them forgot to take into account that not everyone was aware that he also treated Jin Liwei as his own grandson. They had no idea that a great misunderstanding was currently running in these people's minds.

Long Tengfei and the others who knew about the truth looked at each other in amusement. They didn't correct the misunderstanding because Iris and Jin Liwei hadn't officially announced their relationship to the public yet.

"This isn't bad," Long Tengfei murmured. "My daughter and Liwei treat Lu Zihao like a brother. They're all very close to each other. Liwei won't get jealous of his brother."

"Uncle Tengfei, it seems that you have no idea what Big Brother Liwei is really like," Meimei whispered. "He's always drowning in a pool of vinegar when it comes to Xiulan."

"As long as he treats my daughter right, I have no complaints."

A few steps away from them, Long Jinjing and Chen Fei didn't hear the conversation about Jin Liwei. Just like the guests, they thought that Iris was engaged to Lu Zihao.

"The stupid fool who gifted your sister an entire business is Sir Lu's grandson?" Chen Fei asked.

"It seems so..." Long Jinjing replied.

"Come, Jinjing. Let's ask Xiulan to introduce us to Sir Lu! Even if his grandson is a stupid love-crazed fool, Sir Lu is still the most brilliant living businessman in our country."

"Yes."

After silently pleading with their eyes, Iris introduced the two to Grandpa Lu. He became interested when they told him that they were business majors and that they were going to graduate very soon. He began asking them several questions about their studies, experiences, and extra-curricular activities. After questioning them, Grandpa Lu gave Iris a meaningful look.

She tilted her head to the side, a contemplative expression on her face.

Later, the party continued merrily.

Most of the people had already somewhat recovered from the initial shock and excitement of the night's various surprises. Now they were enjoying themselves while gossiping about everything that happened since the party started.

They couldn't stop glancing at Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue, Iris and Grandpa Lu, and most especially the Wu family. Although they didn't know what exactly transpired during the private meeting earlier between the Longs and the Wus, it was obvious from their barely veiled enmity that things didn't end well between the two families.

"That bitch must be born under a lucky star or something. Not only did she win those music awards some time ago, but she also managed to snag Sir Lu Jianhong's grandson as her future husband," Madam Wu grumbled while glaring at Iris. "What's so good about her? She knows nothing else besides acting pretty and singing. You're so much better than her, Qianqian."

"Mother, please stop it," Wu Qianxi snapped.

Although she agreed with her mother that she was so much better than that bitch Iris, she already experienced so much humiliation tonight to last her a lifetime. She didn't want her mother making it worse by getting them into deeper trouble if someone were to overhear her insulting Iris or any of the Longs.

Wu Qianxi could feel the looks of ridicule from the people around them like a heavy weight. Now she was experiencing something similar to the pain Jiang Ying Yue went through earlier when people mocked her for being Long Hui's mistress. It was a suffocating feeling.

"Mother, Father, let's go. I don't want to stay here anymore."

Her parents gave a final envious look at the Longs acting very close to Sir Lu Jianhong before the three of them left the party together. It was like a walk of shame. They felt each and every snicker and mocking comment thrown at them like knives stabbing at their disgraced dignity.

"I think we should try and repair our relationship with the Longs," Sir Wu said once they were inside their vehicle.

Madam Wu rejected his idea.

"They're almost in-laws with the Lus now. If we cut our relationship with the Longs, the Lus will see us in a negative light. We don't want that," he explained.

Madam Wu eventually agreed to her husband's idea. Sir Wu planned on reaching out to Long Tengfei the next day.

As for Wu Qianxi, she was too upset that she failed to hear what her parents were talking about. She felt absolutely humiliated and disgraced. She didn't know whether she could still show her face to others from now on.

Back to the party inside the mansion, the Long elders and the other relatives were all puffed up. They acted as if they just became royalty. Iris became the number one darling in their eyes. They acted so nice to her and complimented her nonstop to the point that Iris felt creeped out.

It was obvious that they changed their attitudes towards her because of her connection with the legendary Sir Lu Jianhong. The elders and the relatives immediately changed how they treated her because they didn't want her badmouthing them to Grandpa Lu or any of the Lus.

Now their main priority was to ensure that she married the Lus' young master, even if it meant pretending to like her. She suddenly became their golden ticket to elevate their status by several places up the social hierarchy of high society.

As a result, they put aside their opposition of Long Hui's plan to marry Jiang Ying Yue for now. They focused all their attention on flattering Iris and their future in-law, Sir Lu Jianhong.

"Well, my sister is a celebrity. She's used to the spotlight. She knows how to deal with it better than us," Long Hui said.

He and Jiang Ying Yue felt relieved that the attention was temporarily diverted away from them. Though they had no idea when they would once again take the heat. The issue about whether they could have a peaceful marriage life or not was still not completely solved.

The elders would surely try to come at them again despite Long Tengfei's threat, especially since Long Hui was the heir apparent of the Long family. Their long-held antiquated values and beliefs weren't so easily abandoned. A closed mind wasn't so easily opened, especially if it was locked tightly since ancient times.

Behind them, Long Jian wore a grave expression as he looked at Iris. For him, his youngest sister just transformed into a new, more dangerous enemy than Long Hui. With the Lus' support, she could join the battle for succession in the Long family if she wanted to.

And she had a high chance of succeeding because she was a legitimate child and Long Tengfei's favourite, in addition to having what looked to be the most successful marriage among the siblings. Even if she sucked in running Long Industries, she could just hand the reins to the Lus who were brilliant businesspeople.

Long Jian's hands clenched into tight fists, feeling a sense of urgency to prove himself as the most worthy successor of the Longs.

'Traitor,' he inwardly spat at Long Jinjing.

The two of them were the illegitimate children. They were supposed to be the ones to team up together against the legitimate children. But why was she now acting very close to both Iris and Long Hui? He felt like everyone was going against him. The obsession to become the next successor intensified within his heart.

His negative feelings were the complete opposite of the happy atmosphere.

Finally, the party ended on a high note. The guests treated their attendance to this party like a badge of honour, proving that they were first-hand witnesses of all the juicy events that transpired during the party. They couldn't wait to boast to their friends who didn't attend the party.

Jin Liwei picked up Iris, Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue with the limousine. Iris immediately sat on his lap, hugging him and rubbing herself against him. Her actions didn't feel sexual, but more like she was asking him for comfort. Jin Liwei was amused because she acted so much like the needy Popcorn who always asked to be petted.

He knew that something must have happened to make her this way. However, he didn't ask. She would tell him when she was ready. He gave her a kiss on the forehead instead.

Similarly, Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue were also acting sweet to each other on their seat.

"Bah! I've had enough of your lovey-dovey. You two pairs of lovebirds, do you want this old man to die of dog food overdose? I want to know! Let's sing karaoke instead!"

Jin Liwei sighed. Grandpa Lu invited himself after hearing that Little Jun was currently at the penthouse. He doted on the toddler, treating him like his own great-grandson.

Moments later, Iris and Grandpa Lu started singing a duet with the built-in karaoke system in the limo. Grandpa Lu surprisingly had a good singing voice, although it was more enthusiastic than skilled.

A doting smile was on Jin Liwei's lips as he watched his baby girl singing. He still had no idea that Grandpa Lu caused a great misunderstanding, making people believe that his baby girl was engaged to his Fifth Brother.

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Chapter 365 - Her Enemy Is My Enemy

Gold Heights Condominium.

It was already very late at night, so Grandpa Lu had no choice but to wait until tomorrow to play with Little Jun. He slept in the guest bedroom where Lu Zihao stayed before.

Little Jun fell asleep in the cat room with Ice Cream and Popcorn. His nanny and Dom slept together with them. Jiang Ying Yue originally wanted to carry Little Jun to their assigned bedroom in the penthouse, but Long Hui discouraged her, saying that it wasn't good to disturb a growing child's sleep.

As for Iris and Jin Liwei, they returned to their old bedroom. The wall-mounted waterfall fountain felt very nostalgic.

"Hmm. Maybe we should install a waterfall fountain in our bedroom at Dragon Palace, too," Jin Liwei commented.

"That would be nice. I don't mind either way," Iris replied, yawning.

After washing up and changing into pyjamas, Iris lay on the bed with Jin Liwei. They cuddled, as she recounted everything that happened during the party. He chuckled when he heard about how she and her fellow girls ganged up on Wu Qianxi.

"Darling, I felt so weird earlier tonight. Almost everything and everyone irritated me. I almost lost control and wanted to slap people so many times. Good thing I was able to control myself. I felt so evil, but I'm not the least bit sorry," she told him.

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "So what if you're evil? Don't ever feel sorry, especially if they're being mean to you and your friends first. They're more evil for treating you and your friends badly. You're just letting them have a taste of their own medicine. Besides, even if you become the greatest villain in the world, I'll still love you and stand by your side."

She smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. I'm so glad to be back home with you. That party was too stressful! But Grandpa Lu made it fun in the end."

Then she remembered something before she could fall asleep.

"Can I ask you a favour?" she asked, looking up at him with her beautiful eyes.

He immediately became extra attentive. "Of course, love. Tell me."

She told him about the consequences of the business break-up between the Longs and the Wus.

"I heard that Long Industries will lose hundreds of millions if their current partnerships are dissolved. Normally, I wouldn't care about Long Industries but this time, I don't want to make to make it hard for Father. Besides, Orchidia Beauty just signed Long Industries as our exclusive shipping partner. My business might be affected too if Long Industries were to take a hit in this conflict with the Wus.

"I promised Father that I won't let Long Industries suffer in this business break-up. I can deal with the Wus, but I currently don't have the means to completely protect Long Industries from those millions of loss. I still don't have your level of influence in the business world. So darling, can you help me find other businesses that might be willing to replace the Wus in their current partnerships with Long Industries?"

He was absolutely delighted that she was finally asking him for help instead of doing everything by herself. He playfully raised an eyebrow at her request. "Why do you want other businesses when Jin Corporation is the best? My company is more than capable of replacing those Wus."

"But won't it be such a hassle to you? I know that you're also very busy like me preparing for the upcoming business conference."

"Love, it's not a problem. Think about it as our investment. Even if we currently don't have any shares in Long Industries, we could still have significant bargaining power if Jin Corporation is involved in some of Long Industries' most important business partnerships."

She pursed her lips. "I don't care about shares in Long Industries, nor do I care about bargaining power with them. Except for my father and Orchidia Beauty's shipping partnership, I don't want to have anything to do with Long Industries."

He released a gentle sigh at his baby girl's indifference to her family's company. Then he coaxed her to sit up on the bed with him. They sat facing each other. She looked at him in confusion.

"I know that you don't care about Long Industries because it's filled with relatives who ostracize you. But I think we need to be more proactive about it this time," he told her. "After all, there's now Little Jun that we have to worry about. Remember that he's still a Long. As Long Hui's firstborn son, he might be the next heir apparent of the Longs. Based on what you're telling me, the elders and your relatives are against this possibility because they don't like Jiang Ying Yue's background.

"So what I'm saying is that it's not enough to deal with the Long clan alone. We need to take as much control as we can to the source of its wealth and power—Long Industries."

Iris was quiet as she thought deeply about what he was telling her.

He continued, "It's good that Long Hui is now taking a more active and assertive stance in protecting his woman and son from your bigoted relatives, but I can't completely trust him. I can sense a weakness in his character for being treated as the most superior among you siblings. When things get hard, he might buckle against the pressure and decide to abandon Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue just so he can keep his position."

The ill feelings inside Iris flared up once again. "Oh, he can try! I'll strangle him and feed him to the sharks!"

Jin Liwei was a bit taken aback at her sudden vicious outburst. Before he could think about it, his body moved on its own and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly and stroked her back, soothing her.

Her stiff and angry body softened, and she melted into his embrace. Her love for Jin Liwei strengthened her calm and logical self, neutralizing the volatile remnant inside her. She still wasn't aware of her evolving emotions. Rubbing her cheeks against his chest and inhaling his masculine scent, she sighed in contentment.

"Calmed down?" he asked.

"Mmn...yes."

Although he wanted to continue embracing her, he forced himself to gently let her go so that they could discuss seriously without any distractions.

"As I was saying, I think it's better if we try gaining more influence in Long Industries so if Long Hui is unable to fight for Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue, at least we can do it for them. Long Industries is the lifeblood and the source of power for the Long clan. If we can influence it, we can also influence the entire clan whether the elders or your other relatives like it or not. This way, we can ensure that Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue have nothing to fear," he told her.

"Oh. That makes sense," she replied. Her head was tilted to the side, thinking about it.

He nodded.

"Alright. Do what you think is best, darling. I'll also work hard so that I can have more influence in the business world. And when I get the chance, I'll join the battle for control of Long Industries," she said with determination in her eyes.

"En."

Then she smiled at him and held his hand. "Thank you."

"I want a reward," he said.

"Hm? What reward?"

He tapped his finger against his lips, puckering it a little.

Giggling, she leaped into his arms. Both of them tumbled on the bed, him on his back and her on top of him. She gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the lips. And then rained kisses all over his face.

Jin Liwei's grin was so wide that it felt like it reached both his ears. He looked like he was in total bliss.

She yawned and her head dropped to his chest. Two seconds later, she fell into deep sleep on top of him.

He chuckled, not surprised a bit. His baby girl was the best sleeper he had ever met in his life. He moved the two of them into more comfortable positions. Her regular, deep breathing was also helping him fall asleep. Before sleeping, however, he thought about the things he must do first.

Although his baby girl said that she would take care of the Wus herself, he didn't want her wasting her time on them. He would deal with them as soon as possible before they could recover and think about getting revenge against the Longs. He would also make sure that their daughter, Wu Qianxi, wouldn't be able to get any clients as an interior designer across Asia.

It was their fault for going against his baby girl, her friend Jiang Ying Yue, and their godson. Anyone or anything his baby girl didn't like, he would eliminate.

"Her enemy is my enemy," he murmured before falling asleep.

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Chapter 366 - Fake News

The next day, the penthouse was awash with activity. Everyone gathered around the kitchen island for breakfast.

Yi Mei and the cook missed taking care of their young miss, so they went all out in cooking delicious breakfast dishes. It was a feast. Actually, it was pretty heavy for breakfast but nobody complained. Everybody ate with gusto, especially the glutton Dom who consumed food like a black hole.

Grandpa Lu's delighted, booming voice was the loudest among them. He was currently playing with Little Jun who sat on his lap. He refused to let the toddler go. Little Jun also wanted to stay with his great-grandpa who he found very funny.

There was a TV playing the morning news mounted on the farthest wall of the kitchen. For the most part, they weren't paying attention to it until....

"The identity of musician Iris Long's fiancé has now reportedly been revealed as Lu Zihao, the grandson of legendary business genius Sir Lu Jianhong. Sir Lu Jianhong is one of the founders of multinational enterprise Jin Corporation, the current number one company in the country. Several witnesses claim that Sir Lu Jianhong himself confirmed that Iris Long is engaged to his own grandson during last night's birthday party of Iris Long's father, Long Tengfei who is also the President-CEO of Long Industries..."

A dumpling fell out of Dom's chopsticks and landed back in his bowl. He gasped loudly, and immediately looked at his sir boss. Yi Mei, the cook and the other household staff also looked similarly surprised and confused.

Jin Liwei's expression was frightening to look at. He looked at the TV as if it was the greatest enemy of his life. Then he turned his head and glared at Grandpa Lu, though he caught himself in time and looked elsewhere instead. He was unhappy with Grandpa Lu, but he would never dare to disrespect him.

Iris took the chopsticks from his hand to save them from getting broken from the force he was exerting on them.

"Hmm... That's so weird. Grandpa Lu was clearly talking about you, darling. I don't know why they suddenly concluded that my fiancé is Big Brother Zihao," she told him.

"Exactly! Where in cuckoo's nest did they hear me say that my Haohao is Xiulan's fiancé? I want to know! This is fake news! How dare they twist my words?!"

Little Jun laughed at Grandpa Lu. The little guy was already used to the old man's loud, booming voice and wasn't easily startled anymore.

"Ah, am I funny? Of course Great-Grandpa Lu is the funniest! Because you're a good boy, I'll buy you another batch of new toys and books!"

Jiang Ying Yue smiled helplessly. Grandpa Lu had bought so many presents for Little Jun that they might run out of space to store it at their unit. She opened her mouth, about to ask the old man to please stop giving so many things to her son, but Long Hui stopped her.

"Let him dote on our son. Having this close connection to Sir Lu will be great for our son's future," he whispered to her.

It felt a bit opportunistic, but she agreed with Long Hui. Instead, she swore to herself to teach her son how to stand up on his own two feet and not depend too much on his godparents and Great-Grandpa Lu.

Back to Jin Liwei. He looked at his baby girl and Grandpa Lu. He could tell that they really had no idea why the news reported wrongly. He glared at the TV instead. The news already moved on the next story, but the previous one still echoed inside his head.

'...Iris Long's fiancé has now reportedly been revealed as Lu Zihao Lu Zihao LU ZIHAO...'

Dammit! It should be JIN LIWEI!!!

Long Hui released a loud sigh. "I knew this was going to happen. Of course people misunderstood. Sir Lu only confirmed that little sister's fiancé is his grandson. How could they knew that he also treats Jin Liwei as his own grandson? It's only natural for them to think about Sir Lu's flesh and blood grandson, Lu Zihao, instead of Jin Liwei. Not everyone knows how really close the Lus and the Jins are that you practically treat each other as one family. All they know is that you're inseparable business partners but that's it."

Both Iris and Grandpa Lu's eyes widened in realization at the same time.

"Bah! How is that my fault? I want to know! How could I know that those people have terrible one-track minds to misunderstand my words so easily? It's their fault, not mine! Let's forget about it. The people will soon get bored talking about such fake news." Grandpa Lu waved a dismissive hand and resumed eating while interacting with Little Jun.

"Yes, darling. Just ignore it. Besides, it's not the first time that people made the wrong guess as to who my real fiancé is. For a long time, many thought that it was Brother Chonglin—"

Jin Liwei scowled.

"—and now they think it's Big Brother Zihao." Iris shrugged, also waving the matter away like Grandpa Lu. "I don't have any feelings for Brother Chonglin other than my respect and admiration for him as a fellow musician. As for Big Brother Zihao, he's more of a brother to me than Elder Brother Hui."

It was Long Hui's turn to scowl.

"Meaning, they're our brothers and they will remain that way. Jin Liwei is my one and only man, so don't think much of those fake news anymore. Okay, darling?"

"En."

Her sweet-talk made him feel much better. He smiled smugly and gave her a quick peck on the lips in front of everyone.

"Ehehehe." Dom, their number one shipper of all time, shimmied in delight at their public display of affection.

Little Jun squealed and clapped his hands. Then he turned to Jiang Ying Yue and demanded, "Mommi, kiss! Kiss Junjun!"

Everyone laughed in amusement, except for Long Hui. He was unhappy that his son was increasingly following that damn Jin Liwei as his role model, instead of him, the father. He also felt a little surly when Jiang Ying Yue immediately left his side to give their son several kisses. Maybe he ought to work harder in improving his own romance skills. He didn't want to lose to his own toddler son any further.

The breakfast continued in high spirits. Iris was able to pacify Jin Liwei's jealousy with her sweet-talk, while Little Jun's presence made everyone amused and happy for the entire day.

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Chapter 367 - No Medicine For Regre

The news about the real identity of Iris' fiancé as Sir Lu Jianhong's grandson continued to be reported in the next few days. Surprisingly, however, it didn't generate as much interest nor trust in its credibility among the general public.

It failed to become a hot topic and many even questioned the major news outlet for reporting such a story. Most of the public treated it as a regular rumour. Besides, it didn't excite them because they didn't know who Lu Zihao was. They knew Lu Jianhong but not his grandson.

In addition to this, the LinRis shippers absolutely rejected the possibility that their Boss Iris was engaged to another man other than their Prince Lin Lin. They still staunchly held the belief that Iris Long was engaged to Jin Chonglin.

The guests who attended Long Tengfei's birthday party didn't elaborate any further about what they witnessed. Oh, they were happy to describe the entire thing to their family and friends but certainly not to the media. They didn't want to offend such an important figure as Sir Lu Jianhong. Even though they also belonged to high society, the Lus were on a completely another level compared to them in terms of wealth and power alone.

While this story gradually died down from the entertainment news, the business news featured the break-up between the Longs and the Wus. All the business partnerships between the two of them were dissolved in a matter of days.

It was by far the most expensive termination of partnerships in the country's business world since the year started. The loss of hundreds of millions suffered by both parties was widely reported in the news. Stock prices dipped to dangerous levels. The investors and employees of both companies were troubled about their futures.

The Wus released an official statement first. They said:

"...We regret that our long-time friendship to the Long family and all of our business partnerships with Long Industries had to end in such a tragic manner. The conflict arose from a petty quarrel which would have been resolved if the Long family only accepted our offer of reconciliation. Unfortunately, our gesture of goodwill was rejected. We are tremendously heartbroken by this outcome...

Based on this "heart-rending" statement, the Wus indirectly placed the blame of the business break-up to the Longs.

A couple of hours later, the Longs released their own official statement as well. They said:

"...The conflict between us, the Long family, and the Wu family was NOT a mere 'petty quarrel'. It was a serious clash of different values and visions. We also like to clarify that it was the Wu family who initiated the dissolution of our business partnerships first. They should stand by their own decision and not push the blame on us..."

Based on the delivery of the statements, the people sympathized with the Wus more than the Longs. It felt more emotional compared to the cold and indifferent stance the Longs decided to take.

The various competitors of Long Industries started reaching out to the Wus to make offers of similar business partnerships. Of course, this delighted the Wu family to no end.

"Hahaha! Take that, Long Tengfei! While Long Industries is struggling to recover from their massive loss, we, the Wus, will be rising again with a new partner. And we get to choose the best deal out of all of these offers!" Sir Wu celebrated.

"Oh, this is wonderful! Make sure to choose the Longs' worst business rival and ask for the best deal from them," Madam Wu suggested.

"Wife, we are of the same mind. That's what I'm actually planning on doing!"

While the Wu couple celebrated their "victory", Sir Wu's phone started ringing. His eyes lit up. It was one of the companies that made an offer to him. He was already thinking of negotiating a better deal than what was offered. He answered the call with an excited look but after just a few seconds, his expression turned ugly. He hung up with a curse.

"What happened?" Madam Wu asked.

"The motherfucker withdrew his offer!"

"Don't worry about that indecisive fool. You still have a lot of other offers."

"You're right."

His phone rang again. He answered it. And just like before, he hung up in fury. Then his phone rang again. This happened a few more times, until Sir Wu was drained of all his energy to even stay angry.

"What's happening? Why are they all withdrawing their offers?" Madam Wu asked worriedly.

Sir Wu already had an idea, but he didn't want to think about it. If his speculation was correct, then his Wu family wouldn't have any place left in the country's business world.

The phone rang again, but Sir Wu didn't want to answer it anymore. It stopped. Then Madam Wu's phone rang next.

"Hello? Yes, he's here with me. Hold on." She gave the phone to her husband. "It's your assistant."

He listened to what his assistant had to say. "What?!" he exclaimed.

After a few minutes, the call ended. Sir Wu plopped down on the couch like a broken doll.

"What happened? Tell me!" Madam Wu didn't like his defeated look. A great sense of dread overwhelmed her.

"We're finished," he told her.

"What do you mean?!"

"Jin Corporation announced that they would be partnering up with Long Industries on the business projects that we just terminated with them. And of course, Long Industries accepted their offer." He sighed and hung his head low, holding it between his hands. "I knew it. We have angered Sir Lu Jianhong and now he sent his Jin Corporation to replace our business. I bet he's also the one who told those companies who made offers to us to withdraw. We can anger anyone in this country's business world, but never Sir Lu Jianhong or Jin Liwei. They are too powerful for the likes of us."

"Oh no! What are we going to do now?!"

They were interrupted by a frantic knock on the door.

"Who is it?! Go away!" Sir Wu roared.

"Father, it's me! Open up, please!" Wu Qianxi's upset voice called out from the other side of the door.

Madam Wu immediately hurried to open the door. As soon as it opened, Wu Qianxi leaped into her arms and sobbed hard.

"My dear Qianqian, what's wrong?! Tell Mother who made you cry like this?!"

She didn't answer but just cried harder.

It took a few minutes before the couple was able to calm their daughter down. Finally, she began to talk.

"I'm finished! I can't stay in this country anymore! All of my clients from my one-year waiting list have cancelled! Even the ones abroad! No one from Asia wants to work with me anymore! What am I going to do?! I abandoned my successful career in the U.S. just to start all over again here but everything went down the drain!"

Her parents were dismayed when they heard about what happened to her.

"Truly merciless. Sir Lu didn't even let our daughter escape from his wrath," Sir Wu mumbled.

Wu Qianxi heard him. "Sir Lu? You mean he did this to me?! This is all your fault! Why did you have to cut ties with the Longs?! Now you angered even Sir Lu Jianhong! You've just ruined your daughter's career!"

"Don't yell at your father!" Madam Wu scolded.

"You're also to blame! You're the one who flew into rage the most and insulted the Longs during the party! I hate both of you!"

Madam Wu slapped her daughter's face.

All of them were shocked at the crisp sound it made.

Wu Qianxi glared at her parents before running off. Within a couple of hours, she was already onboard a plane back to the U.S.

As for Sir Wu and Madam Wu, they were also considering running off to another country. Perhaps they would follow their daughter to the U.S. after she cooled her head.

The Wu family now realized that they had lost their place in the country's business world. If it was only against the Longs, they would already be planning revenge. This time, however, the opponent was too powerful.

The Wus might be greedy and ambitious, but they weren't insane. Going against Sir Lu Jianhong and Jin Corporation? It would be a social and economic suicide for them. There was no way that they would ever emerge victorious and unscathed.

Sir Wu sighed. "I guess this is it."

Madam Wu burst into tears.

If only they could go back in time and redo everything again, they wouldn't say the things they said nor act the way they acted. Unfortunately, life had no rewind button. There was no medicine for regret.

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Chapter 368 - Princess Porkchop

Fans of interior designer Wu Qianxi were wondering why she returned to the U.S. again when she already announced before that she would be staying in China for good. Her recent posts on her social media pages were very cryptic and depressing. She hinted that she was driven away from her mother country against her will, so she had no choice but to return to the U.S. heartbroken.

Her fans continued to ask her for clarification. They were worried about her, especially after hearing that all of her Asian clients cancelled hiring her. Finally, a U.S.-based friend of hers revealed the "truth" in a blog post.

"My dear friend, Qianxi Wu, was humiliated by the public proposal of her ex-boyfriend to his mistress who he has an illegitimate son with. He proposed right in front of Qianxi. The audacity! My blood is boiling just hearing about it. I can just imagine the mortifying scene. No wonder Qianxi is so heartbroken. She's crying every day and she can't sleep at night because she was traumatized by the experience. If I was present at that party, I would've punched that ex-boyfriend right on his cheating face and then pulled all the hair out of that shameless mistress!

"What's more, Qianxi's family was betrayed by that ex-boyfriend's family. The two families were long-time friends and collaborated in several business projects. But because of greed, the ex-boyfriend's family terminated all of their existing contracts and discarded Qianxi's family, forcing the Wus to suffer millions in financial losses. Then the ex-boyfriend's family partnered with a huge corporation instead. If that's not greedy, I don't know what is. I'm utterly disgusted by how that ex-boyfriend and his family treated my friend Qianxi and her family!

"They not only broke Qianxi's heart but shattered her dreams as well! As loyal fans of her work as an interior designer, you all know that she gambled on leaving her successful career here just to start all over again in China and Asia. I don't know what kind of hocus-pocus that ex-boyfriend's family did, but she has been blacklisted from working in Asia! How sickening is that?!

"I beg all of you to please help comfort our dear Qianxi. She's depressed right now, and I'm very worried as her close friend. To tell you the truth, I want to fly over to China and beat all of those who hurt her. That ex-boyfriend, his mistress and his entire family of greedy pigs! Thank you and please continue supporting our favourite interior designer, Qianxi Wu."

This blog post was written in both English and Chinese, so it quickly spread like wildfire on the internet. It also eventually made its way to the Chinese internet where many netizens made the connection to Long Hui and the Long family.

It didn't take long before the Longs were made aware of the incriminating blog post. Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue were mercilessly attacked by random netizens, calling them a cheating couple and other nasty insults. As the woman, Jiang Ying Yue had to suffer worse than Long Hui. People called her a loose woman, a gold digger and a social climber.

Long Hui and the Long family (ordered by Long Tengfei) both issued separate official statements, explaining their side of the story. Some believed them, but the majority of the people, including the women, sided with Wu Qianxi.

To them, Wu Qianxi was the real victim. They were also indignant about what happened to her family. The Wus were now basically bankrupt. Compared to them, the Longs were riding high as they worked on finalizing their several partnership deals with Jin Corporation.

The horrible name-calling and outrage continued to attack Long Hui, Jiang Ying Yue and the entire Long family. The elders and the other relatives were absolutely horrified. This was by far the worst hit they experienced on their reputation as an entire clan.

Long Tengfei also felt troubled. He heard from his informants that the elders gathered for a secret meeting. He could sense that they were planning something drastic, possibly a call to remove his eldest son, Long Hui, as the heir.

But before this crisis reached a point of no return, another blog post made waves. This time, it was by a recently popular webtoon author called Princess Porkchop. She was the creator of the hit webtoon series "Queen of the Shadows".

Princess Porkchop claimed that she was present at the party and witnessed all of the important events that happened that time. She wrote on her blog:

"I am close to both Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue. They have a wonderful baby son together. I would like to address the claim that Wu Qianxi's friend made. Jiang Ying Yue is NOT mistress. Long Hui and Wu Qianxi already broke up when Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue got together. They have NEVER been a cheating couple. I have no idea where that claim came from. I think someone is being delusional to believe that they are still together when they already broke up.

"I also don't understand how Wu Qianxi continues to paint herself as a victim in this matter. Even during the party, she acted like she and Long Hui were still together which they are NOT! The way I see it—and I think you will too after I explain my view—Wu Qianxi is a homewrecker intent on destroying a beautiful family.

"Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue are NOT married or in a relationship with other people. They are free to love each other and raise their son together. But here comes the ex-girlfriend who wants Long Hui back. She accuses Jiang Ying Yue of being a mistress. She uses her status as a rising star in the world of interior design and as the daughter of the Wu family to discredit a normal woman with no impressive family background. What's more, she acts like a white lotus to gain the sympathy of her followers in order to indirectly push them to attack the poor innocent woman who is the rightful fiancée of Long Hui.

"Tell me. Who is the real immoral one between these two women? I know for a fact that it isn't Jiang Ying Yue. I'll leave the rest for you to decide who you want to believe. I'm just describing to you what I witnessed with my own two eyes, unlike that 'friend' who wasn't even in the country when the party happened. I bet she just heard everything from Wu Qianxi.

"That's all I have to say in this matter. I hope that you judge the situation fairly. Thank you for reading. Please continue supporting my webtoon 'Queen of the Shadows'! The second arc is reaching its climax. Stay tuned!"

Princess Porkchop's blog post immediately went viral. She only rose to popularity as a webtoon artist recently, but she already had many fans. Some of them were die-hard ones who followed everything she said as if her words were divine commandments.

The trajectory of attacks suddenly shifted from Jiang Ying Yue to Wu Qianxi.

"Don't ever come back here, you shameless homewrecker!"

"I hate white lotus bitches like you!"

"I regret believing you. You're a liar! I apologize to Miss Jiang for insulting her earlier. I didn't know the truth then. I wish Miss Jiang and Mister Long a happy marriage life and happy family with their son. Shame on you Wu Qianxi for trying to wreck a family!"

Wu Qianxi and her friend who defended her were horrified to find themselves attacked online by thousands of haters. They were forced to deactivate their social media accounts because it became too much. This incident only made the Wu family hasten their preparations to emigrate.

A couple of days later, the national news reported that Jiang Ying Yue hired an American lawyer to sue Wu Qianxi and her friend for defamation. What shocked people the most was that the lawyer was a famous celebrity attorney who had an impressive track record of wins.

By this time, Wu Qianxi, Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui were featured in the news constantly. A big part of this was their connection to multi-award winning musician Iris Long.

When the media asked for her opinion about the love triangle, Iris Long replied:

"There is no love triangle. I agree with everything Princess Porkchop wrote on her blog post. Someone is delusional to think that she's still in a relationship with my brother. Jiang Ying Yue is a lovely and hardworking woman who is also a great mother to my godson. She's also my friend. I support her all the way."

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Chapter 369 - I Am Drakon

Following Iris' statement to the media, the Black Stars all declared their support for Jiang Ying Yue and condemned Wu Qianxi. With the trolling power of the infamous Slippers Army on the internet, Wu Qianxi's name became synonymous with the word "homewrecker".

Whenever iEatSlippers was too busy to go online, Little Phoenix led the Slippers Army in his stead to wave their virtual mighty slippers and whack anyone who dared bash their Boss Iris and her friends like Jiang Ying Yue.

Needless to say, Wu Qianxi finally realized that her scheme of placing the blame on both Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui backfired on her.

She also still foolishly thought that Iris Long was the same good-for-nothing sister of her ex-boyfriend. But the fact of the matter was that Iris Long was now one of the rising stars of the country's music industry. Iris Long had a massively growing horde of loyal fans who would follow her everywhere, even to heaven or to hell.

By attacking someone important to Iris Long, Wu Qianxi placed a giant target on her forehead to be attacked by the Black Stars, especially its most notorious division, the Slippers Army.

Inside her apartment, Wu Qianxi was screaming her frustration out. The place was wrecked. She was sobbing on the floor with the notice of defamation lawsuit papers scattered all around her. Her friend also received a similar notice. They had a shouting match on the phone earlier.

"You bitch! My relatives in China just informed me of what really happened during the party. You lied to me and used me! When we go to court, I'll tell the judge and everyone else that I only wrote what you fucking told me! I can't believe I'm being sued because of you! Fuck you, Qianxi!"

Her friend was so furious that the call ended before Wu Qianxi had a chance to speak and defend herself. In the end, it was safe to say that their friendship was now over.

"Lawyer... I need to get a lawyer..."

Wu Qianxi grabbed her phone to search for some good lawyers. However, her search was interrupted by an e-mail flood. It rendered her phone unusable for a few minutes because of the seemingly endless notifications.

After some time, it finally ended. She checked her inbox. There were at least 20,000 e-mails. It was from an address that she didn't recognize. Curious, she opened one of them.

"Don't fight the lawsuit. Pay the compensatory and punitive damages. You won't go to jail, but you must suffer the damage to you reputation and career. If you try to escape this 'light' punishment and continue wrecking a family, I'll make sure that you'll suffer something that is many times worse than this. Something that won't allow you to recover. Think carefully. —Drakon"

Wu Qianxi scowled. Who the hell was this Drakon? He dared to threaten her? What could he do to her?

"Go ahead and flood my inbox. I don't fucking care," she sneered.

She deleted the e-mail but her phone suddenly froze. Then it started opening random apps without her control. After a few seconds, it began downloading a huge amount of files.

"Dammit! I'm getting hacked?!"

She tried swiping on the screen many times to stop the download progress but to no avail. She even tried turning the phone off but she couldn't. The phone was completely out of her control now.

Finally, the download was complete. But before she could check the state of her phone, the downloaded files opened on their own.

Photos and videos of her affairs with her married clients popped up. Many of them were famous celebrities. For her, these affairs weren't really anything serious. She just did them for the thrill and experience of sleeping with these famous men.

The photos and videos looked like they were mostly taken from CCTVs, mostly from hotels, airports, restaurants and shopping boutiques. They showed her making out and acting intimate with the men.

She was alarmed at first, but she forced herself to calm down. Fortunately, there weren't any nude photos or sex videos. Just making out wouldn't be too damaging. She was very careful in not filming anything inside the bedroom.

That was what she thought.

A video suddenly started playing. It showed a scene inside a hotel room. Two naked bodies were intertwined on the bed. The loud, wet slapping sounds of flesh against flesh mixed with moans and groans.

Wu Qianxi was now completely horrified, as she saw herself being pounded from above by a European earl. The video looked like it was secretly taken.

"That motherfucking earl installed a hidden camera?! NOOOOO!!!"

She was about to smash the phone against the wall when the screen blacked out again. A slideshow presentation began playing. Basically, the slideshow showed secret information about the European earl. It turned out that the earl was connected to a small but vicious mafia group.

At the same time, the slideshow was a threat. If Wu Qianxi didn't learn her lesson, the sex video would be released to the whole world. Of course the earl wouldn't be happy. He might ask his Mafiosi friends to "take care" of her as revenge.

The slideshow ended with a simple sentence.

"Lawsuit or this?"

Wu Qianxi closed her eyes. The phone slipped from her hand, bouncing and skidding on the floor. She was unwilling to give in to the threat, but there was no other choice. She valued her reputation and image too much.

She might not be able to show her face in Asia anymore, but the world was large. She could start over again in other places. But if she remained stubborn and ignored the threat, there would no longer be any safe place in the world for her.

Hatred roiled within her at being forced to bow down to a threat. Angry tears rolled down her face.

"Fine. You win," she spat through gritted teeth.

A robotic voice suddenly sounded from her phone. It frightened her so much that she fell down on her butt. She shrieked but still heard everything it said.

"I'll be watching you. Make a wrong move and I'll send all of these files to the whole world. Be assured that the earl will be the first one to see them."

"Who are you?!"

"I am Drakon."

With that, the robotic voice disappeared. Wu Qianxi cautiously picked up the phone from the floor. It was now working properly. All the e-mails and files were deleted, as if they weren't there in the first place.

She immediately searched for "hacker Drakon" and was shocked at the results.

This time, she experienced what true fear felt like. Cold sweat quickly soaked her. For someone who could topple even entire governments, it would be extremely easy for this Drakon to destroy her with just one click.

"Oh fuck," was all she could say.

It appeared that she really messed with the wrong people this time.

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Chapter 370 - Film Awards

Gold Heights Condominium.

Iris and Jin Liwei decided to stay in the penthouse this week because her current schedule was very tight. The condo was nearer to the broadcasting stations, so it was more convenient time-wise and travel-wise.

At the moment, Jin Liwei was at work. Iris was getting her hair and make-up done in her walk-in closet. Dom was currently on the phone coordinating with the staff of her next guest appearance at an afternoon TV show in a few hours. Little Jun was playing on the floor with Ice Cream and Popcorn, his nanny watching over them.

Jiang Ying Yue sat beside Iris, as the two of them spoke with the American lawyer via video call. The lawyer was updating them on the progress of the defamation case they filed against Wu Qianxi and her now ex-friend.

The lawyer was one of Jin Liwei's friends back when he studied in the U.S. He was the one who contacted the celebrity lawyer, so that he and Iris could hire him to represent Jiang Ying Yue.

Iris and Jiang Ying Yue were informed that the case was going smoothly. The lawyer expected for it to be concluded quickly. He told them that Wu Qianxi was being very cooperative and expressed her intention to pay whatever compensation she needed to pay.

Of course Wu Qianxi was being cooperative. Iris made sure to frighten the woman into submission for this defamation lawsuit or suffer the consequences of having those explicit files spread across the world.

When she was dealing with Wu Qianxi as Drakon, something inside her was urging her to be more vicious and merciless. However, she eventually decided to give Wu Qianxi a lighter punishment and a harsh warning instead. She would only gun for her full force if Wu Qianxi foolishly bothered Jiang Ying Yue again. Her calm and logical self concluded that Wu Qianxi's defamation offense wasn't severe enough to warrant a complete destruction of her life.

By this time, the lingering remnant inside Iris was now more than half fused with her own self. Even if she decided to examine her own emotions and consciousness closely, it would be extremely difficult for her to detect the remnant.

Back to the defamation case in the U.S., Wu Qianxi was cooperating but her ex-friend wasn't. Her ex-friend was fighting against the case fiercely, citing ignorance to what really transpired. She laid all the blame on Wu Qianxi.

"So what do you want to do about the friend?" the lawyer asked.

Iris looked at Jiang Ying Yue who gestured for her to make the decision.

"I want both of them to pay. They're both at fault," Iris told the lawyer.

"Understood. I'll keep you posted for any new updates, then."

The video call ended.

"Thank you, Xiulan. I'm also grateful to Sir Liwei. Although you didn't have to, I appreciate you doing all of this for me," Jiang Ying Yue said in her sincerest voice.

"What are you saying? Of course we'll do this. You're not only my friend but also the mother of my godson. Liwei and I will not keep quiet when our godson's mother is being defamed left and right. And even if we don't care about you—we do, of course—we'll still do this for the sake of our godson. Little Jun will surely be affected negatively if his mother is being treated so unfairly like this."

Jiang Ying Yue smiled. She really couldn't thank Iris and Jin Liwei enough for all of the things they had done for her and Little Jun.

The two pairs—Iris and Jin Liwei plus Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui—spoke about what to do when Wu Qianxi and her ex-friend paid the compensation. They all decided to place half of the money in a trust fund while half would be put into investments. Of course Little Jun was the sole beneficiary.

When he reached a certain age, he needed to fulfill very strict requirements in order to access the wealth. They hoped that this would motivate him to work hard and aim high in order to meet the requirements, instead of making it easy for him which might turn him into a dependent good-for-nothing.

The lawyer was confident that they would win the case because of strong, concrete evidence. According to him, the only uncertainty in this case was how much the judge would order Wu Qianxi and her ex-friend to pay for the compensation.

A few days ago, Meimei called to inform Iris and Jiang Ying Yue that she overheard Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui discussing whether to sue Wu Qianxi and her ex-friend for defamation as well. The incriminating blog post not only attacked Jiang Ying Yue but also the Long family.

However, the elders vehemently protested against Long Tengfei's plan. They feared that suing would only place the Long family in a bad light. In the end, they were able to persuade Long Tengfei not to sue.

When she heard about it, Iris curled her lips in disdain. The hatred inside her for the Longs had somewhat calmed down since the birthday party but it was still there. As long as the elders and those snooty relatives refused to change, she would never feel a sense of belonging with the Long family. She also didn't want her godson Little Jun and her friend Jiang Ying Yue to endure living with closed-minded people like them.

Putting all of these unpleasant thoughts aside for now, Iris finished preparing for her guest appearance. She was very busy this week—guesting, performing and endorsing. Not to mention that the Diamond Guild Film Awards was fast approaching.

###

The much-awaited night of the Diamond Guild Awards finally arrived. It was undoubtedly more glamorous and sophisticated than the Harmony Music Awards. The country's top actors and actresses drew insane crowds around the red carpet.

It was already summer, so the weather was sunny. A bit hot but not too much. However, the massive crowd of fans generated a lot of heat. People sweated and squeezed against each other, but they didn't mind. For the sake of seeing their favourite celebrities in person, they would endure the discomfort.

Among the sea of fans behind the barricades, a distinct group stood out the most. They were all wearing suits. Those who weren't familiar with the music industry fandoms didn't know about how the Black Stars usually wore matching suits to support their Boss Iris.

Some were even frightened after seeing them, thinking that they were triad members about to terrorize everyone at the film awards. Fortunately, they quickly calmed down after learning that they were just a fan club and not an organized criminal group.

As a musician, Iris Long's impact on the film event was minuscule. She didn't get deafening cheers from the crowd when she walked the red carpet, compared to the reception the most popular actors and actresses received. It was mostly just the Black Stars cheering for her. However, she didn't mind. It was already an honour for her to even be nominated in the film awards.

After interacting with the Black Stars, Iris granted a short interview on the red carpet. It was very quick. The reporters were more interested in the Heavenly Kings and Queens, the biggest stars of the night.

Iris joined the "Strong Yet Broken" group, consisting of the cast and the crew. JJ and LX Productions' President were also there. Of course, Paralympian gold-medalist Guan Jintao and his wife came as well to support this film about his mother.

They all walked inside the ceremony venue together.

The indie film "Strong Yet Broken" was one of the most nominated for the night. It was among the favourites to win the major awards because of its critical acclaim, including the most-sought after Best Picture Award.

As for Best Original Score, Iris Long was a favourite among the general public, but most film experts didn't have high hopes for her. They reasoned that she was too young to win such a prestigious award, especially against such tough competition. She was up against some of the best composers in the industry who specialized in creating film scores. For a newbie like her to win against seasoned veterans was almost next to impossible according to them.

Iris personally didn't care whether she won or not. She just wanted enjoy the experience and savour it. This was something she only dreamed about in her previous life. It felt glorious that she was actually experiencing it right now.

As a result, she didn't feel any pressure at all. And it was obvious at how relaxed and cheerful she looked compared to her fellow nominees.

Finally, the presentation of awards started.

"The award for Best Screenplay goes to...'Strong Yet Broken'!"

Everyone in the film's group, including Iris, stood up and clapped at their tearful screenwriter. They were all together like family. The screenwriter headed up the stage to receive the award and give a speech.

"Strong Yet Broken" lost in the next categories. Until finally...

"The Diamond Guild Film Award for Best Original Score goes to..."

The two presenters looked visibly shocked when they saw the winner's name on the card after taking it out of the envelope.

"IRIS LONG!!!"

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