Chapter 40: 391 - 400

Chapter 391 - Fall

A few days later, Iris and Jin Liwei finally celebrated their actual anniversary. She told him that she wanted a much simpler celebration this time compared to the extravagant surprise he prepared a few days earlier.

However, this was Jin Liwei. The man had a different definition of "simple" compared to normal people. Even more so now that he was doing it for his beloved baby girl. His already high standards increased even more when it came to Iris.

In just a few days, he had one of the mansion's rotundas transformed into an enchanting man-made indoor forest filled with trees (many of them bore delicious fruits), crawling vines, and a variety of beautiful, colourful flowers. There were even some butterflies, dragonflies, lady bugs and bees flying around. In addition to this, he had a freaking koi pond built in the centre of this man-made forest.

In the middle of the pond was an islet where a romantic dinner table was prepared for the lovers. A scenic stone bridge allowed people to reach the islet.

When Iris arrived home in the evening from work, nobody was around. Even Dom mysteriously made some excuses, saying that he needed to talk to his sister Clover about something important, so he would be sleeping at the penthouse tonight. Dom brought Ice Cream and Popcorn with him.

She knew that today was her anniversary with Jin Liwei. Her darling must have told everyone to make themselves scarce. As soon as she stepped inside the mansion, she received a text from Jin Liwei directing her on where to go.

Excitement pumped within her, as she walked along the empty hallways to the place Jin Liwei told her to go. Actually, the mansion wasn't completely devoid of people. She saw some of the staff scurrying away to hide when they saw her. She chuckled in amusement at their actions.

It seemed that Jin Liwei wanted to give her the impression that there were only the two of them in the mansion. His arrangements were making her wonder what he had prepared for their actual anniversary.

Along the way, she encountered wooden sign posts, made to look old and rustic, leading her to the destination. Her excitement heightened with every sign post.

Finally, she arrived at the transformed rotunda.

She gasped and stared at the wondrous place in amazement. The gentle sound of water from the pond was the first thing she heard. But with her great ears, she could faintly hear an instrumental fairy-like Celtic music in the background. She couldn't see any musicians, so the music must be coming from speakers somewhere.

The music made the atmosphere magical.

Her eyes scanned the place, admiring the forest's natural beauty (although it was man-made). Then her sight zeroed in on the tall figure standing on the islet at the centre of the pond.

Jin Liwei was wearing casual clothing—a simple polo shirt and black jeans. He should look out of place in the forest with his outfit, but his aura was like that of a cold and powerful elven king.

His eyes became gentle when she arrived. He extended his hand and beckoned her to come to him.

Without waiting any longer, Iris ran towards her darling.

The koi fishes swam away, startled by her running over the stone bridge.

Once she reached the islet, she leaped and threw herself to Jin Liwei. He caught her in a tight embrace. Their mouths immediately locked in a passionate kiss.

At that moment, the magical background music gradually became louder. The lovers felt like they were both transported into a fantasyland of fairies and elves. As a result, the passionate kiss became gentle and lingering. They chose to savour each other's tastes, instead of trying to devour each other hungrily.

"Beautiful," Iris breathed into his mouth when the kiss ended. "This place is incredibly beautiful."

He gazed at her with half-lidded eyes, a soft smile on his lips. "You're the most beautiful, love. Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," she replied with a delighted laugh.

Still hugging him, she looked around the place. She couldn't stop smiling. The place was just marvelous!

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it!"

"We'll keep it, then. I had this built just for you. You can relax here whenever you want," he told her.

Instead of replying, she gave him a loud smacking kiss on the lips to demonstrate her appreciation for his surprise. She had already forgotten her request for a simple anniversary celebration.

Then as if on cue, some of the household staff quietly appeared to deliver food for the two of them.

"We greet the Master and the Mistress a happy anniversary," the butler greeted them first.

Then the chef and the others followed suit.

"Happy anniversary!"

Jin Liwei nodded. Although he wasn't showing much expression, these people already knew him well after working for him for so many years. They could tell that he was very happy.

"Thank you, everyone," Iris replied for both of them instead. The joy was obvious in her voice.

The lovers enjoyed a special dinner prepared by the chef. It was light, nutritious and very delicious.

After dinner, they started walking around the forest and chatted about their day. They also reminisced about the special memories they had of their relationship while gazing at the stars above. The glass dome of the rotunda allowed them to see the night sky directly above them, making them feel as if they were actually in a natural forest instead of inside the mansion.

"Let's go to bed," Jin Liwei said after noticing her eyes getting heavy.

Iris hesitated. She wanted to stay longer. The place was so relaxing that it melted all of her tiredness from working the entire day. It might just become her new favourite place in the mansion.

"Love, it's getting late. I don't want you to be sleep-deprived. We still need to wake up early tomorrow for work. Let's go for now," he urged her. "You can always return here whenever you want."

"Hmm. Okay." Giving a last look at the place, Iris left together with Jin Liwei.

They held hands all the way to their bedroom suite. Once inside, the sleepy Iris suddenly became energetic after seeing something.

"Oh, it's here! Come, darling. I'll show my anniversary gift for you," Iris said, pulling him by the hand to the suite's lounge room.

Jin Liwei followed her. He already saw the large wrapped rectangular object propped against the wall.

"Open it," she told him, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Alright."

He started unwrapping the object. Based on its shape and the wrapping material, he already had an idea of what it was. However, he didn't know what it would look like. He looked forward seeing it.

Iris helped him, so that they could unwrap it more quickly. The object was huge. It was almost as tall as Iris. And very heavy, too.

Finally, the object was completely unwrapped, revealing a vibrant painting enclosed in gold-gilded frame.

Jin Liwei gasped as soon as he saw the image depicted on the painting. It took his breath away and flooded his mind with one of the best memories of his life.

Standing beside him, Iris held his hand. The two of them admired the painting together.

It showed the two of them kissing in front of a cascading waterfall. The scene was from when she finally confessed her love for him at the waterfall in the Swiss Alps at Cross Academy. However, the painting took on a more fantasy-like interpretation of the scene.

In the painting, Iris was a beautiful forest nymph while Jin Liwei was a mighty water spirit king. Nature celebrated around them. The most incredible element of the painting was the clear love depicted between Iris and Jin Liwei as they kissed each other. Anyone who saw the painting would be able to tell that the two were in love.

Iris turned to look at him. "Happy anniversary, darling." He didn't reply, too engrossed at the painting. So she asked, "You like it?"

"Yes. So much." He looked at her. "It perfectly symbolizes how I felt when you finally said that you love me. So magical, like I just became the king of the world because I was finally able to gain the love of my beloved fairy queen."

She bit her lower lip because she was smiling so much. "That moment felt magical for me, too. It still is magical in my memories. That's why I had it commissioned like this, to focus more on our feelings rather than replicating the actual real-life scene."

Jin Liwei nodded in approval. Then he read the small golden plaque at the bottom of the painting. "Fall by Ashandra Knightson. Hmmm. What a perfect title. It was the moment you confessed that you've finally fallen in love with me in a place that has a waterfall. And I've also fallen more deeply in love with you then."

"Yes, Ashandra is a genius at capturing the deeper meaning of things in her art. And she's such a good friend because despite being busy with her other works, she still accepted my commission request for this painting. I requested this from her months ago for our anniversary. That's why I was so confused when you claimed that our anniversary was a few days ago. The painting hadn't arrived yet that time," she explained.

His eyebrows rose before chuckling. "Oh, I see. So that's why." He looked at the painting again. "You've gifted me a treasure, love. Ashandra Knightson's works are popular and they always sell well at auctions. What's more, it's not easy acquiring her works. Others will be so envious of me once they learn that I now have one of her paintings."

Iris looked pleased at his reaction.

"Thank you, love."

"You're welcome, darling."

The two of them kissed, mirroring their images shown on the painting.

"Now it's my turn. Wait here," Jin Liwei told her before walking to one of the drawers, pulling out a thick envelope. He returned and handed it to her. "My present for you."

Iris blinked a few times. Was this déjà vu or what?

"Open it, love," he urged her.

She opened the envelope and read the thick documents inside. Her eyes went blank for a couple seconds before looking at Jin Liwei in disbelief.

"Darling, you bought me a company again?"

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Chapter 392 - I Messed Up

"En. It's a small French perfumery called Sang Bleu," Jin Liwei confirmed.

Iris alternated looking at him and at the purchase of business agreement in her hands. The documents were written in three languages: Chinese, French and English. The pile was certainly thicker than the documents she received for Gold Heights last Christimas.

She didn't know exactly what to feel at the moment. Why did the man keep on buying companies for her? At this rate, she would end up owning all of the companies in the world if he kept on buying and gifting them to her on every single special occasion.

"Darling, why?" she asked, feeling exasperated. At the same time, she also found him adorable.

He reminded her of their cats. Both Ice Cream and Popcorn loved bringing them goodies as a display of their affection. The goodies included their toys, Dom's newly laundered socks (they couldn't handle the used ones, Popcorn once puked after smelling them), and some small dead animals like grasshoppers and birds.

Jin Liwei was like the cats in the sense that he frequently gave her goodies as well. It was just that his definition of goodieswere extravagant surprises and companies.

"You don't like it?" he asked after realizing that she didn't look excited about his present.

He looked a little hurt when he didn't get the reaction he expected. However, he quickly covered it up behind an impassive expression. His lips pressed into thin line. Then he grabbed the documents from her and marched away.

"What are you doing?!" Iris was horrified when she saw him toss the documents into the trash can. She ran and picked up the documents from the trash. "Darling, how could you?!"

"You don't want it, then it's useless. It belongs to the trash now," he said in a cold voice. "Throw it away."

Her chest hurt hearing the coldness in his tone. She immediately felt sorry for not reacting enthusiastically at his present for her. However, she didn't want to lie to him and give him a fake reaction. And even if she were to do that, he would probably detect that she was just pretending anyway.

"No, this is your anniversary present for me. I'm not going to throw it away," she said.

"Throw it. I'll get you another present," he replied. His voice was still cold.

She didn't like this cold Jin Liwei, especially now that it was directed at her. Her eyes watered without her control, feeling guilty and hurt at the same time. But bubbling beneath these emotions was anger.

How dare he act cold to her? There was a strong urge to lash out at him, but she quickly controlled it. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"Let's go to sleep now. It's late," she heard him say.

When she opened her eyes, he was already walking away. Her chest tightened, as she watched him disappear in their bedroom without waiting for her.

Huh? Were they fighting? Was this really happening during their anniversary? No!

A sense of panic flooded her. Without thinking, she immediately ran after him. She didn't see him when she arrived at the bedroom. Her panic intensified. Hearing some noise from the bathroom, she tossed the documents on the bed and headed there. She found him removing his belt in front of the sink. He was already shirtless.

She was momentarily distracted by his naked torso. His wide shoulders, muscled chest and hard abs...she almost drooled. She shook her head out of her daze, trying not to think too much of his deliciousness. This wasn't the right moment!

He only gave her a glance before ignoring her. Then he proceeded to brush his teeth, acting as if she wasn't even there.

"Darling?" she called in a small voice.

However, he didn't reply. He continued brushing his teeth.

"Don't be mad anymore. Okay?"

No answer.

"Darling, I'm sorry."

Still no answer. The anger burst forth from within her.

"Jin Liwei, why are you ignoring me?! You're being so childish! Answer me!" she shouted in frustration.

When he still didn't respond, her eyes filled up with tears. She was feeling sorry, hurt and angry all at the same time. This combination of emotions didn't feel good at all.She roughly wiped her eyes with her hands, not wanting to cry, but the frustration was starting to get the best of her.

Yes, she acknowledged that it was her fault for not appreciating his present for her. She now realized that she hurt his feelings. She felt sorry, but did he have to react so strongly and coldly like this? Although she wanted to blame him too, she didn't want them to fight, especially since it was their anniversary today.

She walked behind him and hugged him by the waist. Her chest pressed against his back. He froze a little but otherwise continued ignoring her while rinsing his mouth. It frustrated her even further. Reining in her temper, she forced herself to calm down.

"Darling... I'm sorry. Please don't be mad anymore. Let's not fight, okay?"

When he continued to ignore her, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She quietly burst into tears behind him. She pressed her face against his back to prevent herself from sobbing aloud.

Jin Liwei stiffened when he felt something wet on his back. His heart jumped in dread.

"Love?" he called out to her.

He became alarmed when he felt her tremble. His back became increasingly wet. His heart sank.

"Are you crying?" he asked and tried to turn to look at her. However, her hands tightened around his waist, preventing him from doing so.

When he heard soft whimpers behind him, he used his strength to forcefully untangle her hands from around his waist and turned to look at her. Then he finally saw her weeping face.

Torrents of tears flowed down her eyes. Her cheeks were completely wet. Huge drops of tears dripped down on her dress and to the floor. She was biting her lips so hard that they began to bleed, just because she didn't want to cry loudly.

Fuck. I messed up, was all he could think about.

He immediately pulled her into his embrace.

"No, no. Please don't cry. Love, my baby girl. Please, no. I'm so sorry. It's my fault. Everything is my fault."

All of these words tumbled out of his lips in a panic. He leaned back from the embrace to look at her. Her face was completely wet and her lips were bleeding. He grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped the blood first before using the other parts of the towel to wipe her tears.

"I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean it. Don't cry anymore, please."

She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't because of the intensity of her weeping.

He pulled her again into his embrace. He kissed her head and rubbed her back to soothe her while murmuring apologies to her.

Then she finally broke her silence and started wailing against his chest. Hurt and anger poured from her loud cries, echoing throughout the entire bathroom. The sound tore painfully at his heart.

"Jin Liwei! Y-you're an...a-asshole!"

"Yes, yes. I'm an asshole. I'm sorry."

She cried harder. "W-why am I in l-love with...with an asshole?!"

He could only tighten his embrace around her.

"Today is our...anniversary, you j-jerk! Why are we fighting?!" She tried pushing him away but he didn't let her go. She wanted to stop her pathetic crying but couldn't. It was as if a dam broke inside her and started gushing without her control. "We're fighting because of a damn company? Huh, Jin Liwei? Y-you're going...to f-fight me because of a fucking company?!"

His heart twisted hearing her words. The fact that she was cursing when she usually didn't was already an indication of how upset she felt. With every heartbreaking cry she released, his heart felt like it was tearing into pieces.

He was completely regretting his immature behaviour earlier. He was hurt by her unenthusiastic reaction. He didn't feel appreciated when he made all the effort of making her happy. He allowed the hurt to cloud his maturity.

Looking directly at her eyes, he told her, "No, we're not going to fight because of a company. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. Forgive me. I love you so much."

Iris cried harder after hearing him say he loved her. "I love you too, y-you asshole!"

A faint smile lightened his remorseful expression. He continued embracing her, as she continued to sob all over his naked chest.

She cried for a long time, releasing all of her frustrations in one go. Her sobs gradually became whimpers until she completely stopped crying. When she finished, she felt utterly exhausted.

Jin Liwei lifted her chin. Her eyes, nose and lips were now red and swollen. But to him, she looked so beautiful. He dipped his head and gently kissed the side of her swollen lips, avoiding the part she bit so he wouldn't hurt her.

"Forgive me?" he asked.

She nodded.

He instantly felt relieved.

"Forgive me too?" she asked next.

"Of course, love."

Finally, she started to smile a little. It was like bright sunshine peeking through stormy clouds. She playfully punched him on the chest.

"Happy anniversary, asshole."

He chuckled softly. "En. Happy anniversary, love."French for "blue blood"

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Chapter 393 - Don't Spoil Me Too MuChapter

The two showered together and dressed in their pyjamas. Before they went to bed, Jin Liwei treated Iris' bitten lips first. Even though the bleeding already stopped, the sight of her wound made him want to beat himself up.

"I'm okay. It doesn't hurt," she assured him after seeing his pained expression.

"Don't lie. I know it hurts."

"Well, okay. Maybe a little." Then she pointed at her lips with a finger. "Why don't you kiss it so it won't hurt anymore?"

He chuckled and immediately kissed her gently, careful not to hurt the wound.

She learned this trick from Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue

Little Jun would cry whenever he got hurt. "Junjun ouchy! Kiss ouchy, Mommi!"

And Jiang Ying Yue would always kiss him while saying, "Pain pain, go away!"

Iris didn't understand how kissing would make the pain go away.

"That's so stupid, Ying Yue," she told her friend, straight to the point as always.

Jing Ying Yue was too preoccupied by her son to reply to Iris. However, she gave her a knowing look which only confused Iris.

"There. Mommy kissed the pain away. It's gone now. Does it still hurt, Little Jun?" Jiang Ying Yue asked her son.

"No mo ouchy, Mommi!" Little Jun answered with a big smile, even though there were still tears in his eyes.

"What? It's really effective?" Iris was amazed.

After that, she started asking Jin Liwei to kiss her whenever she got physically hurt. Of course, he was more than willing to do it. Anything for his baby girl.

Back to the present, Iris and Jin Liwei headed to their bed. A large wall-mounted waterfall fountain was recently installed at the far end of the room. It was larger and much more elaborate than the one they had in their bedroom at the penthouse. This fountain even had its own mini-pond, acting as a natural humidifier for their room.

Another addition to their bedroom was the framed neckties hanging on the wall above their bed's headboard. To Jin Liwei, it was his most precious artwork displayed in their bedroom.

Jin Liwei saw the purchase of business agreement on top of the bed from when Iris tossed it earlier. He glared at it, blaming it for their fight. He now treated it as if it was a cursed object. He walked faster, intending to toss it, but Iris pulled him back.

"Relax, darling. What happened earlier is my fault. It's not that I don't appreciate your present. I was just too surprised that you gifted me another company again. It caught me off-guard and I didn't know how to react. I'm sorry for not thinking about your feelings," she told him, remorseful.

"Don't worry about it anymore. I shouldn't have acted so immature as well. I made you cry." His expression turned dark when he remembered her crying face.

"So what if you're immature sometimes? You're only human, just like me. Besides, it's not only you. I also have the tendency to be immature and selfish sometimes, but you always indulge me and allow me to be myself."

He chuckled and poked her nose. "Yes, but you're already perfect just the way you are. I wouldn't change you for anything or anyone."

Iris' heart skipped a beat. This man loved her so much, yet she was starting to take him for granted. She suddenly felt ashamed for cursing at him earlier. Her insensitivity hurt his feelings and caused them to fight and yet, in the end, he was still the one who comforted her and apologized to her.

Her eyes shone with tears, realizing how increasingly unfair she had been in their relationship. Now she could see that he was almost always the one giving way to her. How about her? Could the things she had done for him so far compare to all of the things he had done for her?

Yes, they had a rough start when they just met. And indeed, he was such a big asshole in the early days of their relationship.

But he had already changed so much since then. After the remnant inside her achieved revenge, Jin Liwei became the most loving and dedicated man to her.

It was no wonder that she fell in love with him. Jin Liwei was now the most important man in her life and the one she loved the most. Now, she couldn't imagine the rest of her life without him. Despite feeling like this, why hadn't she realized that she was starting to take him for granted? She could only blame herself for becoming too comfortable in their relationship.

From now on, she would start rectifying her inadequacy. A relationship was built and nurtured by two people. She should begin doing her part and not let him do all the work.

Seeing her becoming teary once again, Jin Liwei panicked.

"Love? What's wrong? Why are you crying? I'm sorry." He immediately apologized, even though he had no idea what he did wrong this time.

"Don't apologize anymore, especially if it's not your fault." Iris hugged his waist and looked up at his face. "If I'm in the wrong, tell me so I know because sometimes I have no idea. I never want to make you act cold to me anymore. I can't take it. It hurts. And don't spoil me too much, darling. I've become bad."

Jin Liwei examined her expression. When he saw that she was serious, his mouth curved into a faint smile. "Alright, I'll tell you if you're in the wrong from now on. But I'm not going to stop spoiling you because my beloved queen deserves all the pampering in the world. And you've become bad? Even if you become evil, I'll still love you."

"Oh Liwei. You're the most romantic asshole ever. I love you so much!" She giggled.

He laughed. All of the tension and bad feelings melted away. His eyes danced with amusement.

"This romantic asshole will only love you, Long Xiulan...or whoever you are."

His promise made her heart skip a beat and filled her with overflowing happiness.

"Who am I?" she whispered in a sultry voice. "I'm Jin Liwei's woman, his lover...and his future wife."

His eyes instantly darkened with desire.

When Iris felt his erection against her stomach, her breath quickened and desire filled her as well.

"Let's make love," she told him.

He didn't need any additional prompting. He lifted her and carried her to the bed. The purchase of business agreement was carelessly tossed onto a bedside table.

They decided to take it slow tonight. Their fight earlier drained their emotions and energy. This time, they just wanted to feel the love and to take comfort from each other.

Iris craved contact with him. She wanted to feel his weight on her, so she hugged him close.

They kissed like they had all the time in the world. They licked and sucked, savouring each other's tastes instead of devouring. Iris' lip wound only stung at the start, but the slight pain was nothing compared to the pleasure he was feeding her.

In between kissing, their pyjamas and underwears were slowly removed. There was no rush.

When they were both completely naked, Jin Liwei sat back and admired her flushed appearance. She looked so sexy.

Likewise, Iris licked her lips while looking at his hot body. Her gaze fell on his erection, all ready for her. She wanted him so much.

Maintaining eye contact with him, she spread her legs wide open. He loved it when she exposed herself to him like this. Her entrance glistened under the dim lights, all ready for him.

Seeing how wet she was, Jin Liwei's erection twitched in excitement. He reached his hand and started fondling her wet entrance. Then he inserted two fingers inside her, thrusting them in and out.

Iris' eyes fluttered close and her hips started moving in time with his fingers. Her soft moans fueled both of their desire.

"Liwei...please..."

He withdrew his now wet hand, and then stroked his erection, coating it with her juices. He quickly crawled across the big bed and took out a box of condoms from the bedside table's drawer. After sheathing himself, he returned and positioned himself between her legs.

Iris reached between them and wrapped her hand around his hard length, guiding it to her entrance. They looked into each other's eyes, as he slowly pushed himself inside her.

They both groaned when he slid all the way inside.

Jin Liwei lowered his body on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him for a passionate kiss, as he started slowly moving his hips. He moved his tongue inside her mouth almost in the same way his hard length was grinding inside her wet heat. Using one elbow to support his weight, he kneaded her breast with his other hand.

Iris pulled him lower, wanting their upper bodies to press against each other. She ran her hands all over his muscled back and caressed his hard legs with her toes.

Their leisurely lovemaking allowed them to enjoy the moment more thoroughly. It also felt more intimate, as they gazed into each other's eyes while the pleasure gradually built inside them. Their hot breaths, soft moans and groans intermingled into an erotic yet gentle harmony of passion.

When the pleasure started intensifying, Jin Liwei closed his eyes and sped up his hips. His thrusts were shallow but they went deep inside her.

"Liwei...I'm going to come," she whimpered in between moans.

"Me too."

He quickly positioned his elbow above her shoulder while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Then he suddenly shifted gears. He pressed her body down with his weight and started pumping her furiously with just his hips.

Iris cried out and shut her eyes.

"Open your eyes," Jin Liwei told her. "Look at me."

Her eyes opened. It was difficult keeping them open, but she didn't want to miss Jin Liwei's smouldering gaze.

They orgasmed almost at the same time. He kissed her hard, as he poured his release while inside her. She pressed her face against his neck, muffling her soft scream. Her inner contractions squeezed every drop of his release.

This slow and tender lovemaking was subdued compared to their usual wildness, but their feelings for each other felt more intense this time.

Jin Liwei gave Iris a final kiss on the mouth before sliding out of her. After discarding the used condom, he returned to lie beside her. He covered them with the duvet and pulled her into his arms, sighing in satisfaction.

"Good night, love."

"Mmn...g'night," she murmured. "Happy anniversary, darling."

"Happy anniversary." He nuzzled her hair before closing his eyes.

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Chapter 394 - Sang Bleu

The next morning, the lovers woke up at dawn with only a few hours of sleep. Iris forced herself out of bed to join Jin Liwei for breakfast, even though her work wouldn't start until later. He tried persuading her to return to bed but she insisted on accompanying him.

She took the time while Jin Liwei was showering and dressing up in his business suit to fight off sleep and roll out of the bed.

Groggy from the lack of sleep, Iris walked like a zombie with Jin Liwei out of their bedroom suite to the breakfast table. Ice Cream and Popcorn greeted them.

The two cats were usually the ones who accompanied their daddy during breakfast whenever their mommy was still asleep. They also liked watching the chef cook (and stealing some scraps of food when he wasn't looking).

Iris carried the two cats in her arms. Ice Cream had slimmed down a lot, although she was still bigger compared to Popcorn. At least now the veterinarian didn't scold Dom anymore whenever he brought the cats for their regular check-up. However, they had to continue monitoring her weight because she had the tendency to overeat.

While eating traditional Chinese breakfast of congee and a wide array of side dishes, Iris gradually became more awake. She chatted with Jin Liwei and was extra attentive to him, serving him food and doting on him—things that he usually did for her.

Jin Liwei's eyebrows rose at her unusual behaviour but he didn't stop her. Why would he? He was immensely enjoying it, thank you very much.

After pouring him more coffee, Iris hesitated a bit. She wanted to talk to him about something but worried that it would ruin the nice atmosphere between them.

He noticed her hesitation. "What is it, love? Tell me."

"Can you..." She cleared her throat and tried again. "Can you tell me more about your anniversary present for me? I want to know about the French perfumery you gifted me."

Just like what she expected, his expression darkened. However, his voice was gentle when he replied to her. "Don't think about it anymore, love. I'll give you a better present soon."

"Darling, please. Don't be like this." She grabbed his hand on top of the table and held it. "It's your anniversary present to me. I'll keep it. I really will."

He clasped their hands together. "You don't have to force yourself to like it."

"Tell me more about it, then. I'll decide whether I like it or not after hearing more about it. Okay?"

"Hmm..." He took a few moments to think about it while sipping his coffee.

Iris waited for him. She massaged his hand clasped with hers, hoping that by doing so would soften him. It was partly her fault anyway that he had become prejudiced against the French perfumery, blaming it for causing their fight last night.

When he finished the entire cup of coffee without giving her an answer, she moved from her seat and sat on his lap instead. She gave him several smacking kisses on the cheeks, deciding to use the honey trap instead to persuade him.

"Tell me, please," she asked again, batting her eyelashes at him.

His mouth twitched seeing her puppy eyes. He immediately softened, but he was enjoying her honey trap so he pretended to be unaffected. And it worked. His baby girl continued raining kisses all over his face and caressing him all over with her hands. After enjoying her tender loving care for some time, he finally relented.

"Alright, I'll tell you about the perfumery."

In clear and concise words, he described what the company was and how he was able to acquire it.

Sang Bleu was an old French perfumery established more than a hundred years ago. It was a family-owned business that originally catered to French aristocrats before gaining fans from other European nobilities and even some royalty.

Times changed but Sang Bleu refused to sell to regular people, stubbornly making their perfumes exclusive to people who had "blue blood" only. On one hand, it made their perfumes more desirable. But on the other hand, they were condemned for their discriminatory mindset.

"Oh. They're just like the Longs," Iris commented.

Jin Liwei chuckled. "I think you're forgetting that you're also a Long, love."

She gave him a teasing smile. "That's only for now. I'll be Mrs. Jin in the future."

His breath caught in his throat. Then the corner of his mouth curved into a smirk. "Oh? Are you excited to become Mrs. Jin?"

"Maybe," she replied, drawing circles on his chest with a finger.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She nodded.

The two kissed playfully, nibbling on each other's lips. Iris' wound still hurt a bit, but she didn't mind it. Afterwards, Jin Liwei continued telling her the story of Sang Bleu.

Even with the rise of the nouveau riche and the decline of the nobility's power and influence, Sang Bleu still didn't change. Their "exclusive" perfumes became increasingly associated with prejudice.

To appear as inclusive as possible and to present a good image to the public, the perfumery's noble clientele began boycotting the perfumes. It came to a point that only a French marchioness was its sole client. When the lady died, Sang Bleu was also left on its last breaths.

Its new owner was from the direct line of the family who owned the perfumery. However, she had no interest in trying to revive a bankrupt business, so she decided to sell it to the highest bidder instead. Unfortunately, there weren't many bidders who wanted a company with such a prejudiced reputation. That was until Jin Liwei came along.

He came to know about Sang Bleu while chatting with French executives during the international business conference. After a rigorous inquiry about the perfumery, he decided to purchase it for his baby girl. The new owner immediately sold it to him, afraid that he would back out like everyone else if she tried raising the price.

Iris tilted her head to the side after hearing about the perfumery's history.

"It's already bankrupt? Darling, please explain. I don't understand why you would give me a bankrupt company."

"Although it's now bankrupt and technically doesn't exist anymore, it still retains its high-end resources and connections in making perfumes. Don't forget that this was a company that catered to nobility and even royalty at some point. Remember when I discouraged you from accepting a perfume endorsement before? Didn't I suggest that you create your own line instead? I just thought that it would be easier for you to do that if I gift you the resources of Sang Bleu," he told her.

Her eyes widened after hearing his explanation of why he gifted her another company for their anniversary. She felt guilty once again for not appreciating his present last night, hurting his feelings and even causing them to fight.

This man always thought about her. It seemed that she was always his number one priority in whatever he did. His thoughtfulness touched her deeply.

She hugged him around the neck and pulled him close to her. "I've decided to keep the perfumery. It's a perfect anniversary present. Thank you, darling."

"You don't have to force yourself to like it, love. Don't worry. I can always sell it," he said. His voice was muffled because his face was squished against her breasts.

He didn't complain because he was loving it. He even rubbed his face deeper in the valley between her soft mounds. She just woke up and wasn't wearing any bra underneath her pyjamas and robe.

"No, I'm already the new owner of Sang Bleu, so you can't sell it anymore without my consent," she said, enjoying the feeling of his head on her chest.

After kissing her soft mounds on top of her clothes, Jin Liwei finally lifted his head and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Alright. Do whatever you want to do with the perfumery. It's yours now," he told her.

"Okay. I'll probably merge it with Orchidia Beauty. I'll have to discuss this with the Bauer siblings, my sister and my friends first." Her mind was already thinking about the various possibilities of how she could make use of Sang Bleu.

"En."

Jin Liwei looked pleased seeing her interest in the perfumery. This was the kind of reaction he was hoping for when he first gave Sang Bleu as anniversary present. Her appreciation was delayed, but it was better late than never.

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Chapter 395 - CEO And CFO On The News

Now that the matter about the perfumery he gifted her was resolved between them, any remaining tension in Jin Liwei's heart all melted away. His mood greatly improved, especially after their sweet lovemaking before they slept a few hours ago.

What a perfect way to start a workday!

They finished the rest of their breakfast because Jin Liwei needed to leave for work soon. Nevertheless, the lovers didn't feel rushed. They wanted to enjoy this simple moment of eating breakfast together. They chatted while watching their cats in amusement.

Popcorn was running all around for his morning exercise, while Ice Cream was soaking the morning sunlight streaming in from the windows as she cleaned her beautiful blue-grey fur on the floor.

"Darling, I have decided on a perfect time to officially announce our relationship to the public," Iris suddenly said.

"Oh? When?" he asked.

She told him.

When he heard about her idea, his eyes lit up and he nodded. "Hmm. That's a fantastic idea, love. It'll surely create a big splash. Very good because I want everyone to know that you're mine and that we're engaged. I'll make sure to clear my work schedule for a few days during that time."

"I'm looking forward to it," she said.

"Are you really?" he asked, his eyes inquisitive.

"Yes."

"So are you finally ready to become my wife?"

"I don't know exactly if I'm ready or not, but what I do know is that I love you and you're the only man I want to marry."

"Hmmm..." He nodded, satisfied by her answer. "I love you, too. So much. And you're also the only woman I want to marry."

They grinned stupidly at each other until it was time for Jin Liwei to go. Iris saw him off from the main entrance with Ice Cream and Popcorn. She had to carry Popcorn in her arms to prevent the hyperactive cat from following his daddy into the car. Ice Cream was a good girl, sitting near Iris' feet instead of meowing in despair like Popcorn who was already missing their daddy.

When Jin Liwei's car disappeared from view, Iris returned inside the mansion. She also needed to get ready for work soon.

And just like that, Iris became the new owner of a small bankrupt French perfumery called Sang Bleu. Her future business empire just grew a little once again, thanks to her devoted future husband.

###

"Good morning and welcome to the 10 o'clock news live from the studio. We've got some important news for you this morning..."

The morning news played on a big screen TV at a café.

Zhou Mei'er who was also known as CaptainBlackStar, the founder and president of the Black Stars fan club, sat in the café while sipping green tea latte and eating a slice of tiramisu cake. She watched the news with no interest, not really caring about the stories being reported. If it was about Boss Iris, then she would care.

She checked her wristwatch for the time. She was waiting for someone.

Then her phone rang. The person she was waiting for had arrived. She directed the person on where to go.

Moments later, a teenage girl waved at Zhou Mei'er and joined her on the table. It was Ming Li, also known as LittlePhoenix among the Black Stars. Despite her young age, she was currently the deputy leader of the Black Stars' strongest division, the notorious troll group Slippers Army. She led the Slippers Army in the absence of their true leader, the infamous troll iEatSlippers.

Both Zhou Mei'er and Ming Li were on their summer vacation, so they decided to enjoy each other's company. While drinking and eating, the two chatted about many things. Of course, a big part of their conversations revolved around their Boss Iris and the Black Stars.

"Our boss is so amazing, Big Sister Mei'er. I wish I could also speak so many languages like her," Ming Li said.

Zhou Mei'er: "I know, right? Did you hear about the news reports a week ago about boss translating and interpreting for Long Industries and Jin Corporation? It seems that there are many foreign companies that want to hire her, but she chose to work close to home with family instead."

Ming Li: "Yes, I did hear about that. Boss translated some reports for her family's company. Then she accompanied the founder of Jin Corporation—that scary old man with a loud booming voice...I forgot his name—and interpreted during a meeting with some Russian businesspeople. I'm just so amazed that boss also knows Russian!"

Zhou Mei'er: "Indeed. I do wonder just how many languages can she really speak. And I think the old man's name is Lu Jianhong. They say that his grandson is Boss Iris' real fiancé."

Ming Li: "But is it really true? I mean, boss hasn't confirmed anything to us yet. Until it comes from her own words, I won't believe any rumours about her. Boss has been a victim of fake rumours so much in the past. I don't want to contribute to it."

Zhou Mei'er smiled, nodding in approval. "That's the way to go. You're maturing well."

They ordered some more desserts while continuing to chat about other topics.

"And now for our latest tech news. The recently popular online computer game Supreme Ascension has now entered the top ten most popular games ranking in the country. Supreme Ascension just released earlier this year, but its playerbase has grown exponentially since then, rivalling some of the most popular computer games in the country. Its game developer, Planet Monkey, announced that it plans to release the game in selected regions abroad sometime later this year..."

Ming Li's eyes lit up when she heard the news. "Oh look! It's Supreme Ascension!I also began playing that game after Pandemonium mentioned that they love it. I wish I could play it every day but my parents won't allow me."

"Listen to your parents. You should be studying, not playing computer games," Zhou Mei'er said.

Ming Li playfully stuck out her tongue at Zhou Mei'er. "It's summer vacation. I plan on playing Supreme Ascension until school starts again. But of course, I'll make sure to still have the time to lead the Slippers Army. I really miss Big Bro iEatSlippers and Big Bro Monkeyface. They've been gone for far too long. Big Bro iEatSlippers only goes online once every couple of weeks, sometimes longer. As for Big Bro Monkeyface, I almost never see him online anymore."

"They're both busy." Zhou Mei'er sighed. "Bro Wu Chen says that the two of them built a company together. I don't know much about building and running a company, but I can imagine that it's a lot of work."

While they were talking, something from the TV news caught their attention.

"And now here are some snippets from a recent interview with Planet Monkey's CEO Hou Liang and CFO Wu Chen..."

Both Zhou Mei'er and Ming Li almost choked on their food, as they watched their Black Stars comrades' interview on TV. They were extremely shocked.

"B-big Sis, pinch me. I think I'm dreaming... I-is that Big Bro iEatSlippers and Big Bro Monkeyface...or is something wrong with my eyes?" Ming Li stuttered.

She had already met both Wu Chen and Hou Liang on several occasions before when the Black Stars gathered to personally support Iris at her guestings or performances. So she knew what the two looked like.

"No, you're not dreaming. Oh my god! It's Bro Hou Liang and Bro Wu Chen! What the hell?! They're the CEO and CFO of a gaming company?!!!"

Both Zhou Mei'er and Ming Li started freaking out. They weren't the only ones. Some of their fellow Black Stars who were watching the news in other places also recognized Hou Liang and Wu Chen. They were all so shocked and started freaking out as well.

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Chapter 396 - An Emperor And A Lord

The news only showed a few snippets of the actual interview. CEO Hou Liang mostly talked about the game Supreme Ascension, while CFO Wu Chen talked about their company, Planet Monkey.

"There are several rumours about the identity of Planet Monkey's owner and president. Some say that the owner is a rich young master, while there are hearsays claiming that the owner is a beautiful young lady. Can you tell us which of these rumours is true? Or better yet, tell us his or her real identity," the interviewer asked.

Wu Chen chuckled mysteriously. "We're not going to reveal our President-Owner's real identity yet, but I'll say this to all of you now. Make sure to record it. Our owner is a beautiful young lady who is also filthy rich. How else can we establish a company like Planet Monkey so quickly and so successfully?"

The interview snippets finally ended, and then the morning news went on a commercial break immediately after.

Inside the café, Zhou Mei'er and Ming Li looked at each other in disbelief. They knew that their comrades, iEatSlippers and Monkeyface, were busy running their new company. However, they thought that what they were working on was just a small business, perhaps an online store or something.

They never expected that the company of those two was actually the developer of the latest hit game Supreme Ascension. The most impressive thing was that they were the CEO and CFO!

Zhou Mei'er and Ming Li both reached for their phones at the same time. They immediately logged in to the Black Stars home page. The other Black Stars already started discussing about Hou Liang and Wu Chen after watching them in the morning news.

"Holy shit! My mighty slippers are shook! Did I just watch our troll leader iEatSlippers and strategist Monkeyface on TV?"

"They're the CEO and CFO of Planet Monkey!!! They're the ones who created Supreme Ascension!!! Damn!!! I kowtow to their awesomeness!!!"

"Those of you who haven't played Supreme Ascension yet, what are you waiting for? Go start playing now and let's all support our two comrades!"

"Uwah! This is so amazing! If I ask the two of them for game cheats, do you think they'll give me some?"

For the first time ever in the history of the fan club, the Black Stars enthusiastically discussed in length something that was unrelated to their Boss Iris. (They still had no idea that Iris Long was actually the President-Owner of Planet Monkey and the direct boss of both Hou Liang and Wu Chen in the truest sense of the word.)

Everyone cheered for their fellow comrades, iEatSlippers and Monkeyface. They all felt proud of the two for their incredible accomplishment.

CaptainBlackStar: "Congratulations to our brothers iEatSlippers and Monkeyface! All of us Black Stars are extremely proud of the two of you! We wish you more success! Reach the top of the gaming industry! You can do it! But please don't forget about us. We'll always be comrades forever and ever!

LittlePhoenix: "Calling all the members of the Slippers Army! Assemble! Let's all log into Supreme Ascension and wave our mighty slippers in support of our brothers iEatSlippers and Monkeyface! We're gonna take over the game with our Slippers Army under the Black Stars banner! Let's go!!!"

Within half an hour, a horde of Black Stars, specifically members of the Slippers Army, flooded the game's global chat. They congratulated their comrades who were also the CEO and CFO of Planet Monkey.

Emperor Monkey: "Thank you. Enjoy the game."

I Am Slipperlord: "Yes! All of the Black Stars, especially my beloved Slippers Army, are always welcome here! Let me see you wave those mighty slippers!"

These two replies caused an uproar, not only among the Slippers Army and Black Stars, but also among all the players of the game. The usernames of these two were different among the rest of the players. They were written in sparkling gold and were decorated with special badges, indicating that they worked at Planet Monkey.

These two characters, Emperor Monkey and I Am Slipperlord, were known among the players. They frequently played with the regular players, personally testing the game experience themselves.

The players thought that these two were just regular staff members of Planet Monkey. They never expected that they were actually playing with the CEO and CFO. Many players suddenly felt star-struck, especially at Emperor Monkey, who they now knew as the one who originally created the game Supreme Ascension.

Commander Black Star: "I'm not used to playing this game, so I don't really know how things work here. I just want to say congratulations to Emperor Monkey and I Am Slipperlord for making the Black Stars proud."

Lady Phoenix: "An emperor and a lord! Wow! You're so cool, big brothers! We proudly wave our mighty slippers for the two of you!"

"All hail the emperor of monkeys!"

"All hail the lord of slippers!"

Lady Phoenix: "Big Bros @Emperor Monkey & @I Am Slipperlord, I humbly request that you grant our wish to make it possible for our characters to literally wave our slippers in the game."

Other players laughed at her request. However...

Emperor Monkey: "Sure. Will work on it asap."

I Am Slipperlord: "For the sake of my Slipper Army and the Black Stars, thy wish shall be granted!"

Huh.

The other players couldn't believe how easily the game developers accepted such a trivial request. Was it because they were members of the Black Stars/Slippers Army?

What was the point of allowing characters to wave their footwear in the air? Would it help them level up? Could it be a fighting move?

Slipper slap! Slipper kick! Boomerang slippers! Slipper cannon! Or something?

"Uhm...I think I'm gonna join the Black Stars...Maybe my requests will be granted easily too."

"Me too..."

And with that, the Black Stars had grown in number once again. Likewise, the game Supreme Ascension welcomed a new wave of players in a short period of time, boosting its popularity even further in the industry rankings.

The Black Stars all created game accounts in droves and began playing just for the sake of supporting their fellow comrades.

Unbeknown to them, they were also supporting their Boss Iris this way. It was a win-win situation, connecting them to each other and even to their Boss Iris without their knowledge.

###

In a dressing room, Iris sat on a make-up chair getting her hair and make-up done. She was getting ready for a magazine photoshoot and interview.

At the moment, she was talking with an excited Wu Chen on the phone. He was reporting to her about what happened with the Black Stars, how they reacted after learning that he and Hou Liang were the top executives of Planet Monkey.

"The Black Stars are the best," she commented, extremely pleased at what happened.

Afterwards, the two finally discussed the main purpose of the call.

As the CFO, Wu Chen called to update her of Planet Monkey's current finances. They had invested a great deal of their funds to acquire the latest technologies to boost their game development.

Iris connected with her fellow Cross Academy student, the taciturn Michael Exlorsson who was also a genius mechatronics engineer.

Although she wasn't close to him compared to her friendship with the ladies and even with Amanpio Kileksky, she didn't hesitate to contact Michael for some advice regarding her gaming company.

In the end, Michael Exlorsson agreed to customize and licence some of his latest technologies to her company for a fee. After an intense negotiation via video chat, he agreed to give her a 40% discount from his original asking price for their connection as fellow Cross Academy students. But even then, the fee that she had to pay was still extremely expensive.

Despite this, she still willingly paid because she was confident in the quality of his work, not to mention that her company, Planet Monkey, would be the first in the world to commercially apply these latest technologies.

This head start would allow Planet Monkey to develop more quickly compared to its competitors.

At the moment, Hou Liang and his colleagues were gradually starting to use these technologies in their game development and apply it on Supreme Ascension.

In the process, Hou Liang's team was also able to develop their own technology which they planned on patenting under Planet Monkey's name. It wasn't as advanced as Michael's, but it suited their own needs.

The results of using all of these advanced technologies were so impressive that an inquiry was launched by industry experts and the other gaming companies. They wanted to know Planet Monkey's secret as to how Supreme Ascension could improve so much in such a short period of time. For now, Planet Monkey had no intentions of revealing their secrets.

After the phone call with Wu Chen, Iris sat back in her make-up chair. Wu Chen shared great news. Although their technology investments hurt their funds, they were now starting to really profit. Their profits increased significantly after they broke through the top ten most popular computer games in the country.

Iris was very pleased at Planet Monkey's progress so far. As a matter of fact, it exceed all of her initial expectations.

"If our international release of Supreme Ascension is successful later this year, I think I can finally apply for Planet Monkey to become a member of the academy's exclusive business network," she murmured.

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Chapter 397 - Time To Step Up

The summer season was a time of opportunities for Iris as a career woman.

As a translator and interpreter, she started accepting small assignments from both Jin Corporation and Long Industries. She translated some documents for them. There was only one instance when she acted as interpreter after the international business conference, and that was when she accompanied Grandpa Lu for a meeting with some Russian investors.

She didn't really have that much time to spare to accept more translator/interpreter jobs, even though there were many companies, both local and foreign, that expressed their interest in hiring her. Nevertheless, her two professors encouraged her to apply her skills regularly in an actual work environment for her to gain more experience. It would help in polishing her language skills.

After the international business conference, the two professors left China to return to their own home countries. They didn't need to train Iris in person anymore. However, their lessons and mentorship would still continue via long-distance training.

As a businesswoman, Iris was extremely busy running her own companies and closely monitoring their progress. Her companies continued to eat up a substantial amount of her wealth, but she remained optimistic that she would get back everything she had invested and more.

Planet Monkey was already starting to really profit. If the company's upward trend continued, Iris estimated that both Hou Liang and Wu Chen would become millionaires in the country by the end of this year.

Iris didn't really need to worry too much about Planet Monkey. Both Hou Liang and Wu Chen were doing a fantastic job in running it. Although she was the President-Owner, what she really just needed to do was continue being the financier and also periodically attacking the company's online systems to test the strength of its security.

Planet Monkey was using a powerful security system that she personally created and developed. As a result, the company's systems were virtually impenetrable by anyone below her skill level. There weren't a lot of hackers in the world who could contend against her. So it wasn't a stretch to conclude that Planet Monkey's systems were the most secure in the country.

Being a financier and a cybersecurity hacker for Planet Monkey weren't taking too much of her time and effort. For that, she was grateful.

Orchidia Beauty, on the other hand, was a different matter. Because she planned on making the company synonymous to her name in the future, she paid close attention to every single detail concerning it.

It was taking a lot of her time and effort. Fortunately, she had capable people helping her run it who were as filled with youthful energy and ambition as her in making the company successful.

At the moment, their initial products that they planned on launching first were already completed. They had sent PR packages to selected beauty influencers in the country and even reached out to some international ones.

Within a few weeks, the reviews started pouring out. At first, the reviewers expressed their distrust for a new company that they had never heard of before. However, almost all of them gave positive reviews and high ratings after personally using the products. They raved about the products' "miraculous" effectiveness, all-natural label, and beautiful but sustainable packaging.

All of them wanted to know more about this new company, Orchidia Beauty. They couldn't wait for the official launch of the products.

Using the hype generated by these influencers in the beauty community, Orchidia Beauty finally announced the official launch of their first products which would be in the autumn season. Iris would be endorsing her own company, of course. But for now, it was a secret.

Iris also discussed Sang Bleu with Chen Fei, Long Jinjing, Clover and the Bauer siblings. They were all excited when they heard that she acquired the perfumery's resources. All kinds of possibilities ran through their minds on how to make the best use of the perfumery. However, they decided to put it aside for now and focus on their upcoming launch next season.

All of these made Iris super busy throughout the summer. Despite this, she still had the energy to pursue her passion—music.

Even with her crazy schedule, she didn't neglect her showbiz career, especially now that Bright Summit was providing her with increased resources and opportunities to make her more famous.

Iris and Jin Chonglin had finally completed their parts in the production of their two music collaborations. They handed the remaining details for JJ to iron out.

As always, JJ won the right to produce Iris' music collaboration, even with a superstar like Jin Chonglin. JJ was able to intimidate Jin Chonglin's record label into not fighting against him over the production right of the collaboration.

The two songs would be released on separate occasions in autumn.

Eveything was kept hush-hush for now. They wanted their collaboration to be a big surprise to the music industry, especially to their own fans.

While waiting for the release of their two song collaborations, Iris was able to land a few small cameo roles in some TV dramas and even in a movie. The two most notable roles that she played were, first, in a romance TV drama playing as herself, and second, as the elegant heiress sister of the male lead in a melodrama movie.

She was added into the movie last minute. In fact, the filming had already finished when the production team decided to reshoot a scene to include her. That was why she only needed to wait about a month after shooting her cameo scene before the film premiered in theatres.

Both roles were extremely easy for her to play. She only needed to act like herself. There wasn't any real acting involved to play those roles. Besides, she only needed to say two to three sentences. Her screen time per show was only about thirty seconds to about a minute.

Nevertheless, her acting stints during the summer were widely celebrated by her fans, the Black Stars. They contributed a lot in boosting the TV shows' ratings and the ticket sales of the movie just to watch their boss Iris say a sentence or two for a few seconds.

The production teams of the TV shows and the movie were extremely pleased by the high ratings and ticket sales. From the start, this was their goal for casting Iris Long in a cameo role—to use her popularity.

Iris treated these acting roles as fun side jobs. They were enjoyable, but she couldn't really see herself as someone pursuing a serious acting career. Her music career would always be her number one priority in showbiz.

With all of these different things she was doing, it was no wonder that her schedule was full. Despite this, Iris still made sure to allocate a good amount of time for Jin Liwei.

After their emotional fight the night of their anniversary, she promised herself to fill her inadequacy in their relationship. It was time for her to step up and do her part, too. She wouldn't allow him to do all the work in nurturing their relationship anymore.

###

Jin Corporation.

After an almost six-hour long meeting that went way past lunch time, Jin Liwei finally dismissed his employees. Everybody was relieved that it ended, but they also felt satisfied because it was a very productive meeting. They resolved a lot of issues and finalized many plans.

Jin Liwei exited the conference room first. His employees followed behind him, intending to head straight to lunch. However, Xu Tian received a call about something urgent.

"President, we have some problem that must be resolved immediately," Xu Tian informed him and then explained the situation.

Jin Liwei frowned. However, he didn't hesitate. He called a few of the people behind him to assist in resolving the problem.

"Come with me to my office. I want this problem fixed today," he told them. Then he turned to Xu Tian and instructed, "Order some food for us. We'll eat while working."

"Understood, President."

The people he called out had no choice but to follow him to his office. The group rode the elevator and ascended to the top floor.

Once inside his office, the group started reviewing the problem and brainstorming ideas on how to solve it. Xu Tian left and headed to his own desk outside the door, intending to call a restaurant to deliver late lunch for them. But his phone rang before he could do so.

"Hello? Oh, it's you."

Xu Tian's eyes widened in surprise after hearing what the person on the other end of the line said. Then he smiled.

"Alright. I'll call the receptionist downstairs to let you in. Just head up directly here."

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Chapter 398 - Surprise Delivery

Inside his office, Jin Liwei and his employees were busy resolving the emergency problem. He was too focused on work that he forgot about his hunger.

However, his employees didn't have an iron will like him. A few stomachs began growling. They blushed in embarrassment.

Jin Liwei inwardly sighed, but outwardly he looked cold, indifferent and serious as always. He glanced at his gold wristwatch. It was already mid-afternoon, way past lunch time.

"The food should be coming soon," he told them.

They nodded and continued working.

Finally, there was a brief knock and the door opened. Xu Tian entered followed by three of Jin Liwei's subordinates from home.

"Hm?" Jin Liwei frowned in confusion. He didn't call for them. Why did they come? His gaze fell on the huge, bulky canvas bags they were carrying.

"Good afternoon, Master. We apologize for disturbing you at work. However, we had to come because the Mistress instructed us to deliver lunch to you and your employees. She is upset that you haven't eaten lunch yet when it's already so late," one of them said.

"Oh." Jin Liwei's frown evaporated, replaced by a soft and gentle expression. He nodded. "Alright. Bring in the food. Everyone, come. My fiancée had lunch delivered for us."

His employees still couldn't get used to seeing their President with a gentle expression. It was already common knowledge in the company that their President loved his fiancée, courtesy of the employees who witnessed him talking to her on the phone on several occasions.

All of the employees at Jin Corporation had been wondering about the real identity of the President's fiancée. Unfortunately, they still didn't know who she was.

At the moment, the employees present in the office were all ravenous. They eyed the huge canvas bags the President's three subordinates were unpacking on a nearby table.

There were several big and fancy bento boxes that had four tiers each stacked on top of one another. There were also small round containers of steaming hot soup. Carton boxes were opened, revealing different desserts to choose from. A small cooler contained chilled drinks of water, iced teas, juices and sodas.

Xu Tian heated up some water for those who wanted hot tea instead of the cold beverages.

Stomachs growled more loudly this time upon seeing all the food. The eyes of Jin Liwei's employees lit up. Their mouths watered and they swallowed hard after smelling the delicious aromas. They couldn't wait to gobble up all the food. It was a feast.

"Go ahead and get some food," Jin Liwei said, giving them the long-awaited permission.

As the employees were all extremely hungry, they didn't bother acting modestly and immediately swarmed like ravenous, salivating dogs around the table, taking a bento box each.

They were interrupted by a ringing sound. It was Jin Liwei's office phone. Jin Liwei was far from his desk, so he had to walk over to answer it. But before he could even do so, the phone answered by itself.

"Hello, darling? Can you hear me?" a deep robotic voice suddenly sounded.

The employees all froze and looked at their President in alarm. Hearing such an unnatural voice speaking out of nowhere creeped them out. Two of the employees present were from Jin Liwei's tech team. They stood up and marched towards the phone. They already concluded that it was hacked.

"Yes, love. I can hear you," Jin Liwei replied, shocking his employees.

His tech people stopped in their tracks.

"Okay, good. Go ahead and eat first, darling. It's already so late but you haven't eaten lunch yet. That's not healthy, you know. What if you get sick? I'm so worried," the creepy robotic voice said.

Jin Liwei's mouth curved up into a smile. "Alright. I'll eat now. Thank you for the food." Then he glanced at his employees, giving them a silent order with his eyes.

"Thank you very much for the food!" they all said loudly towards the phone.

The deep robotic voice chuckled, making the employees shudder. The sound was honestly the creepiest thing ever.

"You're welcome, everyone. Enjoy the food, so you'll have enough energy to continue working with my fiancé. You too, darling. Eat well, okay?"

"En, I will."

He finally took a bento box for himself. The number of bento boxes were perfect for the number of people in the office room, including Xu Tian. His three subordinates already ate earlier, so they didn't join in eating. Jin Liwei raised an eyebrow, guessing how she was able to know how many people to feed.

"Are you watching us right now?" he asked.

"Yes."

He immediately looked at one of the security cameras inside his office and gave a wave.

The robotic voice giggled. The sound terrified the employees, especially the females.

"I see you," it said.

"Go wave at my fiancée," Jin Liwei ordered the others.

His employees obeyed and waved at the security camera, feeling weird in doing so. It didn't feel like they were interacting with a fellow human being but with a supernatural entity instead, especially since they couldn't see the other person and all they could hear was a creepy robotic voice.

"I checked up on you around noon but saw that you were in a meeting. Then I checked up on you again an hour later but you were still not finished. So I placed an order for lunch and instructed your subordinates to go deliver them. The other participants in your meeting earlier also received bento boxes. They worked so hard for you. They deserve to eat some good food."

Jin Liwei nodded. "I see. Thank you, love."

"You're welcome, darling."

The two members of the tech team looked at the phone, at their boss, at the security camera, and at each other. Great amazement filled them. They had already concluded that their President's fiancée was a skilled hacker. They understood her meaning when she said that she "checked up" on them as viewing them from the security cameras.

Although it was possible that the President gave her direct access to the company's surveillance system, they believed that he didn't. Because if he did, their tech team and also the security team would surely receive notifications as they were the ones controlling the company's surveillance system.

If the President's fiancée was really able to bypass their security system, then she must be quite a skilled hacker. The two looked at Jin Liwei, impressed that his fiancée had such abilities. They initially thought that his fiancée would be the usual daughter of a rich family whose only talent was to look pretty and fabulous.

Their guess was absolutely correct. Iris indeed hacked into Jin Corporation's surveillance system. Of course, she only started doing so after Jin Liwei gave her permission.

He told her that she could check up on him whenever she wanted because he had nothing to hide from her. It was also to assure her that she was his only woman and no females working in his company caught his attention. He didn't bother giving her direct access to the surveillance system because he knew that she had the ability to do it herself without raising any alarms.

While the members of the tech team instinctively knew that the President's fiancée was a hacker, the other employees, including Xu Tian and the three subordinates who delivered the food, all thought that Jin Liwei must've given her access to the surveillance system. The possibility that she might be a hacker never crossed their minds.

The robotic voice spoke again. "I have to go now, darling. I still have work as well. I called because I wanted to make sure that you eat your lunch and also because I want to hear your voice."

Jin Liwei's smile widened, momentarily dazing his employees, especially the females. "Alright. Take care, love. I'll see you tonight at home. I love you."

"Take care of yourself too, darling. Don't skip meals anymore. I love you, too," the robotic voice replied.

"En."

Everyone in the room felt extremely weird at the entire situation. It was actually quite scary listening and watching their President acting so lovey-dovey with a creepy robotic voice who was watching all of them through the security cameras.

Some of them even began to doubt whether their President's significant other was really a woman. They couldn't tell the gender from the robotic voice. It was possible that their President's lover was actually a man.

The robotic voice didn't immediately hang up the phone. "Mr. Xu Tian, don't let my fiancé skip meals. If he does, call me immediately, okay?"

Xu Tian only hesitated for a couple of seconds before bowing his head to the security camera. "Understood, Miss Lo—" He coughed loudly to cover up his near slip of the tongue. "Understood, Miss!"

"Thank you, Mr. Xu." A pause. "And the three women standing together at the end of the table...Yes, the three of you. Let's see..."

A few seconds later, the robotic voice started calling out the three women's names and positions in the company. Jin Liwei and the members of the tech team knew that she must've hacked further into the company system to dig out information about the three women.

"This is my first warning to the three of you," the robotic voice said, sounding cold and terrifying. "Watch the look in your eyes...they may get you into trouble. You understand what I'm saying, right?"

The three woman froze.

"RIGHT???"

"Y-yes! We're sorry! We won't do it again!"

The three women were frightened out of their wits by the scary robotic voice. From now on, they wouldn't look at the President's face and body (and imagine him naked) anymore. They would just look at his shoes. Yes! The shoes were definitely safer!

"Good. I don't give second warnings, just so you know. Alright. I really have to go. Bye, darling. Love you."

"En. Bye. Love you more," Jin Liwei replied.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Everyone, don't tell anyone about what happened today, okay? You're going to regret it if you do. I know everything about all of you. You don't want the whole world knowing your secrets, don't you? That's all. Bye~"

The call ended.

After witnessing such a bizarre situation, the mystery surrounding their President Jin Liwei's fiancée (or fiancé, if it was a man) just grew even more.

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Chapter 399 - Evil Demon

Jin Liwei's employees were so frightened by the creepy robotic voice that any thoughts of sharing to others what happened in their President's office disappeared from their minds. In fact, they were more frightened by the voice itself than the threat of having all of their secrets revealed to the whole world.

The poor employees had no idea that the scary robotic voice would haunt their nightmares in their sleep for several nights after this day. Now they feared their President's mysterious fiancée more than their cold and intimidating President.

As expected of the President, even his taste in women (or men) is very strong. Too strong, they thought to themselves while shuddering as they remembered the robotic voice.

Only the two members of the tech team took the robotic voice's threat as something serious. They looked grave, knowing full well that angering a hacker was extremely dangerous. Hackers literally had the power to destroy lives at their fingertips.

They glanced at the security cameras, becoming more vigilant and cautious. They never knew when their President's fiancée would strike again. It was better to stay on their best behaviour because she might be watching them when they were slacking off and tell their President. Wouldn't that get them fired?

Later that night, the two members of the tech team checked Jin Corporation's surveillance system to see if there were any records showing the President's fiancée accessing it earlier. Frighteningly, there were no such records. They checked everywhere, looking for the tiniest traces but still there was nothing.

It was as if the hacking didn't happen at all. If they didn't experience it firsthand, they would never have believed that the company's surveillance system was hacked just by looking at the records.

They felt cold sweat on their backs.

In the next few days, work resumed as normal at Jin Corporation. However, something changed.

Every lunch time, food was delivered for Jin Liwei sent by his mysterious fiancée. The food was different each day but all of them were very delicious. It came to a point that some of the employees prayed for a meeting everyday so that they could also enjoy the delicious food. After all, his fiancée didn't just provide food for their President but also for all the people he was together with during lunch time.

There was another benefit to this. Their President was now constantly in a good mood. Although his expression still looked cold and indifferent (his default expression) as usual, his entire aura felt somewhat gentler and more approachable especially during lunch time.

As a result of this, more and more employees became bolder, attempting to greet him and engage him in conversations whenever they had the chance.

There were already many female (and male) employees who lusted after Jin Liwei. Before, they could only keep their desires to themselves because he was just too scary. Not to mention that there were rumours circulating within the company about the unfortunate fates of those who dared seduce him before.

Now, however, some of these people who lusted for him wanted to try their luck. They knew that he had a fiancée but so what? Most men of his status normally had a number of mistresses in addition to their wives. They knew that they could never be his wife, but they could certainly be his bedmate...right?

But before they could act on their seduction plan, a new rumour started circulating within Jin Corporation.

It said that anyone looking at the President in a lewd way would be cursed. To combat the curse, anyone harbouring any perverted thoughts towards the President were advised not to look at him directly. Looking at his shoes was the safest. If anyone ignored this warning, an evil demon with a scary robotic voice would haunt them until they went insane.

"Pft! A curse? Seriously? What kind of stupid rumour is that?"

"I know, right? Who created this rumour? Does he or she think that we're dumb? Even kids these days wouldn't believe something as stupid like that so easily."

These employees laughed at the rumour, dismissing it as fake.

But one day...

Two female employees were in the women's washroom retouching their make-up. One of them took out her phone and showed something to her colleague.

"Look at what I have~ I secretly snapped photos of the President while he was fixing his collar. Ah, his neck is so sexy!"

"Oh my gosh. Is that a hickey on his neck?"

"Where?"

"There."

"Maybe it's just a mosquito bite or something..."

"Don't be stupid. I bet his mysterious fiancée was the one who gave him that hickey."

"What a lucky woman! She gets to sleep with such a gorgeous and powerful man like President Jin Liwei. I would give anything just for a night on bed with him. I want to give him hickeys too!"

"Ahaha! Girl, get in line!"

"Oh shit! What's happening?! The photos are being deleted?!"

The two could only watch helplessly as all of their President's photos were deleted from the phone. The employee who took the photos was very upset and angry.

"I told you not to buy that cheap phone," her colleague told her. "You just bought it, but look, it's malfunctioning already."

"Dammit! I spent so much effort trying to take those photos of the President! I squatted behind a planter for almost an hour just to get a perfect angle to take the photos. And now they're all gone?! Ugh!!!" She slapped her phone several times, hoping it might undo the deletion of the photos.

Then suddenly...

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the finest of them all? Even if the world only has the two of you, Jin Liwei would still never choose either of you~" a deep robotic voice suddenly said. The creepy sound came from the phone.

The two female employees shrieked in fright. One of them threw the phone to the floor, as if it just turned into a poisonous snake. The phone bounced and cracked loudly, but surprisingly, it still continued to work.

"This is my first warning to the two of—" the robotic voice continued to say but was interrupted before finishing the sentence.

"It's the evil demon!!! Oh my god, it's true!!! Please don't haunt us!!! We beg you, please don't!!! I don't want to become insane!!! We promise not to look at President Jin Liwei anymore!!! We'll look at his shoes instead!!!

"Demon! DEMON!! DEMOOOOOOON!!!!!"

The two scrambled to the door and ran out of the washroom while screaming at the top of their lungs. They ran for their life, as if a demon was chasing after them.

Inside the washroom, the phone lay on the floor, looking lonely and pitiful with its cracked screen.

"Huh? Demon? Shoes? What are they talking about?" the robotic voice asked in confusion. "Did they get scared because of what I said? I didn't know that the rhyme Dom taught me is that scary. Amazing. I should ask him to teach me some more..."

With that, the rumour of the evil robotic demon was permanently cemented among the employees of Jin Corporation. Since that day, a lot of people began looking at Jin Liwei's shoes whenever he passed by.

Those who could look directly at the President's face were praised as pure and upright people. And those who could only look at their President's shoes visited temples to cleanse themselves of their dirty minds.

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Chapter 400 - A Walk In The Fores

Dragon Palace Home #10.

Iris was currently taking a walk inside the rotunda that Jin Liwei transformed into an indoor forest. The cats came along with her. Popcorn was running all round as usual, chasing the butterflies and other bugs.

On the other hand, Ice Cream decided to stay with her mommy instead. The big grey cat leisurely trotted close to her mommy's feet. She walked when her mommy walked and stopped when her mommy stopped. When Ice Cream got tired of walking, she meowed cutely at Iris and indicated with her paws that she wanted to be carried.

Iris' heart melted at the adorable cat. She was about to bend down to carry Ice Cream when she remembered what the catsitter told her earlier.

"Mistress, Young Miss Ice Cream has not yet completed her daily exercises today. The vet said that she gained a quarter of a pound since the last appointment."

"Don't worry. We'll take a walk at the forest. I'll make sure that she gets plenty of exercise there," Iris assured the cat sitter.

Remembering what she said earlier, Iris' heart winced at she forced herself to deny her cat's adorable request.

"Ice Cream, no. You haven't exercised enough yet, baby. Why don't you play with your brother Popcorn over there and chase some grasshoppers?"

"Meow~"

Ice Cream continued to meow. When her mommy didn't budge, she decided to change tactics. The grey cat sat on her hind legs like a human and lifted her front paws, gently moving them in a begging position. Her head tilted to the side, while her expression turned pitiful.

"Meow..."

It felt like a pink arrow just shot straight to Iris' heart. She immediately bent down and lifted the extremely adorable cat in her arms.

"Oh, Ice Cream! My cute baby~ So smart! So adorable! Mommy loves you so much~ So what if you gain a quarter of a pound? Even if you gain an entire pound or two, you'll still be beautiful and Mommy and Daddy will continue to love you!"

The grey cat rubbed her head against her mommy.

Iris happily petted her cat, not noticing the smirk on Ice Cream's face. The cat's expression looked like that of a secret villain whose evil plans just succeeded. But when Iris looked at Ice Cream's face, the cat's expression turned innocent and adorable once again.

After walking for some time, Iris—still carrying Ice Cream in her arms—decided to rest. She headed to the islet at the centre of the pond. The romantic dinner table was replaced by a comfortable set of couches instead.

She had an endorsement event earlier in the morning with Lin Yehan's Serenity Premium Tea Company. Lin Yehan just signed a partnership with a café chain to serve his company's different tea varieties in their stores.

As Serenity Premium Tea Company's first and only endorser at the moment, Lin Yehan asked Iris to endorse the partnership with the café as well. She signed a separate contract and immediately started fulfilling her endorsement obligations.

After the event, she headed home and checked all the food the chef cooked for Jin Liwei and his employees before the subordinates delivered the packed lunches to Jin Corporation. Only then did she eat lunch with Dom.

She still had a couple of hours before she needed to get ready again to work at Orchidia Beauty later in the afternoon. A bit stressed out with her tight schedule, she decided to relax at the indoor forest with the cats before she returned to work later.

Iris reclined on the couch with Ice Cream. Popcorn was running around the edge of the pond, swiping his paws on the water and trying to play with the koi fishes.

"Popcorn, be careful. You might fall," she warned him.

The hyperactive cat only meowed before continuing to tease the koi fishes. As for Ice Cream, she became sleepy after her "exercise" with her mommy. Ah, that five-metre walk was so exhausting! Curling on top of her mommy's lap, Ice Cream closed her eyes and took a nap.

Iris also closed her eyes, intending to take nap before she needed to get ready for her work in the afternoon. However, her phone rang, jolting her back to wakefulness.

Ice Cream gave an annoyed meow before returning to sleep.

"Hello?" Iris answered the phone.

"Good afternoon, Young Miss," Qiao Yu's voice greeted her.

After a quick exchange of pleasantries, the financial manager discussed the reason for his call.

"Young Miss, a shareholder at Long Industries is planning to put up his 5% shares for sale because he's going to retire soon. He hasn't announced it publicly yet, but he's an old friend of mine, so we're the first to know. He asked me if I know anyone who wants to buy his shares. I immediately thought of you. Are you interested in buying?"

"How much?" she immediately asked.

Qiao Yu told her.

"Hmm. Pretty expensive..."

"Yes, but it's reasonable given Long Industries' worth. And you can afford it," he said.

"It seems that you really want me to buy the shares."

"I do, Young Miss. By becoming a shareholder at Long Industries, you'll have at least a little say in the company. I know that you're not interested but please hear me out. Owning the shares will particularly be beneficial to you since Orchidia Beauty currently has a shipping deal with Long Industries. You can use your shares as leverage to get more advantageous deals, even if you're not dealing directly with your father. At least once you become a shareholder, even just a minor one, those working at Long Industries will have to start taking you seriously.

"You may not care about what others say about you, but I do. As your financial manager, I invest under your name. There are times when I'm not able to finalize some investments because they won't sell once they learn that I'm buying for you. That's why it's harder for us to invest here in the country than abroad because people know who you are here. Sometimes just having money is not enough when it comes to investing. Having a good reputation is also important.

"Young Miss, let's buy the 5% shares. It will be a great opportunity to increase your reputation in the business world, especially right now that you haven't revealed yet that you have your own companies," Qiao Yu tried to persuade her.

"Hmm. What you say makes sense. Alright. Go ahead and buy the shares." She finally gave him her permission.

"Excellent! I'll have it done immediately!"

After the call, Iris smiled in amusement at her financial manager's eagerness. She could imagine him calling the shareholder immediately after the call with her. Qiao Yu was usually serious, stern and unimpressed, but he would exhibit excitement whenever he encountered some great investment opportunities.

Putting the matter of the shares aside for now, she continued to relax with her cats at the beautiful indoor forest. She stroked the sleeping Ice Cream on her lap. Meanwhile, the hyperactive Popcorn continued to tease the koi fishes in the pond.

Moments later, her phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Young Miss, we got it! The shareholder agreed to sell the 5% to us!" Qiao Yu informed her excitedly. "I'll bring the documents you need to sign in a few days."

"Alright. Well done, Mr. Qiao."

They spoke about the matter some more before the call ended once again. Compared to Qiao Yu's excitement, Iris didn't really think much about it. In fact, she had already forgotten about it once she became busy with work at her own company later that afternoon.

Little did she know that her purchase would cause chaos among the Long clan.

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