Chapter 401 - Not An Enemy
Days later, the entire Long clan learned that Iris successfully bought 5% shares of Long Industries. Now she was an official shareholder at the company with the right to vote during meetings.
Although her shares might not seem much, she was actually the second biggest shareholder from the Long family after her father. Long Tengfei was the majority shareholder, owning more than 50%.
Before Iris' purchase, Long Jufang and Long Meng were the next biggest shareholders after Long Tengfei. The two elders each owned 3% shares of the company. This was one of the reasons why the two of them became the most powerful elders in the Long clan.
Of course, they tried acquiring more but just 1% was already expensive on its own. The 3% each that they acquired were something their branch families saved up for many years.
For a long time, the main family owned 100% of the company. Despite this, they still shared the wealth to the other branch families so that the entire clan could prosper together. It was only when Long Tengfei expanded the family business into the shipping industry that shares were made available for purchase in order to fund the massive expansion.
That time, nobody among the branch families could afford to buy any shares. So they could only watch wealthy outsiders buy the available shares. Actually, only the branch families saw these first shareholders as outsiders.
To Long Tengfei, these shareholders were his business partners in making Long Industries a truly international company. Most of them held executive positions in the company just like him. For example, the COO was also a shareholder and a friend to Long Tengfei.
It was only later when the elders Long Jufang and Long Meng had saved enough that they were able to buy some shares from the minor shareholders who were willing to sell. Unfortunately, they could only afford 3% each.
That was why the entire Long clan went into uproar when they learned that Iris acquired 5% shares. FIVE PERCENT!!! How much was that?!
The elders and the other relatives immediately headed to the Long ancestral residence. Long Jufang and Long Meng led them to seek an audience with Long Tengfei.
It wasn't only them. Long Hui also coincidentally came at the same time to talk to his father about it. He was the only other member of the main family besides Long Tengfei (and now Iris) who owned shares of Long Industries.
He owned 2.5% shares. His mother's family financed the 2% while he bought the 0.5% with his own money after he became the Deputy CFO. Of course it concerned him now that his youngest sister owned more shares than him when she wasn't even working in their family business.
Long Hui joined the elders and the other relatives. The old chamberlain led them to Long Tengfei's study.
It was interesting to note that these people formed their own separate groups while walking. Long Jufang had his own group, while Long Meng and her allies walked together with Long Hui.
As for the other elders and relatives, they either chose Long Jufang or Long Meng's groups or formed their own separate little groups. However, their little groups were not very impressive, unable to compare to the groups led by Long Jufang and Long Meng.
Later in the master study.
The husband and wife, Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui, sat together. Long Hui sat on a chair near his father, but he was clearly together with Long Meng and her allies. Long Jufang and his group sat on the other side. The other elders and relatives sat on the remaining available spots.
After the customary greetings, Long Tengfei asked them the purpose of their visit even though he already knew.
"Tengfei, did you give your daughter Xiulan the 5% shares?" Long Jufang asked directly, not skirting around the topic.
"No, I didn't give her the shares," Long Tengfei immediately answered. "I stand by my personal policy that I won't give any company shares to my children until I'm dead and they inherit my own shares according to my last will and testament. If they want to own shares before my death, then they have to buy them with their own money. That's what my eldest son Hui did before. And now, my youngest daughter also bought shares with her own money."
Long Meng snorted. "Bought with her own money? The Young Miss Xiulan is just a singer. How much can a singer earn? Sure, she has her own business now but it has only been a few months since she started it. How much profit, if any, could her company earn in a few short months?"
"Xiulan is also a translator and interpreter. She did some translation work for Long Industries, not to mention for Jin Corporation. I heard that she has accepted more work from Jin Corporation than from my husband. And I bet they pay her more there," Yang Jiahui couldn't help but defend Iris.
"Madam, I may not know much about the translation field, but I doubt that the Young Miss has earned the millions needed to buy the company shares in the short time that she has been translating and interpreting. I'm guessing that Sir Lu Jianhong provided her with financial assistance for the purchase. That's the only conclusion that I could think of," Long Meng retorted.
Long Hui opened his mouth, about to defend Iris as well, but immediately stopped himself. It was a different situation now. He was aware of the growing support for Iris within the clan. He had already lost the support of Long Jufang, the most powerful Long elder.
And now Iris had acquired 5% shares of Long Industries, surpassing what he owned. Before he even realized it, his youngest sister who he didn't think much of years ago had now become his biggest rival.
If he defended her now and sang her praises in front of the elders and relatives, he was certain that he would lose more supporters. Long Meng was the second most powerful elder in the clan, and he couldn't afford to lose her support.
So he remained silent, not daring to defend Iris from the barely veiled insults in fear that he might really lose his position as successor to her. He surely would never reveal that she was a Cross Academy student and that her fiancé was the most powerful man in the country's business world of his generation.
Jin Liwei certainly had a higher status than Lu Zihao. Almost everyone knew that he was the current head of Jin Corporation.
In contrast, nobody really knew what Sir Lu Jianhong's flesh and blood grandson did for work. All they knew about him were the rumours that he was a happy-go-lucky fellow who liked dangerous and thrilling stunts. In fact, they already wrote him off as a good for nothing especially after the incident when he almost died in a mountain skiing accident. People assumed that he just lived off of the wealth of the Lu family built by his grandfather.
If Long Meng and the others learned that Iris' real fiancé was Jin Liwei, they would certainly support Iris because she would immediately become the wife of Jin Corporation's current head once they were married. Her children would become the direct successors of the number one company in the country. This kind of connection to Jin Corporation would just be too irresistible for the elders and relatives.
Long Hui's eyes darkened. The threat of Iris' growing influence within the Long clan weighed heavily on him. His emotions were warping, starting to treat Iris as an enemy.
Then an image of Iris doting on his son Little Jun flashed in his mind. She was always loving of Little Jun and a good friend to Jiang Ying Yue.
Guilt immediately flooded him.
We're siblings. She's not an enemy, he told himself.
She's not an enemy...yet, a small part of him whispered.
The conversation continued while Long Hui was preoccupied with his own thoughts. The elders asked Long Tengfei many questions about Iris' purchase of the shares. Long Tengfei answered as best as he could.
Fortunately, nobody really insulted Iris other than Long Meng. The most powerful elder, Long Jufang, had already changed his tune and was now obviously championing Iris.
As a result, nobody dared insult Iris in front of him, lest they anger Long Jufang. There weren't many people in the clan who had the courage to go against him, except for the next powerful elder, Long Meng, who clearly supported Long Hui.
Iris' purchase of the 5% shares made Long Jufang want to support her even more. Despite this, he also didn't believe that Iris bought the shares using her own money. He had the same thought as Long Meng that Sir Lu Jianhong must've given Iris financial assistance. Nevertheless, Long Jufang didn't think this as a negative. In fact, he was delighted because it meant that Sir Lu Jiahong cared enough for her that he was willing to spend a fortune to buy shares just for her.
Long Jufang had no love for Iris. He certainly didn't like her. Then why was he suddenly so adamant in supporting her? He had his own ulterior motives for doing so.
After the meeting, Long Jufang and his allies were in great spirits. In contrast, Long Meng and her allies were clearly displeased. Long Hui also wasn't in the best of moods. As for the other relatives who were supporting other people besides Iris and Long Hui, they also began really feeling the pressure of Iris' recent rise to prominence in the clan.
When the elders, the relatives and Long Hui were gone, Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui were the only ones left in the master study. They sighed in relief after the meeting was over.
"Tengfei, who do you want to succeed you? Your eldest son or your youngest daughter?" Yang Jiahui suddenly asked.
Long Tengfei was caught off-guard by his wife's question. However, it made him think deeply.
Who did he personally want to succeed him? Before, he would've immediately replied that he wanted his eldest son to succeed him. After all, he spent so much time and effort training Long Hui to become the next head.
But now?
He couldn't give an answer right away.
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Chapter 402 - Disrupted Dinner
Gold Heights Condominium.
Iris and Jin Liwei decided to stay at the penthouse for a few days because of Iris' consecutive showbiz work obligations. Her workplaces for the next few days, mostly broadcasting stations and magazine publishers, were more accessible from the penthouse than from the Dragon Palace Home mansion.
Jin Liwei didn't mind where they stayed. Both the penthouse and the mansion were their homes. As long as he and his baby girl were together, he would be happy no matter where they were, even if they had to sleep in a primitive cave.
At the moment, everyone was enjoying a hearty dinner around the kitchen island. The entire household staff joined too, so they had to scooch their seats close together to make room for everyone.
There wasn't anything fancy in the dishes. They were all regular home-cooked dishes, but they were all very delicious. The cook always went all out whenever Iris and Jin Liwei stayed over, cooking more dishes than necessary. It was always a feast whenever the two stayed at the penthouse.
Of course, the happiest person about all the food was the glutton Dom. He was like a starving mad dog who devoured the food like there was no tomorrow. Of course, even as his mouth vacuumed all the food nonstop, he still found the time to chatter with his sister Clover. The two livened up the atmosphere during dinner, making everyone laugh every few moments or so.
Ice Cream and Popcorn were eating their own food on the floor. When they were finished, they tried stealing some food from the pots and pans, but Yi Mei caught them and harshly scolded them. The two were scared of the old housekeeper because unlike the others, Yi Mei refused to coddle them. She treated the two cats like two unruly children who needed some disciplining.
The two cats ran to their mommy and daddy for comfort. Iris and Jin Liwei placed a cat each on their laps. Knowing that their mommy and daddy couldn't resist them, the two meowed cutely, silently asking for more food.
"Don't give them food from your plates!" Yi Mei scolded Iris and Jin Liwei next. "They need to learn some good manners!"
Iris pouted while Jin Liwei sighed. However, the two listened to the strict housekeeper, like they would to a family elder. They could only harden their hearts (at least for now) and do their best to ignore their cats' adorably pitiful begging expressions.
When the two cats failed to get what they wanted from their mommy and daddy, they jumped to the floor in disappointment. They headed to their cat room instead to play and take a nap.
Little Jun was also there with Jiang Ying Yue. He sat on his high chair feeding himself with his own hands. He also provided everyone with a source of entertainment with his cute delighted laughter. This was why his Uncle Dom and new Auntie Clover did their best to make him laugh with their antics.
The cheerful dinner atmosphere was interrupted by the sound of the intercom. Yi Mei went to answer it. Moments later, she led Long Hui to the kitchen.
"Dada! Dada!" Little Jun immediately started bouncing on his high chair.
Long Hui kissed his son and hugged his fiancée. A maid brought a chair for him, so that he could sit beside Jiang Ying Yue. He was also given tableware.
However, he didn't get food. He just sat there with an unreadable expression, staring at Iris across the kitchen island.
His stare started to creep out Iris.
"What's the matter, Elder Brother Hui? Do you have something to tell me? If so, just say it. Please stop looking at me like that."
Long Hui didn't answer. He continued to stare at her. It was as if he didn't hear her.
Jin Liwei's expression turned black.
Iris touched his thigh and gently squeezed it, silently telling him to calm down. Jin Liwei calmed down...somewhat. However, his expression didn't improve. He glared at his future brother-in-law, not liking the man's expression as he stared at his baby girl.
"Hui...what is it?" Jiang Ying Yue asked in a whisper, feeling awkward about the disruption her fiancé brought to dinner.
Long Hui still didn't answer. Now everyone was looking at him, wondering why he was being so weird.
Iris felt annoyed at his weird behaviour. Although she had the urge to snap at him, she decided to ignore him instead. She continued eating. The others followed her example and started eating once again. However, the cheerful atmosphere from before was already ruined by the sudden awkwardness.
"Little Sister Xiulan, why did you buy the 5% shares?" Long Hui finally spoke and asked her a question.
She raised an eyebrow at his question before answering him. "It's good investment, so I bought it."
A furrow formed between Long Hui's brows. He wasn't satisfied with her answer. "Have you been planning to own shares of Long Industries beforehand?"
"No."
"Then why did you buy the shares?"
Iris placed down her chopsticks. Exasperation flashed in her eyes at his insistent questioning. Nevertheless, she was still able to maintain her calm despite the strong urge to snap at him in annoyance.
"The opportunity just came when someone wanted to sell 5% shares of Long Industries. My financial manager and I decided that it would be a good investment for my portfolio, so I bought it. That's all there is to it," she told him, waving a dismissive hand.
"Really? You only bought it to decorate your investment portfolio?" Long Jian couldn't hide the skepticism in his voice. "Are you not aware that you're now the second biggest shareholder from our Long family after our father? You now own more than Granduncle Jufang or Grandaunt Meng, not to mention that you own more than me!"
Iris scowled at his raised voice directed at her.
"Hey now. Watch your tone," Jin Liwei immediately rebuked him.
The future brothers-in-law glared at one another.
"Hui, what are you doing? Please calm down," Jiang Ying Yue urgently whispered to him.
"Dada? Dadaaaaaa!!!" Little Jun was so startled by his father's voice that he started crying.
Jiang Ying Yue immediately comforted her son. "I...please excuse us," was all she could say before carrying Little Jun out of the kitchen, leaving their unfinished food and the tense atmosphere.
Dom, Clover, Yi Mei and the other household staff also excused themselves. Dom didn't forget to bring his plate with him, hurriedly putting more food on it, before leaving. When everyone was gone, Iris, Jin Liwei and Long Hui were the only ones remaining in the kitchen.
"Are you planning on buying more shares of Long Industries?" Long Hui asked.
"If there's another opportunity to do so and I can still afford it, then why not?" Iris replied.
Her answer triggered Long Hui. He abruptly stood up that his chair fell over to the floor behind him. His troubled emotions got the better of him. He pointed an accusing finger at Iris.
"I knew it! You want Long Industries for yourself, don't you?! You're really good at pretending that you don't give a damn about the company! But now you're showing your true colours! You want to acquire it for yourself!"
"What nonsense are you spouting, you fool?!" Iris also lost her temper. "Are you listening to yourself?! You sound like a delusional maniac! You're acting like that beccause of 5%?! I have other investments that are worth more!"
"Long Hui, you're going too far," Jin Liwei warned in a cold voice. His aura became intimidating and he wrapped a protective arm behind Iris.
Long Hui sneered at the two of them. He had now allowed the envy and insecurity towards his genius sister to take over his good sense. He turned his attention to Jin Liwei next. "You knew about this, didn't you? Do the two of you plan to take over Long Industries together in the future? Did you help her buy the shares?"
Jin Liwei scowled and opened his mouth to answer but Iris was faster than him.
"You stupid idiot! I bought the shares with my own money! You think that a global billionaire like Liwei will buy a mere 5%? He'd buy the whole damn company for me if I ask him to, you fool!" she shouted at Long Hui.
Despite his fury at Long Hui's suddenly offensive behaviour, Jin Liwei's mouth couldn't help but twitch hearing his baby girl's words. However, he couldn't really deny any part of what she said. After all, he did buy her two companies. So all he could do was nod.
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Chapter 403 - Orange
Unfortunately, Long Hui wasn't receptive to any logical explanations at the moment. His currently volatile emotions were clouding his sound judgment. The only thing that registered in his mind from Iris' words was the part about Jin Liwei buying the entire company for her if she asked him to. This selective filtering of words caused him to misunderstand Iris even further.
"So you do want to buy the entire company! Huh?!"
Iris was caught off-guard by Long Hui's utter nonsense. Her provoked emotions calmed down, replaced by cold contempt instead.
"There's no use trying to reason with an idiot like you. You're not listening to what I'm saying. Let's go, Liwei. Let's leave this stupid fool to cool his head. Perhaps he'll regrow his brain cells that were drowned and killed by his stupidity tonight."
She stood up and grabbed Jin Liwei's hand, pulling him on the way out of the kitchen. However, Long Hui wouldn't allow them to leave just like that.
"Running away, little sister? Still pretending to be a good person?" he taunted her. "Just admit that you want Long Industries for yourself!"
Iris didn't even look at him. Arguing with a stupid idiot like him was beneath her. She would only kill her precious brain cells trying to understand his foolish nonsense. She continued pulling Jin Liwei's hand, not bothering to respond to Long Hui's crazy tirade.
It was this scene that greeted Jiang Ying Yue when she returned after calming Little Jun and leaving him to Dom and Clover. She heard Long Hui's taunts directed at Iris.
"Hui, what are you saying? Stop it! Xiulan is your sister. Please don't fight with her," she said, trying to calm him.
She held on to his arm, but he shook her off. Even though she knew that it was just his anger, she was still hurt by his action. However, she put it aside for now. She needed to stop the siblings from fighting.
All of the stress Long Hui experienced from being suppressed by the elders and the relatives during the months that he decided to live with Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue and also the pressure of losing his supporters within the clan to Irisâeverything exploded from inside him in one go. He totally lost his sanity at this moment.
"You're just the child of the second wife! What's more, your mother is nothing but a gold digging, social climbing slut who would open her legs to any man that has a fat bank account! She slept with all the men in high society! The daughter of a slut like you has no right to succeed Long Industries!"
Jiang Ying Yue gasped in shocked disbelief at his words. She stepped away from him, putting distance between them. She didn't recognize this Long Hui.
Iris' eyes turned cold and dangerous. The miniscule good feelings that she had for Long Hui all disappeared at that very instant. Instead of exploding at his derogatory insults, she became calmer instead. Extremely calm and cold-hearted towards him.
However, Jin Liwei reacted the opposite way.
"Say that again, you motherfucking son of a bitch!!!" he roared and pounced on Long Hui.
Jin Liwei punched Long Hui in the face. Long Hui fell to the floor. Not waiting for him to get up, Jin Liwei followed him to the floor and started raining punches and strikes on Long Hui. Jin Liwei was truly enraged this time. He was like a raging god of destruction meting out punishment to a sinner.
Long Hui's survival instincts kicked in.
Fight or flight?
He chose to FIGHT!
Although he couldn't compare to Jin Liwei's bigger and stronger body, he still fought with everything he had. He punched and kicked, eventually able to hurt Jin Liwei a bit.
Despite Jiang Ying Yue's bodyguard instincts, she wasn't able to react in time when the two men started brawling. She was still too stunned at what Long Hui said to Iris. So she just stood there, a frozen mask of disbelief and shock on her face.
As for Iris, she watched the two men rumble on the floor like street thugs. Her calm state increased her alertness, making her detect when Jin Liwei was about to attack Long Hui. She could've stopped him if she wanted, but she didn't.
It was only when some of Long Hui's punches and kicks started landing on Jin Liwei's body that she moved to separate the two men. There was absolutely no way that she would let anyone else besides her leave any marks on her darling's body.
Physically separating the two men who were currently out of control would be dangerous even for her. So she grabbed a big orange from a nearby fruit basket instead and threw it like a baseball pitcher towards the two brawling men on the floor.
The orange zipped past her darling and accurately hit Long Hui's front leg, three inches above his knee.
As soon as the orange hit this spot on his leg, Long Hui stiffened before howling in pain. His leg immediately stopped kicking. It was as if all the strength went out of his leg, turning into jelly.
"Aaaaaaaah! My leg!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Jin Liwei was shocked at the sudden development in their fight. He stopped fighting and got off Long Hui. His gaze was caught by the rolling orange on the floor. Then he turned to look at his baby girl, completely amazed by her.
He had already rained down countless strikes on Long Hui, but the son of a bitch was still alive and kicking. And yet his baby girl only needed an orangeâone fucking ORANGEâand she was able to completely immobilize the motherfucker.
At that moment, the adrenaline pumping inside him turned quickly into lust for his baby girl. She looked so cool and damn sexy in his eyes. Her cold expression made her appear like a goddess. Unfortunately, this wasn't the right time to act on his desire to bed his woman.
Likewise, Iris' cold expression became slightly seductive, as she admired her darling's wild and disheveled appearance. His ferocious aura from fighting made him look so hot in her eyes. He was like untamed masculine power and sex personified. She felt a familiar aching hunger in her lower regions as Jin Liwei looked back at her. Unfortunately, this wasn't the right time to act on her desire to bed her man.
The lovers' matching thoughts were interrupted by Long Jian's continued howls of pain. He was now curled on the floor, clutching his leg close to his body.
Jiang Ying Yue finally regained her senses. No matter how offended she felt by Long Hui's actions, he was still her fiancé. More importantly, she still loved him. She went to him and tried calming him down while inspecting his injuries.
Jin Liwei really did a number on him this time. Many parts of his body were red and swollen. Some even already started bruising. He had a split lip and a bleeding nose. What was more, it looked like he would have a nasty black eye in the morning.
However, all of these injuries seemed trivial compared to the severe pain Long Hui was experiencing from where Iris hit him with an orange. Jiang Ying Yue immediately concluded that Iris must have aimed at his peroneal nerve. That was why he was in so much pain like this.
It pained her to see him hurt, but she couldn't really blame Iris and Jin Liwei. Long Hui truly acted like a complete asshole this time. Even she couldn't believe that Long Hui was capable of saying such hurtful and malicious words to others, much less to his own sister.
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Chapter 404 - Stupid Idio
The loud commotion attracted the others back to the kitchen. When they returned, they were shocked by what greeted them. They couldn't immediately make sense of the situation because they were alarmed by the howling Long Hui on the floor.
Fortunately, Little Jun wasn't with them. Clover stayed with him while Dom and the others checked what the hell was happening in the kitchen. The toddler would surely become upset if he saw his father in such a disturbing condition.
"What happened?! Dom cried dramatically. "Why is elder brother boss screaming like a pig being slaughtered?! Sir boss, did you break his spitting cobra?! Oh no! What if it can't make babies anymore?! Or worse, it might never stand up again! Poor Big Sis Yue!"
He gasped in horror at the possibility. He even clutched his chest and paled, as if it was the worst tragedy that could ever happen in Jiang Ying Yue's life.
"Shut up, Dom!" Jiang Ying Yue snapped. She had no time for his dramatics at the moment.
Long Hui's howls gradually became groans. Jin Liwei had covered him with ugly injuries. With his torn clothes, he looked pitiful.
Yi Mei and the other household staff alternately looked at the two couples. The Long Hui-Jiang Ying Yue couple looked miserable on the floor, while the Jin Liwei-Iris couple looked frightening with their combined aura of cold danger.
"Ying Yue, bring that stupid idiot to the hospital. Even I'm not sure if the orange dealt permanent damage to his peroneal nerve." Her way of phrasing her words cast the blame entirely on the orange, as if it launched by itself to hurt Long Hui. "Leave Little Jun here with us. We'll take care of him. Go and babysit that delusional fool who clearly lost the majority of his brain cells tonight due to his sudden stupidity. Maybe you can squeeze some sense back into his decomposing brain."
Everyone was already used to Iris' occasional sharp tongue, but they still couldn't help but wince at her cutting words towards her own brother. It was only Jin Liwei and Dom who didn't think that her words were too much.
Jin Liwei loved her more than life itself. He would always side with her, even if she were to burn Long Hui alive or anyone else for that matter. He would even give her an endless supply of fuel and a diamond-encrusted lighter to do the job.
As for Dom, he was extremely loyal to Iris. If Iris declared that she hated Long Hui or frogs, he would treat Long Hui and all the frogs in the world as if they were his mortal enemies as well.
"Xiulan, I'm so sorry about what Hui said. I'm sure he didn't mean any of it," Jiang Ying Yue apologized for her fiancé. Her eyes implored Iris for forgiveness.
Iris' eyes softened at her friend.
"Why are you saying sorry to her?! I meant everything I said!" Long Hui roared at Jiang Ying Yue. "Do you really believe that she has changed for the better? Open your eyes! She has never changed! Mark my words. She'll become exactly like her mother, that slut!"
He had truly lost control of himself. There were only rage and resentment against Iris and Jin Liwei in his heart at the moment.
"You son of a biâ" Jin Liwei was about to attack Long Hui again but Iris stopped him.
"Liwei, don't dirty your hands anymore on scum like him. He's not worth your time or energy." Then she instructed the housekeeper. "Yi Mei, call the driver and have him drive Ying Yue and that stupid idiot to the hospital."
"Right away, Young Miss." Yi Mei left to do her bidding.
Long Hui threw his head back and gave an ugly, mocking laughter. "Hospital? Still pretending to be a selfless and magnanimous person? Huh, little sister?"
"I never claimed to be selfless or magnanimous," Iris said in a cold voice. "I just don't want scum like you dirtying my floor longer than necessary. I'm sending you to the hospital because it's either that or have you thrown to the dumpster where you rightfully belong. Besides, it's better to send you to the hospital so Father won't be able to blame me for your injuries which, by the way, you totally deserve.
"And even if we forget that we're siblings, you're still the father of my godson. Just for that alone, I'll let you go relatively scot-free tonight. But if you continue acting like a stupid idiot after this, then don't blame us if Liwei and I retaliate a hundred-fold. You can only blame yourself."
Then she instructed the other staff. "Help Ying Yue get that stupid idiot into the car, so that they can go to the hospital. No need to be careful. Just drag him. If he resists, just put him in a sack or something and then dump him into the trunk."
"Whoa, boss! You're so bad-ass!" Dom exclaimed. "You're just like the female lead from the webtoon Queen of the Shadows by Princess Porkchop!"
Nobody responded to his off-topic remark, especially in this kind of tense situation. He didn't really mind, though.
As for Jiang Ying Yue, she felt torn between the siblings. However, she couldn't really defend any of Long Hui's actions tonight because he was clearly in the wrong. Besides, he was the one who started insulting his own sister.
"Before you go, I want all of you to know that I'm banning that stupid idiot from entering the penthouse until further notice," Iris announced.
"Xiulan..." Jiang Ying Yue' expression fell.
"Don't worry, Ying Yue. You and Little Jun are always welcome here. But that scum isn't. That's all. Now go." Iris waved a hand, dismissing them.
"Hah! So what if you ban me? Go ahead! I never want to enter this forsaken place ever again either!" Long Hui pointed threatening finger at Iris. "You want Long Industries for yourself? Think again! I'll never let you!"
Iris had no interest in Long Industries. Ever. However, she thought that Long Hui's foolish provocations might just compel her to take over the damn company just to spite him.
"If I do want Long Industries, what are you going to do about it? Stop me?" She flipped her hair back and crossed her arms over her chest while raising an eyebrow at Long Hui. "Just try it, Elder Brother Hui. May the best Long win."
After that, she grabbed Jin Liwei's hand and they both marched away. Jin Liwei made sure to throw an intimidating look at Long Hui before leaving the kitchen with his baby girl.
###
On the way to the hospital, a fierce argument was taking place inside the car.
"Stop the damn car! I don't want to go to the hospital!" Long Hui roared.
"My apologies, sir. My employer is the Young Miss Xiulan, not you. She instructed me to bring you to the hospital, so I must do it at all cost even if I have to knock you unconscious," the driver politely replied.
"You! How dare you?! This is kidnapping! I'll call the police!"
"Go ahead, sir." The driver remained polite all throughout, not the least bit intimidated by Long Hui's threats.
The driver knew that the Young Miss protected all of the members of her household as long as they remained loyal to her. He also knew that her lawyer was one of the best private lawyers in the country, not to mention that Sir Liwei's own lawyer was the very best in the corporate world.
"Hui, I beg you to please calm down. This is not you," Jiang Ying Yue pleaded with him. She was doing her best to remain calm.
Long Hui glared at her. "You did absolutely nothing to defend me earlier! Am I still your fiancé? Huh, Ying Yue? Do you still love me?"
"What are you talking about? Get a hold of yourself. Of course, I still love you. It's just that you've said so many hurtful things to Xiulan. This is so unlike you, Hui. I beg you to calm your anger."
"Why are you siding with her?!"
"Because Xiulan is my friend!"
"I'm your fiancé and the father of your child!"
Jiang Ying Yue flinched at his yell. But she quickly straightened her already ramrod straight back, trying to stay strong even when she was upset at Long Hui's uncharacteristic behaviour.
He pointed an angry finger at her. "It may seem like it's because of Xiulan that you now have a comfortable life being the head of security at the condo, but you should know that I was the one who asked her to hire you as a bodyguard in the first place! You think that she's your friend? Think again! I begged her to hire you! I was the one who did things for you! You should be grateful to me, not to her!"
Her lips pressed hard into a thin line. "I refuse to talk to you when you're being unreasonable like this. Please cool your head first. We can talk like two decent adults then."
"Xiulan has banned me from her place and now you don't want to talk to me? So you're really siding with her, huh? Is it because she's richer than me? Able to buy company shares like they're candies? Has close connections with powerful people? You're choosing her over me because she can give you more expensive things than me? Is that it?"
Jiang Ying Yue slapped him hard on the face, while tears began falling down her eyes.
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Chapter 405 - Invisible Wall
"How dare you say that, Hui? How dare you?" Jiang Ying Yue tearfully whispered.
Long Hui's expression cracked upon seeing the obvious hurt in her eyes.
Even though tears were streaming down her face nonstop, Jiang Ying Yue still forced her voice to be clear and strong.
"Right from the start, I already knew that you asked Xiulan to hire me. Yes, I started off as her bodyguard but we became genuine friends later on. Don't downgrade my friendship with her just because she showers me and our son with nice things. She's just a naturally generous person to those she cares about. And she loves our son like her own.
"And besides, if I really wanted nice and expensive things like you're insinuating, I would've forced you to marry me the moment I found out that I was pregnant. But I didn't! If I only cared about wealth, I would've accepted your proposal the first time despite all of the humiliation and threats your relatives threw at me! But I didn't! Don't you ever paint me as an opportunistic person, Hui! Do you realize how extremely hurtful you're being today?
"I bore your child, experienced the unbelievable pain of childbirth, and decided to try again with you because I love you, not because of your wealth or status! I didn't come from a rich or powerful family like yours. My family wasn't destitute, but we experienced many difficulties in making ends meet. But at least my family taught me to treasure my dignity, to work hard and earn a living with an honest job, and to not fight with my own siblings and relatives because of inheritance.
"My late parents may not own their own company like your father, but they were still able to send me, their daughter, to university. When I finished my degree, they treated it as their biggest life achievement! I'll forever be thankful for their sacrifices, even now that they're gone. How about your family, Hui? All of you just know how to fight against each other because of money and power! The Longs don't deserve to be described as family! You're all a bunch of enemies pretending to be family!
"So keep your wealth and status to yourself! I don't need it nor want it! My son and I will survive even without your Long money. I also don't want my son to call such power-hungry people as his family!"
All of these words tumbled out of her mouth in an emotional explosion. She needed to take a brief break to catch her breath while hopelessly trying to control her tears. She angrily wiped her tears with her hands.
Her emotional speech was the only thing so far that managed to penetrate his abnormal state of mind. It made his good sense gradually return.
"Ying Yue..." He reached for her.
"No! Don't touch me!" She slapped his hand and moved away from him until her body was almost plastered on her side of the car door.
"I... Please, Ying Yue..."
"Just shut up for now. Let me finish what I'm saying."
A tense silence enveloped the car. The driver wished he could drive faster without breaking the traffic rules, so that they could reach the hospital sooner. This kind of tension wasn't good for his heart. He might be the one who would need to be admitted to the hospital for heart attack if he had to endure witnessing the couple's distressing fight like this.
Finally, Jiang Ying Yue spoke again. She looked directly at Long Hui's eyes, a heartbroken expression on her face.
"Hui, I love you because of who you are. Even when I'm still so hurt by what your relatives did to me back then, I still decided to give us another chance. But now it seems that I never really knew the real you. I didn't know that you're this kind of narrow-minded and malicious man. You're just like your relatives, all extremely BIGOTED!!! You're indeed a member of the Long family. It seems that your sisters are the only decent people in your family!"
After saying her piece, Jiang Ying Yue began sobbing hard. Her loud, heart-rending cries filled the car.
The driver had now become upset, even teary, witnessing everything happening in the backseat. He wanted to bash Long Hui's head, but he remembered that the man was still the Young Miss's brother. Although it seemed that the siblings were fighting now, unless the Young Miss officially declared her brother as an enemy, he and the other household staff still needed to treat Long Hui with politeness just because he was the blood relative of the Young Miss.
Long Hui had now recovered from his malicious outburst. Guilt and shame filled him until he almost felt nauseous. Seeing his woman and the mother of his child sobbing so hard made his heart feel like it was being squeezed painfully into a pulp.
"Ying Yue... I...I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me. I feel like I was possessed or something." He desperately tried to find the right words to tell her but could only struggle.
He felt mortified remembering everything he did and said at the penthouse. Just like Jiang Ying Yue, it seems that he also never really knew the real him. He had no idea that he was this kind of narrow-minded, malicious, and bigoted man.
"I'm sorry. So sorry..." he could only mumble over and over.
Jiang Ying Yue gave him a tearful side-eye. "It's not only me you should apologize to, Hui. Don't forget all of the things you said to your sister. She doesn't deserve the insults you threw at her."
Long Hui frowned. A hint of unwillingness surfaced in his expression. The pride of being the firstborn made him reluctant to be the first one to lower his head to his younger sibling.
"You're the one in the wrong, Hui," Jiang Ying Yue reminded him.
"Does this mean that you won't forgive me if I don't apologize to Xiulan?" he asked.
She looked at him like he was turning into a stranger right in front of her eyes.
"Does apologizing to your sister need to have an incentive? Apologizing is what decent people do, Hui. Decent people apologize because they feel sorry. If you feel forced, then it's better that you don't apologize at all because even if you do apologize, it wouldn't be genuine."
He didn't reply.
"Tell me, Hui. Do you really feel sorry about what you said and did earlier at the penthouse?" she asked.
"I feel sorry for hurting you and making you cry," he immediately replied.
She rephrased her question. "Do you feel sorry for insulting Xiulan and fighting with her?"
He frowned, unable to answer as quickly.
Jiang Ying Yue gave a sad smile, as if she already expected this from him. When he still didn't reply, she knew that he was preoccupied with his own thoughts.
It was obvious that his injuries were still hurting him. The bruises and cuts on his face and body were now turning into a myriad of ugly colours. Fortunately, it seemed that the pain in his leg wasn't as severe anymore.
Her heart softened seeing his beaten-up appearance. Even though she felt hurt by him, she still loved him. She hoped that he would soon realize how destructive he was suddenly becoming and stop himself before it was too late.
If she was ever forced to choose between Iris or Long Hui, she would choose the one who would provide her son, Little Jun, with a better environment to grow up in. And she didn't think that the Long family as it was now would be able to give her son a peaceful and nurturing home.
The car stopped.
"We have arrived at the hospital," the driver announced.
Jiang Ying Yue turned to Long Hui. "Let's go. I'll take you inside. We're all feeling emotional right now. Let's cool our heads first. We can talk again after we've thought things through."
Long Hui nodded.
The two entered the hospital. She accompanied him all throughout. However, there was some kind of invisible wall separating them now.
They continued to love each other deep within their hearts, but they could also feel this invisible wall blocking them from getting closer once again. It was uncomfortable, unpleasant...and painful. Yet neither of them made the first move to smash this intangible separation between them.
If they didn't do anything to fix it as soon as possible, they would truly start drifting apart from each other.
This was the other side of loveâthe ugly and the painful.
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Chapter 406 - Worry
Gold Heights Condominium.
When they reached their bedroom, Iris continued to pull Jin Liwei all the way to the bathroom. She stripped him of his clothes except for his boxers and examined his body under the lights. She felt furious after seeing the small bruises and tiny scratches on his body.
Of course, Jin Liwei's light bruises and scratches were nothing compared to Long Hui's nasty injuries. To Iris, however, they were a big deal. She almost called the driver to bring Long Hui back to the penthouse so that she could personally beat him up for leaving marks on her darling.
"They don't hurt. I don't even feel them," Jin Liwei assured her.
And indeed, he could barely feel them. In fact, his body hurt more after an intense workout than after his fight with Long Hui. The fucker only got lucky that some of his punches and kicks were able to land.
Iris didn't reply. She took the first-aid kit and opened it. Then her eyes blanked out as she stared at the contents.
"Uh... Wait here, darling. I need to search this up first...."
Despite feeling pissed off at Long Hui, Jin Liwei couldn't help but smile in amusement at his baby girl. He pulled her back.
"No need. Here, I'll show you how to do it."
Iris was a fast learner. But since this was her first time treating injuries herself, her movements were still clumsy. She applied too much medicine, believing that more would make his injuries heal faster.
After treating him, she told him, "I don't want you getting hurt in a fight again."
"Love, these are nothing. I told you they don't hurt."
"No, what I mean is that I don't want you getting hit in a fight again. Or at least, minimize the chance of hits landing on your body. Why don't I ask Fourth Brother to start coming again? I haven't had a Systema class with him ever since we returned from Europe. Are you interested in doing Systema with me?"
Jin Liwei thought about her suggestion. "Hmmm... I think I can learn Systema, but I don't really have any interest in it. I was originally trained in karate, but it has been years since I last practised it. That's why I'm quite rusty now. Maybe I should start visiting the dojo again."
"It's up to you. But don't force yourself, if you don't have the time. We're already both so busy that I don't want anything to decrease our time together any more than necessary."
"Don't worry, love. Once or twice per week should be enough to refresh my karate skills."
They talked some more about their respective plans of training again in their own respective martials arts while cleaning themselves for the night. Although their conversation was light, they could feel a dark undercurrent in their emotions.
Long Hui's earlier provocations had effectively killed their earlier desire to make love. Now they were just getting themselves ready for bed. They already tossed out any plans of making love for the night.
When they returned to the bedroom, Iris called Qiao Yu on the phone and instructed him to purchase more Long Industries shares if any were put up for sale at any given time. She gave him permission to immediately buy the shares for her, no matter how much the price, even without informing her first. This was to raise their chances of getting it before anyone else.
After the call, Iris turned and saw Jin Liwei stretching on the carpet. She joined him and they stretched together before going to bed.
"So you want to buy more Long Industries shares? Have you changed your mind and decided that you want the company after all?" he asked. Obviously, he heard the conversation with her financial manager on the phone.
"No. I'm still not interested in Long Industries. At all."
The corner of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. "So you're buying more shares just to spite that stupid idiot?"
Iris sneered at the mention of Long Hui, but her expression quickly returned to being serious. "Yes, of course I want to spite him after what he did and said to me earlier this evening."
Jin Liwei paused stretching. His expression turned dark, cold and dangerous, as he remembered all of the things the motherfucker said to his baby girl.
She rubbed his clenched fists, soothing him. She could feel an almost murderous aura radiating from him. When he didn't relax, she moved behind him and hugged him from behind. They were still both sitting on the carpet. She nuzzled his neck until she felt him relaxing a bit.
Then she continued, "I want to spite that stupid idiot but that's too shallow of a reason. If there's only him in the picture, I don't mind using Long Industries to mess with him. But alas, there are other people involved in this situation. Father made Long Industries into a successful international company. I don't want to belittle his hard work just to punish his stupid son."
"Hmmm... I see." Jin Liwei nodded. He turned his head to the side so that they were looking at each other's eyes.
"But that's only a minor reason. I suddenly have a bad feeling about that stupid idiot. I can't explain it exactly, but I'm worried about his next actions," Iris said with a frown. "If he continues acting delusional and stupid like what he did earlier this evening, then we'll truly become enemies. Like I just said, there are also other people involved in this situation. If it's only him, I don't mind clashing against him. I'm just afraid that if I really become complete enemies with him, he'll do something to punish me by using our godson and Ying Yue. I can't bear that, darling."
Jin Liwei scowled at the idea. "He's not a man if he dares use his woman and child in that way."
She tightened her arms around him. "That's why I only banned him here in the penthouse, even though I wanted to ban him from the entire condo building. I'm just worried that if I do that, he'll do something drastic like forcing Ying Yue and Little Jun to leave here and to come and live with him instead. He might even retaliate by banning us from seeing them. I don't want that. I want Ying Yue and our godson to be close to us."
"Jiang Ying Yue won't go with him. She wants a safe and stable home for her son. The condo is exactly that," Jin Liwei assured her. "This is the woman who rejected the stupid idiot's proposal many times before because I'm guessing that she doesn't think that he could provide her and their son a safe and stable home."
"You're right. But don't forget that he's still our godson's father. If he starts fighting Ying Yue for custody, then things will just become messier. I don't want Little Jun to have to go through something like, Liwei. It'll scar him for life."
Iris knew what kind of emotional damage a child could suffer when the parents were at odds against each other. Even though she didn't have any firsthand experience of it as Evelina, the memories of the original Iris were more than enough to prove that an experience like that could warp a person for life.
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Chapter 407 - Safe Haven
Jin Liwei immediately understood what Iris meant. He pulled her from behind him to his front, urging her to sit between his legs on the carpet. Their positions reversed. He was now the one hugging her from behind, pulling her close until her back touched his chest. He embraced her in an almost protective manner.
"If that son of a bitch decides to fight for custody, we can't do anything to make him and Jiang Ying Yue stay together. In fact, I'd rather that your friend stay away from a fucker like him," he told her. "But what we can do is to give our utmost support and protection to our godson and Jiang Ying Yue. We can't fully shield them from the pain, but we can lessen the damage that stupid idiot could do to them, if ever."
Iris looked unsatisfied that they couldn't fully protect Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue in that kind of possible situation. However, she could only nod at Jin Liwei's words.
"As much as possible, I don't want to destroy Little Jun's relationship with his father," she said. "Although that stupid brother of mine isn't a reliable enough man for my friend, he's still a great father to our godson."
"No, love. We're not going to destroy our godson's relationship with his father. If it's ever destroyed, it will be that stupid idiot's fault, not ours. So don't ever feel guilty about that. You don't deserve to carry a guilt that's supposed to be his."
She nodded, feeling better after listening to him. However, she still couldn't stop worrying about Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue. If they weren't in the picture, she would've already declared war against Long Hui. Alas, the situation was much more complicated with the mother and child directly involved in the situation.
Jin Liwei continued speaking. "This is what I was talking about when I said that I see a weakness in Long Hui's character. He just proved that my guess was correct. He's nice and confident when he's secure in his position as the heir, but the moment his top position is threatened, he completely loses his cool. We just saw him crumble from all of the pressure. What's more, he has shifted the blame on you. What a weak man."
Sighing, Iris leaned back against his chest. She felt comforted by his strong arms and protective embrace. "I agree with you. He's a weak man but Ying Yue still clearly loves him. I just hope that he sees that and adjusts his attitude. If not, he's going to send their little family into a great heartbreak."
"It's difficult, but it's possible for a man to change. I did for you," he told her in a low tone.
A lovely smile lit up her serious expression. "I know. Thank you for doing it for me."
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
The lovers were side-tracked by the lovey-dovey moment. They smiled at each other like idiots before Iris made them return to the topic about Long Hui. Her worry about her godson and friend because of her fight with Long Hui bothered her like a pest crawling inside her heart. She needed to get it off her system or she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully tonight.
"A man can change but not every man can do so," Jin Liwei said. "The question is if Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun will be enough reason for Long Hui to change himself into a better man."
"You're right. We can only hope that he changes for the better. But I don't want to bet everything on hope." Iris pursed her lips, not really liking what she was about to say. "We need some insurance just in case he continues being a weak, stupid idiot like this."
She straightened and turned her body around so that they were facing each other.
"Darling, I don't have any interest in Long Industries and most especially not in the matters of the Long clan, but I've decided that I'm now going to fight for control of them. I'll show everyone, especially Father, that I'm the best person to lead the business and the clan," she said in a determined voice.
Jin Liwei didn't look surprised at all. He even looked like he was already expecting this. However, he didn't talk yet. He waited until she finished speaking.
"Our godson, Long Jun, is a rightful member of the Long clan. Our godson shouldn't be treated like an outsider like this. It's unfortunate that his father, that stupid idiot, is too weak to really do anything to fight for him. So I'll do it in that stupid idiot's stead, whether he likes it or not."
"We'll do it together," he told her. No, he promised her.
Iris held his hands and smiled. He clasped them together.
"He's too afraid to clash directly against the elders and the relatives, but I'm not. We're not," she corrected herself. Then she continued, "We'll purge all the scum out of the Long clan and make it into a safe haven for our godson. I'll hold the reins for him until he decides if he wants to become the next head when he grows up. If he does, I'll hand everything of the Longs for him to manage. But if he decides that he doesn't want to become next head, maybe one of our future kids would want to do so instead. What do you think, darling?"
Jin Liwei's eyes lit up hearing her talk about their future children. "If our kid is qualified to do so, then why not? Likewise, our other kid could inherit Jin Corporation if he or she wants to and is qualified for the job. But if they don't have the qualifications, they have no business inheriting any of these companies."
She giggled and played with his hands. "Mr. Jin, our children haven't even been born yet, but you're already so strict on them."
"My dear future Mrs. Jin, our children need to experience some tough love for them to learn discipline and grow into responsible adults. It's our responsibility as their parents."
A blush coloured her cheeks at being called "future Mrs. Jin". She was already becoming more open about the idea of having children. The fear and insecurity were still there, but she felt assured by Jin Liwei's reliability.
She just knew that he would be an amazing father, just like how he was an amazing godfather to their godson. That was why she wanted to do all of these things for Little Jun, not only because she loved him and wanted what was best for him, but also because she wanted to prove to herself that she could be a reliable godmother...and maybe a good mother in the future as well.
"So I guess things will become more chaotic and stressful now that we've decided to do this. We're going to end up making a lot of enemies from the Long clan, darling." Then she sighed before saying, "And it's going to be super expensive, too. Those shares are no joke, but I need to buy them to gain more control. The saddest part is that I don't even want them." She sighed again.
"It seems that someone is forgetting that her fiancé is a global billionaire."
"Butâ"
"No buts, love. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is...I'll ask to share."
She giggled and then teased him. "If you ask very nicely, maybe I'll share with you what's mine..."
After being distracted by another round of lovey-doveyness, Iris finally agreed to allow Jin Liwei to help her purchase some shares if the price was too much for her. She could still afford minor shares like the 5% she recently purchased, but if it were anything more than 35%, it would really hurt her personal finances. There was no way she would tap into Planet Monkey or Orchidia Beauty's funds.
Later, both of them felt better and lighter after talking. They moved to the bed and prepared to sleep. Before they could even lay down, however, the sound of the ringing phone interrupted them.
"It's already so late! Who could be calling me at this ungodly hour?" Iris complained as she climbed off the bed once again for her phone.
When she saw who was calling, she looked at the ceiling and sighed in annoyance. She was tempted to reject the call and turn off the phone, but in the end still decided to answer it.
"Hello, Mother?"
It was Wei Lan.
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Chapter 408 - Mother Missed You Sooooooo Much!
"Helloooooo, my beautiful daughter~ Mother missed you sooooo much!" Wei Lan's dramatic (and slightly annoying) voice said through the phone.
Iris allowed the woman to talk and talk and talk. When Wei Lan continued to chatter without any signs of stopping, Iris began feeling impatient. She was exhausted with everything that happened earlier tonight. She just want to sleep, especially since she still had to wake up early the next morning for work. She had no time for Wei Lan's useless chatter.
"Mother, did you have something important to tell me?" she interrupted the older woman. "It's already so late. I still have work tomorrow."
"Ooooh! Why didn't you say so? Honey, you should've interrupted me sooner!" Wei Lan cried. "A lady's beauty sleep is super important! Like the most important ever! But yes, I called because I wanted to tell you something important. Like super important! Oh my goooodness! I almost forgot about it!"
Iris forced herself to be calm and politely urged Wei Lan to speak.
"You seeâ"giggle giggle"âMother has finally married again!" Wei Lan revealed in excitement.
Iris blinked a few times. This would only be Wei Lan's second marriage. Even though she had countless lovers, she surprisingly didn't marry again after divorcing Long Tengfei. She claimed that marriage wasn't for a free spirit like her (more like she wasn't the type suited for long-term commitments).
"I see. Congratulations, Mother," Iris greeted her politely.
She was surprised, but not too surprised. She figured that if the woman met a man who was several times wealthier and more powerful than Long Tengfei, Wei Lan would marry him in a heartbeat. And Iris assumed that was what happened in this case.
"Ooooh. Thank you soooooo much, honey! Mother is sooooo happy right now! I finally met the love of my life! We married in Rio de Janeiro. It was such a small, intimate but beautiful ceremony! I felt like a blushing girl again!" Wei Lan gushed. Then her tone became a bit sad. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to invite you, honey. I heard about everything that happened to you back there with the car crash actually turning out to be attempted murder and all that, so I didn't want to make it stressful for you by asking you to travel all the way to Rio just to attend my wedding."
Iris tilted her head to the side and frowned a bit. Something was off about Wei Lan.
Was it just her or the woman actually sounded nice and considerate? These were words that she would never associate with Wei Lan.
She looked at Jin Liwei who was observing her. She turned on the speaker so the he could also hear the entire phone conversation.
"My new husband is a foreigner, so the difference in culture is challenging. But I love him sooooooo much! I hope that you'll like him, honey. He's the kindest and understanding man that I've ever met in my entire life! And I've met soooooo many men in my life, including your father. You know that." Wei Lan giggled.
Iris' impatience was gradually replaced by curiosity. She didn't give a whit about the woman's new husband, but she was extremely curious about this seemingly nicer and considerate Wei Lan.
Even Jin Liwei looked surprised. He had listened in on phone conversations between the mother and daughter before. He also noticed the change in Wei Lan's way of speaking to her daughter. It was as if she really cared this time.
"I want you to meet my husband soooooon! Unfortunately, there are still many things that he needs to finish in South America. He's sooooo hard-working! But I'm really starting to feel homesick, so I decided to return to China ahead on my own. Surprise~ I'm coming home soon!" Wei Lan happily announced. "I can't wait to see my dear baby girl! I missed you soooo much! I know that you've become soooooo beautifulâjust like ME!"
Iris and Jin Liwei looked at each other. It seemed like it was finally time for the future mother-in-law to meet her future son-in-law.
"So honey, can you have someone pick Mother up from the airport?" Wei Lan asked.
"Of course, Mother. Just send me your flight details."
"Really? Ooooooh! Mother is soooooo happy to have such a filial daughter! Thank yooooooou~"
Iris rubbed her temples, starting to get a headache listening to the older woman's voice. Wei Lan might have become nicer and considerate but she could still be really annoying, especially when she talked and talked and talked nonstop.
Jin Liwei crawled on the bed and positioned himself behind her. Then he started massaging her shoulders and back.
She sighed in pleasure and appreciation of her darling's thoughtfulness.
"One more thing, honey. Can Mother stay at your penthouse? Pleeeease?"
Iris frowned. "Don't you have your own place, Mother?"
"Yes, but I want to spend quality time with my beautiful dear daughter. I haven't seen you for sooooooo long! I also want to meet your fiancé! Let's bond together! We're familyyyyyy~"
Iris turned her head and looked at Jin Liwei, silently asking him for his opinion. He nodded.
"Alright, Mother. You can stay at the penthouse. I'll have a room prepared for you."
"Oh! Thank you soooooo much, honey!"
After another five minutes of listening to Wei Lan's enthusiastic chatter, the phone call finally ended. Iris sighed in relief that it was over. Talking with the older woman was actually quite exhausting.
"How do you feel?" Jin Liwei asked her, knowing that the mother and daughter weren't close at all.
She shrugged. She didn't really have any other strong feelings besides curiosity and slight annoyance. If possible, she didn't want to trouble herself with Wei Lan on a regular basis. However, she also felt curious about Wei Lan's change. She wanted to know if the woman had truly changed or was just faking it. In the end, her curiosity won over.
Jin Liwei nodded, accepting her shrug as an answer. He turned off the lights after they settled on the bed.
After a few seconds of getting comfortable in his arms, his baby girl immediately fell into deep sleep as usual. As for him, he thought about all of the things that they had to deal with today. So many things happened in just a few hours.
And now his future mother-in-law was coming. It wasn't a secret that a huge part of his baby girl's bad reputation in the past could be attributed to Wei Lan. She was notoriously known as a gold digging, social climbing seductress. In high society where many women hated her, she was called a slut.
Even Long Hui used Wei Lan to insult Iris earlier which pissed Jin Liwei off so badly that he beat the motherfucker. If the brother could use Wei Lan to insult Iris, how much more the other people?
Jin Liwei couldn't help but feel a little trepidation that Wei Lan chose to return to the country at such an unstable period in the Long clan. His baby girl just decided that she would directly join the battle for succession. She needed to arm herself with the best weapons, and also to boost her position and reputation.
He hoped Wei Lan wouldn't create trouble for his baby girl, especially at such an important time like this.
I hope she really changed for the better, he thought before falling asleep while embracing his baby girl.
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Chapter 409 - Man Up
The next day, Long Hui was discharged from the hospital. His injuries looked nasty, but they weren't life-threatening.
What relieved him the most was when the doctor told him that his peroneal nerve was only hurt but not permanently damaged. The doctor warned him that if just a bit more force than what he was hit with was used, he would've ended up with chronic leg pain or numbness. Worst case scenario would be leg paralysis.
Both he and Jiang Ying Yue paled when they heard what the doctor said. Now Long Hui had developed a deep trauma for oranges. He would never eat oranges for the rest of his life ever again. It also deepened his resentment towards his younger sister, Iris, and to her fiancé, Jin Liwei.
Mixed with the resentment and other negative emotions like envy and insecurity was the feeling of guilt. After getting some sleep, albeit a restless one, he realized just how crazy he acted last night. He totally lost control of himself.
He was ashamed of his uncharacteristic behaviour. He felt sorry for all the insults he threw at his own sister, but the pride of being the firstborn prevented him from apologizing first. It also didn't help that he was still feeling threatened by Iris' growing prominence and support within the clan.
Nevertheless, he didn't want to become enemies with her. After thinking about things more clearly, he concluded that it would be extremely difficult for him to win against her if she seriously began competing in the Long clan's battle for succession.
All of these conflicting emotions were stressing him out. It was causing him great confusion. He needed some time to carefully analyze everything before choosing the best course of action.
That was why he didn't return to Gold Heights with Jiang Ying Yue. The condo unit was given by Iris to his son. Staying there would make him constantly think of her and would only worsen his already troubled state of mind.
As a result, he returned to his primary residence at the Long ancestral compound instead. He tried persuading Jiang Ying Yue to come and live with him and their son, but she refused. He wasn't surprised, but he couldn't help but be disappointed.
He didn't force her, however. The last thing he wanted was to worsen the invisible wall between them. Perhaps this temporary living separation would help cool off the tension between them. He hoped that they could restore their previous happy relationship when they decided to live together again.
When he left Jiang Ying Yue and his son at Gold Heights, he didn't bring any of his clothes or things with him. This was a clear indication that he still planned on returning to them.
The question was...when?
He didn't know.
###
Long Ancestral Residence, Eastern Wing.
The eastern wing was Long Hui's personal residence. Like the rest of the compound, the undeniable ancient aura could also be felt here. However, it had more modern elements compared to the main wing where Long Tengfei and his wife lived.
Long Hui opted to use modern furniture, appliances and decorations instead of using the original antique ones that his ancestors used for centuries. As a result, only the building itself retained the ancientness in this wing. Everything else inside was modern.
His father and some of the relatives, especially the elders, disapproved of his interior design choices. However, they couldn't really do anything to stop him because it was his space. Although Long Tengfei didn't like the overly modernized place, he allowed Long Hui the freedom to decorate it as he pleased.
The day he returned to the eastern wing, it seemed that the servants reported his pitiful appearance to his father because Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui immediately visited him.
"Who did that to you?" Long Tengfei asked as soon as he saw his son. Hiseyes darkened with cold fury.
Which stupid person dared to beat up the son of him, Long Tengfei?
"Little Sister Xiulan and her fiancé, that wild man, did this to me," Long Hui replied in a sullen tone.
Long Tengfei was caught off-guard that he didn't know how to react for a few moments.
It was his wife, Yang Jiahui, who reacted first.
"What?! Xiulan and Liwei beat you up?! Why?"
She looked shocked, then skeptical. It was hard for her to imagine that Iris and Jin Liwei could beat up a family member so badly like this.
"Hmph! He deserves it!" Meimei's voice sounded from the doorway.
The young woman looked pale and exhausted. Her eyes were red, decorated by dark circles and heavy eyebags. She had been working on her webtoon in her room for hours before taking a much-needed break. The servants informed her that Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui left to visit Long Hui who just returned to the eastern wing.
Meimei already learned what happened from Dom, Clover, and even some tidbits from Jiang Ying Yue herself. Needless to say, it angered her as Iris' friend.
She immediately followed her aunt and uncle to the eastern wing.
"Big Brother Hui insulted Xiulan, so of course Big Bro Liwei beat him up! If I was there, I would also beat you up, Big Brother Hui! Hmph! I can't believe you would do that to Xiulan! She and Big Bro Liwei have been so nice to you and your little family, but this is how you repay them?! Gah! I'm so mad!"
"Xiao Mei, calm down," Yang Jiahui told her niece.
"You insulted your sister? What did you say to her?" Long Tengfei asked his son in a cold and strict voice.
Long Hui didn't answer.
Long Tengfei turned to Meimei, silently asking her instead.
"I don't know exactly what Big Brother Hui said. All I know is that he insulted Xiulan, that's why Big Bro Liwei beat him up," she answered. Then she turned to Long Hui and challenged him. "Man up, Big Brother Hui! Tell us exactly what you said to Xiulan! Don't be such a coward!"
"Xiao Mei, that's enough," Yang Jiahui warned her.
"Hmph!" She crossed her arms over her chest.
Meimei had no idea that her "man up" challenge worked on Long Hui. It effectively pricked his machismo.
"I'm not a coward!" he hissed at Meimei. "Fine, I'll tell you what I said to her!"
He told them how he used Wei Lan's reputation as a social climbing, gold digging slut to insult Iris. All three were horrified after he finished speaking.
Yang Jiahui: "Oh no...."
Meimei: "What the hell?! Did you reallyâ"
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO YOUR OWN SISTER?!!!" Long Tengfei roared.
His voice was so loud and fearsome that everyone, including Long Hui, Yang Jiahui, Meimei and the nearby servants, all flinched and were frightened.
Long Tengfei rarely raised his voice in fury like this. So when it happened, everyone shut up and froze. They were afraid to say or do anything that would anger him even further.
Long Hui just sat there and accepted his father's harsh scolding. He didn't defend himself.
"Go apologize to your sister and make up with her! Then return to your son and fiancé! Stop hiding here!" Long Tengfei punctuated his scolding.
Then he marched out of the eastern wing with his wife and Meimei, leaving Long Hui alone with his extremely chaotic thoughts and emotions.
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Chapter 410 - Our Love, Our Destiny
A few days had passed since Long Hui left the hospital and returned to his wing at the ancestral residence. He took a leave from the company to recover from his injuries. However, he continued working from home.
He hadn't seen his father since the day Long Tengfei scolded him. He also hadn't made up with Iris yet, nor apologized to her.
At the moment, a physiotherapist was treating his leg in the living room. It still hurt a bit and felt tender, causing him to walk with a limp. As for his other injuries, they looked worse than they felt. The bruises and cuts looked ugly, but they were already healing and didn't hurt as much as before.
When the physiotherapist left, a servant entered carrying a basket filled with fruits and pastries. They were sent by Long Meng.
Not long after, Long Hui received a call from the elder. He felt paranoid for a moment, thinking that Long Meng was calling to tell him that she would no longer continue supporting him. He was able to catch himself in time before his negative thoughts spiralled out of control again.
Long Meng heard that he had returned to the eastern wing and that he was recovering from some injuries. However, she didn't know anything about what kind of injuries he had or how he got them. It seemed that Long Tengfei locked down the information from leaking out of the ancestral compound.
Long Hui didn't tell her either.
After wishing him to get well soon, Long Meng finally moved on to the purpose of her call. Unsurprisingly, it was about Iris owning 5% shares of Long Industries and how she now owned more than any of them.
"The rightful heir is you, Young Master Hui. You should be owning more shares in the company than any of your siblings," she told him. "That being said, I'll sell you my 3% shares so you can add it to the 2.5% that you currently own for a total of 5.5%. This way, you'll own a bit more than the Young Miss Xiulan."
Of course, he was immediately tempted. There was just one big problem, however.
"Grandaunt Meng, thank you for the offer but I can't afford to buy your shares at the moment."
"Don't worry about it for now. You can pay me back in installments in the next few years, maybe even decades. If I'm dead by then, you can continue the payments to my children or grandchildren."
His eyes lit up. "Really? You're willing to let me do that?"
"Yes. I'll even help you purchase some more shares if any were put up for sale. My branch family and several others are willing to loan you money to buy them."
He was about to accept the offer, but his father's harsh scolding a few days ago played inside his mind. Guilt filled him once again. He had been contemplating of whether to apologize to his youngest sister or not.
His pause saved him because Long Meng added, "But on one condition."
"Condition?" He frowned. Although he already expected it, he still didn't like that her help came with conditions.
"Yes. I'll help you and do all of these for you if you break up with that woman and marry a nice, suitable lady we approve of who also matches your status as an heir."
Long Hui didn't answer. He was completely silent.
"Please think about my offer carefully, Young Master Hui. Our allies and I will do everything in our power to help you become the next head. But of course, you also need to do your part and do this for us. Actually, this is for your own good. That's all what I want to say for now," Long Meng told him before bidding goodbye.
Although he didn't accept her offer, she was already satisfied that he didn't reject it right away. It meant that he was thinking about it. There was a chance that he would agree to her terms.
When the phone call ended, Long Hui felt even more torn than ever before.
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The summer season would be officially ending soon, but the weather still remained hot. Despite the uncooperative weather, the promotions for upcoming TV shows that would soon be released in fall season were already well under way.
One such promotion for a particular romance TV drama was currently trending all over. It was a live-action adaptation based on a popular romance . Although the TV drama adaptation casted young, not-so-popular actress and actor as the main leads, many still looked forward to watching it because of the original . The fans eagerly waited for its premiere to judge whether the drama would do justice to the original work.
As a result, "Our Love, Our Destiny" was one of the most anticipated TV dramas in the fall season. Its teaser previews were watched numerous times both on TV and on the internet.
Netizens couldn't stop talking about it.
"I can't wait for summer to end so that we can finally watch 'Our Love, Our Destiny'!"
"Me too! Although I'm disappointed with their choice of actress to play the female lead, I'm quite happy about the actor playing the male lead. OMG! He's so hot!"
"As a diehard fan of the original , I also can't wait to watch the live-action TV drama adaptation! But putting that aside for now, who else is loving the theme song?"
"LOL. The teaser previews only feature a few seconds of the music. We can't even hear any lyrics."
"But that few seconds are already enough for me to love the theme song. I wonder who's going to sing it."
Some of them made a few guesses, but the topic of conversation quickly changed into something else. Nobody was really that interested in the theme song at the moment. They were more focused about the drama itself and the choice of cast.
That was until someone began freaking out online.
"Holy shit! The full trailer was just uploaded. Watch it right now! I'm freaking out! OMG!"
"Relax, buddy. I'm watching it right now. Although I'm feeling excited, I don't think it's enough to make me freak out."
"Relax?! How can I relax?! Do you not freaking recognize the voices singing the freaking theme song?!!!"
"Huh?"
"!!!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!!!"
"Is this real? Am I dreaming?! OMG!! Please tell me I'm not dreaming!!!"
"Jin Chonglin and Iris Long are singing the theme song of 'Our Love, Our Destiny' together?!!!"
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