Chapter 50: 491 - 500

Chapter 491 - Energetic

While more and more people were sacrificing sleep in order to watch the livestream back in China, the red carpet event of the Sommet International Film Festival started wrapping up. All of the VIP guests and attendees headed inside the grand theatre where the opening ceremony would be held in a few minutes.

Both Iris and Jin Liwei sat together with the cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken". Of course, except for the President of LX Productions who greeted the couple with much respect, the others were all extremely shocked upon learning that the two were engaged. They stared at the couple in complete astonishment. It was as if they were looking at a pair of mythical creatures that suddenly sprang to life and appeared in front of them, making them question whether they were dreaming or not.

"C-CEO Jin...is that really you?" the actor playing the adult Guan Jintao asked Jin Liwei in a hesitant manner.

"Of course," Jin Liwei replied. His expression maintained its usual cold indifference.

The others were intimidated by him. It was only Guan Jintao and his wife who didn't look starstruck at Jin Liwei. Perhaps it was because Guan Jintao already met many personages of Jin Liwei's calibre from all around the world during his competitive swimming career back in the day and most especially after becoming a motivational speaker. He often encountered a lot of wealthy people whenever he participated in charity events. In fact, Guan Jintao personally met Jin Liwei for the first time at a charity event some years ago.

As for the others, even though they felt intimated by Jin Liwei, they still gathered their courage and started chatting with him. Iris' presence made them a little more comfortable in initiating the conversation with him.

They soon discovered that despite his cold and indifferent expression, Jin Liwei was actually quite friendly. He was polite and didn't make them feel inferior to him. What they didn't know was that he was only like this because of Iris. Without their connection to his baby girl, he wouldn't give them the time of day.

Before the stage, Maestro De Luca, his wife and Enrique Valdez were given front row seats alongside other notable laureates of the Sommet International Film Festival Awards in the past. These two music legends were often invited to the film festival. As a matter of fact, they even served as jury members in the past after winning their own awards.

In another part of the theatre, Grandpa Lu and Lu Zihao sat together with Wei Lan and Jiang Ying Yue. Wei Lan's bodyguards who acted as her entourage tonight—all of them Jin Liwei's subordinates—were allowed inside the theatre but sat on the side instead. This was another form of special treatment the organizers gave Vizcondesa Lan. Normally, the guests weren't allowed to bring any bodyguards inside. However, they allowed Wei Lan and other members of the nobility. The organizers would also do the same for royalty and political leaders in higher office like presidents and prime ministers.

Finally, the opening ceremony began. It was mostly in French. The audience had the option to use the provided earphones and select a language of translation. Jin Liwei knew passable French, so he didn't need to use the earphones. Of course, Iris didn't need it at all. Whenever Jin Liwei didn't understand something, he would only need to ask her about it and she would translate it for him.

He preferred his baby girl's translation over the hired interpreters speaking through the earphones. He felt this way not because he was being partial to her due to their relationship. It was because her translations were superior to those hired interpreters. After all, she was personally trained by Professor Kalisha Schwarz and Professor Hisakawa Akio—two of the best polyglots and translators in the world.

The opening ceremony was, to be honest, boring. The hosts' jokes fell flat because of the language differences with the audience. Only the awkward laughter of those who took pity on them saved them from total embarrassment. The musical performances were alright. Most of the performers played it too safe that they failed to shine and make their performances memorable.

Maestro Ludovico De Luca leaned towards Enrique Valdez who was sitting beside him and whispered, "This is too painful to watch. The quality of musical performances has been declining with each passing year. If Xiulan wasn't a participant, I wouldn't even bother accepting the invitation to attend this year's film festival." Then he sighed. "We should've recommended Xiulan to perform tonight instead. She would definitely perform with all her heart and amaze everyone. Not like these people who are too afraid to make mistakes."

Enrique Valdez nodded. He didn't say anything but it was obvious by his bored expression that he agreed with Maestro De Luca. For a moment, he was actually tempted to drag Iris from her seat and take her to the stage, so that they could have a "proper" musical performance together.

'This is not the right time to perform together. Not yet,' he thought to himself. Where Stories Blossom: N♡vεlB¡n.

After that, he tuned out the opening ceremony and mentally wrote songs inside his head instead. Maestro De Luca also did the same. Unbeknownst to the people around them, the two music geniuses were already absorbed in their own little worlds inside their minds.

Several rows behind them, Iris would've also done the same thing as her two mentors if she was by herself. Fortunately, her darling was with her. Boredom was the last thing in her mind whenever they were together. They quietly talked to each other in whispers. Basically, they spent almost the entire opening ceremony acting lovey-dovey. The "Strong Yet Broken" cast and crew snickered at the two of them.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Iris asked Jin Liwei. "Are you sleepy? You must be exhausted."

Jin Liwei landed in France with his subordinates at dawn that day. It was only Grandpa Lu who was already up and about when he arrived at the villa. However, Jin Liwei only spent a few minutes talking with Grandpa Lu before quickly heading to the master bedroom. It had only been a couple of days but he already missed his baby girl so much. He couldn't wait to see, embrace and kiss her again.

Iris was awakened when Jin Liwei arrived in the bedroom. Perhaps it was their connection as lovers that stirred her from her usual deep sleep. She welcomed him from the bed with open arms. Then they made love lazily. Afterwards, they slept together for a couple of hours.

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When the sun rose in the sky, they woke up. She wanted him to rest and sleep more, but he insisted on eating breakfast together. After that, he didn't really rest. He accompanied her throughout the day and just spent time with her. They also got ready for the opening night together.

Back to the present, Jin Liwei replied to her, saying, "Not at all. On the contrary, I feel very energetic."

"Really?"

"En."

She tilted her head to the side. "How come you're feeling energetic? You barely rested."

One corner of his mouth curved upward into a smile.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm finally able to openly show my love for you to the entire world, so of course I'm filled with energy. I'm so excited that I can barely sit still. This is one of the happiest days of my life. And it's with you again."

Chapter 492 - Yes, I'm Engaged

Jin Liwei's words made Iris smile. It brightened her entire face and made her look even more like a blushing bride.

"I'm also very happy today. I love you, Jin Liwei," she whispered to him.

His eyes darkened with the fullness of his feelings upon hearing her statement of love.

"I love you too, Long Xiulan...or whoever you are. So much," he said, adding the "whoever you are" upon remembering her weird rhetorical questions some months ago.

Iris' smile grew wider.

Before he could even think of what he was doing, he was already leaning towards her and kissing her lips. The thousands of people in the grand theatre around them disappeared from his perception. To him, there was only his beautiful baby girl together with him right now.

The cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken" sitting beside them gasped seeing what the two of them were doing. Even the President of LX Productions looked shocked. Guan Jintao asked what was going on and his wife told him in a whisper. He looked amused after hearing about it. They all thought that the couple was very daring to kiss in the presence of so many people.

As for the foreigners around them, they only chuckled, not really thinking too much about it. To them, it was only a kiss. It wasn't like the two were having sex in public. Now that would be scandalous. Compared to that, lovers kissing in public was considered normal and very tame. Besides, this was France, a country which had an ingrained reputation for passionate romance—although many would argue against this now. But still, generally speaking, France was viewed as a place of love and romance.

And also, the couple were only doing a lips-to-lips kiss. It was very tame compared to French kissing in public. Nevertheless, the couple's sweet and lingering kiss still looked very passionate to the people watching them. As a matter of fact, they felt more entertained watching the lovey-dovey couple than the boring opening ceremony.

Like Jin Liwei, Iris had also lost her awareness of the people around them. After the kiss, she rested her head on the crook of his neck. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

About an hour later, the opening ceremony finally ended. It was a great relief to everyone. They socialized for a bit before making their way out of the grand theatre. In another hour, they had to go to a nearby ballroom hall for the welcome dinner. All of the casts and crews of the shortlisted films participating in the festival were required to attend.

Thus, everyone from "Strong Yet Broken" had to attend as well. They returned to their Oriental hotel to change into semi-formal attires. Iris and Jin Liwei would also attend. They followed the others to the same hotel to change into different outfits.

The VIP guests weren't required to attend the dinner, but they were welcome to do so if they wanted. Since Iris and Jin Liwei were going, Grandpa Lu, Lu Zihao and Wei Lan decided to also attend. They booked one big suite at the hotel, treating it as a dressing room. Tang Yiyi was waiting for them there with some European makeup artists and hairstylists Iris and Jin Liwei hired to service them all. It was more convenient to change at the hotel because it was near the ballroom hall. The villa estate was a bit far away.

As for Jiang Ying Yue, she decided to return to the villa estate ahead of everyone. She was worried about Little Jun. Although Dom was taking care of the toddler, she still felt restless being away from her son for too long especially since they were in a foreign country. The others understood her concern, so they didn't persuade her to join them. One of Jin Liwei's subordinates drove her back to the villa.

Later, they arrived at the welcome dinner venue in separate vehicles. Iris and Jin Liwei joined the group of "Strong Yet Broken", while Grandpa Lu, Lu Zihao and Wei Lan formed another group.

There was another red carpet outside the building, but it was more informal compared to the one before the opening ceremony. This time, interviews were allowed. Basically, it was a free-for-all event with everyone allowed to talk to whoever they wanted, as long as nobody harassed anyone.

Grandpa Lu, Lu Zihao and Wei Lan entered first. Jin Liwei's subordinates who were acting as Wei Lan's bodyguards surrounded them. Once again, Wei Lan had the largest entourage. The media swarmed around them. They were especially curious about Vizcondesa Lan.

Next, Iris and Jin Liwei walked on the red carpet together with the cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken". Guan Jintao and his wife were with them, including the President of LX Productions. The Chinese reporters had been waiting for them and immediately started interviewing the couple.

"Iris, are you really engaged to CEO Jin?" one of them asked.

Jin Liwei sent the reporter a frosty look and said, "That's Miss Iris Long for you."

The poor man was scared of Jin Liwei and immediately apologized. He repeated his question, properly addressing Iris as "Miss Iris Long" this time. Only then did Jin Liwei's expression improved a little. N♡vεlB¡n: Inspiring Minds, Illuminating Souls.

"Yes, I'm engaged to Jin Liwei," Iris answered with a warm smile.

Since Iris already recounted how she first met her fiancé during her interview with Feng Jiu before, the reporters didn't waste time asking her about it. They turned to Jin Liwei and asked him several questions instead.

"CEO Jin, were you the one who pursued Iris—I mean, Miss Iris Long? Or was it the other way around."

"I pursued her," he replied.

Iris chuckled at the question. There was a teasing glint in her eyes, as she looked at her darling.

"Why would I pursue him? I didn't even like him that time. In fact, what I felt for him back then bordered on hatred. He always bothered me, even though I already made it clear that I didn't want anything to do with him. He was so arrogant, overbearing and annoying that I found myself often wanting to punch him in the face so many times."

Chapter 493 - It's Your Own Faul

Jin Liwei gave his baby girl a side-eye after hearing her trash-talking him. He wore his default expression which was cold and indifferent. N♡vεlB¡n: Your Escape into Infinite Tales.

Seeing his expression, the Chinese reporters thought that he was pissed off at what Iris said. They looked scared and looked at Iris as if she had gone crazy. How daring! She actually said that she wanted to punch CEO Jin Liwei in the face. Inside their minds, Iris was like a cute yet stupidly courageous kitten swiping her little claws at Jin Liwei who was a large and mighty lion.

It was only Iris who saw the amusement in Jin Liwei's eyes. Only people close to him could tell the minute differences in his usual cold and indifferent expression. To others, he always looked intimidating.

Seeing that he was amused, Iris giggled, frightening the reporters.

They thought that she was going too far. CEO Jin clearly looked displeased. What was she thinking? She should stop trying to provoke the man. Did she want to die? Then they felt worried about her. They were afraid that Jin Liwei would scold her badly for her careless behaviour. Or worse, he might even hurt her. They widened their eyes, trying to silently warn her to stop. However, she ignored their kindness and continued teasing the cold-faced Jin Liwei with her mischievous eyes.

Jin Liwei turned to face her fully. The reporters threw pitiful looks at Iris. They thought that Jin Liwei was going to rebuke her for sure. But to their surprise, he held both of her hands instead and lifted them. He gently rubbed her knuckles and kissed them in front of everyone.

"Good thing you didn't punch me in the face then. I wouldn't want you to hurt your precious hands," he said in a gentle voice.

Huh? Some of the reporters tried to clean their ears, wondering if they heard his words correctly. Did they just hear the cold and indifferent CEO Jin saying mushy words? He wasn't angry that Iris wanted to punch his face back then? He was even worried about her hands? The gap between his public image and his actions right now was just too wide!

That wasn't the end of it. Jin Liweiadded, "You didn't like me back then, but you love me now."

Iris nodded while giving him a sweet smile.

Then the reporters were astounded when Jin Liwei's cold face broke into a wide smile. Their jaws fell down. This was perhaps the first time that they had seen him smile ever. He always looked cold and intimidating whenever he appeared in public. They even thought that he wasn't capable of smiling. Now, however, they felt like they were witnessing a miracle.

Jin Liwei was already handsome to begin with. But now that he was smiling, his handsomeness was magnified a hundredfold. No, a thousandfold!

The Chinese reporters were all male, but all of their hearts skipped a bit seeing Jin Liwei's handsome, smiling face. They stared at him like idiots before they regained their senses a few moments later. Right! They still had a job to do! This was the day that Iris Long and Jin Liwei revealed their relationship to the public. This was big news! They had to get all the juicy details from the two of them tonight!

Iris and Jin Liwei reluctantly paused their lovey-dovey moment to answer the reporters' questions. To the reporters' surprise, it was actually Jin Liwei who answered them. His face already reverted to his usual cold expression, but perhaps because the reporters just saw him smiling, they thought that he had become friendlier.

"CEO Jin, does your family know about your relationship with Iris—I mean, Miss Iris Long?"

He nodded. "My mother, grandmother, and brother know. In fact, they love her."

"How about you, Miss Iris? Does your family know about your relationship with CEO Jin?"

"Yes, of course," she replied.

"When is the wedding? Are you already starting to plan it?"

Iris hesitated and glanced at Jin Liwei.

"If it were up to me, the wedding will be as soon as possible. If not tonight, then tomorrow," Jin Liwei answered.

The reporters' eyes lit up at his answer. They looked surprised but also excited. The more they listened to Jin Liwei's answers to their questions, the more they were realizing how invested he was in his relationship with Iris Long. At first, they thought that he was only treating her as a trophy wife. Iris was a young, beautiful woman, plus she was also a rather famous celebrity in their country.

Men of Jin Liwei's wealth and status mostly treated this kind of women as trophy wives. Talking to Jin Liwei now, however, they didn't get that impression. Sensing his genuine feelings regarding the relationship, the reporters actually felt envious of Iris, despite being men themselves. What a lucky woman!

Jin Liwei continued, "But Xiu—Iris is still young and her career is in a great trajectory right now. This is a good time for her to work harder to become even more successful in her career. I want a happy wife, so I'm willing to wait for her until she's ready to marry me. I don't want her to give up any of her dreams for me. I want her to not have any regrets when she marries me. In the meantime, I'll cheer for her and support her every step of the way. Besides, she's such a talented and brilliant person. I'm sure that I won't have to wait too long. She'll attain whatever goals she has sooner rather than later."

The reporters were touched by his words. Of course, Iris was even more touched than them. Not caring that they were being photographed and recorded on video, she wrapped her arms around Jin Liwei's waist and hugged him tightly while burying her face against his chest. His arms automatically wrapped around her, embracing her as well.

Behind the reporters, the cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken" were watching the interview. They didn't mind that the Chinese reporters were more interested in Iris and Jin Liwei than of them.

A booming laughter interrupted them. They turned and saw Sir Lu Jianhong and his grandson.

When the Chinese reporters saw Sir Lu Jianhong and Lu Zihao, a.k.a. Hunter Lu, they changed targets and started asking them questions instead. Iris and Jin Liwei were too absorbed in their own little world right now to focus on their questions.

Wei Lan wasn't with the grandfather and grandson. She was currently being interviewed by foreign reporters, mostly European, on the other side of the red carpet. There were also quite a lot of other VIP guests who were hanging around, wanting to befriend her. Bored of waiting for her, Grandpa Lu dragged Lu Zihao away to look for Iris and Jin Liwei instead. Wei Lan would be okay by herself. Jin Liwei's subordinates were looking after her.

The Chinese reporters began asking Grandpa Lu questions.

"Sir Lu, didn't you confirm before that Miss Iris Long's fiancé is your grandson, Mr. Lu Zihao? Why did you say that when it isn't true?"

Grandpa Lu scowled at the reporter and then huffed in a grumpy tone.

"When did this old man say that my Haohao—I mean Zihao is Xiu—Iris' fiancé? I want to know! I only said that it's my grandson! Even if we're not of the same flesh and blood, Liwei is also my grandson! Is it my fault that all of you twits misunderstood my words? Bah! Stop blaming me when it's your own fault that you let your minds veer into a totally wrong direction! Hmph!"

Chapter 494 - King And Queen

The Chinese reporters looked embarrassed after hearing Sir Lu Jianhong's words. Despite this, they still had to do their job and continued to ask him questions. Some of them even began asking Lu Zihao.

It took great courage to ask Lu Zihao because he looked quite scary. Even though there was a seemingly perpetual smile on his face, giving him a devilishly roguish appearance, the scar on his face made him look dangerous.

Jin Liwei was also scary and intimidating, mainly because of his cold and indifferent expression, and also because of his wealth and status as the most powerful man in the country's business world of his generation.

In contrast, Lu Zihao was scary and intimidating not only because of the scar on his face but also because he had this inexplicable aura that made it appear as if he could kill someone in cold blood. Of course, the reporters didn't believe that he was a killer, but they still couldn't help but feel that way, especially when standing in front of him. He was charismatic but also made the alarm bells ring inside their minds. N♡vεlB¡n: Inspiring Minds, Illuminating Souls.

"Mr. Lu Zihao, c-can I ask a...question?"

A faint smile was on Lu Zihao's mouth, but his eyes looked sharp and predatory. "What is it?" he asked in a tone that could either be interpreted as amused or disinterested.

"Uhm...you have been seen accompanying Iris—I mean, Miss Iris Long the other day when she met up with Maestro Ludovico De Luca and Enrique Valdez at a café. You seem close to her. Are you friends with her? How did that two of you meet? When we still didn't know that Miss Iris is engaged to CEO Jin, many of us assumed that you're her fiancée. What do you think about this misunderstanding?"

Lu Zihao raised an eyebrow at the reporter before saying in a lazy manner, "You said that you were only going to ask me a question, but you asked so many. Now I don't feel like answering any of them."

The reporter coughed in embarrassment but didn't give up. He shoved the recorder closer to Lu Zihao, silently indicating that he still wanted an answer to his questions.

"Heh...fine." Lu Zihao shrugged, and then glanced at Iris and Jin Liwei who also now returned to answering questions from the other reporters. "I'm too lazy to answer all of your questions, but this is all you have to know. Am I friends with Iris Long? Hmmm... You can say that. She and I...we are brother and sister. Jin Liwei is also my brother. I already have this brotherly bond to both of them even before knowing that the two knew each other and are in a relationship. She is my sister and I see her that way. Malicious people who insist on colouring my sibling relationship with her in a bad way deserve a hard beating. Don't you think so?"

"Uh..."

The reporter shivered under Lu Zihao's direct gaze. He was actually one of the "malicious people" Lu Zihao was referring to. Originally, he planned on adding a love triangle angle in his report, speculating about Lu Zihao having unrequited love for Iris Long but unable to openly express his feelings because she was already engaged to his best friend. This kind of scenario would certainly add drama to his report and possibly make it sensational.

Now, however, he scrapped the idea. Lu Zihao's faint smile looked like the devil's smile in his eyes. What if Lu Zihao went ahead and gave him a hard beating? Or worse, kill him in cold blood! Too dangerous! The reporter's logic told him that it was impossible for Lu Zihao to be so dangerous, but he didn't want to risk it. So he just nodded and ran away.

Later, foreign reporters also started interviewing Iris and Jin Liwei. The Chinese reporters were squeezed out. A few of the foreign reporters knew Iris Long, especially those who were familiar with the European classical music scene. She even had a couple of fans among them because of her piano album, "Rebirth Melodies".

Some of them were even able to dig out information about her being a skilled translator and interpreter from her work at this year's international business conference hosted in China. Knowing this, they didn't bother speaking to her in English and interviewed her in their native languages. Of course, she answered their questions in their language, impressing many of them.

Jin Liwei was also quite impressive, answering in English and also a bit in French and Spanish. Whenever he had difficulties expressing himself in either French or Spanish, Iris would help him out, either by translating or directly answering in his stead.

The foreign reporters thought that the couple was very outstanding. Like the Chinese reporters, they first thought that Jin Liwei treated Iris Long as a trophy wife. But they changed their minds after learning more information about Iris and seeing her help out Jin Liwei with her excellent language skills.

'This woman is not flower vase. She's a queen in her own right and is as formidable as the king. This is a king and queen standing side by side, rather than the king taking the lead while the queen serves as a decoration,' the reporters thought to themselves.

Then Wei Lan headed to where Iris and Jin Liwei were beinginterviewed. She made new friends with the other VIP guests who were all very accomplished in their respective fields. There were other distant members of European nobility, famous fashion designers, actors and actresses, models, and other influential personages.

Some of the reporters remembered seeing the viscountess and Iris Long shopping together the other day. They only thought that perhaps the two women were friends. It was possible, especially since both were Chinese. It was only the Chinese reporters who knew the real relationship between the two.

"Honeeeeey, there you are! Come heeeere for a minute. Mother wants to introduce yooooouuuu to some people. Bring dear Liwei with you, okaaaaaay?" Wei Lan spoke in English so everyone understood her.

Everyone was shocked after hearing what she said. What did she say?! They looked at Vizcondesa Lan and at Iris Long. It was only then that they noticed the resemblance between the two women. One thought ran through their minds at that moment.

Iris Long was a viscountess' daughter?!!!

Chapter 495 - Livestream

"Yes, Iris Long is my daughter. Doesn't she look like me?" Wei Lan said, confirming her mother and daughter relationship with Iris.

The people around them heard her. Now everyone became more curious about Iris Long. They looked at her a little differently than before. She might be a newcomer in the Sommet International Film Festival, but her impressive connections with important people already made her memorable compared to the other newbies.

In addition to this, she also became a nominee for one of the prestigious awards on her first try at such a young age. Just by looking at her, she should be around her early twenties. In fact, the other foreigners even thought that she might still be a teenager because of her youthful look.

"Honeeeeey, dear Liweeeeei, come here," Wei Lan repeated.

"Yes, Mother," Iris replied. She excused herself from the reporters and pulled Jin Liwei's hand.

When the couple reached Wei Lan, she introduced the two of them to her "new friends". She called Iris her "beloved one and only daughter" and Liwei as her "dearest future son-in-law". Grandpa Lu and Lu Zihao joined them as well.

More VIP guests arrived on the red carpet. Upon seeing the group huddling together and recognizing some friends and acquaintances, they also joined the group. As a result, the group became bigger. It consisted of some of the most important and well-known figures in the world.

The others looking at them couldn't help but feel starstruck. Some of them even felt envious, wishing that they could also become part of the group. Unfortunately, they didn't think that they would fit in. They wondered how unknown personalities like Iris Long and Hunter Lu could fit in the group. It was only when they learned that Iris Long was the fiancée of Chinese billionaire Liam Jin and the daughter of a Spanish viscountess while Hunter Lu was Sir Jianhong Lu's grandson that they understood why.

'Ah, so it's nepotism,'they muttered to themselves in envy.

They thought that Iris Long and Hunter Lu were just using their familial relations in order to connect with so many important people. Envy clouded their judgment. They didn't think that Iris Long or Hunter Lu might have achievements of their own. For now, they had negative impressions of the two. They thought that both of them didn't deserve to be included in the group of impressive people. N♡vεlB¡n: A Haven for Bookworms and Dreamers.

As for the reporters, they didn't care about this kind of thoughts at the moment. Instead, they were having a field day photographing and recording the group's interactions on video.

Of course, the Chinese reporter livestreaming the opening night made sure to focus on the Chinese attendees, especially on Iris Long and Jin Liwei. This was his second livestream of the night. He had to cut off his first livestream after the first red carpet ended earlier. The media weren't allowed to photograph or record anything on video during the opening ceremony. Fortunately, they were still allowed to watch inside and take notes.

When he ended his first livestream earlier, there were more than 200,000 viewers. It was already an impressive number and vastly exceeded his initial expectations. His boss back in China even called to congratulate him and to encourage him to work harder.

Once he started the second livestream, he was shocked out of his wits. Within a few seconds, the view count reached more than 1 million, and it was still increasing every few seconds. It should already be around 3 AM back in China. What were all of these people doing? They weren't going to sleep?

After the initial shock, the reporter became super excited. His boss called him again and promised to give him a promotion after he returned to the country. This made him more determined to closely follow Iris Long, Jin Liwei and the other Chinese attendees throughout the entire duration of the Sommet International Film Festival.

###

Back in China, everyone was in uproar after discovering that Iris Long and Jin Liwei were engaged to each other. Despite the time, people called their family and friends, rousing them from sleep, in order to tell them to watch the livestream.

"Iris Long and CEO Jin Liwei are engaged!!! Hurry up and watch the livestream!!! OMG!!! They're holding hands!!!"

This was the reason why the second livestream instantly reached 1 million viewers when it just started. In fact, it would soon reach 1.5 million viewers.

People were live-commenting like crazy while watching.

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"Is this for real?! I can't believe this! First, I honestly thought that Boss Iris is engaged to Prince Lin Lin. She repeatedly denied it, so I slowly accepted that it might not be the case. A couple of days ago, she was photographed walking the streets in France with that hunky Lu Zihao, so I thought that maybe he's her real fiancé. I didn't really mind because he looks so HOT, even with that scar on his face. But it turns out that I'm wrong again. Never did I expect that Boss Iris' real fiancé is actually CEO Jin Liwei!!! WTF!!!"

"This is so unbelievable! I'm so shook!!!"

"From LinRis to ZiRis...and now WeiRis?"

"That's a good one! WeiRis, I like it!!!"

"Noooo! I'm not sure about this pairing! CEO Jin looks too cold and mean! What if he treats Boss Iris badly?! He looks like an ice block, not romantic at all! Boss Iris deserves someone who'll love her passionately till the end of time!"

Then suddenly, a shocking user joined the comments.

JinChonglin: "Yes, Big Brother was an ice block but Sister-in-law Iris managed to melt the ice around his heart. Now he's such a doting hubby that I want to puke whenever they drown me with dogfood."

"!!!"

"Prince Lin Lin, is that you?!!!"

JinChonglin: "Of course. Who else? My phone kept ringing in the middle of the night because of people wanting to ask me if my big brother is really engaged to Iris Long. Now I can't sleep anymore, so I might as well watch this livestream."

The netizens interviewed Jin Chonglin, and he answered most of the questions while filtering and blocking the rude ones. He confirmed that he knew about his brother's relationship with Iris Long since last year.

Later, the livestream reached 2 million viewers.

Jin Chonglin wasn't the only Jin watching the livestream. The Jin branch families also tuned in, shocked to discover the identity of their future Madam.

Chapter 496 - Snobbish Attitudes

The members of the Jin branch families called Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan on the phone, even though it was already extremely late at night. They asked if the matriarch and the old madam knew that the family head was engaged to Iris Long.

Both Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan were displeased of being awakened from their sleep in the middle of the night. After the two confirmed that they knew about Jin Liwei and Iris Long's relationship, the branch families expressed their unhappiness. They even declared that they found the engagement unacceptable.

"Who are you to dictate my grandson's life?" Grandma Li retorted in a deliberately snooty manner. She was furious at their complaints. "My grandson is the family head. How dare you try to control his life?!"

Similarly, Huang Yuyan was also angered at all the complaints. However, she had a weaker disposition compared to her mother-in-law, so all she could do was assure everyone that she accepted Iris Long as her eldest son's fiancée. When the complaints became too much, she turned off her phone and used a maid's phone instead to call Grandma Li for advice on what to do. Grandma Li was currently at her mountain estate.

"I'll fly back there to the old house first thing in the morning," Grandma Li told Huang Yuyan. Then she sniffed in cold derision. "They're just the branch families. Do they really think that they could control my grandson, the head of the family and Jin Corporation? Preposterous! If my husband was alive, he would be decisive and cut them off immediately. The Jin family only needs loyal people. If they can't support their own head's choices, then they don't deserve to remain members of our family!"

"But Mother...many of them are members of Jin Corporation's board of directors..." Huang Yuyan said.

"Hmph! So what?! If I need to, I'll forcefully buy all of the assets they own in the company! Let's see if they can still flap their mouths against my grandson! I'm still the matriarch of the family and my husband was one of the founders of Jin Corporation. I have my own wealth! And if I still don't have enough, I'll just take a loan from that old gorilla. Brother Jianhong adores Xiulan. I'm sure it'll also anger him once he learns about what these branch families are saying about our favourite granddaughter."

Huang Yuyan felt comforted after hearing Grandma Li's words. Her earlier panic slowly disappeared, replaced by calmness and determination instead.

"Mother, I don't think you need to buy their assets," she told Grandma Li. "My eldest son is a great leader. I'm sure that he can solve this situation better than us. Let's trust in him. And besides, Xiulan is not defenceless either. Let's not forget that she's Uncle Jianhong's student, not to mention that she's also enrolled at Cross Academy. All of these alone already make her more than qualified to be our family's next Madam. In fact, I don't think our family deserves someone as special as her."

Grandma Li made a sound of agreement. "Good thing you reminded me. I almost forgot that she's that old gorilla's disciple and a Cross Academy student. Yes, our Jin family is lucky to have her as the next Madam. Those branch families need to keep their priorities straight, or they'll eat their own words in the future."

"Yes, I hope so," Huang Yuyan replied before sighing. "They should be careful of what they say about Xiulan. My son loves her very much. Despite his outward coldness and indifference, he actually possesses a rather vindictive personality deep inside. I'm afraid that he won't forgive his relatives if they hurt Xiulan."

"Just like his grandfather. That's why I'll support him in whatever his decision is in handling the branch families. If he punishes them, then it only means that they deserve it. As the leader, he should rule the family with an iron fist like his grandfather and his father before him, or else the relatives will take advantage of him and of Jin Corporation. It was because of my husband's hard work that the entire Jin family reached our status now, anyway. During the early days, did they help my husband? No! It was only because of my husband's kindness and sense of responsibility that he shared the blessings to his relatives.

"And now they think that they have the right to dictate my grandson's choice of wife? How foolish! We, the main family, make our own decisions. The branch families don't have the right to interfere with our choices! All of us from the main family already accepted Xiulan and can't wait for her to marry Liwei. What right do those branch families have to question us?" Grandma Li ranted.

Although she said all of these, the truth was that if Iris Long weren't a student of Lu Jianhong and Cross Academy, she would've also been against Iris' relationship with her grandson. Just based on Iris' bad reputation before and the fact that she actively worked in showbiz, both Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan would have automatically deemed her unsuitable to marry Jin Liwei who was the head of the family and Jin Corporation. Even Jin Chonglin had a hard time making them accept his decision to enter showbiz instead of working for Jin Corporation back then.

Even if they denied it, Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan had snobbish attitudes ingrained in them due to their status as wives of past Jin family heads. It was fortunate that Iris was connected to Grandpa Lu and Cross Academy, making them accept her as soon as they met her. Basically, they weren't all that different to the branch families at all. It was just that they knew about Iris' status as a certified genius and her connectionto the legendary school, Cross Academy. N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

After her tirade, Grandma Li calmed down.

"No matter what happens, let's just support Liwei and Xiulan," she said.

"Yes, Mother," Huang Yuyan replied.

"I want Xiulan to become my granddaughter-in-law no matter what. If those branch families dare to stop my grandson from marrying her, I'll encourage Liwei to disown them," Grandma Li said in a domineering tone.

With that, the two Jin Madams banded together to defend Iris and Jin Liwei's relationship against the Jin relatives.

Chapter 497 - It Should Be ME

N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.

It wasn't only the Jin branch families who were freaking out upon learning the engagement between Iris Long and Jin Liwei. The Long branch families were also stunned into mixed reactions.

The camp supporting Iris, led by Elder Long Jufang, were shocked before quickly feeling ecstatic. Iris' engagement to Jin Liwei meant that she would become the bridge connecting the Longs to the Jins. This connection was even better than their earlier assumption that she was engaged to Lu Zihao. Sir Lu Jianhong hadn't named his grandson, Lu Zihao, or anyone else for that matter, as his heir yet.

On the other hand, Jin Liwei was already the current head of the Jin family and Jin Corporation. Long Jufang became even more determined to continue trying to establisha close personal connection to Iris, and in extension, to Jin Liwei as well.

In contrast to Iris' supporters, thecamp supporting Long Hui had the opposite reaction. They were in complete disbelief, especially Long Meng. She recently managed to entice other relatives to jump ship to support Long Hui, making their camp the largest in the battle for succession in the Long clan. Many of those who originally supported Long Hui but then changed camps to support Iris instead returned once again after Long Hui bought the 5% shares.

Long Meng thought that Long Hui had now reclaimed his rightful position as the successor of the Long clan and Long Industries. She was especially pleased that Long Hui woke up from his rebelliousness and broke up with that female bodyguard. He had also become receptive to her advice.

Secretly working with his mother, Zheng Suyin, Long Meng was able to pair him to a suitable bride from a good family that they approved of. If he continued to listen to her and his mother's advice, Long Meng believed that it was only a matter of time before Long Hui stabilized his position as the successor. The other contenders, including Iris, wouldn't be able to threaten his position anymore.

Now, however, Iris had risen to become an even bigger threat than she was before because of her engagement with Jin Liwei. Long Meng disregarded the time and called Zheng Suyin on the phone.

This was an emergency!

###

All across the nation, many people were similarly shocked after discovering the relationship between Iris Long and Jin Liwei. They just couldn't wrap their minds around the truth that the two seemingly incompatible people were engaged to each other. At first, they thought that it was a joke. But after watching the livestream and seeing the couple's intimacy, they didn't have a choice but to believe.

It was a sleepless night for most members of high society. Earlier that night, they were already shocked silly upon learning that Wei Lan had become a Spanish viscountess. They always saw Wei Lan as a gold digging, social climber who was inferior to them. To those who hated her, the fact that she had become a legitimate member of European nobility left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Now that it was her daughter's turn to drop a bombshell, they were all left reeling in great astonishment. One thought entered their minds:

This mother and daughter were too godly in entrapping men of quality into marriage!

High society's older generation of womencursed Wei Lan, while the younger generation hated Iris Long. They were filled with envy towards the mother and daughter. These spiteful women couldn't accept that the mother and daughter whom they look down on now had elevated status because of their men.

###

Inside her condo unit, Rose Young was crying in anger and frustration while watching the livestream. Jenny Tseng, her friend and one of the biggest gossips in high society, called her nonstop until she woke up. Rose Young was irritated at being awakened in the middle of the night, but when Jenny Tseng uttered the magic words "Jin Liwei", she immediately listened and paid attention.

Upon learning that Iris Long was Jin Liwei's fiancée, Rose Young burst into tears. She smashed the lamp, picture frame and everything else on her bedside table to the floor.

Now she knew why his fiancée's voice sounded familiar when she talked to the woman on the phone before. The woman was actually fucking Iris Long! Of course, Iris Long's voice sounded familiar because Rose Young often heard her whenever her commercials played on the TV or radio, not to mention whenever she guested in shows.

Rose Young glared at her laptop. The livestream showed Jin Liwei's possessive arm wrapped around Iris Long's waist. The two also frequently gazed into each other's eyes. Jin Liwei also couldn't seem to stop nuzzling Iris Long's head or neck. Throughout the livestream, there wasn't a time that the two separated. They were always together, as if connected by their hips. The intimacy between them was very obvious.

"You slut! How dare you steal Big Brother Liwei away from me! He's mine! Big Brother is mine! Give him back to me! You fucking slut, I'll kill you!" she shrieked, almost tearing her hair off from her scalp. Her teeth bared in a hiss, while her eyes looked bloodshot and manic.

"What did Big Brother Liwei see in you?! You're nothing but a singer, a lowly showgirl! Is it because of your body?! Your breasts?! Is it?!! Just because of you have bigger breasts than me?!! Your body only looks nice now, but when you grow old, everything will be gone! You'll become old, wrinkled and undesirable!!!

"I'm more successful and accomplished than you! I'm educated in the same Ivy league business school as Big Brother! I have high IQ! I'm the one who's a perfect match for Big Brother Liwei, not you! You're just a slut who depends on your face and body!

"Wake up, Big Brother Liwei! Don't be blinded by beauty! That empty-brained slut is unsuitable for a powerful man like you! You should look for someoneclose to your level—ME! You should be marrying ME! It should be ME!!! Only ME!!! Open your eyes!!!"

Rose Young continued her hysterical ravings until the sun rose. Her hatred for Jin Liwei's mysterious fiancée finally found a target—Iris Long.

Chapter 498 - Merciless

Spiteful people like Rose Young, the young female members of high society, and all those who felt envious and threatened of Iris Long went on an online defamation mission against her. They were united in belittling her achievements and painting her as nothing more than a pretty face with a nice body. They declared that she was an unsuitable partner for Jin Liwei, the most powerful man of the country's business world of his generation.

"There are so many women in the world who are much more worthy than Iris Long! Why her?" they cried to Jin Liwei (as if he cared about what they thought).

It was a sleepless night for these people. They wrote bad things about Iris Long on the internet. Some of them even openly called her a slut, a whore, and other insults degrading to their fellow woman.

However, no matter how much they posted, their hate comments would disappear within minutes. When these happened a few times, many of them gave up, including Rose Young. Seeing that the posts were being deleted quickly, she thought that it was Jin Liwei's work.

"Big Brother Liwei is really protecting that slut," she muttered in resentment.

With this thought, Rose Young realized that it was only a waste of time posting these little comments online. Jin Liwei wielded considerable power and influence as the President-CEO of Jin Corporation. If he really wanted to protect his fiancée's reputation online, no hate comments would escape from him. Besides, these little hate comments wouldn't hurt Iris Long much, anyway.

Rose Young thought that it would be better to spend her time doing something more productive and destructive against the slut. So she decided to phone her father, Romeo Young, from Singapore instead. She informed him about the situation and asked for his advice on how to proceed.

Now that they knew the identity of Jin Liwei's fiancée, they had a clear target. Her father knew some good hackers. They would be much more effective in destroying Iris Long compared to Rose Young's attempts of defaming the woman online.

Rose Young may have given up for now, but her little actions online didn't escape the glowing green eyes of a certain white cat.

Since Rose Young's name was recorded in the black notebook, Ketchup monitored her 24/7. The virtual white cat wanted to destroy the evil woman immediately, but Mommy and Daddy said that it wasn't the right time yet. So Ketchup could only continue to gather incriminating evidence against Rose Young and her equally evil family in Singapore.

The white cat didn't want to disobey her parents, especially about matters regarding the black notebook and the names recorded in it. Mommy and Daddy warned her that they would ground her if she acted like a bad kitty. So scary! Ketchup promised her parents that she would be a good kitty.

While Ketchup continued to prioritize monitoring Rose Young, the white cat didn't let the others escape either. She planted destructive viruses that destroyed all data on the computer and mobile devices of everyone who posted things about her mommy online.

And for the ones who refused to give up despite having their comments automatically deleted and continued defaming Mommy, Ketchup dug out scandalous information about them and revealed them all over the internet. She also made sure that the first people to see the scandalous information were their bosses, family and friends.

Ketchup was merciless.

She didn't let anyone escape from her instant revenge. How dare these jackasses say such bad things about her mommy?! Unforgivable!

If it were up to Ketchup, she would've already made sure to destroy them beyond recovery. However, her mommy put some limits on the things she was allowed to do on her own. If she wanted to do things beyond the restrictions placed on her, she must ask Mommy for permission first. She was a good kitty, so she wouldn't disobey Mommy or Daddy!

For now, at least she was allowed to mete out instant punishments to those who deserved it. No mercy!

###

In the next few days, Iris and everyone involved in the film "Strong Yet Broken" were busy attending events during the Sommet International Film Festival. There were official interviews, press conferences, forums, and dinners.

Of course, Jin Liwei was Iris' escort to all of these events. Never once did he let Iris attend by herself. This showed everyone that he was really committed to their relationship.

The cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken" were also finally informed that Jin Liwei was the true boss and owner of LX Productions. In short, he was everyone's big boss. The organizers of the film festival were also secretly informed about it. As a result, Jin Liwei was given an automatic pass to join the cast and crew to the events.

The public, however, remained clueless about his connection to LX Productions. At this point, Iris didn't care much if the public knew that he was the true owner of the production company. Once she made up her mind to announce their relationship to the world during the Sommet International Film Festival, she had already prepared herself to face everything—from congratulations to criticisms—all the way.

However, Jin Liwei decided to keep the truth about his ownership of LX Productions a secret for now. He didn't want his ownership to overshadow the contributions of his baby girl to the film. He also didn't want others twisting the facts and claiming that she used him for her own gain.

So he threatened—COUGH COUGH—"requested" the cast and crew of "Strong Yet Broken", including Guan Jintao and his wife, to not tell anyone about it. Of course, everyone promised to keep their mouths zipped. They were extremely thankful for his company's financial and professional assistance to the film. It wouldn't reach the quality that it had now without LX Productions' help.

Besides their gratefulness, they agreed to keep the truth a secret because they were afraid of Jin Liwei's wrath. Who would be stupid enough to offend the President-CEO of Jin Corporation? Not them!

All of their careers were flying off at the moment thanks to "Strong Yet Broken". They didn't want to cut their current success because they angered a powerful man like Jin Liwei.

Thus, they all treated Iris Long extremely well. If they treated the wife well, of course the husband would look at them kindly. That was common sense.

Chapter 499 - They're Our Family

While Iris and Jin Liwei were busy attending events everyday in the Sommet International Film Festival, Long Hui was trying to make trouble for Jiang Ying Yue back in China regarding the custody battle between them for their son, Little Jun.

Fortunately, Attorney Hong Shaoqiang had already predicted Long Hui's reaction. He was prepared and managed to deflect the official complaint filed by Long Hui's lawyer.

Hong Shaoqiang was Iris' lawyer who she lent to Jiang Ying Yue for the custody battle. He was also being assisted by Jin Liwei's lawyer in secret. With the two of these skilled lawyers working in tandem, Long Hui's lawyer couldn't act as aggressive as he wanted.

Long Hui was hoping to force Jiang Ying Yue to immediately bring Little Jun home to China from France. He accused Jiang Ying Yue of hiding their son away from him. He was afraid that she wouldn't return Little Jun to China anymore.

At first, Jiang Ying Yue panicked after learning that Long Hui's lawyer filed an official complaint against her. Fortunately, Iris and the others reassured her. Jiang Ying Yue could only trust Attorney Hong Shaoqiang and Jin Liwei's lawyer to defend her rights as Little Jun's mother against Long Hui's repeated attempts of bullying.

She calmed down but a certain old man was angered.

Grandpa Lu became furious when he learned about the custody battle. He loved Little Jun who he considered as his first great-grandbaby.

He actually called his own lawyer and friend who previously held a seat at the International Court of Justice before semi-retiring as a private lawyer to select VIP clients like Grandpa Lu. In the next few days, his impressive lawyer would be taking over the custody battle. Hong Shaoqiang and Jin Liwei's lawyer would become the assistants instead.

Jiang Ying Yue actually felt a little sorry for Long Hui after discovering what Grandpa Lu did. Although the custody battle was of the utmost importance to her, to the eyes of other people, it was just a simple case.

Was there a need to appoint three of the country's most talented lawyers for a custody case? It was, simply speaking, an overkill. Iris, Jin Liwei and Grandpa Lu figuratively sent a nuclear missile each to crack a measly peanut.

After the initial pity for Long Hui, however, Jiang Ying Yue hardened her heart. He was clearly making trouble for her. If she continued to allow her previous feelings for him to cloud her judgment, he would always be successful in hurting her. She didn't want to be weak anymore. She wanted to be like the mother and daughter, Wei Lan and Iris—both very strong and confident women.

Although it was difficult, Jiang Ying Yue was able to grow her confidence level slowly but surely. Her son, Little Jun, gave her strength everyday. He was her life.

Now that Long Hui had decided to marry another woman, Jiang Ying Yue wouldn't allow him to take custody of their son. She heard that his new fiancée came from a family very similar to the Longs. If even the Longs had the capability of bullying her son, how much more the family of Long Hui's new fiancée who was not blood-related?

They would need to kill her first before Jiang Ying Yue would allow them to take her son away from her. Over her dead body!

For now, Jiang Ying Yue didn't want to think about all of these stressful things. She wanted to enjoy this French vacation together with her son. It was only Iris and Jin Liwei who were always busy everyday because of the film festival. Dom and Tang Yiyi were also busy because the two assisted Iris in preparing for all of the events. They were also the ones updating her social media pages.

As for the rest of them, they could do whatever they wanted. Wei Lan was making a lot of new "friends" during this trip. She was invited to all of the exclusive social events. Of course, she would drag Jiang Ying Yue, Grandpa Lu and Lu Zihao with her if they were willing. Jiang Ying Yue only went if kids were allowed. She didn't want to leave her son anymore.

Most of the time, Grandpa Lu took Little Jun and toured him around the riviera. As the mother, Jiang Ying Yue also went with them. They went to all the places that offered children's activities. Since the place was currently hosting the Sommet International Film Festival, there were a few children of famous celebrities and other influential people staying at the riviera as well. These children frequented the same places Grandpa Lu was taking Little Jun. As a result, Little Jun became playmates to all of these kids.

The famous parents of these kids liked Little Jun because he was always well-dressed in stylish outfits, thanks to his Grandma Wei Lan.

Little Jun was the current apple of Grandpa Lu's eyes. He bought the toddler everything that his little index fingers pointed at. Wei Lan wasn't any better. Every time she returned from her shopping trips, she would always have a small mountain of gifts for Little Jun. N♡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.

Jiang Ying Yue tried stopping them from buying too much for her son. At this rate, Little Jun's luggage alone would fill the entire private jet when they returned home to China. Although she was very thankful to them for loving her son, she didn't want them to spoil Little Jun too much.

They agreed but still bought Little Jun many things behind her back. All she could do was sigh and shake her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

She carried Little Jun in her arms and kissed him on his plump cheeks. They looked at Iris, Jin Liwei, Grandpa Lu, Wei Lan, Lu Zihao, Dom, Tang Yiyi, and all the others accompanying them on this French trip. Then she told him:

"Look, my son. Those are all the people who love you. They're our family."

###

Finally, it was the world premiere night of "Strong Yet Broken". There was another short red carpet event before the premiere. Everyone staying at the villa estate came to support Iris and the film, including some of the French staff who had the day off.

By this time, Wei Lan had already become a popular figure in many impressive social circles. She had made a lot of connections to figures who were all very influential in their own right. She invited all of them to support "Strong Yet Broken", boasting that her daughter composed the movie's entire film score. Many of them accepted her invitation because they wanted to become friends with her, a Spanish viscountess.

Of course, Maestro Ludovico De Luca, his wife, and Enrique Valdez also attended to support Iris. They congratulated their student, but also warned her to not let everything get too much into her head. They didn't want her to become arrogant.

Iris assured them that she wouldn't.

Seeing all of these famous and influential figures attending the film premiere, the media covering the event were all astounded.They even thought that they might have come to the wrong screening.

"Strong Yet Broken" finally played on the big screen. Later, there wasn't a single dry eye after the film ended.

"Honeeeeey! Why did you compose such heart-wrenching music? It was so SAAAAAAAAD!!!" Wei Lan sobbed beside Iris. Then she whispered, "I have a gooooooood feeling that you're going to win that Best Music...Best Composer...wait, what's it called again?"

"Auntie, it's Best Soundtrack Award," Jin Liwei told her from Iris' other side.

"Oh, right. Thanks, dear Liweeeeeei~" Then Wei Lan continued to whisper to Iris, "My intuition tells me that you're going to win that Best Soundtrack Award, honeeeeeey! Just look at all these people crying like crazy! Whenever the background music plays, my chest started hurting. You're so meeeeeaaaaan! You should've warned Mother that this is a saaaaaad movie. Good thing I wore waterproof makeup tonight!"

Iris only smiled at Wei Lan's words.

There was an indescribable feeling deep inside her. She already watched the film when it premiered in China last year. However, it still felt different now that it was premiering in the international level. Hearing her own music in the film and seeing all these people who came from different parts of the world watching it gaveher an unbelievable sense of accomplishment.

She felt Jin Liwei hold her hand and squeeze it gently. When she turned her head, she saw him smiling at her.

"I'm so proud of you, love," he whispered at her.

"Thank you, darling."

On her other side, Wei Lan continued to whisper at her, saying, "I watched some of the other films with my new friends these past few days. They were all sooooo boooooriiiiing! I almost fell asleep! Even though you're my daughter, I can say that your music is the beeeeeest one among the films that I watched. Some of the films didn't even have any music AT ALL! They called it art, but I say they're just being lazy. I'm sure you're going to win, honeeeeey~"

"Thank you, Mother," Iris said. "I'm confident of my own music, but there are also other talented and skilled composers participating in this film festival. It will be up to the jury who they will choose to win the Best Soundtrack Award."

"Mother says you're going to wiiiiiiin, so you will! But if you do really win, I guess the jury are all masochists for voting for such SAAAAAAD music! Ah, I didn't knooooow that I gave birth to such a sadistic music composer," Wei Lan said.

Chapter 500 - Four Nominations

After its international premiere at the Sommet International Film Festival, "Strong Yet Broken" received mostly favourable reviews from the world's leading film critics. They praised it for its rawness and realistic depiction of the issues surrounding the topics of disability, depression, and suicide. The film didn't sugarcoat or romanticize these subjects, except perhaps for the love of Guan Jintao's mother for her husband and son.

All of these reviews were published in different languages which gave everyone involved in the film a dream-like feeling of amazed disbelief. The fact that their film, "Strong Yet Broken", made its international debut at what was considered by many as the world's most prestigious film festival hadn't completely hit home to them yet.

Never did they expect that the indie film they created and acted in would garner such unprecedented success and recognition, not only in China but also abroad. All of them would never forget the wonderful experiences they had with this film. Of course, Iris Long also felt the same way.

There were also some critics who wrote negative reviews. A handful of them were even extremely scathing. It dampened the cast and crew's high spirits somewhat before they decided to shrug their shoulders. Nobody could please everyone. They would just focus on the positive reviews and praises, instead of brooding on the harsh criticisms.

Finally, after more than a week of nonstop screenings and various events, the last day of the Sommet International Film Festival arrived. All of the shortlisted films had already been screened and watched by the thousands of film enthusiasts who travelled to the French Riviera just to attend the festival.

Unlike the (boring) opening ceremony, almost everyone was excited for the awards night. They didn't care if the host, speakers or the performances would be dull. It was the anticipation of who would win the awards among the selected nominees that everyone cared about the most.

Of course, the nominees also couldn't contain their excitement and anxiety, even to the few of themwho were already considered veterans. These people had experienced participating in the film festival more than once in the past. A handful of them even won awards before. Despite this, they still couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This was the prestigious Sommet International Film Festival Awards after all.

As for the other participants, the majority of them were complete newcomers. So it wasn't surprising that they were almost beyond themselves in their nervous excitement. This was a dream come true for most of them.

The only Chinese entry, "Strong Yet Broken", received a total of four nominations.

First was for the Best Debut Film Award. The winner would be chosen among the films with cast and crew who were total newcomers to the Sommet International Film Festival. Every single person involved in the film must never have participated in the film festival in any way in the past.

Second was for the Best Soundtrack Award. Iris Long was nominated for her work in "Strong Yet Broken" as the composer of the film score. If she won, she would be the youngest recipient of this particular award in the film festival's history. She was 21 years old this year. The youngest winner recorded was a 27-year old man who won the award five years ago. N♡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.

Third was for the Best Actress Award. The actress playing Guan Jintao's mother was nominated for her outstanding performance. Win or lose, China's acting industry was already celebrating her achievements for her work in "Strong Yet Broken". She was now being lauded and respected as one of the most phenomenal actresses in China.

Last but not the least, the film was also nominated for the main prize, the Soleil d'Or or the Golden Sun Award. This was the highest honour among all the prizes given out at the Sommet International Film Festival. Receiving this award was a dream come true for all serious filmmakers.

The Sommet International Film Festival was also considered as the opening to the long awards season. Winning the Soleil d'Or would give the film and everyone involved in it a higher likelihood of winning other prestigious awards in other countries, including the famous long-running Institute Awards in the US, also officially and popularly known as the Owens, which was broadcast to more than a hundred countries all around the world.

But for now, everyone was focused in the Sommet International Film Festival.

The awards night was even more fabulous than the opening ceremony. It was the final night, after all. The next Sommet International Film Festival wouldn't happen until next year.

Everyone dressed their best. The spectators, media, and VIP guests were almost triple the number compared to the opening night. The event was filled with glitz and glamour. Of course, the spectators' screams and shrieks sounded all throughout the event.

Like the opening night, after the regular members of the audience quickly walked the red carpet, the VIP guests started arriving with much pomp and circumstance. It was another parade of fashion and star power.

Enrique Valdez.

Maestro Ludovico De Luca and his wife, Madame De Luca.

Sir Jianhong Lu and Hunter Lu.

Vizcondesa Lan of Castillo de Estrellas of España with her large entourage of bodyguards.

Jiang Ying Yue didn't accompany Wei Lan this time. She decided to stay with her son at the villa estate instead. To her, it was much more fun to spend the night with Little Jun than trying to make herself look comfortable in front of all those people and media. Although she didn't attend, she and Little Jun still wanted to support Iris by watching the awards ceremony on TV.

"Ampa Lu! Anko Hao! Amma Weiyan!" Little Jun exclaimed in excitement whenever he saw his Great-Grandpa Lu, Uncle Lu Zihao, and Grandma Wei Lan on TV.

Jiang Ying Yue chuckled at her son.

"No Mama? No Papa?" Little Jun asked with an adorable expression while pointing his little index finger at the TV.

"Not yet. Your Mama Xiulan and Papa Liwei haven't arrived yet. They're going to appear later," she explained to the toddler.

"Oh!"

Little Jun's eyes widened a bit, looking as if he understood his mommy's words.

The mother and son sat on the carpet in front of the TV at the living area. Some of the villa's French household staff were also watching the awards night with them.