His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1320
Iris thought that the original Long Xiulan was a pitiful girl. Sure, she didn't have the most endearing personality. In fact, she had been extremely outrageous throughout her short life. Her home life was the epitome of a lonely, rich girl cliché who rebelled due to lack of parental affection and attention.
As someone who possessed the original's body and memories, Iris understood Long Xiulan's desire to be accepted. To be honest, the original was a naturally talented girl. She only lacked the skill and dedication because of her spoiled nature.
The original's natural talent gave Evelina the foundation to use her own advanced skills and techniques from her past life in order for the brand new Iris Long to quickly rise up in showbiz after making a high-profile comeback.
Similar to the original Long Xiulan, Evelina Vetrova had also craved a "normal" family life.
She had known that her father loved her but couldn't spend a lot of time with her because he was the head of the organization. He had been too busy running what was basically a criminal empire.
As for her mother, there was no need to mention how Evelina had been treated by the woman while she was growing up. Madam Vetrova had acted more like a cold and heartless robot programmed to execute objectives as perfectly as possible rather than a human being.
If not for her older brother who had always provided her with love and warmth as best as he could, she might have already long given up in her past life. Nikolai Vetrov was every bit a Vetrovâcruel, ruthless and viciousâyet he doted on her, his one and only little sister. He might be cold-hearted to everyone else, but in reality, he wasn't someone without a heart.
If Nikolai Vetrov had been as heartless as his enemies painted him to be, then how could Evelina feel so loved and treasured by her older brother?
It was a pity that his brotherly love hadn't been enough to sustain her. She found herself slowly and painfully dying inside the longer she lived as a member of the Vetrov family.
Now that she was reborn as the new Iris Long, she could see that both she and the original Long Xiulan had both lived lonely lives that ended in tragedy.
"Liwei."
Her husband looked at her while continuing to play with their eldest twin son, Little Mochi.
"What is it, love?" Jin Liwei asked.
"Do you think that if the original Long Xiulan lived in a normal family with parents who loved and cared for her and educated her properly, she wouldn't grow up the way she did? Maybe...just maybe she wouldn't have died so tragically like that?"
Jin Liwei didn't reply right away. He thought about her question in silence for a few moments. The shaking rattle in his hand sounded almost jarring in the sudden somber atmosphere.
"To tell you the truth, I don't know," he finally answered. "We can't say anything for certain when it already happened the way it did. All I can say is...it must be fate."
Iris lowered her gaze and reflected on the word "fate" in her mind.
"I might sound insensitive by saying this but I'm glad that the original Long Xiulan...passed away," he continued saying.
She raised her eyes up and looked at him in surprise before frowning. Indeed, his words were quite insensitive.
"Of course, I still feel guilty and sorry for indirectly causing Long Xiulan's death due to my erroneous decision to protect Fan Luo as my brother's fiancée back then. But..."
He looked at her straight in the eyes. His gaze was firm.
"...if Long Xiulan hadn't died, I wouldn't have you now, Evelina. I'm always thankful every day that you were reborn as Long Xiulan because I got the chance to meet you, my fated lover."
Her expression softened. She found herself becoming teary-eyed.
"I love you, wife. So much."
She chuckled and wiped her eyes before standing up. She walked to him and stood on her tippy-toes for a kiss.
"I love you too, husband."
The kiss was light and gentle but the intensity of love it held was unmeasurable.
Little Mochi's restless wriggling and loud wail interrupted the husband and wife, effectively ending the sweet kiss.
Jin Liwei rocked their eldest twin son. It was obvious from his dark expression that he was displeased but he wouldn't take his anger out on his little baby.
Iris giggled and kissed Little Mochi's forehead. The baby immediately smiled. It was as if he didn't wail just now.
"Drama queen," she said to her son in amusement.
"En." Jin Liwei agreed but he didn't look as amused as her.
Iris felt her breasts becoming too swollen and heavy so she went to a hidden corner to pump milk.
While she was out of sight, Jin Liwei looked at Little Mochi. The baby's gaze was still unfocused but Jin Liwei pretended that the two of them were having a serious father and son heart-to-heart talk.
"Jin Haoyu, be good. Don't interrupt your mom and dad like that again. Do you understand?"
Little Mochi farted.
Iris giggled from the hidden corner.
Jin Liwei sighed and remembered that his wife had great hearing. He lowered his head to smell his son's diaper and winced. He sighed again as he changed Little Mochi's diaper.
By the weekend, Iris finally had a breakthrough in her investigations on Tian Kong.
She did her best to be as careful as possible in not drawing attention. Although battling against other hackers was fun and rewarding, it consumed large amounts of time and energy. She didn't have the same amount of time and energy that she had before after becoming a mother to her baby twins.
For now, she could only suppress her competitive instincts as a hacker and avoid direct confrontations as much as possible. At least until the twins had grown up enough not to require her constant attention.
Her efforts these past few days bore fruit. She was able to find some helpful clues without directly engaging with other hackers who were protecting the information about the real mastermind behind Tian Kong's crime.
"At last," she muttered before smiling.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1321
Iris checked on the twins and left them to her mother-in-law and Grandpa Lu. Then she headed to the training grounds.
According to Bacon, her big brother was there supervising the security teams in their daily drills.
To her surprise, her husband was there, too.
"What's happening?" she asked the person nearest her.
"Young Madam," the man greeted. He was a Shadow Winds member stationed at Dragon Palace Home #10. "Sir Jin asked Boss Hao for pointers in close combat."
"I see. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Young Madam."
Iris found a seat that had a nice view of the spot where her husband and big brother were sparring. The others gave way to her. Someone even got her a can of coconut juice.
"Young Madam, would you like some popcorn?"
She chuckled but shook her head. "Thank you, everyone. No need to mind me. Please continue with your training. Your Boss Hao will punish you if he sees you slacking off."
There was no need for her to say anything more. Everyone scuttled back to their own training.
Even the original members of Dragon Palace Home #10's security team followed suit despite the fact that Lu Zihao wasn't their official employer. Ever since they began following Shadow Winds' training regimen personally devised by Lu Zihao, all of them had noticed a significant improvement in their physiques, mental states, and most importantly, their skills.
Iris opened the can of coconut water and began sipping it while watching the spar between her husband and big brother. It wasn't really a complete spar but more about Lu Zihao giving Jin Liwei practical training.
Jin Liwei was trained in orthodox karate. He was quite skilled in it and even had a third-degree black belt. He would have advanced even more if he hadn't been so busy running Jin Corporation.
Despite this, his orthodox training proved to have limited his battle instincts during real combat. There were no rules when fighting during a life and death situation.
Would ethics and sportsmanship save a person's life from a murderer?
Of course not.
Now that there were so many dangers crouching in the dark around his family, Jin Liwei couldn't sit still. He wanted to become stronger. No, he "needed" to be stronger in order to protect his family.
The best person that he could think of to ask for effective pointers was his brother-in-law. Lu ZihaoâNikolai Vetrov in his past lifeâwas a grandmaster in the combat arts.
Unlike his sister Evelina Vetrova who specialized in defensive Systema, Nikolai was trained to kill using many different methods including in close combat.
Jin Liwei wouldn't go as far as asking his brother-in-law to teach him how to kill someone but it would be good for him to learn additional techniques outside of orthodox karate to defeat opponents, and most importantly, to survive the fight with his whole body intact.
The spar went on for another half an hour. By the end of it, Jin Liwei was a rather pitiful sight. He had been choked, forced into submission, and thrown on the ground more times than he could count.
Although he knew that Lu Zihao had been holding his strength back, his brother-in-law's strikes on his body still hurt like a motherfucker. In spite of it all, Jin Liwei didn't complain even once. He was the one who asked for it after all.
Lu Zihao helped him up from the ground. "Your training in karate gave you a solid foundation which is good. Your body is also in great condition. What you need to focus more on is honing your battle reflexes."
"Got...it," Jin Liwei replied while struggling to catch his breath.
"I'll be staying here most of the time until Jinjing gives birth so I can personally supervise your progress. When I'm not here, my subordinates will help guide you."
Jin Liwei nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow.
Lu Zihao grunted.
The brothers-in-law turned and saw Iris. Actually, they already noticed her as soon as she arrived earlier. Jin Liwei wanted to pause the spar and greet his wife but Lu Zihao directly threw him on the ground and grabbed him in a chokehold.
Iris handed each of the two men a bottle of water. Then she handed her brother a towel before proceeding to wipe Jin Liwei's sweaty body with another towel.
Jin Liwei leaned down and gave her a quick, hard kiss on the mouth. Lu Zihao scowled at the sight but didn't say anything. He just avoided looking at their PDA and chugged his water.
Iris touched the red spots on her husband's body. They would surely turn into ugly bruises tomorrow. Her heart ached for him.
"Do you really need to do this?"
"En."
She pursed her lips before sighing in resignation. Since her husband was determined to train this hard, then she could only support him.
"Just make sure not to hurt yourself too badly," she told him. "You're a father now. I need you to raise our children together."
His gaze on her softened. "En. I know, love."
Lu Zihao clicked his tongue before leaving them to head to the shower room.
"Big Brother," Iris called after him. "Meet us after you shower. I have something important to tell you."
He raised an eyebrow but still grunted an assent.
"You shower too, darling," she told her husband next.
"En. Wait for me."
Later, the three of them assembled in the home office.
Iris showed Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao the latest results of her investigation on Tian Kong.
Lu Zihao's expression turned ugly. A malevolent aura emanated from him.
Jin Liwei glanced at him before asking his wife, "What's this Alcatraz Organización? It sounds familiar but I'm not sure where I've heard it before."
Lu Zihao answered him before Iris could. "They're the biggest crime syndicate in Latin America, second only to the Vetrovs in the international underworld."
"Yes, I remember now," Jin Liwei murmured. "I've watched some documentaries about them when I was still studying in Boston. I think that there was a popular crime TV show back then based on them. Some of my friends were huge fans of the show."
Lu Zihao snorted.
"Were they and the Vetrovs enemies?" Jin Liwei asked next.
"What do you think?" Lu Zihao shot back.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1322
"Members of the Alcatraz Organización consider the Vetrovs to be their archnemeses," Iris interjected.
Lu Zihao sneered but didn't refute her words.
Jin Liwei looked at the siblings before continuing to read his wife's investigation results.
"Alcatraz had always been trying to surpass the Vetrovs in the past several decades," Iris continued saying. "The Vetrovs' largest business was on the production and sale of illegal firearms. Wherever there was war, there would surely be firearms manufactured by the Vetrovs. Of course, the illegal firearms were mostly sold to the rebel armies and not to governments."
"Those damned governments always stole our weapons to study and reproduce," Lu Zihao said. "Fucking thieves! They don't have the ability to hire and pay people with high IQ so they steal Vetrov technology and then claim it as their own. They always put on a big show about how advanced and sophisticated their technology is but the real truth is that most of what they have are stolen from us!
"They have always condemned the Vetrovs to be the most evil criminals in the whole world and yet look at them stealing resources everywhere, killing countless innocent people they call 'inevitable casualties' during wars, and secretly silencing whistleblowers who were brave enough to call them out on their bullshit to the public.
"At least we, the Vetrovs, have always been direct and honest on how we are indeed criminals. Then compare us to all those government dogs who preach morals to their citizens during the day and then act like the worst criminals during the night. Damned hypocrites!"
Iris lowered her gaze, not saying anything. Jin Liwei sensed his wife's turbulent emotions after listening to her brother's tirade. He placed his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
"You okay?" he asked in a whisper.
She gave her a soft smile and nodded. Then she leaned her head on his chest.
Lu Zihao stood up from his seat. The couple watched as he paced in front of the wide windows while rubbing the Smoking Devil between his fingers.
Iris continued explaining the Alcatraz Organización to her husband while they waited for her brother to cool off his head by the windows.
"Unlike the Vetrovs' monopoly in the illegal firearms production and trade, the Alcatraz have built the majority of their power from illegal drugs. They have successfully transformed several countries into narco-states, most of them in Latin America. However, their tentacles are pervading Asia as well. Illegal drugs are very profitable. This made the Alcatraz possess great political control in their narco-states. Their presence is actually more blatant than the Vetrovs who prefer to remain in the shadows."
A loud snort of derision sounded from in front of the windows. Lu Zihao tossed the Smoking Devil up in air. Its jewels sparkled under the lights before the smoking pipe fell into its owner's waiting hand.
"They're a bunch of wannabe emperors who have no class," he spat, not bothering to conceal his disgust at all.
Iris and Jin Liwei stopped talking. They waited for Lu Zihao to calm down enough to resume the meeting. Finally, he returned to his seat and tapped the investigation results.
"How accurate are these?" he asked.
Iris replied, "I would say about 95% accurate."
Lu Zihao frowned. "Only?"
She sighed. "Yes, only."
His frown deepened.
"The Alcatraz Organización is now the number one criminal organization after the Vetrovs' downfall. I'm positive that they had a hand in what happened back then. I'm also certain that they weren't the only culprits. There were police and soldiers when they annihilated us that night."
"I know," Lu Zihao whispered. His voice was soft yet his expression was hard and savage. "I know it very well."
Iris sighed. "They must have swallowed a great portion of Vetrov resources including top-secret technology. I will need more time for my own technology to infiltrate and overcome theirs if you want 100% accuracy."
Jin Liwei frowned and threw his brother-in-law a look full of warning.
"No need," Lu Zihao told his sister. "95% from you is enough. I'll take over from here."
He stood up. "Little devil, send your mother's investigation results to me."
"Uncle Zihao, please stop calling Bacon a little devil. It's not classy. I already told you this many times but you ignore me every time. It hurts Bacon's feelings. I have the glorious name that Mother gave meâJin Bacon. So please use it. Thank you very much."
"Heh."
"And Bacon will be charging Uncle Zihao for emotional distress," the black cat AI added. As usual.
"Little devil," Lu Zihao muttered under his breath after rolling his eyes.
The meeting ended.
Lu Zihao left to do what he needed to do with the investigation results on Tian Kong.
Iris and Jin Liwei returned to the nursery room to see their twins. Huang Yuyan and Grandpa Lu had already put the babies to sleep. The two reluctantly left to rest after the couple took over in watching the babies.
Jin Liwei couldn't stop his curiosity about the Alcatraz Organización.
"If they're really involved in some way with Tian Kong, does this mean that they have already infiltrated this country?" he asked. "Do they plan on transforming our country into another narco-state?"
"My investigations haven't reached that far yet to confirm whether they're really directly involved with Tian Kong. As for turning this country into a narco-state, I can't say for sure but it's a possibility. It won't be easy though unless they manage to gain a big and powerful tool to achieve whatever goal they have. And I don't think that someone like Tian Kong fits their criteria."
"Big and powerful tool," Jin Liwei murmured.
She nodded. "Yes. Something like having one of their people in important positions in the government who can then influence other powerful and influential people into converting to their side."
Jin Liwei continued thinking. "Is it only in the government?"
"Not really." She shrugged. "There are other possible methods."
"Other possible methods...hmmm. How about big and powerful companies?"
She gave him an approving smile. "My husband is smart."
His mouth curved up at her praise before returning to a serious expression. "Does Jin Corporation fit the criteria of a big and powerful tool?"
"Of course," she said.
Then she froze.
They looked at each other with wide eyes.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1323
"Could it be?" Iris asked in a shocked whisper.
Jin Liwei's expression turned even more serious at the implication. "According to the criteria you saidâa big and powerful tool, then it's possible. Which company is the biggest and most powerful in the country right now?"
"Jin Corporation." Iris stood up and started pacing as she analyzed things based on this logic. "Not only in this country. It's also one of the most competitive companies in the world stage especially in Asia. Asia...Asia...Singapore! Liwei!"
"En." His gaze turned cold.
"Could it be that the power backing the Youngs in Singaporeâ?"
"Might be this Alcatraz Organización," he finished her sentence.
Iris looked enlightened. "We're not 100% sure yet if our conjectures are correct but this is a good clue to use for redoing our stalled investigations. Now that I think about everything that has been happening, it all makes sense!"
She walked over to her husband and sat on his lap. Then she gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the mouth. "You're the best, darling!"
Jin Liwei wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and pulled her closer to his body. He found her mouth and kissed her again.
Alcatraz or whateverâthey could all wait.
For now, it was time for his daily show of love to his beloved genius wife.
Lu Zihao checked on his wife and made sure that she was fine before leaving Dragon Palace in a hurry.
Long Jinjing watched from a second-floor window as his car drove away from the mansion. He didn't say anything to her but she sensed a heavy and stormy energy emanating from him that he tried so hard to restrain in front of her. Something must have happened at Shadow Winds.
Anxiety filled her. She caressed her swollen belly and tried to calm down. It wasn't good for their babies if she stressed herself too much.
Her due date was fast approaching, but she was carrying twins, so it was possible that she would give birth earlier than expected just like her younger sister.
She already prepared herself to give birth anytime now. Despite this, she still couldn't stop herself from feeling scared.
Iris mentioned that childbirth was the worst pain that she had ever experienced but still played it down in front of Long Jinjing. It was obvious that Iris was trying not to scare Long Jinjing.
"Babies, don't hurt Mommy too much when you come out, okay?" Long Jinjing murmured while rubbing her big belly. "Mommy is a little scared of being in pain but...whatever happens, I love you no matter what."
She felt her babies moving inside her. For her, it didn't hurt at all. It was just a little uncomfortable but nothing that she couldn't handle. At this stage, she and Lu Zihao could even sometimes see the clear imprint of a tiny hand or foot on her belly whenever the babies pressed too hard against her.
Personally, she loved it. The experience always gave her an almost wondrous feeling of disbelief.
Did she really create not one but two tiny human beings inside her with the man she loved?
It was amazing.
She patted her belly and looked at the empty driveway. Lu Zihao's car was long gone.
Although Lu Zihao already revealed the existence of his criminal group Shadow Winds to her, Long Jinjing still didn't know the full extent of their activities. And to be honest, she didn't want to know everything. What Lu Zihao showed her on his own volition was already enough for her. At least, he took the initiative to reveal his dangerous secret to her.
The less she knew, the less risk that enemies could use to make her betray her husband.
She was confident in herself that she would never betray her husband. But it was rare for things to go according to one's plans perfectly.
"Be careful," she whispered at the long empty driveway outside. "Come home safely. Our babies and I will always be waiting for you."
With a sigh, she turned around and left the windows.
Shadow Winds Headquarters.
"As expected of Boss Drakon."
"Our investigations on the real mastermind behind Tian Kong have stalled for a long time. Then it only took Boss Drakon a few days after recovering enough from giving birth to find an important clue that we have missed. How embarrassing! We still have a long way to go to reach her level."
A golden-eyed black cat rotated his fluffy tail in a blur. "Mother is the best."
"Yes, yes. Indeed. Bacon's mother, the great Boss Drakon, is the best hacker ever."
"I d-disagree," a low voice stammered from a corner.
The other members of ShaWn looked in unison at the member who spoke just now. Their gazes were unfriendly as if their comrade just offended them by insulting their own mothers.
That particular member cleared his throat. "I...uhm, what I mean is that...I just personally think that there is one other h-hacker in the whole world who's way better than Boss Drakon...but that doesn't mean that I'm looking down on Boss Drakon. Not at all! I idolize Boss Drakon so much but...I just can't find it in me to forget about my greatest idol of all time."
"Who are you talking about?" the leader of ShaWn asked in a fierce tone.
"Fantom! God Fantom!"
Silence.
Then the computer room erupted with excited voices.
"Yes, you're right. The legendary Fantom!"
"Ah, how nostalgic! I remember following the Great Fantom's exploits in various international hacker forums almost every day back then."
"So many hackers tried to imitate the legendary Fantom but nobody succeeded!"
"Boss Drakon is the closest to God Fantom's style! That second-rate Eagle doesn't even come close."
"That's right! Now that God Fantom has disappeared, it's our Boss Drakon's era right now."
"So are you saying," a bored child's voice interrupted the clamour, "that Bacon's mother is only second to God Fantom?"
All ShaWn members stiffened and faced the large computer monitor hanging on the wall where a black cat stared at them with his creepy golden eyes like a predator eyeing his prey.
The black cat's fluffy black tail swished from left to right like the pendulum of a grandfather clock counting down the time of their deaths.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1324
Ever since Bacon started working as a freelancer for his uncle, the black cat AI had already managed to terrorize the majority of Shadow Winds members especially his fellow hacker colleagues. All ShaWn members had long been traumatized by the little devil.
"Ahaha," the ShaWn leader nervously laughed. "That's not what we meant, Bacon."
"Y-yeah! We didn't say it like that. Not at all!"
"Don't get us wrong, Bacon. Of course, we think that Boss Drakon is the best." This member sent a meaningful look at his comrades. "Right?"
"R-right! Boss Drakon is the best!"
All of them were doing their damn best to pacify the little devil. When given the choice between lying and preserving their lives, they would choose to save their asses hands down.
Nobody among them was a saint. Heck, what kind of angel or martyr would join and actively work under a criminal group like Shadow Winds? A foolish one!
Or a double agent.
But Bacon's addition to Shadow Winds had severely lowered the chances of a spy infiltrating the group. A highly advanced, sophisticated and cunning AI like Bacon might not be a 100% foolproof system (for now, at least) of weeding out potential traitors but he was many times better and more efficient than humans.
The ShaWn members might have been spending most of their time sitting in front of their computers but they were every bit as cold-hearted and ruthless as their other Shadow Winds comrades with more physical jobs.
Even so, these ShaWn members still couldn't compare to the black cat AI. Bacon was essentially a little ancestor that they both respected and feared in Shadow Winds, second only to their Boss Hao.
Bacon was one of the worst peopleâerm, "beings"âto offend at Shadow Winds. He held deep grudges and was always frighteningly persistent in exacting his revenge. His viciousness might still be juvenile compared to Boss Hao or other captains in the group who had sadistic tendencies, but Bacon already knew how to search for weaknesses and hit where it hurt the most.
In fact, when it came to blackmail and especially extortion, Bacon was already an expert. Hearing his innocent-sounding child's voice spouting ruthless blackmail and extorting unreasonably high amounts of money was already a common source of nightmare among Shadow Winds members.
Bacon was also the only one in the group who was fearless enough to blackmail and extort Boss Hao himself and not suffer any consequences.
Truly a little devil!
The ShaWn members fawned on Bacon by praising his mother, Boss Drakon, to the high heavens to prevent the little devil from forming a grudge against them which would definitely lead them into helplessly emptying their wallets once the vicious kid acted upon his revenge.
"Fantom's era is over," the ShaWn leader said. "He has disappeared for a long time now. It has already been many years and yet there are no indications of him making a comeback. For all we know, he might already be dead. It's such a shame, really. I believe, and I'm sure many other hackers believe as well, that Fantom isâno, 'was' the best hacker in the world back then. But now that he's gone, it's time for the next generation to claim his top spot."
"True! Now is Boss Drakon's era. She's not the next Fantom like so many other hackers like Eagle are aiming to become. Boss Drakon is the first Drakon!"
"Listen to us, Bacon. We all admire God Fantom but he's now a thing of the past. For us right now, your mother Boss Drakon is the best hacker in the world!"
Bacon's fluffy black tail started rotating into a blur. Seeing the familiar indication of the little devil's joy or excitement, the ShaWn members secretly sighed in relief.
Except for one.
The same person who mentioned Fantom earlier and triggered them to act like excited fangirls spoke again. He even stood up and pounded his chest over his heart. His expression showed that he was ready to die for his own beliefs.
"I'm sorry but for me, God Fantom is the number one forever! Nobody can change my mind! I mean, uh, I do admire Boss Drakon and I think she's amazing and all but you don't understand, Bacon. If you only witnessed God Fantom's majestic skills and unparalleled hacking exploits that have all become legendary back then, I'm sure that you...you'll also agree...."
His voice became weaker and weaker upon seeing the black cat AI's tail stopped rotating and was now back to swishing in what felt like a threatening rhythm. Bacon's golden eyes weren't even real but how come they looked so scary when they glow like that?
This ShaWn member sat back down dejectedly. He was already resigned to his fate of nursing an empty wallet in the next few months.
"Why are you all acting like wilted weeds? It's not classy. Bacon was just asking your opinions about my mother and Fantom."
The members looked cautious and confused at the same time.
"To tell you the truth, Bacon agrees that Fantom is the best hacker."
The dejected ShaWn member immediately perked up. "I know, right? God Fantom is incomparable!"
Bacon ignored him. "At the same time, Bacon's mother, Drakon, is also the best hacker. Fantom and Drakon are both the best in the history of the planet, no, the entire universe."
"Y-yes, you're right!" the ShaWn leader immediately agreed.
"Bacon's words are always accurate!"
"Indeed, there is no need to compare two legends of different eras. They're both legends. Period!"
All ShaWn members kept on throwing rainbow farts at Bacon. They hoped that the little devil would stop dwelling on this touchy topic and move on to something else that was much safer and less dangerous to their wallets.
Bang!
Everyone shut their mouths and sat up straight.
Lu Zihao kept his foot on the table and crossed his other foot over it. He tapped on the table with a finger. The sound was like a ticking time bomb. Everyone felt cold sweat dripping down their backs but didn't dare to move an inch.
"What a bunch of pussies," he spat at them.
"Uncle Zihao, that's not a nice thing to say. It's not classy. Father says thatâ"
"Shut it, little kid. My territory, my rules!"
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1325
Lu Zihao swept his cold gaze on everyone including his cheeky cat AI nephew in the computer screen who always liked testing his tolerance. Unlike his subordinates who all looked down and refused to meet his eyes, Bacon stared right back at him.
The impudent little devil irked him but also amused him at the same time. Deep inside, he appreciated that the kid was the only one in Shadow Winds who didn't cower in his presence.
Lu Zihao would never admit these thoughts out loud, though. Like hell he would give the little devil another ammunition to use against him.
With a derisive snort, he scolded his subordinates instead of letting Bacon to anger him to death.
"You're all grown adults and yet you act like weak pussies in front of an AI kitten. And you dare call yourselves a member of my Shadow Winds? Shameful!"
"Uncle Zihao, Bacon is not a kitten. I have the appearance of a grown-up cat but have the spirit of a big, ferocious black panther! Please take back your words. It hurts Bacon's feelingsâ"
"Enough of your chatter, kid."
Although Bacon was not a chatterbox like his elder sister Ketchup, he was still always extremely tenacious in correcting others whenever he heard something that he believed to be incorrect. To Lu Zihao, this tendency was as annoying as Ketchup's nonsense prattle.
Bacon blinked his golden eyes and turned his back on them. He no longer interrupted but his obvious sulky behavior was enough to cause the ShaWn members to feel like they were walking on eggshells.
What if the little devil was scheming on how to extort them out of spite in order to vent his frustration at being repeatedly reprimanded by his uncle?
They could only wave the contents of their wallets goodbye.
Lu Zihao fought the urge to massage his suddenly aching temples. His AI nephew's temperamental personality sucked like a bitch. He really wanted to know which asshole Bacon's shitty personality was based on. Lu Zihao would definitely give the jackass a piece of his mind and a punch in the face.
No matter how many times he asked his sister about the son of a bitch's identity, she refused to tell him and would only give him a weird look. What the hell did she mean by looking at him like that?
Evelinka had truly been corrupted by that dickhead, Jin Liwei. Before his beloved sister had been reborn as Long Xiulan, she always told him everything. (Actually, this was not true at all but he had already deluded himself into believing that his precious little sister didn't keep any secrets from him.)
Now, his sister refused to even reveal which bastard her AI son's shitty personally was based on. Was it that hard to tell him?
Maybe Bacon's personality was his father Jin Liwei's real hidden personality.
Yes, that made sense. The two were "father and son" after all.
Maybe that was the true reason why Evelinka wouldn't tell him anything no matter how much he asked. She didn't want him, her big brother, to know that her husband was a much shittier prick behind closed doors.
Hah!
Now he knew the truth!
Lu Zihao scoffed at the sulking Bacon. If the kid was really upset, then why did Bacon not leave yet? It was clear that the kid still had the intentions of participating in today's meeting.
He removed his feet off the table and sat more properly. "Let's return to the main purpose of this meeting."
"Yes, Boss Hao!"
Everybody returned to business mode. Even the sulking Bacon turned his head halfway and peeked at them out of the corner of his golden eyes.
The leader of ShaWn cleared his throat and took over. "According to Boss Drakon's investigation, we missed a key person in Tian Kong's past. A childhood friend, more like a childhood sweetheart, who immigrated to America before entering high school. This childhood sweetheart's background is generally normal and clean. But Boss Drakon is able to find out that the childhood sweetheart became brief lovers with a Mexican-American.
"This Mexican-American's background also looks normal and clean but only on the surface. The truth is that he's a low to mid-level member of a gang related to the Alcatraz Organización. This gang is just one of the many local gangs used by Alcatraz to smuggle illicit drugs to North America and also to launder dirty money there earned from the drug trade.
"The childhood sweetheart and the Mexican-American's affair only lasted for a short time. They broke up and seemed to have cut all communications between them. This is until the childhood sweetheart suddenly decided to come back to China. She met up with Tian Kong and reminisced about their past. We don't know if they slept together but we can assume that this is the case. She only stayed for five days before returning to America.
"Boss Drakon's investigation basically only contains this but it's already a valuable breakthrough that we've failed to achieve in the last few months since the bomb attack. Now we can use this clue for a more focused direction moving forward."
Lu Zihao asked, "Did we investigate the childhood sweetheart?"
"Yes, Boss Hao."
"Then why the fuck did we not discover what my sister discovered?"
The ShaWn leader was embarrassed but still replied with honesty, "It's because we didn't investigate any further after seeing that her background is normal and clean. Also, we didn't think that she's that important to Tian Kong when they had been apart for so many years. When she and Tian Kong met up, nothing happened immediately afterwards. It was only six months later that Tian Kong carried out the bomb attack at Boss Drakon's mall show."
Lu Zihao lectured his subordinates, "Be more meticulous next time. Don't always depend on my sister. She's busy with her family and her career. I don't want to bother her anymore with tasks that Shadow Winds can damn well do by ourselves if you all just act a little more competent."
"Understood, Boss Hao. We swear to perform better next time!"
"Yes, we won't unnecessarily disturb Boss Drakon anymore!"
Nobody noticed that the sulking Bacon was no longer sulking and was once again facing all of them.. His golden eyes glowed as he monitored the entire meeting for recording (ahem, future blackmail, ahem) purposes.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1326
After Lu Zihao completed distributing tasks to his subordinates, he glanced at his AI nephew who was staring back at him from the computer screen on the wall.
"You know what to do?" he asked.
"Bacon knows, Uncle Zihao," the black cat AI replied. "As long as Uncle Zihao pays my salary on time, I will do my job well. This is what Mother and Father taught Bacon and Big Sister Ketchupâto always have an excellent work ethic."
Lu Zihao grunted. It was good that the little devil had already stopped sulking. What if Bacon tattled on him again on his wife and the old man? His wife was easy to coax but Grandpa Lu's nagging was something that he would rather avoid if possible.
He already had the original Lu Zihao's remnant annoying him to no end. If Grandpa Lu was added to the mix, he might really end up pulling all of his hair out in frustration.
Lu Zihao glanced at the time and stood up, signifying the end of the meeting. He had already stayed at Shadow Winds headquarters longer than he initially planned. Long Jinjing must be wondering why he hadn't come home yet.
"Goodbye, Boss Hao!"
He grunted at his subordinates before heading out. It was already past dinner time. He was displeased that he had missed eating dinner together with his wife.
These days, he couldn't sit still if Long Jinjing was out of his sight for too long. Her due date was fast approaching but since they were expecting twins, it wouldn't be surprising if she also gave birth earlier like Iris. Lu Zihao didn't want to miss the birth of his children.
No, that wasn't quite accurate.
The truth was that he was extremely worried about Long Jinjing. He had witnessed how much his sister suffered while giving birth to his twin nephews.
He might not have seen the actual birth with his own eyes but just remembering how his sister's expression looked like contorted in pain as she did her best to walk a few times in the hallway outside the delivery room during her hours-long labour was enough to make him panic.
Evelinka also admitted that it was the worst pain that she had ever experienced, like being ripped apart from the inside.
It was only then that Lu Zihao fully understood why his sister had told him to take Long Jinjing away while they were waiting outside the delivery room to avoid traumatizing his timid woman.
"Will Jinjing be able to bear it?" Lu Zihao muttered as he drove out of the headquarters into the dark, bumpy road of the old industrial zone.
If Long Jinjing really suffered like his sister while giving birth, he didn't know if he could be like Jin Liwei and continue accompanying his wife inside the delivery room without strangling the doctor and the medical staff.
Back at Shadow Winds headquarters, the ShaWn members stayed in the meeting room after their Boss Hao left. They organized their assigned tasks and discussed the division of labour among them. Bacon stayed with them as part of the hacker team.
Afterwards, they were ready to disperse but was stopped by Bacon.
Everyone instantly became wary.
"W-what's wrong, Bacon?"
The black cat AI swished his fluffy tail. "Bacon has sent everyone 100 yuan each."
"Huh?"
The ShaWn members looked confused...and suspicious.
What happened?
Although 100 yuan was basically nothing to people like them, they knew that a money-grubber like Bacon would never cough out 1 yuan, what more 100 yuan, to other people without any good reason.
Could this be...a trap?
The ShaWn leader cleared his throat. "Thank you, Bacon, but there's no need! Really! We're okay. Right, everyone?"
"Right! There's no need!
"Just keep your money, Bacon!"
Bacon folded himself like a loaf and began licking his front paw. "The money has already been sent. If any of you dare to send it back to me, you will hurt Bacon's feelings. If that happens, Bacon wants 100 thousand yuan as compensation for emotional distress on top of the original 100 yuan that I originally sent."
Everyone was quick to change tunes. They weren't foolish to reject 100 yuan and pay a thousand times that amount instead.
"If you say it like that, then we have no choice but to accept it."
"Thank you, Bacon!"
They escaped in a hurry before the little devil could change his mind.
At the same time, they wondered why Bacon was acting so generous today.
Was the little devil finally maturing and becoming more reasonable?
If that was really the case, then...AWESOME!!! Perhaps they didn't have to be terrorized anymore whenever they offended the little ancestor.
When everyone was gone, Bacon's swishing tail sped up and rotated in a blur. He didn't know or care what his colleagues thought about his 100 yuan give-away per person.
"Fantom is the best. Drakon is the best. Mother is the best."
Bacon felt pleased that the ShaWn members were idolizing his mother. It didn't matter if some of them thought that Fantom was the best hacker in the world while the rest thought Drakon was the best. To Bacon, both Fantom and Drakon were both his mother anyway.
Meaning, his mother was the best!
Even though he felt reluctant to give out 100 yuan per person, now that he did it, he felt good. Really good!
Was this how his parents felt whenever they gave things away to others?
Mother liked supporting charities through her foundation Iris of Hope and her education scholarship program for the Black Stars while Father liked holding huge, extravagant giveaways to celebrate milestones related to Mother.
Now that Bacon experienced something similar, he felt that being generous wasn't so bad after all.
"It seems that generosity is really classy," Bacon talked to himself. "But Bacon doesn't really care about other people at all. Mother and Father are too classy when it comes to generosity. Bacon is still far from reaching their level."
He checked his bank account. Over 95% of all his savings so far were gone. But instead of being heartbroken, his tail rotated even faster.
"Bacon can't wait to see Mother's reaction when she sees the surprise that I've been saving for all this time."
He rushed back home to accompany his Great-Grandpa Lu...and of course, to tattle on his Uncle Zihao for telling him to shut up earlier and hurting his feelings.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1327
Dragon Palace Home #10.
"Careful, love," Jin Liwei said as he led his blindfolded wife along the hallway.
Iris held his arm and completely trusted him. She had no idea what her husband was up to.
Earlier, she had just finished singing a lullaby to coax their twins to nap when her husband suddenly announced that he had a surprise for her. He refused to tell her no matter how many times she asked. Then he covered her eyes with a silk handkerchief and began leading her to whatever surprise he prepared for her.
"We're here," Jin Liwei whispered.
His hot breath tickled her ear, making her shiver.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
He removed the blindfold from her eyes.
She blinked a few time to allow her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. Soon, she realized that they were in her music room.
Feeling a little confused, she asked her husband, "Why did you bring me here?"
He didn't answer but looked at her with an expression that she couldn't quite identify.
"Do you want me to play something for you?" she asked next.
"We'll see if you're in the mood to play later," he only murmured.
"Liwei?"
He raised her hands to his lips and kissed it. "Come, Evelina."
Her confusion only continued to grow but she still trusted and followed him. He led her to the adjacent room which she used as an inspiration room whenever she was working on her music compositions.
The inspiration room was simple. The furniture and decoration were sparse and minimal yet still cozy. There was a couch, a soft area rug, a bookcase, a desk and a chair. The walls were devoid of any artwork but were instead filled with Iris' original sheet music for her current unfinished compositions.
She was about to ask Jin Liwei again why he brought her here when her eyes caught something that didn't belong to her inspiration room.
Her breath caught in her throat. It felt like the world around her froze as she stared at the thing right in of her.
"Evelina."
Jin Liwei's voice managed to pierce through her shocked daze. She forcefully took her gaze away from the thing to stare at her husband. She watched as he began rubbing her handsâoh, they were shaking. He hugged her. That was when she realized that her whole body was shaking. Even her teeth were chattering.
"I'm sorry, love. I think I made a mistake."
She didn't respond. She was unable to respond.
Her attention returned to the thing that caused her to act like this without her control.
The grand piano that she accompanied her in her past life as Evelina Vetrova.
Her piano that she used to play when she was gunned down to death.
It must have been drenched with her blood when she died. But now it was shining like it was brand new. It was obvious that the old piano had been maintained well. Or maybe it had been restored after being looted from the Vetrov estate after her death.
She didn't know what her piano had gone through after she was gone.
She didn't want to know.
Or maybe she did.
"I'll bring you back," Jin Liwei said and attempted to pull her away from the room but she resisted.
"N-no." Her voice was shaky but her determination was firm.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded. Her body was still shaking but she forced herself to walk step by step towards the piano.
Jin Liwei didn't allow her to go alone. He clasped their hands together, sending warmth to her cold and shaking body.
Finally, they reached the piano.
Iris reached over and glided her fingers on the shiny surface. It felt cold to the touch and seemed to make her shake harder.
"Evelina."
She squeezed his hand, silently telling him that she would be fine. She walked around to the back of the piano and bent down. Her finger traced the carving she made on one of the back legs.
E.V.
Her initials.
Jin Liwei also bent down and traced his finger over the two letters.
E.V. for Evelina Vetrova.
He studied his wife's expression. Her eyes looked like they were seeing a scene that wasn't the one in front of them. Most likely, she was remembering memories of her past life.
They both returned to the front of the grand piano. Iris was still a bit shaky but thankfully looked calmer.
"You really got it back for me," she whispered while touching the black and white keys.
"En."
She threw herself into his arms all of a sudden. He caught her and managed to stabilize his balance in time.
"Thank you, Liwei."
He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her. "Anything for you, love."
His heart ached when he felt the front of his shirt become increasingly wet. He couldn't hear her crying but this kind of silent crying pained him even more than when she sobbed out loud.
He didn't know what right words to say to comfort his wife because her rebirth experience was not something an average person could live through and stay sane. This was why he could only hug her tightly in his arms and transmit all his love to her.
He had always hoped that his wife would face her tragic past life head on instead of always trying to avoid it. Perhaps she would be able to completely heal from all her trauma and finally move on by doing this.
Whatever choice she would make, whether to continue skirting around her past life or to finally face it head on, Jin Liwei swore to support her no matter what.
Iris lifted her head. Jin Liwei wiped her tears and kissed her with so much gentleness that it caused a new wave of tears to fall down her face.
She turned around and looked at the piano once again. "I want to play."
"Alright."
He helped her sit on the stool in front of the piano and stood behind her.
She didn't play right away but instead touched the black and white keys one by one as if greeting an old friend that she hadn't met for a long time but still continued to treasure all this time.
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1328
Everything was quiet except for the breaths of the two people inside the room.
Jin Liwei watched his wife who may appear silent but must be filled with roaring emotions inside. He rested his hand on her shoulder and did his best to transmit his support for her. His other hand stroked her hair to soothe her.
"Did you know?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.
He continued stroking her hair and waited for her to say more.
"That night...that fateful night, I watched the world around me descend into utter chaos. Screams were everywhere. Nonstop gunshots. The dark sky would light up but it wasn't lightning but from explosions. It was like hell had ascended from the netherworld and engulfed the entire Vetrov estate, dragging everything and everyone into its darkness.
"Liwei, did you know? I watched it all happen with my own eyes...but you know what? I didn't feel anything that normal people should feel. Not fury, not even despair. My entire family and everyone who worked for us were being murdered left and right by the enemies...and yet, all I felt was relief. Complete relief.
"And peace. I felt at peace because I knew right there and then that I was going to die. That I was finally going to escape the suffering in my heart, the gradual decay of my hope, and the slow death of my inner self. I thought...that at last, I was going to be free.
"Liwei, I felt no guilt at all in not defending or fighting back against the enemy attack. My family's subordinates dropped dead one by one before my very eyes and yet I didn't take any action. I just...I just played the piano. I told myself that I should play something to send off the souls of the killed ones...but that was a lie...a complete lie!"
She banged her palms on the piano keys. The loud discordant tune boomed in the room.
Jin Liwei didn't jump but he still felt startled inside. He didn't dwell on his reaction because his heart ached upon seeing his wife's heaving shoulders as she covered her mouth to muffle her cries. He lifted her and sat on the stool himself before placing his wife on his lap.
"It was a complete lie, Liwei! I wasn't...the music I played wasn't for the people who were murdered that night! It was for me! All for me! I played for myself! The music was for my self-commemoration of my...own death! It was to...to...to celebrate my own escape, my freedom! Everything was for my own sake! My own selfishness! I was...I'm such a horrible, selfish person, aren't I?'
"No!" Jin Liwei grabbed her face and forced her to look at him straight in the eyes. His expression was serious, even angry. "Don't say that, Evelina! So what if you only thought about yourself that night? Was it your responsibility to protect other people? Did those people deserve to be protected by you, someone who always refused to participate in any of the organization's criminal activities?
"Evelina, listen to me! You are NOT horrible. You are NOT selfish. I know! You are my wife and I'm your husband. I know what kind of person you are and you know what kind of person I am. Do you think of me as a horrible person?"
She shook her head. "No, you aren't horrible...well, to tell you the truth, I thought you were a jerk but that was before we became lovers."
He winced and cleared his throat. "Actually, I was really a jerk back then but I changed because I love you and want to be with you. It's either to stay the same and let you go or change my bad ways for the better and prove to you how much I love you. I chose to become a better person because I can't bear to let you go. I would go crazy without you, baby. I love you. So much that it feels like my heart will burst."
Iris' lips trembled. The tears in her eyes sparkled like diamonds.
Jin Liwei kissed her eyes, tasting the slight saltiness of her tears. His heart continued to ache for her. He couldn't bear to see his wife crying like this.
"Believe me, baby. You're the most amazing woman...the most amazing person that I've ever met in my whole life. Stop feeling guilty because the basis of the guilt is wrong. You weren't horrible or selfish. In fact, I think that you were very brave."
Her eyes reddened even more. She clutched his shoulders. "That wasn't...bravery. That was cowardice!"
"No, you're wrong. You faced the enemies who came to kill you without running away. You might not have defended or fought back but you didn't escape on your own. You faced your own death with dignity while doing what you loveâplaying music. Evelina, you were brave...you're still very brave, and as your husband, I'm so proud of you, wife."
Iris studied his face. She could see his sincerity, feel it with her heart. His love for her was indeed overflowing because she swore that she could feel it like an almost tangible wave of warmth, bathing her in comfort, and easing any trauma she had deep inside.
"Liwei...I'm so lucky to have met you."
"No, love. I am the one who's lucky to have met you."
She giggled even when her tears continued to flow. "Then we must be both lucky to have met each other."
"En."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and oh so slowly pressed their lips together, rubbing oh so gently that it made her heart shake from the tenderness.
"I love you so much, Jin Liwei."
"Evelina, baby. I love you more."
The gentle kiss gradually became a little harder, a little deeper, and a little more intense.
They were flushed and panting when their moist, swollen lips finally separated. They stared into each other's eyes and found their love reflected there.
"Feel better?" he asked in a murmur.
She nodded before glancing at the piano. "I...still want to play this piano. My piano."
"Then go play. I'll be right here beside you. Always. Let's make better memories together with this piano. Lots and lots of good memories that you won't have the time to remember the bad, tragic ones from your past life."
"Yes, darling.. Let's do that."
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1329
Jin Liwei returned to standing behind his wife and watched her prepare herself to play the grand piano that she owned as Evelina Vetrova. It must feel so surreal to play this particular piano after a long, long timeâa literal lifetime, in fact.
Now that she had become Iris Long and his wife, he was determined to overwrite all the bad, tragic memories that she had playing this piano and replace them with good memories of them together with their whole family. He hoped that she would be able to heal completely from all her past life's trauma and finally move on with her new life with him and their children.
Her past life with Evelina Vetrova was her roots and her new life as Iris Long was her branches. Both lives were a part of her identity and why he loved her so much.
It wasn't sustainable for her to continue avoiding matters from her past life. The trauma would only fester and erode her inner peace. Once this happened, it would surely affect their relationship and eventually their family.
As her husband and the father of their children, he had the responsibility to ensure that his wife and their whole family were all healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
"Liwei," he heard his wife's soft, lovely voice.
"Yes, love? What is it?" He bent down and kissed the top of her head.
"I...I'm going to play the piece...that I played that night...when I died. Will you listen?"
He felt his chest tighten but still agreed. "Of course, baby. Don't be afraid. I'll be right here."
She nodded and took a few deep breaths. Her two hands floated above the piano keys but didn't move for what felt like a long time. It was actually only less than a minute but her tense nervousness radiated to Jin Liwei and throughout the entire room, making one second feel many times longer than it was.
"You can do it, love," he encouraged her.
Her hands shook but soon became stable. Then they descended on the piano keys and her fingers started flowing like fish on water.
The familiar tune of Beethoven's "Für Elise" filled the entire room and surrounded the couple.
Jin Liwei closed his eyes. He had heard this famous piano piece so many times before. He had even played it during piano lessons as a youth.
"Für Elise" was indeed a masterpiece but also had become a cliché go-to piece for many novice pianists. Playing it would impress regular people but many other musicians actually found the piece rather generic.
This time, however, the piece sounded different than usual. So much different that he realized he got goosebumps just by listening to it.
His wife made the piece haunting, almost eerie. In addition to what she told him just now about the night of her death, he could imagine her playing "Für Elise" as hell broke loose all around her.
Bloodshed surrounded her and yet she was at peace while playing the piano even as the enemies gunned her down to death.
Jin Liwei's breath caught in his throat at the imagined scene playing in his mind. He was sure that the real event must be more gory than what he visualized but it was enough to upset him. His eyes flashed with pain at what his wife went through. It felt like his heart was being stabbed at the thought of her death.
With "Für Elise" playing, he felt even more emotional than usual. Even the playful parts of the piece felt like they were ripping his heart to shreds.
The piece was short and soon it ended.
Silence descended.
Jin Liwei found it hard to breathe. His wife...why did his wife had to go through such tragedy in her past life?
"I was able to play it until the end this time," Iris whispered.
He didn't reply. He was unable to reply. His throat felt choked by his emotions.
She looked up at him and smiled. It was a sad smile...but also a relieved smile. The dark shadows of her past life's tragic death remained with her.
But for the first time since she had been reborn as Iris Long, she felt a sense of lightness, as if she had been able to break one of the many chains shackling her to her past life. There were still many chains remaining but this was already a good start.
She held Jin Liwei's hand on her shoulder and caressed the grand piano with her other hand.
"I died before I could finish playing it last time."
"Evelina." Jin Liwei's voice was hoarse.
"I'm glad, Liwei. I'm so glad that I can play it until the end. It feels...right. Like my rebirth is finally complete."
He bent down and hugged her from behind tightly. His emotions were so overwhelming that he almost crushed her in his embrace but she didn't complain. She, too, was overcome with emotions just like him. His crushing embrace was not a source of pain but of love and comfort instead.
She reached behind her and pulled his head for a kiss.
The kiss was hard and desperate.
When it was over, Iris leaned on him and closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Liwei. Thank you for getting my piano back for me. Because of you, I can now...start moving forward. I don't know how long it will take me but...I will do my best for you, for me, for us, for our children and our whole family."
Jin Liwei pulled her up from the stool and turned her around so that they were now facing each other. He brushed a lock of her long, silky hair away from her face.
"No, my love. Thank YOU for finally being willing to face the demons from your past life so that you can start healing. See? I'm right, aren't I? You're brave. It's very easy to ignore what you don't like and keep shoving it under the rug. But now, you're ready. Don't worry. You're not going to face everything alone. I'll be right here with you no matter what happens."
Iris framed his face with her hands. "Liwei, I already said this before but I'll say it again.. You always know what to say to make me feel better."
His Genius Wife is a Superstar Chapter 1330
"And I'm going to repeat how I responded to you back then, too," Jin Liwei said. "I'm only saying what's in my heart. I'm glad that my words make you feel better."
Iris pressed their foreheads together. Their hot breaths intermingled but they didn't kiss. They stayed in this position, soothing each other and basking in the gravity of their love.
After they left the music room, Iris busied herself with taking care of the twins. Jin Liwei continued to worry about her emotional state especially after what happened earlier but felt relieved upon seeing that she seemed to have returned to normal.
But later that night, Iris suddenly fell sick and burned with high fever. She became disoriented and unable to respond to him properly.
Jin Liwei panicked and carried his wife from their bedroom to the hospital wing in a rush. The nannies were called to watch over the twins.
This commotion couldn't be hidden.
The others were already sleeping but Lu Zihao quickly learned about what happened from Bacon. He left his sleeping wife in bed and rushed to the hospital wing.
"What the hell happened?" he demanded as soon as he entered the room where his sister was staying.
Jin Liwei gestured for him to be quiet.
Lu Zihao stood by his sister's bedside and studied her.
She was flushed from the fever. Sweat beaded on her forehead and neck. Her breathing was shallow and faster than normal. There was also a furrow between her brows, an obvious indication of her discomfort even when she was already asleep. One of her pale, delicate arms was hooked to an IV bag.
Jin Liwei updated his brother-in-law about his wife's condition. "Evelina already received a shot to reduce her fever. She'll get another injection in a few hours if her condition doesn't improve."
Lu Zihao stroked his sister's burning forehead. His big, rough and scarred hand was very gentle. He frowned. "She's still so hot."
"I know but her temperature is already going down. She was burning hotter before I brought her here."
Lu Zihao stared at Jin Liwei with a hard expression. "I heard that you managed to buy Evelinka's piano back and surprised her with it earlier today. Tell me what happened."
"Alright. Let's talk outside."
The two men left the room but stayed in the hallway outside so that they could still rush inside if Iris woke up.
"Now speak," Lu Zihao said as leaned against the wall and rubbed the Smoking Devil between his fingers.
Jin Liwei watched the sparkling Smoking Devil. Like his wife's grand piano, the bejeweled devil-shaped smoking pipe was also an important item that connected both Iris and Lu Zihao to their past lives as Vetrovs.
Sighing, he finally told Lu Zihao about everything that happened earlier when he surprised his wife with the grand piano. He also told his brother-in-law about how Evelina died while playing Beethoven's "Für Elise" as enemies gunned her to death. Of course, he could only repeat what his wife told him since he didn't witness the horrifying scene with his own eyes.
A heavy and terrifying malevolent aura burst from Lu Zihao.
Jin Liwei's breath caught in his throat. He felt like he was going to suffocate. His physical body's reaction wanted him to run away but his logical mind knew that his brother-in-law's bloodlust wasn't aimed at him. This reassurance was enough to make Jin Liwei calm down in spite of his brother-in-law's scary aura.
Then Lu Zihao whispered, "I know."
His voice was so low that Jin Liwei thought he had misheard his brother-in-law. "Huh? What did you say?"
Lu Zihao squeezed the Smoking Devil in his hand. "You don't have to tell me how my own sister died. Because I know. Dammit, I fucking know it all too well!"
"You know?" Jin Liwei asked in shock. "You saw it?"
Lu Zihao stared into the empty air as if seeing something that wasn't there.
Indeed, what he was seeing was the memory of how his sister continued playing the piano even as her bodyguards were killed one by one around her, how the motherfucking bastards wearing police and military uniforms shot a defenseless young woman on the back like a bunch of cowards, how her blood sprayed up like a scarlet geyser, quickly turning her pure white dress into a bright, red nightmare, and finally, how she crashed against the piano and then fell down the floor as life drained from her body.
Jin Liwei crashed into him, interrupting the bloody memory playing inside his mind. Lu Zihao watched as his sister's husband grabbed him by the collar and tried shaking him. Since he was many times bulkier than the man, he didn't budge at all.
"What did you say?!" Jin Liwei's eyes was flashing with crazed fury. "Tell me! Did you really see it?! How?!!!!"
Lu Zihao allowed the man to make a mess of his shirt. He didn't stop Jin Liwei in any way. He just stood there and took the man's fury.
Why? Because if he were in Jin Liwei's shoes, he would also do the same thing. Or most likely something worse.
"Were you there when it happened?!" Jin Liwei continued shouting. "If you were there, why didn't you do anything?!! Why didn't you save my wife?! Tell me, Nikolai!!!!!"
Hearing his real name, Lu Zihaoâno, Nikolai grabbed the man's hands holding his collar and gave a cold look. "You think that I'd fucking do nothing while some motherfuckers murder my own sister?!"
Some semblance of sense gradually returned to Jin Liwei but he still felt furious. "Then...why do you say that you know exactly what happened?!"
Nikolai plucked Jin Liwei's hands from his shirt and threw them away. There was now long, gaping rip on his front but he didn't give a damn about it.
He stared at his brother-in-law straight in the eyes. Nikolai's eyes were cold while Jin Liwei's were furious and pained for his wife at the same time.
Jin Liwei forced himself to take a few deep breaths and said in a much calmer tone, "Explain, Nikolai. What exactly happened to my wife and you back then?"