Chapter 131 - Unexpected Confession
The atmosphere in the living area remained tense. It was as if everyone was frozen while looking at each other.
Iris didn't say anything more. She already said what she needed to say. She couldn't control other people's thoughts and feelings. Yi Mei was her own person. She had the right to think and feel on her own. All Iris could do was explain to the housekeeper that Jin Liwei was someone important to her.
The silence just made the atmosphere heavier. Iris was calm. Jin Liwei followed her lead. Only Dom felt stifled. He almost cracked a joke just to lighten the mood but judged that this wasn't the right time to act like a clown.
Finally, it was Yi Mei who broke the tense silence. She glared at Jin Liwei and looked like she wanted nothing more in the world than to pummel the lusty brat into oblivion. "You." She pointed at him. "Do you love Young Miss?"
Iris stiffened, instinctively turning to look at Jin Liwei.
"Yes, I love Xiulan," Jin Liwei immediately answered. There was no hesitation. He was answering Yi Mei's question but his eyes were looking directly at Iris. His expression was grave, filled with determination to convey his sincerity. "She is the only woman that I'll ever love like this, the only woman that I want to be with for the rest of my life. Just weeks ago, we were strangers, but now I can't imagine my life without her. I dream about her every night. And I wake up every day only to realize that I'm falling in love with her more deeply than the day before."
Dom, the first ever to ship the couple and the number one fan of their relationship, immediately burst into tears upon hearing such romantic words coming out of his sir boss' lips. He was so overwhelmed by emotions that he let go of Yi Mei to clutch his chest and cover his mouth. He was doing his best not to cry loudly because he didn't want to ruin the moment.
Although Dom already released her, Yi Mei didn't attack Jin Liwei. She was also shocked by the lusty brat's words. She wanted to disregard it as mere lip service to escape the situation, but she couldn't deny feeling touched by his sincerity. Maybe the brat really loved the Young Miss. She wavered and her anger subsided a little. Yi Mei glanced at her Young Miss.
Iris had a complicated expression on her face. Her confusion was apparent to everyone. Her eyes would look directly at Jin Liwei but would quickly look away to avoid his passionate expression before looking at him again.
"I love you, Long Xiulan. So much."
"Liwei, Iâ"
"I know that you don't love me. Not yet," he continued. A trace of a sad smile appeared on his face before transforming into a determined expression. "But I will do my best to show my love for you and make you fall in love with me, too. I hope that one day, you'll also feel the same way as I do."
"Liwei, I donâ"
He crossed the short distance between them in just a couple of steps and pressed his index finger to her lips, stopping whatever she was going to say.
"Please don't say anything now," he said in a voice so soft that it was almost a whisper. "Just allow me to love you."
Iris blinked. Then she slowly grabbed his hand to release her lips. She pulled his palm and pressed it onto her chest, so that he could feel her racing heartbeat.
They looked at each other's eyes, as if trying to dig underneath the other's soul.
"Baby, let me love you."
Ten seconds of silence.
Jin Liwei didn't dare breathe as he awaited her answer.
Finally...
"Okay."
Joy filled him, as he released the breath he was holding. But he wanted to make sure. "Really?"
Iris nodded.
Jin Liwei pulled her into his arms, lifted her up and kissed her. He kissed her as if doing so would fuse them together as one for eternity.
Confessing his feelings for her felt very liberating. Before this, love felt like a formless gas. But now that he voiced it out aloud in front of her, it suddenly took shape and solidified, growing denser and more intense with every passing moment.
They were both gasping when the kiss ended.
"I love you," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
She smiled. "Thank you."
A hint of sadness flashed in his eyes after hearing her reply, but it quickly disappeared. He smiled back at her.
Their moment was interrupted by a loud, forceful cough. It was Yi Mei.
They turned to her.
"Young Miss, please forgive this old housekeeper for acting above her station but I still think that this man is no good for you."
Jin Liwei's lips pressed into a thin line but he remained quiet.
"Grandma Yi Meiâ"
"Dominic, let me finish." Yi Mei took a couple of deep breaths before speaking to Iris again. "I think that this man will only hurt you. Young Miss, I only want you to be happy, to meet a nice young man someday who will love and worship you, make you the number one person in his life, to build a wonderful and beautiful family together, and to spend your life in happiness without suffering disappointment, pain or betrayal. I don't think this man can give you that kind of happiness. Men of status like him can never treat just one woman their number one priority. They have too many responsibilities, duties...and temptations."
Iris sighed. "Yi Meiâ"
"But I can see that you're happy with him. For now. As long as you're happy, this old woman is also happy. If Young Miss wants to stay with him, then it's your decision. Please forgive this old woman for interfering with Young Miss' life." Tears fell from Yi Mei's wrinkled eyes. "I just want you to live a good life. You went through so much. Nobody really guided you while growing up. You were basically on your own, a young girl left to her own devices. You had to experience such a scary event, almost dying, to grow up quickly and become such an amazing young woman. You deserve so much better, Young Miss. He doesn't deserve you. But if you think that he makes you happy, then this old woman has no choice but to support you."
Heat welled up from Iris' chest and rushed all over her entire body. Her vision suddenly blurred. Confused, she blinked and large drops of tears fell down her eyes. She touched her now wet face, surprised. She was confused especially since she couldn't seem to control her tears which kept on flowing.
Yi Mei staggered to Iris and clutched her hands. "Young Miss, no matter what happens, as long as I live, this old bones of mine will support you until the day my flesh turns to ashes."
"Thank you." Iris wanted to say so much more, to express the depth of her emotions, but no words could express her gratitude to Yi Mei as much as this simple yet very meaningful phrase.
"Wuwuwu...Boss! Sir boss! Grandma Yi Mei! I love you all so much! Wuwuwu..." Dom could no longer stop himself and began a full-force sobbing.
Yi Mei wiped the tears from Iris' cheeks with her shaking, wrinkled hands.
'So a family could feel like this,' Iris thought. 'So warm, so loving, so supportive. So...uplifting.'
She was really glad and thankful to have been given a second life.
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Chapter 132 - Commando
Inside the bedroom.
Iris laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. For the first time, the sound of water from the wall-mounted waterfall fountain failed to relax her.
'I love you.'
Jin Liwei's voice echoed in her mind.
Her breath suddenly couldn't keep up with the fast beating of her heart. Was she having a panic attack? But upon closer inspection, it didn't feel like anxiety. It felt more like...excitement?
"I need to search this up."
She was about to climb off the bed to grab her laptop from the study table when the bathroom door opened, revealing a freshly-showered Jin Liwei. He looked flushed from the hot shower. A towel was wrapped low around his hips. He was drying his wet hair with another towel.
Iris immediately forgot about her laptop. Her full attention was on Jin Liwei's long, lean and strong body which was muscled in the right places. She didn't notice that she swallowed a more than usual amount of saliva pooling inside her mouth.
Jin Liwei saw his baby girl ogling him. His mouth curved into a devilish smile. He was initially on his way to the walk-in closet for pyjamas but seeing his baby girl's current expression, he changed his mind. He headed straight to the bed instead.
The bed dipped under his weight.
Iris finally regained her senses. She blinked. "Put some clothes on first."
Instead of replying, he removed the towel around his hips. He was already hard and standing.
It wasn't her first time seeing his erection, but she still couldn't help but widen her eyes. She inhaled sharply.
"I'll sleep commando tonight," he announced, tossing the towel to the bottom corner of the bed. He sat beside her in his full naked glory, nonchalantly drying his hair with the other towel.
"I...let me help you." She took the towel from him and gently rubbed it on his hair, trying not to stare at his little brother standing strong and proud. However, her traitor eyes kept on swerving to the direction of his crotch. Clearing her throat, she casually covered his lower body with the duvet before continuing to dry his hair.
Jin Liwei smirked, but didn't remove the duvet. He kept still and enjoyed this simple yet enjoyable moment of his baby girl drying his hair.
"I think it's dry enough," she announced when his hair felt only slightly damp. Then the towel in her hand followed the first towel at the foot of the bed.
"Thanks, baby."
She smiled at him.
He leaned closer until his face was only a couple of inches from hers. His eyes were dark and heavy with desire.
"I love you, Xiulan."
She forgot to breathe until her lungs protested and forced her to gasp much-needed air. Jin Liwei's gaze was too intense, so she avoided his eyes.
"Baby, look at me." He held her chin with his thumb and index finger, gently turning her face towards him.
She looked at him, feeling as if his eyes were burning her. She felt warm...and then hot.
He continued to look at her with his intense gaze, until she felt so hot that she couldn't take it anymore.
"Kiss me, Liwei...please...darling..."
Of course he granted her request. Softly, he pressed his lips on her sweet lips. Her eyes closed, sighing in satisfaction. However, he kept his eyes slightly open, watching her beautiful and sexy expressions as he kissed her.
He traced her lips with the tip of his tongue, and then nibbled on her lower lip. One of his hands slipped on her nape, gently holding her in place, while her other hand circled around her tiny waist, pulling her closer to him.
Her arms wrapped around his neck. She attempted to deepen the kiss, but he held back. A furrow formed between her brows. She opened her eyes and pouted, silently expressing her dissatisfaction.
His mouth curved into a smile. He traced light kisses from the corner of her mouth to her cheeks and finally to her ear. Then he whispered, "Are you still on your period?"
"Oh." She blinked, remembering that, indeed, she was still on her period. Fortunately, it was now the light flow towards the end of a normal menstruation. Her hospital stay helped regulate the unusual heavy bleeding she experienced at the start.
"Yes," she replied.
He kissed the side of her neck. "Are you still in pain?"
She tilted her head to the side, thinking, but this position also gave him easier access to her neck. She shivered when he licked it. "No...well, a little..." she admitted, panting a little from his touch. "But it's more tender than painful."
"Where?" His voice was low and husky.
"My breasts..."
"Where else?"
"My lower abdomen...and my lower back..."
He straightened and looked at her. His earlier desire-filled face was now marred by a concerned frown. "I think you should still be in the hospital." Then he released her and started climbing off the bed. His movements caused the duvet to slide off his lower body, and his little brother down below popped out again to greet her. "Let's go back to the hospital. Let me just put on some clothes."
Iris blinked, needing a couple of seconds to process what he just said. "Wait, no! Liwei, I'm alright now. I don't need to go back to the hospital."
"But your breasts, abdomen and lower back are not alright yet."
"I'm on my period, Liwei. This is normal."
"Butâ"
"Dr. Ching already discharged me, so it means that I'm alright. I trust my doctor. If I'm really not well yet, he won't let me out of the hospital."
His lips pressed together. He was still clearly worried for her. His erection was now softening up.
Iris noticed this and sighed. She felt a little disappointed, but she was more touched by his concern for her health.
She smiled and laid back on the bed. She pulled on his arm, wordlessly telling him to lay beside her. When he still hesitated, she pulled harder.
Having no choice but to obey his beautiful baby girl, he sighed and laid beside her, pulling the duvet over them.
She immediately placed her head on his arm and pressed her body close to his, throwing her arm and leg over him.
The corners of his mouth lifted. Following her lead, he wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Then he kissed her forehead.
The two inhaled each other's scents, feeling content, as they savoured this sweet moment of cuddling.
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Chapter 133 - Compromise
The two of them cuddled. The flowing sound of water from the wall-mounted waterfall fountain was slowly lulling them to sleep.
Jin Liwei reached over to switch off the lights, so that the dim golden lights from the fountain were the only illumination remaining in the dark bedroom. For the entire time during his business trip, he was looking forward to making love with his Xiulan for the first time. But now that they reunited, life threw a sh*tty curveball.
Of course, he could seduce her into making love right now, but both of them weren't in their peak conditions. She was still recovering from her recent health scare, while he was still suffering from the lingering effects of jet lag. This was not the ideal time to make love. He wanted their first times to be special for both of them.
He didn't want exhaustion to spoil their eventual lovemaking. That was why he needed to wait until both of them were recovered and full of vigour again.
"Liwei?"
He was about to fall asleep when her lovely voice called for him. "Mmn...what is it, baby?"
"Please don't think badly of Yi Mei after the things she said about you earlier. She was just acting out of concern for me."
He stroked her head, running his fingers through her long, silky hair.
"She's not unreasonable," she continued. "I don't think she'll try to attack you again. Both of you are important to me. I don't want you to fight."
"I understand. Don't worry about it," he said, kissing her head and pulling her waist for a closer cuddle.
"Thank you, Liwei."
"I would like to hear you call me 'darling' more."
"I still think it sounds stupid."
He chuckled. "But I hope you get used to it soon."
She was silent for a few moments before replying, "I'll try."
His hand continued stroking her hair before gradually slowing down. His eyes drooped close.
"Liwei?"
No answer.
"Are you asleep? Liwei...darling?"
"Hm?" The 'darling' pulled him out of near-slumber. "Baby?"
"Oh, it's okay. Go back to sleep. We'll talk about it another day."
It sounded like she wanted to talk about something important, so he forced himself to stay awake. "It's fine. Tell me."
"I want to say that I don't like that you just decided to send your subordinates to guard me without speaking to me about it first."
He frowned. "You mean the escort I arranged for you earlier today?"
She nodded.
He sighed. "Baby, there were a lot of reporters and snoopers milling around the hospital area. All of them came for you. Yes, there were police officers patrolling but their only job was to prevent them from entering the hospital building, not drive them completely away from the area. If I didn't arrange the escort beforehand to slip you out of the hospital secretly, they would've swarmed like locusts the moment they saw you. I sent my subordinates to ensure your safety."
"I know!" She disentangled herself from his embrace and sat up, looking down at him. Her expression clearly showed frustration. "But Liwei! You didn't have to send so many people just to guard me. Why do you have to send an...an army to guard one person?"
"I just want to make sure that you're safe and protected from all kinds of danger."
"So you surround me with your people? Liwei, you're trying to control my life! You said you're not going to cage or restrict me. Were you lying?"
"Instructing my men to guard you counts as caging you?" he asked.
"Yes!"
His mouth pressed together into a thin line. He didn't agree with her. As a man, he thought that it was only natural to want to ensure his woman's safety, especially now that she had a history of being attacked.
"So you want me to just leave you alone? Baby, I can't do that. I love you. I want you to be safe."
Her heart couldn't help but skip a beat. The words "I love you" rolled off his tongue so naturally.
"Liwei...darling, please try to understand. I'm not telling you to leave me alone. We're lovers and you're important to me. It's just that you can be so excessive that it's...it feels stifling."
Stifling? She felt that he was stifling? He pondered over her words silently.
In all honesty, he wanted to have at least ten of his people follow, monitor and guard her no matter where she wanted to go. This was to give him peace of mind knowing that his baby girl was safe at all times. But also so that he could know where she was at any time, what she was doing, who she was meeting and speaking with, and to make sure that no annoying flies were flying around trying to steal her away from him.
If they didn't have their own respective careers, he would have liked to tie her to his waist and spend every single moment together without being separated. Alas, he had a company to run and she was currently working hard to build a successful career. It would have been perfect if she just let him take care of her, but he knew that her career was important to her. He didn't want to block her from achieving her ambitions.
She took his hand and held it. "I already agreed to hire a bodyguard. Surely, I'll be protected then. You don't have to send so many of your subordinates to guard me. Liwei, I really don't like being surrounded by bodyguards. To be honest, I hate it."
He wanted to argue with her, to persuade and make her understand that all of these was for her own safety. However, he could sense her frustration. He had a feeling that if he continued to insist, she would end up resenting him. That was the last thing that he wanted.
He already told her that he loved her. What he needed to do now was to make her fall in love with him too, not make her hate him. So even though it was against his wish, he had to accede to her.
"Alright, baby." He reached up with his other hand and stroked her cheek. "I won't send so many of my subordinates to guard you next time."
"Really? Promise?"
He sat up. "Yes, I promise. I won't interfere with your daily safety. I'll leave it for you and your future bodyguard to handle. BUT if you're in any danger, I'll still send my subordinates to protect you. I can't sit still and do nothing when I know that you're in danger."
She pursed her lips. She was unsatisfied but at least the conversation was heading to a compromise. This was a good sign. "Fine, but you have to inform me first."
"Alright. If the situation allows it, I'll inform you beforehand. But if it's an emergency, you have to understand that my priority is to remove you from the dangerous situation first over informing you."
"How about this? You may send your subordinates to me only during emergencies or after you inform me first. And when the emergency ends, you retrieve your men. Deal?"
Five seconds of silence.
"Okay, baby. We have a deal."
She beamed at him.
He stopped breathing for a moment, blinded by her beauty. He pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily on the mouth.
She responded with all her might, pushing him down on the bed. Desire for him flowed within her...then she yawned. Sleepiness and desire fought inside her.
Jin Liwei chuckled seeing his baby girl's struggle. He kissed her forehead. "Let's sleep, baby."
"Mmn..." She settled beside him, her arm and leg over him.
Moments later, both were deeply asleep.
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Chapter 134 - Slippers Army
The following days were extremely busy for both Jin Liwei and Iris.
Jin Liwei was busy developing his company's newest business project and looking for a partner for it. There were many companies, both local and foreign, that were interested in partnering with Jin Corporation but he had to carefully choose the best fit for this project. Most business insiders were expecting the Fans to win the bid, not only because it was in their area of expertise but also because of their status as future in-laws to the Jins. This was why everyone was shocked when they heard that Jin Corporation rejected the Fans' bid proposal.
Right away, rumours started flying saying that the wedding between Jin Chonglin and Fan Luo was called off and must be the reason why the Fans' bid proposal to the business project was rejected. Those who were envious of the Fans for their close relationship to the Jins were gleeful. They didn't appreciate the Fans' recent aggressive business activities, using their connection to the Jins to win potentially lucrative deals. They thought that the Fans were getting too ahead of themselves, prancing about like the relatives of royalty, when their daughter wasn't even married to the Jins' Second Master yet. They wanted to see the Fans fall because they climbed too high up using borrowed ladder from the Jins and stepping on too many people in the process.
The rumours reached a point that the Fan family was forced to release an official statement saying that their daughter Fan Luo and Jin Chonglin were still very much in love with each other, and that their wedding would still happen at the right time. Their statement somewhat calmed the rumours, but the seed of doubt was already planted, especially since they hadn't heard anything from the Jins.
Everybody waited for a statement from the Jins to clarify this issue, but the Jins maintained their silence. No, it was more indifference than silence. Seeing the Jins' stance just made everyone speculate harder that all was not well between the Jins and the Fans.
The Fan family was, of course, upset about all of these. They demanded an explanation from the Jins. But who was the head of the Jin family? It was Jin Liwei. And who was Jin Liwei? The current most powerful man in the country's business world who was known for his cold, dispassionate and sometimes ruthless leadership. Even the Fans wouldn't directly dare offend him. So their only option was to ask Jin Liwei's mother for help. After all, it was through her first that the Fans had such close connection to the Jins.
As for Iris, Bright Summit finally allowed her to return to work after assuring them that she was recovered and healthy. On their end, Bright Summit's PR team somewhat successfully spun the launch party incident as solely the Alarm Girls' fault and that Iris Long beating them up was legitimate self-defence.
Of course, there were still many Iris Long haters who continued to accuse her of violence, calling for her punishment alongside the Alarm Girls. However, whenever they posted anything against Iris online, the Black Stars would immediately swarm over them. The Black Stars were very organized and thorough in defending their boss online. Whenever a negative comment about their boss Iris was posted anywhere online, it would only take them seconds to arrive and virtually beat the hater black and blue.
The most notorious division of the Black Stars was the Slippers Army led by the infamous iEatSlippers. They were extremely vicious, an army made up of trolls who didn't give a damn about netiquette. They were quickly becoming the most hated and frightening group on the web. Anyone they targeted would be completely decimated. No matter how many alt accounts the haters created, the Slippers Army had more alt accounts than them. The majority of them were experienced trolls after all.
The day before Iris returned to work.
Black Stars website.
CaptainBlackStar: "My fellow Black Stars, I have an important and exciting announcement to share with all of you. Thanks to the initiative of MrsLovePhantom, JJNumber1Fan, JJNumber2Fan and JJNumber3Fan, Bright Summit Entertainment Company has invited us for a meeting. I personally went with MrsLovePhantom and the three ladies to meet with our boss Iris' management. Guess what? We, the Black Stars, are finally recognized and certified as the official fan club of our boss Iris Long!!! We did it!"
The replies were instantaneous.
"!!!"
"Oh my god!"
"Uwah! I'm crying. I'm so happy. We did it!"
LittlePhoenix: "(squealing and jumping all around in excitement)"
"Wow! This is just so wow. Absolutely wow!"
iEatSlippers: "Comrades, this is all thanks to our mighty slippers of justice! Our heroic battles in the name of our boss are finally recognized!"
"All hail our mighty slippers of justice!"
"Slippers are the mightiest weapons of all!"
iEatSlippers: "Bro Monkeyface, continue to direct us to our next online battlefields. Our mighty slippers of justice are still hungry for more whacking!"
"Yeah! Whack all those haters! How dare they bash our boss Iris?!"
The comments continued pouring from the Black Stars members, celebrating their new status as their boss Iris Long's official fan club.
However, they were soon interrupted when their website suddenly blacked out. They tried refreshing the website but to no avail. Zhou Mei'er (CaptainBlackStar) and Wu Chen (iEatSlippers) directly called Hou Liang (Monkeyface), asking him what was happening.
"Give me a few minutes to figure it out," he told them.
His fingers flew on his keyboard. His usual bored and exhausted expression was nowhere to be seen. At the moment, his eyes were bright and focused. However, he frowned after a minute. His expression turned bewildered when he failed to regain access to the website.
"It seems...our website is being hacked," he muttered to his headset.
"What? Hacked? Oh no!" Zhou Mei'er cried out.
"Dammit! It must be those haters that our Slippers Army have crushed. They must've hired a hacker to try and destroy our online headquarters! Vindictive bastards! They deserve more whacking from my mighty slippers!"
"Hmm...Let's see what you got." Excitement danced in Hou Liang's eyes as his fingers flew over his keyboard. He didn't bother defending the website from the hacking. Instead, he focused on trying to trace the intruder. However, it was like trying to chase after a formless and invisible phantom.
While he was busy tracing, the blacked out website finally showed some activity.
At first the black screen rippled until it brightened and showed a sleeker version of the website. It looked less cluttered yet more visually appealing. In fact, it looked easier to use than the previous design. When the members started exploring the new website, they were delighted at how fast and responsive it was. The features were also all improved.
Of course Hou Liang saw the new design. He pulled out the new website code and studied it. Indeed, it was so much better than his by several degrees.
The security was also tighter and less vulnerable to hackers and other breaches.
"Who are you?" he murmured, feeling very excited.
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Chapter 135 - Drakon
Zhou Mei'er and Wu Chen's gasps of amazement over their new website were transmitted through Hou Liang's headset, but he didn't hear them. He was eagerly analyzing the new codes, comparing them to his own.
Then suddenly he was interrupted when his other computer received a message. His heart thumped. He immediately clicked it open.
"My fees are expensive but I won't collect payment from the Black Stars. You're welcome. You need to up your game, KeymonSTER. You have the ability but not enough confidence. âDrakon"
Hou Liang cried out, standing so abruptly that he knocked over his chair to the floor.
"D-drakon? Is this the same Drakon that I'm thinking of? No way..."
"Hey bro. Are you okay?"
Wu Chen and Zhou Mei'er heard Hou Liang's exclamation.
"What's happening? Why did youâ"
Hou Liang hung up the call. He was too excited that he forgot to bid proper goodbyes to his friends.
He quickly typed a reply, not even bothering to pick up his chair.
"Are you really Drakon?"
However, his reply bounced. He tried tracing the message but like before, it was like chasing after a phantom. There were no trails at all, or even if there were, his ability was not enough to find them. This only strengthened the possibility that it was really THE Drakon who redesigned the Black Stars website and sent him a message.
Of course, being unable to trace wasn't enough to prove anything. After all, there were many hackers in the world who excelled in erasing their tracks. Were they all Drakon? Of course not.
Drakon was a recently famous hacker who emerged out of nowhere less than a year ago. Nobody knew where he came from because the guy communicated in many, different languages. Whatever language his client used, he would fluently use it as well.
He first gained a bit of attention when he accepted lucrative jobs troubleshooting and improving various companies' system securities around the world. He was very thorough that he would always catch the smallest of errors overlooked by most hackers, and then offer sophisticated methods on how to improve their systems.
After completing the jobs, the companies would offer permanent positions to him but he always declined, disappearing without a trace until he accepted another job from another company. The amount of jobs he accepted and completed in a short period of time was impressive. It was estimated by those who tried to closely follow his activities that the money Drakon earned from these jobs was in the tens of millions in US dollars.
Hearing about his track record, more companies sought his services but they had no way of directly contacting him. All they could do was announce the job online and hope that Drakon would pop by and accept it.
He gained even more attention when rumours leaked that a few governments tried to recruit him. There was no concrete evidence to prove that Drakon accepted any of these governments' offers, but some said that he accepted some of the offers when the pay was high enough. Nobody really knew whether these rumours were true or not. After all, most dealings with the government were highly classified.
Despite all these lucrative undertakings, the top hackers didn't really put Drakon in their sights. Yes, he earned tens of millions in such a short period of time but what he did was nothing special or complicated. To top hackers, system securities were child's play. Some of them even looked down on him for being a white hat, for not being daring enough to come to the dark side.
Soon, however, they were forced to take Drakon seriously. Very, very seriously. Drakon finally started accepting jobs from the dark web.
He didn't dip his toes to test the waters first. Oh no, he didn't. He f*cking conquered all the highest paying jobs! As long as the job didn't involve murder or female, child, and sexual exploitation or other crimes deserving capital punishment, Drakon would accept it if the pay was high enough.
High-profile figures such as politicians, company heads, organized crime bosses, even religious leaders, and other such personalities were destroyed by Drakon overnight. Companies and organizations collapsed due to the frighteningly extensive and detailed reports he provided. Even some minor governments in different parts of the world were forced to change leaders because of the dirt he dug out.
His calm, detail-oriented, thorough, and untraceable style was very similar to that legendary world-class hacker who mysteriously disappeared some years ago. Some were even speculating that perhaps the legendary hacker was actually Drakon re-emerging under another name.
However, the veteran hackers disagreed. Indeed, their styles were similar but Drakon clearly prioritized money. On the other hand, that legendary hacker couldn't care less about earning anything. He would hack to amuse himself to the point that his objectives were difficult to understand by common sense.
That legendary hacker would often hack into various governments' intelligence agencies, not to cause any trouble, but only to read classified files like someone borrowing books from a public library. The agencies wouldn't even know that they were hacked. They would only discover by chance when they routinely checked old files only to discover added notes that weren't there before.
The notes usually went along these lines:
"That was so entertaining. Thank you!"
"This is a page-turner. Highly recommended!"
"What a tragic story. Made me teary-eyed."
Like a phantom, he would come and go as he pleased. Like a phantom, he would vanish without any trace.
To the veteran hackers, this legendary hacker who disappeared some years ago had a very different personality than the money-oriented Drakon. Compared to Drakon who chose jobs based on the pay, the legendary hacker would help or destroy in accordance to his mood. This was why he was so terrifying because he couldn't be tempted by anything, not even when offered billions in money.
Back in his cramped apartment filled with disorganized computer parts and other electronic devices, Hou Liang felt star-struck. Drakon was like the hottest new celebrity in the hacking world.
The top hackers might not be completely sold on Drakon yet, but to plebeians like Hou Liang, he was already a star deserving to be idolized.
Hou Liang wondered why someone like Drakon would concern himself with something like the Black Stars fan club. What was even more amazing was Drakon knew his main hacker name, KeymonSTER. Nobody really made this connection to him before. This was the first time. Most people knew him as Monkeyface, a normal "computer expert".
'No, wait.'
Suddenly, he remembered something.
There was one more person who knew that he was KeymonSTER.
Iris Long whispered this very word to his ear during her launch party.
"Drakon must be connected to Iris Long," he murmured to himself. "Perhaps they even know each other in person. This explains why she knows that I'm KeymonSTER and why Drakon got involved with the Black Stars website. Hmm...this must be it."
Hou Liang nodded, thinking that his conjecture made sense.
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Chapter 136 - What Baby?
Jin Liwei helped Iris choose a suitable bodyguard to hire before she started working again. He tried suggesting that she choose from his subordinates because he was certain that his own men were well-trained and loyal. But she quickly rejected his idea. Yes, she had no doubt that his men would be well-trained and loyal...but loyal to HIM, not to her.
In the end, he didn't push it and just provided her with a list of candidates he already filtered through for her.
"They're all males," she commented while looking at the list.
"En."
"Aren't there any female bodyguards?"
He paused before replying. "There are. You want a female bodyguard?"
She nodded.
"Hmm...How about this? Hire one male bodyguard from this list first. Give me some time and I'll compile another list of female bodyguards for you. This way, you get two bodyguards. A male and a female."
"I don't need two bodyguards!"
"Baby, do you expect one bodyguard to work for you 24/7? With two bodyguards, they can work in shifts and you're protected all the time."
She was silent, thinking on his words for about a minute, before agreeing after some reluctance.
He breathed a sigh of relief when she finally acquiesced, and immediately commenced the hiring procedure for her.
Now that his baby girl had a bodyguard, Jin Liwei felt a little more assured about her safety. He would feel even more assured if it were his own men protecting her, but since she didn't like the idea, all he could do was compromise. At least, he was 100% involved in the choosing and hiring process.
The days flew by as Iris and Jin Liwei busied themselves with their own respective work.
Due to Iris having just recovered from her recent hospitalization, Bright Summit was careful in easing her back to work. For the first few days, Tang Yiyi limited Iris' working hours up to six hours a day at most. This allowed Iris to return home every day to rest.
Jin Liwei, on the other hand, worked long hours. His company's latest business project was reaching a critical stage and he had to be present to actively oversee it. Despite this, he always came home to the penthouse.
The two, however, couldn't spend quality time together. Jin Liwei was gone for most of the day. Iris would already be deeply asleep when he came home past midnight. Then he would wake up at dawn a few hours later to get ready for another day of work. Iris would usually still be asleep when he left, but sometimes she would wake up to see him off.
In the past, when business projects reached a critical stage like this and he had to spend a lot of time at work, he usually slept right in his company office bedroom. This time, however, he made sure that he returned to the penthouse every night even though it was very inconvenient because he was worried about his baby girl.
Iris would sometimes thrash in her sleep, obviously from a nightmare. She would feel cold to the touch, sweat heavily and gasp for breath. Jin Liwei worried that there would be a repeat of that terrifying night when she collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital. There was also a fear within him that she would fail to wake up because he heard that there were cases of people suddenly dying in their sleep despite appearing healthy.
Fortunately, the nightmares weren't regular nightly occurrences. Often, she wouldn't even remember having a nightmare at all. This was a good thing because she would be her usual self when she woke up. However, he was still worried for her and wondered why she kept experiencing these sleep disturbances.
He wanted to suggest for her to go for a medical consultation or perhaps a psychological evaluation but stopped himself because she wasn't complaining about them. As long as she wasn't bothered, he would try not to worry too much. Perhaps he was overthinking.
Although both of them were busy and barely had time for each other, Jin Liwei regularly phoned to talk to her and hear her voice whenever he had time to spare.
She was busy promoting her album "Rebirth".
Dom documented her activities and would regularly report all of them to Jin Liwei. Based on Dom's reports, Jin Liwei was assured that the bodyguard they hired was properly doing his job in protecting his baby girl.
After a week, Tang Yiyi informed Iris that she would be increasing her workload to get back on track with their original promotional plans. Iris agreed, assuring her manager that her health could take it.
But before she became busier, Iris called Long Tengfei and scheduled dinner with him and his wife at the Long ancestral residence.
Then she tried calling Jin Liwei after speaking with Long Tengfei. She didn't really expect for him to pick up because she knew that he was busy at work. She was ready to leave a voice message.
"Hello, baby?" Jin Liwei's deep voice answered.
She was caught unawares when he actually picked up her call that she wasn't able to speak for a couple of seconds. "Oh. Sorry to disturb you. I just want to ask you about something."
"No, you're not disturbing me. What is it? Are you alright?"
Jin Liwei was actually in the middle of an important meeting. Everyone froze when the President suddenly raised a hand to stop the person currently presenting. His phone was vibrating on the conference table. They were confused because the President would usually reject calls during meetings, but this time he answered. The person calling must be someone important, perhaps a fellow business leader.
Then everyone was shocked out of their wits when their cold and dispassionate President answered the phone with a gentle tone. But what shocked them the most was that he called the person on the other end of the line "baby".
Baby? What baby?
Baby as in "offspring"? Or baby as in "lover"? Or maybe a person named Baby?
Which was it?!!!
They wanted to know so badly.
All their bodies slightly shifted towards his direction, straining to hear the phone conversation. They wished that it was on speakerphone.
"Oh, you want to give a present to your father?" Jin Liwei continued to talk on the phone, ignoring all the people around him.
No, it wasn't that he was ignoring them. It was just that all these people ceased to exist for him at that very moment because all his senses were focused on his baby girl.
"Hmm...Alright, I got it. I'll ask someone to pick up a bottle from my house and deliver it to you today. I have some of the best bottles in the world...No, baby. Don't worry about paying anything. Just treat it as a present to your father from both of us..."
The surrounding people felt like their eyes were going to pop out of their heads at what they were hearing. Based on the President's tone and the conversation, it seemed that "baby" was referring to a lover.
"Alright. Take care. Don't overwork yourself. I think I'll be home before midnight tonight. I'll see you. I love you, baby. Bye."
Some of them were already hyperventilating, while the others were simply frozen, unable to process what they just heard.
The President just said 'I love you, baby' to someone! This was Jin Liwei saying such mushy words!
Un-f*cking-believable!
Big news!
The King Yama of the business world was in a relationship!
But the most important question was...
Was 'baby' a woman or a...man?
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Chapter 137 - Will You Wait For Me?
Saturday.
At 4:30 PM, Iris was sitting with Jin Liwei at the backseat of his car. Xu Tian was driving. They picked her up from the penthouse, so that they could drop her off at the Long ancestral residence for her dinner agreement with Long Tengfei.
Jin Liwei was in his business suit. He left at dawn for work as usual, even though it was a weekend. His company was still very busy due to their latest business project. But still he promised to leave work early just to pick her up this afternoon.
As soon as Iris climbed inside the car, he pulled her in his arms and kissed her hungrily.
Xu Tian immediately pushed a button and a partition wall rose between the front and backseats, giving the lovey-dovey couple behind him some privacy and most importantly peace to HIS mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Oh, how much he wished that the partition wall was also soundproofed. He couldn't stop his neck, ears and face from flushing red.
'This is going to be a long drive,' he thought, sighing.
He began driving.
At the backseat, Iris responded to Jin Liwei's kiss just as hungrily. They hadn't pleasured each other for days. She missed his touches. She climbed on his lap.
"Baby..."
He was about to stop her when she pulled hard on the collar of his dress shirt. Two buttons snapped off, falling somewhere on the car floor.
She trailed wet kisses on his jaw down to his neck. She sucked and nibbled on his skin, leaving small red love bites. Most of the hickeys she put on his neck and chest last time already faded. He was already past due for a touch-up from her.
He gasped, feeling tightness in his pants. He was already hard and getting harder by the second in response to his baby girl's unrestrained actions.
Iris' wild hands were already on his belt buckle when he managed to regain a sliver of his rational mind. They were in a moving car with Xu Tian right in front of them driving. Although he knew that his assistant was discreet, loyal, trustworthy and wouldn't gossip, he still didn't want Xu Tian to personally witness or even just hear their intimate activities.
He didn't want anyone besides himself to hear his Xiulan making sexy noises. This side of hers was his alone to experience. Nobody else's but his!
With great effort and the last bit of his self-control, he gently but firmly caught his baby girl's naughty hands and held them away from his hungry little brother down below.
She made a noise of protest and tried to return to where she left off, but his grip was strong, not allowing her naughty hands to get any naughtier.
"Baby, we need to stop."
"No, I want..."
"Listen to me, baby. Do you want Xu Tian to hear us?"
She pursed her lips, annoyed at being stopped. She wanted him so much at the moment. "So what? Let him hear. He already knows about our relationship anyway. Besides, if he becomes stupid enough to breathe a word about what we're doing, I'll destroy him."
Hearing every single word they were saying about him, Xu Tian had no idea how to react. He felt extremely uncomfortable, especially after hearing what Miss Long just said. Given how deeply the President had already fallen for her, he probably would even help her destroy Xu Tian, his long-time assistant, just to make her happy. Poor Xu Tian wanted to cry. It seemed like he needed to be extra careful not to displease Miss Long, his future lady boss, in any way.
"Absolutely not." Jin Liwei's tone was unyielding.
'Hooray! The boss still cares about me,' Xu Tian rejoiced inside. It seemed like the President cared for him enough not to allow Miss Long to even think about destroying him. But the President's next words almost made poor Xu Tian spit out blood.
"I just don't want Xu Tian to get any ideas in his head about you after hearing us. You're so beautiful and sexy, baby. I don't want to give other men opportunities to fantasize about you. I'll probably want to kill Xu Tian myself if I allow that to happen."
'Oh my lord Jin, how can you forsake your pitiful servant like this?' Xu Tian inwardly cried. He wanted to defend himself and say that he would never fantasize about Miss Long. He wasn't stupid. Why would he dare fantasize about the President's woman? He didn't want to die yet!
Iris was very unhappy, but Jin Liwei's words managed to penetrate through her desire-filled thoughts. Her rationality slowly returned.
"Okay," she said, her expression very disappointed.
Jin Liwei's eyes darkened with desire seeing such a cute expression on her face. He clenched his teeth hard to prevent himself from losing control.
"It's just that..." Iris fiddled with his now broken collar. "I missed you so much."
His mouth curved into a smug smile, as his heart skipped a beat hearing her words. "I missed you too, baby. So much." He kissed her chin because he wasn't sure that he would be able to stop once he started kissing her on the mouth again.
Iris pressed her body against him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I know you're very busy at work. You didn't have to interrupt your work just to pick me up, you know. I have my own driver. Even father offered to send a chauffeur to pick me up if I want."
"I want to spend as much time with you as possible," he said, rubbing her back. Then he sighed. "I wish we didn't have to go to work and just spend time together all the time."
"But that's boring. Besides I love my work."
He squinted at her. "Did you just say that I'm boring?"
She giggled. "No, not you. Not working is boring."
"I thought you think that I'm boring." He gently poked at the tip of her nose, kissing it afterwards.
"Of course not. Well, you can be annoying at times but not boring."
"I'm annoying?"
She nodded. "But it's okay. I still like you."
He stopped and pulled her up from his shoulder, straightening her so that they were once again facing each other. He looked deeply into her eyes.
"I love you, baby."
She stiffened but immediately felt warm and nice. This time, she didn't avoid his eyes but stared back at him. She laid her hands on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat through her palms.
"I'll learn to love you, Liwei. Will you wait for me?"
He inhaled sharply. "Of course. I'll wait for you to love me too."
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Chapter 138 - The Long Ancestral Residence
Iris and Jin Liwei cuddled until the car stopped. They finally reached the majestic gate of the Long ancestral compound.
The partition wall lowered. Xu Tian announced that they arrived.
Jin Liwei kissed Iris' forehead. "Go. Spend time with your father. Call me later when you're ready to leave. I'll pick you up."
"Would you like to go with me inside?"
"Hmm...next time. We'll visit and have dinner with your father as a couple. But for now, I think that it's better for you to go alone. I'm sure your father also wants to spend more time with you."
"Okay."
"Go, baby. Have fun. See you later." He handed her the presents they prepared for Long Tengfei and his wife.
"See you later." Then she turned to Xu Tian. "Drive safely."
"Understood, Miss Long."
The two kissed each other one more time before Iris climbed off the car.
She stood in front of the massive main gate. The stones and the tall wooden doors emanated an ancient aura. Two big, ferocious-looking stone lions guarded each side of the gate. On the archway above the wooden doors hung the Long family crest. It showed a mighty yet benevolent dragon looking up at the heavens.
Iris walked forward and pressed the intercom. Yes, there was an intercom despite the ancient place. This was the modern times of technological advancements after all.
After just a few seconds of wait, a guard opened the door to let her in. Iris turned back to look at Jin Liwei before heading inside. His window was down and he waved at her, urging her to go. The car only left when the gate closed behind her.
Once inside the compound, she followed the guard. She sifted through the original Iris' memories and found that nothing really changed in the place. Long Tengfei was really committed to preserving the compound's ancient dignity.
They walked through the outer courtyard where there was a simple yet elegant green garden. It was very clean and well-maintained. Then the guard opened the second gate leading to the inner courtyard which was many times larger than the outer courtyard.
Iris gasped when she saw the inner courtyard. She already knew what it looked like from the original Iris' memories, but seeing and experiencing the place herself was still different. The view was breathtaking. Calm, serene, and elegant. It was like looking at a real, live, breathing painting. So beautiful.
There was a pond with colourful koi fishes swimming underneath the clear water. Pink and white lotus blooms floated on its surface. At the middle of the pond was a natural-looking waterfall fountain made up of irregular moss-covered rocks stacked on top of one another.
Iris followed the guard and crossed the stone bridge over the pond. The lush leaves from the big, old willow tree was like a green curtain hanging over the bridge. Everywhere she looked were green trees and shrubs accentuated by the colourful blossoms of magnolias, chrysanthemums, azaleas and spireas. There were also some carefully cultivated potted bonsai trees. The traditional garden was vibrant yet calm and organized.
She could see the western wing on her far left where Long Tengfei's eldest son from the first wife was living. On her far right was the eastern wing. Long Tengfei suggested for the original Iris to live there before but she rejected his offer, and then proceeded to buy a penthouse instead.
The original Iris hated living in this compound. First of all, the elders often dropped by. She knew that they disapproved of her and her mother Wei Lan. All they did was criticize her in whatever she did. She could never do anything right in their eyes. Second of all, it was an ancient place, so old-fashioned. Long Tengfei did his best to upgrade the living quarters with modern conveniences but the original Iris still felt that they were too primitive compared to living in an actual modern residence. And lastly, the original Iris was afraid to live in this scary, haunted place. While growing up, she heard some of the servants gossiping about seeing ghosts in this place. There was absolutely no way that she would agree to her father's suggestion to live in the eastern wing. This was what the original Iris thought.
Finally, Iris and the guard reached the master wing. It was the grandest building in the entire compound. The old chamberlain stepped forward and greeted her, taking over in leading her inside the residence. The guard excused himself before leaving.
The chamberlain led her inside. Iris felt like she was walking inside a museum with all the various relics, artifacts, and ancient art and furnitureâbut without the cordons. This place was simply amazing.
However, she also personally thought that there was something off-putting in living in this kind of ancient place on a daily basis. It felt like entering a time warp to the ancient times. There was so much established history in every nook and cranny that there was basically no freedom at all for change without disrespecting the place's dignity.
She finally saw other people when they reached the hall. Long Tengfei, his wife Yang Jiahui, and a young woman around Iris' age were standing and waiting for her.
"Xiulan, welcome back," Long Tengfei greeted her. His expression looked unemotional at first glance, but the sparkle in his eyes betrayed his delight.
"Hello, Father," she greeted him back and handed him one of the presents she was carrying. "This is from me and Liwei. He chose it for you."
Long Tengfei's expression stiffened for about a second after hearing Jin Liwei's name, but he quickly nodded and received the present. "Would you mind if I open it now?"
"Not at all. Please open it, Father."
He carefully tore the wrapping paper and opened the box. He reached inside and pulled a bottle.
"Oh! This is a 55-year old single malt scotch whisky. I think I recognize this. I remember seeing a few bottles being auctioned before and the final price for each bottle reached five figures in US dollars. If I'm not mistaken, there are only about 150 bottles of this in the entire world. This is great."
Iris blinked, not really understanding the excitement over a single bottle of smelly liquid. But she still smiled, pleased that Long Tengfei liked the present.
"Thank you, my daughter. And to CEO...I mean, to Liwei too."
She nodded. Then she turned to the older woman quietly standing beside him. Yang Jiahui was not a beauty. Compared to Wei Lan's gorgeous and seductive beauty, Yang Jiahui looked too simple and average. Her features were the kind that would be forgotten immediately within a crowd. However, when she smiled, one couldn't help but be drawn to her. Her eyes were bright and warm and she exuded a pleasant aura that would make people around her comfortable.
At the moment, however, Yang Jiahui's smile was nervous. "Xiulan, thank you for coming today. We're all very happy for your visit."
"Hello, Madam. Thank you."
Yang Jiahui's expression fell a little, but she quickly recovered and smiled warmly once again.
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Chapter 139 - Aunt And Niece
Long Tengfei and his wife were tense as Iris finally started interacting with Yang Jiahui. They knew how Iris hated her father's third wife and how she repeatedly rejected Yang Jiahui's attempts to have a cordial relationship with her.
Iris caught Yang Jiahui's almost unnoticeable change in expression. She tilted her head to side, wondering what could be the reason. She didn't think that she said anything hurtful to the older woman just now. Since she had no idea, she decided to ask directly.
"Did I say something to make you unhappy, Madam?"
Yang Jiahui's smile stiffened and quickly shook her head. "No, no. I'm very happy that you're here with us today, Xiulan. Please don't think that I'm unhappy with you."
Iris continued to observe Yang Jiahui's expression, making the older woman almost squirm. Long Tengfei and his wife were beginning to feel nervous, fearing that Iris might start raging again like before. Unknown to them, Iris was just pondering whether she made a mistake interpreting Yang Jiahui's earlier change in expression.
The young woman beside Yang Jiahui couldn't take the strained atmosphere any longer. She stepped forward and blurted out, "My aunt is just upset that you're calling her 'Madam'. She wants you to call her 'Aunt Jiahui'."
"Xiao Mei!" Yang Jiahui pulled the young woman back. Then she looked nervously at Iris. "Don't listen to my niece. You can call me however you want, Xiulan."
"Auntie, was what I said wrong? I heard you tell Uncle Tengfei before that you're hoping for Xiulan to treat you like family and call you 'Aunt'. I know what I heard."
"You!" Yang Jiahui's face was red. She almost couldn't look at Iris anymore.
"Hmm...Is that all?" Iris' calm voice interrupted them. "Why didn't you say so? Aunt Jiahui, you just had to ask me. There's no need to feel so shy."
Both Yang Jiahui and Long Tengfei looked stupefied.
The young woman also looked surprised at first but then beamed.
"W-what did you just call me?" Yang Jiahui stammered.
"Hm?" Iris was confused. Why were they reacting so weirdly over such a simple matter? "Aunt Jiahui?"
Tears escaped from Yang Jiahui's eyes, but she quickly wiped them and smiled widely at Iris.
Iris became even more confused. Why was she crying? She turned to the young woman, silently asking her.
The young woman giggled. "Don't worry. Auntie is just happy that you finally called her 'Aunt'."
"Oh, okay." Iris turned to Yang Jiahui again and handed the other present to her. "This is for you, Aunt Jiahui."
"Oh. You didn't have to bring me anything, Xiulan." Yang Jiahui's attempt of rejecting the present was weak. It was obvious that she was excited and emotional.
Iris didn't reply, firmly pushing the present to the older woman.
Yang Jiahui sniffed. Her eyes were still watery but her smile lit up her face, making her pretty in a special way that couldn't be explained by mere outer appearance alone. "Thank you, Xiulan. Do you mind if I open it now?"
"No. Go head, Aunt."
Yang Jiahui's hands trembled a little as she carefully tore the wrapping paper. A beautiful carved box was revealed. She opened it and the faint smell of dried tea leaves wafted in her nose. There was a handwritten note from a tea farmer indicating that the box contained Da Hong Pao tea [1].
Iris was able to get her hands on the tea through her connection with Lin Yehan.
The young woman beside her peered at the box. "Uwah! It's Da Hong Pao! Auntie, I want some too! Oh, I know! Let's use that for tea today."
Yang Jiahui hugged the box closer to her body and moved it away from her niece, like a kid hiding her favourite toy from a playmate. She closed the box and murmured, "Next time, next time." Then she turned to Iris. "Thank you very much, Xiulan. I love it."
Iris nodded.
Yang Jiahui beamed.
"Stingy," the young woman pouted seeing her aunt's actions.
Iris turned to her, curious as to who this young woman was. She tried searching from the original Iris' memories but to no avail.
"Xiulan, this girl here is my niece," Yang Jiahui introduced.
"Hello. My name is Yang Mei. My father and Auntie are siblings. I'm an orphan, that's why Auntie and Uncle Tengfei took me in about...hmm...more than a year ago, I guess."
"Nice to meet you, Yang Mei. I'm Long Xiulan. And I'm sorry for your loss."
"Please call me Meimei. And thank you. I miss my parents but I believe that they're in a much better place now. Uncle Tengfei has been really good to me. He and Auntie treat me like their own daughter, so I'm very thankful."
Long Tengfei cleared his throat. Yang Jiahui looked anxious again. They worried that Yang Mei's words would make Iris feel resentful that her father was treating another child like a daughter when their own relationship was not close.
"I see. That's good to hear." Iris' voice was calm. "My apologies. I didn't know about you before this, so I didn't bring anything for you."
"That's okay," Yang Mei said, waving away the apology. Then she stared at Iris. "You know, I heard that you're a b*tchy, spoiled brat but you're actually pretty nice. I also heard that you were very rude to Auntie before so I was already ready to hate you, but I'm actually liking you right now. Were those fake news or were you really b*tchy before?"
"Xiao Mei! What are you saying?!" Yang Jiahui was horrified. "Xiulan, please excuse this girl's bad manners. Ignore what she says."
"Indeed, I was rude to her before." Iris looked at Yang Jiahui. "Aunt Jiahui, I'm sorry for all the hurtful words I said to you before. I hope that you'll forgive me."
Yang Jiahui froze, completely caught unawares at Iris' sudden apology. Then huge drops of tears dropped from her eyes, quickly turning into a steady stream of tears. "Oh, oh. Xiulan..." she sobbed. "Yes, o-of course. Thank you..."
###
Footnotes:
[1] A heavily oxidized, dark oolong tea and is currently considered the most expensive tea in the world, dubbed as the "tea worth more than gold".
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Chapter 140 - Life Of Regrets
The four headed to one of the minor courtyards after Yang Jiahui finally calmed down. Long Tengfei awkwardly comforted her. He wasn't an affectionate person to begin with, so his movements looked stiff and unnatural as he patted his wife's back.
They followed the old chamberlain who led the way. A servant took Iris' presents from Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui to be placed in their bedchamber.
Yang Mei walked beside Iris and started chattering. She asked Iris various questions but also talked about herself in an endless stream of words. Her energy reminded Iris a little of Dom. Perhaps that was why she immediately felt at ease with the young woman.
"Do I call you Xiulan or Iris?"
"Either is fine, Yang Mei."
"I told you to call me Meimei."
"Alright, Meimei."
"I'll call you Xiulan then! The public knows you as Iris, so it kinda feels exciting to be one of the few people who knows your real name." Meimei giggled. "By the way, I love your album! My favourite song is 'Phantom of Your Love'. So tragically romantic! Ah, my heart! I cry whenever I listen to it! Did you really compose all the songs in your album by yourself?"
"Yes, I did."
"You're so amazing! Can you sign my copy of your album?"
"Of course."
"Yay! To tell you the truth, I didn't buy it myself. Uncle Tengfei bought a lot of copies of your album. So I just stoleâI mean, I took a copy for myself. He has so many so I don't think he'll mind if I take one. Don't forget to write my name when you sign it, okay? Write 'Meimei'."
"Sure."
Meimei continued to blabber on as they neared the small courtyard. Iris learned that Meimei was a few months older than her. Iris was 20, while Meimei was 21. Meimei was currently attending university studying Digital Media Arts and Design. Iris' interest was piqued so she asked questions about the digital arts program.
"Uncle Tengfei told me that if I want I can work at Long Industries after I graduate but the truth is that I really want to become a digital manhuajia [1]," Yang Mei whispered to her, dramatically glancing at Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui who were walking ahead of them, making sure that they wouldn't hear her.
Iris couldn't help but smile at her antics. Indeed, Meimei reminded her of Dom. "Meimei, if you want to become a digital manhuajia, then become one."
Meimei pouted. "I really want to but becoming one is basically gambling, you know. Success is not guaranteed and I might become one of those stereotypical starving artists who can't even make ends meet. At least, if I work at Uncle Tengfei's company, I know I'll have regular salary and great benefits. Besides, Uncle and Auntie have already been so kind to me, inviting me to live with them when I became alone and even paying for my education. I feel like I'll be returning their generosity with unkindness if I throw away my education to become a manhuajia instead."
"Hmm...Then I'm also basically gambling. As a musician, a celebrity, I have no insurance whether my music or work will sell or not. I observed that fame is a fickle thing. Hard work doesn't always equals success, especially in the world of us artists. But you can't be successful without hard work. One day, you're the object of everyone's adoration but the next day, you might be the object of everyone's scorn until you're forgotten and your career is over. Knowing this, I still pursue this career because I love it. Success is nice and what we all aim for, but what drives me is the freedom to pursue my passion. I know that there are many people who disapprove of my career, but this is my life, not theirs. I don't want to live a life of regrets."
'Not again', Iris thought to herself. In this life, she would do her best to live without regrets.
"Wow, Xiulan. That's deep." Meimei pondered over Iris' words. "Don't want to live a life of regrets, huh?"
"But of course, the final decision will be yours to make. It's your life after all."
Meimei nodded. "Right."
They finally arrived at the small courtyard. Meimei revealed that the garden was personally cultivated by her aunt. Compared to the sophisticated gardens comprising the main inner courtyard, this garden indeed looked more like a normal, personal garden. There were more colourful flowers than trees and shrubs. There were even some vegetables being grown. Everything looked a little disorganized, yet there was an unmistakable homely feeling here which the other areas in the compound lacked.
The old chamberlain led them to a traditional pavilion within the courtyard. There was a table and chairs big enough to accommodate them. A servant was already waiting to serve them hot tea and pastries.
The four sat down and chatted as they ate. Long Tengfei was very pleased that his daughter didn't make any trouble with his wife. In fact, the interaction between the four of them was light and friendly. Although he and his wife still felt a little awkward when speaking to his daughter, they were becoming more comfortable as time passed by.
Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui watched the two young women chatting like close friends. Yang Jiahui was delighted that Xiulan and her niece were getting along very well. She wished that they could treat each other like sisters. Then perhaps Xiulan would be more willing to visit the compound more often.
When the sun started setting, they stood up and headed inside for dinner. They continued chatting with each other as they seated themselves.
Moments later, a man in his late twenties arrived and joined them. He was Long Hui, Iris' eldest half-brother. He was Long Tengfei's heir and eldest son born with his first wife.
Long Hui's cold and indifferent expression reminded Iris so much of Jin Liwei. They had the same innate arrogant aura found in most firstborn sons and heirs of prestigious families.
Iris and Meimei stood up from their seats to greet him.
Meimei: "Hello, Big Brother Hui."
Long Hui nodded at her. "Hello." Then he turned to look at Iris. He looked a lot like Long Tengfei, but his features were a little more delicate compared to his father's chiselled appearance.
"It's good to see you, Elder Brother," Iris greeted.
"So you finally return here, Little Sister. Didn't you say before that you're never ever setting foot here again?"
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Footnotes:
[1] Person who draws/creates manhua (Chinese comics)
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