Chapter 1451 Show Off
Earlier that morning, Jin Liwei left the company in a rush and came home as soon as Ketchup informed him about what happened to his eldest twin son. The husband and wife waited anxiously while the doctor examined and treated Little Mochi.
Fortunately, Little Mochi quickly recovered. The doctor said that the baby had eaten too much and vomited the excess. There was nothing to worry about.
"Whenever he has eaten enough, don't give in and keep on feeding him too much even if he asks for extra," the doctor advised. "It's not good to overfeed him. Your twins' stomachs aren't as sturdy as their Lu cousins."
Although Iris and Jin Liwei were both relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong with their eldest twin son, they couldn't help but feel exasperated.
Little Mochi was probably trying to show off again. Even when he already felt full, he kept on wanting to eat. His stomach couldn't handle it, so he ended up vomiting, frightening both his poor parents into thinking that he contracted dengue fever.
"Mama," Little Mochi whined and hugged Iris' neck.
She patted his little back, comforting him.
Jin Liwei's hand itched while looking at his son's naughty bottom. Seeing his worried wife, however, he curbed his urge to spank his son. He had never hit his children. This was the first time that he had this urge. Still, he restrained his thoughts. His wife told him several times before that she didn't want them to discipline their children by corporal punishment.
He agreed with her. There were other effective methods of disciplining children.
Iris didn't know that her husband almost spanked their son. She kissed Little Mochi who was acting cute. Her heart couldn't help but melt at her adorable son.
They left the hospital wing.
Little Mochi began acting spoiled and refused to let his parents leave. He clung to his mother and pretended to be pitiful whenever she tried handing him to his nanny. He also needed to have his father within his field of vision or he would wail at the top of his lungs.
Little Matcha was already used to his elder twin brother's antics. At first, he tried comforting Little Mochi by sharing his favourite teddy bear, but Little Mochi slapped it aside. The offended Little Matcha then ignored his brother, crawled far away, and played with the teddy bear by himself instead.
Jin Liwei helplessly shook his head at the spectacle but chose not to interfere. It was better to let the children handle small tiffs like this among themselves. He and his wife would only interfere if the quarrel among the brothers became too much. Fortunately, the twins were still too young to have big quarrels.
The husband and wife ended up rearranging their work schedule for the day to spend time with the twins instead. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
They consulted the doctor and a nutritionist about the best food portion amounts for their babies to prevent incidents like this from happening again in the future.
There was no problem with Little Matcha. When he felt full, he would refuse to eat. On the other hand, the elder brother, Little Mochi, was a big show-off. If he heard the adults praising him for eating well, then he would want to shove more food in his mouth even when he already felt full.
As a result of this incident, Iris had no choice but to advise the nannies not to praise Little Mochi too much during meal times. Nobody wanted him to overeat and vomit again.
While making these arrangements for Little Mochi, the press conference had already started in the afternoon. Iris couldn't make it in time, so she instead booked a welcome dinner for Ren Jiyu and his teammates at a high-class restaurant later.
Jin Liwei had also wanted to accompany her to the dinner, but Little Mochi made a big fuss once again. One of them should stay at home to appease the fussy baby. In the end, Jin Liwei decided to let Iris go while he stayed at home to accompany the kids. Iris felt more reassured having her husband personally watch their children after what happened with Little Mochi this morning.
Finally, Iris managed to sneak away when Jin Liwei was distracting Little Mochi.
Back at the restaurant, Iris smiled as she listened to the conversations around her. She smiled even though her mind couldn't help but worry about her kids at home.
As the other boss of LXC Studio, Jin Chonglin was of course also in attendance. He sat beside Iris and he also gave a short speech before offering a toast to their newly contracted talents.
The Chief and Deputy Chief of Talent Management, Lin Dong and Tang Yiyi, were also present.
The contract signing with the national shooting team got delayed several times because LXC Studio wanted to iron out every possible little detail in the individual contracts, so nothing would conflict with their management of the national shooting team.
In addition, there were also a few issues with the National Athletes Association. They made some excessive demands even though they weren't directly involved in the matter. They probably just wanted the clout.
Fortunately, LXC Studio didn't back down and still managed to negotiate with them without ruffling too many feathers from some self-important higher-ups in the association.
Iris only learned about this after Jin Chonglin spoke about it today. If it were up to her, she wouldn't care about offending some unworthy people, but Jin Chonglin disagreed with her approach. He insisted that LXC Studio was still a young company and they needed to be a bit more cautious, just a little bit, until they stabilized their foundation. She didn't argue and just allowed him to make the decisions as long as they wouldn't negatively affect the company.
Both of them glanced at the athletes, especially at Ren Jiyu.
"He has good potential for showbiz," Jin Chonglin commented.
She nodded.
Indeed, Ren Jiyu was a very charismatic individual. It was no wonder that he instantly became popular.
Now it was up to LXC Studio to use his newfound fame and create a sustainable lifelong career for him.
Chapter 1452 Feeling Guilty
"By the way, how's my nephew?" Jin Chonglin asked. "Any updates on Little Mochi?"
Iris showed him a short video of Little Mochi clapping his hands and laughing while the dogs chased each other around him. Jin Liwei sent it just now. They could also see Little Matcha doing his own thing at the corner.
Jin Chonglin snickered upon seeing that his naughty nephew was completely fine. Earlier that morning, he also became worried after hearing that Little Mochi vomited. Then he learned the reason the baby vomited was because he was showing off to everyone by overeating.
What a mischievous child!
Little Mochi was growing to become more and more like his Uncle Lin Lin. Jin Chonglin felt proud. Not only did the baby resemble him at a certain angle especially whenever Little Mochi smiled, but the baby's desire to show off was also just like him.
His desire to have his own baby grew a little again. Just a tiny bit.
Iris had no idea that Jin Chonglin was using her baby to fantasize about having his own baby.
And if she heard his thoughts about Little Mochi inheriting his show-off personality from him, then she would beg to differ. She thought that Little Mochi's desire to show off was actually inherited from the original Long Xiulan.
This was why she couldn't help but worry about Little Mochi more when he grew up. She and her husband needed to guide the child properly, so that he wouldn't end up growing crooked like the original Long Xiulan.
In fact, Iris pitied the original Long Xiulan. If only the original Long Xiulan had someone who guided her properly while growing up, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up the way she did. The original Long Xiulan wasn't inherently wicked. She just had a personality that wanted others to notice her, admire her, and love her.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper guidance, she lost her way and ended up forcing whatever she wanted by hook or by crook.
Iris sighed at the tragedy of the original Long Xiulan's life. Of course, she was grateful that she, the former Evelina Vetrova, was given a chance to live another life because of the original Long Xiulan.
Both of them lived tragic lives, but now, she was determined to live a life full of happiness and fulfillment chasing her dreams with the support of the love of her life and their family.
'Long Xiulan, you want the world to love you, I'll achieve it for you. Don't worry.'
Something warm pooled in her heart and spread throughout her entire body, becoming hotter.
She had already integrated with the original's body a long time ago. There was no longer a clash with any remnant of the original Long Xiulan's soul. She could feel that she had already become one with the original Long Xiulan.
Perhaps it was her body's subconscious reaction to thank her for her promise. Whatever it was, Iris welcomed it.
She had her own dreams and goals that she wanted to achieve.
The original Long Xiulan also had hers. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She would achieve everything they both wanted and more.
Iris put her phone inside her purse. Beside her, Jin Chonglin went back to chatting with Ren Jiyu and the other members of the national shooting team. Iris also joined them, exciting the athletes.
As per Ren Jiyu's request, he became a talent under Tang Yiyi. He was a big fan of Iris Long, a proud Black Star, so he wanted to have the same manager as her.
His other teammates were less popular than him, so they were assigned to other managers. They didn't mind. They understood that their team became popular mainly because of Ren Jiyu, their youngest member.
Lin Dong didn't sign to manage anyone from the national shooting team. He already had his hands full continuing to work as Jin Chonglin's long-time exclusive manager, in addition to being LXC Studio's Chief of Talent Management. He was so busy that he could barely walk straight. But he enjoyed every minute of it.
Not everyone from the national shooting team was interested in entering showbiz, but they still all came out to support Ren Jiyu and the others for the contract signing.
The dinner was lively and filled with laughter.
Iris tilted her head while looking at her brother-in-law.
He noticed it and suddenly became nervous. "W-what?!"
"Feeling guilty?" she asked him.
"Who are you calling guilty?!" Jin Chonglin demanded.
Iris raised an eyebrow and ignored his defensive tone. "I heard that you and Chen Fei are basically living together now."
He didn't reply.
She lowered her voice. "I'm not interfering in your relationship. I don't care about what kind of relationship the two of you have, whether it's pretend or real or something more complicated. We all heard about you declaring in front of everyone at the farm villa that you want a baby with Chen Fei, but I want to remind you that you're a big celebrity with hordes of fans around the world. Chen Fei is my friend and my company's important COO. Protect her or else...."
Her finger made a slitting gesture across her neck.
Jin Chonglin glared at her but immediately caught himself. He looked around the table and was relieved that nobody seemed to be listening to their conversation. He smiled and pretended that they were just chatting about normal stuff for other people to see. Inside, however, he was complaining.
What was up with this group of women always threatening him?
His girlfriend was always threatening to castrate him while his sister-in-law was now threatening to murder him if he ever failed to protect his girlfriend. And if he ever tattled on his sister-in-law with his older brother, Jin Liwei would surely side with Iris.
How pitiful was he, Jin Chonglin!
"Ahem!" Jin Chonglin moistened his throat with a sip of champagne. "I know. You don't have to keep telling me this. I won't let anyone harm my girlfriend under my nose."
Iris studied his expression, making him uncomfortable, but he endured it.
Chapter 1453 Farm Wedding (Part I)
Iris continued saying, "Chen Fei might be strong, but she's still a woman. I hope that you treat her more carefully."
"Of course," Jin Chonglin replied.
"And I hope that you're not just playing with her."
He scowled.
She shrugged, not at all bothered by his ugly expression. "Can't blame me for saying this. Your past dalliances are now legendary in the industry."
He opened his mouth but couldn't retort, so he could only close it again.
"No need to explain everything to me." She waved a dismissive hand. "Your romantic or sexual relationships with other women aren't my business anyway. I'm just reminding you that Chen Fei is my friend and my most important company COO. You can't treat her like how you treated your exes."
The scowl on Jin Conglin's face worsened.
Lin Dong appeared beside them and rebuked Jin Chonglin while keeping a smile on his face for others to see. "Don't you know how to control your expression?! And to Iris Long?! Do you want rumours of you not getting along with your sister-in-law to appear in the evening news? And what kind of face are you showing to our newly signed talents?!"
Iris snickered.
"Stop teasing your brother-in-law," Tang Yiyi, who also appeared beside them, warned Iris.
Iris pursed her lips. She didn't bother Jin Chonglin anymore.
Although she was indeed teasing him, she was serious when threatening him. Like she told him earlier, she didn't care about what kind of relationship he had with Chen Fei nor did she want to interfere. Both were already adults and could make their own decisions. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
She was only concerned for her friend, especially with the kind of past Jin Chonglin had with other women. Iris didn't want Chen Fei to suffer a similar fate to his jilted exes.
Besides, his ex-fiancée, Fan Luo, was as an insane person and a murderer. She was the one who murdered the original Long Xiulan.
This was why Iris couldn't fully trust Jin Chonglin, especially when it came to his choice with women. Now that he was dating her friend and her company COO, she had to remind him again and again to be extra careful.
Iris stood up and finally left Jin Chonglin to deal with the two managers by himself. She joined Ren Jiyu and the others to chat. They were Black Stars so all were ecstatic to have the chance to talk to her in person.
Jin Chonglin was in a bad mood because of what happened but still forced himself to face everyone at the welcome dinner with a dazzling smile on his face.
He was now a boss of an entertainment company. There were times when he could act willfully as a superstar, but this wasn't one of them.
He watched as his beautiful sister-in-law dazzled everyone as usual. His heart clenched a little, but the feeling of regret was no longer there. Unexpectedly, Chen Fei's face flashed in his mind.
His bad mood gradually disappeared. The more he looked at Iris, the less his heart clenched, and the more Chen Fei stamped herself in his mind.
This time, he led another toast, raising his wineglass.
"To a new beginning! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
He sipped his champagne and once again glanced at his sister-in-law.
'To a new beginning,' he mentally told himself, 'of me no longer pining for you.'
Iris must have sensed his eyes on her because she looked back at him. She raised her own glass of champagne and nodded at him.
He smiled back.
This time, his smile felt lighter.
Any baggage from past feelings was finally let go starting today.
It was liberating.
###
The days flew by.
Soon, it was the wedding day of Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue.
It was a small and intimate ceremony held at Lin Yehan's farm villa.
The day was bright and breezy. A perfect day for a wedding celebration. It seemed that even the weather agreed to the union of the bride and the groom.
The ceremony started outdoors without any delay.
Lin Yehan stood waiting at the end of the aisle with his best man, Jin Liwei, and his groomsmen, Wang Yingje, Yu Mo, Lu Zihao, and Jin Chonglin.
His parents were also in attendance. They had already met Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun before the wedding and accepted her as their son's chosen wife without any drama. They also adored Little Jun and doted on him as their grandson.
The bridesmaids walked down the aisleâLong Jinjing, Chen Fei, Meimei, and Clover.
Next was the matron of honourâIris.
She was followed by Dom, the flower girlâahem, ahemâthe flower man.
Dom's entrance was as dramatic as ever.
As soon as he appeared, the background music changed into a funky pop song. He carried a huge basket of wildflower petals mixed with sparkly paper butterflies. First, he started posing before dancing to the beat of the music while tossing a handful of wildflower petals and sparkly paper butterflies along the aisle and to the guests.
The touching wedding turned funny in an instant. Laughter filled the venue. Everyone cheered for the confident flower man who was intent on making this wedding as memorable as possible.
When he reached the seats near the front, he twirled around and tossed petals and paper butterflies at the four giggling babies alongside their four guard dogs.
The Jin and Lu twins looked adorable in their little matching tuxedo suits. Their dogsâPudding, Chowder, Ham and Mashâsat on the ground beside them. The dogs also wore adorable bowties.
Dom threw the last petals and paper butterflies and put down the huge basket. Then he fished something out of his pocketâa bright red bottle of something. He opened it and blew bubbles at the babies, causing them to giggle and squeal with delight. Then he blew flying kisses to them.
But Dom didn't stop there.
He continued blowing bubbles at the groom, his groomsmen, and even the bridesmaids.
Finally, he tossed a handful of glittering confetti at the end of the aisle, finishing his sassy march with great flourish.
Everyone gave him a big round of applause.
Chapter 1454 Farm Wedding (Part II)
After Dom's entertaining performance on the aisle, Little Jun marched next. He wore the same tuxedo as the groom, Lin Yehan, but in children's size. The little guy took his job very seriously. He carried the pillow with the rings and marched down the aisle with measured steps, just like how he had practiced the day before.
Also marching beside him was his German Shepherd guard dog, Gravy. The dog wore a bowtie around its neck. Gravy was disciplined and stayed beside its little master, matching Little Jun's footsteps.
The dogs were still considered puppies based on their ages but their sizes were already close to their adult sizes.
Lin Yehan welcomed his bonus son at the front of the aisle while the best man, Jin Liwei, took the rings from the pillow to safeguard them. Then Little Jun and Gravy finally joined the babies and the other dogs to watch the ceremony.
Then the music changed.
Everyone stood up and looked at the same direction.
Finally, the bride walked down the aisle.
Jiang Ying Yue's parents had already passed away, so she didn't have anyone from her family to attend her wedding.
After learning that she didn't have anyone to walk her down the aisle, Grandpa Lu didn't hesitate to declare that he would do it instead. Nobody was allowed to fight him for the role.
The old man was very arrogant. He didn't offer. He declared!
But the others knew that he only acted this way so that Jiang Ying Yue couldn't decline his offer due to shyness. Once Grandpa Lu acted willfully, he was even worse than a child throwing a tantrum.
Jiang Ying Yue became teary-eyed but forced herself not to cry because she didn't want to ruin her makeup.
Her dress was a very simple of-white boho-style dress. It was light and flowy with sheer and loose long sleeves. Her muscles were covered but not completely hidden. She appeared feminine yet strong at the same time. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
There was a very casual atmosphere during the entire wedding ceremony. Everyone felt at ease, even the children and animals. It felt very peaceful.
Unlike Iris and Jin Liwei's grand wedding, Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue didn't want the ceremony to be too formal. Everything was simplified. In just a matter of minutes, the bride and groom were married.
The children and their pets didn't have time to grow bored and throw tantrums. Before they knew it, their parents carried them to the reception on the other side of the farm villa.
Lin Yehan was all smiles as he carried his bonus son, Little Jun, with one arm while holding his wife, Jiang Ying Yue, with his other arm. Little Jun's guard dog, Gravy, followed beside them obediently.
Long Jinjing sighed and smiled softly as she watched the newly married couple. "They look great together."
"We look better," Lu Zihao said with his devilish voice.
She pouted at him but didn't argue. The man was extremely competitive. He didn't like being bested by other people. She didn't bother with him anymore and just continued to admire the new family walking ahead. She was happy for them.
Lu Zihao adjusted both his twin sons in his arms. Unlike the others, he wasn't bothered by his sons' significant weight at all. To him, they weighed nothing. The others who complained about his sons' weight were just weaklings.
Of course, that didn't include his sister. Evelina was delicate. She shouldn't even carry his sons in the first place. Once his sons learned how to walk, he would teach them to support their delicate aunt when she walked instead so that she wouldn't trip and fall. They shouldn't even ask her to carry them or he would tell them to run a hundred laps as punishment. Nikolai Vetrov's sons should be tough and strong.
As Lu Zihao was making plans about his sons' future, he had forgotten that his wife might protest and argue with him, but that was a problem that he would have to face sooner or later. Long Jinjing usually deferred to him on most matters but after becoming a mother, she had become extremely protective of their children.
Unaware of his difficult future with his wife because of their sons, Lu Zihao asked, "So when do you want to hold our wedding ceremony?"
She looked at him with surprise. "You...you haven't forgotten? I thought that maybe you already forgot about it."
He snorted and left her behind while carrying both their sons.
"W-wait!" She chased after them. When she caught up, she grabbed her husband's arm to force him to slow down, which he did.
He ignored her but spoke to their babies instead. "Your mom is terrible. Your dad keeps asking her but she doesn't want to marry me."
"Nonsense! I already married you!" Long Jinjing denied his accusation, especially in front of their children.
What would their sons think of her, their mother?
Of course, they couldn't understand what their parents were talking about yet, but Long Jinjing was still afraid of negatively affecting their subconscious minds during childhood.
He snorted. "You know what I mean."
She bit her bottom lip. Of course, she knew what he meant.
They had registered their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Hence, they were already officially married. However, it still didn't feel complete without the wedding ceremony yet.
Lu Zihao said that he wanted to give her a wedding ceremony. Of course, she also wanted to have a wedding ceremony. It was one of her dreams since she was a little girl.
She was thankful that her husband had learned to be more thoughtful of her and promised to give her the wedding ceremony of her dreams.
The only problem was herself.
She looked down at her figure.
Although she had already lost a lot of weight after giving birth, she still continued to struggle to return to her normal weight before pregnancy.
Her stomach wasn't flat enough yet. Her arms were too big. Her thighs rubbed too close with one another.
Chapter 1455 Farm Wedding (Part III)
n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
No matter how often Lu Zihao assured Long Jinjing that he loved her current figure, she still couldn't stop her insecurities. She knew in her mind that her current way of thinking was unhealthy, but she couldn't help herself from feeling this way.
The good thing was that she recognized that she had a problem and was willing to solve it by seeing her therapist on a regular basis. Thanks to this, she didn't spiral downwards into suffering a full-blown post-partum depression.
Letting go of her current insecurities was a daily struggle. It was a long battle, but with the support of her husband, family, and friends, she noticed that she was gradually getting better.
Not yet 100% better, but at least getting there.
Seeing that she hadn't replied yet, Lu Zihao released a heavy sigh. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Just tell me whenever you're ready. Or we can wait until these two rascals can walk, so they can march on the aisle on their own. What do you think, hm?"
She smiled, imagining it. Indeed, it would be adorable if their twins could walk down the aisle together with their cousins.
"Okay."
Lu Zihao's mouth curved into a devilish smile. He was relieved that she was feeling a bit better about it.
"Let's go," he said. "These two brats are already wiggling like itchy worms."
Long Jinjing chuckled. "They want to stay with their cousins."
"Mikhail, Dmitri, behave!"
The babies ignored their dad's scolding and continued wriggling in his arms. If Lu Zihao wasn't strong enough, he might have already dropped them especially since the two little fatties were quite heavy. He was annoyed and wore a scary expression, but he still carried his two naughty sons carefully, afraid that he would drop them by accident.
"Big Bro Boss, Sis Jing!" Dom called them. "Hurry up! We're taking photos together! Grandpa Boss says that you're too slow!"
"We're coming!" Long Jinjing raised her voice in response and pulled her husband carrying their children.
They hurried to where everyone was gathered.
Like the wedding ceremony, the reception was also quite casual.
The Chua siblings, Dom and Clover, acted as emcees.
Clover was still jet-lagged. She only arrived yesterday afternoon in time for the rehearsal all the way from France. Still, she gave her all to host the wedding reception with her brother.
Anyone who wanted to make a speech could do so. There were also no scheduled performances, but Iris and Jin Chonglin still prepared a solo performance each and a duet together.
Dom and Clover were both naturally funny, so they livened up the atmosphere.
The food was also delicious. Everything was fresh and directly sourced from Lin Yehan's farms and fields. It was a mixture of fancy cuisine and homemade dishes. The portions were generous.
Nobody would go hungry because everyone could eat anytime during the reception. Even the emcees, Dom and Clover, were eating and drinking in between hosting.
When it was party time, Lin Yehan invited his bride to the dancefloor for the first dance. Neither was a good dancer, but everyone cheered for them, making them comfortable.
"I'm so happy," Jiang Ying Yue whispered while hugging Lin Yehan shoulders.
Lin Yehan smiled. "Me too, wife. Me, too."
###
After the wedding, it was now time for the mother and son, Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun, to officially move out of Dragon Palace Home #10 into their new home at Lin Yehan's farm villa.
Lin Yehan initially wanted his bride and bonus son to officially live with him at his farm villa before the wedding, but everybody except him was reluctant to do so soon.
Iris became emotional as she gave her godson a tight hug. She knew that this day would come, but she was reluctantâextremely reluctantâto let her beloved godson move out.
"Little Jun, don't forget your Mama Xiulan and Papa Liwei, okay?"
"Mama, no cwy!" (Mama, don't cry!)
The child wrapped his little arms around his godmother's neck and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.
Jiang Ying Yue watched them with a helpless smile. "Why are you acting like you'll no longer see your godson? I'll bring Little Jun with me when I go to work here every day. You'll still see him regularly after our honeymoon."
"I know," Iris said, sighing. "But I'm still sad that Little Jun won't live under my roof anymore."
Later, Iris and Jin Liwei gave their godson another tight embrace before watching Lin Yehan drive the mother and son away.
Iris and Jin Liwei decided against taking their twin sons, Little Mochi and Little Matcha, to see off their elder cousin. The children would definitely become inconsolable again just like when the Lu twins moved out.
It would be another period of big adjustment for everyone, especially the children. But change was inevitable. They couldn't always stay together forever.
The important thing was that they would still remain connected for the rest of their lives as long as they made the effort to do so.
"Time flies by so fast," Iris murmured while resting her head on her husband's chest.
"En." Jin Liwei pulled her closer and nuzzled her hair.
Then he noticed that she was once again pressing on her chest. He frowned. "Anxious again?"
"Hm? Oh. Yes, I think. Maybe it's because I'm too sad about Little Jun moving out of our home. I've been dreading this moment for a long time."
"You sure?" he asked, still worried.
"I think so," she said, not really bothered about it anymore.
She had been having this anxiety for quite some time now. It was not a good feeling at all, but there was no use in worrying about it all the time and allowing it to hinder her daily activities.
The husband and wife returned inside the mansion to check on their twins.
Little Mochi and Little Matcha were taking a nap, completely unaware that their eldest cousin, Little Jun, had already moved out.
Iris and Jin Liwei were dreading the time when the twins would realize their eldest cousin's absence. The babies would definitely throw another big tantrums just like when their Lu cousins moved out.\
Chapter 1456 Famous Cafeteria
Long Industries.
No matter how many times others tried to sabotage her in the company, Iris always managed to counterattack. For her, this kind of sneak attacks were too amateurish.
The enemy camp also didn't dare to act too recklessly and blatantly against her because Long Tengfei had already shown through his decisions and actions as the company head how much he favoured his youngest daughter. Long Tengfei still held the highest authority in the company after all. If they crossed his bottom line too much, they were the ones who would regret it in the end.
Iris didn't join the company's infighting too much, not unless they specifically targeted her. She chose to focus on completing her assigned tasks well while working on building her influence in the company.
Due to her consistently excellent work performance, her immediate superior, the CMO, began to treat her much better than before.
The entire Marketing Department's initial bad impression of her also gradually changed into acceptance and even admiration. Actions spoke louder than words. Only a blind person would fail to see her excellence at work.
It also helped that there were a few Black Stars in the department who supported her from the very beginning, including her assistant in the company. They were the first ones to help her without expecting anything in return. They just wanted to support her as much as they could.
To repay them, she would often order special boxed lunches for them. Of course, she also provided the CMO and the others with lunch, not just the Black Stars. As the Deputy CMO, she had the authority to treat others without appearing as a brownnoser. Besides, it wasn't a daily occurrence, but her thoughtful actions still brought her closer to the other members of the department.
Some wanted to cause trouble for her and accused her of trying to bribe people with free lunches. She didn't care about them and continued to order special lunches for her department. Those people could think whatever they wanted. Her conscience was clear.
She was just giving back to those who helped her, especially the Black Stars. Besides, she wasn't spending the company's dime. She paid for the lunches out of her own pocket.
Even if someone reported her, what she was doing wasn't anything against the company policy. It was normal for higher-ranked officers to treat their team members for a job well done.
If the company wanted to stop her from continuing to do this, then it should also ban everyone from treating others. But this would cause a massive protest among the regular workers who benefited from the free lunches and treated it as a work perk. The company wouldn't do something stupid unless it wanted to witness a mass resignation of its workers.
As a result of her actions, the Marketing Department became the target of envy in the company.
Workers from other departments wished that their leaders could provide them with free lunches as well.
Long Jian was quick on the uptake. He also began providing free lunches to his department but not as often as Iris. He even submitted a proposal to improve the company's cafeteria and provide all employees with better food benefits, arguing that this would boost the employees' morale and increase their overall productivity.
As the Deputy CFO, Long Hui and his allies in the Finance Department were the first ones to oppose Long Jian's proposal.
A rather tense showdown between the half-brothers was currently playing in the conference room.
Long Tengfei's expression was ugly as he tried to mediate between his two sons but to no avail. He was about to use his authority as the President-CEO to force the two to stop when his youngest daughter joined in the fray.
In his mind, he couldn't help but curse.
Did this daughter of his want to see the world burn before she was satisfied?
"I support Deputy COO Long Jian's proposal," Iris said.
Long Hui scowled at her.
She completely ignored him. She stood up and asked Long Jian, "May I?"
Sensing that she was there to back him up, Long Jian stepped aside and allowed her to operate his laptop.
The projector screen soon showed Orchidia's website. After a few clicks, it showed a webpage featuring Orchidia's company facilities, including their cafeteria.
Although it was called a cafeteria, it was more like a high-end mall food court with an impressive variety of restaurants and even a specialty café. Orchidia's cafeteria was already quite famous within the business industry.
It was arguably the best in the country's industry. It was also one of the big reasons why a lot of applicants wanted to work at Orchidia aside from Iris Long's fame as a celebrity.
After bragging about her Orchidia's famous cafeteria, Iris' next words caused agitation among the executives present.
"I have only been working as the Deputy CMO here at Long Industries for a short time, so it was my negligence not to notice that the cafeteria here and the other employee perks aren't up to the standards of Orchidia or even my other companies."
Long Tengfei and the other executives grimaced while Long Hui and his allies looked like they wanted to jump at Iris and choke her.
What was she saying? Did she only attend today's meeting to brag about her own companies' employee benefits? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Long Jian looked away and focused hard on trying not to laugh out loud. It was so funny looking at the executives' expressions. They looked like they were suffering from constipation. It was especially gratifying to watch Long Hui not having a good time.
Iris continued, "It's thanks to Deputy COO Long Jian for reminding me about this issue through his proposal today. Our workers are loyal and hardworking. They deserve to be rewarded in a different way in addition to their salaries. Deputy COO Long is right. Giving them good perks like better food will provide them with daily energy and motivation to be more productive. This in turn will benefit Long Industries as a whole."
Long Jian nodded. "My point exactly."
Chapter 1457 Stealing His Thunder
Watching the cooperative dialogue between his half-brother and half-sister, Long Hui scowled even harder. He was having a difficult time controlling his expression.
He didn't believe that his half-siblings didn't coordinate this proposal together beforehand. He suspected that they did this today to undermine him.
In fact, Long Hui's suspicion was completely wrong. Iris and Long Jian didn't coordinate today's proposal at all.
Iris had no idea that Long Jian would make this proposal beforehand. He was the one who went ahead and created the proposal by himself. He got the idea after hearing Iris' actions of providing the Marketing Department with nice lunches and drawing the envy of other departments including his own.
Of course, he only submitted the idea after asking the opinion of his immediate superior, the COO, who gave him the go-ahead.
Iris stepping up today was just an impromptu reaction to the series of events. Although they didn't practice it beforehand, the two had a tacit understanding to cooperate in order to mutually strengthen both their influence in the company while at the same time weakening Long Hui's prestige. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"As you've already noticed, I'm in favour of Deputy COO Long Jian's proposal," Iris said.
Long Hui interrupted, "Well, I am NOT in favour of this proposal at all. As the deputy of the Finance Department, I know that we don't have the budget for this. Other more important projects need funding more than a cafeteria!"
Most of the executives nodded at his words.
The company budget had already been allocated at the beginning of the year. It was not convenient to allocate another budget to a cafeteria. They didn't think that it was as important as what Long Jian and Iris were trying to claim.
As executives, they could always ask their assistants to order food from their favourite high-class restaurants whenever they wanted if they didn't want to eat at the company cafeteria. They didn't care much about what the employees ate.
Iris shot Long Hui and others who nodded with a cold smile.
"I knew you might say that. That's why I decided to donate a new cafeteria to the company, not as the Deputy CMO but as the daughter of President Long Tengfei. I'll use my own money, not the company funds, so nobody can complain. If some people still dare complain, then just treat it as President Long's daughter's selfish motives because she doesn't want to eat subpar food at the company's cafeteria. I, Long Xiulan, want to eat better and healthier food whenever I come here to work. I'm a celebrity and need to watch my figure all the time. What the current cafeteria currently offers falls short of my strict diet requirements. If you don't like it, then don't eat in the cafeteria I'll donate."
Long Hui opened his mouth to refute her words but nothing came out. He closed his mouth again in a huff.
Long Jian was also surprised by her sudden decision to donate a new cafeteria. This wasn't part of his plans. He was ready to fight for company funds but now it seemed that it was no longer necessary to do so. Initially, he wanted the full credit to belong to him. Now, however, the credit would be halved between him and Iris.
No, if things went according to her way, then most of the credit would belong to her. Long Jian didn't know exactly how to feel about it.
He pursed his lips and took a long look at his youngest half-sister. She might be impulsive, but she was also extremely cunning.
She was able to steal his thunder under his nose. Lesson learned. Next time, he would be more careful in protecting his credit.
The two of them might be allies right now. But at the end of the day, they were still rivals.
Despite his original selfish motives, Long Jian found that for quite some time now, he no longer hated Iris. What he felt about her was no longer hatred but (friendly) competitiveness instead.
As for the others, they were speechless for a few moments. They thought that the President's youngest daughter was indeed still as willful as ever. She hadn't changed her core after all. She was still the same spoiled brat.
In the end, Long Tengfei was the one who made the final decision for everyone.
"This proposal, I approve it! Deputy CMO Long Xiulan will donate the new cafeteria as per her suggestion." Then he stood up. "The meeting is dismissed!"
The other executives wanted to argue but Long Tengfei already left the conference room. As he exited the door, he glanced at Iris and Long Jian and said, "You two, follow me to my office."
"Understood, President," Long Jian responded.
Iris smiled and nodded.
The two followed Long Tengfei out. Long Hui watched them with a dark expression. His hands curled into tight fists.
Their father called his half-siblings but not him. What did this mean? Was their father starting to exclude him now?
"Young Master, we must do something," one of his allies whispered to him. "They'll surely use this cafeteria project to gain more supporters to their side. This is clearly a bribe!"
"What if we sabotage the cafeteria and cause it to be delayed for a long time?" another ally suggested.
"That might work. Then we can spread bad rumours about Long Jian and Iris Longâ"
"Enough," Long Hui interrupted them in a bad mood. "We'll talk another time. I need to hurry for another important appointment."
His allies watched him rush out of the conference room.
Long Hui walked away fast. He didn't know where to go. Rushing to another important appointment was a lie he told his allies. He didn't know what was wrong with himself.
Usually, he would plot with his allies and do everything to reach his goals. Earlier, however, he felt extremely uncomfortable listening to his allies plotting against his half-siblings. This was so unlike his usual self.
He stopped right in the middle of a hallway. The employees stopped to greet him but he didn't respond to them. He was in a daze.
They looked at each other and thought that their Deputy CFO was becoming weirder and weirder.
Chapter 1458 (Title is a Spoiler)
Ever since Long Hui's very public conflict with Iris Long started, he began acting very unstable. His work performance suffered. He could feel himself spiralling downwards.
It was such a huge contrast to his previous performance as the undisputed crown prince of Long Industries and the Long clan.
He couldn't help but reminisce about the good old days when he felt he was on top of the world. He could do whatever he wanted with minimal consequences.
Now, however, it felt like he was walking on eggshells. No matter what he did, there was always something that would go wrong.
Although he still had a lot of supporters and allies, there were already many who jumped ships. He also suspected that there were double agents in his camp, waiting to betray him when he least expected it.
He had to be cautious of everyone and everything. It was an exhausting life.
His youngest half-sister, Iris Long, was his biggest opponent. That was the undisputed truth.
Before, nobody took her seriously. But now, she was beloved by many. It was like their situations were reversed.
He was now the one whose reputation was tainted.
On the other hand, Iris was famous and charismatic, and most importantly, she had the biggest backer in the countryâCEO Jin Liwei.
As for his next biggest competitor, Long Jiang still had a long way to go. But his younger half-brother's consistently excellent work performance was gradually winning support not only from the higher-ups but also from the regular workers. Their father, Long Tengfei, was also gradually giving Long Jiang more authority. Long Jian was becoming known as a reliable and disciplined leader, neither too strict nor too lax. The regular employees respected him.
His other half-sister, Long Jinjing, was out of the game, so Long Hui wasn't too worried about her. She had no interest in vying to be the next head of Long Industries. However, Long Hui already learned his lesson with Iris Long. What if Long Jinjing was also secretly cunning and joined the battle for succession all of a sudden?
He promised himself to be extra careful when it came to his half-siblings. They couldn't be trusted at all. They were the biggest thorns in his eyes and the most difficult obstacles to his greatest ambition in life.
And it wasn't only those three half-siblings who were a danger to him.
There were also other contenders from various branch families, and even outside the clan such as executive-level officers and shareholders, who were vying to be the next head of Long Industries.
Long Hui felt like he couldn't breathe.
The stress of everything piled up on top of each other and was becoming too much, but he couldn't give up on his ambition.
Giving up meant that what he believed to be his life purpose had become meaningless. He couldn't accept such a conclusion. If he could still fight, he would continue to fight until the end.
He was still in a daze when he vaguely noticed his father and half-siblings rushing out of the elevators.
Iris' bodyguards quickly escorted the trio out of the company building. They all wore grave expressions.
Long Hui gloated a little. He didn't know what happened but they must have experienced something tragic. Their misfortune gave him pleasure.
Then he heard some of the bystanders gossiping.
"I heard that the President's grandchild was kidnapped," an employee said. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Poor child! I hope he's rescued safely. Kidnappers are the scum of society!"
Long Hui frowned.
What kidnapped?
His nephews, both the Jin and the Lu twins, were closely guarded every single day. He personally saw the over-the-top security measures surrounding the babies when he visited Dragon Palace Home #10 that fateful night when he and Iris agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Although he despised Iris, he would never wish ill upon her children. The twins were innocent.
No matter what happened, they were still his blood-related nephews. It was the same with Long Jinjing's children, the Lu twins.
He might hate the parents, but he didn't have any enmity with the children. He was also a father himself.
He snapped out of his daze and asked the gossiping employees, "Which grandchild did you say was kidnapped?"
They all became silent and looked at each other, not willing to be the one to bear the bad news. His heart began racing as a dreadful possibility entered his mind.
"Why don't you answer me?! Which grandchild was kidnapped?!!!"
"S-sir...it's...."
"Tell me! Hurry up! TELL ME NOW!!!"
Finally, someone couldn't bear it anymore and answered, "It's...President Long's eldest grandson. The one named Long Jun. It's...your son who was kidnapped, Deputy CFO Long Hui."
Long Hui felt like his soul had left his body.
###
Long Tengfei followed his youngest daughter inside one of her vehicles. Long Jian was about to join them when someone pushed him out of the way.
He would have fallen to the ground if not for one of Iris' bodyguards catching him and saving him from the embarrassment. A frantic Long Hui climbed inside the vehicle and sat beside Iris in the back passenger seat without permission.
"Get off," Iris snapped at him. Her cold eyes could freeze him all the way to hell.
"No." Long Hui was pale and trembling a little. "My son has been kidnapped! I need to go save him! Tell me what happened!"
Before Iris could snap at him again, Long Tengfei interrupted, "Xiulan, let your brother come with us. Little Jun is his son."
She stared at Long Hui in silence. If looks could kill, he would already be six feet under the ground in no time.
Iris wasn't against Long Hui following them, but he didn't need to be in the same vehicle as her. It felt like being locked in the same room with a venomous snake. Who in their right mind would willingly choose that?
He could drive in his own car and follow them for all she cared. Although she wanted to tell him this to his face, time was of the essence. She didn't bother arguing with him anymore.
Chapter 1459 Blame
Iris' beloved godson was in danger. Little Jun was more important than the conflict between her and Long Hui.
Long Tengfei then told Long Jian, who was still standing like an idiot outside the vehicle, "Stay in the company and look after it while we search for your nephew."
Long Jian wanted to go with them. He might not be close to any of his nephews but he would still be worried if something bad happened to any of them. Those were his nephews, blood-related ones, and he naturally cared about them.
But before he could insist on going with them, his father's pointed look stopped him. He could only withdraw with a reluctant sigh. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Understood, President Long," he replied with deep regret. "I'll look after the company. Please find my nephew as soon as possible."
Long Tengfei nodded.
Long Jian looked at Iris and then reluctantly at Long Hui. "You two...be careful as well."
Iris nodded.
Long Hui was too distraught about his son and ignored him.
Soon, they drove away, leaving a conflicted Long Jian in the parking lot.
###
At a private resort outside the city.
When Iris and the others arrived, Jiang Ying Yue ran to her and bawled her eyes out. Iris hugged her friend, trying to comfort her when she also felt like bawling. However, she desperately controlled her emotions.
She must not collapse this time. Her godson needed her. Little Jun needed all of them.
She glanced at the living area and found that there were already several police officers interviewing Lin Yehan and the resort staff.
Following behind Iris, Long Hui also took in the scene before him. "Ying Yue...."
Jiang Ying Yue finally noticed her ex's presence. Her expression turned ugly, but she managed to control herself. Although he had hurt her very badly, he was still her son's biological father. He deserved to know what happened to their son. In between sobs, she told them how her son had been kidnapped.
The newly married couple, Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan, took Little Jun and spent their honeymoon together as a family at this resort.
They didn't want to go too far. They wanted to go somewhere relaxing and bond as a new family but still stay close to everyone in case any of their friends wanted to drop by. Of course, nobody among the couple's friends disturbed them on their honeymoon.
Who knew that someone would plot against them and kidnap an innocent child while they were out shopping for souvenirs?
Before the mother and son moved out of Dragon Palace, Iris and Jin Liwei offered to give their godson a dedicated bodyguard, but Jiang Ying Yue refused.
She was already a bodyguard herself and thought that she was enough to protect her son. In addition, she and her son weren't a famous family like Iris and Jin Liwei's family unit. In Jiang Ying Yue's mind, she, her son, and now Lin Yehan, were just an average family.
Now that Jiang Ying Yue thought about it, she regretted not taking Iris and Jin Liwei's offer back then. She and Lin Yehan would never have thought that something terrible like this would happen to Little Jun while they vacationed as a family.
Of course, Lin Yehan had assistants and staff who also acted like bodyguards but they weren't experts like Jin Liwei's security team. Lin Yehan's staff could deter normal wannabe thugs but couldn't guard against professional cold-blooded mercenaries or hitmen.
Why would he guard against this kind of frightening criminals? Although he was a wealthy tycoon, he was still essentially a farmer.
Lin Yehan was also drowning in guilt for not being thorough enough in protecting his new family.
After listening to what happened, Long Hui was initially stunned to learn that Jiang Ying Yue had married Lin Yehan. He had no idea. Nobody told him about it at all. Then he realized that it was because the couple was on a honeymoon and bought his son that Little Jun had been kidnapped.
Fury filled him. He rushed to Lin Yehan and moved to punch him in the face.
Lin Yehan was not a soft persimmon either who would just wait for someone to punch him. He dodged and was about to retaliate when Iris and Jiang Ying Yue, the two women, made their moves.
Jiang Ying Yue used her leg to sweep Long Hui off his feet. He fell on the floor with a hard thud.
Iris looked like she just swatted Lin Yehan's punch away like a fly. It didn't look serious in the eyes of the other people. They thought that Lin Yehan stopped himself after seeing Iris on his way to avoid hurting her.
Lin Yehan, however, stared at Iris in disbelief as he felt a throbbing pain in his arm.
The others were more focused on Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue. They didn't take a closer look at what Iris really did to Lin Yehan.
Long Hui quickly stood up and was about to attack Lin Yehan again but Jiang Ying Yue prevented him. The police officers finally reacted. They couldn't just allow a woman to do their job. They took over in restraining the crazed Long Hui.
"It's your fault!" Long Hui raged at Lin Yehan. "You can't even protect my son, yet you want to be his new father?! If something bad happens to my son, I'll kill you!!! I'll f*cking kill you!!!!!!"
"Stop it!!!" Long Tengfei roared at his eldest son. "My eldest grandson is kidnapped! Instead of searching for him, you're here recklessly throwing blame?!"
In a forced calm tone, he said, "Everyone, listen to me. Rescuing my grandson Little Jun is the most important right now. Fighting each other won't solve anything!"
Jiang Ying Yue immediately abandoned Long Hui to the policemen and ran to her husband's side. She positioned herself in front of Lin Yehan in a protective stance. She didn't even notice her actions. This was all her pure instincts as a long-time bodyguard.
Lin Yehan, however, gently pulled her to stand beside him. This silent but deliberate action told her that they stood equally as partners.
Chapter 1460 Deserve to Die
Lin Yehan faced the raging Long Hui. His tone sounded calm, yet those who knew him noticed the unmistakable fear and worry laced in his voice.
"I admit that it is my negligence for not ensuring Little Jun's safety," he said. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Yehanâ" Jiang Ying Yue tried to stop him. She didn't want him to blame himself.
If he wanted to blame himself, then they were both at fault. As a mother, she wasn't even able to protect her own son.
Of course, the guilt caused her to blame herself for not protecting her son against the kidnappers, especially since she was a trained protector. It was literally her job. However, the rational part of herself knew that it was neither her nor her husband's fault. Nobody expected something horrific like this to happen.
"I'm fine," Lin Yehan assured her before facing the restrained Long Hui again. "I'll do everything in my power to rescue Little Jun."
"Damn you!" Long Hui wanted to attack him again but the police officers wouldn't allow him. They restrained him even more.
Only a couple of policemen noticed Iris leaving the commotion and meeting with the newly arrived Dom. The two moved out of the living room and found an empty room nearby. Those who noticed their movements didn't think too much, thinking that the two must be too distraught to stay in such a tense room and needed a quiet place to calm down.
Dom closed the door of the empty room and handed Iris a thin laptop. "Here you go, boss. Please find Little Junie boy."
His eyes and nose were red. It was clear that he had been crying upon learning what happened to the child but was still professional and dependable to follow Iris' instructions.
"Thanks, Dom." Iris took the laptop and set it up. "Guard the door. Don't let anyone come inside. Wait for my husband to come and let him in."
"Roger, boss!"
Her fingers flew over her laptop's keyboard. In just a few moments, she locked on her godson's location.
The kidnappers were quite smart and thorough. They found someone to hack the public surveillance cameras and deleted the video footage containing Little Jun's kidnapping.
They also tossed the little smartwatch that Iris customized for her godson. Even his clothes, shoes, and accessories were swapped in order to avoid trackers.
Lu Zihao's men had already found the discarded smartwatch, shoes, and clothes in a secluded wooded area a few miles away.
Retrieving the surveillance video footage was easy for Iris and her cat AI children. Ketchup was already working on it.
In the meantime, Iris worked on locating Little Jun.
Bacon had already alerted his Uncle Zihao as soon as they discovered that Little Jun had been kidnapped.
Lu Zihao then promptly dispatched Shadow Winds to help in the rescue mission. The police had no idea that a criminal organization was secretly working with them on this kidnapping rescue case.
The door opened and in came Jin Liwei.
Iris glanced at him before continuing to focus on her laptop.
Jin Liwei gave her a quick peck on the cheek before using his phone to contact his various connections to help with their godson's rescue.
The couple had a tacit understanding of doing what they could do in order to find their godson. Both of them were frightened, but they couldn't falter.
Every second that they hadn't found the child was every second the danger to Little Jun's life increased. They couldn't afford to waste any of their time talking to each other.
It was better to focus their energy on utilizing their abilities to the fullest. Iris on her hacking skills and Jin Liwei on his wealth of connections.
Jin Liwei didn't forget to inform the Chief of Police about the case. Although they weren't considered close friends, they were still close acquaintances because the Chief's wife was one of Iris' biggest loyal fans, Si Xinyue, also known as JJNumber1Fan.
To please his celebrity-chasing wife, the Police Chief would move mountains for Iris Long. This time was no exception.
Upon learning that Iris and Jin Liwei's godson had been kidnapped, the Chief quickly dispatched a special force whose expertise was on urgently rescuing kidnapped victims to help with the case.
Ketchup was the first one to complete her task. She restored the deleted footage from the public surveillance system.
When Iris and Jin Liwei watched the video, both wanted to murder the kidnappers.
The first thing the kidnappers did was shoot Gravy, Little Jun's German Shepherd guard dog. Iris and Jin Liwei suspected that the dog had been drugged because it moved in an odd, woozy way. Even so, the dog still did its best to protect Little Jun despite bleeding all over the place.
Gravy locked his jaw on one of the kidnappers and refused to let go. His head was repeatedly hit by the butt of a gun. It was difficult to watch the kidnappers beating up the dog. Little Jun was hysterical as he also tried protecting his dog but he, too, was slapped to the ground.
Iris' eyes turned red but she didn't let the tears fall. "Liwei, we must make them pay!"
Jin Liwei clenched his jaw, his eyes blazing. "Of course."
Finally, Gravy lost consciousness. Then the kidnappers swooped in. They covered Little Jun's nose and mouth with a drugged handkerchief until the child fainted.
One carried Little Jun while another grabbed the bleeding Gravy before throwing both in a waiting getaway car.
The rough way the kidnappers treated the child and dog was too much for both Iris and Jin Liwei. They wished that they could beat up the kidnappers into a pulp with their own hands.
How dare those bastards treat their beloved godson that way?
They deserved to die a thousand painful deaths!
There was additional video footage that Ketchup restored. It was the kidnappers stopping by a secluded rural road and tossing the bleeding dog to the fields out of the car like trash before driving away with the child whose clothing had already been swapped.
Iris grabbed her husband's hand. "Liwei, retrieve Gravy."
She handed the video evidence for him to handle. Jin Liwei didn't waste any more time.