Chapter 461 - The Return Of Lu Zihao Part III
Since Lu Zihao wasn't answering her questions about what he had been up to while he was gone, Iris decided to move on to another topic instead. She didn't want to annoy her big brother, especially since they hadn't seen each other for such a long time. She glanced at his people following some distance behind them.
They were men and women who also had a dangerous air about them like Lu Zihao. But of course, they couldn't compare to their boss' own aura. They might appear intimidating to regular people, but they were still considered tame compared to the Vetrovs' subordinates from the siblings' past lives. Their family organization's subordinates were cold-blooded and deadly human machines. Lu Zihao's current subordinates, however, still retained their humanity despite their dangerous aura.
"You bought a lot of people with you, Big Brother," Iris commented, as they continued walking along the hallways.
"Hmm... Yeah," Lu Zihao simply replied, not elaborating.
She didn't give up and continued asking him, hoping that he would at least give a satisfying answer even to just one of her questions.
"Why do you need so many people? Are they staying here, too? Do you need that much protection? You're really doing something dangerous, aren't you? Wait, how long are you going to stay here? Don't tell me you're leaving again soon?"
He chuckled at her insistent questioning.
"Yes, some of them will be staying here with me. The others will just visit on a regular basis. I already informed your Jin Liwei, and he gave permission to allow them to stay here. Don't worry about them too much, little sister. They're just my training partners to strengthen this weak-ass body of mine. I need to train it regularly because it's the type of body that degenerates quickly if I don't keep it active. So pathetic. And yes, I'll be staying here for a while so don't worry," he told her.
Iris' eyes lit up after hearing that he would be staying this time and wouldn't leave so soon.
She didn't even notice that he didn't reply to her question about doing something dangerous. She just felt happy to be with her big brother again.
"Really? That's great, Big Brother! Liwei is at work right now, but my friends are here. Come, I'll introduce you to the ones you haven't met yet," she told him. "And we have something new here. Liwei built me an indoor forest to celebrate our first anniversary. It's now one of my top favourite places to relax here at the mansion. I think you'll like it, too."
Lu Zihao gave his excited sister a sidelong glance while allowing himself to be pulled along by her. It was obvious how much she loved Jin Liwei by her expression whenever she mentioned his name. Although Lu Zihao already accepted and approved of their relationship, there was still a small part of him that wanted to punch Jin Liwei in the face. It was just a natural urge stemming from his protectiveness of his sister.
The moment he envisioned punching Jin Liwei in the face, a small twinge inside him protested.
'Oh, shut up!' he scolded the annoying presence inside him.
The intangible presence inside him gave a silent harrumph before settling down.
Iris' phone vibrated. It was a text message sent by Ketchup. It said:
"[cute kitty emoji] Mommy, Uncle's people have surrounded the entire property and have begun patrolling with Daddy's subordinates. Ketchup is waiting for Mommy's instruction on what to do about them. [a cuter kitty emoji]"
The message was written in Hausa, a language Lu Zihao wasn't familiar with. He glanced at the message. When he didn't understand what was written, he lost interest. He had no idea that it was about him.
Iris slightly tilted her head to the side. However, she didn't feel too suspicious. This was her big brother, after all. Besides, she was too happy about his return that she didn't want to create conflict between them so soon. She figured that it was just her brother being cautious as usual, that was why he ordered his people to patrol the property. It seemed that Jin Liwei didn't mind, even instructing his own subordinates to go along with it.
"Ketchup, leave them," she replied in an audible voice, speaking in Mandarin.
Her phone vibrated again. It was another message showing a cute sticker of a white cat giving a thumbs up.
"What ketchup? You want to eat?" Lu Zihao asked, confused.
"I'll tell you some other time but not now," she replied with a mysterious smile.
"Heh~" He raised an eyebrow but didn't continue asking any further. After all, he didn't answer all of her earlier questions either.
Iris didn't mind telling her big brother about Ketchup. She trusted him but not his people. She would tell him when they weren't around.
Finally, they arrived at the door leading to the huge rotunda which had been transformed into an indoor forest. Lu Zihao gave a silent order to his subordinates with just his eyes alone. They nodded and stationed themselves outside the door. They wouldn't follow the siblings inside.
He opened the door and entered with his sister. As soon as they stepped inside, a streak of orange flew towards them. Popcorn launched his agile body at his mommy who caught him. He meowed loudly and rubbed his head quickly against her before attempting to leap at the man beside her. The affectionate cat remembered his Uncle Zihao, even though the man had changed a lot since the cat last saw him. Iris handed Popcorn to her brother who could only sigh, as he received the cat in his arms.
A big grey furball arrived next at a much slower pace. Ice Cream huffed and puffed, as she jogged with much effort to greet her mommy. However, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the tall and big man beside her mommy. Her eyes became suspicious, and her body language indicated that she went into full-alert mode.
Iris chuckled seeing Ice Cream. "Come here, baby. Look, it's Uncle Zihao."
The grey cat refused to come closer, even when her mommy called for her.
"Hmmm. I like that grey one. She's smart and cautious. She'll live long," Lu Zihao commented about Ice Cream while petting Popcorn. "Unlike this stupid dog-like cat who trusts everyone."
"Meow~" Popcorn became even more affectionate to Lu Zihao, thinking that his uncle was praising him.
Iris pouted, unhappy that one of her babies had been insulted. Although she agreed that Popcorn wasn't a smart one, his big brother was too mean for speaking too bluntly.
"Little sister, you should be more cautious and suspicious like Popsicle. You've become too trusting of people," he told her.
She pouted even more. "Her name is Ice Cream, Big Brother. Not Popsicle."
He only shrugged. "Popsicle, Ice Cream. Same thing."
"No, they're not."
"Whatever." Then he looked at her with a serious expression. "Stick to naming your pets. When you have your own human children, let your man name them. Promise me, alright?"
"But I want to name my own babies! Liwei agrees that I have an excellent and creative naming sense."
Lu Zihao blinked a few times. "Ah. You know what? You couple shouldn't be allowed to name your own children. Let other people name them. Your kids will thank you when they grow up."
"What do you mean by that?! Big Brother, you're speaking nonsense. I'm not going to let other people name my own babies. If they want to name a baby, they should make their own!"
A faint sense of panic rose inside Lu Zihao. He mustn't allow his sister to name his human niece and nephew. There was no way he was going to call his future niece or nephew with a ridiculous name like...like Barbeque or Cheesecake. Jin Liwei would probably even praise his sister for such cursed names. Lu Zihao inwardly shuddered at the thought. He quickly thought of a way to dissuade his stubborn sister. Then a bulb lit inside his mind.
"How about let the old man name your child instead? He's been whining about wanting to have a great-grandchild for so long. Have some pity on such an old man and give him the privilege of naming your child. It'll delight him to no end for sure. How about it?"
He waited for her reply, a hopeful look in his eyes. He trusted Grandpa Lu's naming sense more than his sister's or Jin Liwei's.
"Oh." Iris' defensiveness immediately evaporated. "Well...you're right. I'm sure that Grandpa Lu would love to do that. Hmmm. Fine. But I'll have to discuss this with Liwei first. After all, I can't make a baby on my own."
Lu Zihao's relief was short-lived. He scowled at the idea of his sister making a baby with Jin Liwei. He mentally kicked himself in the head for initiating the topic.
"Little sister, remember. Marriage first before pregnancy," he said through gritted teeth.
Instead of becoming intimidated by his dangerous aura like she would have done before, this new Iris just giggled at her big brother.
"Okay, Big Brother. Don't worry. We always use protection without fail. Liwei is very responsible. Sometimes I would forget, especially when I become too caught up in the moment, but he always remembers," she told him.
He scowled and released the orange cat in his arms who already had enough petting. Then he grumbled, "Too much information. I don't want to hear about it. In my mind, my sister is still a virgin."
Despite the change in her personality, Iris still remained as straightforward as ever. "But Big Brother, I'm not a virgin anymore. My gynecologist told me that Liwei and I have a very healthy sex life. Weâ"
Chapter 462 - The Return Of Lu Zihao Part IV
Not wanting to annoy her big brother, Iris stopped talking about her healthy sex life with Jin Liwei. She didn't think that it was such a big of a deal. Making love with the man she loved felt very natural. She thought that her big brother was overreacting. Tossing the matter out of her mind, she grabbed Lu Zihao's hand instead and led him deeper into the indoor forest.
Popcorn trotted beside them, while Ice Cream followed behind, making sure to maintain a few metres of distance from Lu Zihao. Finally, the koi fish pond came into view. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ãøvâ¬l--B1n.
"Mama! Mama!"
Little Jun was the first one to notice their arrival. The toddler ran towards them, but like Ice Cream, he stopped in his tracks when he saw the tall and big man beside his mama. He looked scared, but at the same time, curious as well.
Then a dramatic shriek echoed all throughout the indoor forest. Dom jumped out of his seat and goggled at Lu Zihao. His face was a theatrical mask of shocked delight.
"Big Brother Boss! Is that you?!! Kyaaaaah!!!"
Meimei and Clover also jumped out of their seats and started squealing. The triplets already met Lu Zihao before. They thought that he was very hot. Seeing his new, more muscular body immediately sent the three into fangirl mode.
Jiang Ying Yue also stood up and smiled in greeting. However, she didn't join the triplets in squealing. However, as a muscular woman, she was very interested in how Lu Zihao got his new body.
Long Jinjing and Chen Fei covered their ears because the triplets' squeals were so loud. They felt like their eardrums were going to burst. They were very confused about what was happening. Standing up like the others, the two looked at the unfamiliar man walking beside Iris. They hadn't met Lu Zihao before.
Iris carried Little Jun who was now staring at Lu Zihao. The toddler didn't seem to remember the man, even though he already met him before. Lu Zihao just changed so much and didn't show himself for so long that the child had completely forgotten about him. It also didn't help that his face now had a long scar on it.
"Little Jun, this is Uncle Zihao. He's my big brother. You already met him before," Iris re-introduced Lu Zihao to the child.
The toddler thought that the man was scary, but he trusted his mama. She introduced the man to him, so the man must be nice. After greeting Lu Zihao with a shy "Heyo", Little Jun hid his face against Iris' neck.
While carrying Little Jun, Iris led her big brother to the islet. The triplets' excitement went into overdrive.
Later...
Everyone was seated on the couches and chatting. The extra refreshments sent by the butler had also arrived.
Little Jun and the cats were back playing under the fruit trees with the nanny and the catsitters.
Back to the adults on the islet, the triplets couldn't stop gushing about Lu Zihao's "new and improved" appearance. They thought that the scar looked very cool and just made him more attractive. Meimei even took out her tablet and stylus that she always carried around wherever she went. Then she started sketching a dangerous yet charismatic and handsome character based on Lu Zihao.
Iris also introduced Long Jinjing and Chen Fei to Lu Zihao, describing them as her friends and also as the COO and CFO of her company, Orchidia Beauty, respectively. Then she introduced Lu Zihao to the two as Grandpa Lu's grandson and her and Jin Liwei's brother.
When Lu Zihao looked at the two women, Chen Fei stared right back at him. Long Jinjing, however, turned red and looked away.
"Big Brother, we're going to launch my company on the last day of the month. You're invited. You must come," Iris told him.
"Ah... So this is the party the old man kept on pestering me to attend. I thought it was another stupid blind date attempt, so I completely ignored what he said. Fine, little sister. I'll come. Besides, I'll be staying here at mansion with you. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," he told her.
Iris and the triplets were ecstatic to hear his confirmation of attendance to the party.
Then Lu Zihao turned to Long Jinjing who was introduced as the CFO of Orchidia Beauty.
"You better not cheat my little sister's company out of its money," he warned her in a deceptively light tone. His eyes, however, were cold.
Long Jinjing was feeling shy earlier when Lu Zihao was first introduced to them. Her face was red the entire time. He looked very intimidating, especially with the scar on his face. Nevertheless, he was also extremely attractive. But now Long Jinjing felt insulted by his words.
"I take my job as Orchidia Beauty's CFO very seriously. I'm not going to cheat the company, nor would I cheat my own sister. I won't betray her. And for your information, Xiulan is MY little sister, not yours!" Long Jinjing's blush of shyness turned into a flush of indignation instead.
It was very rare for the others to see her so worked up. They all became quiet and watched the two.
Lu Zihao raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Heh... Is that so? Well, too bad. She may be your sister by blood, but she's my sister in soul. Bad blood could easily destroy your relationship. But us? Even death could never tear us apart."
"Dude, that's so creepy," Chen Fei commented. "I think you've read too many bad romance novels."
He just shrugged his shoulders. Then seeing Meimei focusing on him while sketching on her tablet, he flashed her with his demonic smile. The triplets all gasped and clutched their chests, as if a heart-shaped arrow just shot them straight into their hearts.
Chen Fei turned to Iris. "Xiulan, is he your concubine? Are you sure CEO Jin is fine with your close relationship with this guy? No wonder some people think that you're engaged with this Lu Zihao instead of CEO Jin."
"My little sister and I don't practice incest," Lu Zihao replied to her before Iris could say anything. "And if Third Brother doesn't understand our special brother and sister bond, then he's an idiot who doesn't deserve my sister."
Lu Zihao instantly paled after saying the last sentence about Jin Liwei being an idiot. He gritted his teeth and took a barely noticeable sharp intake of breath. Despite this, his expression remained impassive yet also roguish as usual. Only Iris noticed that something was wrong with him. But before she could say anything, he faintly shook his head, silently telling her that he was fine. Then he grabbed a random glass of juice on the table and drank it.
"Hey, that's mine!" Long Jinjing exclaimed.
"Well, it's mine now." Lu Zihao ignored her protest, drinking all the juice until the glass became empty.
Despite feeling insulted by him earlier, Long Jinjing still couldn't help but blush, especially watching him drink from her glass.
The triplets all snickered at her.
Lu Zihao flashed the triplets with his demonic smile and winked at them. And with that, the indoor forest was filled with deafening squeals once again.
Chapter 463 - The Return Of Lu Zihao Part V
Late in the afternoon, Jin Liwei finally arrived home from work. But it wasn't only him. Lin Yehan, Wang Yingjie and Yu Mo also came. It seemed that Jin Liwei picked his brothers up from a meeting place before coming home to the mansion. They all came because they heard that their Fifth Brother, Lu Zihao, arrived today and would be staying at the mansion for a longer period this time.
When their vehicle entered the property, they were surprised by the large number of people patrolling the place. They knew that the majority of them weren't members of Jin Liwei's security team because his subordinates always wore black suits whenever they were on duty. The new people didn't wear uniforms. They just wore casual clothingâmostly, utility pants, shirts and jackets.
"Third Bro, you hired more people?" Yu Mo asked.
"No. Those must be Fifth Brother's subordinates," Jin Liwei replied.
Lin Yehan's gentle face frowned, while Wang Yingjie wore a contemplative expression.
"He's concerned about Xiulan's safety. There have been increasing instances when fans tried to grab or tackle her in overexcitement. You already know how close Xiulan and Fifth Brother are, and how protective he is with her like me. If something bad happens to her, the two of us will be the first ones to hunt down any stupid motherfuckers who dare hurt her," Jin Liwei explained to them.
It wasn't the entire truth, but what he said was part of the real reason. He didn't want to endanger his other brothers by telling them about the Youngs and their connection with a group of hackers including Eagle and a formidable hacker whom his baby girl referred to as "one of the old guys". It was already enough that he and his Fifth Brother knew about it. There was no need to involve their other brothers and place them in danger.
"The two of you are spoiling for visiting.
"Yes, yes. I know it hurts, Little Jun. But it'll get better," Lin Yehan continued comforting the toddler. "Uncle Yingjie is a doctor. We'll have him take a look at you. I'm sure you'll feel better in no time." The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.
By this time, Little Jun's wailing had become regular crying and whimpering instead. However, he continued hugging Lin Yehan's neck with his little head resting on the man's shoulder.Jin Liwei is their "Third Brother", so Iris automatically becomes their "Third Sister-in-law". So it doesn't mean that there are two other sisters-in-law before her, making her the third. No, it's simply the title based on Jin Liwei's own title among them.
Chapter 464 - Sleep Now, My Boy
A panicked Jiang Ying Yue arrived from the opposite side of the room. She felt like her heart had stopped beating after hearing her beloved son's blood-curdling wails. The nanny and the catsitters were already off-duty, so they had retired for the night after eating dinner. Jiang Ying Yue felt like the most irresponsible mother in the world for failing to keep an eye on her son every second. She blamed herself, thinking that this wouldn't have happened if she gave all of her attention to her son.
"Mommy's here now, Little Jun. Show Mommy where it hurts. Come here, sweetie," Jiang Ying said in a barely-controlled emotional voice.
She was on the verge of tears, but she tried her best to stay calm, even though fear for her son overwhelmed her. Then she tried taking her son from Lin Yehan, but Little Jun refused to let go. He tightened his little arms around Lin Yehan's neck instead and continued whimpering in pain.
"I got him. Don't worry," Lin Yehan told her. His gentle expression and voice became even gentler. "Your son will be fine. We have a doctor here. We'll ask Second Brother to examine him, okay?"
She nodded while rubbing her son's back while still being carried by Lin Yehan. She tried taking Little Jun again, but he still didn't let go.
"Dada... Dada...." Little Jun whimpered against Lin Yehan's shoulder.
Jiang Ying Yue's heart squeezed after hearing what her son was saying in the arms of another man who wasn't his father. She wiped the tears which spilled from her eyes before being able to control herself again. Then she saw that Lin Yehan's shirt was already soaked with her son's tears.
"I'm so sorry about this," Jiang Ying Yue apologized to him.
"Please don't apologize. No worries," Lin Yehan assured her. "Little Jun is my Third Brother's godson. That means he's also like a nephew to me and our other brothers. I'm sure your son will go to you once he's ready."
Everyone came over, concerned for Little Jun. Iris also tried taking Little Jun from Lin Yehan, but the child was determined to stay with the man. Jin Liwei asked the triplets to calm the cats who were now freaking out as well seeing what was happening to their human cousin.
Wang Yingjie immediately stepped forward to examine Little Jun. Although he didn't specialize in pediatrics, he was still an excellent doctor. Lin Yehan had to be the one to persuade the child to allow Dr. Wang Yingjie to touch him. In the end, Wang Yinjie announced that Little Jun didn't break nor sprain anything. However, his cheek and mouth area would be swollen because he took a hard fall earlier. A maid provided an ice pack for the poor kid.
They were all relieved hearing that Little Jun would be okay, especially the mother, Jiang Ying Yue. She was reminded that her son was her life. And if anything were to happen to Little Jun, she didn't think that she would be able to take it.
Then everyone froze when Little Jun suddenly said, "Junjun want Dada..."âsob sobâ"Dada..." He pressed his swollen, little face against Lin Yehan's chest."
Hearing the child looking for his father, Iris felt pissed at Long Hui. If only Little Jun wasn't such a small child, she would've already told him not to expect anything from his stupid father. She felt even more pissed after seeing her friend's reaction.
Jiang Ying Yue already regained control of her outward emotions and reverted to her neutral bodyguard expression, but Iris and their other friends still saw the flash of pain in her eyes. They felt upset for her.
"Little Jun, your daddy is not here but your papa is. Why don't you go to your papa?" Lin Yehan encouraged the child, then gave a look at his Third Brother.
Jin Liwei stepped forward, but Little Jun shook his head and burrowed himself deeper against Lin Yehan's chest. The toddler already started calling Lin Yehan as "Anko Han".
Afterwards, Little Jun stuck to Lin Yehan. Everyone was amazed because it was so rare that the child would refuse his Mama Iris' call to come to her, preferring Lin Yehan instead who was basically a stranger.
As for Lin Yehan, he wasn't used to handling children, but he was a naturally gentle person. He was also fiercely protective of people who he considered as family. Since Little Jun was his Third Brother's godson, he already treated the child as a family member. That was why he was extra gentle to the toddler and very patient, even though he had been holding Little Jun on his lap for more than an hour now.
The night was getting late, and it was already way past Little Jun's bedtime. Seeing him so sleepy, everyone decided to end the gathering. All of them except for Wang Yingjie and Lin Yehan were sleeping at the mansion.
Yu Mo also didn't plan on sleeping over but decided to do so at the last minute. He would just borrow clothes from either his Third or Fifth Brother. Wang Yingjie couldn't sleep over even if he wanted to because he needed to prepare for a surgery the next morning. As for Lin Yehan, he felt more comfortable sleeping in his farm villa than anywhere else. He didn't mind driving so far and so late into the night.
Little Jun was in a half-awake, half-asleep state, so Jiang Ying Yue was finally able to take her son from Lin Yehan. Fortunately, Little Jun didn't resist and transferred to his mother's arms without any problems.
But when Lin Yehan and Wang Yingjie were preparing to leave, Little Jun suddenly opened his eyes and called out.
"Anko Han! No go!"
Jin Liwei and Iris didn't want their godson to feel agitated before sleeping, so they persuaded Lin Yehan to sleep over like everyone else.
"It's already so late in the night, Eldest Brother. Your farm villa is more than hour away. It's not safe," Jin Liwei told him.
Iris nodded, agreeing with her darling.
Lin Yehan sighed. He looked at the toddler who was fighting sleep just to make sure that he didn't leave. He sighed again and gave a helpless smile. "Alright, I'll stay. But I didn't bring anything with me."
"No problem, Eldest Brother. Liwei has plenty of clothes which he hasn't worn yet. I'll have a staff deliver them to you and Fourth Brother in your bedrooms," Iris told him.
He nodded. Then he turned to the toddler. "Little Jun, I'm not going home tonight. I'll be staying here, so you can sleep now. Be good and don't make it hard for your mother. Alright?"
"Anko Han, no go?" Little Jun asked sleepily.
"I'm not going anywhere tonight. Sleep now, my boy. Goodnight," Lin Yehan told the child in a soft, gentle voice.
"Nite nite, Anko..." And with that, Little Jun fell asleep.
Everyone sighed in relief.
Jiang Ying Yue apologized to Lin Yehan for inconveniencing him so much, but he just shook his head and gently told her not to worry about it.
In the end, only Wang Yingjie went home that night. Everyone else slept over, not knowing that this night would tie their destinies together forever.
Chapter 465 - Undercurrents
The next morning, everyone headed to the kitchen after waking up and making themselves presentable. They arrived at different times, so some were already eating while the others were just arriving or hadn't arrived yet.
Lu Zihao's subordinates patrolled the property with Jin Liwei's security team for the entire night. They worked in shifts. It was interesting to note that they would make themselves scarce whenever Iris was around, so she personally never saw the full extent of their patrolling. Of course, Ketchup monitored everything in the property but since her mommy told her not to intervene, she didn't report about the patrolling situation anymore.
Iris only saw a couple of subordinates who always followed Lu Zihao around. She thought that they were protecting him, not knowing that their main mission was actually to guard her. Lu Zihao also didn't make it obvious by always accompanying her. Thus, it appeared as if the subordinates were following him and not Iris.
Jin Liwei, who was observing everything, had an idea of what his Fifth Brother was doing. He also wanted his baby girl safe and protected all the time, but thought that it was better to be upfront to her about what they were doing. He didn't approve of this sneaky tactic behind her back. Sure, it was for her own good, but he didn't feel comfortable hiding something like this from her. He believed that it was better to face her wrath with the truth and try to persuade her to understand their reasons, rather than to face her wrath when she discovered what they were doing without her knowledge.
And he knew that she would eventually discover it. After all, there was Ketchup who was monitoring everything in the property 24/7. If his baby girl asked their third kitty baby, Ketchup would instantly report everything to her.
His baby girl might have a strong stubborn streak, but she wasn't unreasonable. She would listen to explanations and if they made sense, she would adjust her own viewpoint accordingly. Jin Liwei believed that she had a right to know that Lu Zihao brought this much people mainly for her security.
There were so many questions Jin Liwei wanted to ask and many things he wanted to discuss with his Fifth Brother but hadn't had the chance yet. He wanted to talk to him with just the two of them, especially since what they were going to discuss were potentially very sensitive and dangerous in nature.
Back to the present, everyone finally arrived at the kitchen. They sat around the massive granite countertop and ate breakfast.
Little Jun was delighted to see his "Anko Han" and insisted that he wanted to sit beside him. Jiang Ying Yue could only sigh and brought herself and her son to sit beside Lin Yehan.
Lin Yehan nodded at the mother and son, a gentle expression on his face as always. He also interacted with Little Jun who was babbling about many things. Although Lin Yehan didn't understand the majority of what the child was telling him, he didn't mind. He also considered the cats, Ice Cream and Popcorn, as his niece and nephew respectively. He couldn't understand their meows either, but he didn't mind because they were his Third Brother's kids. Since the boy and the cats were important to his Third Brother,Lin Yehan automatically treated Little Jun as family.
In another spot, Long Jinjing sat across Lu Zihao. She was calmer now and didn't feel as shy compared to yesterday. She didn't really talk directly to him. Conversation was lively on the breakfast table, but Long Jinjing and Lu Zihao talked to the others, not to each other.
She tried to act as nonchalant as he was to her. However, she found that her eyes would subconsciously stray to him. About half of the time, she discovered that he was also looking at her. Their eyes would meet. She would turn crimson, while he would just slightly raise an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth would also curve upward into a faint devilish smile.
The undercurrents between these two pairs were noticed by everyone else on the breakfast table. Well, not everyone. Iris was still dense sometimes. She happily ate breakfast while acting lovey-dovey to her own darling, not detecting anything unusual from the cheerful atmosphere around her.
As for the others, even though they noticed, nobody openly remarked about it. They didn't think that teasing each other about it was appropriate, especially since most of them just met last night. The triplets only snickered among themselves, while Chen Fei just shrugged. As long as her best friend wasn't hurt or in danger, Chen Fei would have no problems about it.
Then Clover cried out all of a sudden, interrupting everyone from their meals and conversations.
"Ah! It's time! Our secret weapon should be up by now!" she announced with much excitement.
The eyes of everyone in the girl squad all lit up. Jin Liwei also seemed to know what was going on. His brothers, however, were confused.
Iris grabbed her phone and texted an instruction to Ketchup. Almost immediately, the huge TV on the far wall flickered to life. It didn't show a TV program, however. Instead, it showed the officialwebsite of Orchidia Beauty. On the home page, an eye-catching video was featured.
Then it started playing.
###
At the same time on the internet, a certain sponsored ad caught the attention of many netizens in the country. Whether they were watching videos, scrolling through their social media pages, or simply surfing the web, they couldn't ignore this particular ad like the other annoying ones bombarding them all the time.
For those on social media or surfing the web, they only saw a static ad. It should be nothing special, especially since a lot of them didn't recognize the company. However, they were attracted by the two featured modelsâa male and a female. The two looked very familiar. The netizens clicked on the ad so fast before they could even think about it. They were led to the company's official website.
For those watching online videos, it appeared during the ad break. Usually, they would skip the annoying ads but this time, they ended up watching the entire commercial.
Everyone freaked out while watching the video commercial. They couldn't believe it.
"What the hell is this?! Am I dreaming?! Iris Long and Jin Chonglin are together in one commercial?!"
Chapter 466 - Natural Beauty Is Orchidia Beauty
The full-length video commercial started with Jin Chonglin as a trekker lost in a mountain forest. He was dirty and sunburned but otherwise still looked handsome as ever. The background music played softly in the background, emphasizing the weary expression on the exhausted mountain trekker. He followed the distant sound of water.
Finally, he arrived at a clearing with a breathtaking view of a waterfall and a river. The rushing water looked fresh, clean and clear.
Then the music changed into a mystical one. All of a sudden, a beautiful woman emerged from under the water. Her long, wet hair flipping up in the air in an arc was shown in slow motion, splashing droplets of water all over the place which sparkled like stars under the sunlight. She was wearing a white dress which clung wetly to her slender hourglass body. Her eyes opened slowly and looked directly at the open-mouthed mountain trekker who was staring at her in amazement.
The scene changed, showing Iris as a beautiful mountain dweller. Jin Chonglin was now clean and wearing a white shirt and pants in a similar material as Iris' dress. They were outside a small wooden hut. Around them were various natural ingredients like honey, flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, clay and much more.
Iris was grinding and mixing the ingredients together, showing Jin Chonglin how to do it. Then Jin Chonglin tried it as well. When the lotion they made was finished, Iris applied it all over Jin Chonglin's sunburned face. He smiled, looking deep in her eyes. Then he took the bowl of lotion from her hands and applied some on her face as well.
The next scenes showed a montage of Jin Chonglin helping Iris make other creams and gels from all-natural ingredients. They used them as soap, shampoo, cleansers, lotions, creams and facial moisturizers.
Then the background music changed once again, sounding romantic. A handsome Jin Chonglin, who was no longer sunburned and had smooth skin, waited on top of a mountain. The horizon looked magnificent from a distance. He turned his head and his entire face broke into a delighted smile.
A beautiful and glowing Iris slowly walked towards him. She was wearing a long white dress which fluttered in the wind, showing glimpses of her smooth legs and shoulders. A crown of colourful flowers sat on top of her head. She looked like a bride walking on a carpet of fallen leaves.
Jin Chonglin helped her up the boulder. They stood together and looked over nature's beauty from the top of the mountain. Their smooth skin glowed from the sunset.
Then Jin Chonglin's voice spoke in the background. He said:
"Natural beautyâ"
Iris' voice seamlessly finished the sentence, saying:
"âis Orchidia Beauty."
The slogan "Natural beauty is Orchidia Beauty" appeared under the attractive logo of Orchidia Beauty. It was an image of an orchid flower which also looked like the silhouette of a woman's face.
At the bottom corner, Iris Long was credited as the composer of all the background music used in the commercial. A list of the song titles was also included.
Afterwards, a block of text appeared showing a date. It was the last day of the month which was labelled as the company's official launch. It also included Orchidia Beauty's official website address for more information about the products and the launch day.
The commercial finally ended.
###
In just an hour, the commercial video went viral. It was all the netizens discussed about. Of course, the Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans went online in droves, further pushing up the commercial into the #1 top trending rankings in various websites.
Nobody saw this endorsement collaboration coming. It was such a surprise that everyone was taken aback. Both Iris Long and Jin Chonglin didn't drop any hints of it at all.
People couldn't stop talking about the commercial, especially about Iris Long and Jin Chonglin. They alsopraised the commercial and felt interested in Orchidia Beauty.
"This commercial is a work of art! It's like I'm watching a movie or a documentary. The shots are so beautiful!" L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ãøvâ¬l--B1n.
"Hey, I recognize this place! It's a mountain near my hometown. This is a real place, not a studio. I'm so happy that they shot the commercial there and featured the beauty of where I come from. I love it!"
"I've been hearing about this new company called Orchidia Beauty from my favourite beauty influencers since the summer. Most of them gave high reviews for the PR products that were sent to them. I also want to try the products but then I discovered that they haven't been released yet. Now I want to try the products even more after knowing that my favourite musicians in the country, Iris Long and Jin Chonglin, are both endorsing it together!"
"Yeah. This brand is really popular in the beauty community lately. I'm really curious about who owns this company, Orchidia Beauty. They haven't even launched yet, but they could already afford such popular celebrities like Iris Long and Jin Chonglin? Iris Long is one of the hottest celebrities in the country right now, not to mention that Jin Chonglin is a domestic superstar."
"I also wonder about that. I'm sure that the owner is a super-rich person."
Some of them started searching for more information about Orchidia Beauty, but they couldn't find anything other than what was shown in the official website. Instead, a post on the website promised that everything would be revealed on the official launch day.
"It looks like the company wants to be mysterious for now. I can't wait to know more about it. I want to know what kind of people are behind a new company that can afford Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin and hire them as their first endorsers. They haven't even launched yet, but I'm already so impressed."
With the release of the ad featuring Iris Long and Jin Chonglin, Orchidia Beauty became known outside the beauty community. Now more people were looking forward to its launch.
Chapter 467 - That's Your Fee
Dragon Palace Home #10.
That same night, Iris had an informal meeting with Chen Fei, Long Jinjing and Clover after dinner. Jiang Ying Yue and Dom didn't want to bother them because it was about business, so the two went somewhere else to spend time with Little Jun and the cats.
Iris, Chen Fei and Long Jinjing checked and re-checked the guest list to make sure that everything was correct. The invitations to Orchidia Beauty's grand launch party would all be sent out the next morning.
After the meeting, those who slept over prepared to go home. It was back to work again tomorrow.
Lu Zihao instructed his subordinates to drive the ladies home before Jin Liwei could offer to do so. Iris didn't think much of it because her big brother acted nonchalant as always, but the triplets snickered among themselves. Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun would also leave with them.
The teary Little Jun didn't want to leave his mama, papa, and his new favourite "Anko Han". Iris, Jin Liwei and Lin Yehan spent some time trying to reassure the toddler that they would see each other again soon. Fortunately, it worked and Little Jun didn't throw a tantrum. He just whimpered sadly in his mother's embrace.
"Hey, Fifth Bro! This is discrimination! You offer the ladies a ride home, but what about us, your beloved bros?" Yu Mo complained.
Lu Zihao shrugged. "Ask Third Brother."
Yu Mo continued to complain, but everyone just ignored him. In the end, Jin Liwei was the one who arranged for a ride home for his Eldest Brother and Fourth Brother.
After everyone left, Jin Liwei told Iris to go to their bedroom suite first. He would follow later because he had something to talk about with his Fifth Brother. Lu Zihao looked like he already expected it, so he just waited.
Iris was curious about what they were going to talk about. She wanted to join them and listen, but Jin Liwei's expression told her that he wanted to talk to Lu Zihao alone. She pouted but didn't insist.
Jin Liwei kissed her pouting lips to make her feel better. It worked. Her pout disappeared, replaced by a lovely smile. His eyes darkened with desire. Not caring that there were other people around them, he dipped his head and kissed his baby girl harder. He sucked on her bottom lip and nibbled on it.
Afterwards, he rained kisses all over her face. He was trying to erase the traces of Jin Chonglin's touch on his baby girl's face from the commercial. It was originally Jin Liwei's idea to use his younger brother in Orchidia Beauty's first commercial. After all, Jin Liwei was still an elite businessman. He knew the advantages of using a celebrity of his younger brother's calibre in an ad campaign. In fact, he was the one who threatenedâcough coughâ"persuaded" Jin Chonglin to agree. Discover, Devour, Delight: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Despite this, he was unhappy about the commercial's storyline. But he didn't try to stop his baby girl this time. The green-eyed monster inside him wasn't something he could completely get rid of, but he was getting better in controlling it and not letting it take over his emotions. He was unhappy, yes, but he trusted his baby girl and his younger brother.
Still, Jin Liwei was tempted to lick his baby girl's entire face just to rid his mind of the image of his younger brother touching it. He stopped the urge, though. His baby girl would allow him to lick her in other places but not her entire face. She would most likely scold him, tell him not to act like a salivating dog, and then kick him out to the proverbial doghouse.
Back to the present, the shameless couple had already completely forgotten that they weren't alone (as usual). They were kissing passionately while pawing each other's bodies.
When Jin Liwei lifted one of Iris' legs and tried to hook it around him, they were interrupted by a forceful cough from Lu Zihao and a teasing "ehehehe" from Dom.
The lovers reluctantly separated and sighed.
Iris and Dom returned to their own bedrooms, while Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao went somewhere else to talk.
Later, Iris was inside the bedroom. She had already showered and changed into silk pyjamas. Jin Liwei wasn't back yet. She wondered what her darling and her big brother were talking about that was taking so long. Yawning, Iris climbed on the bed. She was originally planning on making love with Jin Liwei tonight before sleeping, but her eyes were already getting heavier. At this rate, she would fall asleep before he returned.
She was about to ask Ketchup if Jin Liwei was on his way to the bedroom suite yet when her phone started ringing.
"Ketchup, who is it?"
"Meow~ Mommy, it's Uncle Lin Lin."
"Oh. Answer it."
"Okay, Mommy! Answering the call in 3, 2, 1â"
Iris yawned before talking. "Hello?"
"Sister Xiulan! Hello, it's me," Jin Chonglin's voice replied.
Ketchup put the call on speakerphone.
"Yes, I know." Iris yawned again.
"Did you see our commercial and our ads all over the internet? Everyone is talking about us! We're #1 in almost all the online top trending rankings. And it's only the first day!" he said excitedly.
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"Of course, I already know. Orchidia Beauty is my company, so I have direct access to the real-time statistics of the ads' performance."
Jin Chonglin made a dissatisfied sound. "Why do you not sound excited? See how kind I am to you as a brother-in-law? I make a minimum of several millions per commercial and yet I allowed you to use this superstar prince to endorse your company for free! That's for FREE!! You opportunistic couple only know how to exploit me!!!"
Iris yawned again and made herself more comfortable under the duvet.
"What do you mean, Brother Chonglin? Didn't you sign a contract to create your own line of men's products and even a perfume line with Orchidia Beauty? You even attended several meetings with the Bauer siblings already to develop the products that you want. I heard that you're the one prolonging the process because of your endless demands and indecisiveness. Such a diva. My company is shouldering all the expenses of your product lines, so stop complaining. That's your fee!"
Chapter 468 - A Chance Encounter At The Hospital
Jin Chonglin harrumphed and then muttered, "Fine. I'm just saying that you couple should also consider my own feelings, you know." Then he changed the subject. "By the way, what's up with that hacker you recommended? That son of a bitch is too expensive!!!"
Iris scowled when he called her baby, Ketchup, a "son of a bitch". Since she was the creator/mother, wasn't she the one he was calling a "bitch"? Iris had decided to allow Ketchup to work with Jin Chonglin since his requests would probably be something very easy to accomplish. She was very busy working on more important things, so it was a good thing that she had Ketchup to deal with this kind of minor tasks. Besides, Ketchup was growing at a fast rate that amazed even her. She didn't expect that the self-learning function she developed would be so effective.
"Brother Chonglin, I already warned you beforehand that the hacker I know is one of the best in the world and will be very expensive," she reminded him. "You even bragged about being able to afford it, so don't complain. Did the hacker accomplish the task you ask for?"
"Yeah..." he replied, and then sighed. "He was amazing, actually. The targets didn't even know that they were hacked. There were no traces at all. Now I have less things to worry about. It's just that he's too expensive. Even this prince winced at the price. It sounds like you're quite close to the hacker. Can you ask him to give me a discount?"
"Hmm..." Iris seriously thought about it. "Fine, 2% discount." N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
"T-two percent?!! Come on. Sister Xiulan, we're family now. Negotiate a higher discount with the hacker for me."
"Fine. 3%."
"More."
"3.1%..."
"..." Jin Chonglin was speechless. "Sister Xiulan... You know what? You're actually worse than Big Bro."
"Hm? What do you mean? Grandpa Lu says that I have talent as a business negotiator," she said.
"Ah... Grandpa Lu... I see. Now that makes sense." He sighed once, twice, and then three times. "I forgot that he's actually your business mentor. Hmmm... Now that I think about it, I think I made the right decision to connect myself to Orchidia Beauty while it's still in its early stages..."
"Of course, you did. So don't complain anymore about endorsement fees," she said.
In the end, Iris agreed to "persuade" the hacker to give Jin Chonglin a 9.8% discount after an intense negotiation. Jin Chonglin was unsuccessful in making it 10%. He grew exhausted trying to negotiate with her so he just agreed just to be done with it.
Iris smiled in satisfaction when the call ended. Now she had a slightly fatter bank account thanks to her future brother-in-law. Then she fell into deep sleep, unable to wait for her darling's return to the bedroom.
###
Everyone was busy the entire week, except for Jiang Ying Yue. As the head of security of a condo building, she had more flexibility to decide her own schedule. Despite this, she didn't abuse her authority and worked regular hours. Today, however, she took a day-off because Little Jun had an appointment with the pediatrician.
She preferred to bring her own son to the doctor instead of entrusting him to the nanny. Little Jun wasn't sick or anything. It was just a regular check-up and also because they were planning on travelling abroad soon. She needed to know the doctor's opinion if her son was safe to travel and if he needed any vaccines beforehand, especially since this was his first time to travel outside the country.
It was a beautiful sunny day, but there was a chill in the air. Autumn was making itself more and more felt with each passing day.
Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun were dressed in stylish coats and boots. They had no choice but to be stylish because the mother and son's entire wardrobes were completely replaced by Wei Lan. Their old clothes, save for a few ones, were all donated to charity by the viscountess.
The driver dropped them off at the hospital, and then left soon afterwards. He needed to return to the penthouse and drive Wei Lan for another round of house hunting. He told Jiang Ying Yue to call him when Little Jun's appointment was done, so that he could pick them up. She nodded, even though she didn't plan on disturbing him. She and her son could just hail a taxi to bring them home.
Later...
Little Jun's appointment with the pediatrician went smoothly. Jiang Ying Yue was relieved because her son was declared very healthy. The pediatrician also approved Little Jun for international travel.
On their way out of the hospital, the mother and son met the brothers Lin Yehan and Wang Yingjie. It turned out that the hospital was where Wang Yingjie worked as a surgeon. No wonder it was the hospital that Jin Liwei recommended to her. It was a different and much bigger hospital than the one Iris went to. It was also much affordable because it catered to patients from all walks of life compared to the high-class, private hospital where Iris was a patient.
"Anko Han!" Little Jun exclaimed and ran towards him.
Lin Yehan crouched down and caught the child. Then he stood up and carried him. His expression was gentle as always. "Hello, Little Jun. How are you?"
Little Jun started babbling about his doctor's appointment, but Lin Yehan only understood about 10-20% of what he was saying. Then the child turned to Wang Yingjie and greeted him as well.
"Heyo, Anko Doc!"
Wang Yingjie's serious expression lightened as he smiled. Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue chuckled.
The two groups chatted. It turned out that Lin Yehan went for his annual physical check-up and bloodwork today. Then he met with his Second Brother, Wang Yingjie, who was on a quick break. Jiang Ying Yue also told them about Little Jun's appointment with the pediatrician.
Wang Yingjie nodded his head. "He's a friend of mine. He's an excellent pediatrician. I was actually the one who recommended him to Third Brother when he asked me if I know a good pediatrician."
"Oh, thank you very much!" Jiang Ying Yue said.
"You're welcome." Then Wang Yingjie looked at the time. "I need to go back to work. See you around. Bye!"
"Bye bye, Anko Doc!" Little Jun waved at Wang Yingjie while still being carried by Lin Yehan.
When Wang Yingjie was gone, Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan looked at each other.
"So...are you going home now?" Lin Yehan asked her.
Chapter 469 - You're Back
"Not yet. I'm planning on bringing Little Jun to the mall and treat him for being such a good boy during his doctor's appointment," Jiang Ying Yue said.
"Yesh! Junjun good boy, Anko Han!" Little Jun proudly bragged.
Lin Yehan chuckled. "Yes. I know that you're a good boy, Little Jun."
Little Jun giggled and made himself more comfortable in Lin Yehan's arms. He rested his little head on the man's shoulders.
"I see. Did you drive here?" Lin Yehan asked Jiang Ying Yue.
She shook her head and told him that the penthouse's driver dropped them off.
"Well, I'm free for the rest of the day. I can accompany you to the mall. I'll also drive you home later, so you don't need to call the driver to come pick you up again," Lin Yehan offered. Then he quickly added. "But only if you want, of course."
Jiang Ying Yue hesitated and looked at her son.
Seeing this, Lin Yehan asked the child instead, "Little Jun, do you want to go to the mall with me?"
"Yesh!" Little Jun immediately replied and wrapped his little arms around Lin Yehan's neck. "Lesh go, Anko Han! Lesh go, Mommi!"
The two men, one adult and one child, looked at Jiang Ying Yue expectantly.
She sighed and gave a resigned smile. "Alright, let's go to the mall."
"Yesh! Go go!"
Before they left, Lin Yehan borrowed a child's car seat from the hospital. He was familiar with most of the staff because of his connection with one of the hospital's best surgeons,Wang Yingjie. Fortunately, there were some available that day.
Afterwards, the three headed to the hospital's parking lot for Lin Yehan's car. Then they drove to the nearby mall.
They first went to the mall's play place. The two chased Little Jun around while he played with much delight. When Little Jun began playing with the other kids, Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan chatted with the other parents.
"Your son is very cute and so friendly," one of the mothers commented. Then she looked at Lin Yehan. "He looks just like you, his daddy!"
Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan smiled awkwardly. The woman was such a liar. Little Jun didn't look like any of them at all because he looked like Long Hui and a bit like Iris. Basically, he looked like a Long. However, they didn't correct the woman. There wasn't any need to make themselves the target of gossip. Besides, they probably wouldn't meet these people again anyway.
After the play place, the three ate a late lunch together at a family restaurant. Little Jun had a bigger appetite than usual because he spent a lot of energy playing at the play place earlier. After eating, they started walking around the mall and randomly shopping, mostly for Little Jun.
It was already late in the afternoon, almost dinnertime, when they finished and decided to go home. Little Jun had also fallen asleep in Jiang Ying Yue's arms. Lin Yehan carried their purchases. They headed to the parking lot.
Unbeknownst to them, someone recognized Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun. She was a teenage girl together with a group of friends. They were all still in their school uniforms. They headed straight to the mall to hang out after school. The teenage girl noticed Jiang Ying Yue and her son with an unfamiliar man while inside a department store. She decided to follow them around the mall. Her friends also joined, thinking that it was fun to pretend to be private investigators. The girl recorded videos of Jiang Ying Yue's group with her phone and snapped hundreds of photos of them.
When Jiang Ying Yue's group left, the teenage girl sent the videos and the photos to her aunt. Her aunt was Zheng Suyin, Long Hui's mother.
###
Gold Heights Condominium.
After eating dinner at the penthouse with Wei Lan, Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun returned to their own unit downstairs. Jiang Ying Yue just finished getting her son ready for bed when she heard the door to the unit open. Her heart jumped. Other than Iris, there was only one other person who had the keys to enter the unit. Iris never entered the place by herself without informing Jiang Ying Yue first, so it must be the other person.
Jiang Ying Yue carried Little Jun and hurried to the living room. Just like what she thought, it was Long Hui. Despite feeling hurt from the growing distance between them and his refusal to return to live with them at the condo unit, Jiang Ying Yue was still filled with excitement and longing for him. She wanted to put aside their differences for now and welcome him home.
"You're back," she said with a smile. "Come in. Have you eaten yet? There's no food here but we can order some home delivery for you if you want."
Little Jun was also excited upon seeing his father. He wriggled in his mother's arms and reached for Long Hui.
"Dada! Dada!"
Both the mother and son were excited that Long Hui finally returned home to them. Long Hui's expression, however, was the polar opposite of theirs. It was cold and furious. Jiang Ying Yue finally noticed that something was off, so she stopped approaching. She became cautious and gave him a confused look, silently asking him what was wrong.
Instead of greeting or explaining, Long Hui pulled out a stack of something from a brown envelope and then threw it on the coffee table. The items scattered across the table. Some even fell to the floor.
When Jiang Ying Yue saw what he threw, she stiffened. They were photos of her and Little Jun with Lin Yehan at the mall earlier that day.
"H-hui... It's not what it looks like. I can explain..." she said.
Little Jun also saw the photos and recognized Lin Yehan. He beamed and pointed at his image.
"Anko Han!" he exclaimed and then looked at Long Hui, introducing his new favourite uncle to his father.
Long Hui's expression became uglier seeing the delighted expression of his son while pointing at the image of another man. He shot furious eyes at Jiang Ying Yue and then roared at her.
"How dare you cheat on me, you unfaithful whore?!!!"
Chapter 470 - Emergency! Emergency!
Jiang Ying Yue gasped at the hurtful words Long Hui threw at her. She couldn't believe that he just called her a "whore". He was the only man she had ever slept with, but he was degrading her like this? Not only that, he also dared insult her in front of their young child? Discover, Devour, Delight: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Suffocating pain squeezed her heart, but she tried her best to remain calm for the sake of their son who had no idea what was going on. Little Jun was alternately looking at his mommy and daddy, trying to figure out why they were being so scary.
Jiang Ying Yue took a deep breath and spoke in her sincerest voice, "Hui...please listen to me. I'm not cheating on youâ"
"Liar! I have clear evidence here! I even have videos! Who is that man?" he continued to roar at her.
"These photos and whatever videos you have are all misleading. If you'll just listen to me, I'll explain everything. I'm not cheating on you. That man is Lin Yehan. We're not in a relationship. We met each other today by coincidence. He's Sir Liwei's friendâ"
"Ah, so he's Lin Yehan, that agriculture tycoon. You're really something Ying Yue." He sneered at her. "You know that my position in the clan is very unstable right now because of Xiulan, making it unclear of whether I'll succeed as the next head of Long Industries or not. Since I've become an heir with an uncertain future, you now decided to toss me away for a wealthier man who owns his own businesses!"
"No! Hui, that's not true! I never cared about your wealth or your status! Please listen to meâ"
"Liar! Now I know why you underwent a makeover, started taking care of your physical appearance and wearing sexy clothes! I thought you were doing it for me so that I'll return to live with you again, but it turns out you're doing it for another man! That explains why you always reject me when I try to sleep with you! It's because you're busy fucking another man, you cheating whore!"
Jiang Ying Yue couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. She couldn't believe that this was Long Hui. All of the insults he was throwing at her, not to mention his tone of voice like he was disgusted at her for being a dirty woman who slept around with other men, stabbed deeply into her heart and degraded not only her dignity as a woman but also as a human being.
Long Hui continued roaring at her. She attempted several times to explain herself to him, but he refused to listen. He was too furious. It seemed that his mind was already set on what to believe. Unfortunately, he believed the misleading photos and videos more than her.
By this time, Little Jun was already crying out loud. The poor kid was frightened by his parents' fight. He was especially scared of his daddy who kept on shouting nonstop. Since Jiang Ying Yue was still carrying Little Jun, the child thought that his daddy was shouting at him.
"Dadaaa! Dadaaaa! Sowwy! Junjun good boy!"
Jiang Ying Yue immediately felt frantic. Her son's pitiful words hurt her more compared to Long Hui's insults. Little Jun was too well-mannered that he was even apologizing for something that wasn't his fault. Her heart squeezed painfully until she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore.
On one hand, she wanted to properly explain the real situation to Long Hui and hopefully repair their relationship (if that was still possible). On the other hand, her mother's instincts made her prioritize calming her child first.
"Hui, let's not do this in front of our son. Let me calm Little Jun first and then we can talk. Wait... Let me bring him up to the penthouse first and then we'll talk, okay?"
She didn't wait for him to reply but was already on her way to the door, while at the same time murmuring reassurances to the frightened Little Jun.
However, Long Hui was having none of it. He roughly pulled Jiang Ying Yue's arm, almost making her drop Little Jun.
"Long Hui! What the hell are you doing?!!" she yelled.
Instead of noticing the precarious position of their son between them, Long Hui pointed an angry finger at Jiang Ying Yue's face.
"There's no way I'm going to let you bring MY son to the penthouse! Xiulan and Jin Liwei have corrupted you enough! You changed so much because of them! They're also the reason why you and my son are becoming more distant to me! I also heard that you've become close to Xiulan's slut of a mother! No wonder you've become a slut as well! I forbid any of them from having any further direct interactions with my son! Long Jun is MY son! He's a Long, not a Jin or a Lin! I'm taking Long Jun right now and I'll raise him by myself as a Long! There's no way I'm going to allow him to treat another man as a father!"
Then Long Hui started pulling his son from Jiang Ying Yue's arms. She was crying, shouting and begging him to stop. He was too rough. She could take it, but she wouldn't allow her son to get hurt in the process. They struggled against each other all over the living room. They bumped against the various things on the way. Sounds of crashing and things breaking echoed in the unit.
This disturbing cacophony was punctuated by the sound of the now hysterical Little Jun screaming at the top of his lungs.
###
At the same time that the fierce argument between Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui was occurring inside the unit, a loud and urgent alarm rang throughout the penthouse upstairs, the special security room in the condo building where some of Jin Liwei's own subordinates were staying, and all the way at Dragon Palace Home #10.
Ketchup's voice spoke in a cold and emotionless yet still urgent tone, saying:
"Emergency! Emergency! We have an emergency inside Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun's unit. They are being attacked by a figure matching the profile of...
"Long Hui...that good-for-nothing scumbag! Urgent intervention is required. I repeat, this is an emergency!"
Then a live sound recording played and was heard by everyone in these places. Their hearts stopped for a moment when they heard the distressed screams of Little Jun and the disturbing sounds of a fight.