Chapter 611 - Strong Rivalry
In the other executive van, Jin Chonglin's team also learned about the song's successful rise to the top of the music charts in Singapore and the Philippines.
"Congrats!"
"Thanks." Jin Chonglin looked pleased before thinking of something else. "My upcoming song with Xiulan, the one I wrote, will surpass 'Shining Eyes' in the music charts here and in those other Asian countries."
It was a statement of pure conviction.
"Yes, definitely!" agreed his assistants.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Jin Chonglin asked after noticing his manager not saying anything. "You don't believe that this prince's song will surpass Xiulan's 'Shining Eyes'"?
"Of course, I believe in you," Lin Dong replied.
Jin Chonglin raised an eyebrow. "But?"
"There's no but, man. Give me a break!"
"Come on! You're my manager but we're also pals. We've been pals for years. You can tell me whatever's bugging you."
Lin Dong sighed. "I told you. I believe in you first and foremost. For me, you're the best superstar our country has to offer. And you haven't reached your limit yet. You still have lots of room to grow, especially on the world stage."
Jin Chonglin smirked, pleased by his manager's words. However, he could sense that Lin Dong had more to say.
"Just spill it."
Lin Dong sighed again. "It's nothing, really. You don't have to concern yourself too much about it. I just think that the stars have aligned for 'Shining Eyes' this time because it's the official theme song of a hit drama, not to mention that you're the other half of the duet. You're a superstar and already famous in other parts of Asia. I also heard that Mr. JJ signed a number of deals for localized versions of the song. Since Iris is the songwriter, her name will remain in the credits even if the song is adapted into another language and sang by other foreign singers. Your name, on the other hand..."
"What are you so worried about?" Jin Chonglin interrupted. "So what if my name won't included in the credits of the song's localized versions? Xiulan is the one who wrote it anyway so she deserves the full credit. At least, I'll remain as the other half of the original duet and I'll be known for that among the many international viewers who watched the non-localized version of the drama. Or are you saying that the upcoming duet I composed won't reach the same level of popularity or surpass the success of 'Shining Eyes'?"
"Not at all! That's not what I mean!"
"Then what do you mean? Enlighten me."
"No. Don't think about this anymore. It's my failure as your manager for even broaching this troublesome subject. Now you should take this time to rest a little until we arrive at the radio station. We have another long day today. Remember that you need to attend a meeting for a potential endorsement deal tonight after today's work with Iris," Lin Dong reminded.
"Yeah, yeah. Fine! Jeez. Here I was being nice to you and attempting to deepen our friendship but you just reject this prince's kindness, you bastard," Jin Chonglin in a sarcastic yet joking manner.
"At your service!"
"Hmph!"
Lin Dong and the assistants chuckled at Jin Chonglin's mock annoyance before quieting down so that he could rest.
Jin Chonglin closed his eyes. He was supposed to rest but his mind continued thinking about what he and his manager talked about just now. Although Lin Dong didn't spell it all out aloud, Jin Chonglin had an idea of what his manager was thinking about.
Indeed, the stars appeared as if they had aligned to make "Shining Eyes" a success for Iris. It was the theme song of a drama based on a popular . The drama became a hit first in China, then in other countries. In addition, he sang the duet with Iris. It wasn't that he was tooting his own horn but he was also quite famous across Asia and had tons of fans in other countries. He was certain that his presence also contributed to the song's popularity. Saying all of these, however, "Shining Eyes" was truly a beautiful song. Iris created another masterpiece, a love song that would be remembered for a long time and would forever be associated to the hit drama "Our Love, Our Destiny". It was no wonder that it would be loved by many, including foreigners. With Iris' insane creativity which had astounded him on numerous occasions, Jin Chonglin wasn't surprised that "Shining Eyes" rose to the top of foreign music charts so quickly.
Compared to "Shining Eyes", their next duet which he wrote wasn't associated with any hit drama. He only wrote it as a counterpart to "Shining Eyes" and also to satisfy his own ego as a fellow artist in response to Iris' composition. Not to mention that this song that he wrote was planned to be a single, a stand-alone without the pomp and impact of a full album.
He already knew all about these since the beginning and saw nothing wrong with it, but after learning that "Shining Eyes", the song that Iris wrote, was shooting its way to the top of foreign music charts, he also wanted his song to do the same. No, he wanted his song to surpass Iris', despite lacking all the boosters "Shining Eyes" had.
His hands tightened into fists as determination filled him.
'Who am I? I'm Jin Chonglin, a superstar! I've been successful in this industry longer than XiulanâIris Long. I can do it! My song can do it!'
He had many feelings regarding Iris, some of them questionable as her future brother-in-law, but mostly he was filled with respect for her as a fellow musician. At the same time, he felt a strong rivalry with her, wishing her the best but also wanting to best her in their craft. L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ãøvâ¬l--B1n.
Time passed and the van stopped.
"We're here. Time to work," Lin Dong announced.
Jin Chonglin opened his eyes and flashed his killer smile. "I'm ready."
###
Chapter 612 - Adaptation
The next day, Orchidia Beauty made another headlines as they launched their next line of products consisting of lotions, creams, butters and scrubs for the body. Everything sold out again in just a day. This time, it took hours, unlike their earlier record-breaking launches because the company had once again increased their manufacturing capacity. Meaning, there were more units available for sale than the earlier launches. Immerse Yourself in the Storyverse: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Orchidia Beauty products were selling like hot cakes. It was the most coveted brand of skincare products right now in the country. Quite an impressive feat given that it had only been a few weeks since Orchidia Beauty launched with record-breaking sales and shocking many people. At this rate, the company would soon breachthe top 10 beauty brands in the country, becoming the first domestic brand to do so among the foreign companies dominating the rankings for many years.
The demand for Orchidia Beauty products were so high and the supply not enough that there were already counterfeit products appearing in shady markets. Fortunately, Orchidia Beauty reacted swiftly by releasing a video online comparing the quality of the counterfeit products to the real ones. Various clips of scientific experts from across the country and abroad, most of them from distinguished educational and research institutions, were included in the video to provide concrete evidence that using the low-quality, counterfeit products were dangerous because some of the ingredients were made from toxic chemicals.
One such expert who made an appearance in the video was Theresa Blipsburg, a biomedical engineering major and chemical engineering minor who was already making waves in the world's medical field. What impressed the people the most was the fact that she was introduced as a Cross Academy student. A certified genius!
Although this didn't completely stop the counterfeit products from being sold, at least the video consisting of various reputable scientific experts deterred most of the consumers from buying the fake goods. When someone from Cross Academy, the legendary school of geniuses, said that the counterfeit Orchidia Beauty products were dangerous and toxic, they believed it! Only the desperate ones still risked it and bought the counterfeit products despite the warnings.
Orchidia Beauty also released a statement saying that they were cooperating with authorities in order to combat the spread of the counterfeit products. However, everyone knew that something like this wouldn't be easy to eradicate completely.
Chen Fei, as the COO, was the one who was in charge of executing all of these. However, everything went through Iris first and received her approval. It was also through her connection with Cross Academy that she was able to invite so many respected scientific experts to make an appearance for Orchidia Beauty's video. Although in reality, it was all thanks to Theresa Blipsburg that the scientific experts accepted Orchidia Beauty's invitation to appear in their video. When they learned that a Cross Academy student accepted the offer, they all followed suit.
Who were they? If one of the genius students of Cross Academy could appear in the video, why should they act high and mighty and refuse to do the same? Of course, they would also accept the offer. After all, this was an opportunity to appear alongside someone from Cross Academy even if it was just through a video. This would be a great opportunity for them to be associated with a Cross Academy student and earn them special bragging rights.
Iris was on the phone speaking to Clover while on the way to a meeting with Jin Chonglin for their next work commitment. Tang Yiyi would be meeting them there after she was finished accompanying another young artist she was managing.
Clover was giving real-time reports of what was happening in Orchidia Beauty. Chen Fei, Long Jinjing and the Bauer siblings were busy with their own tasks at the moment, so Iris opted to wait until later before speaking to them.
"Thank you, Clover. Your reports are thorough as usual," Iris said.
"Fufufu. No problem, President Long. This is my job and I love it," Clover replied with a cute chuckle.
Iris nodded, pleased by Clover's words. "You should start easing off from being my executive assistant in the company soon and instead finish your preparations for your new post. Are you ready for your trip to France? You'll be staying there for quite a while so make sure that you have everything ironed out before you leave."
"Don't worry, bossâI mean, President Long! Everything isâhuh?"
Dom burst into tears. "Wuwuwuwu!!!"
"Huh? Is my big bro crying again?" Clover asked.
Iris sighed and smiled at the same time while patting Dom's back. Then she handed him the phone so that the siblings could talk to each other.
"You just came to China and now you're leaving! Wuwuwu! Remember not to be duped by any Frenchmen, no matter how romantic and handsome they are! You should always be on your guard and protect your innocence or else our dragon mother"âcough coughâ"I mean, our Momsy will erupt like an angry volcano and spread terror to all of us! You be careful in France, okay? But if you find an awesome Frenchman or European guy that you think will give you a happily ever after, go for it, sis! Oh, and make sure to find me someone, too! Wuwuwuwu! I'm gonna miss you so much!"
With her great hearing, Iris could tell that Clover had also began sobbing like her brother. The siblings began talking in Tagalog, the Filipino language. Iris eavesdropped on their conversation, intending to test how much she could understand. The result was that she was able to understand the gist of the conversation but not everything. Dom and Clover taught her a little bit of the language but if she wanted to improve her Tagalog skills to a higher level, then she needed to work harder in studying it.
"Oh, I just remembered something Meimei told me," Clover said all of a sudden, speaking in Mandarin again. "She says that there are plans about making a live-action adaptation of her webtoon but nothing is finalized yet."
###
Chapter 613 - International Expansion
Iris looked surprised and then happy for their friend. "That's great! I hope that the plan goes through and her webtoon will have a live-action adaptation."
"Wow! Meimei is super-duper awesome! She's a famous webtoon artist now. My fabulous self is so proud of her! Go, Twin Sis!" Dom exclaimed, his eyes and nose still red and swollen from his crying session with Clover.
They wanted to call Meimei but she should still be absorbed in working on her webtoon. Meimei had become insanely busier ever since her webtoon, "Queen of the Shadows", became one of the most popular webtoons this year. Reaching the top rankings was difficult, but maintaining it was even harder. She may have struck it rich, but she had to continue working hard on a constant basis which made her look like a zombie with each passing day.
Meimei might look like she had died and been revived numerous times from working so hard, but Iris and their other friends could see how happy she was living her dream as a webtoon artist. Although they were all concerned about her health, they couldn't bear to stop her from doing what she loved. As long as she maintained the bare minimum of staying healthy, then they wouldn't interfere in the career that she chose for herself.
After talking about Meimei for a few more minutes, Iris once again reminded Clover to focus on finishing her preparations for her upcoming trip to France before finally ending the phone call.
Clover was smart, skilled, and hardworking like her brother Dom. Most importantly, both siblings were loyal to Iris. Clover had grown so much in the short period of time that she came from the Philippines to work as Iris' executive assistant at Orchidia Beauty. Iris had been thinking of promoting her and the time had come.
She decided to give Clover an important missionâto take the lead in reviving the old French perfumery, formerly known as Sang Bleu, now renamed Liberté. Clover had to stay in France for a while to learn everything about the perfumery and this particular industry. It would be challenging but Iris believed in Clover. In short, Iris appointed Clover Chua as the COO of Liberté, which would become a subsidiary company under Orchidia Beauty. Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Your Escape into Infinite Tales.
It wasn't only Clover. Iris also gave Alona Bauer an important mission. Alona would be returning to Germany around the same time Clover would go to France in order to spearhead their plans of expanding Orchidia Beauty in Europe.
When Iris first dropped her idea, both Chen Fei and Long Jinjing tried to dissuade her, telling her that it was too early to think about expanding internationally.
"We should focus on growing here in the country first and stabilizing our position," Chen Fei said. "We've only just launched! And now you're thinking about expanding in Europe? What the hellâ What in the world are you thinking about? Are you crazy?! Yes, you're crazy!"
"Little SisterâI mean, President Long. Although my financial forecast for our first year's profits are extremely positive, I don't recommend using that for international expansion at this time," Long Jinjing said. "Of course, I also want Orchidia Beauty to expand outside China but I don't think this is the right time. It's too early. I agree with Xiao FeiâI mean, with COO Chen. It's better for us to use our profits in developing our company in our own country first for the next two to five years at the least before thinking of expanding the company internationally."
The two tried hard dissuading Iris but she was adamant in her decision.
"Don't worry. We won't touch our company profits. I'll use my own money to fund the European expansion. Treat it as just another one of my investments," she assured them in a nonchalant manner.
"Rich bitch," Chen Fei muttered under her breath.
Long Jinjing shot a warning look at her best friend, silently telling her that Iris was the head of their company.
Iris didn't mind. Chen Fei knew when to act professional. She would only use her foul mouth when they were alone and speaking as friends, not as colleagues. Besides, Iris preferred people who would say their real feelings to her face rather than talk about her behind her back. It was easier to deal with honest people than two-faced ones.
In the end, Chen Fei and Long Jinjing could only give in to Iris' headstrong decision after being comforted by her assurance that she wouldn't touch Orchidia Beauty's current profits for her crazy plan. Their logic told them that Iris would just be throwing her money down the drain, but for some reason, they believed deep inside that her insanity would somehow succeed against all odds. After all, she already had history of triumphing beyond everyone else's expectations ever since she woke up from her one-year coma.
As for Iris, she wasn't just being impatient. There was an important reason why she felt confident in her plan of expanding Orchidia Beauty in Europe. It was because both her companies, Orchidia Beauty and Planet Monkey, had successfully been approved as members of Cross Academy's exclusive business network recently.
Orchidia Beauty was approved almost immediately after its record-breaking launch, selling out everything in five seconds. On the other hand, it took quite some time for Planet Monkey to receive approval compared to Orchidia Beauty because it took longer for the gaming company to reach the required profit threshold. It wasn't that Planet Monkey failed to earn immediately. On the contrary, it was raking earnings that would make many start-up gaming companies vomit blood in extreme envy, especially now that "Supreme Ascension" was taking the Chinese gaming industry by storm.
Despite the huge earnings, it was only recently that Planet Monkey managed to break even. The amount Iris and the company invested in advance technologies, like the one they bought from Iris' fellow Cross Academy student Michael Exlorsson, was staggering. In short, Planet Monkey only started really making significant profits now.
From Iris' perspective, the time it took for Planet Monkey to profit was long, but in actuality, it only took a few months. If other businesspeople heard her thoughts, they would curse her without a doubt. Planet Monkey's progress was actually extremely fast. If it were any other normal start-up gaming companies, it would take them years to break even if they invested the same amount in advance technologies like what Planet Monkey did.
Now that both Orchidia Beauty and Planet Monkey were members of Cross Academy's exclusive business network, Iris now had direct access to various benefits unimaginable to the average businesspeople. Although not a guarantee of absolute success, the academy's exclusive business network would make it easier and lower the risks for her companies to expand internationally even at this very early stage.
In fact, she already received investment offers from a few Cross Academy alumni who were some of the world's most successful businesspeople as soon as her companies were approved as members. Iris was in no hurry of selling shares of her companies at this time, but the interest from all those impressive businesspeople gave her the confidence to push her plans of expanding her companies internationally into motion as soon as possible.
###
Chapter 614 - QuenChapter The Blazing Fire
Iris finally received an "all clear" from her doctor, declaring her healthy enough to resume all of her normal activities after suffering injuries in the bomb incident. Now she could once again work as much as she wanted. And most importantly, she could make love with Jin Liwei again. Finally!
He had been so concerned about aggravating her injuries that he didn't make love with her, frustrating her so much that it almost caused a big fight between them. She had been on the verge of storming off the mansion and moving back to the penthouse to live with Wei Lan instead due to her frustration. Fortunately, Jin Liwei managed to sweet-talk her, ease her bad temper, and redirect her restless energy to her showbiz work instead of focusing on her unspent libido.
She missed him so much that she would sometimes uncharacteristically wake up from her usual deep slumber to grope him in the dark while they were in bed in the middle of the night. He would always respond, of course, making her so excited and needy...until he realized what was happening and regain his wits. Then he would stop just when everything was hot and exciting.
To ease her frustration, he would go down on her, spread her legs wide open and eat her with his mouth and fingers until she shook and cried out in ecstasy. Despite this, she still didn't feel completely satisfied.
She wanted more, but he refused to do more.
No matter how much she asked himâbegged, evenâhe controlled himself like a monk. She wanted, no, she needed him to make love with her energetically, firmly, vigorously, thoroughly, with everything he had like how he always did before.
But Jin Liwei would always prioritize her health, safety and well-being no matter what. Without the doctor's assurance, he wouldn't dare fully touch her for fear of hurting her because he was certain that he would lose control if he allowed himself to give in to his desire for her.
Iris was frustrated but he was also frustrated. She knew that it was taking all of his self-control and discipline not to jump her, tear off her clothes, and take her like a wild beast on the floor every time she tried seducing him.
Fortunately, their mutual frustration would end today. She would make sure of it.
After working early in the morning, Iris headed to Jin Corporation to personally deliver lunch to Jin Liwei. This would be the first time she would set foot in his company in broad daylight. She had sneaked in a few times before at night with the assistance of Diao Yijue and Gu Chang to install the new security system she created after Jin Corporation was attacked by the hacker Eagle.
Jin Liwei had expressed his desire to show her his workplace a few times before but never forced her to come. She always wanted to openly visit but didn't want to disrupt business operations and cause unnecessary disturbance because of her presence.
The media would certainly catch wind of her visit because Jin Corporation was such a huge company and housed so many employees on a daily basis. If she didn't sneak in, everyone was bound to know of her visit.
But she didn't want to sneak in. Not today. This was her future husband's company. Why should she sneak in?
Filled with anticipation, she rushed to Jin Corporation as soon as she was done with work that morning. She was in such a hurry that she almost forgot to bring lunch. Good thing that Dom remembered and they were able to pick up the lunch the chef prepared from the mansion.
Little Jun saw them and wanted to tag along, too. Iris almost gave in when her cute godson started crying but steeled her heart this time because what she planned on doing with Little Jun's papa was inappropriate for a kid to see.
"Junjun go with Mama? Pwease!" the little guy begged her, looking pitiful and adorable at the same time with his puppy eyes.
Iris struggled finding a random excuse while trying to comfort her godson. Her eyes fell on the dark clouds covering the grey sky outside the windows. "Sorry, Little Jun. The weather is not good today. It's going to rain. It's cold outside and you might get sick if you come with us, so stay at home today, okay? We'll be back later."
Fortunately, Little Jun was a good boy and was soon distracted by his cat cousins, Ice Cream and Popcorn. Iris and Dom were able to escape and rush to Jin Corporation.
Later, two black cars sandwiched an executive van and stopped directly in front of Jin Corporation's main entrance. The weather worsened, cold and drizzling. There was a chill in the air that felt like it would seep into one's bones whenever the wind blew by. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Normal people wouldn't want to venture outside in this kind of terrible weather unless it was absolutely necessary but a certain woman was burning with a blazing fire deep within herself that needed to be quenched no matter what as soon as possible. She needed to see her manâRIGHT NOWâso the terrible weather could go fuck itself. As if something like the weather could stop her when she had already made up her mind.
The doors of the two black cars opened and men in black suits poured out holding large, black umbrellas. They moved in unison to surround the executive van and nodded at their colleagues who came out of the company building to welcome them.
This impressive sight caught the attention of both the company employees and passersby. They craned their necks and wondered who in the world was coming to be treated with such extreme importance.
Finally, they got the answer. The van's door opened and a high-heeled leather boot stepped on the ground followed by the graceful figure of a familiar beautiful young woman.
Silence for a couple of seconds.
Then gasps all around. Eyes popped out and jaws fell down.
"Kyaaaaaaah! It's Iris Long! Boss Iris has come!"
###
Chapter 615 - Grumpy Lion And His Lioness Wife
As soon as someone shouted Iris Long's name, a great crowd descended from inside the company building. Most of them forgot to wear their coats before running outside in excitement. They immediately shivered like pitiful wet dogs, suffering the cold wind which continued to bully them. Despite this, they still refused to return to the warmth inside and instead insisted on being the first ones to lay their eyes on the future Mrs. Jin Liwei for her first visit at Jin Corporation.
The company chat instantly became active with the news of Iris Long's arrival. Snapshots of her congested the chat channels with excited captions and commentaries from normally professional employees. The Black Stars among them revealed their true colours to their colleagues as they descended into squealing fangirls and fanboys (and fangays, too!).
Those who were in the upper floors made they way down to the main floor in a hurry, rendering the elevators useless which reached full capacity in an instant, stopping at every floor. The impatient ones decided to run down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevators despite the hellish number of floors they needed to descend before reaching the main floor.
Not even a minute had passed but the news about Iris Long's arrival somehow leaked outside Jin Corporation. There were people on the streets trying to breach the company gates, even resorting to begging the security guards in tears, just to see her. It was unfortunate to them that they weren't allowed to step inside the company property even if they started crying tears of blood because Jin Coporation was the number one company in the country, and therefore, its security was stricter than average companies. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
Back at the main entrance, Iris was taken aback by the overwhelming welcome. She was certain that these people didn't know in advance that she would be coming today. In fact, she also didn't know that she would be visiting Jin Corporation today until receiving an "all clear" health pronouncement from her doctor earlier that morning. Hearing the people calling her "Boss Iris", she knew that most of them were her beloved fans, the Black Stars, who always supported her through thick and thin no matter how many times the various detractors tried discrediting her for one reason or another.
"I love you so much, Boss Iris!"
"Welcome to Jin Corporation, Boss Iris!!"
"Please marry the President ASAP and give birth to lots of beautiful babies!!!"
"Pft!" Dom laughed after hearing what they were shouting. "Ehehehe. Boss, everyone wants you and sir boss to make babies soon."
In a good mood, Iris chuckled before covering her mouth to respond to Dom so that the people couldn't read her lips and know what she was saying. "We're not in a hurry. We're still practicing the baby-making process."
"Eheheâ" COUGH! COUGH!Dom almost choked on his own startled laughter.
Iris chuckled louder, the sound making the surrounding people sigh in appreciation, including the bodyguards protecting her. No matter if she was singing, talking or laughing, her voice always sounded like heaven to the ears. How could such a woman like her exist in the world?
Many were saying that she was lucky to catch the attention of a multibillionaire businessman like Jin Liwei and receive a marriage proposal from him, but to the Black Stars, he was the one who was lucky. She was young, beautiful, multitalented, extraordinary and had many years ahead of her to grow into someone even more exceptional than she already was. In their minds, it was Jin Liwei who was getting a bargain. If he wasn't rich, powerful, tall, handsome (and scary), they would've probably started hating him for snatching their Boss Iris and locking her in marriage when she was still so young. Indeed, Jin Liwei wasn't the President-CEO of the number one company in the country for nothing. He already pounced and sank his teeth on the juiciest prize, refusing to let go even once, before the competition could even make a move and realize what they were missing.
The crowd followed as the bodyguards led Iris and Dom inside the warm lobby. Once inside the building, the people seemed to remember that they were proud employees of the country's number one company. They were able to regain control of themselves from acting like embarrassing teenage fans...barely.
"Miss Long, welcome to Jin Corporation," Xu Tian, who was waiting by the lobby, greeted her. The crowd maintained a respectful distance around him, knowing that he was their president's right-hand man. "The President is waiting for you in his office. Please follow me."
Iris and Dom greeted Xu Tian and followed him to the private elevator reserved for the company's executives. The normal elevators wouldn't work for their group at this time anyway because people were still scrambling to use them from every floor in order to get a glimpse of Iris.
"Mommy, Daddy is asking where you are right now. He already asked Ketchup this question for a total of...29 times. Ketchup told Daddy that Mommy is already in the elevator and will arrive in his office shortly, so he should relax and stop pacing around like an impatient and grumpy lion waiting for his lioness wife to return to their den from her hunting escapade. Meow~" Ketchup's adorable voice spoke inside the elevator all of a sudden.
"Pft!" Dom laughed hard at Ketchup's descriptive words.
Iris was also amused. "Where did you learn that analogy?"
"From Uncle Dom, of course! Ehehehe. Meow~"
Iris gave her assistant a side-eye. Dom tried containing his laughter and wondered if he was in trouble.
As for the others, Xu Tian and the bodyguards didn't bat an eye, acting as if hearing a child's voice speaking from out of nowhere without any warning was the most natural thing in the world. They were already used to the mysterious AI who their employers treated like their own child. Although they had no idea about Ketchup's true origins, it wasn't their business to delve too deeply into their employers' secrets.
Ding!
The elevator door opened at the top floor.
###
Chapter 616 - Intruder Aler
"I'm here," Iris announced after Xu Tian led them to Jin Liwei's massive office.
Jin Liwei strode towards them, his eyes only looking at his baby girl and no one else, as if she was the only person in the world with him at that moment. Ignoring the presence of others, he enveloped her in his arms, lifted her up until her boots left the floor, and then kissed her on the mouth in front of everyone. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she melted into his hot, welcoming kiss.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Dom squealed and fanned himself dramatically with his hands. As someone who had witnessed the couple's love story since the beginning, he already watched all kinds of lovey-dovey scenes between the two but he still reacted like an excited fangirl whenever they shamelessly exhibited their public displays of affection.
Unlike Dom, the others averted their eyes and looked somewhere else. Xu Tian cleared his throat without disturbing the couple before gesturing to the bodyguards to start arranging the lunch they brought from the mansion on the table inside the office. They immediately went to work, their movements swift and silent.
"Intruder! Intruder alert! An unwelcome presence has been detected! Mreow!"
The bodyguards mobilized into new positions in just a couple of seconds, prioritizing the protection of Iris and Jin Liwei. Their hands held their weapons, ready to fire if needed.
Jin Liwei grabbed Iris and placed her behind him, while Dom squeaked before hiding behind Xu Tian and clutching at the man's tailored business suit.
"Who is it?" Jin Liwei asked Ketchup.
"The intruder is...Rose Young, CMO of Jin Corporation, that hoochie who wants to steal my daddy from my mommy and is always looking at Daddy like she wants to lick him from head to toe. Eeew! Yuck! Blegh! Meow!"
Iris frowned while Jin Liwei scowled.
Dom raised both his hands up in the air and told the couple, "I wasn't the one who taught Ketchup the word 'hoochie'. I swear it wasn't me!"
"Of course, it wasn't you. Silly Uncle Dom! I learned it from Auntie Clover. Ehehehe. Meow~ Oh, by the way, that hoochie isn't alone. The other executives, all respectable humans and not hoochies, are also coming. They're in the elevator right now and will reach the office in...18 seconds. Meow~"
Xu Tian sighed and told the bodyguards, "There is no danger. Lower your weapons." Then he spoke at a random corner, "Young Miss Ketchup, please refrain from giving false alarms like this and also please be careful not to call CMO Young a...hoochie"âcough coughâ"or similar derogatory remarks especially while inside the company. Regardless of her motives, she is still an important executive in Jin Corporation."
"Aaaaw. Don't be so uptight, Tiantian, or you'll never get a girlfriend. Meow~"
Xu Tian inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to control himself.
"Ketchup!" Jin Liwei barked.
"Eeek! Sorry, Daddy! Ketchup will behave now! Please don't ground me. Meow...."
Iris held Jin Liwei's arm, silently communicating to him not to be too hard on Ketchup. The cat AI wasn't really doing any harm. She was just exhibiting her playful personality which was programmed in her system by Iris. She wouldn't be Ketchup without being playful like this. Besides, the white cat had already become docile after waking up from when Iris fixed her. She would still be playful like this but wouldn't go too far and act on her impulsiveness like before...hopefully. Iris wasn't concerned about Ketchup's behaviour at all. Instead, she was concerned by something else.
"She always looks at you like she wants to lick you from head to toe, huh..." Iris murmured.
Jin Liwei stiffened. His expression became cold...colder than usual and very scary. "Don't worry about her. She doesn't register in my eyes," he assured his baby girl in a gruff voice.
"Hmmm..."
"Loveâ"
"The elevator will open in 3, 2, 1! Meow!"
Ding!
They heard the sound of footsteps from the opened door of the office, particularly from a pair of high heels which clacked on the floor.
Rose Young strutted into the huge office, the other executives following behind her as if she was their leader (which she definitely was not), and completely ignored the many bodyguards in the room as if they didn't exist. Her eyes were only looking at Jin Liwei, never looking away from his face, as if he was the only other person in the world together with her.
"Hello, Big BrotherâPresident Jin," her voice sounded too sweet and cloying that Dom wanted to gag. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
"Yeah. She's a hoochie alright," Dom muttered under his breath. His voice was too soft that only Iris heard him with her great hearing.
Jin Liwei only made a sound in his throat, not really replying to her but also not completely ignoring her either. He still needed to act in a certain degree of propriety to fellow executives regardless of whether he hated their guts or not. Not to mention that he and Iris needed Rose Young to stay with Jin Corporation for now in order to keep the old adage "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" until they exposed her and her family's wicked plans. This was why they had to endure her for now.
He pulled Iris from behind him and reached for her hand, clasping it with his own. His movements were showy, making sure that everyone, especially Rose Young and the other executives, could see that he was holding his future wife's hand.
A dark expression flashed in Rose Young's eyes before she smoothed it out, maintaining the smile on her face. The other executives had intrigued expressions as they began to greet Jin Liwei and welcome Iris. This time, Jin Liwei gave them proper greetings and Iris chatted with them.
Rose Young saw the lunch being set up on the table. "That smells delicious! All of us haven't eaten yet, so perhaps we could eat lunch together, if that's alright with...Miss Long?"
###
Chapter 617 - Can We Censored ?
"The shameless hoochie," Dom growled low in his throat. Fortunately, only Iris heard him again. She shot him a warning glance to stop him from losing his temper in front of Jin Liwei's fellow executives. This chapter was first shared on the Ãøvâ¬lÃ1n platform.
Iris might still be dense sometimes but her EQ had grown so much from the time she woke up from coma. She understood that this was a trap set by Rose Young. If she rejected Rose's request to join them for lunch, then the impression the other executives would have of her would be that of a selfish bitch who wanted to monopolize Jin Liwei's time and attention while disregarding the presence of his important work colleagues. On the other hand, if she accepted Rose's request, she would appear as a kind and understanding woman who knew of her role as the President-CEO's future wife. However, she wouldn't have any time to spend alone with Jin Liwei if she did that.
The process of weighing her decisions only took a second before she made up her mind. She opened her mouth, about to respond to Rose Young, but Jin Liwei acted faster than her.
"I want to eat with my fiancée alone. Just the two us," he announced, tightening his hold on her hand.
The other executives laughed and teased him for a bit. Rose Young, on the other hand, looked like she ate something sour and bitter before managing to control her expression.
Iris rubbed her thumb against Jin Liwei's hand and gave him a soft smile. She was actually ready to reject Rose Young's request to join them for lunch regardless of the consequences of doing so. Although Iris wanted to give a positive impression of herself to Jin Liwei's colleagues, her need to spend some time alone today with him was too strong for her to disregard it. Fortunately, Jin Liwei rejected Rose Young first, taking away the pressure to respond to the request from Iris. Thus, no matter the outcome, nobody could directly blame Iris. Thus, Rose Young's trap was averted just like that.
"I brought a lot of food. Please take some before leaving," Iris offered to the executives, and then flashed a sweet smile to Rose Young.
"That's very kind of you...Miss Long," Rose Young replied in an equally sweet voice.
The two women smiled at each other. Their expressions looked very sweet but the spectators could feel the invisible, deadly sparks colliding between them. After only a few seconds, however, the victor emerged.
Rose Young looked away, unable to handle it any longer. Frost flashed in Iris' smiling expression, not the least bit smug at her victory. She thought that the silent battle between her and Rose Young was petty and was not something to be proud of. How could Rose Young win against her in this kind of petty battle? She was a former princess of the international underworld during her past life. There were only very few people in the world who could make her feel true fear and it didn't include Rose Young. Compared to the kind of people she encountered on a regular basis as Evelina Vetrova during her past life and as world-class hacker, Rose Young was considered cute and harmless.
As for Rose Young, her dissatisfaction was obvious despite the fake smile on her face.
Iris ignored the woman and gestured at Dom. He understood without needing to hear her exact instructions. He went to the table and started handing out some of the boxed lunches to the executives.
"Thank you, Miss Long."
"Oh wow. This smells so good! Thank you!"
A chorus of thank yous later, the executives finally left. They explained that they only came to give a formal greeting to Iris after hearing of her arrival from the company chat. Rose Young looked torn and lingered a bit longer than her colleagues before following them out of the office with great reluctance. She held the boxed lunch away from her body, as if she was holding poop instead of delicious food.
Dom snorted. If it was up to him, he wouldn't have given her anything, or better yet, he would've preferred if he could dump the contents of the lunch on her head. Ketchup was right. The way she looked at his sir boss was so nauseating to Dom that it was a miracle drool wasn't flowing out of her mouth.
'That no-boobie Rafflesia arnoldii better stay away from sir boss or else I, the gorgeous Dominic Chua, will give her hell! Hmph!' Dom swore inside his mind. 'Not like sir boss will ever give her the time of day. Sir boss will never choose her flat chest over boss' full and shapely boobs. But it's better to be careful around hoochies like her. They're full of tricks and will do anything to seduce a fine man like sir boss. Yep! I need to remind Baby Ketchup to keep a closer eye on that hoochie just in case she tries something on sir boss.'
Dom's internal monologue was interrupted when Jin Liwei ordered everyone to leave him and his (future) wife alone. Before they could leave, Iris instructed them to take their portion of the boxed lunches. The chef at home prepared more than enough to feed all of them.
Finally, the door to the office closed, leaving only the couple inside. Jin Liwei helped Iris out of her coat before pulling her to sit beside him instead of the seat across the table.
"You said that you're going to tell me something, that's why you came here today," he said while serving food to her. "What is it?"
Iris observed his big, strong yet elegant hands moving in front of her as she replied, "I had an appointment with Dr. Ching this morning. He said that I'm healthy now."
"Good." He nodded, pleased and relieved to hear the news.
She turned to look directly at him. "Darling, I'm healthy again."
"En. You just told me."
"So..."
"Hm?"
She placed her hand on his chest and gave him a smouldering look with her eyes. "Can we have sex now?"
A piece of meat fell from the chopsticks he was holding.
###
Chapter 618 - His Beloved Pair Of Treasures
This chapter was first shared on the Ãøvâ¬lÃ1n platform.
Jin Liwei froze and his lips parted as he stared at Iris. He looked at the food, then at his baby girl.
Food.
His baby girl.
He was hungryâno, he was famished, yet he couldn't decide right away which he wanted to devour first.
Iris tilted her head to the side and continued to give him a smouldering look while waiting for him to respond. Fortunately, he didn't make her wait too long.
His decision was made.
There was nothing and nobody more important than his baby girl.
The damn food could wait.
He put down his chopsticks and then grabbedhis baby girl's neck before crushing his lips against hers, making her gasp. Taking advantage of her startled mouth, he stabbed his tongue inside and swirled it around, not giving her time to even reciprocate his passionate invasion.
A moan escaped from her throat, as she closed her eyes and melted. She felt like she had turned into a puddle in his intense embrace, quickly boiling into a hot spring, and eventually into a raging inferno which couldn't wait to release all of its heat into a glorious explosion of ecstasy. Every time his tongue rubbed against hers, it made her shiver in delight.
"Liwei," she whimpered, her voice muffled by his vigorous kissing.
Not breaking their kiss, he pulled her to sit on his lap, making her gasp once again as her core pressed directly on top of his erection. Then his hands began roaming all over her body, rubbing and squeezing. It felt as if tongues of fire were burning her, making her feel so hot that it was almost unbearable, wherever his large and hard hands touched her body. His hands slid down to her plump and shapely butt and squeezed each cheek hard.
"Ah!"
Iris pulled away from the kiss due to the pain, yet didn't complain because it also felt oh so delicious, especially when he began massaging them afterwards. His big hands continued their ministrations on her rear while he watched her expression with such intensity that Iris felt her core getting hotter and wetter by the second. Her body started moving on its own, rubbing herself on top of his hard length.
He groaned and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of their bodies rubbingdespite still being fully-clothed. His hips also started undulating a little in time with her movements. Giving her plump rear cheeks another squeeze with each hand, he then grasped her hips and began changing the rhythm into something faster and firmer.
"Oh..." Her head fell forward, pressing her cheek against his temple while enjoying the pleasurable sensations caused by their lewd movements.
He turned his head and kissed her chin. The action was very gentle, a direct contrast to the tyrannical control he wielded over the movement of her hips on top of his bulging erection.
Iris leaned back a little and looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes. She began loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Her hands trembled but she persisted until the hard planes of his chest were exposed for her hungry eyes to enjoy. Then she slipped her hands inside his shirt and fondled his muscles, flicking a finger over each of his nipples and making him shiver. The corner of her lips lifted into a soft, erotic smile, pleased by his reaction to her touches. Her hands slid downwards and traced each pack of his well-defined, rock-hard abs. They contracted and trembled under her fingers.
Jin Liwei caught her hands when they reached his belt buckle. "My turn," he growled.
He lifted the hem of her long-sleeved, turtleneck knitted dress which fitted her like a glove. She was wearing black leggings underneath, the high waistband covering her flat stomach. Pretty soon, her ample breasts appeared covered in a delicate, lace bra. The sight immediately distracted Jin Liwei. He leaned forward to give the top of her breasts peeking out above the bra cups some loving licks and wet kisses.
Iris chuckled at his actions before gently pushing him away so that she could completely take off her dress. She tossed it to the floor once it was off, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, intending to continue where they left off.
But all of a sudden, Jin Liwei's erotic expression hardened and his body stiffened. Iris followed his glaring eyes and realized that he was looking at the scars marring her neck and shoulder. He saw them everyday but would still act this way each time, like he wanted to murder someone for hurting her.
The scar on her neck was now very faint. She expected for it to disappear in maybe a couple more weeks. Maybe sooner. The one on her shoulder, however, was bigger and deeper. Some parts were already starting to fade but she doubted that it would completely disappear unless a plastic surgeon fixed it. She didn't really mind the scar, to be honest, but the same couldn't be said for Jin Liwei.
She caressed his face. "They don't hurt anymore. Don't worry, okay?"
His arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her closer to him. Then he traced light kisses over the big scar on her shoulder. "I'll always worry about you."
A soft sigh escaped from her lips followed by a helpless yet loving smile. She wanted to say "thank you" to him but decided not to because it might ruin the sweet moment.
They remained in that sweet moment, just savouring each other's presence, and appreciating the fact that they were together. Their earlier intensity mellowed into a sensual warmth instead. It was so nice that Iris felt like maybe it wasn't too bad at all if they could just spend the entire time cuddling. She came to his office for sex but this too was not bad. Perhaps...
However, Jin Liwei had other ideas, especially when her breasts bumped against his face. He was once again distracted by the full and shapely mounds, so he unhooked the bra clasps in order to release them as soon as possible.
His favourite breasts, his beloved pair of treasures.
###
Chapter 619 - Fantasy
Jin Liwei was extremely pleased at the way his beloved treasures jiggled in front of his face once they were freed. He held one in each palm and began kneading and bouncing them. His thumbs flicked the hard nipples, making his baby girl gasp. Encouraged, he lightly pinched her nipples. This time, his actions earned a deep moan from her.
He smirked as he watched the expressions of pleasure playing on his woman's face. In his eyes, she became even more beautiful and sexier with every sensual gasps and moans escaping from her luscious lips. He felt smug that he was the one who was making her like this and seeing all these erotic expressions on her face.
There was nobody else allowed to see her in this state.
Only him.
Her man, her lover, her future husband and partner in life.
Leaning forward, he captured a nipple with his mouth, first swirling his tongue around it and then sucking hard.
"Ah! Liwei..." Iris threw her head back and closed her eyes while grabbing a fistful of his hair.
She was always so responsive to his ministrations and he loved that! He opened his mouth wider and tried taking more of her breast inside his mouth. He felt her push her chest harder against his face, as if doing so could fit more breast inside his already full mouth. Regardless of whether he was able to or not, he still did his best.
Iris shuddered from the pleasure he was giving her. She held on to him, letting him take his time to make love with her breasts. She knew how much he enjoyed doing it. However, she finally grew impatient especially after remembering that they only had a limited time before both of them needed to return to their respective works after lunch.
"Liwei, please stop. I need you right now," she whispered while moaning before trying to push his head away.
He didn't budge. She wasn't even sure if he heard her or felt her pushing him away. All of his focus was on her breasts, as if he had already forgotten that there was still the rest of her attached to them. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
"Liwei!"
She grabbed his hair and pulled hard to get his attention.
"Ow!" The pain finally wrenched him away from his blissful frolicking with his baby girl's amazing breasts. "Huh? What happened? Why did you pull my hair? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, love."
A giggle burst from her lips. She was the one who hurt him by pulling his hair, yet he was the one apologizing because he thought that he hurt her? The giggle was soon followed by a helpless sigh. This was what happened when he was too focused on her breasts. He would lose awareness of his surroundings and just be preoccupied by her breasts. Not that she was complaining. She would rather that he preoccupied himself with her breasts and not others'. Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Your Escape into Infinite Tales.
"No, darling. You didn't hurt me." She massaged the part of his head where she pulled his hair. "I'm the one who hurt you. Sorry."
"It's okay," he replied. Then his eyes returned to her breasts.
He was about to enjoy sucking them again when Iris pushed him back. "Enough, Liwei," she said, giggling. "We don't have much time. I want you to make love not just with my breasts but with the whole me before I need to leave and go back to work."
His expression indicated that he only just remembered that indeed they didn't have much time. He groaned.
"Dammit! I want to make love with you thoroughly today."
"Me, too. But we can't right now. Liwei, please. I really need you now."
He sighed, regretting that she had to leave soon. He was tempted to persuade her to cancel her work after lunch time but restrained himself. His baby girl was very professional and had a great work ethic. It wouldn't be right for him to influence her to break her professionalism and work ethics just because he wanted to thoroughly ravish her. Besides, he was also insanely busy today. In fact, he had an important meeting scheduled with a CEO of another company this afternoon.
But if forced to make a choice between that CEO and his baby girl...was there even a need for him to choose? He would cancel the important meeting at the drop of a hat anytime just to be with his baby girl. However, he knew that she would feel bad if she learned that he did that for her.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Jin Liwei held her close, grabbed her butt, and then stood up while carrying her. Iris wrapped her legs around his waist and hooked her arms around his shoulders like a koala.
"The bedroom?" she asked, knowing that he had an office bedroom even though she had never actually set foot in his office. She had only sneaked into the company's server room before to install the new security system.
"Not today. Maybe next time."
Instead, he brought her to his massive desk, laying her back on the smooth, cold surface. She shivered a little but quickly heated up again when he started kissing her, thrusting his tongue deep inside her mouth. His hands also started roaming all over her body, squeezing here and there, making her burn up until she was feverish with desire.
Taking her on his desk had been one of his longest fantasies about her even before he tricked her into becoming his girlfriend way back then. Now that this fantasy was coming to reality today, his breathing sped up and his heartbeat raced in excitement.
His fingers hooked on the waistband of her leggings and began tugging them down her hips. That was until he realized that her knee-high leather boots needed to be removed first. The problem was that they were the type of boots that had long shoelaces crisscrossing a hundred times. It would take forever to remove them.
"I'm gonna burn these damn boots," he growled in irritation.
###
Chapter 620 - Dom To The Rescue
A weak chuckle escaped from Iris' lips. "Feel free," she said in a husky voice, agreeing with Jin Liwei before sighing. "I wore these boots not knowing that I'll receive good news from my doctor this morning and that I would be rushing here to your office during lunch time to seduce you."
Jin Liwei's annoyance about her damn boots disappeared, his eyes darkening as desire for her returned in full force when he heard that her main purpose for visiting him in his office for the first time was to seduce him. "Forget about the boots. I can still take you with them on. Are you ready?"
"Oh, yes."
Great anticipation made her feel giddy. She touched the bulge underneath his trousers and was about to unbuckle his belt when he caught her hands before she could do so.
"I want to take you inside my mouth."
"I want that, too, but we don't have time right now. I'd rather spend our limited time buried inside you," he whispered into her ear, making her shiver.
"Okay."
He leaned forward and kissed her hard and fast, sucking her bottom lip before pulling her off his desk until her feet touched the floor once again and they were standing in front of each other. Then he turned her around to face the desk, reaching from behind her to cover her breasts with his big hands.
She moaned as he massaged her full, soft mounds while trailing wet kisses on her shoulder and neck. Then he bent her forward over his desk and pulled down her leggings, including her panties, until they bunched around her midthighs. While pressing a firm hand on her back to keep her still, his other hand touched her hot and wet core.
"Ah!" She closed her eyes tightly and shuddered, biting her lips, as if electrified by his touch.
He rubbed her, making her even wetter. Soon, his hand glistened with her juices. Then he inserted a finger inside her, moving it in and out.
"Liwei, please..."
He inserted another finger and slightly increased the tempo.
"Oh..." She dropped her upper body on the desk with a deep groan. Her feverish body temperature heated up the cold surface in an instant.
Then he stopped.
Her eyes flew open. She was about to complain when she heard the sound of his belt being unbuckled. Her intended complaint was soon forgotten, replaced by obvious excitement. Then she felt the head of his erection press against her core. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to push himself all the way inside but she heard him curse instead.
"Shit! Condom! I forgot. Sorry, love. I almost entered you without protection. How irresponsible of me."
"Oh."
She had also forgotten about it. How irresponsible of her, too.
"Hold on, love. Let me think if I have some here in my office... No, I don't think so. Dammit! Let me call our butler...no, there's no time. I'll call Xu Tian. Yes, he'll buy us a box."
Jin Liwei was about to reach for the phone at the corner of his desk but she stopped her.
"No need. I have..."
His eyes lit up. "You brought condoms?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"My purse..."
He was already walking to the sofa in the sitting area before she could even finish speaking. He didn't mind that his erection was standing freely and shamelessly over his opened trousers and waving all around with every step he took.
Iris admired the sight, thinking that her darling was the sexiest man alive in the world. Her tongue licked her lips.
He reached for her purse and rummaged inside, finally taking out a quartet of condoms. Then he hurried back to her.
"You really intended to seduce me today, seeing how prepared you are bringing condoms. Nice," he praised.
"It wasn't me. We should thank Dom."
"Hm?"
"It must've been obvious to Dom what I intended to do when I announced that I wanted to visit you in your office today. I couldn't think of anything except rushing here as soon as possible. I even forgot to bring lunch but thankfully, Dom reminded me so we dropped by at the mansion first to pick up the food our chef prepared. Before leaving, he showed me the condoms and slipped them inside my purse." Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.
"I see." He nodded. "Make sure to give him a raise."
"Yes, definitely."
The conversation about Dom ended when Jin Liwei once again pressed his hand on Iris' back to bend her over his desk. Then he took one of the condoms, tore the foil, and sheathed himself. His body trembled with barely controlled excitement as he once again pressed the head of his erection over her hot and wet core.
Finally, one of his longest fantasies about his baby girl was coming true todayâmaking love with her over his office desk.
However, he decided to tease her a little bit by not entering her just yet, instead rubbing the head of his erection over her quivering folds until she was all flushed and shaking and whimpering and complaining about him to hurry the damn up.
He smirked before stabbing himself deep inside her without any warning.
"AAAAH!!!"
Iris' hands flapped around with his sudden, delicious invasion. Various documents, folders, pens and other things on the desk crashed to the floor. It sounded like something even broke, but they didn't notice, nor did they care.
Jin Liwei didn't give her time to adjust before holding her hips firmly with his hands and then slamming into her again and again. All she could do was curl her hands on his desk and take his hard, fast, wild and extremely intense rhythm.
Jin Liwei had totally lost control of himself. A huge, feral grin stretched across his face as he drove his hips like a sledgehammer against her sexy behind. The lewd sounds of their lovemakingâthe wet, sucking sounds; the loud, slapping sounds of their skin hitting each other with every thrust; and the animal-like gasps, groans, grunts, moans and whimpersâwere like music to his turned-on brain.
###