Chapter 661 - New Friend
Jiang Ying Yue's hits gradually weakened until they stopped. She continued crying, releasing all of her hurt, fury and frustrations. Without noticing her own actions, her arms had wrapped around Lin Yehan's thin waist and she clung to him.
They remained embracing for how long, they didn't know. Only when they felt themselves shivering a little did they realize that they had stayed outside the cold night for too long.
She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away upon realizing the position they were in. Heat spread over her entire face and neck.
He let her go and stepped back. Then he turned and faced the dark emptiness of the property grounds below them in order to give her time to get her bearings. He didn't want her to feel too awkward or uncomfortable around him after their embrace. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that she was wiping her wet face with the sleeve of her shirt.
"It's getting cold. Should we head back inside?" he suggested after some time.
"Y-yes! Let's go!" She walked ahead of him, moving so fast that she was almost running. In her rush to put a distance between the two of them, she ended up stubbing her toe against the metal leg of a chair in the balcony. "Ow!"
"What happened?" Lin Yehan rushed towards her.
Jiang Ying Yue groaned both from the pain and embarrassment. How could she be so clumsy! She wished a hole could open in the ground and swallow her up.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I...I'm okay," she replied in a weak voice while massaging her hurt toe inside her winter slippers.
"Let me see."
"No, it's alright. Really."
The pain eventually went away after a couple of minutes. However, Lin Yehan still insisted on holding her arm to support her as they returned inside the hallway together. Once they were inside, he suddenly knelt down and reached towards her foot.
"Mr. Lin! There's no need. It's okay now. It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Let me see."
"No, I'm reallyâ"
"Let me see." His tone was firm, leaving no room for arguments.
Jiang Ying Yue closed her eyes in embarrassment before finally allowing him to take a look at her toe. He removed her cozy slipper and lifted her foot to get a better look, forcing her to hold on to his shoulder for balance. His touch was light and gentle, yet goosebumps formed on her skin. She held her breath and felt her entire body tensing. Her heart began beating quickly inside her chest. She attributed all of these reactions to mortification.
"Hmm. It's red and swollen," he said. "We should apply an ointment or something. Wait here. I'll ask one of the household staff. I know that some are still awake at this time."
"Mr. Lin, there's no need to bother anyone. I have an ointment in my room. I'll apply it myself."
He looked up at her while still holding her foot. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I have a lot of medicinal ointments and creams. Many of them are for pain relief because I train a lot so I frequently suffer from sore muscles, cuts and bruises andâ" She shut her mouth upon realizing that she was blabbing. Ah, so embarrassing!
"I see. That's good." Lin Yehan took her slipper and began putting it back on her foot.
"I'll do it, Mr. Lin!"
"There, it's done," he said, placing her slippered foot back down on the floor. Then he rose and stood in front of her, a gentle smile on his face.
Jiang Ying Yue blushed and avoided looking directly in his eyes. She would just feel more embarrassed.
"I-it's late now, Mr. Lin. We should, uh, go back to sleep," she stammered.
"Yes. Have a good night, Miss Jiang."
"G-good night." Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.
Nobody moved. They remained there standing in front of each other. She looked tense while he looked calm.
"I'll walk you to your room, Miss Jiang. Please show the way."
"W-what? No need! I...I can find my own way. Yes, I can d-do that."
"Alright." He didn't push it. "I'll be going first, then. Please try to rest as much as possible."
She nodded.
After giving her another gentle smile, he turned around and started walking away.
"Wait!"
He stopped and looked back at her.
"I...thank you..."
"What?" He didn't hear because her voice was too soft and she wasn't looking at him.
She forced herself to look directly in his eyes and spoke in a louder and sincere voice. "Thank you, Mr. Lin. I...I feel so much better now, so thank you."
His gentle smile deepened. "You're always welcome, Miss Jiang. Glad you feel better. And please, don't treat me like a stranger. We're friends now...aren't we?"
She was a little startled at his question and thought about their current relationship. At first, she treated Lin Yehan as her boss' friend. (Jin Liwei became her boss when she started to work as a member of Dragon Palace Home #10's security team and also because her relationship with Iris had turned from being employer-employee to being friends.) Then she started seeing Lin Yehan more because Jin Liwei's sworn brothers often dropped by at the mansion to hang out. She couldn't say that her connection with Lin Yehan was close, but they certainly weren't strangers anymore.
So were they friends now?
After thinking about what they had to go through right now in regards with the cheating allegations against the two of them, Jiang Ying Yue felt that it had indeed made them a little bit closer to each other.
"Yes. We're friends," she replied.
His gentle smile turned into a full-blown grin, looking very pleased by her answer. "Yes, we're friends. Have a good night."
"Yes, good night."
He left.
Jiang Ying Yue felt confused about her whole interaction with Lin Yehan. There was embarrassment for losing control of her emotions and her clumsiness and also...happiness. For what?
"I gained a new friend, that's why I'm happy."
She returned to her bedroom and applied ointment to her toe before having the best sleep for the first time in weeks.
Chapter 662 - The Return Of King Yama
The custody battle between Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui for their son, Long Jun, raged on for the next few days. The media attention surrounding the case intensified with the involvement of His Excellency Deng Gui and Jin Corporation's Kang Huizhong, even though they only played assistant roles to Atty. Hong Shaoqiang.
Some members of Jin Corporation's board of directors and a handful of Jin clan's branch families were unhappy that their corporate lawyer had involved himself in a mere child custody case. They felt that Kang Huizhong was cheapening himself by playing second fiddle to a lawyer of a much lower status than himself, Hong Shaoqiang, in such a small case which was also turning out to be messier and uglier by the day. They were worried that all the negative publicity surrounding the case would sully Jin Corporation's sterling image and reputation. As a result, they demanded an emergency meeting with Jin Liwei in order to complain about Kang Huizhong's involvement in the custody case. They wanted him to pull Kang Huizhong out of the case as soon as possible.
Jin Liwei was angered when he received the demand for a meeting. He rejected it immediately.
"It seems that those fellows have gotten too comfortable in their positions, actually 'demanding' an emergency meeting from me. Xu Tian, have I been too kind to them lately that they actually now have the gall to 'demand' that I come to their beck and call just because they want it? I think it's high time to remind them who's the President-CEO in this company," Jin Liwei said behind his huge wooden desk in his office.
Xu Tian couldn't help but swallow in response to his boss' glacial expression. He was already mentally lighting candles for those people who dared complain and demand an audience with the President-CEO for such an insignificant matter as Kang Huizhong's involvement in a small, outside case.
Jin Corporation didn't own Kang Huizhong. He had every right to work on other cases outside the company if he wanted. It seemed that the board of directors and those branch families had forgotten about this detail. Jin Liwei may have requested Kang Huizhong to take the custody case, but the lawyer had the freedom to reject it if he really didn't want to involve himself in the custody case.
Kang Huizhong was extremely loyal to Jin Liwei, so he had no qualms accepting the request, even though he felt that it was a little insulting given his status as a famed corporate lawyer. However, he changed his mindset after learning that His Excellency Deng Gui was also joining the team. If such an illustrious and highly-respected lawyer on the world level could involve himself in a small family case like this, Kang Huizhong had no reason to complain. In fact, he had begun to treat the custody case as a great honour because he got to work alongside such a prestigious lawyer as His Excellency Deng Gui whose name had been etched in the history books of international law. The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.
Back in Jin Liwei's office, Xu Tian recalled his previous training to stay calm and impassive in front of his boss' frightening aura. It had been a while since Jin Liwei unleashed this kind of hellish King Yama-like aura, evoking fear, dread and caution to all who worked at Jin Corporation. Being in a relationship with Iris had mellowed his intensely overbearing aura, making him a little more approachable to others.
Xu Tian cleared his throat. "President, you are without a doubt the head of our company. You have the right to enforce disciplinary actions to those who have stepped out of line."
Jin Liwei nodded and gave Xu Tian instructions on how to respond to those who "demanded" a meeting with him. Those people would feel the full brunt of his authority as Jin Corporation's President-CEO shortly.
For those who complained, he ordered Kang Huizhong and his law firm to drop them as clients. Most high-level employees and shareholders, including almost all members of the board of directors, and the relatives from the branch families who worked for Jin Corporation received free legal services from Kang Huizhong's law firm, courtesy of the company. This was only added to the unwritten employee benefits after Jin Liwei became the President-CEO.
As people who worked in the business industry, there were many legal matters that they didn't need to worry about because Kang Huizhong's law firm always took care of everything for them. The attorney's law firm was one of the best, if not the best, in the country when it came to handling clients in the corporate world. Being dropped as clients by a first-rate law firm would be a huge embarrassment to them. Also, upon hiring another lawyer, they would need to start paying premium price to legal services that they previously enjoyed for free. Even though they were wealthy because of their high positions in the company, it still didn't feel good to dish out the money for previously free services.
It wasn't only this. Jin Liwei also cut down other unwritten employee benefits they previously enjoyed. Not all, of course. He didn't want to push them too far into rebellion, but just enough to remind them that he still had the highest single active authority in Jin Corporation as the President-CEO.
After Xu Tian implemented Jin Liwei's instruction, those who complained grumbled among themselves but didn't dare oppose the punishments. Indeed, they had almost forgotten how tyrannical Jin Liwei could be once provoked. Having their various benefits cancelled hurt, but they couldn't complain because the perks weren't included in their written contracts. Now they had to start pleasing Jin Liwei again, hoping that he would return those benefits to them soon. They had no choice. King Yama had returned.
Jin Liwei was pleased that nobody dared to complain to him again after handing out the punishments. He thought that the matter was already over and was about to focus on his work again when he was interrupted by a SDTTHLVVVIP call, the highest level in his business contact list.
It was an extremely furious Grandpa Lu."Super-Duper To The Highest Level Very Very Very Important Person" [VVIP is not enough so I had to think of a new acronym more befitting of Grandpa Lu's awesomeness]
Chapter 663 - Emperor Emeritus
Grandpa Lu was happily tucked away in his Mediterranean-style mansion home in the suburbs doting on his first great-grandchild, Little Jun. The child was kept busy everyday in order to distract Little Jun from feeling homesick and missing his Mommy, Mama, Papa, cat cousins, and everyone at Dragon Palace Home #10.
However, Grandpa Lu's great-grandfatherly bliss was interrupted when one of his spies in Jin Corporation informed him about some members of the board of directors and Jin branch families complaining about Kang Huizhong's involvement in the custody battle. Because it involved his beloved great-grandbaby Little Jun, he was instantly enraged. He immediately called Jin Liwei on the phone.
"Hello? Hello! Is this Liwei my boy?! What's taking you so long to answer the damn phone?! I want to know!"
"Yes, Grandpa Lu. This is Liwei. How may I help you? And I actually picked up your call on the first ring," Jin Liwei answered in a calm tone while lowering the volume on the speakerphone because the old man's booming voice was many times louder than usual in his anger.
"Answering the first ring is still too long! You should answer my calls before the bloody phone even rings! I'm your beloved grandpa, you pinhead! Or have you forgotten?"
Jin Liwei smiled at Grandpa Lu's unreasonable demand but was able to stop himself from chuckling or he would suffer a long round of scolding. "Alright, Grandpa Lu. Although I'm not a psychic so I don't know when you'll call me, I'll do my best to answer your calls before the phone even rings next time."
"Hah! Why are you taking those stupid words of mine so seriously, you rascal? Don't you know that your grandpa is just joking?! Bah! You're so boring. I pity Xiulan my girl for having to deal with the likes of you!"
"It's because she loves me and accepts me for who I am," Jin Liwei replied, proud as a peacock.
"Bahahaha! Well, you are my grandson after all! You know when to strike early to bag the girl before other flies and cockroaches start buzzing around her. I'm sure your Grandfather Jin in heaven is also very proud of how you got yourself an excellent wife!"
Jin Liwei puffed out his chest, a smug expression on his face, looking prouder by the second. "My wife is the most excellent woman in the world."
"Yeah, yeah. One's wife should be the best in all husbands' eyes! If not, then you romanced the wrong lady!"
"En."
"Yes, as a husband you shouldâhuh? Wait a minute, you rascal! Why are we suddenly talking about romancing your wife?! I want to know! This isn't the reason why this old man called you! How dare you distract your beloved grandpa?! I have important business to talk to you!!!" Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.
'You're the one who started talking about this subject,' Jin Liwei thought but didn't say out loud. "Alright, Grandpa Lu. May I know the reason why you called me?"
"Hmph! Your grandpa called you because of the urgent matter concerning the well-being our Little Junjun! Nobody is more important than my beloved great-grandbaby!"
Jin Liwei's expression instantly became serious. He already knew what Grandpa Lu meant and his purpose for calling but still listened patiently while the old man spoke in his booming voice.
"This old man heard from my birds in the company that some peabrained idiots are harping and complaining like smelly chimpanzee's farts about that boy Kang Huizhong's involvement in Little Junjun's custody case! How dare those nincompoops meddle in the matters concerning my beloved great-grandbaby?! And how dare they complain about that boy Kang Huizhong's involvement in the case when I, Lu Jianhong, even asked my friend who was a former jurist in the damn international court of justice to also step in! Are they looking down on this old man and my friend?! I want to know! They're all asking for a bloody spanking!
"Well?! How come you're not doing anything yet?! How could you allow those chimpanzees' butts to order you around like that?! Are you still the President-CEO or are you just a useless decoration for show?! I want to know!"
Grandpa Lu's harsh words didn't offend Jin Liwei at all. He continued to stay calm yet serious. "Don't worry, Grandpa Lu. I already handled this issue. Those people won't dare oppose Atty. Kang's involvement in Little Jun's custody case anymore." He explained to the old man how he cancelled the expensive unwritten perks those people had been enjoying for many years. "The cancellation of those perks will surely hurt them and force them to try pleasing me again in order to coax me into returning the perks in the future."
"Hah! Good, very good! But not enough! As long as I, Lu Jianhong, is still alive, nobody is allowed to put the welfare of my great-grandbabies at a disadvantage! Give me a complete list of all the names of those idiots!"
"What are you going to do with the list?"
"I'll fire all of them, that's what! I own half of the company so I have the power to do that! Watch me do it!"
Jin Liwei sighed and massaged his temples. "Grandpa Lu, I know that you're angry right nowâ"
"I'm furious!"
"I know. I am, too."
"You don't sound like it!"
"It's because I'm controlling myself."
"Hmph!"
Jin Liwei continued speaking with patience. "Grandpa Lu, firing the majority of the members of the board of directors will damage the people's trust in our company. We could get away with that if we're still a national company but we're now a multinational corporation andâ"
"Fine! I'll just fire one or two then! No, make that three! Make an example out of them."
"Alright, Grandpa Lu. You'll receive the list in five minutes."
That same day, those "chimpanzees' butts" were all regretting their decision of making a big deal out of Kang Huizhong's involvement in the child custody case. Not only did they re-awaken King Yama, but they also summoned the rare, explosive, volcanic rage of the Emperor Emeritus, the true power behind the company, and ended up suffering the full brunt of both authorities.
Chapter 664 - New Evidence
While the retired and the reigning emperors of Jin Corporation reminded the people under them who were in charge, silencing those who got too comfortable and brazen, the custody battle in court had become uglier, messier and more public due to the media spinning things out of control.
Long Hui's camp continued feeding the cheating allegations between Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan, painting their "immoral affair" as the main reason for Long Hui and Jiang Ying Yue's break-up. The photo and video evidence only made the allegations more believable.
Jiang Ying Yue's camp denied the entire matter of course, citing that it was Long Hui who distanced himself from her first. She was tired of playing nice.
The custody case had become less of determining which parent was the best in raising the child and more on destroying each other. Given the formidable legal team representing Jiang Ying Yue, Long Hui decided to recruit more lawyers but still came short when compared to the trio's combined backgrounds and accomplishments. Nevertheless, his camp only became bolder, throwing allegations on top of allegations in a ruthless effort to discredit her.
Their efforts were certainly effective because public opinion sided with Long Hui and criticized Jiang Ying Yue. She was painted as a loose woman who became pregnant before marriage in order to trap an heir. Then when she bore him a son, she had the audacity to use the child to blackmail her ex-lover for more money and benefits by withholding his paternal rights. Not only that, she even cheated on him with an agricultural tycoon. Truly, her appetite was voracious! Absolutely disgusting! This was the kind of woman that the general public hated!
However, the situation took a sudden turn when Jiang Ying Yue's legal team presented an unexpected evidence.
It was a video and an audio recording of Long Hui barging into the Gold Heights condo unit where they were living in before. The surveillance video was taken from the front door area so the view of the scene in the living room was limited, but it was enough to prove the authenticity of the audio recording. It showed Long Hui arguing with Jiang Ying Yue because of her suggestive photos with Lin Yehan together with their son at the mall.
Jiang Ying Yue's first concern was for their child, Long Jun. She wanted to bring their son to Iris Long's penthouse upstairs so that the two of them could talk. The problem was that Long Hui wasn't listening at all, even going as far as to curse and insult his own sister, her fiancé Jin Liwei and especially her mother Wei Lan, for corrupting Jiang Ying Yue and their son, Long Jun, into distancing themselves from him.
The evidence made many of the people watching upset. It showed Long Hui trying to wrench their son from Jiang Ying Yue's arms in a rough manner. Loud sounds of crashing due to the struggle made the scene appear more violent. However, the viewers could only focus on the frightened and pitiful crying screams of the child as his parents fought over him.
"Dadaaa! Dadaaaa! Sowwy! Junjun good boy!"
Jiang Ying Yue, who had maintained a rather tough exterior in the next court sessions after breaking down on the first day, started tearing up again upon hearing her son's cries. It was painful for a mother to listen to her child's distress whether it was already in the past or not.
It wasn't only her who became upset. The audience in the court felt for the poor child. What kind of monster could scare such a young child to scream and cry like that? He was only a toddler, a baby!
Looks of condemnation were thrown at Long Hui, making him stiffen in his seat beside his lawyers. He was also upset at the video and audio recording but for an entirely different reason than everyone else. He was upset because he had no idea that there was a surveillance camera in the condo unit! Knowing that the unit was gifted by his youngest half-sister made him indignant and intensified his hatred for Iris even further.
It was her fault! Everything was her fault! Because of her, his life was falling apart! N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Before everyone could recover from the shocking video, Atty. Hong Shaoqiang delivered an explanation of the evidence laced with pained anger, condemning Long Hui's "abusive behaviours" not only to Jiang Ying Yue but to their son as well and the trauma he might have caused the poor child, while at the same time, highlighting Jiang Ying Yue's protective actions, effectively painting her as a good mother who always prioritized her son no matter what.
This passionate speech was calculated to perfection from the specific words chosen, to the tone of delivery including the deliberate pauses, and the swelling emotions until the end. It was proofread, edited, and polished many times not only by Hong Shaoqiang himself but also by his two bigshot assistants, Kang Huizhong and the illustrious veteran lawyer Deng Gui.
All of these events were broadcast by the media. Public opinion sided with Long Hui, but after this new video evidence, it split with more people siding with Jiang Ying Yue instead. The general public's impression of Jiang Ying Yue was still low and unpleasant, mainly because most people would judge the woman first and find fault with her over the man in a broken relationship, especially if her social status was lower than the man, and also because she still hadn't proven to everyone yet that she really didn't cheat with Lin Yehan while still in a relationship with Long Hui.
However, Long Hui's violent treatment of her and most especially their son as shown in the new video evidence was too much for most people to handle. So even though Jiang Ying Yue still had to bear the label of a cheating woman, she was now viewed more favourably than the abusive Long Hui. Most also had to agree that based on the video, Jiang Ying Yue portrayed herself as the better parent for their son.
The judge seemed to agree.
Chapter 665 - If Only
The custody case finally concluded on the fourth day of the official court sessions.Full custody was awarded to the mother, Jiang Ying Yue, and limited visitation rights given to the father, Long Hui. And of course, he was ordered to provide child support every month until his son became a legal adult.
Long Hui didn't resent paying child support. Not at all. It was his responsibility as a father, after all. In fact, he still regularly sent money every month to the bank account Jiang Ying Yue set up for their son even when they were currently at war against each other. Jiang Ying Yue set up the bank account shortly after she started working as Iris' bodyguard back then. Long Hui knew that it was his youngest half-sister who advised Jiang Ying Yue to open a separate bank account for Little Jun. When they were all still in good terms with each other, he thought that her advice was an excellent idea. Well, to be honest, he still thought that it was an excellent idea but he would never admit that now because his hatred for Iris and everyone on her side had reached an all-time high at the moment.
Yes, he had no problems paying child support. He already decided since the beginning that no matter what the outcome of the custody case was, he would always provide financial support to his son. The best case scenario for him was to, of course, win full custody of his son, but unfortunately that didn't happen, resulting in his pride taking a huge hit that left him reeling with so much negative feelings.
After the judge announced the final result of the case, he still experienced a moment of disbelief even though he already expected it. Utter humiliation filled him, especially because he was the one who launched this custody battle in the first place. Yes, he knew that he would be the one at a disadvantage, not Jiang Ying Yue, because of the power combination of Iris and Jin Liwei supporting her. But he still went ahead with it because his life was so shitty right now that he wanted the chance, no matter how small, to hurt Jiang Ying Yue and punish her for choosing to stand on his sister's side rather than with him when he desperately needed her love and support during this difficult time that his status as the successor of the business and the clan was becoming more and more unstable.
Jiang Ying Yue's team didn't ask for an exorbitant amount of child support. Her request was actually quite reasonable, catching the media watching the entire proceedings off-guard because they expected that she would milk him for all he was worth, like how his father Long Tengfei had been so tragically milked by Wei Lan when they divorced back in the old days. The amount she asked for was so reasonable that the judge took it upon himself to increase it in his final verdict.
Unbeknown to others, Jiang Ying Yue didn't want anything from Long Hui at all. When she quit her job as his bodyguard, broke up with him and then left him after getting pregnant with their child, she also didn't want anything from him. She loved him, but the Long clan had humiliated her, hurt her, and trampled on her dignity too much. If giving up on him back then was a sign of weakness, then she would readily admit that she was a coward. She didn't have the strength to fight for her love for him.
Her own pride also didn't allow her to beg him for help. However, things were too difficult for an unmarried, single, pregnant and recently unemployed woman that time, so she had to force herself to swallow her own pride and accept Long Hui's goodwill offer of a lump sum money to help throughout her pregnancy, the birth, and the first year of their son. She refused to accept anything more than that.
Things changed when they got back together again after becoming close to Iris and Jin Liwei. Iris had persuaded Jiang Ying Yue to allow Long Hui to act on his responsibilities as a father to their child. That was when Jiang Ying Yue began accepting money from Long Hui which he deposited directly to Little Jun's bank account. All cash gifts given to Little Jun from others were also deposited into the account. The compensation she received from winning in the American libel case against Wu Qianxi was also all deposited as a trust fund for Little Jun.
Jiang Ying Yue didn't plan on touching her son's money unless it was absolutely necessary. She and her son were living comfortably with Iris and Jin Liwei while she worked as a member of Dragon Palace Home #10's security team. There was no need to touch the child support Long Hui was regularly sending. Little Jun would be able to access all of the money after reaching the legal age of majority.
This was why she originally didn't demand child support in the custody case. If things went her way, she would have asked the judge a grand total of zero RMB for child support, but she was blocked by her lawyers, eventually persuading her to ask for something.
The money was for her son, anyway, not for her.
Long Hui wasn't aware of this. He just thought that the reasonable amount of child support requested was so like Jiang Ying Yue. A wave of nostalgia and longing for her began crawling through the stormy sewer of negative emotions inside his heart.
'If only Xiulan didn't get between us, I know that I would've still won you back when you left me after you got pregnant. If only Xiulan wasn't stealing the position of successor from me, we would've all still continued living in peace and happiness. Perhaps we would've already been married now, maybe even got you pregnant again with our second child. If only Xiulan didn't exist...my life would've been perfect.'
His heart turned cold.
"Yes, this is all your fault, Xiulan," he whispered.Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Unleashing Imagination, One Read at a Time.
Chapter 666 - I Pity You
As people shuffled out of the courthouse, the former lovers turned enemies had another face-off. Camera flashes and the reporters' shouted questions rained down at them like lightning and thunder. Both groups were protected by their own respective teams of bodyguards, holding the reporters and curious passersby at bay.
Jiang Ying Yue's team of bodyguards were especially impressive as they were her own colleagues working under Jin Liwei as part of Dragon Palace Home #10's security. Iris and Jin Liwei increased the number of bodyguards protecting her during the court sessions because there had been instances when she was almost assaulted by angry civilians who believed the cheating allegations against her and Lin Yehan, condemning her as an immoral slut who was unfit to be a mother.
The new evidence against Long Hui changed this to some degree and her image somewhat improved. However, there still remained some people who were unsympathetic and unswayed by the new evidence, continuing to condemn her due to the cheating allegations. The new evidence only showed that Long Hui wasn't suitable to raise their son because of the proof that he would become rough and violent in front of the child when angered. It did nothing to prove that the cheating allegations were false. No matter how many times Jiang Ying Yue swore that she didn't cheat on Long Hui, the fact of the matter was that she had no evidence to prove it, while Long Hui had the photos and video as evidence to show that she cheated on him. To the more critical members of the general public, this was enough for them to condemn Jiang Ying Yue.
Despite the attack on her image and reputation, Jiang Ying Yue only stood straighter, held her head up high, and looked straight ahead. She didn't break down anymore for the rest of the court sessions, except for the first day and when the new evidence was shown in court where her son's heart-wrenching cries were played for everyone to hear. A sense of strength that had nothing to do with her muscular physique began emitting from her. It wasn't too distinct yet, unlike Iris' natural "I'm the queen" aura which could be overwhelming to others sometimes, but Long Hui immediately noticed the change in Jiang Ying Yue because they were former lovers.
He didn't like it at all, preferring the previous timid Jiang Ying Yue who looked at him with her innocent eyes filled with love for him. Even when she left him after becoming pregnant back then, he could still see the love for him shining in her eyes. It was why he always had the confidence of winning her back and gradually persuading her to follow him to the Long clan and live happily ever after together with their son.
Wasn't their love story like in the fairy tales? She was the poor maiden who made the handsome prince fall in love with her. He was, of course, the prince who swept off her feet.They were supposed to have a happy ending after overcoming various obstacles but because of the great villainâa.k.a. his half-sister, Xiulanâthe poor maiden was corrupted and their love story ended up becoming a tragedy instead.
Ignoring the questions being thrown by the reporters around him, Long Hui spoke to Jiang Ying Yue in a mocking tone. "Are you happy now that you won?"
Jiang Ying Yue didn't back down this time. Her tone was cold. "All you think about is winning and losing. I don't view anything concerning our son as black and white like you do. My number one priority will always be Little Jun, not about winning or losing. If I could give my son a happy, safe and fruitful life, I don't care if I 'lose' again and again. Unfortunately, you can't give that happy, safe and fruitful life to our son because you're a typical Long who only thinks about protecting your high pride. You're crazy if you think I'll allow you to take Little Jun to the Long clan where he'll only be bullied for the rest of his life. I didn't give birth to my son just so he'll suffer."
"I'll protect him," he hissed.
Her voice only became colder. "You don't have the ability."
"You!"
Atty. Hong Shaoqiang stepped in front of Jiang Ying Yue and blocked Long Hui, while Atty. Kang Huizhong and His Excellency Deng Gui pulled her away. Their group's security team was very tight and professional because the reporters were unable to get a clear view of Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui's current confrontation. Her group then started to leave.
Long Hui was angered by her attitude. He wanted to follow her but his own lawyers pulled him back, so all he could do was raise his voice and continue taunting her.
"I don't have the ability to protect my son, you say? You mean that you do?"
She stopped and turned to face him again. "Yes."
He sneered. "Who gave you that kind of confidence? Ah, right. Xiulan. And that sâmother of hers." He was about to say "slut" but stopped himself in time because of the reporters' presence.
She didn't respond immediately but just continued looking at him instead. Her voice was soft when she finally replied, but he still heard her loud and clear. "Yes, Xiulan and the viscountess taught me to be confident of myself and I'm thankful to them. I'm still a work in progress but I intend to be a stronger woman in order to be a better mother to our son." N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
He snorted in derision. "You think that you're untouchable now just because you have Xiulan backing you? Do you really believe that she'll always be there to protect you? Hah! Don't delude yourself! She's only doing this to spite me and to damage my position in the clan. She's only using you and my son to hurt me!"
"I pity you, Long Hui," she replied after a long pause. Then she turned on her heels and left with her team of formidable lawyers and impressive bodyguards.
Chapter 667 - Welcome Home
'I pity you, Long Hui.'
The words echoed in Long Hui's mind, infuriating him, but he couldn't rashly act out in front of the people and media.
'Pity me? How dare you? You don't have the right to pity me. I'm a Long. You're just...nobody. That's right. You're just a nobody, Jiang Ying Yue. Don't be too full of yourself just because you have the support of Xiulan and Jin Liwei. One day, they'll abandon you too, just like how I abandoned you. Your only worth now is being the mother of my son, Long Jun.'
After shooting a last glare at the direction where her group disappeared from view, he also left with his less formidable and less impressive team of lawyers and bodyguards.
###
Inside the vehicle, Jiang Ying Yue felt relieved that the custody case was finally over. Although Iris, Jin Liwei, the lawyers and the others kept on reassuring her that everything would be fine, she still couldn't stop herself from worrying.
Atty. Hong Shaoqiang sat beside her in the backseat while Atty. Kang Huizhong and His Excellency Deng Gui rode in another car.
"Good job on not letting yourself be provoked by Mr. Long's taunts back there," he said.
"I'm done with him."
"Good." He nodded. "It's a big shame that he doesn't realize that he should be thankful to you that he still received limited visitation rights after we presented the evidence of him barging in the condo and fighting with you in front of your son. If you hadn't emphasized to the judge that you won't deprive Mr. Long of his paternal rights, I'm certain that instead of visitation rights, he'll get a restraining order instead. His lawyers must know this, too, but decided not to tell him because they already lost, anyway."
"Thank you, Atty. Hong. I really appreciate all the hard work you, His Excellency Deng and Atty. Kang put into helping me retain custody of my son. I'm aware that it's because Xiulan asked you but I'm still very thankful."
He gave her a kind smile but his expression became serious again. "Although the judge's ruling is legally binding and therefore theoretically absolute, we live in a society where people do things that they're not supposed to do. For one, Mr. Long might appeal the custody ruling, so prepare for that."
"I don't think that he'll file an appeal," she replied.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because his pride took a massive hit today. I have not only you, Atty. Hong, to defend me but there's also His Excellency Deng and Atty. Kang. If he doesn't have anything substantial to prove that he's a better parent than me besides the fake cheating allegations, he knows that he'll lose again. His high pride won't be able to handle another public defeat in the same battle. And most importantly, I'm sure that the Long elders wouldn't tolerate another custody battle because it would make the clan lose face, especially since my son's status is...is not...legitimate."
Her expression darkened but she continued, "Long Hui won't push it too far because he doesn't want to risk losing too many supporters in the Long clan. That's why I don't think that he'll appeal the custody ruling."
"I see. That's good, then. One less worry for us," Atty. Hong Shaoqiang said. "Another thing is that you shouldn't be complacent just because the law sided with us today. You should keep a close eye on Mr. Long when he exercises his visitation rights for your son. We never know what may happen in the future so please be careful."
Jiang Ying Yue frowned and was about to tell the lawyer that Long Hui would never hurt their son, then she remembered how he roughly tried to wrench Little Jun from her when he barged in the condo. Although it was in the heat of the moment and his rough actions were directed more at her than at Little Jun, she decided to heed the lawyer's advice and not risk her son's safety just because she trusted in Long Hui's character as a father.
'Trust in his character? I don't know him anymore. He changed so much. No, maybe that's his real self and I never really knew him from the start.'
She closed her tired eyes and allowed herself to rest. Atty. Hong Shaoqiang didn't bother her and read some documents instead.
A ringing phone interrupted the silence.
Jiang Ying Yue opened her eyes and glanced at her phone. Her heart started beating fast when a certain name flashed on the phone screen. She answered the call before she could examine why her heart was racing all of a sudden.
"Hello?"
"Miss Jiang, it's me."
"Yes, I know, Mr. Lin."
###
### N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Dragon Palace Home #10.
The next day, the mansion was lively and cheerful with the return of Little Jun.
Popcorn went crazy and howled (meowled?) nonstop because he missed his human cousin so much! The energetic orange cat ran in circles around Little Jun and rubbed himself against his cousin like crazy, acting as if they had been separated for five years instead of just five days.
On the other hand, Ice Cream acted like the regal cat that she was, greeting her human cousin with a quick meow and a brief rub as if saying, "Oh, you're back? Hello. Ah, moving is so exhausting. I need my beauty rest again. Bye."
Little Jun didn't understand the meaning of Ice Cream's actions. All he knew was how delighted he was to be back home. His laughter filled the front foyer, bringing smiles to everyone's faces.
"Alright, Cornpop, that's enough! You running around in circles is making your great-grandpa dizzy! Are you actually a dog, not a cat? I want to know!" a booming voice interrupted the lovely scene.
"Grandpa Boss, his name is Popcorn, not Cornpop! Ehehe," Dom, who just appeared, corrected Grandpa Lu.
Little Jun's head turned to the new arrivals. His smile widened but then tears started gushing out of his eyes all of a sudden."
"Mommiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"
Jiang Ying Yue's eyes also watered and caught her smiling-crying son who barreled towards her and jumped into her embrace.
"Welcome home, Little Jun," she whispered, hugging him close.
Chapter 668 - Agricultural Tycoon
Little Jun's arms wrapped tightly around Jiang Ying Yue's neck, almost choking her, but she didn't mind because it meant that her son missed her, too. Just imagining if Long Hui won custody and took their son away from her was enough to make her feel faint...or maybe that was because her son was actually choking her, making her a little light-headed. The little guy inherited her strong physique.
A pair of smooth, delicate, lovely hands (made even smoother, more delicate and lovelier thanks to Orchidia Beauty moisturizing lotions and creams) reached from behind and gently loosened the child's arms.
"Hello, Little Jun," Iris greeted and kissed the top of her godson's head after preventing him from choking his own mother.
Little Jun stopped crying and looked up. "Mama!" Then he saw the tall figure beside her. "Papa!"
Iris and Jin Liwei didn't take Little Jun from Jiang Ying Yue yet, allowing her more time with her son.
Afterwards, they all headed to the family living area for some morning refreshments. It was the weekend, so Jin Liwei didn't go to work. Iris also kept her schedule free today because Little Jun was returning home and also because the couple was already busy preparingfor their upcoming wedding.
Only a few people knew about it. Their assistants, Dom and Xu Tian who coordinated and found an auspicious date before winter and cleared their bosses' respective schedules, knew about the wedding of course. Jin Liwei's sworn brothersâLin Yehan, Wang Yingjie, Yu Mo and Lu Zihaoâincluding his blood brother Jin Chonglin also knew about it. Similarly, Iris' friends, the other members of the girl squad besides DomâMeimei, Clover, Long Jinjing and Chen Feiâwere also informed about the upcoming wedding. Clover already flew to France a couple of days ago but would return for the special occasion.
They were told to keep it a secret, especially Jin Chonglin whose every word coming out of his mouth had the potential to make into the national headlines. Even the couple's parents, including Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li, weren't aware of it yet.
Iris and Jin Liwei would be meeting with a discrete wedding planner later in the afternoon. But for now, they intended to spend time with their family, especially their godson who they missed very much. Nâ¡vεlB¡n: Transforming Moments into Memories.
Lively chatter and laughter filled the living area. Little Jun ran around and played with his cat cousins while the adults watched him with doting smiles on their faces. Even the household staff had similar expressions because they also doted on the adorable little guy. Ketchup even caught some of them slipping extra treats to Little Jun behind Jiang Ying Yue and Iris' backs. Of course, the virtual white cat tattled on his human cousin and the household staff to her mommy and daddy just because she was a naughty chatterbox who loved exciting drama. Iris and Jin Liwei only laughed upon hearing about it and didn't reprimand anyone. However, Jin Liwei complained about the kind of treats his staff was giving to their godson.
"I should give everyone a raise so that they could buy something better for Little Jun."
Iris agreed with him.
Back to the present, nobody was talking about the ugly and messy custody battle. They didn't want to ruin the beautiful moment.
Little Jun was tired running around, so he plopped his butt down on the plush carpet and turned the TV on by himself using the remote control. He was about to press the numbers of his favourite children's channel which he knew by heart when a familiar face appeared on the TV which was currently on a news channel.
"Anko Han? Anko Han! Anko Han!" He pointed at the TV and started bouncing in excitement, catching everyone's attention.
"Eh? Isn't that Yehan? What's that boy doing on TV? Does he want to follow Little Chonglin and Xiulan my girl in showbiz?" Grandpa Lu's booming voice asked. He looked around and saw the unsurprised expressions on the others' faces. "You already knew about this, don't you?! You pinheaded rascals! How dare you not tell your beloved grandpa about this?! I want to know!"
"Grandpa Lu, how about we watch and listen to the news first?" Jin Liwei suggested.
"Hmph! Fine!"
Jiang Ying Yue watched the TV, her gaze drawn to Lin Yehan whenever he was shown. Lin Yehan had called her yesterday on her way home from the courthouse to inform her about his plans for today, so she wasn't surprised seeing him in the news. Nevertheless, she still couldn't help but feel anxious especially because it was related to her. She didn't notice that she was gripping her own hands so hard that they had turned white.
The news story was about Lin Yehan suing certain reporters, including a number of tabloids and even a major news outlet, and most importantly, he was also suing Long Hui and his lawyers for defamation due to the cheating allegations made about him and Jiang Ying Yue.
"Tycoon Lin Yehan, who is among the top domestic producers and international exporters of tea, grains and other agricultural products in the country, has officially filed the lawsuit for defamation with his lawyer this morning against Long Industries' Deputy CFO Long Hui and the following people..." the news anchor reported.
"Hah! It's about time that he took action! I was wondering why that boy wasn't doing anything! He wasn't such a pinhead after all!"
Grandpa Lu continued commentating on Lin Yehan's news story with his booming voice. The others also continued watching the news despite Grandpa Lu's distracting loudness. They were already used to it, anyway.
Being an agricultural tycoon might not sound as glamorous as a global corporate billionaire like Jin Liwei, but Lin Yehan was also influential in his own right, only in a more understated way. After all, the agricultural sector was integral to the entire country, providing the citizens' most basic needâfood. It was a given that Lin Yehan had built his own list of impressive connections.
And now he was showing what he could do with the power he had that many chose to overlook until he decided to wield it...like right now.
Chapter 669 - Lie Detector Tes
N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
Jiang Ying Yue thought that the news story would end after reporting Lin Yehan's defamation lawsuit against Long Hui and the others, but she was mistaken. The news also covered Lin Yehan's own evidence that he gathered to prove that he didn't have an immoral affair with Jiang Ying Yue while she was still engaged with Long Hui.
He was able to obtain several surveillance videos on the same day the pictures and videos used in the cheating allegations were taken. The first clips showed that he indeed met Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun by coincidence at the hospital when she brought her son for a pediatrician appointment. The surprise at meeting each other was clear as day on their faces. Also, Lin Yehan wasn't alone at that time. He was with Wang Yingjie who the news anchor introduced as one of the youngest yet already successful and accomplished surgeons in the country.
What the news anchor didn't mention was that Wang Yingjie was also a scion of a powerful family with deep roots in the country, similar to Feng Wan's background. (Feng Wan was the leader of the posh ladies who were Iris' fans and also PR officers of the Black Stars.) These families preferred to lie low to the point that not many were aware of how powerful and influential they really were. Even though Wang Yingjie wasn't the heir but only a son of a branch family, his current promising career as a successful surgeon had gained him enough respect from his entire clan, allowing at least some level of influence in his own right.
After the clips from the hospital, another set of short surveillance videos were shown. This time, the place was at the mall. In contrast to the suggestive photos and video which had already long spread like wildfire since Long Hui revealed them in court, the real surveillance video clips showed that both Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue maintained appropriate distance from each other and polite behaviour for the entire time that they were together. It was also obvious that Jiang Ying Yue's main focus was her son. This only meant that the photos and video used in the cheating allegations were carefully chosen with malicious intentions.
In addition to the surveillance videos, Lin Yehan also provided the results of a lie detector test he took on his own volition.
"Mr. Lin Yehan was asked by the examiner several questions including the most important which is if he had an affair, both past and present, with Miss Jiang Ying Yue. He denied it and the polygraph test indicated that he was telling the truth. Meaning, that he really didn't have an affair with Miss Jiang," the news anchor reported.
Although lie detector tests weren't 100% accurate, Lin Yehan's test result was treated with more reliability because he was able to invite the Chief of Police himself to personally supervise the polygraph test procedure.
Iris raised an eyebrow upon seeing the Chief of Police, remembering that the man was the husband of Madam Si Xinyue, one of the Black Stars' posh ladies with Feng Wan.
"I told you that Eldest Brother doesn't need our help. He has his own power and it's nothing to scoff at," Jin Liwei said after noticing her reaction.
Iris nodded, feeling relieved that Lin Yehan finally took action to combat the cheating allegations between him and Jiang Ying Yue. She would've chosen the faster, more thorough, more ruthless, and not so legal method of hacking if it was her, but she was nonetheless quite impressed by the method he chose which was a more "proper" and legal way than her idea.
"Hmm..." She tapped her fingers on Jin Liwei's thigh. "This is good but not enough. Eldest Brother needs to show more."
"En. But I trust in him. I'm sure that he still has more up his sleeves."
Indeed, Lin Yehan had more.
Right after a personal statement by the Chief of Police giving his official seal of authenticity to Lin Yehan's polygraph test results was shown, the news story continued. This time, the focus shifted to Long Hui.
"Long Industries' Deputy CFO Long Hui, eldest brother of multi-award-winning musician Iris Long with the same father but different mothers, had accused his former fiancée and the mother of his son, Miss Jiang Ying Yue. The formerly engaged couple fought in a heated custody battle which garnered wide media coverage because of the cheating allegations between Miss Jiang and agricultural tycoon, Mr. Lin Yehan, and also because of Miss Jiang's impressive legal team which includes His Excellency Deng Gui, former head jurist in the international court of justice, and also Atty. Kang Huizhong, the official corporate lawyer of Jin Corporation.
"Yesterday, the custody battle for Mr. Long and Miss Jiang's son finally concluded with the judge deciding to give full custody of the child to the mother, Miss Jiang, and only limited visitation rights to Mr. Long.
"But before that final verdict yesterday, Mr. Long had accused Miss Jiang of cheating on him with Mr. Lin while she was still engaged with him, citing that it was the main reason why they fought and separated, eventually forcing him to file an official custody request for their son. However, new evidence imply otherwise."
Jiang Ying Yue's full attention was on the TV. Her body was actually leaning forward as if doing so would allow her to listen more clearly to the news. She was also curious like the others about this new evidence the news anchor was reporting on.
"New evidence has come to light indicating that Mr. Long and his new fiancée, Miss Mao Qiuyue from the Mao family, owners of Mao Textiles, are actually the ones who cheated first while Mr. Long was still engaged with Miss Jiang. The evidence alleges that Mr. Long's maternal family, the Zhengs, and the Maos have been in close contact with each other with the intention of matching Mr. Long and Miss Mao in marriage even though Mr. Long was in a relationship with Miss Jiang."
Chapter 670 - Bought For Love
"Dada?" Little Jun turned to his mother while pointing at Long Hui on TV. "Mommi, iz Dada!"
Jiang Ying Yue didn't hear her son because she was shocked at learning that Long Hui might have cheated on her while they were still engaged. Although all her love for him had recently been killed in her heart, the betrayal still stung.
"Look here, Junie boy!" Dom distracted Little Jun by showing his favourite baby cartoon program on his phone. "Come, let's watch together!" Then hecarried the child to the other side of the room while the two cats followed them.
Back to the other group in front of the TV, all had ugly expressions on their faces while continuing to watch the news.
"Son of a bitch," Jin Liwei cursed under his breath.
Iris squeezed his hand, silently agreeing with him. She glanced at her friend and saw the betrayed expression on Jiang Ying Yue's face. Still, Iris was pleased that Jiang Ying Yue wasn't crying for Long Hui unlike before. It was good that her friend had finally realized that Long Hui wasn't worth even a drop of her tears. The man had the audacity to accuse Jiang Ying Yue of cheating with Lin Yehan when he was actually the one who cheated first? What scum!
Assured that Jiang Ying Yue looked fine, Iris turned to her darling beside him and asked in a curious tone, "Is this Eldest Brother's work?"
"It should be," Jin Liwei replied. "I think I remember hearing that he hired a private detective a few days ago."
"He didn't ask for your help?"
"No. Eldest Brother is the type who tries to solve his own problems by himself first. It's only when everything fails that he'll ask me or our other brothers for assistance. Actually, it's not only him. All of us brothers are like this."
She nodded.
"It's quite impressive that the private detective he hired was able to dig all this evidence in just a few days. He works fast," he said. The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ãøvâ¬lÃ1n.
"I'm faster," she replied, pursing her lips. "I can uncover all of these and more in just a couple of hours, maybe even faster because I have Ketchup."
The corners of his mouth lifted into a proud, doting smile. "I know. My wife is the best."
She couldn't help but smile, too, and also didn't correct him when he referred to her as his wife. They would marry in a few weeks, anyway. She would become his wife and he her husband soon enough.
"Let's sit back and just watch this time," he added. "Eldest Brother can handle this well enough without our help. I'm sure that he'll be able to clear not only his own name and reputation but Jiang Ying Yue's as well, so don't worry. Besides, we don't have the time to constantly worry about others' problems at the moment. We have a wedding to finish planning, not to mention that both of us are still busy with a mountain of work commitments for the remainder of the year."
She sighed at his reminder of their work obligations. Indeed, both of their schedules were filled almost to the brim. If they didn't make it a point of keeping at least one day a week completely free, they wouldn't be able to spend any quality time together at all. Despite this, Iris loved keeping herself busy with work, especially with her music and companies. It made her feel gloriously alive with a sense of purpose, something she lacked in her past life.
Thanks to Jin Liwei, she was improving on how to maintain the right work-life balance. He was also extremely busy running the country's number one company, and yet he would drop everything and rush to her whenever she needed him. His love and commitment to her made her fall in love with him more deeply.
Their lovey-dovey segue was interrupted by a furious, booming voice.
Grandpa Lu, who had been keeping unusually quiet since the news story shifted its focus to Long Hui, finally exploded.
"Gah! Ying Yue my girl, how could you fall in love with such a loser?! I want to know! The only good thing that dum-dum did was provide the sperm to make my cute beloved great-grandbaby, Little Junjun! I must admit that he has excellent ability in that area but that's where it ends! Did his balls got cut off?! Because a real man wouldn't do those stupid things to the mother of his child! Hmph!! This old man is so angry!!!"
Jiang Ying Yue didn't know how to respond to Grandpa Lu, so she remained quiet instead. She looked down at her lap and clenched her hands into tight fists.
On the other side of the room, Little Jun was startled by his great-grandfather's angry, booming voice. "Huh? Ampa Lu?"
Dom quickly distracted the child once again and managed to prevent Little Jun from running back where Grandpa Lu and the others sat in front of the TV. When Little Jun became absorbed by another cartoon, Dom quickly carried him out of the living area so that the adults could talk freely without needing to worry about the child. Popcorn followed them out while Ice Cream stayed and headed straight to her mommy's lap.
Iris, Jin Liwei and Jiang Ying Yue allowed Grandpa Lu to vent his anger long after the news program already moved on to another story. Watching the old man get angry at Long Hui for betraying her, Jiang Ying Yue felt better. When Grandpa Lu finally calmed down, Iris suggested that they play a game of chess to take their minds off of Long Hui until lunch time.
However, before the butler could set up the chessboard and the pieces, Jin Liwei's phone dinged.
It was a message from Ketchup.
"Hi Daddy! I saw all of you interested in the news about Uncle Yehan and that good-for-nothing scumbag Long Hui, so I compiled the latest news updates online for you! Meow~"
Iris peeked at his phone and they read the first headline together.
"Mao Qiuyue Bought Deputy CFO Long Hui's Love in Exchange for 5% Long Industries Shares?!"