Chapter 921 - Where Are The Newlyweds?
Although the numerous hired performances kept everyone entertained, the guests still couldn't help but notice the absence of the bride and the groom. The bridesmaids and the groomsmen were all working hard to keep everyone distracted but the newlyweds' family members were all concerned about why Iris and Jin Liwei were gone and insisted on asking what happened.
"Son, where's your older brother and sister-in-law?" Huang Yuyan asked Jin Chonglin.
"Uh..." Jin Chonglin turned to Chen Fei who was standing closest to him.
Chen Fei dragged Dom instead to answer Huang Yuyan's question.
Dom smiled too brightly. "Boss and sir bossâ"
"Don't you dare lie, Dominic Chua," Cai Guang warned. "Or else I'll call your mother and tell her how her son turned into an untrustworthyâ"
"Uncle, nooooooo!" Dom cried. "Don't call my Momsy! She'll fly into a rage all the way from the Philippines and whack me with her deadly slippers! Do you have any idea how much her slippers hurt? Wuwuwu!"
Cai Guang frowned at his overdramatic nephew. He turned to his niece instead. Clover ehehehe'd before running away and hiding behind the muscular Jiang Ying Yue.
Long Tengfei also had a deep frown on his face. "It's very rude to leave the guests hanging like this. Xiulan and Liwei should've at least said something before disappearing."
The elegant Grandma Li nodded. "I agree that this kind of behaviour is very impolite on the part of my grandson and granddaughter-in-law."
Grandpa Lu caught his grandson. "Haohao, my boy! Tell your grandpa where your third brother and little sister went. Hurry, I want to know!"
Long Jinjing stayed close to Lu Zihao, feeling a little worried that Grandpa Lu would "pat" Lu Zihao in the back again. Athough Lu Zihao didn't look like the scary "pats" hurt him, it was Long Jinjing who somehow felt hurt whenever she had to watch the old man's tough love on his grandson.
Grandpa Lu's eyes narrowed as he looked around. "I don't see your second brother anywhere. Did Yingjie my boy leave with your fifth brother and little sister? Tell me, my boy! I want to know!"
Huang Yuyan's eyes widened with concern upon realizing the implication of Grandpa Lu's words. "W-what happened? Please tell us, Zihao."
Lu Zihao sighed and felt like he was going to have a headache. He glanced at Long Jinjing beside him and immediately felt less irritated at the current situation.
Should he tell these people what happened to his sister? Or should he lie in order to give her some peace and quiet so that she could have a proper rest?
In the end, it was Grandpa Lu who made the decision before Lu Zihao could make up his mind. He led a few peopleâGrandma Li, Huang Yuyan, Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahuiâout of the ballroom to personally look for Iris and Jin Liwei. They originally planned on inviting Wei Lan but she was too preoccupied chatting with Feng Wan and the posh ladies. She didn't seem too concerned about the disappearance of her daughter and son-in-law.
When Grandpa Lu and the others left, Long Jinjing asked Lu Zihao, "Is this really okay?"
He massaged his temples while sighing. "Nobody can stop the old man once he sets his mind on something."
"Butâ"
"Just leave them be. My grandfather, your father, and the others can all be trusted to keep a secret. If the viscountess joined them, I might have stopped them but since the woman didn't go, then it's fine."
She didn't reply but her silence indicated her agreement to what he said. Wei Lan was indeed too much of an unpredictable factor. Nobody could be exactly sure how she would react once she discovered Iris and Jin Liwei's other secret. She might create unnecessary trouble again.
Lin Yehan approached the two of them. "Now that even the newlyweds' family members left, the other guests are wondering even more what's happening. We need to work harder in distracting them. We can't allow this banquet to end badly."
"Y-yes." Long Jinjing tugged Lu Zihao's arm.
Lin Yehan watched the pair as they engaged the other guests in conversation. Well, it was mostly Long Jinjing doing the talking while Lu Zihao just stood there looking like a resting panther. He shook his head at how his fifth brother had changed so much.
Then he saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He headed towards that person.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Mr. Lin," Jiang Ying Yue greeted. "Yes, I'm fine. But I need to leave for a bit. I received a call from the nanny saying that my son is crying and refuses to sleep. I'm going to check on him and hopefully get him to sleep before I return here to the banquet."
"May I go with you?"
She hesitated, looking a little surprised at his request. "Uhm...."
"It's fine if the answer is no but I would like to see Little Jun for a bit before he falls asleep tonight."
"Oh." She thought for a moment. "I..see. Okay."
He gave her a gentle smile. "Shall we go, then? We don't want to keep Little Jun waiting for too long."
She nodded and they left the banquet together.
###
Grandpa Lu flagged a lot of the household staff that they met along the way and interrogated them about where their master and mistress went. Finally, a maid told them that she saw the two heading to their bedroom suite.
When they arrived at the suite, it was Wang Yingjie who opened the door for them. He didn't look surprised because he already heard the old man's booming voice calling for Iris and Jin Liwei while banging on the door.
"Where's Xiulan my girl and Liwei my boy? Tell me, Yingjie my boy. I want to know!"
Before Wang Yingjie could answer, they heard the sound of someone vomiting from inside the bedroom. The door to the bedroom was left ajar.
"Oh no! What's happening?" Huang Yuyan pushed her way inside the suite and rushed to the bedroom.
The others followed her while Wang Yingjie could only sigh before closing the door.
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Chapter 922 - Blessing In The Family
When everyone entered the bedroom, the first person they saw was an unfamiliar woman. Huang Yuyan didn't bother to inquire about the person's identity first because she was more concerned about the vomiting sounds coming from the bathroom. The door was open so she headed straight there.
She saw her eldest son supporting and rubbing the back of her new daughter-in-law who was currently bent over the toilet bowl and dry-heaving in a pitiful manner. Jin Liwei looked extremely worried, as if seeing his wife's suffering was giving him actual physical pain.
"Oh, poor dear!" Huang Yuyan didn't hesitate to rush forward and push her own son to the side to support her daughter-in-law herself. She was a small woman but had no problem taking over. She rubbed Iris' back while murmuring soothing words. Then she glanced at her son who was hovering anxiously behind them. "Make yourself useful and go get a damp towel!"
It took a few seconds for his mother's instruction to register in Jin Liwei's mind but when it did, he moved quickly and returned with a damp towel in his hand. He was about to use it to cool his wife's sweaty forehead but his mother snatched the towel from him and did it herself.
"Mother, I'll do itâ"
Yang Jiahui and Grandma Li also entered the bathroom by this time. The bathroom was huge so there was plenty of space for everyone. With the arrival of the two additional ladies, however, Jin Liwei was pushed farther away from his wife. He wanted to stay by his wife's side but his grandmother kicked him out of the bathroom, saying that the women knew how to take care of his wife better.
Although reluctant, he forced himself to leave the bathroom because he trusted his mother and grandmother. Yang Jiahui was also a kind person who never attempted to harm his wife despite being bullied by the original Long Xiulan in the past. Nevertheless, he still hovered by the door, not wanting for his wife to leave his sight especially right now that she was suffering so much like this.
"Excuse me, sir," the private doctor said.
He moved to the side and allowed the female doctor to enter the bathroom to join the other women in taking care of his wife. Then all of a sudden, a powerful force slammed him on the back and almost made him vomit his internal organs.
"Bahahahaha! Is this what this old man is thinking? Tell me, Liwei my boy! I want to know!" Grandpa Lu continued to "pat" Jin Liwei's back.
Gritting his teeth, Jin Liwei endured the old man's overenthusiastic display of affection. He and his sworn brothers, except for Lu Zihao, secretly agreed among themselves that Grandpa Lu's "pats" had become much more powerful lately.
Wang Yingjie speculated that it might be due to Lu Zihao becoming more muscular and physically stronger. Whenever Grandpa Lu "patted" his grandson, Lu Zihao never reacted and always looked unaffected. It was as if those dangerous pats were nothing to him. Perhaps the old man increased the force of his "pats" in order to elicit a reaction from his grandson. The only problem was that he didn't think to adjust these new more powerful "pats" whenever he did it on Jin Liwei and his other honourary grandsons.
Fortunately, Grandpa Lu didn't "pat" him for too long. The old man was busy basking in his happiness.
"Liwei," Long Tengfei called.
Jin Liwei turned. "Father."
Long Tengfei glanced at the scene in the bathroom. There was great worry in his eyes but also excitement and hope.
"Is my daughter...?"
Jin Liwei didn't realize that the corners of his mouth curved upwards. "Yes, my wife is pregnant."
"Bahahahaha! Congratulations, my boy! Today is a wonderful day!" Grandpa Lu was over the moon with joy.
Long Tengfei had a complicated expression at first but it was quickly replaced by excitement. "This is wonderful news. A child is always a blessing in the family. I'm very happy for you and my daughter."
"Thank you, Father."
Jin Liwei was about to thank the old man next but saw Grandpa Lu "patting" Wang Yingjie's back. His second brother threw him a helpless look as he, too, endured the "pats". Grandpa Lu continued laughing in happiness.
Grandma Li came out of the bathroom and scolded her friend. "Stop laughing so much, you noisy old gorilla! If you want to celebrate, go outside where our granddaughter-in-law won't be able to hear you. She's suffering so much and yet you're laughing like a stupid buffoon."
Grandpa Lu immediately stopped laughing and even managed to look like a guilty child who got scolded for being too naughty. Then he peered inside the bathroom at Iris who was still vomiting. "Sorry, my girl! Your beloved grandpa isn't laughing at you! This old man is just very happyâ"
"Alright, that's enough." Grandma Li cut him off. "Just be quiet for now. Xiulan dear is pregnant and her private doctor says that her emotions are very sensitive right now. Don't agitate her."
Grandpa Lu nodded. True to his word, his booming voice became quiet. Long Tengfei began talking to Wang Yingjie who assured him that his pregnant daughter would be fine despite her worrying symptom.
As for Jin Liwei, he continued hovering by the bathroom doorway. He wanted to stay by his wife's side but the women surrounded her and left no room for him. If it were any other people, he would've already forced his way through to reach his wife. However, there was his mother and grandmother. He couldn't just push them away like other people.
His heart felt like it was being squeezed as he watched his wife whimpering in-between the dry-heaving. Yang Jiahui was wiping the tears and sweat from her face but Iris still looked miserable.
Finally, Iris was able to speak. "Li-Liwei...."
He was already rushing to her as soon as he heard her calling his name. Fortunately, his mother and the others made space for him. He knelt beside his wife and once again took over in comforting her as she continued to dry-heave.
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Chapter 923 - No Wedding Presents
Later, Huang Yuyan and Yang Jiahui assisted Iris in removing her makeup and washing her face while Jin Liwei grabbed a set of pyjamas for her to change into. She wanted to take a shower but her mother-in-law lectured her. In the end, she had no choice but to satisfy herself with a simple wipe-down with a damp towel instead. Jin Liwei did it for her because she felt too drained to do it herself.
The men already left the bedroom when Jin Liwei carried Iris to their bed. Huang Yuyan and Yang Jiahui fussed over her while Grandma Li rested on the chaise longue.
"Grandson, let your mother take care of your wife for now so that you can return to the banquet," the elder matriarch said.
Jin Liwei frowned. "No, Grandmother. I'll stay with my wife."
"I know that you want to stay with your wife but you can't just leave your guests hanging like this. Xiulan is unable to return to the banquet because she's feeling unwell but you're perfectly fine so you need to go back by yourself. You invited all those people and they all spent time and effort to attend today's event without even knowing that it's your wedding. Some even flew from abroad. It's terribly rude to just disappear without giving a proper explanation. As the groom, you have the responsibility to at least show your face to your guests until they leave even if your bride cannot."
His frown deepened.
Iris touched his hand. "Grandma Li is right, Liwei. You should return to the banquet and interact with our guests. I would do it with you if I could but as you can see, I can't right now. I just know that I'll feel sick again if I return with you to the banquet."
He was unwilling to leave her.
"I'll be fine, darling," she said.
Huang Yuyan also tried to persuade him. "Yes, son. Rest assured that Xiulan will be fine. Your mother will take care of your wife while you're gone."
"The doctor will also stay here," Iris added. "And with Auntie Yuyanâ"
"Dear, we're an official family now. You should start calling me Mother and not Auntie Yuyan anymore!"
Iris' eyes widened before she smiled. "Sorry, Mother."
"It's fine, dear. Just don't forget next time."
She nodded before turning to her husband again. "I'll really be fine. Mother will accompany me. You go back to the banquet and thank our guests, okay?"
He still looked unwilling to leave her but found it difficult to reject her request. In the end, he sighed and agreed with great reluctance.
"Fine, I'll go. You should rest now, love. I'll be back later." He leaned down and gave her a rather chaste kiss on the lips in front of his mother.
"Okay, darling."
With that, Huang Yuyan and the private doctor stayed with Iris in the bedroom while Jin Liwei, Grandma Li and Yang Jiahui left. Grandpa Lu, Long Tengfei and Wang Yingjie were waiting in the suite's living room. They all left together to return to the banquet.
At the banquet, Jin Liwei tried his best to interact with the guests despite his desire to return to his wife. When asked about Iris, all he said was that she was feeling unwell. Since everyone invited were close friends of the couple, they were all worried about Iris but didn't pry too much. Most of them already knew that she had some health issues so they accepted Jin Liwei's explanation of why she suddenly disappeared from her own wedding banquet.
When it was almost time to end the banquet, Jin Liwei took the microphone to personally speak to everyone.
"On behalf of my wife and I, I would like to thank all of you for attending our wedding. We know that it has been a huge surprise to you because my wife and I decided to keep everything a secret. We truly appreciate your attendance today. It has been such a pleasure sharing this special and important moment with you all.
"Some of you have been asking me during the banquet about giving us wedding presents. It's understandable that you didn't prepare anything given that we didn't inform you about the true nature of today's event. That's why my wife and I don't expect you to give us any wedding presents. Your presence today is already enough for us.
"But when I told you this earlier, you were all adamant that you still want to give us wedding presents. Thank you very much! However, my wife and I already decided that we will not personally accept any wedding presents from any of you."
The guests didn't look happy at his announcement. Just based on their expressions, it was already obvious that they would still send some wedding presents regardless of what Jin Liwei said tonight.
Jin Liwei could read their thoughts from their expressions.
"If you still wish to give us wedding presents, I would suggest that you donate to my wife's foundation Iris of Hope instead. It's still newly established but Iris of Hope already helped a lot of the less fortunate people. Instead of giving to us, my wife and I think that it's better to give back to those who need it the most."
Everyone clapped their hands after his speech. They now felt better after his rejection of wedding gifts. Representatives from Iris of Hope appeared to assist the guests who wanted to donate on the spot. Wei Lan took this opportunity to remind everyone that she was also a representative of her daughter's foundation.
Jin Liwei let her be. As long as she didn't cause trouble, he wouldn't stop her. Besides, Wei Lan had indeed been helpful in gathering support for Iris of Hope when his wife was busy with her other works. Wei Lan used her status as a viscountess to raise money for the foundation.
It was already past midnight when the banquet finally ended and the guests who weren't sleeping over at the mansion all left.
Jin Liwei returned to the bedroom to find his wife already sleeping. He smiled at her.
"I can't wait for our honeymoon."
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Chapter 924 - Not Bound By Customs And Traditions
The next day, Iris and Jin Liwei along with their bridesmaids and groomsmen ate a rather light brunch together because most of them still felt full after last night's feast, except for the glutton Dom who always had infinite room for more food in his bottomless stomach. The entire wedding party slept over at the mansion.
Some family members also didn't leave last night. On Jin Liwei's side, Huang Yuyan, Grandma Li and Grandpa Lu also slept over. And on Iris' side, Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui decided to stay as well. Wei Lan had been invited to stay but she decided to leave with Randy and return to the penthouse along with Yi Mei and the others because she felt uncomfortable after Jin Liwei confronted her yesterday just before the wedding ceremony.
At the dining table, everyone was extra attentive to Iris because all of them now knew that she was pregnant.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" Huang Yuyan asked her. "Are you still nauseous? Dizzy?"
"I'm fine now, Mother. Thank you. I felt nauseous when I woke up earlier but I'm alright now after sipping some of the herbal soup that you asked the chef to make for me."
Huang Yuyan nodded. "That soup was really effective when I got pregnant with your Brother-in-law Chonglin. I suffered so much when I got pregnant with him. What a troublesome kid!"
"Mom!" Jin Chonglin made a face but his mother ignored him.
"As for your husband, Liwei was such a calm baby. I didn't have any trouble when I was pregnant with him. Almost no symptoms. If it wasn't for my ballooning belly, nobody would think that I was actually pregnant. I thought pregnancy was like that. Then I had Chonglin." She sighed.
Iris glanced at Jin Liwei, feeling very interested about what he was like as a child. He caught her looking at him and smiled at her. She smiled back before pressing her hand on her flat stomach.
"It seems like Liwei's firstborn won't be as calm as him," she said, sighing. "I feel sick almost everyday now."
Jin Liwei nodded. "As troublesome as Uncle Chonglin."
Jin Chonglin's expression became bitter. Why did it feel as if they were blaming him for all troublesome pregnancies? What did that have to do with him? It wasn't his fault!
He could see that his brother and new sister-in-law's friends were all quietly making fun of him in their minds. His mood dove even lower when he noticed the bossy COO of Orchidia Beauty, Chen Fei, who was sitting opposite him at the dining table, also laughing at him with her eyes. Unfortunately for him, his mother, the elders and the newlyweds didn't care about his feelings.
"Yuyan, send the homemade recipes for alleviating pregnancy symptoms to Liwei and Xiulan's chef," Grandma Li instructed.
"Yes, Mother. That's what I'm planning."
Iris smiled at them. "Thank you, Mother and Grandma Li."
"It's our pleasure, my dear," Huang Yuyan replied. "Hopefully, they would be helpful to you. This is the least we can do since you're carrying my first human grandchild. All of us are very happy for you and Liwei."
Iris and Jin Liwei glanced at each other. Except for those who knew already, they hadn't yet informed the others that Iris was actually carrying twins. The rest of them were still under the assumption that she and Jin Liwei were having only one child.
"Xiulan, have you informed your mother that you're pregnant yet?" Yang Jiahui asked.
"Not yet, Auntie. I was planning to inform her today but unfortunately she declined Liwei's invitation to sleep over last night."
Long Tengfei gave a light snort. Yang Jiahui threw him a warning glance before talking to Iris again.
"You should still inform her, Xiulan. She's your mother."
"I understand, Auntie. Liwei and I will find a good time to share the news with Mother. We're being very extra careful with the news of my pregnancy for now because we want to be the ones to make the official announcement to the public. I don't want people especially my fans to learn that I'm pregnant through rumours or tabloid news."
Everyone nodded and continued to enjoy the food. They all accepted the newlyweds' invitation to sleep over at the mansion. They understood that the couple had no interest in following the old marriage customs and traditions. There was no visiting the parents after the wedding day, so the parents came to the newlyweds' house instead.
Iris and Jin Liwei didn't want to be bound by rigid customs and traditions but to focus on their own marriage by following their own terms instead. They didn't marry to please anyone, only themselves. Their marriage was a symbolic and lawful binding of their love to each other, not to conform to their relatives' expectations of their relationship. Nevertheless, the two still intended to keep both sides of the families involved to a certain degree in their married life especially now that Iris was going to give birth to the next generation of Jin children in less than a year.
After the meal, everyone rested for about an hour before gathering together again. Since Iris became unwell and had to withdraw early from her own wedding banquet last night, she and Jin Liwei decided to do the tossing of the bouquet and the garter today instead.
Iris held her draping bouquet as she glanced at her friends taking positions a few metres behind her. She chuckled after seeing them. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author, ArriaCross. Thank you!]
Dom had his eyes focused on the prize. There was a slight sheen of sweat and reddish tinge on his skin. He was like a warmed-up athlete just before the start of a major competition.
Beside him was his sister, Clover, who looked excited for the bouquet toss. Like her brother, she also wanted to catch the bouquet. On Dom's other side was Meimei. Her eyes reflected her desire for the bouquet but it was unfortunate that her sleep-deprived zombie-like body might not be able to move as energetically as she wanted.
Jiang Ying Yue stood at the side. She didn't look interested in the bouquet at all and was only participating as a courtesy to her friends.
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Chapter 925 - Bouquet Toss
Lin Yehan was carrying Little Jun as the toddler cheered for his Uncle Dom, not for his own mother. Although the little guy had no idea what was going on, his adorable giggles indicated that he was having fun watching the entertaining scene playing in front of him.
On the far side stood the best friends Long Jinjing and Chen Fei. Long Jinjing felt shy just by the idea of catching the bouquet so she stood a little behind her best friend. She looked like she had no intention of trying to catch the bouquet at all.
Chen Fei also had no interest in the bouquet and the implication of catching it but she was a competitive person. Just seeing the triplets Dom, Meimei and Clover all gearing up to catch the bouquet ignited her own fighting spirit. She planned on catching the bouquet just because she liked to win and not because she believed in the crap about being the next one to marry.
Then a booming voice suddenly started cheering for a certain someone.
"Jinjing, my girl! You have to catch the bouquet and marry my pinheaded grandson next! Why are you standing there at the very back? I want to know! Go to the front so you'll have a higher chance of catching the bouquet! Come on, my girl! Grandpa believes in you!"
Long Jinjing turned a deep shade of crimson. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to run away but couldn't because she didn't want to ruin her sister's bouquet toss by being a killjoy.
Chen Fei turned around. "Don't overthink it. Just have fun."
"Y-yes. You're right."
Long Jinjing took a few deep breaths and stepped forward so that Grandpa Lu wouldn't complain anymore about her standing too far in the back.
At the front, Iris also felt entertained. She waved the bouquet a little, trying to figure out how much force to put in her throw. It was quite heavy for a bouquet so she would need to put more strength when throwing it behind her.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, boss! My gorgeous and fabulous self is all ready to catch that beautiful bouquet! Maybe if I do, my future lover will finally appear and give me my happily ever after! Ehehehe~"
Clover stuck her tongue at her brother. "Sorry, Big Bro. The bouquet will be mine! Maybe I'll be able to meet a hot Frenchman who'll become my husband when I return to France this weekend."
"Momsy will beat you with her deadly slippers if you marry too early!"
Clover had no retort to that because their fearsome mother would really do that.
"I'll be the one to get the bouquet!" Meimei declared but nobody believed her because she looked like she was about to fall asleep on her feet.
Yu Mo was recording everything on video.
"Alright, I'm going to throw the bouquet now in 3..."
Iris closed her eyes.
"2..."
She went into a pitching position.
"1!"
She threw the bouquet like a baseball while her eyes were still closed.
The bouquet barrelled like an unstable rocket in the air. There was nobody in the direction that it was flying.
Dom was the first one to move towards it but the exhausted Meimei tripped and bumped into him, sending the two of them crashing to the floor. Seeing them, Clover quickly abandoned her own pursuit of the bouquet to help her brother and Meimei from the floor.
Jiang Ying Yue was the farthest away so she didn't bother chasing after the bouquet. She just stood there in her original position and watched who was going to be the one to catch the flowers.
Chen Fei reached for the bouquet but at the last second, she stepped back all of a sudden and let the flowers whistle past her. Behind her, there was a small yelp followed by a dull thud.
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three secondsâ
"Bahahaha! Excellent job, Jinjing my girl! Haohao my boy, why aren't you helping your future wife from the floor yet? I want to know! Go and check if she's injured!"
A stone-faced Lu Zihao walked to where Long Jinjing was struggling to get up from the floor, the huge bouquet on her lap. There were stray petals and leaves on her hair, clothes, and all around her.
She was just blindly following behind her best friend and pretending to participate in the bouquet toss just for show. Seeing Chen Fei reaching for it just a few seconds ago, she thought that her best friend would emerge the victor for sure. Who would've expected for Chen Fei to suddenly step back?
Before Long Jinjing knew it, the bouquet had hit her on the chest, knocking the air out of her. The weight of the big bouquet and the great force to which her sister threw it caused her to stumble backwards and fall on her butt to the floor.
Without a word, Lu Zihao grabbed the bouquet from her lap and lifted her up with a hand in one smooth move.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, still too breathless and shocked to speak. She couldn't believe that the bouquet literally landed on her lap without her really trying.
"Hurt anywhere?"
She paused before shaking her head.
"Good. Here." He handed the bouquet back to her.
"T-thanks."
"My bouquet!" Dom wailed. "But since it's Sis Jing who got it, then it's fine. Wuwuwu! Please take care of her Big Brother Boss!"
Long Jinjing flushed and made a face at the overdramatic Dom. Then she glared at her best friend. Chen Fei just shrugged at her as if what happened was of no concern of her.
"Congratulations, Big Sister," Iris said when she reached them.
"I...uh, thanks." Long Jinjing pressed herself closer to Lu Zihao's big body in a futile attempt to hide herself from everyone.
"You threw the bouquet too hard," Lu Zihao reprimanded his sister. "If it hit Jinjing in the face, she would surely have a black eye."
Iris tilted her head to the side and studied him as if she was seeing her own brother for the first time.
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Chapter 926 - Additional Incentive
"I'm fine, really," Long Jinjing said in a hurry. Then she tugged Lu Zihao's hand. "Don't scold my sister. It's not her fault that I'm so clumsy."
Lu Zihao studied her for a few moments, checking if she was really unhurt, before finally nodding.
Iris also continued observing the two of them, a small smile playing on her lips. She didn't mind that her brother scolded her a little and was being protective of Long Jinjing. On the contrary, she found it very intriguing.
"What's going on here?" Jin Liwei's voice interrupted them when he arrived beside Iris. He wrapped his arm around her waist before looking at Lu Zihao.
"Nothing much, darling," Iris replied. "We were just making sure that Big Sister Jinjing is not hurt."
Jin Liwei nodded.
"We, ladies, are done with our bouquet toss. It's the men's turn now for the tossing of the garter. Get everyone ready, Liwei."
"Okay, love."
Iris, Long Jinjing and the other members of the girl squad all moved to the side. Yu Mo handed the video camera to Dom so that he could also record the garter toss.
"Come here, dear," Huang Yuyan called and patted at the empty space on the sofa beside her.
Iris headed straight to her mother-in-law. Huang Yuyan immediately gestured for the butler to pour Iris a fresh cup of hot ginger tea and some herbal snacks.
On the nearby sofa, Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui were sitting together. Lin Yehan handed Little Jun to them before joining the rest of the men for the garter toss.
Grandpa Lu's booming voice cheered for his own grandson. "Haohao my boy, Jinjing my girl successfully caught the bouquet so you have to catch the garter next! If you don't, then you're a good-for-nothing dunderhead! I don't have a grandson who's a good-for-nothing! Even if you have to teleport, you have to catch that garter! Are you hearing what your beloved grandpa is saying? Tell me, I want to know!"
"Yes, I hear you, old man," Lu Zihao replied.
"What did you call me, you pinheaded rascal?!"
"Grandpa."
"Hmph!" Grandpa Lu turned his head and looked at Long Jinjing. He beamed. "Don't worry, my girl! Haohao might be a pinhead sometimes but he'll keep his promise and catch that garter for you!"
Long Jinjing hid her face behind the huge, draping bouquet. She glared at her best friend who was sitting beside her.
Chen Fei pretended not to see her expression. To be honest, she wanted the bouquet because she liked to win but just as her hand was about to catch it, her eyes caught the scary glower of Grandpa Lu. The meaning of his look was very obvious. He didn't want her catching the bouquet but the person behind her. Not wanting to incur the displeasure of the old man, Chen Fei made the decision to withdraw at the last second and allow the bouquet to land on Long Jinjing's lap instead.
Grandpa Lu continued cheering for his grandson. His booming encouragements were bordering on threats but Lu Zihao didn't appear affected. Lu Zihao still looked casual as always, like a lazy panther who was about to take its afternoon nap.
"Quiet down, you old gorilla," Grandma Li scolded her friend. "Be fair and don't just cheer for one person."
Grandpa Lu didn't look happy but he still listened and became quiet.
Back to Jin Liwei and his groomsmen, they were all ready after finding their own spots.
"Let's make this more interesting," Jin Liwei announced all of a sudden. "Whoever catches this garter, I'll buy you something you want."
"Oooooooooh~" Dom's eyes began sparkling. "Sir boss, can I join the garter toss, too?"
"No. You already joined the bouquet toss so you're not eligible for the garter anymore."
Dom pouted but he didn't look dejected. He busied himself in capturing the moment on video.
Iris turned to Long Jinjing. "Since it's like this, I'll buy you something you want too, Big Sister."
"N-no, there's no need for that," Long Jinjing said.
"I insist. Please think of something by the time Liwei and I return from our honeymoon."
Long Jinjing was about to decline again but Chen Fei blocked her and answered Iris on her behalf. "She says yes. She's going to think of something when you return."
"Why did you say that?" Long Jinjing was miffed at her best friend.
"Xiulan is your sister. Since she gave you such a nice offer, then you shouldn't keep on rejecting her good will. If I was in your shoes, I would gladly accept it and request for a penthouse unit at one of her numerous Gold Heights properties. She's rich even without your new billionaire brother-in-law."
Long Jinjing opened her mouth and was about to argue but Chen Fei shushed her up because the garter toss was about to start.
Yu Mo came over to Lu Zihao and patted his shoulder. "Sorry, Fifth Bro. I'm not personally interested in the garter but I want a new sports car for my collection. Third Bro will surely buy me a customized one if I catch the garter."
"Big Bro, if I say I want a property here at Dragon Palace Homes, can I get one?" Jin Chonglin asked.
Jin Liwei didn't bat an eye. "I can negotiate to buy out a property from the current owner. No problem. But first, you must catch the garter."
"Cool! The security here at Dragon Palace Homes is the best. That garter is mine!"
Although Lin Yehan and Wang Yingjie weren't saying anything, it was obvious from the look in their eyes that they were also gunning for the garter. They also had something that they want their third brother to buy for them.
It was only Lu Zihao whose expression didn't change even after hearing Jin Liwei's additional incentive. He wasn't even looking at the garter.
"Alright, are you ready?" Jin Liwei asked.
"Hell yeah! Send it flying straight to me, Third Bro!" Yu Mo went into a semi-lunge position.
"No, send it here, Big Bro! I'm your flesh and blood brother!" Jin Chonglin also went into a similar battle-ready position.
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Chapter 927 - Garter Toss
Jin Liwei took inspiration from how his wife threw the bouquet earlier. He closed his eyes and threw the garter like a baseball at a random direction behind him. But since the garter was extremely light compared to the bouquet, it still flew slowly in the air.
All the men ran forward, their eyes never leaving the garter. They looked like basketball players going for a rebound.
Surprisingly, it was the thin and gentle Lin Yehan who reached for the garter first because it flew the closest to him. However, just before he could reach for it, the more aggressive Yu Mo decided to play dirty and push him out of the way.
Jin Chonglin took this chance to jump up and reach for the garter himself but Wang Yingjie didn't let him. The doctor also surprisingly played dirty and pulled Jin Chonglin's clothes, causing Jin Chonglin to lose his balance and almost fall to the floor before he was able to stabilize himself.
"Second Bro Yingjie, you dare!" Jin Chonglin roared.
Wang Yingjie ignored him, his eyes never leaving the flying garter, but there was a slight smirk on his lips. He ran forward with great speed, his expertise in karate showing in his agility and body coordination.
"Oh no, you don't!" Yu Mo shouted. He also ran forward and displayed his own speed and agility from his Systema training.
"OMG! This is so exciting!! My maiden heart is racing like crazy!!! I don't know who to cheer for! Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Dom jumped up and down in excitement but stopped upon remembering that he was supposed to record everything on video.
Clover and Meimei were also in similar states as him. They didn't know who to cheer for so they just cheered for everyone. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author, ArriaCross. Thank you! Also follow me on Instagram @arriacross]
At the moment, it looked like it would either be Wang Yingjie or Yu Mo who had the highest chance of catching the garter. Close behind them was Jin Chonglin. Lin Yehan was a little farther in the back but he wasn't giving up yet.
Wang Yingjie and Yu Mo both jumped up at the same time. Yu Mo was able to jump higher. Victory was almost in his hands.
In the next second, however, a huge blur whizzed past everyone and easily snatched the garter from Yu Mo's fingertips.
Lu Zihao landed on his feet, barely making any sound. The delicate lace garter looked out of place in his huge, calloused and scarred hand. He examined it for a few seconds before walking away as if nothing happened.
"What the hell, Fifth Bro?!" Yu Mo chased after him.
Jin Chonglin clicked his tongue and kicked the air in frustration. He really wanted a property at Dragon Palace Homes.
Wang Yingjie and Lin Yehan looked at each other before sighing and shaking their heads.
Lu Zihao ignored everyone and walked straight to where Long Jinjing was sitting.
"That's my boy!" Grandpa Lu's voice boomed with great pride. "You didn't disappoint your beloved grandpa! Bahahaha!"
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!" The triplets Dom, Meimei and Clover couldn't hide their excitement.
Long Jinjing felt herself heating up as she watched Lu Zihao nearing her. He stopped directly in front of her and offered his hand.
"Come," he said.
With a racing heart, she laid her hand on top of his palm. He pulled her up. She pressed her face against his wide chest to hide her blushing face as everyone around them began clapping their hands and teasing the two of them.
"Congratulations Big Sister and Big Brother," Iris said when she reached them.
"T-thanks," Long Jinjing replied in a soft voice.
Lu Zihao only grunted.
Jin Liwei also arrived next to Iris. He nodded at Lu Zihao.
"Big Brother, it's time for you to put the garter up Big Sister's leg."
Long Jinjing looked a little panicked. "Must we really do that?"
Iris tilted her head to the side. "Of course."
"Let's go." Lu Zihao pulled Long Jinjing back to the centre where Yu Mo already placed a chair.
Yu Mo was still grumbling but Lu Zihao ignored him while Long Jinjing continued to hide her face behind the huge bouquet. She sat on the chair while Dom was giving directions for her and Lu Zihao to pose for some photos.
Afterwards, Lu Zihao knelt on one knee in front of her, causing her to blush even harder. The triplets Dom, Meimei and Clover were all squealing. The happiest, however, seemed to be Grandpa Lu whose booming laughter echoed in the room.
Long Jinjing was wearing a long, casual dress. Lu Zihao didn't hesitate to lift the hem and reveal her ankles and lower legs. However, he made sure to block the sight from the other men with his huge body.
Carefully, he slid the garter up her leg. His hand disappeared under the skirt of her dress as he slid the garter higher until it reached her thigh without allowing the others to see more of her bare skin.
She stiffened a little when he brushed his rough fingertips along the insides of her thighs, causing her to turn even redder than she already had. Despite this, his expression remained emotionless as always. She, however, detected the l.u.s.t in his eyes.
"How long are you going to keep your hand up in Jinjing's skirt, you naughty rascal?!" Grandpa Lu's booming voice teased. "Are you not going to remove it? Tell me, I want to know!"
"Nikolai, your hand," Long Jinjing begged Lu Zihao in a desperate whisper. She felt so embarrassed but there was also a sweet feeling building inside her chest upon noticing the intense look in his eyes.
Lu Zihao finally removed his hand from under her skirt, his movement very slow. He didn't give a damn about Grandpa Lu and the others teasing him and Long Jinjing. After that, he helped Long Jinjing up and held her hand, not letting her go even when she tried to pull her hand away.
The triplets Dom, Meimei and Clover began chanting.
"Kiss kiss kiss!!!"
Long Jinjing glared at them but before she could say anything, Lu Zihao already pulled her and kissed her on the lips in front of everyone.
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Chapter 928 - Keep On Baking
When the kiss ended, Long Jinjing became dazed and breathless. Her IQ once again plummeted to amoeba level. She had to rely on Lu Zihao to steer her while walking or she would trip on her own two feet.
Jin Chonglin curled his lip at Lu Zihao. "Che. What a great pretender! You looked like you weren't at all interested in catching the garter but you still chased after it in the end."
Lu Zihao threw him a sidelong glance. "Like hell I'm going to allow another man to place the garter up my woman's leg. You don't have a woman so you won't understand."
"Who says I don't have a woman?!"
Lu Zihao ignored him and led Long Jinjing away.
Yu Mo placed his arm around Jin Chonglin's shoulders. "Well, do you have a woman that you're steady right now?"
"..." Jin Chonglin didn't dare answer.
Yu Mo sighed and patted his shoulder, acting as if Jin Chonglin was a very pitiful creature. "Fifth Bro is right. If my woman also caught the bouquet, there's no way I'll allow another man to catch the garter and put it up her leg."
Jin Chonglin shook off Yu Mo's arm from his shoulders and stalked away to sulk at a corner. He was a superstar and idolized by the masses but whenever he was with family and friends, all they did was bully him. Just watch him. When he found his own woman that he wanted to settle down with, he would show her off to his family and friends. Then he would be the one throwing dogfood and not the other way around.
After the fun bouquet and garter tosses, the newlyweds Iris and Jin Liwei finally prepared to set off for their honeymoon destination that afternoon. Everyone saw them off to say goodbye to them.
"Take care of my daughter-in-law and grandchild," Huang Yuyan told her son.
Jin Liwei replied, "I will, Mother. Please don't worry."
"How can I not worry? You're travelling by plane! Xiulan is still very early in her pregnancy. Are you sure it's safe for her to fly right now?"
Iris held her mother-in-law's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be alright, Mother. My private doctor already cleared me to fly. The flight is also not too long, only about three hours at most. The doctor is also coming with us so she can monitor my health throughout our trip."
Jin Liwei nodded. "I also made sure that there's a modern hospital just a few minutes by helicopter from where we're staying. Don't worry, Mother. I won't let anything bad happen to my wife and our firstborn that she's carrying."
Grandma Li stepped forward and patted her daughter-in-law in the back. "Yuyan, trust in your son. Liwei has always been reliable. If he promises to do something, he always fulfills it."
Huang Yuyan still looked worried but she nodded and stepped back in the end. "Always take care, okay?"
"Yes, Mother."
Grandpa Lu stepped forward and "patted" Jin Liwei's back. Jin Liwei paled a little as he gritted his teeth to endure the old man's extreme show of affection.
"Grandpa Lu, please be gentle!" Iris tried to block Grandpa Lu. "Liwei just recovered from his back injuries recently. I don't want him to hurt himself again especially during our honeymoon."
Grandpa Lu immediately stopped his actions.
"I'm fine, love," Jin Liwei told her. "I'm fully healed now."
"Yes, but still..."
"You're right, Xiulan my girl! Excuse this old man for not being careful." Then Grandpa Lu narrowed his eyes at Jin Liwei. "And you, my boy! Why didn't you tell me not to pat you in the back too hard? Tell me, I want to know!"
Grandma Li intervened at this point. "Alright, that's enough. Let the newlyweds go peacefully. Don't stress them out, especially Xiulan."
"Fine!" Grandpa Lu then hugged both Iris and Jin Liwei. "You two enjoy your honeymoon! Although you already have a bun in the oven, it doesn't hurt to keep on baking! Bahahahaha!"
Grandma Li sighed at her friend's ribald joke.
Iris and Jin Liwei didn't mind. They were already used to Grandpa Lu's style of teasing. Unlike the easily embarrassed Long Jinjing, Iris had thicker skin. After all, she was Grandpa Lu's direct business disciple. She already developed a certain level of shamelessness that would even make Jin Liwei speechless sometimes.
"Boss, please don't worry about anything," Dom said next. "I'll take care of everything here at the home front. Just enjoy your honeymoon with sir boss!"
"Thanks, Dom."
Iris pulled Jin Liwei and went straight to Lu Zihao and Long Jinjing next. Her oversensitivity to smells had returned since last night so she needed to maintain a certain distance from her big brother. However, that wouldn't stop her from saying a proper goodbye to him. She held her breath and hugged Lu Zihao tightly. His arms automatically wrapped around her as he returned the tight hug.
"Take care and be safe," he murmured to her in Russian.
She nodded. After a couple more seconds, the embrace ended and she returned to her husband's side to inhale his scent.
Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao silently communicated with each other through their eyes. There was a tacit understanding between them regarding their new relationship as brothers-in-law. They developed a unique closeness that stemmed from the existence of the evolved remnant of the original Lu Zihao.
"You caught the garter so think of something that you want me to buy for you when my wife and I return from our honeymoon," Jin Liwei told him.
"Fine." Lu Zihao didn't reject his offer.
Jin Liwei nodded.
"Big Sister, don't forget to think of something, too," Iris reminded Long Jinjing.
"Yes, she'll think of something," Lu Zihao answered for Long Jinjing before she could decline Iris' offer.
Long Jinjing pouted but didn't argue with him.
The newlyweds finally said their goodbyes to everyone. They left by car and headed straight to the private airport where Jin Liwei's small private jet was already waiting for them. Since they were only travelling within the country, they didn't use their jumbo plane, LX Air.
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Chapter 929 - Absolute Privacy
By the time the newlyweds boarded the private jet, Iris became overcome by drowsiness. She wanted to spend more time chatting with her husband but could barely keep her eyes open.
"Take a nap, love. I'll wake you up when we arrive at our destination." Jin Liwei kissed her forehead after helping her put her seatbelt on before taking the seat right next to her.
She sighed before nodding. It was no use trying to fight off sleep when her body was craving for it so badly. Before the private jet could lift off, she was already fast asleep.
Jin Liwei covered her with a fluffy blanket and pulled her into his arms so that she was lying on his chest. She didn't stir even with all the movement. Before long, he also fell asleep.
In the end, it was only the private doctor and the staff and security personnel who came with them that got to enjoy the first-class treatment of the flight. Both Iris and Jin Liwei slept through the entire duration of the flight.
After about three hours, they finally touched down at a small airport that barely had any buildings. The blue ocean could be seen at a distance. On the other side were mountains and forests.
Jin Liwei woke up right away with just a single tap from the male flight attendant. Iris, however, was still in deep sleep. Jin Liwei didn't want to wake her up so soon, so some of the staff disembarked earlier to scope out the surroundings while the others stayed with the newlyweds in the plane until Iris woke up naturally. They were the only jet that was scheduled to land that day so there was no problem of them overstaying at the small airport. Fortunately, Iris woke up half an hour later.
She was still groggy and wanted to sleep longer but immediately urged everyone to disembark upon realizing that they already landed some time ago.
"You should've woken me up," she told Jin Liwei.
He only smiled at her. "It's alright, love. Don't worry about it. It's our honeymoon. We can do whatever we want."
She had no energy to argue with him so she only nodded and drowsily followed him down the private jet to the waiting off-road vehicle. They were in the Southern part of the country. Unlike at home, the weather was nice and tropical here. All of them removed their jackets, leaving only the light short-sleeved clothing underneath.
Only the major roads were paved in this place. The less travelled paths were made of dirt and sometimes gravel. Therefore, it was quite a bumpy ride.
Jin Liwei frowned and scolded his subordinates who were sitting in the front seats of the vehicle. "None of you checked that the roads would be this bumpy before we made the travel arrangements here?"
"Apologies, Master."
Iris patted his arm. "It's fine, darling. This is nothing."
He still looked displeased. "Let me know if you're feeling unwell. We'll stop."
She nodded and continued looking out of the window. The view outside was relaxing. All around them was nature. They passed by some small towns with rural houses and buildings. This place had a charm that the modern bustling cities at home lacked. If not for Jin Liwei worrying about her inhaling too much dust, she would love to open the windows and let the fresh air inside the vehicle. He was right, though. The huge wheels of their convoy of off-road vehicles were kicking up a storm of dust in the air as they travelled down the dirt roads.
About fifteen minutes later, they entered a gated property where several helicopters were waiting for them. They transferred to the helicopters and flew to their final destination, a small private island.
The helicopter that Iris and Jin Liwei were riding touched down first on the wooden helipad connected to a boat dock on the beach. The cool, salty ocean breeze welcomed them. Iris closed her eyes and took a deep inhale.
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Jin!" the island's caretaker greeted them.
Jin Liwei's usual cold and indifferent expression was nowhere to be seen as he grinned upon hearing others refer to his wife as Mrs. Jin. Iris was also all smiles as she received a colourful bouquet of flowers and a cool glass of fresh non-alcoholic fruit punch from the staff. Her earlier drowsiness was now completely gone, replaced by excitement at the thought of enjoying her honeymoon with her husband in this beautiful tropical paradise away from prying eyes.
"Boss Iris, you're so much more beautiful in person than on TV," one of the staff commented in awe, revealing her identity as a Black Star. She looked like a teenager.
The caretaker glared at her. The girl realized her mistake and immediately apologized to Iris and Jin Liwei.
"Please excuse my niece's unprofessional behaviour!" the caretaker also apologized. "She's still young and hasn't fully absorbed all her training yet."
"It's fine," Iris said, smiling at the girl. She always cared about her loyal fans, the Black Stars. "Don't scold her too much."
"Yes, Young Madam! We thank you for your benevolence!"
"Yes, thank you, Boss Iris!"
"Call her Young Madam!"
"Young Madam!"
Iris couldn't help but chuckle. Then she patted the teenage girl's shoulder. "Thank you for your support."
The teenager looked like she was about to faint from too much happiness and excitement as she nodded repeatedly like a woodpecker.
"And don't cause your uncle too much trouble."
"Yes, Boss IrisâI mean, Young Madam!"
Jin Liwei wrapped his arm around Iris' waist. His grin was now gone, replaced by a stern expression. "My wife and I expect absolute privacy during our stay here. That means that no news about us, especially about my wife, should be shared to the outside world. Understood?"
The teenage girl shivered in fright at Jin Liwei's intimidating gaze.
"Certainly, sir!" the caretaker assured him. "Please don't worry. All members of my staff here are very discrete!"
"Good."
Iris sighed at her husband frightening her young fan. Despite this, she had no intention of stopping him because they indeed needed absolute privacy.
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Chapter 930 - Feels Different
Iris and Jin Liwei already laid out a plan on how to officially announce their marriage to the public. Everything had been arranged. For now, however, the two of them wanted to enjoy their honeymoon first without any unnecessary interruption.
As for her pregnancy, the official announcement would need to wait longer, perhaps when she reached her second or even third trimester. Or maybe, they would only announce it after she had given birth. Even they weren't sure yet.
Jin Liwei, the proud husband and father-to-be, wanted to announce everything to the whole world but had to restrain himself because his wife had become easily stressed ever since getting pregnant. Although Iris usually didn't give a whit about public opinion regarding herself, her pregnancy hormones made her more sensitive to other people's comments about her worthiness as a mother. This was further exacerbated by her remaining fear of becoming a mother.
Before learning about his wife's real identity in her past life as a member of the infamous Vetrov family, Jin Liwei didn't fully understand this fear of hers. But after learning how cruel her mother Madam Vetrova was in treating her own children, he could now somehow understand where his wife's fear of becoming a mother stemmed from. Even Nikolai confirmed that Evelina and their mother never truly got along with each other.
Just imagining what kind of horrors his wife went through in her past life was enough to make him furious. He vowed to never let her experience that kind of abuse ever again because that was what it was no matter how much his wife and brother-in-law tried to gloss it over as trainingâabuse, plain and simple.
His thoughts were interrupted by the caretaker who started giving them a tour around the large private villa.
Iris stopped walking and took of her shoes. "I want to walk barefoot and feel the sand under my feet."
He shook the dark thoughts of her past life from his mind and smiled. "Alright. Me, too."
Taking her shoes from her, he also took off his own shoes and went barefoot like her. His subordinate who was following behind them came forward to take both of their shoes.
Iris lifted her head and closed her eyes to enjoy the cool breeze. "It's so beautiful and peaceful here."
"I'm glad you like it here, Young Madam." The caretaker was pleased and became more enthusiastic in giving the newlyweds the tour.
Afterwards, the caretaker left Iris and Jin Liwei at their opulent master bedroom suite. The decorations were very tropical, evoking a sense of the exotic but also feeling very relaxing at the same time.
There were petals on the floor forming a path to the huge canopied bed. More petals were arranged on top of the bedsheets into two big interlocking hearts. There was also a welcome package of fresh fruits, refreshments, flowers, and interesting souvenirs for the two of them on the coffee table with a card addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Jin".
Iris noticed her husband looking smug after reading the card. "You like it so much that I'm now Mrs. Jin?"
"I love that you're now my wife," he corrected.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "Me, too. I love that you're now my husband. I thought that since we've been living together, things wouldn't feel so different whether we married or not. But I was wrong. Something seems to change now that we're officially married to each other. I'm not sure what exactly it is that feels different but I can feel it. Do you?"
"En. I feel it, too."
They gazed into each other's eyes. The sounds of the ocean waves and the rustling of the plants outside reached them through the open windows.
"Let's take a walk on the beach," she suggested.
"Alright, love."
While Iris was freshening up in the ensuite bathroom, Jin Liwei checked the entire bedroom suite. This was a habit he was trying to instill to himself after noticing his brother-in-law doing it every time Nikolai entered a new environment.
"Ketchup, are you here?"
The TV flickered on and showed a smiling white cat. "The cute and mighty Ketchup is in the house, Daddy! Meow~"
A second later, a smoky shadow materialized beside Ketchup and formed into a black cat. "Bacon is here too, Father."
Jin Liwei smiled. "Good. You don't have work today?"
"Uncle Zihao gave Bacon a day off so that I can help Big Sister Ketchup and our security team to secure the entire private island."
Jin Liwei gave a sound of approval. "You already know our family's security protocol. I'll leave it to you two. I want your mom to be completely stress-free during our entire honeymoon."
"Okie dokie, Daddy! Have fun with Mommy! Meow~"
"Please take care of Mother, Father. She needs a lot of rest after all the wedding preparations."
"Of course, I'll always take care of your mom. There's no need to remind me."
After talking to their cat AI children, Iris and Jin Liwei walked hand in hand on the beach and watched the sunset together while having dinner outside. There were some dishes that didn't agree with Iris, but overall, they had a nice romantic meal to mark the first day of their honeymoon.
Back to their bedroom, Jin Liwei propped himself on the bed. He was reading the area's tourist booklet while waiting for his wife to finish soaking in the bath. He already finished showering and was n.a.k.e.d underneath his bathrobe. His hair was still damp. Originally, he wanted to shower together with his wife but she declined and insisted that they wash separately.
He wanted to make love with her so badly that it literally hurt to wait any longer. It had been too long since he had her.
Despite his own raging desire, he still restrained himself. What was another hour or two when he already abstained for weeks before this? In addition, his main priority for this honeymoon trip was to pamper his wife and make her relax to the brim so that she would be fully refreshed when they returned home.
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