Chapter 331 - Magnetic Force
The people put the matter about Jin Liwei's mysterious fiancée aside when the music awards officially started. The male and female hosts appeared on stage together with much pomp and circumstance. Their opening dialogue hyped the audience for the upcoming performances, and of course, the much-anticipated presenting of the awards later in the evening.
"We want to congratulate all of the nominees because just the fact that you're nominated is already a big achievement. There are many artists who are dreaming to be in your position. Being nominated means that you're all the best of the best. You should feel proud of yourselves," the female host said.
"Yes, very true," the male host agreed. "Regardless of whether you win or not tonight, you're all great and talented musicians that deserve our respect and congratulations. We wish you the best of luck!"
The opening act was by a popular boy band. Their high energy performance set the awards ceremony on the right note.
Everyone was having fun. Loud cheers arose from the audience whenever their favourite celebrities' reactions were shown on the big screens during the performances.
Jin Chonglin was seen sitting together with his older brother Jin Liwei on the very front row. They had the best seats directly in front of the stage. Excited and crazed screams almost drowned the current performance on the stage when both the brothers were shown on the big screens at the same time.
Just one of them was already enough to make their panties wet, but two of them together? Oh, how soaked their poor panties felt!
The current performer thought that the audience was cheering for him. Feeling excited, he performed even harder.
Since this was an important music awards, the productions of each of the performances were all lavish and spectacular. The performing artists, most of them also nominees themselves, brought their A-game. They wanted to be the most memorable performers of the night. This was an opportunity to boost their fame to greater heights.
During the commercial breaks in between the performances, the general audience's attention shifted from the stage to the celebrities sitting at the very front. They fangirled and fanboyed.
"Huh? Where's Boss Iris? I haven't seen her or JJ since the ceremony started," a Black Star commented.
"Oh, it sounds like you didn't check her blog. She posted earlier that she's in a dressing room backstage preparing for her upcoming performance," Zhou Mei'er (a.k.a. CaptainBlackStar) told her comrade.
"Big Sister, look! The four Aunties are sitting right there!" Ming Li (a.k.a. LittlePhoenix) exclaimed while pointing at the front seats where the celebrities, socialites and other important figures sat.
Her fellow Black Stars followed the direction her finger was pointing at. And indeed, the four posh ladies were sitting at the best seats. Feng Wan and her three friends Si Xinyue, Bai Li and Kung Mian, all sat at the very front on the same row as the Jin brothers.
The Black Stars all looked shocked, delighted, envious and bewildered at the same time. They knew that the four posh ladies were rich just based on their appearances and bearing, but they never could have imagined that they were at such a level to be assigned seats beside the VVIPs like Jin Liwei. Even a big celebrity like Jin Chonglin was only given a seat at the very front this year because of his older brother.
But these feelings were all drowned by pride at seeing their fellow Black Stars sitting with the stars. Especially since Feng Wan and her three friends were all wearing black suits just like them. Granted, the posh ladies' suits were tailored and probably insanely expensive but it still showed everyone their allegiance to the Black Stars and of course to their Boss Iris.
When the commercial ended, the hosts stood on a mini-stage in another part of the arena. They began introducing the next act.
Male host: "When this next performer made her comeback after disappearing for two years, she took the music industry by storm, climbing fiercely up the music charts with her beautiful music that flows straight into our hearts. She disappeared again for a brief period before making her second comeback, successfully topping the charts even at this very moment."
The Black Stars started cheering, instantly knowing who the hosts were talking about.
Female host: "Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she continues to amaze us with her unbelievable musical talent every time she makes a comeback. It's no wonder that she has received the most award nominations for tonight. I think you already know who's performing next."
Male host: "Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for the beautiful, the talented, and the one and only..."
Both: "IRIS LONG!!!"
Deafening cheers and applause.
The main stage was in complete darkness. The audience lowered their noise volume in order to concentrate on this much-anticipated performance.
In the front row seats, Jin Liwei knew immediately when his baby girl stepped on the stage. Even though he couldn't see her just yet because of the darkness, he felt her presence like a magnetic force.
A loud click and the spotlight hit the back-most part of the stage, showing the grand symphony orchestra in their full glory. The conductor waved his hands and the musicians all moved their instruments in ready-to-play positions. Their movements were so synchronized that it elicited cheers from the audience.
Another set of spotlights lit up the two sides of the stage. It showed a group of perfectly lined up people wearing long black hooded capes.
The symphony orchestra started playing a foreboding opening tune. Then the hooded people started marching slowly from the opposite sides of the stage towards the centre. All of them started humming loudly together, producing a dark vocal choir melody that raised the hair of the people listening.
"This is kinda creepy but so amazing..." an audience member commented under his breath.
Then a louder, more distinct and familiar voice began to hum on top of the eerie choir. The female voice sounded beautiful and powerful yet also mournful and fragile at the same time.
The entire stage was finally lit up. White fog, thunder and lightning effects made the reveal even more dramatic.
Everyone gasped at what they saw.
Their line of vision which was originally looking at the stage floor now shifted up to the air high above the symphony orchestra and the hooded choir.
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Chapter 332 - Phoenix Queen
A big golden cage hung high up in the air above the stage. Iris sat in a broken pose inside, humming a mournful melody. She closed her eyes while her face showed an expression of desolation. She appeared fragile in a white feather dress. The hearts of the people watching all skipped a beat seeing her ethereal beauty.
Not only the Black Stars but everyone else in the audience cheered loudly when she finally appeared. However, they controlled their noise volume when the dark melody and foreboding marching beat intensified like the climax of a battlefield.
Then everything went quiet.
A lone violin played a familiar melody, greatly exciting the audience as they recognized it. Iris finally opened her eyes. She looked directly at the camera and began to sing.
"Caged and chained in a tiny world
Wondering what it's like outside
A little bird imprisoned by love
Dying little by little inside"
It was the song "Rebirth" which launched her to the top of the music charts after her first comeback.
"I want to be free
Free as a bird
But where are my wings
I cannot fly"
The musical arrangement was a little different than the original this time. It sounded more dramatic and dynamic.
Iris continued to sing while her broken pose gradually became strong. She stood, as the door of the golden cage swung open. She stepped on the edge of the cage's opening, teetering dangerously.
"At last, I'm free
Will I ever fly?"
Then she jumped down and the symphony orchestra played in full splendour. The audience screamed when they saw her falling. They felt their hearts stop and their breaths catch in their throats.
Jin Liwei almost stood up from his seat to run and catch her before noticing the wires behind her. He heard a snicker beside him. Jin Chonglin was laughing at his reaction. After glaring at his younger brother, Jin Liwei decided to ignore him for the rest of the performance.
Iris' fall stopped in mid-air. She floated and swept her arms wide to the side as if spreading her wings. It was only at that time that the people realized how long and wide the trail of her feather dress was. She looked like a bird flying in the sky.
"From the ashes, I rise like a phoenix
A little bird no more
I spread my wings, so big and wide
Now I am free
Now I can fly"
The hooded choir removed their capes in a perfect synchronized movement. All of them wore beautiful white, green and blue feathery costumes. They started singing along with Iris, as if she was their phoenix queen and they were her bird subjects.
Iris' voice became more powerful, not the least bit drowned by her impressive choir singers. She began flying all around the arena above the audience, delighting and exciting everyone. She was really like a phoenix. A beautifully pure phoenix queen.
When the music reached crescendo, she demonstrated her vocal prowess, reaching such high and powerful notes that the people began to think she wasn't human anymore.
"So this is freedom
I am free
Oh yes, I am free~"
The lights throughout the arena suddenly dimmed. They flashed between the colours yellow, orange and crimson. Crackling sound effects made it look like the entire arena, especially the stage, was caught in a raging fire.
Iris disappeared again within the darkness but not for long. About half a minute later, she reappeared at the centre of the stage. This time, her long white feather dress was nowhere in sight. It was replaced by a blazing red dress instead. Although the red dress had similar feathery details like the white one, it was not as delicate and looked more edgy.
It was a vavavoom dress that was both elegant and sexy at the same time. The asymmetrical structure bared her left shoulder and her right leg.
The pure white phoenix had transformed into a fire phoenix!
Then she walked slowly from the centre of the stage to the front. Her hips swayed side to side in an alluring manner with every step. Her footsteps were enhanced by sound effects, making them echo throughout the entire arena.
It was as if she was walking towards her lover. And indeed, she was. Her eyes were looking directly at Jin Liwei who was sitting directly in front of the stage. Their eyes locked at each other. Despite this, nobody noticed that she was looking at a single person. They thought that her passionate gaze was part of her performance.
When she reached the front of the stage, she raised the mic to her mouth and spoke to the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, joining me for this next song is the man who took a chance on me, believed in me, and helped me rise from the ashes. Please welcome the multi-award-winning music producer, Mr. JJ!!!"
The smaller stage located among the audience lit up. Everyone gasped. JJ sat in front of the piano and began to play a familiar yet somehow different melody.
Most of the younger audience members and home viewers were surprised that JJ was actually performing on stage with Iris. They never watched him perform before. However, the older people had nostalgic expressions on their faces as they watched him perform again after so many years.
Their generation remembered that JJ began his career as a performing artist. His music was brilliant but his singing voice wasn't very great. It didn't help that he had a bad temper and clashed with others a lot. Unable to make a breakthrough in his stagnant career, he gave up being a performer and became a music producer instead.
Within a couple of years, he began collecting hit songs after hit songs under his belt and launched some of the most popular stars in the country. As they say, the rest was history.
After giving it up, why then was JJ performing with Iris Long right now? His friends and peers like DJ Song realized at that moment the extent of JJ's bond with Iris. It wasn't just a simple producer-artist relationship. It seemed that Iris was able to reignite JJ's dormant love for performing.
Back to the performance.
The perfectly lined up choir began humming to match JJ's piano melody. Special effects continued to make it appear as if Iris was burning in a sea of fire.
Then she began to sing a mashup of her two songs "Phantom of Your Love" and "Black Star". The music was dramatic and spectacular, harrowing yet lifting at the same time.
The musical arrangement was superb, combining the best elements of Iris' vocal prowess, JJ's rough yet dynamic style of playing the piano, the grandeur of a full symphony orchestra, and of course the hair-raising sound of the singing choir.
When the melody reached crescendo and Iris reached the highest notes of the song, golden fireworks exploded on the stage. Then the fire effects seamlessly transformed into a dazzling rain shower in the background. The yellow, orange and red colours turned into a shining and purifying white light.
Iris reached behind her back and pulled. Her red phoenix dress came off. She was left wearing a simple yet elegant white tube dress. This quick change occurred in the blink of an eye at the same time the performance ended with a magnificent flourish.
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Chapter 333 - Battle Of The Performances
Everyone stood up and gave Iris a deafening standing ovation. There was not a single person who remained on their seat. The people felt like they would be doing something very disrespectful if they remained sitting after such a beautiful and magnificent performance.
It was the loudest and longest standing ovation for a performance so far tonight. The other artists and celebrities who begrudged and didn't believe that Iris Long deserved to receive the most award nominations this year finally experienced firsthand her amazing live performance which wasn't in any way inferior to the recorded versions of her music. Not to mention that they completely lost themselves to her insanely powerful charisma and stage presence.
"Iris! Iris! Iris!"
The Black Stars didn't need to lead the chant because everyone in the audience started calling her name in unison.
Of course, the brothers Jin Liwei and Jin Chonglin were also clapping their hands with everyone else. The people were too preoccupied cheering and admiring Iris' spectacular performance that nobody noticed the proud and loving expression on Jin Liwei's face, nor did they think too deeply about the flying kiss Iris Long sent directly to him.
They thought that her kiss was for everyone. They were wrong. Her elegant curtsy bow and hand waves were for everyone, but her sole flying kiss was for her darling alone.
Jin Chonglin glanced at his older brother beside him. Jin Liwei had an adoring expression on his face. Jin Chonglin elbowed his brother hard on the side, earning a harsh glare from him. Then Jin Liwei quickly reverted to his usual cold and indifferent expression when he realized that a camera was pointing their way.
Sometime later, Iris and JJ walked together to their assigned seats a few rows behind the Jin brothers. They changed back to the outfits they wore on the red carpet earlier. Everyone greeted them warmly, praising them for their brilliant performance.
JJ looked extremely smug and puffed out his chest. He immediately started bragging to his friend DJ Song. Iris sat between the two friends. She wasn't really listening to their conversation. Her eyes were gazing directly at the back of her darling's head. She felt tempted to just walk over to the front and then hug and kiss him in front of everyone. A giggle escaped from her lips at the thought.
It was as if he heard soft laughter because Jin Liwei turned his head behind him for the first time. They locked eyes at each other. They showed no outward expression but their eyes were filled with love.
Then Iris' expression darkened when she realized that many women were giving her darling flirty looks. She closed her eyes and fought against the urge to leap over to those women and slap them until their faces became swollen.
Similarly, Jin Liwei's expression turned even colder and slightly menacing when he saw several men looking at his baby girl with obvious interest. Some of them didn't even bother disguising the lust in their eyes.
The people sitting around him paled when they saw his scary expression. They also shivered and shifted their bodies away from him. They wondered if someone displeased or offended him in some way.
Farther back in the audience, the Black Stars were busy monitoring something on their phones. They were watching the real-time polls, specifically for the people's choice award of Most Popular Female Artist.
"Come on, comrades! We only need less than 500 votes to get our boss to the number 1 position. We can do this!" Zhou Mei'er (a.k.a. CaptainBlackStar) encouraged her fellow Black Stars.
"Oh! I just refreshed! We only need 300 more votes...no, 200! 130...60...what..." Ming Li (a.k.a. Little Phoenix) gasped and looked at her companions in excitement.
"Yes! We did it!!! Our Boss Iris is now number 1 in the ranking! Whoop whoop!!!"
"Uwah! Look! We didn't just surpass the previous number 1 but we're now widening the gap!"
All the Black Stars celebrated this victory. However, they couldn't grow complacent because the voting hadn't ended yet. Anything could happen, especially since the competition in the Most Popular Female Artist ranking was extremely fierce compared to its counterpart Most Popular Male Artist where Jin Chonglin was already deemed to be the clear winner. The gap between him and the number 2 consisted of millions of votes.
Zhou Mei'er pumped her fists, as she watched the number of Iris' votes grow quickly. At the moment, the gap between the number 1 and the number 2 was more than 5,000 votes. And it was still growing by the second.
"It seems that many people are impressed by our boss' performance," she observed.
"Of course they'll be impressed. I think this is Boss Iris' biggest and most spectacular performance yet," Ming Li said.
All the Black Stars agreed with her. Iris usually played the piano during her performances. But this time, she opted for an eye-popping and mind-blowing stage production and threw JJ to play the piano for her. It was really a performance worthy of the Harmony Music Awards.
It completely overshadowed all the earlier performances. If the next performances failed to outshine Iris', then her performance would definitely be the most memorable one.
The only other person who could perhaps leave a more lasting impression than her was Jin Chonglin. The two not only competed against each other for the awards but also for the unofficial title of best performance of the night.
Who would win in this battle of the performances? Would it be Iris or Jin Chonglin? Would Iris beat Jin Chonglin again just like she did in the music charts?
After a few more acts which all felt lukewarm after Iris' amazing performance, it was finally Jin Chonglin's turn on the stage.
During Iris' performance earlier, she flew in the air via suspended wires. This time, Jin Chonglin was driven to the stage in a cool vintage sports car. He stood on the backseat of the open-top vehicle while he sang and gyrated his body with his sexy back-up dancers.
When he reached the stage, an impressive number of synchronized back-up dancers joined him in a fun, energetic and sexy hip hop R&B performance. Not only was Jin Chonglin a great singer and musician but he was also a superb dancer. All his moves were on-point. Combined with his oozing sex appeal and charisma, nobody could resist going crazy for him.
There were quite a number of fans who fainted from over-excitement whenever he winked, smiled or pointed a finger at them.
The only person who remained unaffected by his deadly charm was his own brother. Jin Liwei sat motionless on his seat while all the others went crazy around him. Even Iris was dancing and singing along to the music.
Near the end of his performance, a back-up dancer handed a bouquet of red roses to the singing and dancing Jin Chonglin. Then he jumped down the stage and walked past the first rows. Just as he sang the last lines of his song, he threw the bouquet hard.
Iris was shocked and extremely confused when the bouquet shot towards her. It was only her reflexes that allowed her to catch the bouquet a few inches before it could hit her on the face.
"Oh baby, you're the only one for me~"
Jin Chonglin sang this last line of his song and then winked at Iris.
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Chapter 334 - Big Favour
Shocked silence.
One second. Two seconds. Three sec—
The audience and home viewers started squealing. The LinRis shippers went out of control. They jumped up from their seats and almost vomited their own throats out from screaming so hard.
"LinRis! LinRis! LinRis!"
Their crazed chanting was infectious to the point that the entire arena started chanting along with them. Since this was a live telecast, the cameras focused on both Jin Chonglin and Iris' expressions.
The smile on Jin Chonglin's face was mischievous and flirty. As for Iris, the cameras recorded her confused expression before she was able to smooth it out with a polite smile.
Seeing that the cameras were still focusing on her, she smiled a bit more deeply. She ignored the teasing from the people around her.
"Thank you," she mouthed at Jin Chonglin.
She decided not to think too much about his unexpected action. Perhaps it was part of his performance. Besides, the man was her future brother-in-law. He was family. What was wrong about giving flowers to family members?
Jin Chonglin gave her a thumbs up and another wink. Then he and his back-up dancers bowed and waved at the audience.
The show went into a commercial break right after. Jin Chonglin and his back-up dancers began leaving. Nobody noticed that he avoided looking at a certain direction and hurried to the backstage instead, as if running away from something (or someone) dangerous.
Back in the audience, the people around Iris continued to tease her. She just smiled politely at them, not taking their words seriously.
"Iris, tell us the truth. Is Jin Chonglin your fiancé?" a female idol asked behind her.
Ears pricked to their direction, eager to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"No, he's not," Iris answered. "I already mentioned before that my fiancé is not from showbiz. He's a businessman."
They gave her a knowing look. The skepticism was clear in their eyes. It was obvious that they didn't believe her.
"You seem very close to Jin Chonglin," another commented.
"He's my senior and we work under the same management company. We're colleagues, that's all."
They were about to pry more about her and Jin Chonglin, but JJ glared at them. They had no choice but to stop, retreat, and laugh awkwardly. There were only a few people who dared to butt heads against the infamous hothead JJ. Unfortunately, they weren't included in that short list of brave people.
"Hmph! Just a simple bouquet toss and they're already acting like they saw a live sex show. Bunch of gossipmongers!" JJ complained.
The "gossipmongers" pretended not to hear him. They looked at each other instead in an awkward manner.
Iris only chuckled with DJ Song at JJ's tirade. Before sitting down, she glanced at her darling's direction. The smile on her face froze when she saw Jin Liwei's dark and menacing expression. She immediately tossed the bouquet of red roses carelessly on her seat before smiling at him sweetly.
His expression improved seeing her charming smile but only slightly. He gave an imperceptible nod before turning around and sitting like a cold statue.
Only Iris caught his nod. She instantly recognized it as a reassurance. A big sigh of relief was released from her lips, knowing from his nod of reassurance that he wasn't angry at her. After opening her eyes to her own possessiveness towards him, she now had a better understanding of jealousy. She didn't want him to feel jealous because she now knew how ugly and unpleasant it felt like from experiencing it firsthand.
As she sat down, the bouquet got squished beside her on the seat. A strong urge to strangle Jin Chonglin suddenly consumed her. Because of his action, her darling now had to suffer from jealousy. Her mood plummeted.
"Iris, the world is watching. Don't treat the bouquet so roughly or Jin Chonglin's army of fans will tear you apart," DJ Song whispered the warning to her.
"Hmph! If you don't like it, just throw it in the garbage. Better yet, just burn it," JJ muttered under his breath.
"You—" DJ Song gave an exasperated sigh at his friend. "Old J, Iris is a sensible person unlike you. As her music producer, you should be advising her to protect her image."
When JJ opened his mouth to argue, Iris quickly spoke to prevent them from arguing.
"Thank you for the reminder, DJ Song," Iris said and then fished out the squished bouquet and tossed it on her lap.
At that moment, Jin Chonglin returned to his seat beside his brother. He waved and greeted at the people, even as cold sweat soaked the inside of his pinkish-grey suit. He almost didn't want to go back to his seat where a cold and furious demon was surely waiting for him.
'What are you so afraid of? He's your brother,' he pep-talked himself to prevent himself from chickening out and running backstage with his tail between his legs.
As soon as he sat down, the hostile aura emanating from his brother almost choked him, making it hard to breathe. It wasn't only him who had to suffer. The people sitting around them were shivering. They were confused and frightened, wondering why Jin Liwei looked so pissed.
"Big Bro, I can explain," Jin Chonglin whispered after gathering much courage.
"Speak." Jin Liwei's cold voice could freeze hell.
Jin Chonglin cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice to prevent others from hearing. "Because of the bombshell you dropped earlier on the red carpet, everyone is now hunting for your fiancée tonight. On the internet, they removed sister-in-law's name from their hunting list, but I heard some staff backstage accurately guessing sister-in-law's identity. They're already suspecting that the two of you might be engaged. A few of them are even examining your body shape on the cameras right now and comparing it to the photo sister-in-law shared of you and your cats during her interview with Madam Feng Jiu."
The hostile aura abated a little. Jin Liwei gave a side glance at his brother and said coldly, "Continue."
"Because you're wearing a suit tonight, they can't really see an accurate outline of your body. Also, there aren't a lot of photos showing you in regular clothing available to the public. The ones floating on the internet are from way back when you were younger in your early twenties. You were slimmer back then. Many of them are unsure whether you're the same person or not as the one in the photo sister-in-law shared. However, there are a couple of them who think that it might be you," Jin Chonglin explained.
Jin Liwei subconsciously rubbed his LX bangle around his wrist hidden underneath his long sleeve. If he pulled his sleeve up, it would expose him. The photo his baby girl shared to Madam Feng Jiu clearly showed him wearing it.
A strong temptation to let others see the bangle almost overcame him before he was able to control himself. As much as he wanted to shout proudly to the entire world that Long Xiulan, a.k.a. Iris Long, was his woman and future wife, he didn't want to do it without her approval. He didn't want to give her any reason to leave him again.
"So you see, Big Bro. I did all of that to shift everyone's attention to me and sister-in-law, instead of letting them continue speculating about the possibility of a relationship between the two of you. I actually sacrificed myself to do the two of you a big favour!"
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Chapter 335 - Am I Still Your Brother?
"An 'unnecessary' favour," Jin Liwei blocked his brother's claim in a cold voice. "If people discover my relationship with Xiulan on their own, then so be it. We are hiding our relationship for now because it's not the right time to announce it yet, but we have no intentions of denying it if we're discovered. Don't interfere next time."
At the moment, Jin Chonglin really wanted to cry. Wuwuwu! He did so much for the lovers, but they didn't even appreciate his effort!
But Jin Liwei wasn't finished yet.
"You should be thankful that we're brothers. I almost lost control earlier. If not because I don't want Mother to be heartbroken, I would've already beaten you up in a pulp. Xiulan is mine."
'How brutal! Am I still your brother?' Jin Chonglin cried inside.
He was now regretting what he did. He shouldn't have thrown the bouquet to Iris during his performance. He really thought that he was doing them a favour but look! No appreciation at all!
"Fine," he muttered and then began to sulk.
Jin Liwei glanced at his brother before returning his line of sight back to the stage. "Great job on your performance," he suddenly told him.
"Thanks," Jin Chonglin replied, feeling a bit better.
Jin Liwei nodded and then added, "But my wife's performance is still the best."
The poor Jin Chonglin's eyes turned blank. Why did he feel like he already experienced this before? Was this déjà vu or what?
Then he remembered. His older brother told him something similar when he and Iris performed their new songs at "MusicFest Tonight" earlier in the year.
"I get it already," he said through gritted teeth. "Your wife will always be your number 1. You don't have to rub it in my face every single time."
"En." Jin Liwei nodded, satisfied that his brother finally understood.
If not for the fact that people were watching them right now, Jin Chonglin would've already cried at being abandoned by his own brother. However, he didn't resent them. Not at all. Thinking about the beautiful and talented Iris Long, he understood why his older brother was so in love with her.
It was a pity that she was a troublemaker and nuisance when he personally met her years ago. Now that she had matured and changed for the better, he had to find out that his own brother already snatched her up for himself. Sighing, he felt a little envious of their relationship.
Jin Chonglin's thoughts were interrupted when the show resumed. He was able to quickly recover from his brother's brutal abandonment by immersing himself in the next performances.
Finally, it was time for the most important portion of the evening—the presentation of awards.
Everyone was excited. This was the moment that they had all been waiting for. The nominees began to feel nervous.
Female host: "The voting polls for the people's choice awards are now closed. Thank you everyone for casting your votes!"
Male host: "We will now announce the winners and present the awards."
The people's choice awards ceremony began. The minor categories went up first. After several speeches, applause and loud cheering from the fans who voted, the last two and the most important categories in the people's choice awards were finally up next.
Female host: "The Most Popular Female Artist Award goes to—"
Both: "Iris Long!!!"
Everyone rose to their feet and started clapping and cheering.
Iris nodded at JJ and DJ Song beside her before walking amidst the congratulations to the stage. The male host helped her up the steps, not knowing that a certain man drowning in vinegar was already mentally decapitating him for touching his baby girl.
An official of the Harmony Music Awards handed her the heavy golden award which was shaped like a treble. The noise lowered as she walked in front of the microphone.
"Thank you so much!" Iris' voice reverberated throughout the entire arena. "Wow. This is very heavy," she said, waving the award with her two hands. "But it's nowhere near as heavy as the overwhelming support you've given me. I dedicate this award to my fans, the Black Stars! I would not be standing here today and receiving this award if not for your love and loyalty. All I can do to repay you is to continue to work hard. Thank you, Black Stars! Thank you, Harmony Music Awards! And thank you to all who voted for me!"
Iris kept her speech short. She didn't want to bog it down by thanking too many people. Besides, it was indeed the Black Stars who allowed her to win the Most Popular Female Artist Award. They deserved the dedication and recognition for their support of her. She was truly grateful to them.
As she headed back to her seat, the ceremony was interrupted by an impressively loud cheering chant. Iris stopped halfway the steps as she looked at where it was coming from.
"Our boss is number one! Never number two! She's always the best in whatever she decides to do! Go boss! Go boss! L-O-V-E Iris Long! B-O-S-S that's our boss!"
The Black Stars chanted these words at the top of their lungs. They even choreographed some cheering moves to go along with it. It was actually secretly taught to them by Iris' assistant, Dominic Chua.
Touched, Iris gave her fans a deep curtsy bow to show her gratitude. Then she hurried down the steps to Feng Wan and her three friends. Since they were the closest Black Stars to her at the moment, she gave them a hug each, thanking them for supporting her. The four posh ladies wiped tears from their eyes, looking very proud of Iris.
Iris turned her head towards her darling. They shared a quick intimate look before she returned to her seat beside JJ and DJ Song.
The final people's choice award was for the Most Popular Male Artist. There was no suspense. Jin Chonglin was the undisputed winner. Like Iris, he also thanked his army of fans and dedicated the award to them.
Then as he headed down the stage, another chant took over the entire arena.
"LinRis! LinRis! LinRis!"
The LinRis shippers once again became excited because their favourite couple just won the two most important people's choice awards together. They believed that it was destiny and further proof that their Prince Lin Lin and Boss Iris belonged together forever and ever.
Despite Iris' insistence that her fiancé was not from showbiz, they still hoped that she was just lying to hide the truth that she and Jin Chonglin were really engaged. Their belief was cemented when Jin Chonglin threw the bouquet of red roses to Iris earlier during his performance.
Jin Chonglin only gave a careless wave at them before hurrying back to his seat. He was praying for the people to stop chanting "LinRis" because his older brother might just explode.
And indeed, Jin Liwei's expression became more and more terrifying the longer the chant continued.
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Chapter 336 - The Award Goes To...
Fortunately, the chanting subsided when the show went into another commercial break. Jin Chonglin was so relieved that he felt like he just escaped a life and death situation.
His older brother had always been scary but only in a cold, unapproachable way. This time, however, Jin Chonglin could feel the fury emanating from Jin Liwei. It seemed like Iris Long had become his brother's greatest trigger. He should be more careful next time, or Jin Liwei might suddenly forget that they were flesh and blood brothers.
The music awards ceremony continued after the commercial break. The anticipation reached its peak to the point that some of the first-time nominees felt like they were going to faint. Iris, however, looked relaxed as she chatted with JJ and DJ Song.
For her, getting awards was not the main goal. It was more important for her to share her music to the world and to let more people enjoy it. She would never allow a few judges comprising the music awards' voting council to determine her worth as a musician. Whether they chose her to win or not was not something that she would fret over.
But this was not to say that she wouldn't be happy if she won. On the contrary, it would be the best for her to win because it would open up more opportunities for her to advance her career. Regardless of whether she won or not, she wanted to savour this experience.
The minor categories went up first. Lots of emotional speeches and polite applause. Finally, the categories moved on to the more major ones.
"And the winner of the Best Instrumental Album is...'Rebirth Melodies' by Iris Long!!!"
It was Iris' first win in the official categories. She had been nominated in two other minor categories earlier but lost. JJ was very upset that she didn't win those ones. Right now, however, he looked ecstatic when her name was called. She hugged both JJ and DJ Song before heading to the stage.
After receiving the heavy golden treble award, she stood once again in front of the mic. She swept her eyes across the audience and smiled at the delighted Black Stars. The four posh ladies at the front row seats were wiping their tears as they looked proudly at her.
Of course, Jin Liwei was also on his feet clapping his hands. She could see the pride and love in his eyes. She looked directly at him as she gave her acceptance speech, completely ignoring the man wearing a pinkish-grey suit standing beside her darling.
"Thank you so much! First of all, I would like to thank my fiancé for loving me and supporting me. You've always been patient with me whenever I'm busy composing music. Thank you for not forcing me to choose between you and music. And when 'Rebirth Melodies' was criticized as being an inferior imitation of classical music, I know that you felt upset in my stead. I just want to say that I love you and I appreciate you."
The audience hooted in a teasing way at her romantic speech. The cameras zoomed in on the diamond ring sparkling brightly on her finger. Another camera focused on Jin Chonglin in the audience. The LinRis shippers went crazy once again because they noticed that Iris was looking straight in his direction.
Iris finished up her speech by thanking JJ and his music label, her manager and Bright Summit, the Black Stars and everyone who supported her. She also complimented her fellow nominees. Then she returned to her seat, receiving congratulations along the way.
A few awards later....
"The winner of the Best Songwriter Award is...Iris Long for 'Rebirth'!!!"
Once again, Iris accepted another award and gave another speech. This was her third award for the night and her second win in the official categories. Her first win was the people's choice award, but it wasn't really considered as an official category.
"For Best Producer of the Year, the award goes to...JJ!!!"
JJ wore an extremely smug expression on his face. His chest was more puffed out than usual. He already held the record for most wins for this award throughout the years. However, he was especially proud of his work in the past year because he felt like he had grown so much as a music producer. It was the first time in a long while that someone dared to argue with him when it came to music. Iris Long was a great partner because the two of them were able to force each other to improve with their equally perfectionist personalities.
Both Iris and DJ Song looked very proud, as JJ gave his speech on the stage. The Black Stars also cheered for him. After all, he was their Boss Iris' music producer. They cheered even more loudly when JJ personally thanked Iris in his speech.
"Brat, you're one of the most infuriating artists that I have ever worked with in my entire career because you're never afraid to shove the inadequacies of my music ideas directly into my face. But that's why we make such great music together because I do the same thing to you. We fill each other's inadequacies when creating music. So thank you, brat! But don't let it get to your head!"
Everyone laughed at his speech. Iris chuckled but deep gratitude showed on her expression. JJ could be narcissistic and full of himself, but his abilities as a music producer could never be denied. She was glad that it was him she sent her early demo tapes to.
There were only a few awards left. And they were considered to be the most important. Whoever won these awards would enter the annals of Harmony Music Awards history. Not to mention the other benefits to their careers, such as fame, respect, credibility, and increased worth in the music industry.
"The nominees for Best Music Video are..."
There were four other nominees besides Jin Chonglin and Iris Long for a total of six nominees.
"The award for Best Music Video goes to...Jin Chonglin!!!"
It was as if the entire arena exploded with all the screams, cheering and applause. His army of fans was the biggest fandom present in this event. He already had three nominations earlier and won two of them. This was his third win in the official categories.
"Dammit! What are those judges thinking? So they chose sex over artistry for best music video this year? Hmph!" JJ was displeased at the result. He thought that Iris should've won this award.
"Well, as they say, sex sells," DJ Song commented.
Iris didn't say anything, continuing to clap for Jin Chonglin instead. She knew that more people liked his music video because it was more eye-popping and relatable. Even Dom watched it more than a thousand times while squealing at Jin Chonglin's sexy dance moves. Her music video was more artistic and required a lot more brain power, specifically abstract thinking, to understand all the symbolism.
Jin Chonglin gave a charming speech, thanking all the key people who helped him make the music video. It was a generic speech but his army of fans acted as if divine words were flowing out of his mouth.
When he returned to his seat, Jin Liwei nodded at him.
"Congratulations," he said.
"Thanks, Big Bro."
"But my wife—"
"I know, I know! Please don't speak anymore, Big Bro. I already know what you're going to say. Just allow me to enjoy my win right now. I beg you, please."
Jin Liwei gave his younger brother a side-eye. Fortunately, he didn't say anything more and just focused on the rest of the awards ceremony.
"The Best Female Singer Award goes to...Iris Long!!!"
"The Best Male Singer Award goes to...Jin Chonglin!!!"
Both their fans went crazy. This was even more amazing than when they won the people's choice awards for Most Popular Female Artist and Most Popular Male Artist respectively.
"LinRis! LinRis! LinRis!"
Before Jin Liwei could transform into an evil demon once again and terrorize his seatmates with his frightening aura, the hosts decisively moved on to the next awards. They managed to cut off the overenthusiastic cheering of the LinRis shippers. Some of the people were already starting to feel annoyed at them.
The last three awards were the most sought-after. Most of the musicians in the industry considered winning these awards to be the greatest honour that they could ever possibly obtain in their entire careers.
This year, they were also the most competitive. The two most nominated artists, Jin Chonglin and Iris Long, would be directly competing against each other for these awards.
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Chapter 337 - Special Award
The show went into another commercial break to increase the suspense for the last three official awards. Congratulations rained down upon the winners, especially for Iris Long and Jin Chonglin. Not only were they the two artists who received the most nominations, but they were also the ones who won the most so far. And the event wasn't done yet. They might even win more.
Jin Chonglin won the most awards so far. He now had five trophies, including the people's choice award for Most Popular Male Artist. Iris Long won four trophies so far, including the people's choice award for Most Popular Female Artist.
However, the competition between them was bound to heat up even more. The ceremony resumed after the commercial break.
Everyone was very excited. The Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans were on the edge of their seats while holding their hands together to pray for their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin's victory against each other.
"The Album of the Year Award goes to...'Rebirth' by Iris Long!!!"
The Black Stars jumped up in unison and cheered loudly. Jin Chonglin's army of fans looked at them in envy while politely clapping their hands.
"Our Prince Lin Lin will get the next award for sure," they told themselves.
Iris wasn't even back to her seat yet when...
"The Song of the Year Award goes to...'Rebirth' by Iris Long!!!"
For a moment, she didn't know what to do. She stood in the aisle while still carrying the award she had just received moments ago. But now she was being called back to the stage to receive another one.
"Brat, give it to me! Hurry up and go back to the stage! Ahaha!" JJ shouted at her in delight.
She handed her award to him and returned to the stage. Standing in front of the mic for the sixth time tonight, even she couldn't believe it.
"I...thank you. Wow. I honestly don't know what to say anymore. I've already used up all of my speeches."
Everyone laughed.
"Just...thank you so very much!"
Although the contents of her speech was unimpressive, the context of the situation was extraordinary. The other musicians present would do anything to be in her current position. Running out of speeches was the most wonderful problem they would be willing to experience if it meant that they could also win so many awards like her in a single night.
Once again, Iris didn't make it into her seat immediately because the people offered their congratulations to her on the way. But since the next award was the last one, the hosts didn't jump into it right away. They first hyped everyone up and increased the suspense.
Iris was able to return to her seat beside JJ and DJ Song who looked absolutely proud and delighted of her wins.
Needless to say, the Black Stars were beyond happy. Even they couldn't believe that their boss would win so many awards tonight. With one last award left, they also wanted their Boss Iris to win it. Wouldn't it be amazing if she won it? It would mean that she swept the majority of the most important awards for this year's music awards.
As for Jin Chonglin's army of fans, they were feeling extremely anxious. They prayed hard for their Prince Lin Lin to win the last and the most important award of the night.
Male host: "The moment you have all been waiting for has finally arrived. We will now announce the nominees for the Artist of the Year Award!"
All six nominees were introduced with much fanfare. Among them were Jin Chonglin and Iris Long. Of course, they received the most cheers and applause.
Female host: "And the Artist of the Year Award goes to..."
The male host opened the envelope. The female host peeked at it and gasped. She looked visibly shocked. Her reaction was caught by the cameras. It increased the anxiety of the nominees and their fans.
Both hosts: "IRIS LONG!!!"
Iris covered her mouth with her hands. Yes, she didn't care much whether she won or lost, but who wouldn't want to win? Even she found it a bit difficult to wrap her mind around winning so many awards tonight.
"Brat, what are you waiting for? Go get that award!" JJ pulled her up her seat and pushed her to the aisle.
As she walked once again back to the stage, Iris felt like she was floating. The moment felt so surreal. It seemed like she blanked out for a few moments because when she regained her senses, she was already on stage and standing in front of the microphone with the heavy award in her hands.
Her eyes immediately looked for her darling in the audience. When she found Jin Liwei, calmness returned to her. He was like her rock stabilizing her emotions in this overwhelming situation. He gave her a nod of encouragement.
"I love you," she told him. Her voice reverberated throughout the entire arena.
The Black Stars burst into tears. "We love you too, Boss Iris! You're the best! The most amazing! We're so proud of you!"
Fortunately, everyone misunderstood her words as a tribute to her fans. She didn't correct them, feeling satisfied that Jin Liwei appeared to understand that her words were meant for him.
This time, her speech was more thoughtful. But since she already thanked the same people again and again in her earlier speeches, she decided to mention other people in this speech.
Without mentioning specific names, she thanked her beautiful cats, her godson, her assistant, her bodyguard friend who was also the mother of her godson. She also thanked her father and her fiancé's family. Special thanks was given to her mentor who she called Grandpa and her beloved Big Brother. Many assumed she was referring to Long Hui. And of course, she didn't forget to throw more dog food by expressing her love once again for her fiancé.
Now that the last award was given, Iris Long was undoubtedly the biggest winner of the night. She basically swept the most important awards. Out of her nine nominations, she won six of them. Overall, she won seven awards tonight including the people's choice award for Most Popular Female Artist.
Jin Chonglin trailed behind her. Out of his eight nominations, he won four of them. In the end, he received five awards including the people's choice award for Most Popular Male Artist.
His army of fans felt a bit disappointed because he didn't win the most awards. However, they forced themselves to look at the bright side. Their Prince Lin Lin still won five awards! It was amazing! It was just that someone else won more than him, overshadowing his impressive number of wins.
The winners finally relaxed and allowed themselves to celebrate and bask in their victories. Everyone began to chatter among themselves about the awards. The event already ended, they thought, so the atmosphere was now more casual.
However, they were interrupted by something unexpected.
Male host: "Everyone, please return to your seats and pay attention. We have one more surprise."
Female host: "Yes! Even I am surprised. But before we reveal it, we would like to call the following distinguished figures to please come up the stage."
The President of the Harmony Music Awards, the Minister of Arts and Culture, and a representative from an international association of musicians headed to the stage.
Everyone was baffled but also curious. They had not been informed that something like this was going to happen tonight.
The President of the Harmony Music Awards spoke to the microphone. He wasn't well-known to the general public but everyone in the music industry respected him.
"Good evening, everyone. With my capacity as the President of the Harmony Music Awards, it is my honour to host the presentation of this very special award! I stand here today with our very own Minister of Arts and Culture and an official from the biggest international association of musicians to give this special award to a very talented and I daresay a once in a century musical genius!"
Many people were still confused about what was going on. However, a few musicians already had an idea of what was about to happen. They glanced at Iris Long with a mixture of awe and envy.
The Minister of Arts and Culture spoke to the mic next. "For her remarkable contribution to the field of music, specifically for creating three new musical techniques—one instrumental and two compositional—in the song 'Monster of Insanity', we are proud to present this special Outstanding Technical Achievement Award in Music to Miss Iris Long!!!"
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Chapter 338 - Be Careful
The applause was so deafening that the entire arena seemed to visibly vibrate from the force of its sound waves.
At first, Iris automatically clapped her hands like everyone else. It took a few moments before the words registered in her brain. She gasped in surprise and turned her head to JJ. She had no idea that she was going to receive this award tonight. Based on JJ's expression, he appeared to have already known about it beforehand.
"Stop spacing out, brat! Go back to the stage and make history! Ahahaha!" JJ looked proud and ecstatic, as if he was the one receiving the special award himself.
Iris nodded and made her way back to the stage. She couldn't determine exactly what she was feeling at the moment. This special award appeared to be very important because the President of the Harmony Music Awards, the Minister of Arts and Culture, and an official from the biggest international association of musicians in the world were personally presenting it to her.
It felt a little weird that she was receiving such an award for an achievement that she didn't really think was very important. The three new musical techniques were just something she utilized to achieve her musical vision when creating the song "Monster of Insanity".
She never deliberately planned on creating them. In fact, she didn't even know that they didn't exist before using them! For her, they were very minor elements of the song. That was why she felt perplexed that she was receiving an award for them. And with so much fanfare too!
The Minister of Arts and Culture handed her a big, glass plaque. The words "Outstanding Technical Achievement Award in Music" stood out the most with her name "Iris Long" below it.
"Congratulations, Miss Long. Be careful, it's heavy," the minister told her.
And indeed, it was heavier than the golden treble trophies she received earlier. After thanking the minister and the others, she stood once again in front of the mic for another speech. The audience continued to give her a loud standing ovation.
She had no idea what to say. "Thank you" seemed too casual, especially since she repeated it so many times in her previous speeches. Her eyes found Jin Liwei in the front row, silently asking him for help.
He stood there clapping his hands. To others, his expression remained cold. But to Iris, they looked very proud of her. He immediately understood her current predicament. His lips moved silently.
After reading his lips, a big smile lit up her face. People gasped at her blinding beauty.
Iris stepped away from the microphone, confusing many. She hugged the big, heavy plaque with one arm close to her body and swept her other arm up in the air. Then her body folded into an elegant and graceful curtsy bow. It was so deep that she was almost sitting on the floor.
The audience gave her an even louder standing ovation this time.
"Iris! Iris! Iris!"
So what if she didn't give a speech? They were already tired listening to what felt like endless speeches earlier. Iris' deep curtsy bow felt more sincere and refreshing than an overly emotional speech.
'You don't have to say anything if you don't have any words. Just do whatever you want, love. You are you.'
These were Jin Liwei's silent words to her earlier. It not only calmed her down but also reminded her to be herself. This heavy award was indeed heavy. It was heavy with people's expectations of her.
She realized that for a moment, she allowed herself to feel pressured by all the awards she received tonight. Fortunately, Jin Liwei reminded her that she was her own person. It was her choice to feel pressured. And in the same way, it was also her choice to just be herself. She could choose not to burden herself with other people's expectations of her.
This was her own path of freedom, her own path of independence. And walking that path together with her was her darling, Jin Liwei.
Her view had completely changed. Freedom and independence didn't need to be pursued alone. She was now learning that having a lover wasn't shackling her down but giving her a boost to fly higher instead.
As she straightened her body, she looked straight in the eyes of her man and blew him a sweet kiss filled with love and gratitude.
###
The Harmony Music Awards finally ended.
It was an event filled with many highlights. The majority of the people agreed that Iris Long shone the brightest tonight.
If not for her presence, Jin Chonglin would surely have been the brightest star. Unfortunately, his normally impressive number of wins was overshadowed by Iris Long's insane winning streak. His army of fans were a little disappointed, but they couldn't hate Iris Long because they also felt that she deserved all of the awards the she won.
After the winners' interviews with the media, the celebrities and the VIP guests headed to the after-party. The venue was in a grand ballroom hall at a five-star hotel.
Iris went with JJ and DJ Song in a limousine. The Jin brothers went together in another limo.
Throughout the party, Iris stayed with JJ and DJ Song. She didn't need to go around greeting others because they came to her themselves to congratulate her. Many of them invited her to dance, but one glare at JJ and they scurried away.
"Hmph! Do they think that we're blind or stupid? It's so obvious from their perverted eyes that they're already undressing you inside their minds. If you dance with them, I'm 100% sure that they'll start pawing you on the dance floor!" JJ said. He looked disgusted at the males, many of them celebrities, who directly tried to hit on Iris.
"You have to be extra careful from now on, Iris. Your status in the music industry and in showbiz have now changed. You're an award-winner now. And not just any winner, but a multi-award-winner. You have become even more desirable now. There will be many people who'll try to use you for their own gain," DJ Song warned her.
"Thank you very much, Mr. JJ and DJ Song. I'll be careful," Iris said.
JJ and DJ Song stayed with her at the beginning, but as they drank more and more alcohol, they left to talk and party with other people. It wasn't very bad because she never ran out of people to talk to, as she was the most popular figure of the night. She actually rather enjoyed chatting with the other musicians and celebrities.
However, the men trying to hit on her just kept on increasing. She had to drive them away by herself until Feng Wan and her three posh friends found their way to her. They were like her gatekeepers keeping the annoying flies away from her.
Despite this, there was a heavily intoxicated veteran singer who forced his way into their group. He was around the same age as Long Tengfei. He shamelessly flirted with all of them, making them very uncomfortable.
At first, they were polite in rejecting his advances but when he refused to leave them, Feng Wan couldn't hold it anymore. She directly told the man to leave them alone.
"What did you say to me, you b*tch?! Don't you know who I am?!" the veteran singer shouted in fury. "Whatever I want, I get!" Then he turned to Iris with a lewd expression on his face. He even licked his lips. "You—hic—so beautiful, so young yet already so sexy... Ignore th-these—hic—aunties and come t-talk to me instead. Let me show you—hic—the r-ropes in the music industry..."
The four posh ladies looked absolutely scandalized. Iris' eyes turned cold. Her fingers tightened around a fork, ready to stab the perverted man if he continued to harass them.
"W-wait...Let me—hic—write my h-hotel room number for you..."
"How dare you? You're such a repulsive man! Get away from us or we'll call the police!" Si Xinyue said. She was the wife of the Police Chief.
The man threw his head back and laughed. Some of the people around them already started noticing the commotion. Most of them looked away and pretended not to see anything. Others looked around with worried expressions, waiting for someone to step in. Someone, not them.
He ignored the four posh ladies and pounced on Iris, reaching for her. She was about to stab his arm with the fork when someone pulled him back and punched him in the face.
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Chapter 339 - Get Off
The veteran male singer crashed into another table. The sounds of loud banging and glasses shattering stopped the party and caught everyone's attention. Audible gasps and screams punctuated the suddenly tensed air.
"Y-you! How dare you, Jin Chonglin?!" the fallen veteran singer roared. "You d-dare—hic—hit me?!!"
"Sir, you are a great singer and I looked up to you before this. But all my respect for you are now gone. You are a disgusting pervert," Jin Chonglin told him.
The veteran singer struggled to get up from all the broken debris on the floor. "What did you say?! Jin Chonglin, you have become too full of yourself! Just b-because—hic—you have won so many awards tonight. So you t-think that you're—hic—such a b-big shot now, huh?! You're a hundred years too early to act like that in f-front of me!"
Jin Chonglin ignored the man, turned around, and headed to Iris' group. "Junior Iris, let's go."
Iris looked at the four posh ladies.
"Go, Iris. We can take care of ourselves," Feng Wan assured her.
She nodded and then followed Jin Chonglin.
"Hah! So you two are really—hic—engaged?" The veteran man, who was now standing on shaky feet, cackled at them. His tone was filled with mockery. "What a p-perfect combination! A gigolo and a sl*t!"
"Anyone who dares to work with that degenerate from now on will become an enemy of the Jins," a cold voice cut through the air.
Jin Liwei stood a few metres away like the king of hell. His face was a frozen mask of cold fury. He was relieved when he saw his baby girl unharmed. Then he remembered what the degenerate called her (oh, and his brother too) just a few seconds ago. Rage burned inside him.
Watching another man (his brother) defend his woman left a bitter taste in his mouth. If it weren't because he wanted to honour his agreement with his baby girl not to reveal their relationship before she was ready, he would've already beaten up the bastard into a pulp with his own bare fists.
He turned to the person beside him. It was the President of the Harmony Music Awards.
"So this is the kind of people you invite to your events?"
The president shivered. "CEO Jin, i-it's not like that! We have no idea that he's like this! Security! Where's the security?! Go kick that person out of here!"
"Security?" Jin Liwei's voice turned colder. "You mean the police, don't you? From what I understand, that disgusting man was harassing the ladies. That's why my brother hit him."
"I...CEO Jin, involving the police is a little... This is an important event. Can we...I mean, it's not that serious that we have to call the police..."
"Not. That. Serious?" Jin Liwei emphasized each syllable with a cold voice. His expression became even more frightening.
The president stepped back.
"Don't worry. The police are already on their way," Si Xinyue suddenly interjected.
It took a few seconds before Jin Liwei recognized the lady as the wife of the Police Chief. "We'll leave everything to you then, Madam."
"Don't worry. There are many people here who can serve as witnesses. He won't be able to escape from justice."
He nodded. Then he turned to Jin Chonglin. "Let's go."
"Yes, Big Bro. Come with us, Junior Iris. We'll take you home."
"Thank you, Senior Chonglin," Iris replied.
"No need! We'll send Iris home!" JJ interrupted in a loud voice.
He and DJ Song finally made their way to them from the other side of the hall. They looked tipsy.
Jin Liwei frowned. "Mr. JJ, DJ Song. Both of you are intoxicated. Rest assured that we will send Miss Long home safe and sound. There is no need to worry."
He began walking away. Jin Chonglin and Iris followed him.
"Please don't worry about me. I'll send a message when I get home," Iris reassured JJ.
JJ was about to protest when DJ Song stopped him.
"Old J, CEO Jin is a man of integrity. If he says that he'll send Iris home safe and sound, he'll do it. Besides, he's right. Both of us are drunk. We are not reliable companions for her at the moment."
JJ grumpily allowed the Jin brothers to take Iris away. "The two of you better take care of her! She's my most precious protégé. If you h-hurt a hair from her head, I'll...I'll declare war against you! I d-don't care if you're the Jins!"
Jin Liwei's mouth twitched but that was his only reaction to JJ's words. His expression still remained cold.
Iris smiled warmly at JJ and DJ Song.
And with that, the three left the after-party. They took Iris' awards from JJ's limousine first before driving away in Jin Liwei's own limo. Iris and Jin Chonglin remained silent as they observed Jin Liwei. Both of them could sense that he was extremely furious at the moment.
After a few blocks, the limo stopped at the side of the road.
"Get off," Jin Liwei ordered his brother.
Both Iris and Jin Chonglin looked at him in disbelief.
"Darling—"
"Big Bro—"
"There's another car behind us. It'll take you home," Jin Liwei said.
"Oh." Iris turned to Jin Chonglin. "Goodnight, Brother Chonglin. Thank you for defending me earlier. Please take care on your way home."
"You..." Jin Chonglin could only sigh at the lovers who were now kicking him out after doing so much favour for them tonight. "Fine. Whatever. Goodnight. Bye," he muttered as he opened the door and climbed off the limo.
His feet barely touched the ground when the limo sped off. Jin Chonglin staggered back and fell on his butt.
"Eff you!" he shouted and gave the quickly disappearing vehicle two middle fingers.
Back inside the limousine, Jin Liwei pulled Iris in a tight embrace.
"Sorry, love."
She laid her head against his chest, feeling relieved that she was now back safely in her man's arms. "It's not your fault."
"I shouldn't have left you alone at the party. I needed to take a call, so I stepped out of the hall to talk for some time. When I returned, my brother was already punching that scumbag. I wish I was the one who defended you."
"Let's not talk about it anymore. I don't want that incident to mar such a wonderful night as this." She lifted her head to look at him. "Darling, I'm so happy you were there when I accepted all those awards. Thank you for coming."
"No, love. It's my pleasure. I'm so proud of you," he told her.
They gazed into each other's eyes. Jin Liwei's head dipped and captured her sweet lips. The kiss was slow and sensual at first, but Jin Liwei deepened it after just a few seconds.
Iris moaned and held on to him as he ravished her mouth. She could feel his fury in his kiss. It seemed that he was still very much affected by what happened during the after-party.
His hands touched her all over, pressing and squeezing her softness through her dress. Panting, he sucked her lower lip as his movements became more desperate and hungrier for her. Then he pushed her down the seat and laid his body on top of her.
She immediately felt his hardness pressing against her thigh. His wet kisses trailed down her neck. He was trying to find the opening of her dress.
Annoyed that he couldn't seem to find any opening, he gripped her dress by the neckline and prepared to rip it off of her.
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Chapter 340 - Damn Dress
Iris grabbed Jin Liwei's hand before he could rip her dress off.
"No! Darling, stop! Not my dress. I like this dress."
It took a few months to create this masterpiece for the Harmony Music Awards. Jin Liwei even took part in choosing the initial designs. He said that he wanted to see her in a red, traditional-inspired dress, so they went with it.
"Don't worry, love. I'll commission another dress exactly like this one," he told her. His fingers tightened on the cloth. He really wanted to rip it off of her.
"No, I really like this dress. Don't destroy it. Besides, I don't want to do it here."
"The partition wall is up and it's soundproofed. My subordinates won't see or hear us."
Jin Liwei was now panting very hard. Huge droplets of sweat beaded all over his face and even dripped down on her. It was taking all of his willpower not to lose control and ravish her. All of his frustrations of not being able to claim her as his woman in front of everybody earlier, plus the fury he felt when he discovered that she was almost molested by a pervert during the after-party, were all taking a toll on his sanity right now. He needed to be inside her as soon as possible to calm his raging inner beast.
However, she really didn't feel comfortable making love at the moment. Similar to him, all of the events that happened earlier were also taking a toll on her. She just wanted to be with him to relax and be comforted.
She blinked her beautiful eyes at him. "Can we just cuddle? Please, darling?"
Her angelic expression shot straight to his heart. "Hah..." He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes to forcefully tamp down his desire. It was damn difficult, but he opened his eyes and nodded. "Alright, love," he said and sat back up. "Come sit on my lap and let's cuddle."
A lovely smile lit up her face. He almost lost control again.
Iris found a comfortable position on his lap and draped herself all over him. She tried not to press against the hardness pressing below her. However, the hitching in his breath told her that every single little movement of hers was affecting him. She felt bad for him, but she really didn't want to do it right now. So she tried not to move around too much.
"Wait till we get home. Okay?" she whispered to him.
Excitement immediately spiked within him. 'Hurry up and drive faster!' he wanted to shout at the driver but controlled himself. His baby girl seemed to be enjoying cuddling with him at the moment. He didn't want to ruin it for her just because of his impatience and raging desire.
He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to his body. His hands also never stopped roaming all over her body, stroking and squeezing. He hungered for her naked flesh, wanting to taste her with his mouth and press his own naked body against hers.
Finally, they arrived home.
Jin Liwei carried Iris princess-style inside the mansion, all the way to their suite. He put her down on her feet once they were inside their bedroom.
He pinned her against the door and kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. One hand kneaded her breast over her dress and the other squeezed her sexy hips and butt. Both moaned.
"Help me remove your dress, love," he whispered, panting in anticipation.
She hesitated. "I want to shower first." Before he could persuade her otherwise, she added, "I performed earlier tonight and walked back and forth to the stage many times to receive my awards. They're very heavy, you know. I sweated a lot."
"Alright. Let's shower together," he compromised.
The two headed to the bathroom. Jin Liwei couldn't keep his hands off of her.
"Careful! You'll tear the crystals off! We have to remove my dress slowly and carefully," she scolded him and swatted his hands when he impatiently tugged at her dress.
He grunted and gritted his teeth, as he forced himself to be gentle in helping her out of her fitted dress. When her breasts finally popped out, his mouth immediately captured a nipple and sucked hard. Iris gasped and automatically held his head. She closed her eyes and moaned. However, the rough rustling of her dress somewhat cleared her mind.
"Darling...my dress..."
"To hell with your dress."
"No! If you damage my dress, I'll sleep with Ice Cream and Popcorn in their room tonight! You stay here by yourself!"
He immediately stopped. "Love, don't be like this... I'll be good, okay? Now let's 'slowly' and 'carefully' remove your beautiful dress, alright?"
She harrumphed before they worked together in removing her dress. Her lids were becoming heavy and she started yawning. Finally, the dress was completely removed.
Jin Liwei released a big sigh of relief. He was about to toss it to the laundry hamper, but Iris scolded him again. "Darling, no! We have to hang it nicely for dry cleaning."
He groaned, starting to hate the damn red dress. He had already forgotten that he was the one who insisted that she wore the dress for the music awards.
After taking care of the damn dress, Jin Liwei quickly removed his own suit. Iris only had her panties on at the moment.
"Where are you going?" he asked when she walked away. His upper body was already naked, and he was in the process of removing his trousers.
"I need to remove my make-up."
"Oh. Hurry up, love."
"Mmn... Okay." She yawned again.
Now fully naked, he didn't immediately go to her. He stood back instead and watched her remove her make-up in front of the mirror and sink. She was so beautiful, so sexy. He started stroking himself slowly to ease the ache. Craving the feeling of flesh on flesh, he walked to her and stood behind her.
His hands wrapped around her body and kneaded her bare breasts, while he kissed her neck. Her breathing sped up but she continued to gently remove her make-up. One of his hands moved downwards and slipped inside her panties. She was already wet when he touched her.
"Ah! Liwei...darling..." She threw her head back to his chest and moaned.
He slid a long finger inside her and moved it in and out slowly. She trembled.
"I...my make-up..."
"Don't mind me, love. Continue what you're doing," he whispered into her ear in a husky voice before nibbling her earlobe.
She clumsily removed the rest of her make-up, not really doing a good job of it, especially when he inserted another finger and sped up the pace of pleasuring her. Moments later, she stiffened and started shaking. Her cries and whimpers of ecstasy echoed inside the bathroom.
He could feel her inner contractions as she squeezed his fingers inside of her. He groaned. His erection twitched, hardening even more. He couldn't wait to replace his fingers with his hard length.
When she finished, her body felt like it melted into a puddle of jelly. She felt so relaxed that she didn't react much when Jin Liwei carried her into the shower. Warm water rained down on them, as Jin Liwei hungrily kissed her on the mouth. She sighed in satisfaction and closed her eyes.
"Touch me too," he gasped between kisses. "Love? Hm?"
Her head lolled and dropped onto his chest. Her knees also began to buckle. He quickly wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling down.
"What the? Love, are you alright?"
She opened her eyes and squinted at him. Then she yawned. "Oh? We're still in the shower? So sleepy..." Her eyes began to droop close again.
Jin Liwei stared at her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She was now practically sleeping on her feet. Although what he wanted the most right now was to make love with her, he could only sigh at their current situation.
His baby girl must be so exhausted.
"Love, can you stay awake for a bit more? I'll wash us quickly and then we can sleep, okay?" he told her in a gentle voice.
She acknowledged his words with a soft sound. Her eyes opened sleepily and looked at his erection. "Sorry, I'm too tired," she mumbled.
He chuckled softly. "It's fine. You deserve to have a good long rest tonight."
Jin Liwei quickly washed and dried themselves. She was already sleeping deeply when he carried her to the bed. He rubbed lotion all over her body and applied moisturizer on her face. When he was done, he kissed her on the lips and covered her with the duvet.
Then he looked down at his still hard erection. Sighing, he returned to the bathroom for a cold shower. He refused to touch himself. After reciting the value of pi inside his head and almost freezing from the cold water, his little brother down below finally softened on its own.
He staggered back to the bed and slept like a log beside his baby girl.
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