HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR

381 - 390

Chapter 381 - Real Genius

Because of Iris Long's involvement in the international business conference, it unexpectedly gained huge attention from the general public. Most of the general folks usually didn't care about business events like this, but now they wanted to know more about it.

It pleased the Ministry of Commerce greatly, prompting them to use Iris Long's image more in promoting the international business conference across the country. Of course, Bright Summit was more than happy to cooperate.

Iris also didn't mind. In fact, she welcomed it. This opportunity would be helpful for the development of her own businesses later on.

Due to the increased attention, all the delegates became extra careful in how they conducted themselves. The Chinese delegates also went all out during their presentations, wanting to impress everyone. It wasn't only them who were feeling the pressure to perform their best. The foreign delegates also gave their A-game. Everyone suddenly became more enthusiastic in attracting the best deals and partnerships during this international business conference.

Iris Long was also now known throughout the nation as a talented polyglot.

On the first day of the international business conference, she demonstrated her English and French language skills. On the second day, her Malay and Japanese skills.

Now people were looking forward to what other languages she would interpret next during this five-day long business event. There were even betting pools set up across the country. They wagered on which other languages she would most likely interpret next or if the languages she demonstrated on the first and second days were already the limit to her skills.

They weren't disappointed.

On the third day, she interpreted in Greek and Korean. On the fourth day, Dutch and Hausa (an African language). And on the last day, Thai and Spanish.

So far, they now confirmed that she was skilled in ten languages in addition to Mandarin. Eleven languages in total. Make that twelve because some also remembered when she spoke Italian with Maestro Ludovico De Luca during her interview with Feng Jiu. So they knew that she could also speak in Italian.

However, there were many people who believed that she must know more than these twelve. Most of the Black Stars felt this way. But some were saying that any more than these twelve were already too much and quite impossible to believe.

Then some former classmates of Iris Long began voicing out their doubts. They were even interviewed and featured on several TV programs and newspapers.

"I'm finding it hard to believe that Iris Long suddenly became so smart. Although she didn't have the worst grades at school, she wasn't a good student either. She was frequently absent because of her showbiz work, but whenever she attended school, she almost always flunked our tests. It became normal for her to redo everything."

Then her previous school transcripts from middle school to high school were leaked by the media. All of her grades, except for Music, were ludicrously low.

It came to a point that her former school teachers and even principal were sought out for interviews.

"I'm retired now, so I think I'm free to say this. Miss Long was one of the most problematic students that I've ever experienced teaching in my entire career as a teacher. She never listened to me and had poor comprehension of our lessons. It also didn't help that she rarely went to school. I was so relieved when she graduated, although I'm still very confused as to how she managed to do that," her former Math teacher revealed.

"Miss Long had passable English when I taught her. Coming from a privileged family, she could speak English but nothing very impressive. Her grammar was also horrendous. She certainly didn't have the British accent she demonstrated during this year's international business conference. When I watched her interpreting in English at the conference on TV, I was so shocked. But I think that this is a good thing. Maybe my teachings from before finally sank in and she improved her English," her former English teacher said.

"As a principal, I am immensely proud to watch such a talented former student of my school become so successful. Although I admit that she got into trouble quite a few times—alright, many times—it's because I'm positive that she was in her rebellious phase that time. It's very typical for teenagers to rebel at her age back then," her former principal said.

These interviews plus Iris' unimpressive school transcripts puzzled a lot of people. They wondered why Iris suddenly changed so much. Many also remembered her previous notorious bratty, bitchy and diva-like attitude as a teenage pop singer.

Netizens widely discussed this matter online.

"She changed so much when she made her first comeback. Maybe she hit her head so hard during the car crash, went into coma, and then became a genius all of a sudden after waking up."

"If that's really what happened, then maybe I should hit my head too. Will I become a genius too if I do that? I want to speak many languages like Iris Long too. So cool, man!"

"I've watched some documentaries before about comatose people waking up and then suddenly gaining the ability to speak many foreign languages. I don't know if that's what happened to Iris. But if so, then it's a medical miracle!"

TV programs became very interested in this topic. They even invited "experts" to discuss Iris' situation. There were psychologists, neurologists and a lot of other -ists who shared their "expert" opinions.

"Based on what we publicly know about Iris Long, she has a rather strong personality and had quite a turbulent childhood. It's well-known that her parents divorced when she was just a small child. She had also mentioned before that her parents weren't in good terms with each other. It's highly likely that Iris Long was already a born genius but because of her family situation and her own selfish attitude, she began rebelling to gain more attention and love from her parents. In this case, her rebellion was her form of defence mechanism in dealing with her family situation. Her rebellion masked her genius," a guest psychologist analyzed.

"So what you're saying is that Iris Long deliberately failed at school and pretended to be an idiot—please excuse my language—when she's really a genius just to get the attention of her parents? Isn't that too extreme?" the host asked.

"Yes, it is indeed extreme but it's actually very common among children of divorced parents. And we also need to take into account that the Longs are a wealthy family. Her father is the head of both the family and their business. I don't personally know Iris Long's parents, but I'm guessing that they were too busy with their own matters and careers to pay close attention to their daughter Iris Long. I'm guessing that even they had no idea that their own daughter is actually a born genius. I think it's quite sad, really."

The host nodded. "Then what could've prompted Iris Long to finally reveal that she's a genius all along? Can you explain it to us?"

"We all know that she got involved in that serious car accident—well, we shouldn't really call it an accident anymore because it had been already confirmed that it was attempted murder. That incident almost killed her, sending her into coma. Near-death experiences like that can really change people. After waking up from coma, I'm certain that she realized that life is precious so she began changing for the better. She stopped her rebellious attitude and behaviour, and is now finally beginning to embrace her real genius."

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Chapter 382 Baby - Making Skills

After this TV show aired, many believed the psychologist's analysis of Iris Long's situation to be the truth, especially the Black Stars who believed it 100%. They felt sorry for their Boss Iris when she was young. She had to resort to rebellion in order to demand attention from her divorced parents.

"Wuwuwu! My heart aches for Boss Iris! Poor her! She just wanted to be loved!"

"I feel so sorry for what Boss Iris went through. But is it wrong for me to also be glad that she went through a near-death experience? Because if she didn't, we might have never known that she's actually a genius!"

"I agree with you! I'm also glad that she experienced all of that because it made her grow as a person. She's so much better now, that's why we all follow her!"

"Boss Iris, we love you so much! We'll follow you to the very end! You're the most awesome boss forever and ever!!!"

Then the topic of conversation suddenly changed.

"Dammit! I missed so much news about Boss Iris! It's the first time in a long while that I returned to the land of the living. I've been playing this new awesome game. It's super amazing! Anybody playing 'Supreme Ascension' here?"

"Me me me! What's your username? Let's be friends and form a team together!"

The new game "Supreme Ascension" was fast becoming the top computer game being played at internet cafés. It also helped that most game critics and reviewers gave it mostly high reviews. There were also many gamers who were choosing to livestream the game. "Supreme Ascension" livestreams were often found in top trending lists among gaming websites and apps.

In addition to these, many celebrities also shared to their fans that they were playing this new computer game. When Jin Chonglin posted photos of himself playing the game on his blog, his army of fans immediately tried playing it as well. Many of them never expected that they would become totally addicted to it.

Things were going extremely well for Planet Monkey. Despite this, the company only became more focused on improving the game. They hired more employees to increase efficiency and quality.

The gaming industry wanted to know more about Planet Monkey, but the company itself remained relatively quiet about its history and inner workings amidst the growing media attention.

Of course, Planet Monkey didn't fail in advertising and promoting "Supreme Ascension", but they didn't constantly splash themselves all over the media. Most of their ads were targeted online, and so far, it was proving to be very effective.

When asked by a game reporter why they weren't taking advantage of the game's rising popularity to gain more exposure, a representative from Planet Monkey was reported saying:

"We want our current game, 'Supreme Ascension', to speak for itself and on behalf of our company, Planet Monkey. We are confident in our game's quality and we are constantly working hard to improve it even further. We believe that the high quality of our game and its immersive user experience are enough advertisement at the moment. We want to focus first on improving the game in every aspect and growing it alongside our current players, instead of trying to get a massive number of new players who might grow tired of it after some time."

This answer screamed confidence, calmness, and in many ways, maturity for a new game company. It only made Planet Monkey more mysterious.

###

Inside the hotel suite, Iris smiled while reading the latest company report of Planet Monkey.

Despite her company's statement of wanting to grow alongside their current players instead of attracting a massive number of new players, their data showed that most new players quickly became regular players. Meaning, most of them became addicted and continued to play regularly. Only less than 5% of new sign-ups so far stopped playing after the first few weeks. This was an excellent turn-out.

Word of mouth demonstrated its undeniable power. Iris only mentioned "Supreme Ascension" to Blaze, Eros, Night and Thunder of Pandemonium once. She didn't say that it was her company who made the game.

Before she knew it, the guys instantly got hooked on the game to the point that they invited their fellow celebrities to play it. They were actually the ones who started spreading "Supreme Ascension" among the celebrities. That was also how Jin Chonglin knew about the game in the first place.

And just like Jin Liwei promised, he made Jin Chonglin post about "Supreme Ascension" on his blog. When Jin Chonglin discovered that Iris was the President-Owner of Planet Monkey, the company who made the game, he was absolutely shocked.

The shock made him forget about his intended complaints on why he was being made to promote the game when he wasn't going to be paid in the first place. In the end, he did it on his own volition. But he made Iris promise to tour him around Planet Monkey when they were both free.

Of course Iris immediately agreed. Free promotion from a superstar like Jin Chonglin? She would tour him around Planet Monkey as many times as he wanted.

After reading the report, she closed her laptop and went into the bedroom. She was alone in the suite. Jin Liwei was currently working out at the hotel gym. She didn't go with him because she didn't feel like working out today.

It was the day after the international business conference ended.

Last night, there were celebratory dinners all over the nearby restaurants. Likewise, Jin Corporation and Long Industries had their own dinners to celebrate the deals they successfully obtained during the international business conference.

Because Jin Liwei, Grandpa Lu and the Longs had to attend their respective company dinners with their own people, Iris and her two professors ate together instead. At first, Jin Liwei wanted to skip Jin Corporation's dinner to join her but Iris discouraged him.

"No, darling. Celebrate with your people first. They deserve to have a nice dinner with their President-CEO after all the hard work they put in during this international business conference. We can have our own celebratory dinner tomorrow." Only when she said this did Jin Liwei reluctantly left her with the professors.

But even during his dinner, he still constantly messaged her to ask how she was doing. It was already past midnight when he returned to their hotel suite. She was already in deep sleep by that time.

Back to the present.

Iris headed to the bedroom and took some clothes from the drawers before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

She and Jin Liwei decided not to immediately return home. They planned on staying at the hotel for the rest of the weekend. They wanted to spend more time together with just the two of them, especially after how busy they had been prior to and during the international business conference.

While most of the delegates were busy packing their luggage and checking out of their hotels, the two of them were relaxing and enjoying the hotel's accommodations instead.

Grandpa Lu called them first thing in the morning. He announced that he was already missing Little Jun, so he would be leaving soon. It seemed that the two professors were leaving with him as well.

"This old man can't wait to give all the presents I bought this week to my beloved great-grandson! If you two want to stay here, then stay! I know that you plan on practicing your baby-making skills! Bahahaha! Practice well because I want a well-made great-grandbaby! When are you going to give me a new one? I want to know! This old man is not getting any younger!"

Grandpa Lu's words made Iris blush a little but Jin Liwei looked pumped, as if determined to improve his baby-making skills with her.

Iris also received a call from Long Tengfei afterwards. Everyone from Long Industries would also be leaving today.

So at the moment, it was basically just Iris and Jin Liwei who were left. Although she was missing Ice Cream, Popcorn and Little Jun, she was filled with anticipation at spending the entire weekend with her darling—just the two of them alone.

She was in the middle of removing her clothes when she heard the sound of Jin Liwei arriving at the suite. Her lips curved into a smile.

"Love?" Jin Liwei's voice called for her.

She could hear his footsteps. Moments later, the bathroom door opened.

Jin Liwei stopped in his tracks when he saw his baby girl only in her underwear. His eyes darkened with desire. Of course, his little brother down below stirred and began standing in attention.

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Chapter 383 - Let's Do Something Fun Today

Iris stood back and admired Jin Liwei's body. He was wearing a grey tank top and black jogger pants. His top was currently soaked in sweat. The wet cloth stuck to his fit physique, making his chest muscles and tight abs stand out even beneath the tank top. A towel was draped over his wide shoulders which he carelessly tossed down the floor.

Because he just came from a workout, his skin glistened with sweat. He was also flushed, even more so now that she was standing in front of him in nothing but her lace underwear.

Similarly, Jin Liwei was admiring her sexy body. Her body was toned, yet still retained soft curves in all the right places. Her breasts nicely filled the cups of her bra. Her slender waist flared into enticingly wide hips, forming an hourglass body. His eyes continued down her long, smooth legs. He couldn't wait for them to wrap around his waist, so he could pound himself inside her again and again.

Iris also looked down and saw the bulge inside his jogger pants. Her breathing and heart rate sped up. Anticipation and desire filled her. She didn't realize that her tongue licked her lips. Then she bit her lower lip, as her eyes darkened with desire for him.

This series of actions was like a signal to Jin Liwei. He walked to her until they were standing just a few inches apart from each other.

She was the first one to reach out to him. She grabbed his sweaty tank top and pulled him closer. Then she slipped her hands inside his tank top to fondle his flat, hard abs.

He just stood there, looking at her with half-lidded eyes. He allowed her to touch him to her heart's content.

When she became impatient and started tugging his tank top off, something seemed to snap inside him. He ripped his tank top into two pieces and threw them down the floor. Then he growled and pulled her head for deep, hungry kiss.

The kiss was so intense that it almost felt vicious.

Iris began tasting blood, not realizing that she had bitten his lips or maybe his tongue. She didn't know. Or maybe it was her blood. She had no idea nor did she care. All she wanted was more of him. Her hands roamed all over his arms, chest and back. She pressed her body against him, wanting more skin-to-skin contact.

Jin Liwei's hands weren't motionless either. They touched her all over, massaging and squeezing her curves. In another moment of barbarity, he tore her bra, making her breasts bounce from the force. His mouth immediately came down and caught one of her nipples, sucking it hard.

"Ah!" Iris grabbed his head, as she pressed her chest harder against him. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, moaning at the pleasure he was giving her.

Her heavy eyes opened and she reached for the waistband of his jogger pants. However, he caught her hands. She whined in protest when he prevented her from touching what she wanted the most at the moment.

He released her breasts and looked at her. Then he asked in a deep, husky tone, "You want me?"

"Yes!"

"You want me inside you?"

"Yes! Oh for goodness' sake, Jin Liwei! Hurry up! I can't wait any longer!"

"Impatient, aren't we?"

Now it was her turn to growl at him.

He chuckled, amused. "Let's do something fun today. Would you like to try?"

Her curiosity was immediately sparked. "Fun? What is it?"

Instead of answering, he started removing his pants. Her eyes lit up when his erection sprang out. She moved to touch it but he stopped her once again.

"Jin Liwei, why do you keep stopping me?!"

"Relax, love. I told you we'll try something fun today," he said to appease her. Then he stepped away from her and started slowly stroking his erection. "Remove your panties."

Sulking a bit, she obeyed and quickly removed it. Her eyes never left his crotch while doing so. "What now?"

"Touch yourself, too," he told her.

She blinked a few times, not understanding what he meant. "What?"

"I want to watch you pleasure yourself, love. Let's watch each other." His excitement was obvious in his voice.

"But I only feel pleasure when you're the one touching me."

"Just try it, love. I'm right here. Look at me. Imagine that I'm the one touching you."

She felt reluctant. However, her curiosity won in the end.

Watching him stroking himself, her hands cupped her breasts and started kneading them.

"Touch yourself down there," he urged her. "Tell me how wet you are for me."

One of her hands slowly moved down and touched herself. She felt herself already dripping for him. A deep moan escaped from her lips.

"Are you wet?" he asked.

"Yes..."

"Put a finger inside. Imagine it's me."

She followed his instructions and inserted a finger inside herself. It made her whimper in pleasure. Before he could instruct her further, she already started moving her finger in and out of her wet heat.

Jin Liwei stroked himself faster. He started to pant. Rivulets of sweat dripped down his skin. "Sit down, love. I want to see you clearly."

She closed the toilet seat and sat on top of it. Then she opened her legs and placed one of her feet on the edge of the toilet seat while the other foot remained on the floor. She already knew that he liked this kind of exposed position.

And indeed, Jin Liwei sucked in a harsh breath at the erotic sight. His erection got harder and started leaking a little.

"Darling, you're such a pervert."

"For you, always."

Just like that, they watched each other pleasure themselves. Jin Liwei pumped himself with his hand, while Iris thrust two fingers inside her. Their grunts and moans echoed inside the bathroom.

"Faster, love," he hissed through gritted teeth. He was quickly reaching his climax but wanted her to reach it first.

She released a sexy sound in response and her fingers increased speed. Her cries of pleasure immediately drowned all other sounds. She squeezed her eyes shut. Then her body stiffened and started trembling as she finally reached her climax. A mixture of moans, cries and whimpers escaped from her lips.

She heard a deep groan right in front of her. Her eyes opened and warm liquid started spurting all over her. She saw him standing right in front of her, desperately pumping all of his release on her body.

He was gasping when he finished. Then he held her chin and lifted it so that she was looking up at him.

"How was it? Fun, right?" he asked after he calmed down.

She nodded.

"You like it?"

She nodded again. Then she said, "But I like it better when you're actually touching me."

He smirked. "Me too. Wait here, love. Don't shower yet. I'll be back." He walked out of the bathroom.

Iris stood up and used a wet towel to clean his mess from her body. Some even got on her face. She didn't mind it, though.

It didn't take long till Jin Liwei returned with a box of condoms.

Her eyes lit up when she saw him hard and standing up once again. Although she just climaxed a few moments ago, she could feel desire surging inside her once again.

The sound of tearing foil heightened her anticipation. She watched him sheathe himself with a condom.

"Come here," he told her after he was done.

She immediately went to him. His hands covered her butt and lifted her up. He carried her that way, making her wrap her legs around him. They started kissing, as he tried aligning her wet entrance on top of his erection.

Then he suddenly slammed her down. Iris cried out while he groaned in pleasure when they were finally joined together.

Still standing and carrying her in his arms, he began bouncing her on top of him. He balanced and supported her entire weight.

She wasn't heavy, so it wasn't a big strain on him to carry her for the entire time. In fact, he even sped up the bouncing. The loud slapping of their wet flesh echoed inside the entire bathroom.

Iris was moaning and crying out, feeling more pleasure than usual because this standing position also excited her. This was the first time they tried it. She couldn't really do anything but hold on because all of the control was on him.

Opening her eyes, she looked at his face. He looked feral.

"More..." she demanded.

He grunted and walked them in front of the sink. Then he made her sit on the edge of the countertop with her legs still wrapped around him. With unbelievable focus and speed, he started slamming himself inside her again and again.

Tears flowed down Iris' face because of too much pleasure. She quickly reached orgasm but he wasn't finished yet. He continued his deliciously fierce lovemaking until she was sobbing all over his neck. She called his name over and over, holding on to him for dear life.

With a loud roar, he came just as she climaxed once again.

He slid out of her and quickly discarded the used condom. He waited until both of them calmed down. Then he wiped her tears with his fingers, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a bit worried.

She nodded, sniffing. Then she gave a faint smile. "That was amazing."

He chuckled, relieved. "I know."

"Let's do it again."

His brows rose before a pleased smile broke out of his face. "My lady's wish is my command."

And just like that, the sounds of another intense lovemaking echoed inside the bathroom.

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Chapter 384 - Not The Real Long Xiulan

The lovers, Iris and Jin Liwei, spent an enjoyable weekend staying at the hotel. For an entire day, they mostly stayed inside the suite making love over and over again. Their desire for each other was insatiable.

Jin Liwei decided to give his butler another raise because the man made sure to pack plenty of condoms. Both he and Iris already had a preference for a specific brand and type. The butler made sure to pack mostly that with a few experimental ones (just in case they wanted to try something new). His butler was truly a thoughtful person.

When the two were newly engaged and just returned to the country from Europe, they started making love regularly. Iris noticed that they were using up a lot of condoms. She thought of using birth control pills instead so Jin Liwei wouldn't have to use condoms anymore.

Months ago, she consulted Dr. Ching and her gynecologist. However, they became hesitant to prescribe pills for her. She had a history of sudden mood swings, fainting, and even going into coma two times.

Even up till now, they still had no idea what caused these health conditions. They were concerned that taking birth control pills or any hormonal medications might trigger her past health conditions once again or maybe even exacerbate them.

Of course, Iris knew what caused her so-called health problems. It was the original Iris' remnant, but she couldn't tell them that. They might send her to a psychiatrist instead.

Although she didn't think that the remnant completely went away after what happened with Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls, the original Iris' revenge for her death was already complete. Iris thought that the remnant shouldn't flare up again in a dangerous manner.

It most likely went into a dormant state after achieving revenge against Fan Luo. Iris hadn't felt it stirring since then. There were times when she became suspicious, especially when she met with Long Jinjing and the Long elders for the first time, but they were probably false alarms.

Iris still had no idea that the remnant opted for an inconspicuous fusion with her this time, instead of forcefully wrenching control of the body from her. She wasn't aware that the evolution of her own emotions because of the remnant was almost complete.

Once it was complete, the remnant would cease to exist as a separate entity but would indelibly be a part of her forever. There would no longer be any distinctions between her and the remnant.

Whether this evolution would strengthen or weaken her remained to be seen.

Back to the matter about the birth control pills, Iris personally didn't think that it would affect her health negatively. However, the doctors disagreed. They wanted her to undergo several tests first before they prescribed any pill to her. She thought it was such a huge hassle.

When Jin Liwei learned about the matter and the doctors' opinions about it, he started researching about birth control options. He was horrified reading all of the possible side-effects. He immediately discouraged Iris from taking birth control pills.

"Darling, not all women will experience those side-effects. Only very few will experience those and they're the most extreme cases. I think I'll be alright," she tried to assure him.

However, he wasn't buying it. "No, I don't want to risk it. Even if the possibility is only 0.01% or less, I don't want to risk you, love. You're too important to me. Besides, even your doctors don't want to prescribe them to you because of your past health history. So no, love. Let's stick to what we're using now, okay?"

Iris tilted her head to the side, thinking about it. She wanted to persuade him that her past health problems were not caused by anything medical. It was the remnant. However, she stopped herself.

How would he react if she told him that she wasn't the real Iris Long? Would he still love her? Would he think she was crazy? Would he leave her?

She suddenly felt scared. She had never loved anyone before like how she loved Jin Liwei. It was a different kind of love she felt for her Big Brother Nikolai and their father. Losing Jin Liwei now would certainly devastate her like no other.

"Hm? What's wrong, love?" he asked her, noticing the fear in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms to hug and comfort her.

She also hugged him by the waist. Her arms tightened around him, almost squeezing him painfully. However, he didn't mind. Then she pressed her face against his chest and inhaled his masculine scent.

"I love you, Jin Liwei."

A faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "I love you more, Long Xiulan."

Her heart jumped in an uncomfortable way.

'But I'm not the real Long Xiulan,' she thought.

'No, you are Long Xiulan now,' something whispered inside her. However, she thought that it was just her own thoughts.

"Love, tell me what's wrong." He was starting to feel worried by her increasingly dark expression.

She didn't answer right away.

He didn't force her to tell him. He just continued to embrace her, waiting for her to tell him whatever was bothering her on her own volition. If she told him, great. If not, it was alright. However, he hoped that she would tell him. He wanted them to openly share their feelings with each other.

They remained embracing for a few minutes before Iris spoke again. She looked up at him. Her dark expression was nowhere to be seen. It was completely impassive instead, which bothered him more than her earlier dark expression.

"What if I'm not the same person you thought I was?" she suddenly asked him in a whisper. "What if I'm not really Long Xiulan? How would you feel? Would you still love me?"

Jin Liwei frowned, completely confused by her questions.

"Never mind. Forget I asked," she said, lowering her eyes. Then she began to pull away from the embrace.

However, he didn't let her go. He lifted her chin with his fingers, coaxing her to look directly at his eyes.

"Although I don't know why you're suddenly asking me all of these, I want you to know that ever since the beginning, you weren't the person that I thought you were. I fell in love with the woman I met at that hotel lobby, not the Long Xiulan—the Iris Long that I kept on hearing about from other people."

She once again tightened her arms around him, gazing up at his face.

"I fell in love with the woman who asked me for a million RMB per report, the woman who bit my lips when I first kissed her, the woman I had half a sex with inside my car, the woman who measured my dick with a tape measure during our first night on bed together..."

A giggle escaped from Iris' lips remembering that moment she nonchalantly measured him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

His expression became gentle as he rubbed her back and stroked her hair. He continued speaking, "I fell in love with the woman who made me dance in a Zumba class, the woman who made me a father of two precious kittens, the woman who kneed my poor balls and dick because I was being a possessive asshole, the woman who made me eat fruits every day to experiment on the taste of my semen, the woman who—"

"That's enough. I understand," she whispered, chuckling softly. A lovely smile shone on her face, making her beauty even more breathtaking in his eyes.

However, he still continued. "I fell in love with the woman who made me the man that I am today. Without you, I would still be the same asshole that I was before. I am a better man now because of you."

Her eyes filled up, but she didn't let the tears fall. His words touched her deeply, filling her with the warmth of love and happiness. He calmed the doubts and fear inside her.

"So whoever you are or whatever kind of person you were or end up becoming in the future, I am in love with you and you alone. Even if you end up becoming the most evil person in existence, I'll still stay beside you and love you until the end of time," he told her, his voice serious and sincere.

"Oh, Liwei."

"Look at me."

"I am looking at you," she replied.

"Never doubt my love for you. Even if we die and are reborn into different people, I'll make sure to find you and love you all over again."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Really?"

"Yes."

She took a few deep breaths and asked, "What if...I wasn't really Long Xiulan in the first place? What if I was somebody else before this? What if...what if I disappear and the real Long Xiulan returns? Would you continue to love Long Xiulan because of this body?"

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Chapter 385 - Don't Underestimate My Love

Jin Liwei felt even more confused by her questions. However, he could sense that his answers were very important to her. So even when he felt utterly confused, he still did his best to answer her questions to the best of his ability.

He framed her beautiful face between his large hands. He looked directly at her eyes, trying to convey his sincerity to her as much as possible.

"Love, like I just said, you are the one I love. Only you. If you're not really Long Xiulan, then I don't love Long Xiulan. The one I love is you, whoever you are." He dipped his head to kiss her gently on the lips. "If you ever disappear, then my love will also disappear. Your body is just a husk. If you're not in it, then it's not you."

Iris continued gazing at him, feeling like she was floating over the clouds. However, she still continued to ask him. "Will you really know it's not me, even if it's the same body?"

"Of course," he immediately replied. Then he put a fist on his chest over his heart. "We're connected here. If it's not you, I won't feel anything here. Don't underestimate my love for you."

She nodded. "Okay."

They continued embracing each other. Iris just fell in love with Jin Liwei more deeply at that moment. She could really feel how much he loved her. It brought her so much happiness.

'Someday, maybe I'll tell him everything or maybe not,' she thought.

As for Jin Liwei, he felt relieved that his baby girl finally relaxed. He was still very confused by her questions but love was love. It didn't need any explanations. He loved her and that was what mattered.

Then he remembered what they were talking about earlier.

"Love?"

"Hm? What is it?" she asked.

"I just want to tell you that you don't have to risk your health for birth control. There is no need for you to ingest a pill every day, or be injected with something, or have a foreign object inserted inside yourself," he told her. "I don't mind wearing condoms. I'll wear it until you're ready to bear my child."

She pondered about it. "We almost tore a few condoms already. You're very wild, you know..."

A slight smirk lightened his serious expression. "Only me? But I remember a few instances when someone kept on waking me up to ride me in the middle of the night—"

She giggled. Her cheeks turned slightly red, but she didn't really look embarrassed at all. "Okay, I'm wild too. We're both wild."

"En." He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Don't worry too much. I already switched to a different condom. It's supposed to be more durable."

"Oh, good."

"But of course, no matter how durable it is, it's still not 100% foolproof. Other than abstaining from sex which I don't want us to do, there is no birth control that is 100% protected. If you become pregnant, I'll be ecstatic. I'm always ready to have a child with you," he told her.

She looked at him nervously.

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He pulled her again into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He gently rubbed her back, soothing her anxiety. "But of course, we'll wait until you're ready. Don't ever feel pressured about bearing my children, love. From now on, we'll take everything one step at a time. Okay?"

"Okay."

After that conversation between them, Iris and Jin Liwei became even closer to each other. She still felt nervous about the idea of bearing her own child because of her mother issues, but she never doubted that Jin Liwei would be an amazing father. That thought alone was making her a bit more comfortable with the idea of becoming a mother herself.

Back to the present.

After a day of tireless lovemaking in the hotel, Iris and Jin Liwei spent the next day exploring the city and enjoying the sights. It was mostly a business-focused city. That was why it was chosen as the venue for this year's international business conference.

Both of them were in full disguise. They wore sunglasses, face masks and hats. Usually, it would only be Iris who would wear a disguise, but there were still some paparazzi remaining in the city.

Jin Liwei was heavily featured in the news recently because of Jin Corporation's big presence during the international business conference. Those who followed the conference on the news would easily recognize him without the disguise.

Finally, they returned home the next day.

They spent a couple days more just enjoying each other's company before they returned to their own respective works. Both of them immediately became very busy.

Jin Liwei led Jin Corporation into negotiating and finalizing the deals they obtained from the international business conference. These deals, once successful, would reinforce Jin Corporation's position as the number one company in the country and one of the most powerful multi-national presences in Asia.

When Iris returned to her work in showbiz, she found it a bit weird that everyone was treating her differently. Everyone seemed to be nicer and more welcoming to her. She was puzzled at first because she expected that her popularity would decrease a bit after taking a leave from showbiz for the international business conference.

It was Dom who explained everything to her.

"Boss, of course you became even more famous! Everyone now knows that you're a genius! TV programs keep on featuring you speaking so many languages. Whenever someone recognizes the handsome and gorgeous me as your assistant, I feel so proud! Ehehehe."

Tang Yiyi also nodded. "Iris, we have received so many interview offers for you. I would like you to accept some of them and talk about your linguistic skills. This is an opportunity for the public to see a completely different side of you besides the musician and young beauty that you are. Working as an interpreter at the international business conference put you in a brighter spotlight than if you participated in the Bright Summit All-Stars summer concert. The concert was absolutely crazy, the competition extremely fierce. Only very few celebrities were able to shine brightly during the concert."

"I personally watched the concert, boss, so I agree with Elder Sis Yiyi. I think that Boss Brother Jin Chonglin shone the brightest. And oh! Pandemonium also rocked the stage. Almost everyone was screaming for them, including the gorgeous me. Ehehehe. Eros was so hot...wait, Night was also hot. Eh? What to do? I can't decide which was hotter!" Dom squealed and fanned himself dramatically with his hands.

Tang Yiyi rolled her eyes at Dom before speaking to Iris once again. "The Pandemonium boys have improved a lot on their techniques after working with you on 'Monster of Insanity'. Both Eros and Night improved the most..."

The three continued to talk about things that Iris missed during her leave. Both Dom and her manager helped her catch up. They also discussed her full schedule for the next few months.

During this busy period, the Long elders made several attempts to meet Iris. At first, they "summoned" her. Iris snorted in disdain. Summon her? Who did the elders think they were? Some royalty who could summon whoever they wanted?

The only people she really cared about from the Long family were Long Tengfei, Yang Jiahui and Meimei. Long Hui? Not so much. She tolerated him because he was the father of her godson and the fiancé of her friend. Of course, Little Jun was also a Long but she considered him as part of her and Jin Liwei's family more than the Longs.

If it was Long Tengfei who "summoned" her, she would probably listen depending on his reason for doing so. But the Long elders? No way.

The ill feelings inside Iris for the Longs, especially the elders, didn't feel so strange anymore. They felt more natural and part of her. She thought that they were actually her own feelings. It was one of the subtle effects of the remnant fusing with her.

These ill feelings also weren't as intense anymore compared to when she experienced them full-force during Long Tengfei's birthday. That time, her emotions were highly unstable and almost made her lose control.

But now she felt more in control of them.

After several failed attempts of "summoning" her, the elders tried a different tactic. They started sending her gifts and (not so subtly) asking her to formally introduce her fiancé, Lu Zihao, to the entire Long clan. They also expressed their desire to form a closer connection to her future grandfather-in-law, Sir Lu Jianhong.

Iris only ignored them. She decided to focus on her family with Jin Liwei, her career and businesses, rather than on wasting her time and brain cells on the Longs who only knew how to look down on others and overestimate themselves.

She didn't think much of them. However, they began to think highly of her during the international business conference. When the media started describing her as a genius, Long Hui silently lost a lot of his support within the clan. Many decided to support Iris instead.

It wasn't only because she would become the future Madam Lu anymore. Some of the Longs were already starting to think that she would become a more suitable successor than Long Hui.

A vicious battle of succession was about to engulf the Longs.

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Chapter 386 - My Own Company

It was a busy summer season for Iris Long.

She was currently one of the most in demand celebrities in the country. Her status as a multi-award-winning musician and as a genius polyglot increased her fame and reputation. There was no doubt that she successfully established herself as a household name across the country.

Several multi-million endorsement deals were offered to her. Of course, she accepted some of them but also rejected a lot. The Bright Summit higher-ups couldn't understand why she would reject such enticing deals. Despite doing their best in persuading her to change her mind, she didn't budge.

The higher-ups were dismayed that they couldn't reason with Iris. So they scolded Tang Yiyi instead when Iris wasn't present.

"Manager Tang, I think Iris Long's head is growing bigger because she's becoming more famous. These endorsement deal offers are from world-renowned beauty brands! Other celebrities will do anything just to get these deals, but she's rejecting them?! She should treat these as once in a lifetime opportunities. Anything can happen in showbiz. She won't always have this level of fame for her entire career! You should talk to her and make her understand what she's going to miss because of her ignorance."

Tang Yiyi could only apologize, nod her head, and assure the higher-ups that she would talk to Iris and try to persuade her to change her mind. When they finally left, she sighed.

"Of course Iris isn't going to accept any endorsement offers from beauty brands. Why should she endorse her own company's competition?" Tang Yiyi muttered under her breath.

She only recently found out that Iris was developing her own beauty company. At first, Tang Yiyi also couldn't understand why Iris rejected the endorsement offers. She constantly bothered Iris in an effort to change her mind.

Then Iris brought Tang Yiyi to Orchidia Beauty's factory, then to the warehouse, and finally to the company's current main office. Tang Yiyi was very confused why Iris was touring her around this unknown company.

"I've been using Orchidia Beauty's products for some time now," Iris told her.

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"Oh? I was wondering why you've been glowing, so that's why! Your skin looks smoother and healthier."

Iris looked pleased at the compliment. "I've been using Orchidia Beauty's skincare products since I returned from Europe. Well, the products weren't called Orchidia Beauty then, nor were they this developed. The formula and their effectiveness have improved a lot since then."

"Okay... So? Why are you telling me all of these?" Tang Yiyi didn't understand. "Wait... Did this company made an endorsement offer to you and you want to accept it? Iris, you should tell me these things first. If you really like their products, no problem. I'll negotiate the best deal for you. But you have to understand that this Orchidia Beauty or whatever isn't a well-known company in the country. At least I've never heard of it before. Endorsing world-renowned beauty brands will be more beneficial to you."

Instead of answering her, Iris handed her manager a freebie bag filled with Orchidia Beauty skincare products.

"Here, Elder Sister Yiyi. You can try them yourself. I guarantee that you'll love them and you'll see results after using them for only a few days."

Then she launched into sales talk, describing the benefits of each of the products. She even grabbed Tang Yiyi's arm and began applying tiny amounts of various lotions and serums.

"Iris! What are you doing? Answer me first!" Tang Yiyi grabbed the bottle of lotion from Iris and stopped her from applying more on her skin.

"Fine. Orchidia Beauty didn't make any endorsement offers to me," Iris said.

Tang Yiyi frowned. "Then why did you reject the endorsement offers from those other famous beauty brands? Why are you so into this Orchidia Beauty?"

"Because Orchidia Beauty is my own company. I'm not going to endorse my competition. That's just stupid, Elder Sister Yiyi. Besides, I know that my company's products are superior to anything available on the market right now."

"Huh?" Tang Yiyi blinked a few times. Her brain momentarily failed to process what she just heard. "What..."

Iris swept her hands. "This entire place, the factory and the warehouse that we visited earlier—everything is mine. So make sure to use my company's products from now on. Okay, Elder Sister Yiyi?"

A few days later, Tang Yiyi called Iris in excitement.

"Iris, the products you gave me are amazing! My face has cleared up and looks brighter! My skin also feels so moisturized, even though I only use the products once a day! How much are these? Let me buy more!"

Iris chuckled. "They're not available for sale yet, Elder Sister Yiyi. I can give you some more samples, if you want. But once we launch, you need to buy the products because I won't give them to you for free anymore."

With that, Iris was able to make Tang Yiyi support her decision to reject the endorsement offers from the other famous beauty brands.

Back to the present.

Tang Yiyi returned to her office after speaking with the higher-ups. She needed to keep Iris' company a secret. Bright Summit's higher-ups would certainly be unhappy that there was no chance for Iris to change her mind. Some of them might even discourage Iris from launching her own beauty company and products because Bright Summit wouldn't get a cut from it, unlike regular endorsement deals.

"Better not tell anyone about it for now," she murmured to herself.

###

Because of Meimei, Iris started to get closer to Long Jinjing and Chen Fei. Meimei would invite all of them to hang out together whenever they were free. Of course, Jiang Ying Yue was also part of the group.

Dom also joined because he and Meimei were self-proclaimed spirit twins. With his addition, the group became insanely boisterous. At first, he clashed against Chen Fei. He didn't like the woman's snide remarks about Iris.

He wasn't aware that it was already normal for both Iris and Chen Fei to insult each other. There weren't any hard feelings between the two anymore. They even began liking each other. Still, they continued verbally attacking each other.

Meimei, Long Jinjing and Jiang Ying Yue were already used to Iris and Chen Fei. They could feel that there weren't any animosity or hatred whenever the two insulted each other. Meimei even declared that insulting each other was Iris and Chen Fei's way of expressing their friendship.

"Who's friends with this bitch? Not me." Chen Fei said.

Iris looked at Chen Fei straight in the eyes. Then with a lovely smile, she said in a singsong voice, "Roses are red, violets are blue, look at my five fingers, the middle one is for you~"

"What did you say, bitch?" Chen Fei scowled at her.

Iris gasped in exaggerated horror. "What uncultured words, Chen Fei! Your uncouth behaviour deserves a slapping. But if I were to slap you, it would be considered as animal abuse!"

"You!"

"Ahahahaha! That's a good one, Xiulan!" Meimei burst into laughter while slapping her thighs. "I love that you're becoming more expressive now and not too robotic anymore! You can even joke now! I'm so proud of you!"

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Iris shrugged. "I learned these from Dom."

"Well, my twin bro is the best!"

Jiang Ying Yue also laughed but more subdued compared to Meimei's raucous laughter. A giggle escaped from Long Jinjing's lips before she stopped herself when Chen Fei glared at her.

Chen Fei also glared at Meimei and Jiang Ying Yue. Meimei just laughed harder, even pointing at Chen Fei while doing so. Jiang Ying Yue wasn't the least bit intimidated by Chen Fei's glare. She could clearly sense that there was no anger behind it.

Scenes like these became common for the group. However, Dom didn't know about this kind of relationship between Iris and Chen Fei when he joined. That was why Dom got into heated arguments with Chen Fei. He fiercely defended Iris and treated Chen Fei like an enemy.

Meimei tried explaining to him many times that Iris and Chen Fei weren't really fighting whenever they insulted each other. However, Dom was extremely loyal to Iris. He would get triggered every time he heard Chen Fei saying something unpleasant about Iris.

Suddenly, the Iris vs. Chen Fei battles became Dom vs. Chen Fei instead. But after a few meetings and after knowing each other more, Dom and Chen Fei started getting along.

These girls' days out, as Dom called it, continued. They all grew closer to each other.

When Meimei, Long Jinjing and Chen Fei finally graduated from university that summer, Iris and the others threw a celebration dinner for them at a restaurant. While eating, they discussed their career plans.

Meimei already rejected Long Industries' job offer. She was happily living her dream as a webtoon artist.

As for the other two, they still planned on working at a small branch division of Long Industries. They estimated that it would take them a few years before they could be promoted to the main company like what happened to Long Jian. While they were talking, Iris handed them a file folder each.

"What's this, little sister?" Long Jinjing asked.

Chen Fei opened the folder and began reading aloud. "Orchidia Beauty is a skin-care company founded by Long Xiulan and the German siblings Alric and Alona Bauer... Huh? Oh, is this one of your companies you were talking about before?"

"Yes," Iris confirmed.

Chen Fei: "So? Why did you give this to me and Jinjing? You want to gloat that you have your own company while your sister and I need to start from the bottom of your father's company? Hmph!"

Iris leaned back on her chair while looking at both Chen Fei and Long Jinjing.

"Why start from the bottom of an old company as errand girls when you can become executives of a new company instead? Isn't is more exciting to make something successful with your own abilities? Long Industries? Boring. Come work for my Orchidia Beauty instead."

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Chapter 387 - Exclusive Business Network

Long Jinjing and Chen Fei didn't immediately agree to Iris' offer. They took a few days before giving her their final decision. But in the end, they accepted her offer to work for her company, Orchidia Beauty.

Iris was the President-CEO and of course, the owner. Alric Bauer was the CPO (Chief Product Officer). His sister, Alona Bauer, was his assistant for now. Iris had plans for Alona in the future.

Then she appointed Chen Fei as the COO and Long Jinjing as the CFO.

It was also around this time when Dom's sister, Clover Chua, finally arrived from the Philippines. She graduated a couple of months earlier than Chen Fei and Long Jinjing, but her papers took longer to process before she received approval to work in China.

Clover immediately joined the girl squad. The twins Dom and Meimei were ecstatic, as they became triplets again. The three already bonded when the Chua family visited the country. She connected so naturally with the rest of the girl squad, as if she had been friends with them for years.

For now, Clover was assigned to work as Iris' administrative assistant at Orchidia Beauty. Iris wanted her to polish her Mandarin language skills and get used to the Chinese business industry first before promoting her to an executive position later on.

Iris also placed Clover to live at the penthouse. Yi Mei and the other household staff were delighted to have someone in the place once again for them to take care of.

Long Jinjing, Chen Fei and Clover were all very excited in their new positions and the endless possibilities of a newly established company. They were all very motivated and determined to make Orchidia Beauty a success.

At first, Chen Fei and Long Jinjing thought that Iris hired them to run the company in her stead. They had the impression that Iris would only be a symbolic figurehead of the company.

Within a week of closely working with her, however, they quickly realized that Iris not only had the skills but also the experience of effectively running a business. She knew what she wanted, was very methodical in creating a strategy to achieve her business goals, and was very decisive in implementing the strategy.

It was actually the three newly graduated business majors who were learning a lot from Iris. They were like sponges absorbing all of the knowledge and experiences of running a business. Their business smarts were improving as the days passed by. It also helped a lot that they felt passionate about what they were doing.

Surprisingly, Iris and Chen Fei developed a balanced dynamic in their leadership.

Iris was more of the daring type who forged ahead at top speed to accomplish whatever ideas she came up with. It was an excellent quality for a business head to have. But sometimes her fearless attitude in business was alarming to the point of recklessness.

Chen Fei introduced cautiousness into the mix. She was more of the conservative type who tended to play by the rules in business.

The two of them still squabbled a lot while working, just like when they hung out together. But as they continued to work closely together, they were able to influence each other in positive ways.

Iris continued to fly daringly in the sky with her business ideas, but Chen Fei tethered her to the ground with a loose string of caution, keeping her on track with their specific goals. Likewise, Iris was able to show Chen Fei that it was okay to explore new ideas and not to be so rooted to the traditional way of doing business.

As for Long Jinjing, she immediately controlled the company's budget. Despite her somewhat timid personality, she was surprisingly strict and unyielding when it came to doing her job.

"Little Sister Xiulan, I mean Miss President, you can't just indiscriminately give away free samples to other people as you like. It's like giving away free money. We haven't made any profit yet, but you've already given away so much. This must stop." Long Jinjing told Iris.

"Miss CFO, I'm not indiscriminately giving away free samples. This is called marketing. I'm giving away the samples to our future customers," Iris retorted.

"I know what marketing is, but what you're doing is too excessive, Miss President. There is no need to give multiple free samples to the same person. Letting them try once is enough. That's the purpose of a sample. It's not meant to be a regular free supply. If they want more, they just have to wait until we officially launch so they can buy our products. From now on, you're only allowed a limited number of samples per month to give away. I also suggest not to give to the same person more than once."

Iris complained but Long Jinjing didn't budge. She continued to grumble but, in the end, she understood Long Jinjing's point.

"Fine, you're right. I'll just have to inform my manager and the others that I can't give them free samples anymore," Iris muttered.

Long Jinjing sighed in relief. Persuading someone like Iris who had a strong stubborn streak was quite challenging. Fortunately, Iris had an open mind and would listen to reason. Long Jinjing was glad that she was able to make his sister understand that being too generous wasn't always good when it came to business, especially for a company as new as theirs.

Orchidia Beauty's finances were now tightly regulated by Long Jinjing. She guarded the company's money like an evil dragon guarding her treasure trove.

One thing that she wasn't allowed to restrict, however, was the product development team. Alric Bauer was given first priority of the company's funds to develop products. It was part of Iris' original agreement with him. But of course, he was only allowed this kind of privilege as long as his research and development benefitted Orchidia Beauty.

Long Jinjing could only sigh at the astronomical expenses of the product development team, even though she knew that the products were the lifeblood of the company. It was just her instinct as the CFO to save as much money as possible.

Qiao Yu, Iris' personal financial manager who temporarily held the company's CFO position, was relieved when Long Jinjing came along. He approved of Long Jinjing's strict control of the company's finances.

Managing the Young Miss Xiulan's personal finances is already very challenging on its own. Now I don't have to suffer the headache of managing her companies' finances as well, he thought to himself.

His job became even more exciting and complicated when Iris allocated a large part of her wealth to be invested within the Cross Academy's exclusive business network. The academy's business network spanned the entire globe, consisting of some of the most lucrative investment opportunities in the industry.

Jin Corporation was a member of this network because of Grandpa Lu. Almost all of the Cross Academy alumni and partners signed their businesses up as members in this exclusive network. The goal was to support each other and profit together. It also benefitted the members because their businesses were backed by the legendary Cross Academy.

Iris submitted a membership application for her Gold Heights company but it was rejected. It being gifted to her without any effort from her worked against her. She could only sigh at the rejection and shrug it off.

As for Planet Monkey, it needed to reach a certain profit threshold first before it could qualify for consideration. Iris planned on submitting applications for both Planet Monkey and Orchidia Beauty in the future to make them members of the academy's exclusive business network.

Managing all of these was Qiao Yu. Exploring and navigating the impressive business network of Cross Academy was like a dream come true for him. It felt like he just ascended from the mortal plane to join the realm of immortals.

No, that was incorrect. He was just an emissary sent to represent Long Xiulan, a.k.a. Iris Long, who was the real member of this exclusive network of immortals.

Ever since he discovered this exclusive network, Qiao Yu felt like he had just discovered his real purpose in life. He already achieved the goal of making Iris a billionaire in China at the age of 20. Although Iris didn't give him a new goal, he made up another one for her instead.

"In China, you're already a billionaire. But in a global scale, you're just a multi-millionaire. I'm going to make you a certified billionaire in the world, not only in China, before you're 25. And you don't need to marry into the Jin family to do that. I'll make you a billionaire in your own right," he promised her.

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Chapter 388 - Sell Soul To The Devil

Iris' eyebrows rose after hearing Qiao Yu's promise.

She was already comfortable with her current financial position because it was allowing her to pursue her ambitions freely and independently.She didn't really have that much of a desire to become a billionaire on a global scale—at least, at the moment. That wasn't her goal from the beginning, anyway.

Her goal was to have enough resources to pursue her dreams and to live a life of freedom and independence on her own terms. Then Jin Liwei came along. Her life plans had to change a bit to include him now, too.

However, it seemed that her personal financial manager had a different idea about what was enoughresources. In his definition, it was to become a billionaire on a global scale.

And she wasn't against it. In fact, she liked it!

She nodded in approval. "Good. This way, I'll have more dowry when I marry Jin Liwei. Not that he minds whether I bring in dowry or not. Mr. Qiao, go ahead and do what you think is needed."

After receiving her permission, Qiao Yu immediately focused on making Iris many times wealthier than she already was. He invested her wealth using the Cross Academy's exclusive business network.

Compared to the world-level investors like Sir Lu Jianhong and even Jin Liwei, she was still considered a pipsqueak based on her level of wealth.

"It's time to change that. She'll surely become the next powerful dragon who will astound the entire business world. And one of the key figures who will make that happen is me, Qiao Yu! Mwahahaha!"

He cackled in excitement and rubbed his hands together, looking very much like an evil villain plotting world domination.

###

The news about Long Jinjing and her friend Chen Fei rejecting Long Industries' job offers after their graduation to work instead for Iris' company spread among the entire Long clan.

In addition to this, they confirmed that Long Industries already started shipping for Iris' company. And they weren't some small-scale shipments either. These were big shipments from different parts of the world being delivered to her mysterious company.

Long Jufang called for a secret meeting at his home. Most of the elders and other key relatives gathered together to discuss Iris' recent rise to prominence and her potential impact on the Long family.

The meeting was secret in the sense that the main family and the branch families supporting it weren't informed about the gathering.

The most powerful elders, Long Jufang and Long Meng, led the meeting. It lasted for several hours until the sky turned dark.

After the meeting, the participants left Long Jufang's home. Discontent was obvious in their expressions. It seemed that the meeting didn't go well.

One of the participants during the meeting, Long Xiaopeng, drove away in a hurry. Less than an hour later, he arrived at Long Jian and Zhu Ning's home.

Inside the living room, Long Xiaopeng relayed everything that happened during the secret meeting to Long Jian and his mother, Zhu Ning.

"Elder Jufang wants the clan to support Young Miss Xiulan to become the next head of the family and Long Industries. He says that she's currently the best candidate to succeed your father because of her recent accomplishments, not to mention that she's engaged to be married to Sir Lu Jianhong's grandson. This means that she'll also become the next Madam Lu. Elder Jufang's plan is to make Young Miss Xiulan both Madam Lu and the Long family head. This will ensure that our Long clan will ascend to the same level of status as the Lu family."

"What did you say?! They want that little slut to become the next head?!! Have they gone crazy?!!!" Zhu Ning shrieked at the top of her lungs, looking absolutely furious.

Long Jian's expression darkened. "Long Jufang is the most powerful elder in the clan. His words have great influence. If he wants to support Long Xiulan, then the others will also follow suit."

"Not necessarily," Long Xiaopeng told them.

"What do you mean, Uncle Xiaopeng?" Long Jian asked.

"Elder Meng surprisingly disagrees with Elder Jufang. She wants Young Master Hui to remain as the heir. After all, the Young Master is the one who was trained since childhood to become the next head. She thinks that he is still the best candidate to succeed Cousin Tengfei. However, she doesn't like the Young Master's fiancée and their illegi—I mean, their son. She wants to separate them and find a more suitable marriage partner for the Young Master.

"If I remember correctly, Elder Meng was the one who pushed for the union between Young Master Hui and Wu Qianxi the most. Her branch family also had the closest relationship with the Wus. She was the most upset when the friendship between the Wus and our Long family was destroyed," Long Xiaopeng explained.

Zhu Ning snorted. "I bet that hag received a promise from the Wus to favour her branch family after Wu Qianxi marries that swine Long Hui. So of course she's going to be upset!"

"Please continue, Uncle Xiaopeng," Long Jian said.

Long Xiaopeng nodded. "Elder Meng thinks that Young Master Hui's only flaw is his fiancée and their son. She believes that taking them out of the picture and getting a more suitable wife for the Young Master will make him the best possible successor."

"So who has more supporters, Long Jufang or Long Meng?" Long Jian asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Long Xiapeng admitted.

Both Long Jian and Zhu Ning looked dissatisfied by his answer.

"However, I can estimate," he quickly added. "I'll say that at the moment, Young Master Hui still has the most supporters. However, he already lost a lot of them in the last few months. Many of them decided to support Young Miss Xiulan instead. Her supporters within the clan are growing by the day. The clan is currently divided into different camps. But there are more than just two camps. Obviously, Young Master Hui and Young Miss Xiulan are the two biggest camps. However, I know for sure that some of the branch families are planning to fight for their own candidates as well.

"Of course, my branch family fully supports you, Jian'er. We also already gotten the support of two other small branch families. Even though it's difficult for us to gain the support of the big branch families, we are quite successful in gathering individuals from different branches to support you."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Zhu Ning exclaimed in delight and nodded in approval. "Son, you need to thank your Uncle Xiaopeng for working hard on your behalf.

"Thank you, Uncle Xiaopeng."

The older man looked slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and waved his hand modestly. "Don't be so formal. We're family. Besides, I personally believe that Jian'er is the most suitable successor. He's intelligent and has the skills to lead not only the clan but Long Industries as well."

"You're absolutely right! My son was transferred to the main company only recently, but he already got promoted to Deputy COO! How long did that swine Long Hui take before he got promoted to Deputy CFO? Years! It took him years! But my son only needed months! It's already obvious who's better between the two of them. My son is the best among Tengfei's children! Of course, it's because I'm the mother!" Zhu Ning laughed in a mixture of pride and glee.

Long Jian smiled. He was also extremely pleased by his recent accomplishment.

He worked so hard to become the most useful member of the COO's team. He worked overtime almost everyday and made sure that all of his work was of the highest quality. It didn't take long until the COO made Long Jian accompany him everywhere. He became indispensable to the COO, even more so than the man's own assistants.

So when the Deputy COO quit because of personal issues, the COO immediately appointed Long Hui, bypassing the order of seniority. Of course, Long Hui accepted. He didn't give a fuck about those grumbling in discontent because they were bypassed for the promotion.

This happened after the international business conference.

"Jian'er, congratulations," Long Xiaopeng said.

"Thank you, Uncle." Then Long Jian became serious again. "Never did I expect that my youngest sister, Long Xiulan, will become my biggest threat—"

"Don't call that little slut your sister!" Zhu Ning scolded. "You're an only child. You don't have any siblings! That fucker and those sluts don't deserve to be called your siblings! First, it was that fucker Hui and Xiulan slut teaming up. Now, even that Jinjing slut joined together with Xiulan slut! It's obvious that they're teaming up against you because they're afraid of your brilliance, my son! Because they know that you're the most worthy successor of your father!"

Long Jian listened to everything his mother said. He also began to believe that his own siblings were teaming up against him.

"Don't worry, my son. I'll make sure to place you as the next head of the Long family and Long Industries before I die. They have to crawl over my dead body before they can wrench that title away from you. I'd even sell my soul to the devil just so you can succeed. Just do your best and continue to work hard, my dear son. Leave everything to Mother."

Zhu Ning's promise reassured Long Jian and calmed his troubled heart.

On the other hand, it made Long Xiaopeng shiver. He momentarily imagined Zhu Ning as the devil herself before he shook his head, dismissing his overactive imagination.

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Chapter 389 - First Anniversary?

Dragon Palace Home #10.

The executive van carrying Iris and Dom entered the massive gates of the property. It would take about twenty minutes before they reached the mansion. The sky was already dark.

Dom was currently taking a nap, while Iris was deep in her own thoughts.

She had turned twenty-one years old some time ago. Not long afterwards, Jin Liwei also celebrated his birthday and turned thirty-two.

Recently, she read an online article about how semen volume decreased with age. Although it was still possible for men to remain fertile until they were sixty years of age, conceiving became more difficult.

Iris was still young, so she wasn't too worried about herself. Besides, she wasn't ready to give birth to her own children yet. On the other hand, Jin Liwei already mentioned that he was ready to have children with her anytime.

Although he already told her that he was willing to wait until she was ready, he wasn't getting any younger. Yes, he was currently still in his prime and was extremely virile, but the article she read caused her some concern.

"I wonder if there are ways to delay the decline of semen volume...or maybe even boost it. Hmmm. I need to search this up," she murmured. "Or maybe I should ask a doctor. Dr. Ching? Or maybe Second Brother? I'll have to think more about this."

Jin Liwei had no idea that his baby girl was thinking of making him undergo another round of her weird experiments. But whatever it was, he would surely offer his body as her personal test subject to do as she pleased.

Finally, the van reached the mansion. Iris woke up Dom. It was already late in the evening.

They came from shooting a music video with Jin Chonglin. It was for the song he composed after Jin Liwei's suggestion that he compose his own song instead of making major changes to Iris' song. Since Jin Chonglin wasn't allowed to make any major changes to the love song, Iris wasn't also allowed to interfere with his song's composition.

But before they were able to shoot the music video, they had to learn and rehearse the dance choreography for a few weeks first. They had to squeeze their rehearsal times into their busy schedules.

It was exhausting. But at the same time, she also found it fun and exciting because this was her first time performing a song like this. The song reminded her of Jin Liwei.

The first time she rehearsed it in front of Jin Liwei at their home gym while he was working out, he suddenly lost control. He grabbed her and made love with her right on the floor. Good thing he always kept a couple of condoms in his pocket wherever he went just for moments like this.

After that, she made several attempts to rehearse in front of him because she wanted to hear his opinions about the performance. However, he would lose control and make love with her every single time.

It reached a point that whenever Iris wanted to make love, she would perform the song in front of him. She was never disappointed because he would always lose control and make her scream in pure pleasure afterwards.

Iris smiled while remembering how hot her darling would become whenever he lost control of his desire for her. The delicious memories made her forget the aches in her body from shooting the music video with Jin Chonglin during the week. She felt relieved that they finally completed shooting the music video earlier today.

As for the love song she composed, they already finished recording it. JJ also completed its post-production, and then submitted it to the TV drama producers. The love song was quickly approved and would be officially released a few days before the TV drama premiered in autumn this year.

Back to the present, Iris and Dom climbed out of the van and entered the mansion. They walked into the grand foyer but stopped in their tracks at the sight that welcomed them.

Thousands of red rose petals rained over them from the ceiling, flooding the wide expanse of the marble floor like crimson carpet. A full symphony orchestra—the one Iris always performed with—were arranged in a spectacular manner on the twin grand staircases. They played beautiful, romantic music as soon as Iris and Dom arrived.

Jin Liwei slowly walked over the carpet of red rose petals. In his arms, he carried a huge bouquet of flowers filled with mostly carnations and roses. There were even some real crystals weaved into the bouquet. They sparkled under the chandelier lights.

"Kyaaaaah!!!" Dom squealed and pretended to faint.

Iris didn't notice Dom's antics because all of her attention was on her darling. Jin Liwei looked so handsome that he took her breath away. She just stood there and stared at him like an idiot—COUGH COUGH—like a woman in love.

Finally, Jin Liwei stopped in front of her. He handed her the huge bouquet of flowers.

"For you. Happy First Anniversary, love," he told her.

"Thank you, darling. Happy Anni—huh? What?"

Iris' smile transformed into a confused expression. Her brows furrowed as she quickly combed her mind to confirm whether today was really their anniversary. The process only took a few seconds.

"Darling, today is not our anniversary. I'm certain of it."

Some of the musicians were so shocked hearing her words that they stopped playing. The mansion's household staff who were watching close by almost tripped on their own feet. Their eyes widened, looking at their master in disbelief.

Did he forget the date of their anniversary?!

Dom stopped squealing, closed his eyes and placed his index fingers on his temples.

"Hmmm!!!" He strained hard to remember whether today was really his boss and sir boss' anniversary. Then his eyes opened. He also looked at Jin Liwei in confusion.

"Eh? Sir boss, boss is right. Today is not your anniversary. You're a few days too early."

Everyone gasped. The music completely stopped, followed by an awkward silence. They couldn't believe that Jin Liwei would make such a dreadful mistake like this. The household staff already started retreating, afraid to face the wrath of their mistress.

Jin Liwei frowned. "No, today is our anniversary."

Iris was already feeling unhappy. "No, you're wrong. It's not today."

"Love, it's today. I'm sure of it," he insisted.

"I said no!"

The musicians and the household staff all flinched at her raised voice.

A lone red petal fell from the ceiling and landed on the tip of her nose before falling to the floor with the rest of the rose petal carpet.

Iris looked at the huge bouquet in her hands, at all the flowers and the other romantic decorations, at the musicians, and finally at Jin Liwei. It was obvious that he put in a lot of effort to prepare all of these for her.

"I'm sorry, darling." She threw herself into his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around her. She felt him kiss the top of her head. "I didn't mean to shout at you. I'm feeling tired, plus it's also your fault because you got the date of our anniversary wrong. But I appreciate all of these. Everything looks beautiful. Thank you."

"My pleasure, love. But I told you. I didn't get it wrong. Today is our anniversary," he continued to insist.

Annoyed, Iris bit him on his chest. He grunted but otherwise allowed her to bite him.

"Oh! I get it now!" Dom suddenly exclaimed. "Maybe sir boss is too excited to celebrate your anniversary that he decided to celebrate it early! I'm right, aren't I? Ehehehe! That's so romantic and cute~"

"Really?" Iris asked.

Jin Liwei frowned. "Of course, I'm excited. But no, today's celebration is correct because it's our anniversary. Exactly at this date one year ago, Xiulan and I had our first kiss. So it's our anniversary today."

"Eh?" Dom was taken aback.

"Huh?" Iris' expression mirrored Dom's.

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Chapter 390 - Explosive Rages

The symphony orchestra musicians on the double grand staircases all leaned forward, while the household staff edged closer. They all pricked their ears to listen.

"Are you serious?" Iris asked. She looked up at Jin Liwei in disbelief.

"Of course, I'm serious," he replied. And indeed, his expression showed that he was.

She released a heavy sigh. "Darling, didn't I already tell you that I don't acknowledge being in a relationship with you before you officially asked me and I agreed to be your girlfriend? I don't understand why you would think that we became lovers when you first kissed me. I remember wanting to punch you on the face that time. I even borderline hated you."

The eyes of the symphony orchestra musicians and the household staff widened.

Wow! They didn't know about this. How interesting!

They all leaned forward a bit more to the point that some of the musicians almost fell down the stairs. Fortunately, their colleagues caught them.

A hint of sulkiness appeared on Jin Liwei's expression when he heard that she hated him in the past. However, it quickly disappeared and he became subdued remembering how he acted that time. He was such an asshole back then, not to mention his despicable role in hiding the truth about the car crash that almost killed her and sent her into coma.

Thinking more deeply about the matter, it was actually quite surprising that he was able to make her fall in love with him. Fate really intertwined their lives in mysterious ways. All of the challenges that they faced to be where they were at now made him love her more.

And now they were even engaged. If things went according to plan, they would get married, have babies and create their dream family together. He was looking forward to achieving all of these.

Looking at his baby girl's exasperated expression, Jin Liwei framed her beautiful face between his hands. Stroking her soft cheeks, he told her in a low voice, "Thank you for loving me, Long Xiulan...or whoever you are."

Iris' exasperation instantly melted, replaced by a warm and fluffly feeling inside. She couldn't stop herself from smiling at his words.

"Jin Liwei, you're annoying but I also love that about you. Still annoying, though."

One corner of his mouth curved up into a lopsided half-smirk.

"Kyaaaaaah!!! Ah, my heart!" Dom squealed and clutched his chest in a dramatic manner.

The household staff looked visibly relieved that their master and mistress weren't going to fight and were acting lovey-dovey again. They already learned that their mistress could be just as scary as their master when she was angry.

What scared them was her unpredictability. With their master, they already knew what he was like when he was angry. His was more of a cold fury that transformed the entire mansion into frozen hell.

In contrast, they didn't know exactly what to expect whenever their mistress was angered. Sometimes, she would also go into cold fury like their master. However, there were times when she would go into explosive rages, wreaking destruction throughout the mansion.

These instances happened quite often after the night she attended her father's birthday party. The first time they experienced one of her explosive rages, they were all shocked and frightened out of their wits.

She was furious at something she read online and smashed her tablet on the floor. Then she went on a smashing spree in one of the lounge rooms. She only calmed down after their master arrived and sweet-talked her.

When she had these frightening mood swings a few more times, it reached a point that the butler couldn't hold it in any longer. He talked to Jin Liwei.

"Master, I think the mistress is pregnant. Should I buy a few home pregnancy tests? Or should I make an appointment with a doctor to come here to personally examine her?"

"Calm down. She's not pregnant," Jin Liwei assured his butler. "Although I wouldn't mind if she was. We've been using the condoms you're providing us without fail."

The butler didn't look convinced. "Master, condoms aren't 100% effective. Besides, the mistress' mood swings have become too extreme lately. She's usually calm and unaffected, but this time, she loses control so easily."

"Yes, she's usually calm and unaffected, but she also has this side. She just doesn't show it often," Jin Liwei replied calmly.

He remembered the time when she lost control and attacked him after he confessed to her that he hid the truth about her car crash. Her recent explosive rages reminded him of that time.

"This is also a part of her, so we should just accept it," Jin Liwei told his butler. "Don't worry about this anymore. Advise the rest of the household staff not to take her rages personally. She's just stressed out right now. Besides, she feels sorry after raging."

Despite their master's reassurances, the household staff still believed that their mistress was pregnant. They treated her with more care and fed her nutritious food. Then after some time, she stopped having these explosive rages. She was back to her usual calm self.

They also noticed that she became more expressive and warmer when interacting with them. It was only then that they believed their master's reason that she was only stressed out and not really pregnant.

Nevertheless, the household staff remained watchful of her mood. Having experienced her explosive rages before, they wanted to be prepared for when she exploded again in the future.

Back to the present, the household staff felt like they just avoided a natural disaster from happening.

As for the musicians, they wished they brought some popcorn to snack on while watching such an entertaining real-life drama happening right before their eyes. They were glad to have accepted this gig from Jin Liwei. Of course, they needed to sign an NDA first before they were allowed to perform at this private romantic event.

When they discovered that Jin Liwei, the President-CEO of Jin Corporation, was actually Iris' real fiancé, they were all extremely shocked. Many of them were already friends with Iris from working closely together on her music.

Their admiration for her only increased after learning who her real fiancé was. If it were any other women, they would've already bragged about their relationship with Jin Liwei and used him to their advantage. But not Iris. She did things her way and used her own abilities, instead of relying on a man for everything.

As for the lovey-dovey couple, they had already forgotten that there were other people around them. They had become too preoccupied with each other as usual that they even failed to hear Dom's loud squealing and cheering.

"Darling, I still don't recognize today as our anniversary but since you already made all of this effort, let's not waste it. Let's call it our pre-anniversary celebration instead. We can celebrate our real anniversary again on the actual date which is in a few days," Iris said.

Jin Liwei could only sigh. In his mind, today was really their anniversary. But his baby girl had spoken and according to her, today wasn't their anniversary yet. "Alright, love. I understand. We'll do this again in a few days."

She giggled. "Our pre-anniversary is already so extravagant. Let's do something much simpler on our actual anniversary."

"If that's what you want. Anything for you."

"I'll plan it."

"No, love. You're too busy. You'll be too exhausted if you add this one more thing to your schedule. Leave this to me, okay?"

"Mmn... Okay. Thank you, darling. Happy Pre-Anniversary. I love you." She stood on her tippy-toes and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

One of his arms circled around her waist, pulling her closer against his body. The huge bouquet got squished between them. His other hand squeezed her plump butt through her dress.

"Happy Pre-Anniversary. I love you more. Always," he told her before kissing her deeply.

The symphony orchestra started playing romantic music again, serenading the two lovers kissing above the carpet of red rose petals.

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