HIS GENIUS WIFE IS A SUPERSTAR

411 - 420

Chapter 411 - Only One

The Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans immediately swarmed and took over the internet once the names of their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin were mentioned. They watched the trailer in droves to confirm whether it was their boss and prince's voices who were really singing the theme song together. Their collective action resulted in the trailer becoming the most viewed video within a 24-hour period.

As diehard fans, they instantly recognized Iris Long and Jin Chonglin's voices. Even if the two changed their faces, their loyal fans would always recognize them by their singing voices.

However, it was much easier to recognize Jin Chonglin's singing voice than Iris' because people had already heard him trying to sing in different music styles throughout the years that he had been in showbiz.

On the other hand, Iris Long was still astounding everyone with her almost unbelievable musical range and versatility. People were still not sure what her limits were when it came to music. They felt like she hadn't shown everything she was capable of yet.

Although there still wasn't any official confirmation that Iris Long and Jin Chonglin were really the ones singing the theme song for the upcoming romance TV drama, "Our Love, Our Destiny", their fans were already certain that it was the two of them. Almost everyone was freaking out in great anticipation and excitement.

Of course, the ones who were the most overjoyed were the LinRis shippers. They considered this surprise music collaboration as proof of their boss and prince's romantic relationship. They still believed that their Prince Lin Lin was the real fiancé of their Boss Iris.

People demanded an official confirmation from both Jin Chonglin and Iris Long, Bright Summit, their record labels, and even the cast and production staff of "Our Love, Our Destiny". However, they didn't say anything.

Their silence only heightened the excitement, boosting the attention and interest the upcoming TV drama was getting from the media and the public.

After more than an entire day of waiting, the long-awaited official confirmation arrived when JJ's record label made an announcement. It said:

"We are excited to announce that multi-award-winning musician Iris Long will be collaborating with superstar Jin Chonglin to sing the theme song of the upcoming TV drama 'Our Love, Our Destiny' premiering soon next season. The love song is a duet titled 'Shining Eyes', composed and written by Iris Long and produced by our very own Mr. JJ. More details will be released in a few days. Please look forward to the release of this dream collaboration and support both Iris Long and Jin Chonglin's new song. Also don't forget to watch the upcoming TV drama 'Our Love, Our Destiny'. Thank you very much!"

The public's reaction was quite predictable. The Black Stars, Jin Chonglin's army of fans, and most especially the LinRis shippers all celebrated after this official confirmation by JJ's record label.

"Kyaaaaaah!!! I'm so freaking excited!!! I just know that this will be the biggest love song of the year!!!"

"It says that Iris Long is the songwriter. From her track record so far after her comeback, she's known for her dark, depressing and sometimes even twisted music. However, 'Shining Eyes' sounds like a sweet and romantic love song based on what we've heard so far from the teaser included in the trailer. I wonder if her songwriting skills will be as effective in this kind of sweet and romantic song as her usual dark and twisted songs that we're so used to hearing from her."

"Boss Iris is a brilliant songwriter who has already won multiple awards for her music! So of course, this sweet and romantic love song as you call it will also have the same high quality like her previous songs! I bet my precious cup noodles on it!"

"I agree! I bet that this love song is actually Boss Iris' love letter to her beloved fiancé who I'm super sure is actually Prince Lin Lin! It's so romantic that the engaged couple is singing a love song together to profess their love to one another through music! #WeLoveLinRis #LinRisForever"

Shortly after, Bright Summit and the TV drama's production both confirmed the music collaboration as well. The TV drama revved up its promotion, using the popularity of both Iris Long and Jin Chonglin in its publicity.

Then things went even crazier when Jin Chonglin himself confirmed the music collaboration by means of a simple post on his blog.

He posted a photo of himself taking a selfie with an unaware Iris in the background. She was playing the keyboard in a music studio with a big grey cat curled on her lap. It looked like she didn't know that someone was taking a picture of her at that very moment.

As for Jin Chonglin, he looked mischievous as he pressed a finger to his lips (a "please keep quiet" gesture) while secretly taking a picture of Iris without her knowledge. A striped orange cat was balanced on his shoulder, rubbing itself against the side of his head. It was super adorable.

The photo was captioned "A typical working day with Junior Iris: she plays the music while I play with the cats. This is the life, I'm telling you."

Just a second after he posted this on his blog, it was immediately flooded with thousands of comments. The LinRis shippers were at the very forefront. They all fangirled, fanboyed, and fangayed over their dream couple.

Of course, the Black Stars immediately recognized their Boss Iris' cats. They even knew their names as Ice Cream and Popcorn. The fact that one of them, Popcorn, looked so close and comfortable with Jin Chonglin was making them think that perhaps he was really their boss' real fiancé.

They were confused because Jin Chonglin's body build was completely different from the man in the photo shown during Iris' interview with Feng Jiu. Although both of their bodies looked hot and fit, Jin Chonglin was much slimmer while the other man was bigger and a bit more ripped.

There were also a few people who dug up old photos of Lu Zihao. They couldn't find any recent photos of him. As the photos were from many years ago, nobody could tell for sure whether he was actually Iris' fiancé just based on body build alone. The general public didn't know much about him, but the members of high society believed that he was Iris' fiancé.

Despite all of these conflicting guesses, the LinRis shippers remained steadfast in their belief that their Prince Lin Lin was their Boss Iris' real fiancé. They speculated that their boss was just using another man to pretend to be her fiancé to deflect the attention from their prince.

However, their belief was shaken when Iris Long made her own post as an indirect response to Jin Chonglin's earlier blog post.

She posted a photo featuring her two cats as well. This time, however, the two cats were lovingly curled all over the familiar body of the mysterious man she was claiming to be her real fiancé. Once again, the man's face wasn't shown, only his body.

The simple caption read: "My kids only have one daddy."

The LinRis shippers were in complete denial. They refused to believe that she was engaged to another man other than their Prince Lin Lin.

"Boss Iris! Why do you put us in this torture?! If you're really not engaged to Prince Lin Lin, please prove it to us by introducing your real fiancé!!!"

They cried to her with this plea. Unexpectedly, she replied.

IrisLong: "Soon."

A few seconds of shock. Then another uproar.

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Chapter 412 - Doomsday

While the LinRis shippers and many other people were freaking out about Iris' promise to introduce her fiancé"soon", she put the matter aside for now and continued to work hard. Despite her busy schedule, she didn't forget to spend some time being lovey-dovey with her darling even when they weren't physically together.

She had already stopped monitoring Jin Corporation's surveillance system because Jin Liwei's assistant, Xu Tian, had begged her not to do so anymore for the sake of the employees' mental health. Almost everyone at Jin Corporation was now afraid of being haunted to insanity by the evil demon with a robotic voice.

But one thing that she didn't stop was the lunch deliveries to Jin Liwei. It came to a point that they had to hire an extra chef at the mansion because of the increased workload.

Jin Liwei informed her that everyone at Jin Corporation was now enthusiastic about meetings because they knew that his fiancée would feed everyone. It was a good thing for the company because his employees' productivity increased as a result of the anticipation for food.

Both Iris and Jin Liwei also started training again in their respective martial arts. Yu Mo, a.k.a. Fourth Brother, started coming over the mansion to train Iris once again.

Jin Liwei returned to the karate dojo after such a long time. After attaining third-degree black belt years ago, he stopped training because he became too busy running Jin Corporation. He asked his second brother, Wang Yingjie, to accompany him this time.

Wang Yingjie was a fifth-degree black belt and continued to train in karate even when the rest of them stopped. Although he wasn't as active in it anymore, he still made sure to go to the dojo at least once a month or so.

Their eldest brother, Lin Yehan, reached second-degree black belt but had no interest in karate anymore. He was happy focusing most of his time on his passion: sports shooting.

With all of these going on in their lives, it was quite a wonder how Iris and Jin Liwei still managed to spend time together. But they did.

Both of them felt very happy.

However, Iris felt a faint dread at a certain date that was fast approaching. It was the day that Wei Lan would be returning to the country. If Wei Lan was only visiting, Iris wouldn't think much of it. But this time, the woman would be staying at the penthouse for who knew how long.

When Iris informed Yi Mei and the household staff that Wei Lan would be staying at the penthouse for an indefinite period of time, she could sense their horror even when they weren't showing it on their expressions.

Clover told Iris that she overheard Yi Mei giving an in-depth doomsday sort of lecture to the penthouse's entire household staff on how to interact with Wei Lan—or more like how to avoid being the target of her wrath.

After hearing about her staff's anxiety, Iris was seriously having second thoughts about agreeing to let Wei Lan stay in the penthouse. However, she already gave her promise to the woman.

It ended up being quite a stormy day when Wei Lan was scheduled to arrive in the country. Many flights were cancelled. In fact, Yi Mei and the others were hoping that Wei Lan's flight would be delayed for another day or longer.

Unfortunately, the woman's flight arrived on time despite the bad weather. The driver picked her up from the airport. Yi Mei and the others had no choice but to welcome their dreaded guest at the penthouse.

Iris, Jin Liwei, Dom and Clover were busy working so they weren't there to welcome Wei Lan when she arrived. Both Iris and Jin Liwei already decided to stay at the penthouse for a few days to spend some time with Wei Lan after work.

A sense of uncertainty and trepidation enveloped all of them at the thought of having to regularly interact and even live with Wei Lan.

###

Later that evening.

Unlike their usual routine, Jin Liwei picked up Iris, Dom and Clover at Orchidia Beauty. Normally, they went home on their own because they had different schedules. Iris especially had an extremely irregular schedule as a celebrity.

Earlier that day, Iris and Dom were busy with her showbiz work. Afterwards, they dropped by Planet Monkey to check on the gaming company. Then late in the afternoon, they headed to Orchidia Beauty to work. Iris and the others were extremely busy preparing for the company's first grand product launch soon.

As for Jin Liwei, he originally didn't plan on picking up his baby girl and the others. However, he was informed that his future mother-in-law had already arrived at the penthouse. The two of them hadn't officially met each other yet.

He didn't want to arrive home early and meet Wei Lan by himself. He decided that it was best if he met his future mother-in-law in the presence of his baby girl.

###

Gold Heights Condominium.

The delicious aroma of food wafted up their noses, making their mouths water, when the elevator door opened to the penthouse.

"Mmm! Yum yum! Junjun hungwy, Mama!" Little Jun told Iris, being the first one to react to the delicious aroma.

"Don't worry, Little Jun. We're going to eat soon," she assured her godson. She was carrying him in her arms.

Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun waited for them to arrive at the condo lobby. Iris invited them to join the welcome dinner for Wei Lan. Although the mother and son almost always had their meals at the penthouse, Jiang Ying Yue was hesitant in joining the dinner because she wasn't personally familiar with Iris' mother. All she knew about Wei Lan was her unpleasant reputation, just like the Iris in the past.

However, Iris insisted that she wanted Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun to join the dinner. She wanted to show Wei Lan that Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun were family and that they had every right to go in and out of the penthouse. She didn't want Wei Lan treating the mother and son badly. If she did, Iris would kick the woman out immediately.

So all of them entered the penthouse together.

Then a tall, gorgeous, middle-aged woman wearing a long, flowy, tailored satin jumpsuit stood up from the couch in the living area. Her beauty was undeniable. She was carrying and petting Popcorn in her arms, but in a way that made the cat look like a designer accessory instead of a living creature.

"Oh, there you are! You're finally here~ I've been waiting for yoooooouuu~ Come hug and kiss your mother, honey—oh my! Who's that gorgeous man standing next to you?"

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Chapter 413 - Just Like ME

This was the first time that Jiang Ying Yue, Little Jun and Clover were meeting Wei Lan in person. Dom had already met her before during her short visits to see Iris at the penthouse.

Although Wei Lan didn't spend much time with Iris, at least she made it a point to see or call her daughter every few months or so. It was only when Iris went into coma for the second time that Wei Lan "disappeared" and stopped her sporadic visits. However, Wei Lan reconnected with Iris again later to update her on her latest escapades while travelling all around the world.

Perhaps it was a good thing that Iris and Wei Lan didn't see each other often during the latter part of last year. It was the time when the remnant inside Iris was the most volatile.

The mother and daughter had a love-hate relationship with each other because they were too alike in their "me first" philosophy in life. The original Iris held a strong resentment against her mother.

If Wei Lan became much more involved with Iris during that unstable period last year, who knew how much more havoc the remnant would've caused Iris?

At the moment, everyone (except Iris) couldn't stop looking at Wei Lan standing in front of them. Wei Lan still retained her youthful, tall and slim model body even at middle age. She was much "flatter" compared to her daughter's shapely hour-glass body, but Wei Lan actually looked more seductive despite this.

Her face was gorgeous. Iris inherited a big part of her beauty from her mother. The resemblance was unmistakable between the two, but they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter because of Wei Lan's youthful appearance.

Despite the resemblance, Iris had a more naturally angelic look than her mother, especially if she didn't put any make-up on. In contrast, Wei Lan's beauty was devilish with or without make-up.

Upon seeing his family finally return, Popcorn jumped out of Wei Lan's arms and ran towards the newly arrived group. Since his mommy was carrying Little Jun, Popcorn leaped like an orange rocket to his daddy's arms instead. The hyperactive yet affectionate cat meowed loudly, catching the attention of his sister all the way from the cat room.

Ice Cream, as always, was suspicious and even hostile to unfamiliar people. Even as Popcorn felt curious and began cautiously interacting with Wei Lan, Ice Cream stayed away from the woman.

If someone could hear the cat's thoughts, she would probably say this:

"This is my territory. Intruders are unwelcome. Want to become my slave? Work hard to earn my approval first. Hmph!"

Everyone in the group gave the cats lots of love and attention, involuntarily ignoring Wei Lan for a few moments. Surprisingly, she didn't complain like she always did. She just stood back and observed everyone.

When Little Jun asked to be placed down on the floor so that he could play with Ice Cream and Popcorn, Iris finally remembered Wei Lan. She quickly let go of the toddler before walking to where Wei Lan was standing.

"Mother, please excuse our rudeness," she said.

"Don't worry about it, honey," Wei Lan replied.

Then she pulled her daughter for a quick hug and air kisses before looking at Iris from head to toe and back up again. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Hm, yes! You've become even mooooore beautiful—just like ME! That's right! It's only natural that MY daughter is as gorgeous as ME! But oh my goooooodness! Look at that skin! I swear your skin didn't look like that when I last saw you! Which products have you been using, honey? Or did you undergo some sort of cosmetic procedure? Don't be ashamed if you did. It's the responsibility of gorgeous women like us to maintain our beauty for as loooooong as we can! How about you tell Mother your beauty secrets? I'm all ears!"

Wei Lan's interest in her skin pleased Iris greatly. It meant that Orchidia Beauty's products were all effective.

"Yes, I'm using new products but they're not available on the market yet," she said.

"What?! Not available yet?!" Wei Lan exclaimed. "Is it one of those exclusive brands that have at least year-long waiting lists? Which brand is it, honey? Tell meeeeee! If it can make my skin look like yours, then even if I have to wait two years or more, I will!"

"Relax, Mother. The products will launch this coming fall. But you don't have to wait that long. I'll give you some samples to try later. If you like the products, don't forget to buy them when they launch."

"Ooooooh! That's wonderful! Thank you, honey~"

Then Wei Lan suddenly cupped Iris' breasts, even lightly squeezing them, in front of everyone.

Iris froze. She was extremely taken aback by the woman's actions. If this was any other time, her reflexes would not have allowed anyone other than Jin Liwei and her doctors touching her intimate parts. However, she didn't sense any malicious intentions from Wei Lan, so she wasn't able to react in time.

It wasn't only her. The others also froze seeing what Wei Lan was doing to her. Jin Liwei's eyes went blank, unable to process the sight of his future mother-in-law groping his most beloved breasts—cough cough—he meant, the most beloved breasts of his baby girl.

But Wei Lan wasn't done yet. After touching Iris' breasts, she reached down and around, and then began lightly squeezing her daughter's butt next.

This time, Iris caught the woman's hands and pulled them off. "Mother, what are you doing?!"

"Oh, don't mind me, honey. I'm just checking whether you had implants or not because your boobs and butt look bigger than what I remember," Wei Lan replied, sounding as though it was the most natural thing to say and do in the world. She withdrew her hands, but continued to examine Iris' body.

"I don't have implants, Mother."

"Yes, I know that now after feeling them. Let me look at you again. Hm, yes... I think you gained a little weight since I last saw you, honey. Be careful not to gain too much or your man will leave you if you become too fat."

"That's not true," Jin Liwei's cold voice cut through the weird atmosphere. He walked forward until he was standing beside Iris. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled him closer against the side of his body. He looked directly at Wei Lan. "Madam, I'll continue to love your daughter no matter what size she becomes in the future. I certainly won't leave her. Likewise, I hope that she won't leave me if I ever get fat."

"Oh Liwei. You'll always be my darling even when you become a cranky, fat, old man," Iris replied, wrapping her arm around his waist as well.

And with that, the two became absorbed in their own little world again. They stupidly grinned at each other like idiots. Of course, their number one fan Dom fangirled like crazy in the background with his sister Clover.

"So you're my daughter's fiancé? I knew it from the moment you walked in!" Wei Lan's (annoying) voice interrupted the couple's lovey-dovey moment. "Honey, why don't you introduce your handsome fiancé to Mother?"

Iris finally introduced the two to each other.

Wei Lan didn't have much reaction when Jin Liwei's name was mentioned. It seemed that she didn't recognize him right away. Just like what she did with her daughter, Wei Lan examined Jin Liwei from head to toe and back up again. Thankfully, she didn't grope him like what she did to Iris. She nodded her head in satisfaction as she looked at Jin Liwei's appearance.

"Xiulan is really my daughter! What a great catch! She has excellent taste in men—just like ME!"

Then she started asking Jin Liwei questions about his height, weight, blood type, horoscope, family background, education, career, income, if he was really straight or maybe bisexual, how many lovers he had before Iris, and so many other intrusive questions.

Iris shut down the other questions, not hiding her cold displeasure at Wei Lan. Fortunately (and surprisingly), Wei Lan was very nice and didn't push for Jin Liwei to answer her other questions.

Jin Liwei answered the basic questions. It was only then that Wei Lan finally realized who he was. Her eyes widened in shock, as she looked at him like he had suddenly transformed into a king right in front of her eyes.

"Y-you're Jin Liwei?! That Jin Liwei, head of Jin Corporation?!"

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Chapter 414 - Look A Little Like You

"Yes, Madam. I am indeed Jin Liwei of Jin Corporation," Jin Liwei confirmed in a calm tone. "And I'm going to marry your daughter."

Iris tightened her arm around his waist while focusing all of her attention on observing Wei Lan's reaction.

Wei Lan blanked out for a few moments, as she stared at Jin Liwei and Iris together. Her brain couldn't seem to immediately process the idea that her daughter was engaged to the most powerful man in the country's business world of his generation. Although younger, Jin Liweiwas certainly wealthier, more powerful and influential than her ex-husband, Long Tengfei.

But this was Wei Lan. Her opportunistic nature allowed her to recover her senses fairly quickly. After the initial shock and disbelief, pride and elation immediately filled her.

Her daughter was really her child! She already knew that her daughter would be able to marry well because Iris inherited her beauty. However, even Wei Lan never expected that her daughter would marry the most eligible bachelor in the country. Her daughter had done extremely well—even better than Wei Lan herself—in choosing the best husband.

A glint of avarice flashed in Wei Lan's eyes.

Then a peculiar thing happened.

Realizing the direction of her thoughts, Wei Lan visibly paused and even faintly shook her head, as if forcing the avarice out of her.

Afterwards, Wei Lan expressed her excitement at learning that the two were engaged. She congratulated them and gushed about such a perfect match. Everything that came out of her mouth were all very nice and warm words. Although her voice was still annoying, she didn't seem like she was faking her well wishes to the couple. If she was acting, then she was an excellent actress—better than Iris, at least.

Iris, who had been closely observing Wei Lan, saw all the changes in her expression. She caught the earlier glint of avarice in the woman's eyes before it either disappeared or was covered up. Iris felt extremely curious and confused at this new Wei Lan.

However, Iris remained vigilant. Perhaps Wei Lan was just presenting a good impression to Jin Liwei because they were meeting for the first time. Iris was expecting that Wei Lan would revert to her usual self and start requesting some mother-in-law perks from Jin Liwei, like borrowing his yacht or private plane, for example.

Inside Iris, there was a mixture of different emotions.

There was a longing for Wei Lan to become the mother figure that she craved, especially this nice Wei Lan. At the same time, there was also apprehension that this good change wouldn't last, that Wei Lan would continue being the opportunistic woman that she was, even to her own daughter.

And finally, there was indifference. It was an almost dismissive attitude towards the woman whom Iris didn't really have much of a relationship with, except for the occasional communication whenever Wei Lan had the whim to contact her daughter.

Even to the original Iris, Wei Lan wasn't much of a mother. Now that the current Iris was a different soul, the blood connection didn't really apply to them anymore. The current Iris was just being respectful to the previous' Iris' parent-child connection with Wei Lan, just like how she handled her relationship with Long Tengfei after waking up in this new body.

All of these different emotions were a result of the remnant fusing with her. The fusion had greatly slowed down lately but it had already reached around 90% completion. Despite this, 90% was already enough to completely change Iris' overall personality.

She had become a bit more emotional and empathetic and also much better at reading other people. Her range of emotions definitely widened, but she attributed this as the effect of falling in love with Jin Liwei and having the freedom to experience new things. Even now, she had no idea that the remnant was permanently changing her from deep inside.

But because the remnant opted for a fusion instead of an aggressive takeover, she still retained her original calm and logical personality as Evelina. It was just not as extreme as before. At least, she didn't act like a cold robot anymore.

These two conflicting personalities were balancing each other out. They were melding into one personality, instead of remaining as two separate ones. However, there was still the remaining 10% that hadn't fused yet.

Back to the present,Iris requested for Wei Lan not to divulge the truth to anyone else.

"Mother, we're keeping our relationship a secret for now. We want to be the ones to announce it to the public."

"Don't worry, honey. Mother understands. My mouth is zipped," Wei Lan promised.

Despite this, Iris was already anticipating that a leak would somehow occur because Wei Lan was a known gossip. She was already mentally making other contingency plans if Wei Lan couldn't keep her mouth zipped like she promised. Iris wanted the official announcement to be special, but if others discovered the truth before that, then she would just announce it earlier than she planned.

After the future in-laws met, Iris introduced the rest of the group next.

Wei Lan already knew Dom, so she was nice and warm in meeting his sister, Clover. Then Iris introduced Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun next, describing the mother and son as her friend and godson.

"Little Jun, come here. This is Grandmother Wei Lan. She's my mother," Iris explained to the toddler, as she carried him again.

Little Jun looked confused by her explanation. He hugged Iris' neck tightly while staring at the unfamiliar woman.

"Oh! Grandmother! ME, a grandmother?!" Wei Lan clutched her chest in horror. "Tell the child to call me Auntie. No, better yet tell him to call me Big Sister."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mother. What Auntie? What Big Sister? Little Jun is my godson, so of course you're his grandmother. He also calls Liwei's mother as Grandma, so it's only natural that he should call you Grandmother as well," Iris told her in a no-nonsense tone.

Jin Liwei took the toddler from Iris, telling him, "This is your Grandma Wei Lan. She's your Mama's mama."

"Amma Weiyan?" Little Jun asked.

"En. Grandma Wei Lan," Jin Liwei replied with a nod. Then he looked at Wei Lan and asked, "Madam, would you like to hold him?"

"Oh goooooodness, no!" She looked horrified. "The last time I held a child was two decades ago when Xiulan was still a baaaaabyyyy. I've already forgotten how. What if I drop him?"

Nobody insisted on letting her carry Little Jun. What if she really dropped him?

"But he's sooooo cute~" Wei Lan gently poked Little Jun's cheek with a manicured finger. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing any long nails.

The poke made Little Jun giggle. It seemed that his innate charm worked even on Wei Lan because the woman was soon cooing at the toddler.

"Honeeeey, why does this child look a little like you?" Wei Lan asked. "Don't tell me that he's reeeeaaally your child with dear Liwei? Oh, my goooooodness! If that's the case, then wouldn't that make me a real GRANDMOTHER?!"

"No, Mother. Little Jun is not my child. But it's true that he resembles me a little because we are blood-related. He's actually Elder Brother Hui's son with Ying Yue, so that makes him my biological nephew," Iris explained to her.

"What?"

Wei Lan instantly turned cold and stopped interacting with Little Jun.

Seeing the abrupt change in her expression, Iris' eyes also turned cold. She stepped in front of Jin Liwei carrying Little Jun in a protective manner. Jiang Ying Yue and the others also went into protective mode. Even the two cats joined in.

Popcorn looked alert, while Ice Cream was openly hostile. The big grey cat hissed loudly at Wei Lan and even bared her trimmed claws in a threatening manner.

"Mother, both Little Jun and Ying Yue are members of my family with Liwei. This household is their home, and everyone here knows to treat them with respect like how they treat Liwei and me," Iris told Wei Lan in a cold voice.

The rest of her words—

"They have more right to be here than you."

—weren't said out loud, but Wei Lan understood Iris' indirect warning.

Wei Lan pursed her lips at everyone's protectiveness.

As for Iris and the others, they waited with bated breath for Wei Lan's next actions. Would she start creating trouble?

Iris' eyes turned even colder at the thought. If Wei Lan dared to do that, she would immediately kick her out.

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Chapter 415 - Karma

Wei Lan closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Her struggle in controlling herself was obvious to the others. When she opened her eyes, her cold expression became warm and nice again. However, she looked past Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue as if she could no longer see the two of them.

"I see. So that's how it is. I understand, honey. There's noooooo need to be so uptight. I absolutely don't like your father' other children and anyone or anything related to them, but since you're close to this friend and godson of yours, then they must at least bedecent people," Wei Lan said.

Then she finally glanced at Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue again. Her eyes may not be very warm, but at least they weren't cold anymore. Then she turned to Iris again.

"Mother will be good, honey. Don't worry," she tried to assure Iris.

The atmosphere eased after that. However, everyone still remained vigilant and protective of Little Jun and Jiang Ying Yue.

As for Iris, her confusion and curiosity at this new Wei Lan only deepened even more. Since when was the woman able to control her emotions so well? If this was before, Wei Lan would've already exploded and spewed hatred on Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun because of their connection to Long Hui.

Iris continued to observe Wei Lan, trying to detect whether the woman was really genuine or was just faking this positive personality change. However, Iris still wasn't that great in accurately reading other people's emotions.

Shortly after, Yi Mei called everyone to the dining room for dinner. All of the household staff acted stiff and formal, totally unlike their usual comfortable and relaxed behaviour when it was just them at home. They were especially cautious around Wei Lan.

Iris sighed seeing her staff like this. It was also making her uncomfortable watching them act so unnatural and unlike their usual selves. They reminded her of Jin Liwei's staff at the mansion when she first started living there. They were almost like robots.

She was already doubting her decision in allowing Wei Lan to stay at the penthouse for an indefinite period of time. But so far, the woman was being good like she just promised. Only time would tell if Wei Lan would be able to keep this up.

During dinner, the atmosphere was a little awkward. It was mostly just Wei Lan and Iris talking, while the rest ate in silence, only speaking when directly addressed to by either Wei Lan or Iris. Of course, Jin Liwei also talked because Wei Lan was very interested in him.

Wei Lan asked the couple a lot of questions about their relationship. She also didn't forget to admire Iris' beautiful engagement ring, even asking if she could try it on herself. However, Iris rejected the idea. Wei Lan just laughed the matter off, as if she wasn't even serious about it.

Perhaps after getting bored of Iris and Jin Liwei's love story, Wei Lan started talking about her own love story instead.

"I was in France attending fashion shows and doing my seasonal shopping at my favourite luxury designer boutiques when I decided on a whim to visit Spain—to shop some more, of course! Then I met this tall and handsome Spanish vizconde—that's a viscount, I was told. He started courting me right away but I ignored him because I had bad experiences with people from nobilities. Do you have any idea how much grief the Looooong clan gave me when I was still married to your father? Oh, the horror of it all!"

Wei Lan's face twisted into a disgusted expression before she quickly smoothed it out. It wasn't because she was trying to be nice again but because she didn't want her face to become too expressive for fear of wrinkles. She continued her story.

"Well, at least the vizconde is an official noble up to this day, unlike the Longs who still act all high and mighty when they aren't really nobility anymore! What's more, the vizconde is the mooooost humble, kind, gentle and generous person that I've ever met in my entiiiiiiiire life! He was also very patient and continued to court me. It was only a matter of time before he was able to make me completely and hopelessly in loooooooooove with him!

"Oh honey, I never imagined that I would ever fall in love so deeeeeeeply like this! I never hid the fact that I didn't love your father or my other lovers that much, but this time, I really love my new husband! Oh! My heart is beating sooooooo fast just remembering him. I'm already starting to miss him sooooooo much!" Wei Lan gushed while clutching her chest with her manicured hands.

And indeed, even with her make-up on, the others could see that she was blushing.

"Madam—" Jin Liwei began to speak but was quickly interrupted by Wei Lan.

"Dear Liwei, call me Mother from now on! Madam is too formal! You're going to be my only daughter's husband so we're family now!"

Jin Liwei hesitated.

Wei Lan pouted. "Fine. You can call me Auntie for now. But I hope that you get used to calling me Mother soon!"

This time, he was more agreeable. "I understand, Aunt Wei Lan."

Wei Lan looked absolutely pleased at hearing his new form of address of her. She smiled so brightly that it lit up her whole face. Dom and the others gasped at her beauty (except for Jin Liwei who still thought that his baby girl had the best smile in the world). Now they knew where Iris got her stunning, photogenic smile.

Jin Liwei was unaffected by the smile, so he continued what he was going to say earlier before he was interrupted.

"Aunt Wei Lan, you say that your new husband is a viscount. Since you're now married, doesn't that make you a viscountess?"

Wei Lan giggled. "Yes, I'm officially a vizcondesa now. Specifically, I'm the Viscountess of Castillo de Estrellas, an official member of the Spanish nobility."

Then she suddenly paused, remembering something, before throwing her head back and laughing out loud.

Everyone looked at her, unsure of what was going on with her. They thought that perhaps she finally lost all of her marbles and had gone cuckoo in the head.

"Mother, get a hold of yourself," Iris told her in stern voice. "You're scaring my godson."

Indeed, Little Jun's face was now buried deeply between his mother's breasts. Soft whimpers could be heard from him. However, he didn't cry loudly this time.

"Oh! Excuse me...ahahaha!" Wei Lan tried to control her laughter while wiping tears from her eyes. (The tears were from laughing too much.) "I'm just amazed at how destiny works, honey~ Your father's clan, they're all so proud of their noble roots, even though they don't hold any official title anymore. I suffered sooooooo much insults from the elders and the relatives while I was still married to your father. They constantly rubbed it in my face that I was just a lowly model and would never be on the same level as your father.

"But look at me now! Aren't I a viscountess? Aren't I a member of nobility with an official title? I dare them to call me lowly again with my current status! And you, my beloved only daughter who's as beeeeaaaauuuutiful as ME—aren't you the daughter of a viscountess now? Is this what they call karma or what? I dare those Longs look down on us mother and daughter again! Ahahaha!"

Wei Lan continued to laugh as if she heard the funniest joke in the world.

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Chapter 416 - Poor Man's Cross Academy

Iris tilted her head to the side, pondering about the bombshell Wei Lan just dropped. The others looked shocked, even Jin Liwei, when they learned that Wei Lan was now an official viscountess. They never expected this kind of development at all. However, Iris wasn't very affected or impressed. She didn't care about inherited titles like this.

"Mother, if you're a viscountess now, why are you staying here at your daughter's place? Does your husband only have a title but no money? He can't even afford to provide his wife accommodations?" Iris asked.

"Oh, honey! Not at all! Your mother's husband is veeeeeery wealthy, but I don't know how wealthy. He came from old money after all, so it's a bit difficult to exactly estimate his entire wealth," Wei Lan explained. "I decided to stay here at your place because I just want to spend some quality time with yoooouuuu, my beloved daughter!"

Iris gave an unconvinced look. Even the others didn't believe her.

Wei Lan looked wounded by their skepticism. "It's true! Honey, belieeeeeve me! I really want to spend more time with my own daughter! I learned so much from my husband! After becoming lovers, we travelled all over the Mediterranean, exploring many places. Then we travelled to North Africa next and then to South America. He brought me to some of the poooooorest places in those regions. At first I hated it but as time passed, Mother's heart was touched!

"Oh honey! I saw sooooooo much suffering and poverty during my travels! Ah! My heart breaks just remembering all the people I've met! My husband is a philanthropist, so he and his adopted son are using their wealth and status to help the less fortunate."

Wei Lan wiped (invisible) tears from her eyes for effect. Nevertheless, she still sounded genuine enough. Then she continued describing the horrid living conditions of all the poor people she met.

Moments later, both Dom and Clover were so affected by her stories that the siblings started sobbing.

"Wuwuwu! That's so heartbreaking! Now I feel bad that I'm eating so much when there are so many people in the world who literally have nothing to eat!" Dom cried while shoving more food into his mouth. "I'm so thankful that I'm so blessed! Wuwuwu!"

"I know! So sad! That kind of stories are actually also common in my country, the Philippines. When foreigners come out of the airport, they see the skyscrapers, huge malls and all the rich parts of the city. But just an hour away, the poorest of the poor are living in conditions barely fit for humans," Clover said next, wiping her tears and blowing her nose.

"Exactly! My husband and I are actually planning on visiting the poorest places in Southeast Asia next," Wei Lan said. "But since he's extremely busy right now, I'll just wait for him here in China until he finishes all of his matters and follows me here."

With that, Wei Lan and the siblings Dom and Clover felt a connection with each other when it came to this topic. Both Iris and Jin Liwei were pushed out of the conversation while Dom and Clover took over talking with Wei Lan.

"My husband made me realize how shallow of a person I've been! He opened my eyes and mind to the true realities of the world! Travelling with him and doing charity work made me realize my true calling in life! As his vizcondesa, I also want to dedicate my life in helping alleviate poverty in the world and making it a better place for the generations to come!" Wei Lan told them with much passion.

Dom: "Oh! We support you, Mama Boss! That's like a perfect beauty queen pageant answer!"

Clover: "That's a very noble cause, Madam Wei Lan. I pray for your success."

Iris and Jin Liwei looked at each other, not expecting this kind of development in their dinner conversation. They never expected such a passionate and humanitarian speech from someone like Wei Lan.

"Despite being a rich viscount, my husband and his adopted son are pretty secretive and low-profile about their real status. They don't like showing off their wealth, opting to quietly do philanthropic works all over the world instead," Wei Lan continued to explain. "That's why I decided to start living a low-key life as well, and strive hard to become a capable viscountess who'll be able to proudly stand beside a great man like my husband!

"It's not easy trying to become a better person, you know. Ah, the struggle is real! I frequently catch myself almost reverting to my old ways. But I'm trying veeeeery hard to become a better version of myself. I no longer want to be known as Madam Wei Lan, former model and ex-wife of Long Tengfei. From now on, I want to be known as Vizcondesa Lan of Castillo de Estrellas, a philanthropist who's making the world a better place!"

Dom and Clover both praised her grand yet noble ambitions. Finding a receptive audience in the siblings, Wei Lan continued extolling the greatness of her new husband.

She revealed that her husband owned and funded several orphanages all across the world. Unlike regular orphanages, however, the ones he owned provided high-quality education to the orphans living there.

Those who hadn't been adopted by new families actually ended up being more successful than the ones who got adopted. They continued their high-quality education at the orphanage until they grew up as responsible and highly-skilled adults. It was extremely easy for them to enter the workforce because their specialized education made them some of the most sought-after by employers.

"Actually, my husband adopted his son from one of his orphanages. I was hoping to matchmake René Alejandro with yooooouuuu, honey, so I was a bit disappointed when I heard that you're already engaged."

Jin Liwei's expression immediately turned ugly. Iris grabbed his hand and rubbed it, soothing him.

"But after learning that dear Liwei is your fiancé, my heart is now at ease. I'm suuuuuuuure that dear Liwei will treat you like a queen. René Alejandro is also a CEO of his own company, something like making anti-virus for computers or something—whatever that means—but he's nowhere near dear Liwei's level. After all, his little company isn't a multinational company like Jin Corporation."

Iris' eyes lit up at the mention of what Wei Lan's new stepson did for a living. "Oh, a cybersecurity company. How interesting... Mother, do you remember his company name?"

"Cyber-what? Uh... Sooooorry, honey. Mother forgot what the company is called. René Alejandro explained everything to me but it's all soooooo confuuuuusing and booooooring that I don't remember anything!"

Iris looked a little disappointed and was about to ask more questions but Wei Lan continued speaking.

"The majority of René Alejandro's employees also came from the orphanages like him. As for the other orphans, many of them became honourable soldiers protecting the country they were in, while some began working at government positions. And then some of the more brilliant ones either worked for big companies earning high salaries or started their own companies like René Alejandro. Aren't they all impressive? Isn't my husband so amazing to help produce such awesome people like them?"

Wei Lan looked very proud of her husband's achievements, as if they were her own.

Dom: "Yes! Amazing!"

Clover: "Wow. It's like those orphanages are raising geniuses."

"What's even more amazing is that those successful orphans are now giving back, so that the orphanages could provide more orphans with good life and great education. Now they are sharing the burden of helping fund the orphanages, so my husband doesn't need to shoulder everything like before," Wei Lan added.

Jin Liwei unconsciously rubbed Iris' hand, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"Hmmmm... Those orphanages remind me a little of Cross Academy," he murmured.

Iris' eyes widened. She tilted her head to the side. "Really?"

"En. They're like the poor man's Cross Academy but still provides quality education and produces highly-skilled people that are the most sought-after in any industry they enter. Also exclusive...to orphans. And everyone remains connected and help each other out even after leaving the place. Isn't that like Cross Academy, love?"

She was silent as she thought over what he said. She agreed...to some extent. For some reason, however, the way he summarized the orphanages was making her uncomfortable. She wondered why.

Then it hit her.

Gathering orphans, educating them, and then raising them to "give back"—no, training and brainwashing them for eternal loyalty and subservience...

Instead of being similar to Cross Academy, wasn't that exactly how the Vetrovs trained the next generation of subordinates for the family organization?

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Chapter 417 - Furious Wei Lan

Iris paled once the thought entered her mind. Cold sweat started soaking her.

Still holding her hand, Jin Liwei felt his baby girl's skin suddenly becoming freezing cold. He looked at her and was alarmed at how pale she had become.

"Love? What's wrong? Do you feel sick?"

His worried tone caught everyone's attention.

"Mama? Mama!" Little Jun called her several times.

When Iris failed to respond to him, the toddler began crying loudly.

Iris only regained her senses when he felt Little Jun pulling on her dress while crying hysterically. His pitiful tear-filled face was looking up at her with fear and worry, repeatedly calling her "Mama". Ice Cream and Popcorn were also trying to jump on her lap. Their meows were as loud as Little Jun's cries.

Then she felt her hand hurting a little because Jin Liwei was gripping it hard. It was only then that she realized that she was almost sitting on his lap. The anxiety on his face was obvious.

Everyone gathered around her, worried. Dom was on the phone. It seemed that he was calling Dr. Ching.

"I..." Iris cleared her throat because it sounded a bit croaky. "I'm alright, really. Dom, no need to disturb the doctor. I just spaced out a little."

Despite her reassurance, they still looked worried. Iris lifted Little Jun and sat him on her lap. She needed to calm the child first, and of course, the cats too.

Wei Lan: "Honeeeey! What happened to you? Are you feeling sick? Let's go to the hospital!"

"No need, Mother. I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine. Whenever you're like this, you either faint or go into coma," Jin Liwei said in a tight voice. "Dom, tell the doctor we're coming. Yi Mei, call the driver. We're going to the hospital RIGHT NOW."

Both Dom and Yi Mei acknowledged his instructions. Yi Mei already warmed up a lot towards Jin Liwei, ever since seeing with her own eyes how deeply in love he was with Iris and how he was treating her like a queen. However, the old housekeeper would always remain loyal to Iris, not to Jin Liwei.

"Darling, no! Everyone, please calm down! I said I'm alright. I just spaced out a bit after remembering...something. Something scary. Yes, that's it! So don't worry. I'm really fine. Sorry for worrying you."

It took some time but they finally looked like they believed her. They all released sighs of relief. Now, however, Jin Liwei refused to take his eyes off of her. He guarded her like a hawk, ready to rush her to the hospital at the slightest sign that she looked ill.

"Oh, thank gooooodness you're okay, honeeey! Some colour has also returned to your face," Wei Lan said. "But I think that you should still take a pregnancy test, just to be sure. What if you're pregnant? Being pregnant is no joke, you knooooow. And you should also be extra careful of your health, if you are. I suffered sooooo much while I was pregnant with you. I felt sick all the time! Ugh! And when I finally gave birth...ah! Worst pain ever! You literally ripped my vagina and I had to be sewed back! My vagina had never been the same since then!"

This time, all of them paled after hearing Wei Lan describe how she gave birth to Iris. Only Jiang Ying Yue sighed and nodded in complete understanding. However, her eyes gentled when she looked at her son on Iris' lap.

Dom gasped in horror and cupped his crotch, as if he also had a vagina that could rip into two while giving birth.

Iris, who already somewhat recovered, paled once again. She turned to an equally pale Jin Liwei. "Darling!"

Jin Liwei's hand subconsciously pressed against her flat stomach in a protective manner. Then he mumbled, "We'll hire a surrogate...yes, yes. We should do that."

"What surrogate? If my daughter is capable of giving birth on her own, then she should! But honey, have a plastic surgeon at the delivery room just in case your vagina ever rips. At least a plastic surgeon can sew everything back together and still make it look nice, even though it would never look the same way after childbirth. Regular doctors dooooon't care! I almost sued my obstetrician back then for ruining my vagina! Ugh!"

Wei Lan seemed to revert back to her old vain self, as she blamed her old doctor for her "botched" vagina.

With all of these talk about vaginas ripping and painful childbirth, Iris was able to forget—at least for now—the disturbing memory of the Vetrovs' training method being similar to the education system of the orphanages owned by Wei Lan's new husband. Besides, she also didn't want to dwell on such dark memories.

The night ended with everyone feeling bewildered by Wei Lan's change—in a good way.

Yi Mei and the rest of the household were especially on edge the entire time. They felt so exhausted being cautious around Wei Lan for almost the whole day. They were just waiting for the moment that she would start acting like a diva again and make life difficult for them.

Surprisingly, however, she didn't act out and was even nice to them. The younger staff started thinking thatYi Mei and the other older staff members were overreacting or maybe just trying to scare them. The Madam might have the tendency of ignoring the staff, but at least she wasn't snapping at them.

Their Young Miss was the best employer ever. Her mother couldn't be that bad.

As for Yi Mei and the others, they could only hope that Wei Lan really changed. After all, the Young Miss already changed for the better as well. They didn't want Wei Lan corrupting her own daughter to revert to her past spoiled and bitchy self. Unlike the younger staff who were already starting to warm up to Wei Lan after just the first day of her stay at the penthouse, Yi Mei and the older ones remained wary of her.

Just in case.

###

For the next few days, everyone started getting used to Wei Lan's presence at the penthouse. Because Iris, Jin Liwei and the siblings Dom and Clover continued to work, Wei Lan was often left alone at the penthouse with the household staff.

Still feeling awkward around Wei Lan, Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun stopped coming to the penthouse. However, Little Jun started throwing tantrums because he didn't understand why he suddenly couldn't go to the penthouse anymore. He thought that the penthouse was his actual home because he spent the majority of his time there. As for the unit Iris gave him, he just treated it as a place to sleep at night.

So Jiang Ying Yue had no choice but to bring her son upstairs. Besides, she practically didn't cook meals anymore. They just ate together with Yi Mei and the others at the penthouse. She would also leave Little Jun there with the nanny while she worked as the condo building's head of security.

But right now, she felt apprehensive about Wei Lan. She knew that the woman didn't like her and her son because of their connection to Long Hui. Fortunately, Wei Lan didn't create any trouble and just ignored them.

While Jiang Ying Yue was feeding Little Jun some fruits in the kitchen, Wei Lan suddenly appeared. Wei Lan sometimes spoke to the cook to discuss dinner menus. Their regular homecooked meals became slightly more refined since then.

Jiang Ying Yue thought that Wei Lan would leave like usual after instructing the cook on what to prepare for dinner tonight, but surprisingly, the woman turned to the mother and son.

"You are the fiancée of my ex-husband's eldest son, correct?" Wei Lan asked.

"Y-yes, Madam..." Jiang Ying Yue couldn't look at her directly.

"Then why has your fiancé not visited you and your son yet since I've been staying here? Are you two still together?"

Perhaps because she was speaking with someone she was cold to, Wei Lan didn't stretch some of her words like usual. She was very terse and direct to the point.

"I..." Jiang Ying Yue straightened her back while desperately trying to find an appropriate answer. "We are...temporarily living apart...for now. But I think he'll return. Long Hui...he's recovering at the ancestral residence now."

"Recovering? From what? Is he sick?"

Jiang Ying Yue hesitated. She looked at Yi Mei, the cook and the other staff present in the kitchen.

Impatient that Jiang Ying Yue wasn't answering her question, Wei Lan turned to Yi Mei instead.

Yi Mei looked at Jiang Ying Yue and sighed. Afraid that Wei Lan might explode on them if they didn't tell her, Yi Mei told her about Iris' fight with Long Hui, and how Jin Liwei brawled with him right here in the kitchen.

After some more prodding, Wei Lan learned from the younger staff how Long Hui insulted Iris using Wei Lan's bad reputation as a gold digger and social climber. Now it made sense why Jin Liwei lost control and brawled with Long Hui. Needless to say, Wei Lan was absolutely furious after hearing everything.

"That piece of shit is really a spawn of those disgustingly arrogant Longs! He thinks he's better than my daughter just because his mother came from a family who's as self-important as the Longs? Xiulan and dear Liwei were too nice, sending him to the hospital after beating him up! If it was me, I would've broken all of his limbs, tossed him into a sack and then thrown him into a dumpster where a piece of shit like him belongs!"

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Chapter 418 - No Different From A Mistress

"They're really mother and daughter," Jiang Ying Yue thought to herself.

She remembered Iris saying very similar words when she fought with Long Hui. Jiang Ying Yue covered Little Jun's ears, trying to protect his innocence from the curse words Wei Lan hurled at his father.

Yi Mei was very efficient, gesturing one of the younger maids to take the toddler out of the kitchen.

Wei Lan didn't stop despite the interruption. She continued cursing at Long Hui, Long Tengfei and the entire Long clan.

Jiang Ying Yue felt hurt listening to Long Hui being insulted. After all, she still loved him, not to mention that he was the father of her son. However, she was also starting to resent him because Wei Lan was right. He hadn't visited them once after he moved out and returned to the Long ancestral residence.

She knew that he had a high pride, but she thought that it was stupid to not see his own son just because he didn't want to enter the condo building and apologize to his own sister. If he would just say sorry to Iris, then they could at least start rebuilding their relationship again.

But Long Hui wasn't totally disappearing from their lives. He still frequently video called them, wanting to talk to his son every other night or so. He also sent toys and other goodies to Little Jun via home delivery. For these alone, Jiang Ying Yue couldn't fully resent him.

It was just that everything seemed to be for their son. There was nothing for her. Not that she was looking for gifts or anything. Just a simple phone conversation would have sufficed for her, but he seemed to always be in a hurry to end the call whenever they spoke.

There was one time that gave her hope. He asked to meet her somewhere nearby. She left Little Jun at the penthouse with the nanny. Then she met him at a parking lot near a children's park in the evening. She thought that he wanted to talk, so she didn't question his choice of place.

He stayed inside the car the entire time because his leg wasn't fully recovered yet. There were still some traces of bruises on his body, but they were already recovering.

As soon as she entered the backseat of the car (the driver was nowhere to be seen), he pulled her and started kissing her and touching her all over. She was taken aback at first, but after not being with him for days, her desire was quickly reignited.

Long story short, they made love inside the car—no, Jiang Ying Yue didn't feel like he made love with her. Although it excited her, he was noticeably very rough with her this time. It was only after the deed was done that she realized he wasn't really present while they were doing it.

It felt like he was just masturbating and he used her as a toy to relieve himself. So no, he didn't make love with her. He simply fucked her.

When she tried talking to him afterwards, he made excuses and started putting on his clothes.

"Sorry, sweet Ying Yue. I still don't feel well. We'll talk next time."

"Then why did you want to meet tonight? Just to have sex with me?" she asked while also putting her clothes back on.

"I just missed you, that's all."

"You mean you missed putting your dick inside me."

He scowled. "Ying Yue, I don't want to fight with you. I'm already so stressed at home and at work. Don't add to my problems."

She opened her mouth and was about to argue, but thought better of it. She also didn't want to fight with him. Forcing herself to swallow the bad feelings boiling inside her, she sighed instead and kept everything to herself.

After he left and she returned home, she didn't immediately head to the penthouse to pick up Little Jun. Instead, she took a shower at their unit first. She washed herself thoroughly, angrily rubbing off Long Hui's traces from her body until her skin turned red.

For some reason, she felt like a prostitute. There were no intimate feelings involved that night, just pure sex. And her fee for her "services" was his promise of a future together.

After that night, she became unsure of the status of their relationship. She still had the ring on her finger, but were they still emotionally engaged to each other? She could feel that the two of them were slowly drifting apart from each other as the days passed by.

Back to the present, her thoughts were interrupted when Wei Lan directly addressed her.

"The Long men are no good! All of them! I suddenly feel sorry for you, girl. At least I was smart enough to make sure that the ink on the signed marriage contract had dried before allowing myself to get pregnant with Tengfei's child! This way, I'm assured that my daughter would be born as a legitimate child! But you?" Wei Lan dramatically released a heavy sigh while shaking her perfectly coiffed head.

"Getting pregnant outside marriage and giving birth to an illegitimate child...oh! I can just imagine the reaction of those higher than thou elders! I'm surprised that you're still able to live peacefully! I thought that they would already be harassing you nonstop, especially since your child is that piece of shit's firstborn and could have a potential claim to become the clan's successor in the future based on order of birth alone."

Jiang Ying Yue froze and paled. A dark shadow dimmed the light in her eyes, as she remembered some painful memories.

Wei Lan immediately caught the change in her expression. "Oh? They really harassed you? I knew it! Girl, you are sooooooo STUPID!"

Yi Mei and the cook looked at each other in dismay. This was what they were afraid of. It seemed that the old Wei Lan was back. They felt sorry for Jiang Ying Yue. She had become the witch's target. Both Yi Mei and the cook were trying to find the opportunity to interrupt Wei Lan's tirade in order to remove Jiang Ying Yue from the situation without incurring too much of Wei Lan's wrath upon all of them.

"You gave birth to that piece of shit's child outside marriage, automatically making your son illegitimate. Do you know what a BIG STUPID mistake you made by doing that? You just put a big target on your son's forehead for the Longs to bully him for the rest of his life! Even though you were able to make that piece of shit propose to you, at the end of the day, you're still not married yet. What's more, he rarely visits you! You may be engaged, but the way he's treating you is no different from a mistress!

"You live separately. He only visits you whenever he wants to see his child or wants to fuck you. And when he's done and satisfied, he returns to his own home and disappears until he feels like he should do his duty as a father and see his son or get the urge to fuck you again because you're his woman. Tell me, how is that any different from a mistress?"

Wei Lan's sharp and unfiltered words felt like brutal arrows being shot straight at Jiang Ying Yue's heart. She remembered the night Long Hui called just to have sex with her. He didn't even want to talk but just to fuck.

Before Jiang Ying Yue knew it, huge drops of tears were already falling from her eyes.

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Chapter 419 - Best Perfume

"You're r-right... He only treats me like a...like a m-mistress now! I'm so...s-stupid!" Jiang Ying Yue sobbed.

The cook couldn't take it anymore. She went to Jiang Ying Yue and hugged her. Jiang Ying Yue cried against the cook's chest.

"No, sweetie. You're not stupid. Your situation is just complicated but I'm sure the Young Master still loves you and Little Jun. It's just that he and the Young Miss fought and you're caught between them," the cook said, trying to comfort her.

Wei Lan snorted. "What are you talking about? Of cooooouuurse, she's STUPID. If she wasn't, she would've gotten that ring on her finger and made that piece of shit sign the marriage contract first before getting herself pregnant. That way, her son would have privileges as a legitimate child of the Long clan. And if she doesn't want to stay married with that piece of shit anymore, she could divorce him at any time and squeeze alimony and child support from him! Then she would be FREE to do whatever she wants! That's what I did because I'm soooooo smart!"

"That's not smart. That's being opportunistic and manipulative. Ying Yue is a good girl, not like you," Yi Mei thought to herself but didn't dare say it out loud.

"I...I can't do that! I l-love him...I love him so much that it h-hurts... I want to be with him and have a h-happy family together with our son...b-but I also d-don't want my son and I to...to suffer from the Long elders and relatives when—IF we marry!" Jiang Ying Yue continued to sob.

Wei Lan curled her blood-red lip at Jiang Ying Yue's loud cries.

"Look at all those muscles. You look like you could lift ten of me, but you're actually so WEAK inside. Hmph!" Then she crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't give a damn about that piece of shit you continue to love so STUPIDLY. But since you're my daughter's friend and you look so PITIFUL right now, I just caaaaaan't stand back here and do nothing. Wipe your PATHETIC tears, girl! Get ready in five minutes. We're going shopping!"

Yi Mei: "..."

The cook: "???"

"W-what...?" Jiang Ying Yue paused sobbing in confusion.

Everyone blinked several times, unable to comprehend the way Wei Lan's mind worked. The atmosphere was tense, heavy and emotional, yet she wanted to go...shopping? Now?

When nobody moved after her instruction, Wei Lan became impatient. She released a long and dramatic sigh, then she started explaining things while enunciating each of her words, as if she was talking to a slow-witted child.

"Stop your pathetic crying! It's terribly annooooooyiiiiiing! Get ready because I'm taking you shopping. You need some new clothes because those...those rugs are absolutely terrible! How do you expect that piece of shit to stay attracted to you if you don't take care of yourself and make yourself beautiful? Just look at your skin! So rough! Ah, those dark circles and eyebags! Absolutely horrendous! And you act sooooo stiff! Is your spinal cord made up of a straight metal pipe or something? And oh my holy hairspray! That hair! Did a bird build a nest on it?!"

Even though Jiang Ying Yue wasn't the type to care about her appearance, all of Wei Lan's harsh and unfiltered criticisms made her self-conscious. She touched her hair and attempted to tame it.

Yi Mei and the cook felt sorry for her. The old witch was definitely back and she was bullying Jiang Ying Yue. Yi Mei already decided that she would tell the Young Miss everything that happened when she returned home from work tonight.

"Tell me, girl. How old are you?" Wei Lan asked.

"Twenty-six..." Jiang Ying Yue replied.

"You're sooooo young but you already look older than ME!" Wei Lan claimed.

"Nonsense. You definitely look younger than your actual age, but there's no way you look younger than Ying Yue," Yi Mei thought to herself, but of course, she didn't dare say it out loud.

Wei Lan: "Girl, do you feel beautiful?"

Jiang Ying Yue: "No...."

Wei Lan: "Do you feel sexy?"

Jiang Ying Yue shook her head. Her lack of confidence in her appearance was obvious in the way she squirmed on her seat under Wei Lan's judgmental eyes.

"Ah! This is puuuuure TRAGEDY!" Wei Lan exclaimed in a dramatically horrified expression. "Girl, if you don't feel beautiful and sexy about yourself, then don't ever expect others, much less that piece of shit, to think that you are. Beauty and sexiness come from within yourself—"

Yi Mei and the cook's eyes widened in amazement at Wei Lan's "deep" speech about beauty.

"—but of course, a few facials, a good haircut, sexy wardrobe, nice manicured and pedicured nails, regular hair waxing appointments—laser if you can afford it—and the best skincare products make a world of difference! Did Xiulan not give you any Orchidia Beauty samples? I don't know where she gets them, but they're amaaaaaziiiing! I feel so younger already just by using them for only a few days~ I wish it's the fall season already so that I can buy them when they officially launch!"

Wei Lan didn't wait for Jiang Ying Yue to reply. She continued her "lecture".

"Once you feel beautiful and sexy, everyone will also begin to see you as a beautiful and sexy woman! Like ME! Oh, and of course like my daughter too. After all, Xiulan inherited her beauty from ME, her beeeeaaaauuuutiful mother! Just look at the evidence! She got herself a perfect man like dear Liwei, not like that piece of shit you got engaged to.

"Listen to me, girl! The best perfume a woman can wear is...CONFIDENCE! So in addition to getting you a new wardrobe to replace those rugs today, I'm going to give you a makeover! I guarantee that after today, you'll transform into a completely new woman—beautiful and sexy...like ME! Oh, and like Xiulan too. Don't you want to be confidently beautiful like me and my daughter?"

Jiang Ying Yue already stopped crying. She didn't reply to Wei Lan, but she was listening to the woman's words intently.

Of course, Wei Lan didn't need a reply from her. The woman was used to talking by herself and calling it "conversation".

"Once you become confident of your own beauty and sexiness, you'll gain POWER and FREEDOM! Then maybe you'll finally wake up from your stupidity and realize that you don't need that piece of shit in your life after all. Maybe someday you'll also find the perfect man for you like how my daughter Xiulan found her dear Liwei and"—giggle giggle—"how I found my vizconde who I loooooove very much!"

"Long Hui...is the only man that I love..." Jiang Ying Yue whispered.

"Hmph! Like I said, you are STUPID!" Then Wei Lan shrugged. "But at least you gave birth to a cute son. Well, he looks a little like my Xiulan, so of course he's cuuuuuute. Anyway! Hurry up, stupid girl! Be ready in five minutes and meet me in the living area! I want us to be back by dinner so that we can eat with Xiulan and dear Liwei!"

Jiang Ying Yue hesitated and looked at Yi Mei and the cook. The uncertainty was clear in her eyes.

"Go, Ying Yue. A change of pace may be what you just need right now," Yi Mei encouraged her. "We'll take care of Little Jun so don't worry."

"Yes. It's just a few hours at most. You'll be back here in no time," the cook said.

Wei Lan glanced at her diamond-encrusted wristwatch. "Four minutes left. Don't waste any more time, girl." Then she glanced at Yi Mei. "Go tell the driver to prepare the car."

"Yes, Madam," Yi Mei nodded.

"And if my daughter and dear Liwei come home first before us, tell them that I took this stupid girl shopping because her clothes are sooooo terrible that my fashionista soul is going to suffer from eternal guilt if I don't do something about it!"

Yi Mei: "Uh...yes, Madam. Understood."

Then Wei Lan swept her eyes at the other staff standing by the corner, examining them. She pointed at a maid and a houseboy. "You and you. Come with us."

"Yes, Madam!" they replied.

"But change your outfits first. There's nooooooo way I'm going to allow you to walk with me wearing those rugs. Wear your best clothes! Three minutes left! Don't keep me waiting!"

With that, Wei Lan made a graceful sharp turn and started strutting out of the kitchen like the model that she was, as if she was walking on a catwalk at a fashion show.

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Chapter 420 - Confidently Beautiful

Later that evening, Iris, Jin Liwei and the siblings Dom and Clover were finally back home from work. They all came home at different times.

Iris and Dom came from an endorsement event. Clover arrived by herself shortly after them from Orchidia Beauty. Jin Liwei came home almost an hour later after them.

He was currently busy at Jin Corporation because their Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) would be retiring soon. The shareholders had already chosen the next CMO but the person was coming from their Singapore branch. Since it was an important executive position, Jin Liwei wanted to ensure that the transfer of responsibilities to the new person would be as smooth as possible, so as not to affect their business.

At the moment, they were all relaxing in the living area while watching the evening news.

Iris was massaging Jin Liwei's back because he looked so tired. Dom was near her, coaching her on what to do while using his sister Clover as his practice dummy to demonstrate to Iris how to massage correctly.

Of course, Jin Liwei felt like he was in seventh heaven while receiving his baby girl's tender loving care. He didn't know what got into her, but she had been putting a lot more effort lately into showing her love for him.

It wasn't just the boxed lunches that she kept on sending to his office. She also started sending him sweet-nothings on her own accord, which she never bothered to do before if he didn't initiate it. Just a simple "I love you" or "I miss you" via text message from her was already enough to put him in a great mood for the entire workday.

They were interrupted by Little Jun who ran straight at them after chasing Popcorn. Of course, the lazy Ice Cream was taking a nap on top of the couch's backrest.

"Mama! Junjun too!" the toddler demanded, showing Iris his back.

"Kyaaaaah! So cute, Junie boy!" Dom exclaimed.

Clover already whipped out her phone and started recording Little Jun's antics on video.

Iris smiled. "You want a massage, too?"

"Yesh! Junjun too!"

She chuckled. "But I'm massaging Papa first. Little Jun, you have to wait for your turn after I'm finished with your Papa. Okay?"

Little Jun looked at Iris and then at Jin Liwei. "Papa? Not Junjun?"

"Yes, Papa first," Iris confirmed with a nod.

Little Jun looked sad and even teary.

"Little Jun, a great man is patient and disciplined," Jin Liwei told the toddler, his expression and voice serious. "And don't cry so easily. Your Mama is only telling you to wait. Be good and wait until it's your turn."

Of course, Jin Liwei wasn't in such a rush to give up his position even to his own cute godson. He wanted to savour his baby girl's loving ministrations for as long as he could.

Fortunately, Little Jun seemed like he somewhat understood what they meant. He busied himself playing with Popcorn again while waiting for his turn after his papa.

"Oooooh! I'm so hungry!" Dom complained for the fiftieth time.

"Big Sis Yue and Madam are coming home soon. We can eat as soon as they arrive," Clover told him.

While Dom continued to complain to his sister, Iris finished massaging Jin Liwei. She kissed his nape before calling for Little Jun. Of course, the toddler excitedly squeezed himself between his mama and papa. Jin Liwei could only sigh as he was basically pushed out by his own godson.

Iris didn't really massage Little Jun. She just played with him, tickling him until the toddler's loud giggles filled the place. Jin Liwei joined in the tickling game.

"Ah, they look like the perfect happy family," Clover commented while taking pictures of the beautiful scene in front of her.

"I know, right? I can't wait for boss and sir boss to have their own babies! I'm sure they're going to be so cute~ Ehehehe," Dom replied.

They were interrupted by the sound of the elevator ping. The elevator door opened and Wei Lan, carrying a mini shopping bag, strutted out.

"Oh! Finally, we can eat dinner!" Dom exclaimed in relief.

"Little Jun, your mommy is here," Clover said.

"Mommi!" Little Jun immediately climbed off the couch and ran past Wei Lan to the figure behind her. "Mommi!"

"Hello, Little Jun. I'm back," Jiang Ying Yue's voice said.

But then Little Jun suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked up at the unfamiliar woman standing in front of him. He looked at her figure from head to toe and back up again. His expression was utterly confused and uncertain.

"Mo...mmi?"

The elegant and glowing woman smiled awkwardly and crouched in front of Little Jun. "Yes, I'm your mommy."

"Mommi!" Little Jun was finally sure that she was his mother. He threw himself at Jiang Ying Yue and hugged her neck tightly.

Jiang Ying Yue carried her son and stood up.

"Gyah!!! Who are you and what did you do to Big Sis Yue?!!" Dom's dramatic voice exclaimed.

Clover: "Big Sis Yue, you're so beautiful! Wow!"

The siblings walked over to admire the almost unrecognizable Jiang Ying Yue.

Unused to such attention, Jiang Ying Yue felt shy and tried to hide behind her son's small body.

"Stupid girl, I just spent a fortune on you today. Don't let it go to waste!" Wei Lan snapped upon seeing her timid reaction. "When someone praises you, look at them straight in the eyes and say, 'I knoooooow I'm beautiful. Thank you.' And if it's a gorgeous man, add a wink if you want. That's how to be confident! Okay, let's practice. Dominic, Clover. Praise her again."

The siblings immediately obeyed.

"So stunning! So sexy!"

"Beautiful Big Sis Yue!"

Jiang Ying Yue instantly turned crimson. She wished the floor could open up and swallow her.

"Mommi so pwetty!" Little Jun suddenly told her with a big smile on his face.

Her eyes widened. "Really? I'm pretty?"

"Yesh! Pwetty!"

"Oh..." Then a lovely smile broke out of her face. "Thank you."

Iris and Jin Liwei walked while holding hands to also take a closer look at Jiang Ying Yue.

"Helloooooooo, honey~ Helloooooo, dear Liwei~"

Wei Lan greeted the two of them after instructing the staff to place all the shopping bags and boxes to her bedroom. Apparently, the ones they were carrying were all for her. The ones for Jiang Ying Yue were still in the car. More staff were called to help transfer them to the unit they had downstairs.

"Mother gave your friend a makeover! What do you think, honeeey? Doesn't she looooook beautiful? Mother chose her dress herself!" Wei Lan bragged.

"Hmmm." Iris nodded while looking at Jiang Ying Yue. "Not her usual style and a little too over the top, but yes. Ying Yue looks beautiful. Right, darling?"

"En. Beautiful," Jin Liwei replied, but he was looking at his baby girl and not at Jiang Ying Yue.

Wei Lan turned to Jiang Ying Yue with a smug expression. "See! I told yooooouuu! I know what I'm doing because I'm the Queen of Fabulous! Oh, I meant, I'm the Viscountess of Fabulous! But since I'm the viscountess, no one is the queen!"

Jiang Ying Yue put Little Jun down on the floor because he already got bored and wanted to play with his cat cousins again.

"Thank you for today, Madam," she told Wei Lan in a shy but sincere tone. "I...I'll pay you back for all of the things you bought me..."

Wei Lan scowled. "Don't insult me by paying me back, stupid girl! This vizcondesa is a philanthropist now! What I did for you is charity because you're sooooo pitiful!"

Jiang Ying Yue turned even redder at being described as a "charity" case but she still nodded, already getting used to Wei Lan's poison tongue. Actually, the woman wasn't that bad. Yes, her words were often too blunt and hurtful but they actually felt empowering as a woman. At least, that was what Jiang Ying Yue was beginning to feel after spending a few hours shopping with Wei Lan.

Shortly after, everyone headed to the dining area for dinner.

Dom almost cried in relief and joy. "Finally! Hallelujah!"

Jiang Ying Yue looked totally different from her usual appearance. Her typical bodyguard outfit was replaced by a little black dress that fitted her like a glove. It was sleeveless and showed off her impressively toned arm muscles. If one looked closely enough, her heavily defined abs could be seen through the dress' black fabric. However, what the dress highlighted the most were her legs. They looked strong and sexy at the same time. The high heels accentuated her entire legs, but most especially her calf muscles.

It wasn't only her outfit that was different than usual. Her black frizzy hair was gone. A beautifully blow-dried dark auburn hair made her look like a completely different person. It was straight, shiny and smooth.

Her make-up added more dimensions to her face and made her eyes look bigger and wider. Wei Lan said that they opted for eyelash extensions because she knew that the "stupid girl" would be too lazy to put on fake lashes every single day.

As for her nails, they remained short but were painted a lovely rose champagne colour. Wei Lan apparently insisted for some long, fake nails but Jiang Ying Yue didn't want to because she might accidently scratch her son.

Overall, Jiang Ying Yue looked like an attractive Amazon warrior princess. Her body alone could already intimidate most regular men because of how strong she looked. It was just that she didn't look confident of herself.

"Remember this, stupid girl. You're not doing this for that piece of shit but for yourself! If he continues to treat you like a mere mistress after this, then he's truuuuuuulyyyy a piece of shit and you should just flush him out of your life," Wei Lan said during dinner.

"Mother, please watch your language. My godson is here," Iris warned Wei Lan but inwardly agreed with her words.

Surprisingly, Jiang Ying Yue nodded at Wei Lan.

"Yes, Madam. This is for myself."

And that was how Wei Lan became Jiang Ying Yue's mentor on how to become a confidently beautiful woman.

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