In these three days, Jin Liwei felt barely alive. He refused to leave Iris' side. As a result, Grandpa Lu stepped in as acting President-CEO of Jin Corporation, astonishing everyone in the country's business world.
Immediately after, rumours started flying around. Did this mean that the Lus would finally demand their claim on half of Jin Corporation? Sir Lu Jianhong had always allowed the Jins to reign over the company after he stepped down and allowed Jin Liwei's father to take over as head.
It was still a big mystery who would inherit Lu Jianhong's half portion of the company. He already announced before that he would pass it down to the person he deemed the most worthy and capable, regardless of whether that person was a Lu or not.
Many business insiders interpreted this as Lu Jianhong planning to give the portion to Jin Liwei. It certainly wouldn't go to that happy-go-lucky Lu grandson who almost died skiing on some snowy mountain somewhere in the world.
Jin Corporation's stock prices rose with the return of the business legend.
As for Iris being comatose, the news was kept secret with the combined power and influence of the Jins, the Lus and the Longs. It also greatly helped that Wang Yingjie had the presence of mind to limit the hospital staff who knew about Iris right from the start. He only allowed people that he trusted to come close to her.
Even Tang Yiyi wasn't informed. It was up to Dom to think up of various excuses to explain why Iris couldn't be contacted. Tang Yiyi was trustworthy, but the same thing couldn't be said for the Bright Summit higher-ups. Dom and the others worried that if the management company learned that Iris was comatose again, they would stop prioritizing her career due to her health. As a result, Dom had to return to the penthouse to continue handling her affairs as usual while she was in coma.
However, Dom could only make excuses for a few days at most. Iris was currently one of the hottest musicians in the country. Not to mention that she was trending because of the upcoming film "Strong Yet Broken". People would become suspicious if she disappeared for too long. Dom prayed that his boss would wake up soon.
His prayer was finally answered.
The morning of the fourth day, Iris finally opened her eyes.
She turned her head and looked at the sleeping Jin Liwei. He looked terrible. He hadn't shaved for days. He also looked a little thinner. The area around his eyes were dark and sunken. His brows were scrunched together from worry even in his sleep.
Jin Liwei woke up from a restless sleep when he felt featherlight touches on his face. His eyes snapped open.
What he saw was his baby girl's beautiful face smiling softly at him. She was looking at him while touching his face.
Was he still dreaming? Could it be…?
"Baby?" His heart began thumping.
"Good morning, darling," Iris greeted him in a dry whisper.
His eyes watered as relief flooded him, mixed in with excitement, joy and of course worry. He tensed his jaw as he tried to control his emotions.
Iris wiped the corner of his eyes with her fingers.
He carefully gathered her in his embrace and kissed her forehead. "Thank the heavens you're awake. I'm so sorry, baby."
He opened his mouth but closed it again. His eyes looked miserable. He looked like he wanted to say something to her but couldn't find the words. In the end, he asked her instead, "How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?"
"No, but I'm thirsty."
"Alright. Wait here. I'll get you water." He sat up from the bed and was about to leave when she tugged at his shirt. "What's wrong, baby? Do you need something?"
She nodded.
"What is it? Tell me."
"Mmn…I need a kiss first."
Jin Liwei blinked, not sure if he heard her correctly. "What?"
She pouted and tugged him again. "Hurry up. I need a kiss to make me feel better."
For the first time in days, his mouth twitched. His exhausted eyes danced with amusement. His baby girl was asking for something so of course he would give it to her.
For Iris' part, she didn't attempt to deepen the kiss. She had no energy, anyway. She just smiled in satisfaction when the kiss ended. "Mmm. Very nice. I'm thirsty…"
"Okay. I'll get you water," he said, chuckling. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before climbing off the bed.
"Heh~ Instead of being awakened by Prince Charming's kiss, it seems that our Sleeping Beauty is the one demanding a kiss upon waking up by herself. Oh my, what a bold Sleeping Beauty!"
Iris and Jin Liwei turned their heads and saw Lu Zihao sitting on the extra bed, looking attractive despite his ruffled hair. His expression looked teasing but his eyes made Iris shiver a little.
Jin Liwei pulled up the blanket to cover her more, thinking that she was feeling cold. Then he nodded at Lu Zihao. "Fifth Brother."
"Good morning, Third Brother," Lu Zihao greeted. "You look terrible! Little sister must really like you a lot, asking for a kiss when you look like a caveman who never had a shower."
Jin Liwei's response was a grunt. He left to get water from the kitchenette.
"Big Brother? Are you really Big Brother?" Iris asked Lu Zihao in a small voice while Jin Liwei was away.
"Ah, dear Evelinka. I am hurt! Oh, right. I should call you Xiulan now. I recognized my little sister right away but she's not even sure if I'm her big brother or not."
"Hmm…I won't," he said. But before she could sigh in relief, he added, "For now. He's Lu Zihao's brother and from his memories, I know that your lover is a dependable man. But my little sister deserves only the best. Is he the best?"