Now that Iris was engaged to Jin Liwei, the idea of building their own family together started to solidify in her mind. Excitement grew within her at the thought of giving birth to her own child. This was the first time that she thought of wanting to raise her own family. However, it was quickly drowned by anxiety.
Her mothers in her past and present lives weren't exactly loving and nurturing. Iris worried that she wouldn't know how to be a good mother to her own children. Then her brows furrowed, thinking of something.
Jin Liwei saw her expression. He handed Little Jun to Jiang Ying Yue before holding Iris' hand.
"Let's rest in our room first," he suggested. "We had a long flight and we're both tired. We'll join the others again for dinner later. Okay, love?"
She hesitated before nodding.
Ice Cream and Popcorn attempted to follow them, but Dom stopped the kittens and carried them away.
Inside the bedroom suite, the couple changed into more comfortable clothes and lay down on the bed. They cuddled, too exhausted from their long travel to do anything else.
Iris felt sleepy but her earlier thoughts continued to bother her.
"What's on your mind?" Jin Liwei asked, noticing her troubled expression.
She didn't answer right away. "I love you, Liwei. And I'm happy that we're engaged…but…"
"All of these talks of marriage and children… Well, I want them too…but I…" She looked directly at his eyes. "I still have lots of things that I want to do. There are so many goals that I have yet to accomplish. I feel like if I marry you now and have children, I won't be able achieve any of my dreams. Liwei, am I being selfish?"
"Yes, you are."
Her eyes widened. She blinked a few times. Then her face fell.
He brushed away a lock of hair from her face and stroked her cheek. "But what's wrong with that? I love you, so go ahead and act selfish with me. Like I told you earlier, we'll marry and have children only when you're ready. And I promise that even when we're married or have children, I won't hinder you from achieving your dreams. I'll support you all the way. Your happiness is my happiness. Fly freely during the day but always come back to me at night. Okay, love?"
Warmth and love filled Iris' heart until she felt like it was going to burst. She hugged and kissed him. "Thank you, darling. I'll also support you whenever you need me."
"En."
Feeling relieved by his assurance, Iris changed the subject. "I think we should let our families know about our engagement."
"Of course. I'll arrange a dinner for our two families."
"Okay."
She went quiet.
"I'm not rushing or pressuring you," he said hurriedly. "I just want to have an idea. It's alright if you can't answer right now. We just got engaged after all."
"Hmm… I don't mind registering our marriage now, but I figured that if we're going to marry, I want to be proud and tell everyone. I usually don't give a whit about what others think of me, but there's you now. Despite my little triumphs, I still don't have the best reputation nor my status the same level as yours at the moment."
He frowned. "You don't have to worry about any of that. Who cares what they say?"
"I know but listen. I want to stand beside you proudly. So can you wait for me? I want to achieve more with my own effort and abilities. Then we can marry without any worries."
"As you wish, love," he replied, kissing the tip of her nose. "Your man will wait for you."
A sweet smiled blossomed on her face.
With that, the lovers succumbed to their exhaustion and slept together while embracing. Their hearts grew a little closer and their love a little stronger.
###
While he was gone taking the call, Iris left Dom and the others at a lounge area to walk in the hallway. She sat on a window sill and made a phone call.
"Hello?" An alluring male voice answered.
"Big Brother, it's me."
"I know," Lu Zihao replied. "I heard from the old man that you're back."
"Why weren't you here to welcome us back? I want to see you."
She heard him sigh. "I'm quite busy at the moment. Don't worry. I'll come see my little sister soon."
Iris paced in the hallway. She opened her mouth but then closed it again.
"Spit it out. What is it?" He was indeed her brother. He knew exactly that she wanted to tell him something, even when they weren't face-to-face.
She took a deep breath. "Big Brother…I'm now engaged to Liwei."
When more a long time passed of not hearing anything from him, her anxiety increased.
"Big Brother? Please say something."
"Heh~ I see. So you're engaged now." There was a dangerous edge in his tone.
"I love him."
More silence, then several deep sighs. "I know. Well, as long as he loves you, treats you right, protects you and doesn't hurt you, I won't kill—ugh…"
"Hello? Big Brother? Are you okay?" Iris became concerned when she heard a loud clattering on his side of the line. He also sounded like he was groaning.
"I…I'm okay. Dammit! This body is so…"
Her eyes widened, immediately thinking of the remnant in her own body. "Are you also—"
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He returned to the topic of her engagement. "Before you marry him, make sure to sign a prenuptial agreement. What belongs to you will always belong to you. What belongs to him will also belong to you. You also have to get full custody of your children, including your cats. Your current wealth and status may not compare to him right now but I know that you'll rise higher in the future."
"Little sister, I know that you want to trust him. This is just a precaution. If you don't divorce later on, great. No problem. But if you do, at least you're protected and won't be at a disadvantage."
She remained quiet.
"Don't marry without a prenup, understand? If you don't want to raise the subject to him yourself, don't worry. I'll get the old man to facilitate it. You're the old man's new favourite now. Liwei won't dare say no."
"No need," she said, sighing. "I'll talk to Liwei about it."
"Good."
"Where are you, Big Brother? If you're busy, I can come see you instead."
"I'm at the compound. It's not really a good time to come right now. I'll make time and see you soon."
She was a little disappointed but still made a noise of agreement.
"Little sister, can you…never mind."
"Nothing. Forget about it." He paused. "Listen to me. If you ever discover something…anything that's gravely important, you have to talk to me first. Don't ever go off or investigate on your own. This is serious. Understand?"
"What do you mean?" She felt confused.
"Just keep what I said in mind."
"Okay," she replied, although still confused. Then she told him, "I missed you, Big Brother."
His tone became gentler. "I missed you too, little sister."
Iris smiled. She was now glad that her brother had been reborn like her. Hopefully, both of them could live happy and peaceful lives with this second chance that had been given to them.