"Mama? Papa? You two have a child together already?!" Jin Chonglin was almost shouting in shock and disbelief.
"I knew I wasn't the only one who misunderstood," Lu Zihao said, sighing softly.
However, Jin Chonglin was too preoccupied with the unbelievable scene of his brother's happy family of three in front of him that he didn't hear Lu Zihao's words.
His loud voice startled Little Jun. The toddler's little face scrunched up. He began to wail in Jin Liwei's neck.
"Mamaaaaaa! Mamaaaaaa!"
Iris immediately took the child from Jin Liwei and started rocking him and murmuring reassurances to him.
Jin Liwei swept his frosty eyes at his brother. "You made him cry," he said with a tone that could freeze hell. His arm wrapped protectively around his beloved "wife and child".
"B-big bro…" Jin Chonglin didn't know what to do. He instinctively stepped forward to Iris and the child but his brother blocked him with a cold glare. He mumbled, "Sorry…didn't mean to scare your son. My dear nephew, please stop crying. Your uncle was just surprised earlier. I'll buy you lots of toys and treats. Please don't cry anymore, okay?"
"Long Jun is MY SON!"
Long Hui stepped forward and tried to take Little Jun from Iris, but his son wouldn't let go of her neck. Feeling a bit awkward after being rejected by his own son, he satisfied himself by glaring at the Jin brothers instead. How dare they claim his Little Jun as their son and nephew?
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"Oh! Is this the godson you were talking about?" Huang Yuyan asked Jin Liwei, breaking the confusing atmosphere with her question. She walked to Iris and peered curiously at the toddler whose cries were subsiding.
"En". Jin Liwei confirmed while ignoring his future brother-in-law's glare.
"Little Jun, look. This is Grandmother Huang." Iris tried to coax the child.
Little Jun sniffled and peeked at the unfamiliar lady smiling at him. She looked nice, pretty and friendly so he smiled shyly at her despite his tearful eyes.
"Oh!" Huang Yuyan clutched her chest, feeling like Cupid shot a love arrow straight to her heart. "Oh, how adorable! Hello, Little Jun~ I'm your Grandma Yuyan~" She started cooing at the child.
Next came the two elders. They introduced themselves to the child as Great-Grandpa Lu and Great-Grandma Li. Surprisingly, Little Jun didn't feel scared of his new great-grandfather's loud, booming voice. In fact, he even reached out his cute little arms to the old man, wanting to be carried by him.
"Bahahaha! Good boy! Come to Great-Grandpa Lu! What a handsome boy! What a smart boy!" Grandpa Lu was over the moon in happiness as he carried the child in his arms.
Little Jun giggled at his Great-Grandpa Lu, finding him funny. He played with the old man's neatly groomed grey mustache. Grinning in delight, he showed everyone his three little milky white teeth.
And just like that, everyone fell in love with Little Jun. All the grandparents fought over who was going to hold the child next. They even seemed to forget that this gathering's celebrants were supposed to be the newly engaged couple, Iris and Jin Liwei.
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Finally, everyone settled down in the living area. The two families exchanged presents to each other. They also gave gifts to the engaged couple.
Afterwards, Dom and Meimei played with Little Jun and the two cats on the floor while the rest chatted with each other on the sofas.
"I'm a little disappointed that we have to learn about your engagement on the news instead of you telling us first," Grandma Li told Iris and Jin Liwei.
"Sorry, Grandma Li. It's my fault," Iris replied. "We wanted to tell you all today, but I just couldn't lie when I was asked during the interview in 'MusicFest Tonight'."
Jin Liwei nuzzled her hair and tightened his arm around her waist.
"It's alright, Xiulan. What's important is that our two families are finally gathering together today in celebration of your engagement," Huang Yuyan said with a smile.
"Hah! I already knew that they're engaged before any of you! I was the one who delivered the ring to Liwei boy! Bahahaha!" Grandpa Lu boasted to everyone. "Everything is thanks to me! If I didn't drag Xiulan girl to Cross Academy, she probably wouldn't recover from her depression so quickly! Then Liwei boy wouldn't be able to follow her all the way to Switzerland and have the opportunity to propose to her! I even returned to the country ahead of them just to manage the company in Liwei boy's place, so that the lovebirds can enjoy their premarital honeymoon in Italy! So if it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be sitting here together celebrating their engagement! Bahahaha! Where's my thanks?"
"Thank you, Grandpa Lu," Iris said to the old man. Even though she was chuckling, there was deep sincerity in her tone.
"En. I owe so much to you, Grandpa Lu. Thank you," Jin Liwei said as well.
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Iris squeezed Jin Liwei's hand, feeling a bit nervous when she heard Grandpa Lu talking about babies.
Jin Liwei noticed and understood her reaction. He leaned closer and whispered to her ear, "Don't worry, love. There's no rush. We'll take our time. We're in this together, okay?"
"Okay."
The two stared into each other's eyes. The others could almost see red and pink flowers, hearts, bubbles and sparkles surrounding the lovebirds who were now absorbed in their own little world.
As for Jin Chonglin and Long Hui, the two still hadn't completely recovered from their earlier shock. Jin Chonglin stared at his brother and Iris Long acting lovey-dovey to each other, while Long Hui looked star-struck whenever Grandpa Lu spoke. Then something finally registered in their stupefied brains.
"Eh? Grandpa Lu, you said that you brought Iris…I mean, Xiulan to Cross Academy?" Jin Chonglin asked. "For what reason? Did she have some business there? You and Grandpa Jin never brought any of us to the academy before."
Long Hui also wanted to know. Cross Academy was a legendary place and outsiders weren't allowed to visit without any special permission from the academy itself. How come his sister was able to go? He felt envious of her.
"Of course she has business there! Your sister-in-law is a Cross Academy student! Even if I didn't bring her, she has every right to go there herself!" Grandpa Lu's voice boomed.
"Ah?!"
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Once again, both Jin Chonglin and Long Hui were dumbfounded. If the two of them weren't young and healthy, they would probably have already suffered multiple heart attacks from all the shocks they were experiencing today.
"Iris, y-you're a genius?!" Jin Chonglin stood up and asked in incredulity.
Long Hui also felt incredulous. He knew his sister's grades in school. She barely graduated from senior high school. If it wasn't for their father, she probably would've failed and dropped out of school. Then he remembered challenging her to get a university diploma when she visited the Long ancestral residence.
He thought that she ignored his words because he hadn't heard anything about her enrolling in a university. But now he was hearing that she was actually enrolled in Cross Academy? The legendary school for geniuses?! How did it happen? Did their father know?
He glanced at their father. Long Tengfei didn't look surprised at all. It seemed that he was already aware. There was unmistakable pride in their father's eyes for his sister.
"I was assigned to be Xiulan's business mentor," Grandpa Lu added. "So in addition to being my beloved granddaughter, she is also my treasured student! I don't plan on taking any more students after her!"
"Grandpa Lu." Iris' eyes watered, feeling touched by his words. She stood up, walked to where the old man was sitting and gave him a hug. "Thank you very much, Grandpa Lu. I feel blessed to have you not only as my mentor and teacher but also as grandfather. I can't thank you enough for all the things you've done for me and Liwei."
"You silly girl! Why are you being so emotional?! I want to know!" After the hug, Grandpa Lu took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his tears. "What?! I'm not crying! My eyes are watery because it's allergy season!"
"What allergy season? It's almost winter, you old gorilla," Grandma Li retorted.
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While the two elders bickered once again, Long Hui thought deeply. He looked at his sister who returned beside her fiancé, then at Sir Lu Jianhong who considered her as his beloved granddaughter and treasured student.
Business mentor? Cross Academy student? Did his sister plan on working in the business industry? A sense of anxiety bubbled inside Long Hui, especially after seeing their father's proud expression for his sister. His hands clenched into tight fists.
'I'm the successor of Long Industries, not her,' he told himself.