Iris observed Jiang Ying Yue's expression. She could sense that Jiang Ying Yue still had feelings for Long Hui. Something must've happened for her to reject Long Hui's repeated proposals. She inwardly shrugged, not wanting to interfere in other people's relationships. As long as her godson was safe and well, she didn't care how Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui dealt with their own relationship with each other.
Dom continued to prattle on and on about Long Hui's heartfelt "confession" on TV. Iris could see that Jiang Ying Yue was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"Your voice still sounds a little stuffy, Dom. Why don't you go rest?" she suggested just to get him off of Jiang Ying Yue.
"Eh? But I feel alright, boss. Don't worry! I'm already reco—" Dom sneezed hard, not once but two times. "Who is it?! Who's talking badly about my handsome and gorgeous self?!" Then he sneezed again.
"See? You're not fully recovered yet. Go take a rest, Dom," Iris told him.
Dom could only nod his head. He excused himself and headed to his own room.
Jiang Ying Yue's eyes showed a grateful expression to Iris. Then her gaze fell on her son cuddling with Jin Liwei. If only it was Long Hui who was doting on Little Jun right now… She forcefully stopped herself from going in that direction.
Thinking about Long Hui and looking at their son, she didn't realize that her expression was becoming more and more worried and troubled.
Seeing her expression, Iris told her, "Ying Yue, you don't have to worry about Little Jun. He is my and Liwei's godson. We'll protect him no matter what and won't let anything bad happen to him. So calm your mind and just focus on being a good mother to him."
"En." Jin Liwei nodded.
"Mommi?" Little Jun stopped playing with his toy when he saw his mother's tearful eyes. Then he stretched his little arms, reaching for her.
Jiang Ying Yue walked over and took him from Jin Liwei. She hugged her son tightly without hurting him. There was a sense of desperation in her embrace.
"Mommi?" Little Jun touched her face. "No cwy, Mommi."
Everyone was shocked by what he said. Iris and Jin Liwei looked excited. He whipped out his phone, hoping for Little Jun to talk more.
"Oh!" Jiang Ying Yue burst into tears.
###
At a middle-class neighbourhood, there stood a big two-storey house. It wasn't a mansion but it was the largest and most impressive house in the neighbourhood. The people living in it were a popular topic of discussion among the residents.
Many years ago, the big house wasn't there yet and the actual property was quite small. However, when the daughter of the family who lived there returned with a baby son, everything started to change.
She bought the surrounding properties and expanded her family's own property. Then she had the small house demolished and built a bigger house in its place. Throughout the years, various renovations were made to the house, making it more impressive.
When asked about how she was able to make such grand improvements, she said that it was all thanks to her husband, her son's father. However, they later discovered that she was never married and that she was only a mistress. By giving birth to a son for a wealthy man, she was able to elevate her entire family's economic status.
More than two decades later, her son was now a handsome twenty-five year old young man who graduated from a C9 League university at the top of his class. He was currently working at a small branch division of his father's company with the intention of being eventually transferred to the main company in the near future. He was the pride and joy of his mother and everyone from his maternal side of the family. All the young ladies in the neighbourhood desired to marry him.
Long Jian was the second son of Long Tengfei with a former mistress. Long Tengfei was very pleased with this son of his. Long Jian was smart, hard-working and ambitious. He had high expectations of himself and always pushed himself to be the best in almost everything. Long Tengfei hoped that Long Jian would help his elder brother, Long Hui, to run Long Industries in the future when he was gone from this world.
At the moment, Long Jian was leaning against the glass window, looking out at the night sky. Light snow was currently falling down.
"Is that true? Tengfei really said that?" His mother, Zhu Ning, asked an older man sitting across from her in the living room.
"Yes, I heard his words loud and clear with my own ears during the family meeting with the elders and the other members of the branch families. My cousin Tengfei said that he'll change his will if any of his other children proves to be more capable than Young Master Hui," Long Xiaopeng informed them.
He was Long Tengfei's distant cousin from a less powerful branch family. For a number of years now, he had become Zhu Ning's informant about the happenings within the Long family.
Zhu Ning looked excitedly at Long Jian. "Son, this is your chance! Long Hui's reputation will surely take a dive now that he announced in a press conference that his firstborn is illegitimate."
Long Jian scowled. He hated the word "illegitimate". However, he still nodded in agreement with his mother. Great determination and ambition burned in his eyes as he glared at their small yard.
Someday, he would be the most important and respected member of the Long family. He would buy himself and his mother a big mansion fit for a king. He would prove to everyone that despite being illegitimate, he could still achieve the highest heights in wealth, status and power. Then no one would dare mock him for being illegitimate again.
Zhu Ning smiled, looking very pleased at what she was hearing.