However, nobody followed Iris. They didn't move. They felt uncertain as to whether it was appropriate for them to go to the meeting or not.
Iris returned, displeased at their indecisiveness.
"Meimei, you're Aunt Jiahui's niece. Aunt Jiahui is Father's wife. You're family. Big Sister Jinjing, you're a Long. You're family. Chen Fei, you're not a Long so you're not family, and I don't really care about you, but you should still go with us because the more people there are, the better," Iris said.
"Bitch," Chen Fei muttered under her breath. However, she didn't protest against Iris' suggestion.
"And Ying Yue, you should also go with us. You're a friend of a Long, me. You're a mother of a Long, Little Jun. And now you're also a fiancée of a Long, that big idiot beside you."
Long Hui pursed his lips at Iris' words about him.
As for Jiang Ying Yue, fear and extreme anxiety filled her expression.
"Don't worry, Ying Yue. Even if that big idiot beside you can't properly protect you, I can and I will," Iris told her in a much gentler tone.
"Yeah! Big Sis Yue, don't worry. I'll stand by you as well. Even if the elders try to kick me out of the meeting, I'll just hug Xiulan's thigh so I can stay. Besides, my Auntie is Madam Long! That should count for something," Meimei said.
Long Jinjing looked at Jiang Ying Yue and her expression softened. "Me too… I'll go, as well. I might not be able to do much, but I'll stand by you."
"Tell me something I don't know," Iris said under her breath. Then she looked at Jiang Ying Yue, awaiting her decision.
Jiang Ying Yue looked at the young women and she instantly felt a lot better. Her fearful and anxious expression eased. She gave them a faint smile. "Thank you. I still really don't want to go to the meeting, but I'll do it. I'm not alone anymore."
The women all smiled at each other, feeling the connection between them growing stronger.
Long Hui felt completely left out. But seeing Jiang Ying Yue with a lighter expression, he couldn't help but smile as well. He was glad that she had found a support system with these friends of hers.
His sister was right. He was a big idiot for expecting his lady to endure the pain and hardships of facing the discrimination of the Long family. She didn't deserve it. He wanted a happy family, but it wouldn't happen if the wife was suffering.
He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. When she turned her attention to him, he whispered to her, "I'm sorry for my idiocy. I promise I'll do better from now on."
"Hmph. As you should," Iris told him in a grumpy manner.
"Little sister, can you just please give me this moment with my fiancée?" he asked helplessly.
"You can have your moment later. We don't have time. Let's go to the meeting."
"Even if you're the heir, making your elders wait for you for so long is unacceptable! Who do you think you are, the family head? You haven't succeeded your father yet, boy!" Long Jufang scolded Long Hui as soon as they entered the library.
"What is that woman doing here? This is a 'family meeting'. She doesn't belong here," Long Meng added, referring to Jiang Ying Yue.
Jiang Ying Yue cowered, but Iris slapped her back hard. It sent a jolt of energy and courage into her. Her back straightened and her eyes became determined.
"Xiulan and the rest of you, this meeting has nothing to do with you. Leave. It's none of your business," Long Jufang said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
"Granduncle Jufang, Father said that this is a 'family meeting'. Even Grandaunt Meng just said it too. By saying that this meeting has nothing to do with me, are you insinuating that I, Long Xiulan, daughter of Long Tengfei is not 'family'. I, who is a legitimate daughter of the main family, is less of a family than those of you from the branch families? Not to mention that the Wus are also here. Are you saying that they are 'family' and I, someone who has Long blood flowing inside my veins, am not? Pray tell me, Granduncle Jufang. Where is the logic in that?"
"You disrespectful child! How dare you talk back to me like that?!" Long Jufang popped up from his seat and pointed a furious, shaky finger at Iris.
Iris touched her chest in exaggerated surprise. "Granduncle Jufang, you misunderstand. I wasn't being disrespectful. I was just stating the facts." Then she turned to Long Tengfei. "Father, did I say anything that isn't true? Am I not your daughter? Am I not a member of the main family?"
"You are my child and a member of the main family. There's no doubt about that," Long Tengfei simply said.
She nodded. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "But Father, it seems that the elders don't consider me as 'family'. Both Elder Brother Hui and I are being scolded and belittled so badly by the elders and the other members of the branch families. I wonder why they are treating us members of the main family like this. Father, maybe…never mind. It's such a frightening thought."
Iris hesitated, looking at the elders cautiously. She even acted a little fearful of them. Behind her, the mouths of Meimei and Chen Fei were twitching as they struggled not to laugh at Iris' deviousness. They already knew where she was going with this act of hers.
"Alright, Father. I'll speak. But please don't take my words too seriously. These are just my personal thoughts based on my observations of how the elders and the other relatives are treating me and my siblings." Iris bit her lips, acting as if it was very difficult for her to speak her next words.
"They have always criticized me, Big Brother Jian and Big Sister Jinjing. They always told the three of us that we're not good enough and that we're the biggest shame of the Long family. They adored Elder Brother Hui the most, but now that Elder Brother wants to marry the mother of his son, they have begun treating him as badly as they treat the three of us. Now all four of us, your children, are being insulted left and right by our own relatives.
"I can't help but wonder why they're suppressing us children of the main family so much. Then I thought…what if the branch families are planning to oust us, the current main family, and take over the Long clan instead?"
"What a pack of lies!" Long Jufang exclaimed. His furious face turned completely red, as he shot a vicious glare at Iris.
"This is slander!" Long Meng also protested.
"I…" Iris 'cowered' at the elders' anger before turning to Long Jinjing. "Let's go, Big Sister. We're really not welcome here. It seems that we have no status within the Longs. Being the children of the family head counts for nothing. We're lower than dirt in the eyes of the elders and the branch families."
Then she threw a meaningful look at Chen Fei.
Chen Fei immediately understood. She surreptitiously pinched Long Jinjing's waist hard and cruelly twisted it.
Iris gave Long Jinjing a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Please don't cry anymore, Big Sister. You're going to make me cry too. Let's go. Don't worry. Even if we're no one in the eyes of the branch families, Father loves us very much."
"I-it hurts…" Long Jinjing continued to cry while rubbing her abused waist.
"I know, Big Sister. It hurts me, too. But what can we do? The elders from the branch families are more important than us, the children of the family head."
Seeing his daughters' pitiful conditions, Long Tengfei banged his hands hard on the arms of his seat. His expression looked frightening, cold and furious at the same time. He shot a glare so cold at the elders and the other relatives present that it could freeze even hell.
"Besides me and my wife, there is no one else above my own children! Not even the elders and surely not anyone from the branch families! Anyone who dares claim that they have higher status than the main family, I will disown and banish from the Long clan!"