Gold Heights Condominium.
Iris and Jin Liwei decided to stay in the penthouse this week because her current schedule was very tight. The condo was nearer to the broadcasting stations, so it was more convenient time-wise and travel-wise.
At the moment, Jin Liwei was at work. Iris was getting her hair and make-up done in her walk-in closet. Dom was currently on the phone coordinating with the staff of her next guest appearance at an afternoon TV show in a few hours. Little Jun was playing on the floor with Ice Cream and Popcorn, his nanny watching over them.
Jiang Ying Yue sat beside Iris, as the two of them spoke with the American lawyer via video call. The lawyer was updating them on the progress of the defamation case they filed against Wu Qianxi and her now ex-friend.
The lawyer was one of Jin Liwei's friends back when he studied in the U.S. He was the one who contacted the celebrity lawyer, so that he and Iris could hire him to represent Jiang Ying Yue.
Iris and Jiang Ying Yue were informed that the case was going smoothly. The lawyer expected for it to be concluded quickly. He told them that Wu Qianxi was being very cooperative and expressed her intention to pay whatever compensation she needed to pay.
Of course Wu Qianxi was being cooperative. Iris made sure to frighten the woman into submission for this defamation lawsuit or suffer the consequences of having those explicit files spread across the world.
When she was dealing with Wu Qianxi as Drakon, something inside her was urging her to be more vicious and merciless. However, she eventually decided to give Wu Qianxi a lighter punishment and a harsh warning instead. She would only gun for her full force if Wu Qianxi foolishly bothered Jiang Ying Yue again. Her calm and logical self concluded that Wu Qianxi's defamation offense wasn't severe enough to warrant a complete destruction of her life.
By this time, the lingering remnant inside Iris was now more than half fused with her own self. Even if she decided to examine her own emotions and consciousness closely, it would be extremely difficult for her to detect the remnant.
Back to the defamation case in the U.S., Wu Qianxi was cooperating but her ex-friend wasn't. Her ex-friend was fighting against the case fiercely, citing ignorance to what really transpired. She laid all the blame on Wu Qianxi.
Iris looked at Jiang Ying Yue who gestured for her to make the decision.
"I want both of them to pay. They're both at fault," Iris told the lawyer.
"Understood. I'll keep you posted for any new updates, then."
The video call ended.
"Thank you, Xiulan. I'm also grateful to Sir Liwei. Although you didn't have to, I appreciate you doing all of this for me," Jiang Ying Yue said in her sincerest voice.
"What are you saying? Of course we'll do this. You're not only my friend but also the mother of my godson. Liwei and I will not keep quiet when our godson's mother is being defamed left and right. And even if we don't care about you—we do, of course—we'll still do this for the sake of our godson. Little Jun will surely be affected negatively if his mother is being treated so unfairly like this."
Jiang Ying Yue smiled. She really couldn't thank Iris and Jin Liwei enough for all of the things they had done for her and Little Jun.
The two pairs—Iris and Jin Liwei plus Jiang Ying Yue and Long Hui—spoke about what to do when Wu Qianxi and her ex-friend paid the compensation. They all decided to place half of the money in a trust fund while half would be put into investments. Of course Little Jun was the sole beneficiary.
When he reached a certain age, he needed to fulfill very strict requirements in order to access the wealth. They hoped that this would motivate him to work hard and aim high in order to meet the requirements, instead of making it easy for him which might turn him into a dependent good-for-nothing.
A few days ago, Meimei called to inform Iris and Jiang Ying Yue that she overheard Long Tengfei and Yang Jiahui discussing whether to sue Wu Qianxi and her ex-friend for defamation as well. The incriminating blog post not only attacked Jiang Ying Yue but also the Long family.
However, the elders vehemently protested against Long Tengfei's plan. They feared that suing would only place the Long family in a bad light. In the end, they were able to persuade Long Tengfei not to sue.
When she heard about it, Iris curled her lips in disdain. The hatred inside her for the Longs had somewhat calmed down since the birthday party but it was still there. As long as the elders and those snooty relatives refused to change, she would never feel a sense of belonging with the Long family. She also didn't want her godson Little Jun and her friend Jiang Ying Yue to endure living with closed-minded people like them.
Putting all of these unpleasant thoughts aside for now, Iris finished preparing for her guest appearance. She was very busy this week—guesting, performing and endorsing. Not to mention that the Diamond Guild Film Awards was fast approaching.
###
The much-awaited night of the Diamond Guild Awards finally arrived. It was undoubtedly more glamorous and sophisticated than the Harmony Music Awards. The country's top actors and actresses drew insane crowds around the red carpet.
It was already summer, so the weather was sunny. A bit hot but not too much. However, the massive crowd of fans generated a lot of heat. People sweated and squeezed against each other, but they didn't mind. For the sake of seeing their favourite celebrities in person, they would endure the discomfort.
Among the sea of fans behind the barricades, a distinct group stood out the most. They were all wearing suits. Those who weren't familiar with the music industry fandoms didn't know about how the Black Stars usually wore matching suits to support their Boss Iris.
Some were even frightened after seeing them, thinking that they were triad members about to terrorize everyone at the film awards. Fortunately, they quickly calmed down after learning that they were just a fan club and not an organized criminal group.
After interacting with the Black Stars, Iris granted a short interview on the red carpet. It was very quick. The reporters were more interested in the Heavenly Kings and Queens, the biggest stars of the night.
Iris joined the "Strong Yet Broken" group, consisting of the cast and the crew. JJ and LX Productions' President were also there. Of course, Paralympian gold-medalist Guan Jintao and his wife came as well to support this film about his mother.
They all walked inside the ceremony venue together.
The indie film "Strong Yet Broken" was one of the most nominated for the night. It was among the favourites to win the major awards because of its critical acclaim, including the most-sought after Best Picture Award.
As for Best Original Score, Iris Long was a favourite among the general public, but most film experts didn't have high hopes for her. They reasoned that she was too young to win such a prestigious award, especially against such tough competition. She was up against some of the best composers in the industry who specialized in creating film scores. For a newbie like her to win against seasoned veterans was almost next to impossible according to them.
Iris personally didn't care whether she won or not. She just wanted enjoy the experience and savour it. This was something she only dreamed about in her previous life. It felt glorious that she was actually experiencing it right now.
As a result, she didn't feel any pressure at all. And it was obvious at how relaxed and cheerful she looked compared to her fellow nominees.
Finally, the presentation of awards started.
"The award for Best Screenplay goes to…'Strong Yet Broken'!"
"Strong Yet Broken" lost in the next categories. Until finally…
"The Diamond Guild Film Award for Best Original Score goes to…"
The two presenters looked visibly shocked when they saw the winner's name on the card after taking it out of the envelope.
"IRIS LONG!!!"
