René Alejandro sensed Iris' gaze. He smiled at her but quickly looked away again to focus on comforting Wei Lan.
The bloodthirst Iris sensed only lasted for less than a second. It was quite muted but she felt it. Was she mistaken?
Before she could ponder about it, the door opened again. Jin Liwei's grandmother and mother arrived. The two older Jin madams immediately sensed the tense atmosphere as soon as they entered but pretended not to notice. The elegant matriarch, Grandma Li, walked slowly but steadily inside. Huang Yuyan hesitated for a moment before following her mother-in-law.
The husband and wife, Jin Liwei and Iris, greeted them. More greetings were exchanged. Wei Lan was quick to shift attitudes. She abandoned her argument with her ex-husband and pulled her stepson to introduce him to her daughter's in-laws.
René Alejandro tried to charm Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan with his smile and dimples but made sure not to overdo it. Grandma Li made small talk with him out of politeness while Huang Yuyan directly headed to Iris to inquire about her health and pregnancy.
He didn't mind. According to their research, Jin Liwei's mother was unlike her two sons. Huang Yuyan was rather timid and shy with an overall subdued personality. She wouldn't be useful to René Alejandro. He might only scare her if he tried to get closer to her. It was better to let her be to avoid incurring the suspicion of Jin Liwei.
As for the grandmother, René Alejandro initially thought that he could use her but changed his mind while interacting with her. Not much was known about Li Zhiruo's activities in the past few years. She had retreated to her private residence in the mountains after his son, Jin Liwei's father, died. It was only after Jin Liwei began a relationship with Iris Long and married her that the elderly Jin matriarch became more visible to the public eye again.
Li Zhiruo had the sophistication of a lady belonging to a high-class family. She appeared cold just like her eldest grandson, Jin Liwei. They even looked a little alike, especially in their bearing.
René Alejandro sensed that the elderly woman was shrewd despite her seemingly uncaring-of-the-world-matters attitude. This wasn't a person that was easy to deceive. He immediately abandoned his plan to use her to leave a good impression on Jin Liwei. A woman's intuition, especially a wise one who had lived for many decades, was sometimes scarier than the trained hunter's sense of assassins.
The arrival of Jin Liwei's grandmother and mother effectively switched the atmosphere from tense to cheerful once again.
Wei Lan didn't bother fighting with her ex-husband at the moment. In front of the in-laws, she wanted to show her best side. Likewise, Long Tengfei didn't want to lose face to the two Jin madams. The ex-spouses joined one group to chat with their in-laws while blatantly ignoring each other. Their actions caused awkwardness in the conversation but Grandma Li was an expert in controlling the flow so the awkward moments weren't that noticeable.
It wasn't that long before another group of people arrived. This time, it was Jin Chonglin with his manager, Lin Dong, and Iris' manager, Tang Yiyi. They came straight from LXC Studio.
Jin Chonglin immediately noticed the tall and handsome foreign man in the room. He was unable to conceal his surprise and curiosity. After a short introduction, he began chatting with René Alejandro with much interest.
René Alejandro was surprised at first by how friendly Jin Chonglin was acting towards him. It was only when he observed the man's expression without being too obvious that he realized Jin Chonglin was actually probing him in the guise of an easygoing conversation. René Alejandro was smiling on the outside but turned solemn on the inside.
A superstar's charisma was no joke, he realized just now. It could even dazzle someone like him for a moment and miss the man's true intentions.
Well, well. It seemed that there wasn't a simple person in the Jin family.
"Have you thought about entering showbiz?" Jin Chonglin asked him.
"No, it's not for me," René Alejandro replied, matching the other man's casual and friendly tone.
"Come on, man! With a face and figure like that, you have a good shot at becoming famous. Even if you just become a model, people will surely take notice of you because of your face. Want to sign with LXC Studio?"
René Alejandro raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but chuckle.
"What do you think, Sister Xiulan?" Jin Chonglin turned to the side to ask.
Iris' great hearing allowed her to hear what they were talking about. She stared at René Alejandro.
His heart seemed to stop beating for a second as her eyes scanned him. It felt like she could see straight through him.
This lasted for only a couple of seconds before she looked away with disinterest. His heart began beating again, but this time, it was faster. He even felt cold sweat on his back. On the outside, however, he maintained an appropriately friendly expression.
"He already said that showbiz is not for him," Iris said. "Don't force him, Brother Chonglin. LXC Studio only recruits those who have real passion in pursuing a career in show business."
"Fine. I was just sharing a thought. No need to take it too seriously." Jin Chonglin shrugged his shoulders before smoothly chatting with René Alejandro on a different topic.
René Alejandro looked like he was having a good time talking with Jin Chonglin, but he was actually distracted. He glanced at Iris Long out of the corner of his eyes. She was eating grapes that Jin Liwei peeled for her.
Then she looked at him. Their eyes met. He was the one who quickly averted his eyes.
What kind of look was that?
This exchange lasted for only a second at most but it instantly made René Alejandro restless inside. For a moment, he thought that he had been discovered by her. But when he looked at her again, she was flirting with Jin Liwei, not at all paying attention to the people around them, much less René Alejandro.
He forced himself to calm down inside. Perhaps he was just mistaken.
Iris Long was just a normal celebrity who married up.. Other than her talent in music, she was nothing special.
