The newlyweds Jin Liwei and Iris Long entered the ballroom holding hands and with big smiles on their faces. They had changed out of their wedding ceremony outfits. This time, they wore matching red outfits that were modern takes on traditional Chinese clothing.
Jin Liwei was wearing a red changshan jacket with a golden dragon embroidered across the front. He paired it with dark green trousers that looked almost black when viewed from afar.
Beside him was Iris wearing a red, body-hugging qipao with a golden phoenix embroidered along the entire length of the dress. This time, her hair was arranged into an elegant chignon bun with an ornate flower ornament made out of gold and rubies.
Warm, enthusiastic applause welcomed them as they waved at everybody.
“They called me Mrs. Jin. I really am Mrs. Jin now,” Iris said, hugging Jin Liwei.
He caressed her face, a doting smile on his lips. “Happy, Mrs. Jin?”
She beamed at him. “Yes. Very.”
The banquet started and everyone enjoyed a sumptuous family-style feast. A variety of generous dishes were served in every table that everyone could share among their groups. The wedding ceremony was very Western but the banquet was very Chinese.
Long Tengfei, who initially felt upset that his daughter wasn’t following the old traditions for her wedding, felt satisfied that the banquet felt traditional enough although not completely. There was a sense of casualness in the banquet that made everyone feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Later, Jin Liwei and Iris began walking around to personally greet all of their guests and take photos with them.
“Iris, this is such a big shock to me but I’m very happy for you and CEO Jin,” Tang Yiyi, her manager, told her.
“I’m sorry for not informing you, Elder Sister Yiyi,” Iris replied with an apologetic smile. “Liwei—my husband and I wanted to keep our wedding a secret. If it makes you feel better, we didn’t tell our families either.”
Jin Liwei looked very pleased after hearing his wife referring to him as her husband in front of other people.
Tang Yiyi waved Iris’ apology away. “It’s okay, really! Don’t worry about it. Now I know why you’ve been very secretive in the last few weeks.”
Iris looked at her manager and at Jin Chonglin’s manager. “Elder Sister Yiyi, Manager Lin, I would like to arrange a meeting with you when Liwei and I return from our honeymoon. Brother Chonglin will also be at the meeting.”
“Is it about your new…uh, venture?” Lin Dong asked.
“Yes. It’s very important so I hope that you’ll be able to free a day of your schedule.”
“I’ll definitely come,” Lin Dong said. “Just give me a date and I’ll free my schedule right away.”
She smiled before turning to her manager.
Tang Yiyi looked hesitant. “Iris….”
“Yes?”
“I heard from Manager Lin that you approved to pay the termination fees of the other artists that he’s managing so that they can follow Jin Chonglin to your, uh, new venture. So, uhm, I was wondering if—”
“If my fellow artists under your wing also want to follow me, we’ll pay for their termination fees, too. No problem. I’m quite positive that Pandemonium will agree. As for the others, I’m not sure. We still need to ask them.”
Iris’ words were enough reassurance for Tang Yiyi. She now looked relieved. “Okay, I’ll help you persuade them!”
“But for now, my team and I need to negotiate with Bright Summit first.” She tilted her head to the side. “Have you decided to follow me?”
Tang Yiyi took a deep breath before giving a determined nod. “Yes! I have faith in you and Jin Chonglin’s abilities to establish this new exciting venture. Now that I don’t have to worry about abandoning the other artists that I’m managing, I no longer feel any hesitation for leaving Bright Summit.”
“That’s great to hear.” Iris was very pleased.
Lin Dong also looked happy to know that his fellow Bright Summit manager would be joining him at Iris and Jin Chonglin’s new company. It would be easier to work together because they were already familiar with each other.
The two managers congratulated Jin Liwei and Iris again before the newlyweds moved on to another table. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you’re not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It’s very discouraging to see thieves profiting from my hard work. Please support the original author, ArriaCross. Thank you! Also follow me on Instagram @arriacross]
After they chatted with all their guests, Iris leaned her head against Jin Liwei’s chest and softly groaned. “Husband, I don’t feel so good.”
His expression immediately hardened. He examined her but found it difficult to see clearly because of the lighting. He was about to carry her when she stopped him.
“Let’s not make a scene, okay? I want everyone to enjoy themselves on our wedding day.”
He frowned. “Describe to me how you’re feeling first.”
“I feel…exhausted and a little dizzy. Also, I think my oversensitivity to smells is coming back.” She covered her nose and mouth with the back of her hand.
“It’s the damn alcohol that everyone’s drinking.”
“Darling, please. Don’t make a fuss. I don’t want our family and friends to know that I’m feeling unwell.”
He pressed his lips hard into a thin line but eventually released a heavy sigh. “Fine. Bear with it a little more, love. We’ll try to leave in a natural manner.”
She nodded.
“Feeling sick?” a cold devil’s voice asked behind them.
They turned and saw Lu Zihao. His expression was unreadable but they knew that he must be worried about his sister.
“A little,” Iris admitted.
“Take my sister away from here,” Lu Zihao told Jin Liwei. “I’ll inform the others and we’ll take it from here.”
Jin Liwei nodded. “Thanks.”
Lu Zihao also nodded before speaking to his sister in Russian. “Rest well. Don’t stress. Remember that you’re pregnant.”
“Yes, Big brother.”
With that, Jin Liwei and Iris carefully made their way out of the banquet. Iris kept a smile on her face the whole time and acted as if nothing was wrong while Jin Liwei kept an impassive expression. Their departure didn’t go unnoticed but the groomsmen and bridesmaids distracted everyone with conversations after Lu Zihao informed them about what happened.
