Iris didnât force him to accept her offer right away either. There would definitely be a time that he would need to borrow her skills as a hacker.
Bacon was powerful but still immature in so many ways. So was Ketchup. Her two cat AI children would definitely join the war against the Vetrovsâ enemies but both of them still had a lot of growing up to do before that.
There were multiple methods that she could use to power up all of them but everything would be easier with her brotherâs full cooperation. He knew more things about the enemies than she did.
If they wanted to completely defeat those enemies, they couldnât do it alone. They needed to work together.
âThink about it some more, Big Brother,â she told him. âJust remember that regardless of our different personal values, we have the same motivationâto destroy all the enemies and protect the families that we built in this life.â
âHm, alright,â he finally replied.
Iris smiled and then rushed into his arms. When her brother hugged her back, it felt like home. Her old home. Her brother, Nikolai, was more of a parent to her than their mother and father in their past life.
She rubbed her face against his chest. His appearance and physique might be completely different from what she remembered in their past life but the warmth of her brotherâs embrace remained the same.
Lu Zihao chuckled and stroked her long hair. âYouâre already a grown woman, not to mention a mother, and yet you still dare to act like a little girl.â
âItâs because youâre my big brother.â
His gaze softened. âYeah. Iâll always be your big brother.â
A week before Long Hui and Mao Qiuyueâs scheduled wedding date, a large portion of their most important invited guests received another invitation.
This time, it was an invitation to an exclusive gala hosted by Lin Yehan to celebrate the national shooting teamâs silver medal win at the World Shotgun Championship. He was one of the coaches of the team.
Included in the gala invitation were the national teamâs sponsors. The main one was Jin Corporation.
The gala was scheduled at the same exact date and time as Long Hui and Mao Qiuyueâs wedding.
When a portion of their invited guests received Lin Yehanâs gala invitation, they immediately understood that it was a deliberate shady move to undermine the wedding. It wasnât a secret that Lin Yehan launched a defamation lawsuit against Long Hui and eventually won the case.
Lin Yehan might generally be a low-key person but he was nonetheless an agricultural tycoon in his own right. In terms of wealth and influence, he was leagues above Long Huiâs current status. Lin Yehan was already an emperor of his own agriculture empire while Long Hui could only be considered as a crown prince with an unstable foundation. His other siblings including Iris Long were also vying for their fatherâs throne.
A group of the wedding guests immediately cancelled their attendance in advance and planned to attend Lin Yehanâs gala instead.
Even when Lin Yehanâs own prestige as an agricultural tycoon was taken out of the equation, just the fact that he was hosting a victory gala for the national shooting team was already enough reason to attend his gala instead of Long Huiâs wedding.
The national team didnât only take home the silver medal at the world championship but also great pride to the country. Helping celebrate these amazing athletes was more dignified than attending the union of a young, rich couple who were nobodies without their respective familiesâ backing.
The other group of the wedding guests were more indecisive. They spent some time analyzing which event would be more beneficial to them. Most of them were close to the Long, Mao and Zheng families. Even if they wanted to, they couldnât cancel their attendance just like that.
It was only when they heard from the grapevine that Jin Liwei, Lu Zihao and their other sworn brothers would be attending Lin Yehanâs gala that they finally made a choice. Even Jin Chonglin was rumoured to attend as well, though this information wasnât confirmed yet.
These invited guests couldnât help but gossip among themselves.
âDidnât Miss Mao mention in various interviews a while back that she sent an invitation to CEO Jin and Iris Long?â
âItâs no secret that Iris Long and Long Hui have fallen out after he cheated on that bodyguard with Mao Qiuyue. Iris Long sided with the bodyguard instead of her brother. Of course, she wonât attend Long Huiâs wedding!â
âI donât care about their family drama. I need to quickly find a dress to attend Mr. Linâs gala because the one that I commissioned for the wedding is now useless. My husband canât wait for the gala because he wants the chance to talk to CEO Jin about some business opportunities.â
âMy husband have the same plan, too.â
âSo many of us cancelled our attendance to the wedding. The Maos have been trying to call me and my husband nonstop. Even the Zhengs are stepping forward. Surprisingly, the Longs donât have much of a reaction.â
âPresident Long Tengfei is rumoured to be closer to his daughters than his sons. Itâs not surprising because his daughters married extremely well. Iris Long married CEO Jin while his illegitimate daughter married Sir Lu Jianhongâs grandson. Not only that. Both daughters gave birth to twins each. President Long will definitely prioritize his daughters in order to strengthen his in-law relationship with both the Jins and the Lus.â
While these gossips fermented in several circles, Lin Yehan was drinking with his sworn brothers at Dragon Palace Home
10. Except for Wang Yingjie who had hospital duty, everyone was present.
Lin Yehan and Yu Mo drank brandy while Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao stopped at one shot each before contenting themselves with non-alcoholic cocktails for the rest of the evening.
âEldest Bro, will you be in trouble for using the national team to hurt Long Hui and his bride?â Yu Mo asked.
âWhat using the national team?â Lin Yehan raised an eyebrow. âThe victory gala that Iâm hosting is legitimate. Itâs only a coincidence that itâs scheduled on the same day as the wedding.â
âPft! Coincidence. Yeah, right!â Yu Mo rolled his eyes before laughing.
Lin Yehan turned to Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao. âBoth of you are going to come, right?â
âEn.â Jin Liwei nodded.
Lu Zihao grunted.
Lin Yehan smiled. âBarring any emergencies in the hospital that day, Second Brother Yingjie said that he would be able to come as well.â
âMy wife will come, too,â Jin Liwei said.
âEven better!â Lin Yehan was delighted. He turned to his fifth brother.
Lu Zihao swirled his cocktail. âJinjing still hasnât decided yet. If she doesnât want to come, I wonât force her.â
âThatâs fine,â Lin Yehan replied and nodded in understanding.
Yu Mo slung an arm over Lin Yehanâs shoulders. âEldest Bro, will you be escorting a lady in the gala?â
âIf the lady agrees, then yes.â
âOh?â Yu Moâs eyes lit up. âWhoâs she? Do I know her?â
âYes.â
âWho?â
Lin Yehan only smiled but didnât reveal anything to his clueless fifth brother.
Yu Mo had been busy teaching Systema to his students in his studio and hanging out with his other less close friends. He didnât know that his eldest brother had been chasing a certain single mother.
Lin Yehan didnât publicize it to prevent his lady from feeling uncomfortable. Nobody told Yu Mo.
âThird Bro, Fifth Bro, do you know which lady Eldest Bro is talking about?â Yu Mo asked.
âEn,â Jin Liwei said.
Lu Zihao didnât bother replying. He didnât care about this topic.
âTell me!â
Yu Mo whined for a long time but none of his bros revealed anything useful. He could only sulk by himself while downing shot after shot of brandy. In the end, he became too drunk that an annoyed Lu Zihao slung the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and tossed him at a random guest bedroom.
âIâm off,â Lu Zihao announced and left without so much as waiting for a reply.
Lin Yehan shook his head while chuckling. He was also a little drunk but in a much better state than Yu Mo.
âYou go ahead and return to Xiulan, Third Brother. Iâm going to find a balcony for some fresh air to sober up a bit before I head to bed.â
âAlright.â Jin Liwei patted his shoulder before leaving as well. âGood night, Eldest Brother.â
âGood night.â
Lin Yehan went to the nearest balcony after Jin Liwei left. The air was chilly and made him shiver but he stayed put. A few minutes later, his mind cleared up a little.
He fished his phone out of his pocket and called someone.
âHello?â a female voice answered.
âMiss Ying Yue.â
Pause.
âAre you drunk, Mr. Yehan?â Jiang Ying Yue asked.
âA little,â he admitted.
She sighed. âItâs late now. You should go to sleep.â
âI miss you.â
Silence.
âMiss Ying Yue, I miss you,â he repeated. âI want to see you. Can I?â
âYouâre still at the mansion?â
âYes. Yu Mo and I are staying here tonight. SoâŠcan I see you?â
âRight now?â
âUh-huh.â
âB-butâŠ.â
Lin Yehan inhaled the cold air and felt more refreshed. âPlease, Miss Ying Yue. I wonât do anything inappropriate. I promise. I really just want to see you, thatâs all.â
Jiang Ying Yue didnât answer for what felt like a long time. Finally, she said, âOkay.â