Before Jin Chonglin could ask his older brother for more information about the traitors among the branch families, Iris stirred in Jin Liwei's arms and opened her eyes.
"Hm? Where are we? Have we arrived yet?"
Jin Liwei stroked her hair. "Not yet. Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we arrive at Orchidia Beauty."
She stretched and yawned before sitting up. "It's fine." Seeing Jin Chonglin hugging her teddy bear, she pouted. "Please don't rub yourself on my Little Liwei too much. What are you going to do if your scent overpowers my husband's?"
"Huh? Scent? What are you talking about?" Jin Chonglin was confused.
Jin Liwei stretched his hand. "Give the bear back."
"I'll give it back later. I'm using it as a pillow right now."
"Give it back." Jin Liwei's tone brooked no argument.
"Oh, come on! You two are becoming too stingy!" However, he still returned the teddy bear to them with a sulky expression. He didn't dare offend his older brother especially since he was caught eyeing his sister-in-law's chest earlier. In addition, Iris' temper had become too unpredictable and volatile after his brother got her pregnant. It would hurt his heart too much if she aimed her line of fire at him after unknowingly angering her.
As for Jin Liwei, he placed the big teddy bear on his other side in order to "recharge" it with his scent. Then he grabbed a chocolate bar from the snack basket specially prepared for his wife, opened the wrapper, and then fed it to her.
While enjoying the chocolate, Iris began sharing her dissatisfaction about the negotiation process with Bright Summit. "They only agreed to our terms not because of my negotiation skills but because I'm now Jin Liwei's wife."
"What's wrong with that?" Jin Chonglin asked while opening a can of coconut water from the limo's minibar. There was no alcohol in there at all. "Big Bro is now your husband. There's nothing wrong in using his status to make things easier for you. Don't tell me you want to make things hard for yourself instead?"
"That's not what I mean. I was looking forward to practicing and improving my negotiations skills but things went smoothly with Bright Summit instead. Too smoothly." She looked at her husband. "Someone told me that you called Bright Summit's President in advance before I could talk to him."
"En." Jin Liwei didn't deny it. He also wasn't surprised that Ketchup snitched about his secret actions to her mommy. "Are you angry?"
She shook her head, smiling. "Not at all. My husband is too formidable. I need to work harder, so that someday in the future, it'll be your turn to use my status to get what you want."
"I'm looking forward to that day." He leaned down and grazed his lips against hers.
"Come on, people! Don't forget that I'm still here!" Jin Chonglin couldn't take the lovey-dovey scene playing right in front of him.
Jin Liwei gave him a side-eye. "Who told you to ride with us? If you don't want to see me kissing my own wife in our own vehicle, you're welcome to get off. Should I tell the driver to leave you by the side of the road?"
"Fine. Do what you want." Jin Chonglin continued to sulk while chugging the coconut water and using his phone with his other hand.
Jin Liwei ignored him and focused entirely on his wife. "I didn't want you wasting time negotiating with Bright Summit, that's why I did that."
"I know. My energy is severely limited now that I'm pregnant. I appreciate it, darling. But next time, I would like it better if you inform me beforehand. This concerns my career after all. I prefer to be in full control of it."
"Okay, love."
Iris was satisfied by his answer, then she sighed. "It's good that Bright Summit agreed to let Brother Chonglin and I leave without kicking up any fuss. They even agreed to a limited partnership with our LXC Studio to share resources and connections which is extremely beneficial to upstarts like us."
Jin Chonglin shrugged. "Of course, they'll agree. They can continue to borrow me for collaborations and enjoy the benefits that my name and status give them."
"That's true, but my husband is still the biggest reason why they agreed."
"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes, already feeling tired of the couple's stickiness with each other.
"It's just a pity that they didn't agree to let the other artists under our managers to leave and follow the two of us, even though I offered to pay all of their termination fees in full. There were quite a few who expressed their intention of following us to LXC Studio."
"That's only natural," Jin Liwei said. "Letting both of you go is already painful for Bright Summit. If they allowed more of their artists to leave and follow you, it might create some unsavoury rumours and sully their reputation as a company. You already did your best, love."
She nodded but her eyes still showed some of her disappointment.
Jin Chonglin reclined on his seat and looked like a carefree prince. "It's fine. If those other artists really want to follow us, they can do so after their contracts with Bright Summit expires. We'll welcome them, then."
"Yes, we will." Then she smiled. "At least I was able to persuade Bright Summit to let Pandemonium go. Elder Sister Yiyi and Mr. Lin Dong are now in the process of finalizing their contracts with LXC Studio. Mr. JJ is also interested in signing them to his record label."
Jin Chonglin nodded. "Those kids are quite talented and have good potential. If they're willing to work hard, we'll nurture them well."
Jin Liwei listened to his wife and younger brother discussing their plans for LXC Studio. He felt peaceful and fulfilled to see the two working on the next chapter of their careers with great enthusiasm. He would support them, especially his wife, with everything he had.
At that moment, the issue about Rose Young and her ambitious family, the traitors in the Jin branch families, and the impending board of the directors meeting that he had to face this afternoon was far from his mind. He relaxed, feeling warm surrounded by his real family.