Chapter 1549 Generations

After a day of rest and spending time with their twin sons, Iris and Jin Liwei prepared to attend Ashandra Knightson's art exhibition. It was a black-tie event, so the couple prepared for it as if it were an awards show.

Iris had a full glam team to help her prepare a few hours before the event. Jin Liwei was more relaxed, but he did help Dom take photos of his wife to post on her social media accounts as a treat for the Black Stars.

When she was finally ready, Iris stood in front of a full-length mirror. She examined herself while her glam team made some adjustments to her hair, makeup, dress, and accessories.

She wore an off-the-shoulder, dark emerald, floor-length dress. It hugged her body like a glove. A hint of her cleavage peaked at the front yet still looked quite conservative, making Jin Liwei nod in approval. She also wore long, opera gloves up to her elbow in the same material and colour of her dress.

Her hair and makeup were styled in an old Hollywood vibe, making her appear classically beautiful and glamorous. The makeup artist even dotted a small beauty mark on top of her lip. It emphasized her plump, red lips.

Jin Liwei's tuxedo suit matched her dress and styling. His bowtie and pocket square were both dark emerald. His hair was also styled.

When the couple stood side by side, they looked as if they had stepped out of an old Hollywood movie premiere.

Dom couldn't help but squeal, as he directed the husband and wife to pose this way and that. His camera clicked nonstop. Another member of Iris' glam team recorded everything on video so that LXC Studio could edit it into a promo video for Iris' social media accounts.

Finally, it was time to leave.

"Where are the twins?" Iris asked.

"In the playroom with the nannies," Dom answered while examining the photos that he had just taken. "Don't worry, Boss and Sir Boss. I'll help watch over them. Just enjoy yourselves tonight at Ashandra's art exhibition."

"Thanks, Dom. It would be great to have you come with us, but I can't rest assured leaving the twins at home without family in a foreign country."

"No worries, Boss!"

Jin Liwei also nodded his thanks to Dom. "We'll be leaving, then."

Iris sighed. "I wanted to at least say goodbye to the twins, but I know that they won't let us leave if they see us, especially Little Mochi. That little guy would definitely throw a tantrum."

"En. Don't worry, love. We won't stay out too late."

She nodded.

The husband and wife bid goodbye to Dom and everyone else while their covert group of bodyguards followed behind them.

Their bodyguards would be disguised as other guests. Ashandra Knightson was already aware of this arrangement and even handed additional invitations to the bodyguards.

Despite the couple's meticulous preparations, they were still very low-key when they arrived at the art exhibition.

There were a couple of reporters covering the event outside, but they weren't allowed to enter. They could only stay outside and ask the guests if they were willing to speak in front of the camera. Most guests refused, but some agreed.

Iris decided not to speak with the media this time around. She and her Liberté had already received more than enough media coverage in the past few days. There was no need to overdo it.

She also knew that the media was more interested in her brother-in-law's engagement with Chen Fei than anything else right now. Today was her good friend's important art exhibition. She didn't want her perfumery or her brother-in-law's engagement to overshadow Ashandra tonight.

It was only when Iris and Jin Liwei showed their invitation and were about to enter that the reporters recognized them. The couple had been featured in the news along with Liberté, and of course, Jin Chonglin. Their faces were instantly recognizable for those who had been watching and reading the news in the past few days.

Unfortunately for the reporters, the couple pretended not to hear them calling. Iris and Jin Liwei quickly entered the premises, leaving behind the frustrated reporters who hoped to interview the couple for more tea about the superstar Jin Chonglin.

The beautiful Ashandra Knightson quickly excused herself from the group she was speaking with to greet the husband and wife.

"Xiulan, you're finally here!"

The friends hugged each other.

Ashandra also greeted Jin Liwei, but it was obvious that she was closer to Iris.

"You look gorgeous," Iris complimented.

"And so are you," Ashandra returned the compliment. "Welcome to my exhibition! I titled my collection 'Generations'. Later, I'll show you a surprise I prepared just for you."

Iris' eyes lit up. "Surprise for me? I can't wait!"

Ashandra smiled before looking behind the couple. "You're the only one who came?"

"You know my brother-in-law will steal all the attention if he attends tonight, so Liwei advised him and Chen Fei not to attend. The two of them couldn't even step out of the house without being hounded by reporters and paparazzi. I hope that you don't mind, Ashandra. They send their congratulations and regards to you, though."

"I understand, Xiulan. Sir Lu also personally called me earlier that he won't be coming because he has a prior appointment with another group of old friends tonight. He sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers. I was hoping Dominic would come."

Iris sighed. "I'm sorry, but he's helping watch over the twins."

"Oh, I see. That's fine, then. The babies are more important. If they were old enough, I would've insisted that you bring Mochi and Matcha. I adore those babies like my own!"

They laughed and talked about the twins for a couple of minutes before Ashandra had to excuse herself to greet another group of new arrivals.

Iris and Jin Liwei watched the busy Ashandra.

"Let's go, love."

Jin Liwei offered his elbow. When she took it, he led her deeper inside the art exhibition.

The curator greeted them and gave them a formal introduction to the art exhibition. "Feel free to roam around and enjoy Mademoiselle Knightson's incredible art. We also have a silent auction for all of the pieces. If you're interested in participating, you only need to write your bids on these paper slips and put them inside these slots. If you win the bid, we will contact you after the art exhibition ends to finalize the purchase."

"Okay, thank you." Iris smiled at the curator.

The curator smiled back but continued looking at her mysteriously.

Iris looked at the man with a question mark on her head. Jin Liwei's smile disappeared.

Good thing that the curator said in a hurry, "Mademoiselle Knightson has instructed us that a portion of the proceeds from the silent auction will be donated to Madame Jin's Iris of Hope foundation."

Iris' eyes widened. "I wasn't aware of this."

Jin Liwei's expression returned to normal. The barely noticeable smile returned to his face.

The curator gave a mental sigh of relief.

Phew!

Fortunately, he dodged the danger. CEO Jin was scary when he glared at him. His knees almost shook from the CEO's intimidating aura.

"Is this the surprise that Ashandra was telling me about?" Iris wondered.

"No, Madame," the curator said. "Mademoiselle Knightson has another surprise for you later."

Iris grew more curious and excited. She held onto her husband's elbow and couldn't help but squeeze it. She couldn't wait to see her good friend's surprise for her.

Jin Liwei patted her hand. He was also curious about what Ashandra had prepared for his wife. Seeing how excited his wife acted, he also looked forward to the surprise.

The curator excused himself to greet the next guests.

Jin Liwei nodded at their bodyguards disguised as guests. The bodyguards pretended to look around while some even chatted with other genuine guests. Despite this, they all stayed in close proximity with the couple.

He recognized a few who belonged to his brother-in-law from Shadow Winds. Their presence made Jin Liwei feel reassured that his wife would be safe from any danger.

Iris and Jin Liwei didn't bother the busy Ashandra Knightson. They started walking around to admire the artwork displayed in the main wing. Each of them showed Ashandra's skillful artistry.

Now they understood why Ashandra titled this collection "Generations". The paintings depicted family (both by blood and by choice), parentage, ancestry, and roots.

Not all showcased humans, though. There were animals, beasts, and even mythical creatures.

Iris couldn't help but admire the details in the paintings showcasing mythical creatures. Ashandra made them believable in a beautiful yet also frightening way.

"Which one do you like, love?" Jin Liwei asked. "I'll bid on them for you."

"This one." She pointed at a painting depicting a humanoid creature.

The upper body was that of a beautiful female but its lower body resembled a giant octopus. The creature was cradling an infant version of itself, both cute and scary at the same time, while the dark ocean roared around them.

Just looking at it made her get goosebumps.

"I think that Ashandra wants to convey that all creatures—human or not and scary or not—are all the same when it comes to protecting their young," Iris murmured.

Now that Iris was a mother herself, she understood this kind of maternal instinct even better than before.

"I want this, darling," she said.

Jin Liwei already took a paper slip and wrote his bid on the painting titled "Monster Mother" for his wife. He wrote a large price just to make sure.

Not only would it make his wife happy to own this painting, but a portion of the proceeds would also be donated to his wife's Iris of Hope foundation.

No matter how he looked at it, winning the bid would be a win-win for his wife. As long as his wife was happy, he would also be happy.

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