His Genius Wife is a Superstar

Nikolai stood there like a cold, towering statue. He didn't speak or move for what felt like forever. 

Jin Liwei wanted immediate answers but sensed the great turmoil within his brother-in-law even if the man wasn't showing anything from his unreadable expression. 

By this time, Jin Liwei had already calmed down his emotions. He realized that it wasn't his right to demand answers for things that happened in his wife and her brother's past lives from way before he came to know either of them.

Ever since falling in love with his wife and working hard to make her fall in love with him too, he learned the important life lesson of putting aside his pride to apologize for his own mistakes. 

He was about to apologize to his brother-in-law when Nikolai finally spoke.

The story he told shocked Jin Liwei so much that he staggered on his feet and had to hold on to the wall to stay upright. 

Jin Liwei stared at his brother-in-law with wide eyes. He studied Nikolai's face, looking for any signs that what he had just been told was only a prank, but the reality proved to be harsh.

"Oh my God," he couldn't help but say. "Nikolai, y-you…."

Nikolai turned away and looked at the moonless night sky outside the large windows. His figure looked lonesome and unapproachable.

"Don't tell my sister," he said, his tone gruff.

Jin Liwei looked conflicted.

Nikolai glanced at him and repeated, "Don't tell her. She'll be heartbroken."

"Fine," Jin Liwei forced himself to say through gritted teeth.

"Now you understand why I can't just let it go, why I must pursue revenge against those motherfuckers."

Jin Liwei didn't know what to say.

"There's also one more thing." Nikolai walked back and stopped right in front of Jin Liwei. "They still have Evelinka's dead body."

Jin Liwei's eyes contracted.

"And I plan to take her back from them. I don't give a damn about our parents' corpses or even my own dismembered body, but I must give my sister's body a proper burial."

A great tsunami roared inside Jin Liwei. His eyes became even more crazed than earlier. He clutched Nikolai's thick arms, his own hands shaking from the consecutive shocks he received tonight.

"Count me in!"

Nikolai looked at him for a few seconds before saying, "No."

"Why not?!"

"We already agreed about the division of labour between the two of us. You take care of things in the light while I take care of things in the dark. My sister is now Long Xiulan and it's your job as her husband to take care of her and all of your children. You can't be associated with anything criminal especially anything related to the Vetrovs. I won't allow you to put yourself in danger because that means my sister and her children will be in danger as well."

"But—"

"No buts!" Now it was Nikolai's turn to grab Jin Liwei's collar and shake him. "Be thankful that I even told you about all these things! I didn't plan on telling you a damn thing but you're so fucking persistent and annoying, so—"

He stopped and whipped his head towards the door. Jin Liwei followed his line of sight.

Standing by the now open door and looking at them with wide, disbelieving eyes was Iris.

"Evelinka—"

"Baby." Jin Liwei escaped from his brother-in-law's claws and hurried towards his wife. His turbulent emotions were all temporarily cast aside so that he could focus his whole attention on her. 

He checked her temperature with the back of his hand—still a bit feverish but not as hot as before. 

"How are you feel—"

Iris pushed her husband's hands away and faced her brother. 

She woke up not too long ago and found herself alone in the hospital room. After asking Ketchup, she learned that her husband and big brother were arguing in the hallway outside. She told her AI daughter to not interrupt the two men and not inform them of her waking up. The two must be arguing about her again so she wanted to be the one to mediate between them.

With this intention, she pulled her IV stand and silently opened the door. Imagine her surprise when she heard what her brother said. Her own shock wasn't inferior to Jin Liwei's. 

"How much did you hear?" Nikolai asked.

"Is it true that the enemies have my body?"

Nikolai's expression remained unreadable. Deep inside, however, he was relieved that his sister didn't hear the first part of what he told Jin Liwei. 

"Big Brother, answer me! Is it true?"

"Yes."

Iris fainted.

"Evelina!" 

Jin Liwei caught her and immediately called for the doctor.

###

The atmosphere in the mansion was grim. 

Iris' fever continued the next day. Jin Liwei refused to leave her side. The twins were also kept away from their sick mother to prevent them from catching anything.

As a result, Little Mochi threw a tantrum for almost the entire day. His loud wails and refusal to be coaxed distressed Huang Yuyan and everyone else. Even the usually well-behaved Little Matcha also cried for a long time. The twins wanted their parents. No, they "needed" their mommy and daddy.

Both Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao felt guilty.

In their bedroom, Long Jinjing asked her husband, "Did something happen? Everything feels so tense at home today. Did something more serious than a fever happen to my sister? Do you know something about it, Nikolai?"

"Nothing," Lu Zihao told her. "Don't worry about it. Stressing yourself out is not good for our babies."

Long Jinjing observed his expression but she couldn't read anything from it as usual. Even so, she could sense that something was amiss about him today. He seemed…gloomier than normal. 

"I'm your wife now, Nikolai. Can't you just honestly tell me? Please?"

No matter how many times she asked, he refused to tell her anything. It upset her but also made her nervous at the same time. She had the niggling feeling that something grave must have happened without her knowledge. 

Lu Zihao kissed her. For the first time ever, he failed in distracting her with seduction.

He sighed and turned her around so that he could hug her from behind and avoid squeezing her swollen belly.

Long Jinjing's bad feeling worsened.

"Nikolai?"