Chapter 517 - Grounded
This time, Jin Liwei decided to drive the two of them himself instead of depending on a driver. Iris also preferred it this way because she could be more intimate with her darling with just the two of them.
Jin Liwei chose the red two-door coupe they used on their eventful second date last year. Two more cars followed them. Jin Liwei's men were in one car while the other was filled with Lu Zihao's subordinates.
Iris was unhappy about the bodyguards following them on a normal day like this, but she decided not to say anything and just ignore them. She didn't want to fight with either her darling or her big brother about the issue of bodyguards anymore. The two men loved her and cared about her. That was why there were so protective. She understood their reasons for surrounding her with bodyguards, but it didn't mean that she liked it.
At least now she didn't feel like she was being monitored or controlled anymore, unlike her experience in her past life. The purpose of her bodyguards in this life was to protect her and that was mostly it. They weren't required to restrict her freedom or to stop her from doing what she liked.
She realized this now. Perhaps this was why she had stopped freaking out about bodyguards. She still didn't like their presence though, especially on a normal day like this. It was better to pretend that no bodyguards were following them. If she didn't, it would only ruin her mood.
While driving in their car by themselves, Iris and Jin Liwei enjoyed the comfortable silence between them. Their mere proximity to each other was enough to make them feel content.
That was until Iris remembered Hou Liang's call earlier that morning right after they woke up. It was about Ketchup, a.k.a. KittyBaby.
The white cat inherited Iris' tremendous curiosity, especially her thirst for knowledge and new experiences. While Iris and Jin Liwei were in France attending the Sommet International Film Festival, Ketchup asked for both of their permission to join the Black Stars fan club because "it looked fun".
Iris and Jin Liwei agreed but on the condition that she wouldn't reveal anything about her real identity. Of course, Ketchup immediately promised to be a good kitty.
Then Iris placed a lot of limitations on Ketchup so the cat AI wouldn't do anything that might put her in a vulnerable position. However, she still didn't expect that the cat would be so careless as to make a slip of the tongue with Hou Liang! It seemed that the limitations she placed on Ketchup weren't strict enough.
/p>Ketchup was becoming naughtier and naughtier by the day. As the parents, Iris and Jin Liwei had begun to always worry about her next escapades. They both knew that she was a not a real person or even a real cat. Even so, they still loved her and treated her as their third kid. They couldn't make themselves just view her as a mere tool.
And because they treated Ketchup like their real kid, Iris couldn't bring herself to place too much limitations on her. She still wanted to nurture the cat AI's curiosity as it aided her self-learning function. It was a double-edged sword, but Iris and Jin Liwei decided that they would do their utmost best to raise Ketchup to become responsible and disciplined. If Ketchup went out of control, it would be due to Iris and Jin Liwei's negligence in raising her.
On the phone that morning, Hou Liang (a.k.a. MonkeyFace) asked Iris about Kittybaby.
"Is KittyBaby really your child?"
Iris' heart stopped for a moment. An expression of shocked disbelief appeared on her face, catching the attention of Jin Liwei beside her on the bed. Then she glared at a random corner. She imagined a certain white cat hiding with a guilty expression. Iris put the call on speakerphone so Jin Liwei could hear the full conversation.
"KittyBaby said that Drakon is her mother. Is it true?" Hou Liang continued to ask when she remained silent.
It was Jin Liwei's turn to glare at a random corner. He looked scarier than Iris. A certain white cat must be shaking in her fluffy fur by now.
Iris closed her eyes and sighed. She massaged her temples, feeling a phantom headache. Sighing once again, she glanced at Jin Liwei, silently asking him what they should do.
He nodded with a reluctant expression.
"Yes," she eventually replied to Hou Liang after getting Jin Liwei's approval to confirm her relationship with the naughty KittyBaby.A pause.
"I see. You adopted her?" Hou Liang asked after a few moments of silence.
"Hmm… Something like that."
"KittyBaby is a brilliant hacker, just like you. She must be a genius, that's why you're training her to be the successor of your legacy as a hacker."
"Hmm…"
"By the way, how old is she? She sounds so young by her manner of speech."
Iris hesitated. It had only been a few months since she successfully developed Ketchup's current form as a cat AI with a highly adaptable and dynamic personality, in addition to her hyper-powered self-learning function. Based on Hou Liang's tone, it seemed that he thought that Ketchup, a.k.a. KittyBaby, was a human. Iris couldn't tell him that the talkative KittyBaby was only a few months old. That would be questionable.
Fortunately, it was Jin Liwei who answered Hou Liang, saving her from making up a lie.
"That's none of your business," he told Hou Liang in a cold voice. "Information about our daughter is private. Don't dig too much…or I'll make you regret it."
Jin Liwei's threat worked. Hou Liang immediately stopped pursuing the matter. He was still a little traumatized after Jin Liwei attacked him last year when Iris invited him to the penthouse for the first time and introduced herself as Drakon. Iris' man was too scary and violent!Not that Iris herself was any different. As Drakon, she was a force to be reckoned with. In fact, she was even more dangerous than Jin Liwei. It was a good thing that she was a kind person in general, as long as nobody crossed her bottom line.
The phone call ended.
"Ketchup!" Jin Liwei's angry voice whipped through the air in the bedroom.
"Wuwuwuwu! Ketchup is so sorry! Meow…. Sorry, Mommy! Sorry, Daddy! Ketchup won't do it again! Promise! Wuwuwuwu! Meow…."
The laptop on the study desk a few metres away from the bed flickered and powered on by itself. Then the screen showed a fluffy white cat trembling while crying pitifully.
"You know that Drakon is a wanted figure all around the world. Do you want your mom to get into trouble because of your carelessness?" Jin Liwei asked. He didn't raise his voice while talking but the anger was obvious in his tone.
"Noooo! Ketchup doesn't want Mommy to get into trouble! Sorry! Wuwuwuwu! Meow…"
"It's a good thing that Hou Liang is a trustworthy person but we can't be careless with anybody from now on."
"Yes, Daddy. Ketchup is very sorry! Meow…Wuwuwuwu!
"You're grounded for one month! No Black Stars, no surfing online for entertainment for one whole month! You're only allowed to do the tasks your mom and I assigned to you."The white cat's sobs became louder and more pitiful. A small puddle of tears already started forming around her.