<h4>Chapter 273 - Punishment Or Present? </h4>


    As soon as Iris and the band members reached backstage, ze and Thunder started cheering in triumph. Even the usually silent and brooding Night had an uncharacteristic grin on his face.


    "That was out of this world, Senior Iris!" ze eximed. "We had no idea that you can y the guitar like that! It’s official. You’re the coolest female I know in my entire life!"


    "Yeah! I think that was the best performance we ever had as a band. Goddess, you’re the best!" Thunder added.


    Night nodded.


    Iris tilted her head to the side. "You’re iplete as a band tonight, so it doesn’t count."


    At the reminder of their missing band mate, Eros, the three felt guilty. They were still happy about their performance but now they realized that the feeling was iplete because they weren’t sharing it with their brother.


    She smiled seeing their expressions. "Don’t worry. We’ll perform again when Eros is healed from his injuries. Then we’ll aim to really have your best performance as aplete band."


    "Really, Senior? You want to perform with us again? That’s not just lip service, right?" ze asked.


    "Yes, I want to work with you again after this," she replied.


    "I’m so stoked!" Thunder pumped his fists in the air and moved to pounce on Iris for a friendly hug but someone grabbed the back of his cor and pulled him forcefully away. "What the hell, man?! What are you do—"


    Although the face was covered, poor Thunder could still feel the ferocious re behind the mask and shades.


    "S-sorry, man...Ch-chill out, ’kay?"


    Iris gently removed the hand gripping Thunder’s cor. Then she rubbed the hand and smiled at the masked man. The dangerous auraing from the tall man disappeared.


    The three band members heaved sighs of big relief. However, they soon watched Iris and her bodyguard more carefully. The two weren’t doing anything inappropriate, but they could see that Iris treated her bodyguard with affection. In turn, they noticed that the bodyguard stood too closely to her.


    They had suspicions about the rtionship between the two, but it wasn’t any of their business. Besides, she helped them tremendously tonight. Not only that, she made their performance shine in many ways that they couldn’t achieve on their own. They might be foolish at times, but they wouldn’t bite the hand that fed them.


    "I had a great time performing with you. I need to return to my dressing room now and get ready for my next performance," she told them.


    "Of course, Senior. Thank you very much for your help tonight! We’ll stay and make sure to watch your performanceter and cheer for you."


    She nodded and left them. The masked Jin Liwei walked beside her while Dom and Jiang Ying Yue followed behind them. On their way to the dressing room, the show’s staff and the other artists greeted her warmly, and praised and congratted her for her performance with Pandemonium.


    Finally, they reached her dressing room. As soon as the door closed, Jin Liwei removed his mask, pulled Iris in his arms and kissed her deeply.


    "Turn around!" Jiang Ying Yue barked at the shocked make-up artist and hair stylist. "You too, Dom!"


    Dom pretended not to hear her, opening his eyes wider as if doing so could make him see the hot scene in front of him more clearly. However, Jiang Ying Yue was serious. She threw a towel over Dom’s head to obstruct his view. Then she promptly turned around from the couple.


    "Sorry, love. I couldn’t stop myself," Jin Liwei murmured after the kiss.


    He felt so much better now that his baby girl was in his arms. He knew that he had no reason to feel jealous of the three pests, but seeing them acting too familiarly with her just awakened the ugly green-eyed monster within him.


    "Mmn..." Iris hugged his waist, feeling good after the kiss.


    She had no idea that it was a punishment kiss because he was jealous. She thought that it was her present for performing well onstage.


    "You were magnificent. So beautiful. The best," he told her while stroking her hair and kissing her head.


    She smiled and hugged him tighter. "Thanks, darling."


    They were interrupted by the loud sound of a ringing phone.


    "Oopsie doopsie~ Sorry boss, sir boss!" Dom removed the towel from his head and answered his phone. "Hello, Big Sis Yiyi? How’s Eros? Oh, that’s a relief. I’m d that he’s okay. Ehehe. I know, right? Boss was so amazing! She rocked the stage! Of course, the others were great too... Okay, okay. Here’s boss."


    Iris released Jin Liwei’s waist and spoke to her manager on the phone. Jin Liwei wore the mask again and then sat on the couch.


    The make-up artist and hair stylist cautiously turned around, looking at him. They weren’t able to clearly see his features earlier when he removed his mask. They were burning with curiosity, but they held their tongues. Unlike before, Iris hired her own make-up artist and hair stylist. She didn’t want to depend on Bright Summit to provide her with a m team all the time. Before she hired them, she made them sign Non-Disclosure Agreements to protect her private matters. This was the first time that these two worked with her.


    They thought that the tall masked man was Iris’ bodyguard but after seeing the two acting so intimate, they now concluded that the two were lovers. Their attention was also now caught by the diamond ring on Iris’ finger. Their tongues wanted to wag so badly, but they stopped themselves. Not only would they get into legal trouble for viting the NDA if they gossiped, but they also didn’t want to lose their jobs because Iris paid well.


    After the phone call, Iris instructed the two to change her hairstyle and modify her make-up for her solo performanceter. She also changed into another dress. They watched the other performances on the TV in the room while waiting for her turn.


    ###


    "I’m dead when awake


    Alive when asleep


    How do I live when there is no you


    Except in my dreams at night..."


    The audience waspletely silent as they watched Iris perform a second time tonight. She sat ying in front of the piano, wearing an elegant ck and red gown. She was like a dark empress instilling sadness, loneliness and even fear to her subjects.


    Her voice sounded so otherworldly in this version of "Phantom of Your Love" that many in the audience shrank into their seats. The music was beautiful and mind-blowing but it was also...frightening. It didn’t sound like music from the human world but from theherworld instead.


    Iris’ pale make-up and dark, smoky eyeshadow made her look like a phantom beauty. Her current performance was the total opposite of her shy performance with Pandemonium earlier.


    Usually, total silence was an indication of disinterest and boredom from the audience during a performance. This time, however, it was an indication of total focus and immersion with the music.


    Even the director became too dazed that he forgot to switch cameras many times during the broadcast. However, nobody really noticed his mistakes because everyone else was also dazed like him. It was like Iris hypnotized them with her music. It was actually scary.


    "Oh oh oh... Spend a thousand years


    With the phantom of your...love...."


    After the performance, there was pin-drop silence. The audience couldn’t think clearly yet. It was only when some of the ck Stars automatically pped their hands for their Boss Iris that the other members of the audience began pping as well. The apuse was weak and scattered at first but became stronger, louder and more enthusiastic as the people gradually recovered from their musical daze.


    "Iris! Iris! Iris!"


    They chanted her name. Her doubleeback performances for tonight exceeded all of their expectations. She was so impressive that it was unbelievable.


    Iris gave a deep curtsy bow to the audience and then to her symphony orchestra. The apuse and cheers roared even more loudly.


    Finally, the long-awaited interview arrived. As this wasn’t a formal interview and because of Tang Yiyi’s request beforehand, the hosts didn’t ask Iris anything about Fan Luo or the other rumours surrounding her abrupt disappearance. They focused on her two performances tonight instead.


    After Iris promoted her uing soundtrack album and the soon-to-be-released film "Strong Yet Broken", the hosts received signal from their earpieces that they should end the interview. The male host was about to end it, but the female host couldn’t hold herself back anymore.


    "Iris, I can’t take my eyes off your diamond ring," she said. "It’s so beautiful."