Just as Jiang Hai had expected, Qi Li wasn't ready to open up emotionally overnight. On her first day with him, she lived at his place alongside his mistress and fourth partner, even sharing the same quilt. Real life wasn't like a YY novel—such fantasy plots rarely played out the way they did on paper. Still, Jiang Hai found his current life satisfying enough.
After finally sending Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi home, Jiang Hai headed back to Qi Li's place for the night.
Naturally, after a good meal and some rest, Qi Li was quite eager to explore what she hadn't experienced in 27 years. Jiang Hai, frankly, was a little worried she might get addicted. But he welcomed every experience that came his way. He was kept busy all night and didn't fall asleep until well past midnight.
When he woke up around noon the next day, Qi Li had already returned to her mother's house, and Jiang Hai made his way back home. But before he could settle in and catch a break, another "battle" had already begun.
Feng Yunchen had returned to Bingcheng solely for Jiang Hai. Since his return, she hadn't gone home once. So when Jiang Hai spent all his time at Qi Li's place, it naturally made her upset. When he came back, it was round two of the emotional tug-of-war.
That evening, after dinner, Jiang Hai's legs were feeling weak. He headed over to Huang Yunfei's to retrieve the Ferrari 488 he had lent him the day before for some photo ops. With the car back, Jiang Hai returned to Qi Li's apartment—and, unsurprisingly, got no rest there either.
The next eleven days were anything but relaxing for Jiang Hai. While most people used the holiday to unwind or travel, his days were jam-packed.
By day, he was trying to placate Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi. By night, he stayed with Qi Li. It felt like the three women were in some kind of competition—each more determined than the last to wear him out.
If he were just an average guy, Jiang Hai suspected he'd have been completely drained by now. Fortunately, he wasn't average.
Sometimes during the day, or in the early evening, he managed to use dinner or drinks with friends as an excuse to escape. Otherwise, his body really would have been pushed to its limits. After all, they were in Ice City, and he couldn't absorb any spiritual energy here.
Since moving to Canada, Jiang Hai had only grown one spiritual scale—back in Ai Xiaoxi's hometown in Shandong. Aside from that, nothing. The environmental conditions in China, especially in urban areas, were really not ideal for cultivation.
Bingcheng's environment wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. When central heating wasn't running, the skies were often blue and the clouds visible. Still, the spiritual scale remained unmoved.
Before long, the National Day holiday had come to an end. In a blink, it was October 7—time to go back to work. Jiang Hai and his friends were getting ready to leave. Unlike when they arrived separately, they were now departing as a group.
There were eight of them: Jiang Hai, Qi Li, Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, Huang Yunfei and his wife, and Xu Wei and Fu Yuan, who planned to travel with Jiang Hai. Xu Wei even arranged for a buddy with a large van to drive them all to the airport.
With Jiang Hai's help, Huang Yunfei and the others had secured tickets from Bingcheng to the Imperial Capital, then onward to the U.S. Though they booked economy class, they were upgraded to business class using Jiang Hai's American Express points. Over the past year, he had spent so much that he had no shortage of points to spare—and helping friends was better than letting them go to waste.
After flying to the Imperial Capital and spending a night there, Jiang Hai and four others boarded a flight to New York. Qi Li, Ai Xiaoxi, and Feng Yunchen didn't accompany him this time.
Qi Li had her own business to attend to, and although Ai Xiaoxi had made up her mind to follow Jiang Hai, she still needed time to prepare. Feng Yunchen had also chosen to stay behind to support Ai Xiaoxi.
After some heartfelt goodbyes, Jiang Hai and his four companions boarded the flight bound for Winthrop. This time, Jiang Hai only bought business class tickets.
Business class was significantly cheaper than first class, but the difference in service was just as noticeable. The seats didn't recline into full beds, there were fewer luxuries, and although it was far better than economy, it wasn't quite as comfortable after having gotten used to first class. Fortunately, traveling with friends made it more bearable.
As for Huang Yunfei's wife, Lu Jiao—there wasn't much to say. Jiang Hai and the others already knew her well.
She was quiet and easygoing, not one for idle chatter or parties. Frankly, that's probably why she ended up marrying a known playboy like Huang Yunfei. As she slept peacefully, Huang Yunfei leaned over and whispered to Jiang Hai.
"Hey, so... are those foreign chicks really that fun?" he asked slyly.
"Not bad," Jiang Hai replied after thinking it over. "But it depends on your own skills."
Jiang Hai hadn't gone to Winthrop or Boston looking for excitement with professional women—but he had experienced that in New York. It wasn't cheap, but the results were... memorable.
"Haven't you heard of my skills? I'm known as the Little Prince of the Golden Gun!" Huang Yunfei said, brimming with confidence.
"Haha," Jiang Hai smirked. "A No. 3 screw is still a No. 3 screw. Doesn't matter what it's made of—it's gonna rattle if you force it into a No. 8 nut."
"Uh..." Huang Yunfei was speechless. Couldn't argue with that logic.
Xu Wei and Fu Yuan burst into laughter. They'd heard versions of this debate before, but now they were even more curious to give it a try.
"I don't care what you guys do tonight," Jiang Hai said, chuckling, "but we've got seven days, and I've planned it all out. When we land, we'll take a car to my manor. On the way, we'll detour to snap some photos of the Goddess of Nature statue or whatever. We'll rest that first night. Day two, we go out to sea. I'm a rich man now—bought a yacht after Fu Yuan left!"
Fu Yuan gave him the middle finger. "Shameless."
The group had applied for the same ten-day visa as Fu Yuan's previous trip. Day one would be for rest. Day two: sea fishing and coral reef diving, followed by a party at night. Day three: a local tour of Winthrop and a visit to the gun shop. Day four: horseback riding at Jiang Hai's manor. Day five: hunting in the mountains. Day six: a Boston city tour. Day seven: free time. Day eight: rest. Day nine: shopping spree (because what's a trip to the U.S. without souvenirs?). Day ten: return to New York and fly back to China.
Jiang Hai wouldn't be returning with them this time, and everyone was fine with that.
After some chatting, everyone began to doze off. Jiang Hai reclined his seat and drifted off—just one night of sleep, even if it was a bit uncomfortable.
When they landed in New York, his armored SUV was already waiting in the airport parking lot. Jiang Hai hadn't planned to be away so long, but it was fine.
The car had gathered some dust over the past half month, but it still looked incredible. His friends were quick to take out their phones and start snapping pictures. Huang Yunfei even thought to himself—if Jiang Hai's car were in China, he would've borrowed it as a wedding car, no matter what. It made Bentleys look basic.
If Jiang Hai knew what he was thinking, he'd probably say no—not because he was stingy, but because he believed things should be used for their proper purpose. A wedding car was symbolic, and while many people didn't care about that stuff anymore, a Western-style wedding still called for some tradition.
The SUV had no trouble fitting all five of them. Once inside, Jiang Hai revved the engine—it still ran perfectly. He stopped by a car wash first to get rid of the thick layer of dust, then headed out.
He took a scenic detour through New York, showing off the Statue of Liberty, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, and more. The detour added some time, and although the flight had landed at 3:30 PM, they didn't get to Jiang Hai's manor until nearly 8:00 PM.
Everyone was exhausted. Though the ride had offered beautiful views, it had also been long and tiring.
"Jiang Hai, you guys are finally back! Took you long enough!" a cheerful voice called from the front of Jiang Hai's villa.
Everyone looked up—and there they were: a row of beautiful women standing at the entrance.
Huang Yunfei and the others were instantly stunned.
(To be continued...)