My Manor

While Jiang Hai was reflecting on Bernice's words, across the ocean, in his homeland, it was past eight in the morning—time to head to work. As the capital of the country, every street in the city was packed like a can of sardines during rush hour.

The traffic was moving at a pace slower than that of a bicycle. Most of the cars were stuck on the road, their occupants listening to the radio, cursing the traffic, anxiously checking their watches, and silently praying that their bosses would be late today—but they weren't.

In front of a high-end office building, a brand-new Mercedes-Benz SLK cut through the crowded traffic, swiftly appearing from the distance.

After a slight swerve, one that almost caused the car to collide with a roadside trash can, the vehicle came to a halt in front of the office building. The passenger door opened, and a fashionable young woman stepped out.

"You go up first. I'll park the car," said the woman behind the wheel, smiling as she spoke. If Jiang Hai were present, he would surely recognize the two women.

The driver was Feng Yunchen, and the woman getting out of the car was Ai Xiaoxi.

Since returning from the United States, many days had passed unnoticed. Both women had been incredibly busy lately.

The day after Feng Yunchen had parted ways with her former "boss," she was left with no more responsibilities. Naturally, her boss, who no longer needed someone like her, didn't object to her departure, especially since he was facing mounting pressure from policies. He silently accepted it.

Next, Feng Yunchen sold her house. With the money from the sale, combined with the funds Jiang Hai had given her, she bought a large two-bedroom apartment near the third ring road in the imperial capital, a very desirable area. The house cost her nearly seven million yuan in total.

But there was still plenty of money left, so she transferred the remaining funds back to her hometown, asking her family to buy a large three-bedroom house in Bingcheng. The price difference between the imperial capital and Bingcheng was stark.

While a two-bedroom house in the imperial capital could cost six or seven million yuan, a three-bedroom apartment within the second ring road in Bingcheng could be bought for just over one million yuan. This was the reality of the price difference.

After purchasing the new house, Feng Yunchen did not live alone. She was accompanied by Ai Xiaoxi. According to her, although a relationship with Jiang Hai seemed unlikely, she wanted to keep an eye on Ai Xiaoxi for him.

After Ai Xiaoxi converted her money into RMB, she sent three million yuan back to her hometown to pay off her family's debts and cover medical expenses for her brother and parents. The remainder of the funds allowed her family to buy a large house in the county.

When Ai Xiaoxi's family received the money, they cried tears of gratitude, though they suspected the money came from less-than-legitimate sources. To alleviate any concerns, Feng Yunchen explained that Ai Xiaoxi had a wealthy boyfriend, and the money had been lent to her.

However, her parents insisted on meeting Jiang Hai, which led to a misunderstanding when Jiang Hai later visited. But those were stories for the future, and for now, everything was temporarily settled.

Besides handling these matters, Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen had also been exerting some influence within the company.

Feng Yunchen had never been a soft-hearted person, and with Ai Xiaoxi's backing, they had become even more formidable.

Especially the overweight manager, who had once shown interest in Ai Xiaoxi. After learning that she and Feng Yunchen had powerful backing, he, along with others, had become much more respectful, at least outwardly. No one in the company dared to act arrogantly toward them anymore.

As for the photos they had taken, to avoid making Jiang Hai jealous, they kept them private, but their beauty still caused a stir online. On an otaku goddess website, Feng Yunchen, who had once ranked in the top ten, jumped to the top three, while Ai Xiaoxi, benefiting from her youthful charm, surged into the top three as well. For a few days, she even secured the number one spot, making both women internet sensations. It seemed that in the eyes of otakus, foreign women were far more alluring than domestic ones, especially with the seductive style displayed in their photos.

"Okay, Sister Chen, what would you like to drink?" Ai Xiaoxi asked with a chuckle, reaching for her designer bag.

The bag, a limited-edition luxury piece from Donkey Brand, had been a gift from Jiang Hai. Worth 350,000 yuan in China, or around 30,000 USD abroad, it was certainly an extravagant item. Wherever she went, it was impossible not to be noticed. Those in the know could recognize its value at a glance.

"Iced coffee," Feng Yunchen replied with a smile. She had to admit, Ai Xiaoxi's attitude was charming. If she were a man, she'd have been attracted to her too.

With that, Feng Yunchen started the car and headed toward the underground parking lot. Meanwhile, Ai Xiaoxi walked into the office building and ordered two cups of coffee at the Starbucks on the first floor. While waiting, someone approached her.

"Xiaoxi," a voice called from behind. Ai Xiaoxi turned around, and when she saw the person, her pupils briefly trembled, though she regained her composure almost immediately.

"It's you. What a coincidence," Ai Xiaoxi said, her voice calm.

"Coincidence? Ha, just a coincidence?" the man replied, his body trembling as he spoke. "I've been waiting here for three days just to see you."

"Oh? And why are you so eager to find me?" Ai Xiaoxi asked, her tone still steady.

To an outsider, their conversation might have sounded like one between strangers, but the man felt as if his heart were breaking.

"We... we've reached the point where I have to chase after you when I need something?" the man asked, trembling. It was hard for him to believe that the woman before him had once been his beloved.

"No, you misunderstood," Ai Xiaoxi replied calmly. "What I meant is that you shouldn't come to me with requests. My boyfriend would be upset if he found out..."

Just then, a song played from a nearby store: "Snow… flowers are fluttering, the north wind is howling, the world is vast..." The man looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, his face filled with disbelief, regret, and helplessness.

"Your boyfriend? Wasn't I your boyfriend? Do you have another one?" The man's voice became frantic as he shouted, staring at Ai Xiaoxi in disbelief.

Ai Xiaoxi remained composed. "This man is Yu Hongzhi, my college boyfriend. We only held hands, but since my family fell into trouble, he did nothing to help me and only held me back. I stopped considering him as my boyfriend after that."

It wasn't that Ai Xiaoxi expected him to solve her problems, but he hadn't even been willing to lend her a small sum of money when her family was in crisis. His refusal to help was the final straw. She had already ended things with him long before joining the company, and she hadn't looked back since.

Seeing him now, Ai Xiaoxi, whose heart was now fully occupied by Jiang Hai, felt no emotional stirrings.

"Sorry," she said coldly, her voice steady. "You're just my ex now. Please don't ruin the last shred of your existence in my heart. Thank you."

At that moment, the barista called out, "Miss, your coffee is ready."

"Thank you," Ai Xiaoxi replied calmly, taking the coffee. Just as she was about to walk out, Yu Hongzhi grabbed her arm.

Meanwhile, Jiang Hai remained unaware of the drama unfolding, seated on the sofa, still lost in thought about the conversation with Bernice.

Earlier at the dinner table, Bernice had suggested that Jiang Hai might need to find an excuse for his cows.

Jiang Hai had initially thought that his oil futures in the United States were the perfect safeguard. After all, major families and conglomerates in the U.S. controlled much of the political scene, and with the powerful interest they had in oil, he could use this to his advantage if anyone threatened him.

But he had failed to consider what he would do if the U.S. government itself took an interest in his manor.

If others wanted to seize the manor to benefit from its resources, that could be managed, but what if the U.S. government demanded to know why Jiang Hai was raising cows in such a manner?

What if they tried to force him into revealing the secrets behind his operations, even going as far as setting up an expert team to dissect his cows?

Or worse, what if they imprisoned Jiang Hai, forcing him to raise cows under their surveillance or torturing him for information?

It wasn't that Jiang Hai's mind was too dark; it was simply that Bernice's words had pushed his thoughts into this darker direction.

(To be continued...)