My Manor

"Stay here? Stay here and let you bully me? What wishful thinking."

Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, Feng Yunchen's eyes grew slightly misty, and a flicker of emotion crossed her face, but she still complained.

She knew Jiang Hai meant what he said—and that was precisely why she had come.

By now, she was certain that both she and Ai Xiaoxi had, perhaps unconsciously, carved out a place in Jiang Hai's heart. Though it might not be significant, it was still a good sign for a man's possessiveness.

At the very least, this connection meant that as long as she remained in China, Qi Li would have to take Jiang Hai's stance into account before trying anything against her again.

"If it were a few years ago, I would've agreed without hesitation. But now, we still need to think it through. Haven't we finished what we came here to do yet? Once it's done, we'll give you an answer."

Biting her lip lightly, Feng Yunchen glanced at the slightly flustered Ai Xiaoxi before speaking seriously. Just then, Darlene and Marian returned from outside, bringing Xiaobai and Xiaohuang with them.

Sensing the shift in conversation, the three women naturally picked up where they had left off and busied themselves in the kitchen.

Before long, a lavish dinner was spread across the table. As they looked at the feast before them, both Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but feel moved. If Jiang Hai had asked them his question during dinner, they might have agreed on the spot.

To them, Jiang Hai had three main advantages. The least important was his wealth. The second was his strength—he could completely satisfy their needs in certain aspects. It was often said that women were like jade before experiencing such things, and afterward, they became something else.

Now, the two of them had begun to consider developing in that direction.

But the greatest advantage? The food.

Despite having only eaten here for a few days, they were completely won over. Although Jiang Hai's cooking skills still had room for improvement, the quality of the ingredients was undeniable.

Beef, lobster, lamb, fish, prawns, crabs—those were just the basics. There were also free-range wild poultry and naturally raised "stupid chickens." If not for the lack of pork, this place would be a paradise.

Of course, knowing Jiang Hai, he wouldn't go without pork. He didn't subscribe to any dietary restrictions, so there was always pork stored in the cold room, ready to be sliced whenever he felt like eating it. However, it was just regular free-range pork—not particularly outstanding.

After finishing their meal, the two women leaned back in their chairs, patting their full stomachs. The food had simply been too good.

Once everything was cleaned up, the five of them gathered in the living room to watch TV. Naturally, they didn't watch American live broadcasts but instead streamed Chinese variety shows from a connected computer. Before coming abroad, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi had been fans of this particular show.

Their English wasn't yet good enough to fully understand American programs.

Of course, both of them had been excellent students back home. If there were subtitles, they could understand everything. But without them, they were lost. This was one of the shortcomings of China's exam-focused education system—it excelled in writing skills but often produced students who were "mute" in English.

Jiang Hai, on the other hand, was the opposite—he could listen and speak fluently but wasn't great at writing, having only learned English in a short amount of time.

Fortunately, with practice over the past few days, their skills had improved. They already knew most of the vocabulary and grammar; they just needed to refine their pronunciation and structure their sentences properly.

In Jiang Hai's opinion, the best job for these two women would be working as tour guides in town. They were beautiful, well-spoken, and had the unique appeal of oriental beauties. If they became tour guides, they'd certainly be a sight to behold.

However, as they had said, the town's development was still just an idea. The final decision rested with the townspeople.

Just as Jiang Hai was lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang.

When he glanced at the screen, he saw that the caller was Zhang Dehai—Mr. Zhang.

"Xiao Jiang, are you free tomorrow? I've settled the transportation channels and warehouse. If everything's good on your end, we can start slaughtering the cattle tomorrow."

As soon as Jiang Hai answered, Mr. Zhang's energetic voice came through the receiver.

"Oh? No problem. What time are you coming?"

Robbins had already informed Jiang Hai that Zhang Lao and Pra Walton would be coming in the next couple of days to pick up the cattle, so he had been expecting this.

"Around eight in the morning. We've already arranged for trucks and the slaughterhouse. We'll come by and load the cattle then."

Hearing Jiang Hai's agreement, Zhang Dehai laughed. Doing business with Jiang Hai was always straightforward and easy.

After exchanging a few more words, Jiang Hai hung up.

The moment he did, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi turned to look at him.

"You're selling cattle tomorrow?"

Since the conversation had been in Chinese, they understood every word.

"Yeah. Let Darlene and Marian follow you two for the shoot tomorrow. If anything comes up, ask Afra and the others for help. They're all women, so you'll have a good translator nearby."

Hearing Jiang Hai's response, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi knew they still had work to do. But compared to Jiang Hai's business, theirs seemed much less important.

Jiang Hai had assigned Darlene and Marian to them for the day. The two younger women were actually quite curious about Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi's work. After all, what girl hadn't dreamed of being a model at some point? These two actually were models.

Even though they were Chinese models, it didn't stop Darlene and Marian from wanting to understand their industry. The two eagerly nodded at Jiang Hai's arrangement, and seeing their enthusiasm, Jiang Hai affectionately ruffled their hair.

The main reason Jiang Hai wanted Darlene and Marian to accompany them was simple—he didn't trust other men around them.

Fortunately, there were plenty of women at the manor, so he felt reassured.

Once everything was arranged, the five of them headed upstairs to rest. But sometime after 9 p.m., Jiang Hai's door quietly opened, and a figure slipped into Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi's room. There was no need to ask what was about to happen—nor was there any need for words.

Neither of them emerged again that night.

The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye. When Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen woke up, they felt completely refreshed. They assumed it was because they had received love and affection.

And in a way, they were right.

But the real reason was the energy Jiang Hai had transferred to them. His blood contained a miraculous life force. While it wasn't as potent as his actual blood, it was still enough to keep them free from illness and brimming with vitality.

However, when they got up, Jiang Hai was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until they went downstairs that Darlene informed them that he had gone to the cowshed.

Only then did they remember—today was the day Jiang Hai was selling his cattle.

After getting dressed, packing their things, and eating breakfast, they followed Darlene and Marian to the winery. Before long, they spotted Jiang Hai in the distance, busy overseeing the process. Several massive flatbed trailers stood nearby, ready for transport.

Seeing the large Angus cattle being loaded, Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, Jiang Hai's cattle are so strong! How many are they transporting?"

Darlene, who had been working here daily, answered confidently, "Two hundred today. That old man next to Jiang Hai ordered 2,000 in total, and today, one-tenth will be sent to the slaughterhouse."

As the realization of Jiang Hai's staggering wealth sank in, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi were left in awe.

Three billion U.S. dollars in cattle alone?

This was a fortune beyond anything they had ever imagined.