"Hmm..." Ai Xiaoxi exhaled softly and opened her eyes in a daze. In front of her was Jiang Hai's chiseled face, bathed in the soft morning light. A smile tugged at her lips as she gently kissed his cheek.
Lifting her head, she glanced at Feng Yunchen, who was sprawled messily beside her, snoring softly. Across from them, Bridget and Janice—the youngest of the bunch—slept peacefully. Ai Xiaoxi carefully sat up, letting the thin silk quilt slide off her body without concern for her exposed figure. After a long stretch, she slipped out of bed, padded barefoot into the adjoining bathroom, and shut the door behind her.
As warm water cascaded over her skin, Ai Xiaoxi's thoughts wandered.
By now, she had been at Jiang Hai's Tenglong Manor for almost a month.
Other than the ten days when Jiang Hai had left to attend a competition, she had seen him nearly every day. Even when they didn't share a bed, his presence was never far. And truthfully, she felt like she'd grown a little lazy.
Her days followed a leisurely rhythm. Wake up, freshen up, have breakfast. In the mornings, she'd help out in the vegetable garden or the vineyard if needed. After lunch, she'd lounge around, play with the dogs and guinea pigs, go horseback riding, take walks along the riverside, or even head to the beach—and sometimes, out to sea.
Of course, she was never allowed to go to sea alone. Azarina always accompanied her.
It was a carefree, almost decadent lifestyle. Fulfilling, yet... perhaps too peaceful.
For a woman with an ambitious, high-powered personality, this might be unbearable. As a vacation, it was perfect—but to live this way indefinitely? It lacked excitement. No pressure. No urgency. Some might find it maddening.
But she, on the other hand, enjoyed every second of it.
The only source of tension was the number of women around Jiang Hai.
Besides herself and Feng Yunchen, there were the Qi sisters—Qi Jie and Qi Ya. Their involvement with Jiang Hai had been clear since Bingcheng, and both Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen were well aware. Still, they had no intention of telling Qi Li. She was too haughty, acting like the boss of everyone.
Whoever claimed that women in a "Crystal Palace" would live in harmony was clearly too optimistic. While things looked peaceful on the surface, the silent battles continued behind the scenes.
Afra and the others also lived in Jiang Hai's villa. Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen were quite familiar with them. After all, Afra's relationship with Jiang Hai had been initiated by the two of them.
That said, Afra and the others knew their place. They were Jiang Hai's servants, and made no attempt to compete as girlfriends. Because of that, their relationship with Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen remained cordial.
The Qi sisters were a different story. Qi Ya, as the chef, got along well with most people in the villa. But Qi Jie clashed with Afra and the others frequently. That's why Afra and her group often subtly supported Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen.
Right now, among all the women confirmed to be involved with Jiang Hai, the remaining contenders were Qi Jie, Qi Ya, Qi Li, and Ai Xiaoxi.
Qi Li was still in China and couldn't come. That left the other three to compete.
Afra and her group didn't interfere directly, but during intimate moments with Jiang Hai, they would quietly step aside and give Ai Xiaoxi more opportunities. These days, she'd definitely had the most... "access."
As she touched her belly, she wondered if she might already be pregnant. If so, it would definitely work in her favor. A child could change everything.
As she mulled over her chances, Feng Yunchen yawned and walked into the bathroom, plopping onto the toilet to relieve herself.
"You're up early," she murmured groggily upon seeing Ai Xiaoxi.
"You're the one sleeping in," Ai Xiaoxi teased, rolling her eyes. "Come on, time to run!"
"Ugh... I don't want to move," Feng Yunchen groaned, rubbing her forehead.
Ai Xiaoxi had recently become conscious of how sedentary her lifestyle had become. Despite being a model for just over a year, she had trained herself to stay in shape. With all the gourmet food she'd been eating lately, she feared she might gain weight.
Seeing Qi Jie train daily, she got inspired. She didn't know martial arts and wasn't going to ask Qi Jie to teach her, but jogging was manageable.
So now, she dragged Feng Yunchen along every morning for a run—just like Jiang Hai used to do. They'd start from the villa, jog to the beach, and come back. Of course, they ran much slower than Jiang Hai. They set out around 6 a.m. and returned a little after 8.
By then, breakfast would be over, but thankfully, Qi Ya was kind enough to save food for them. If Qi Jie were in charge, she wouldn't have bothered.
After showering and brushing their teeth, the two girls changed into sportswear and headed out. Around this time, Afra and the others were already up. Qi Jie was working out in the second-floor gym. Qi Ya was preparing the day's menu. Afra and her crew were tidying up the villa.
When Jiang Hai had first suggested they move into the main house, he thought they might hesitate—after all, living independently meant more freedom. But to his surprise, they agreed instantly.
He spent the next day buying supplies and remodeling the four largest guest rooms into eight moderately sized ones. Originally, each room was over 30 square meters with its own bathroom and sitting area. He simply added a dividing wall, an extra wardrobe, and separate TVs. Now, the rooms were just over 10 square meters and shared a bathroom between two people. Afra and the others didn't mind and quickly moved in.
After the fishery exhibition, the four vacated villas were left available for other uses.
Afra and the others settled seamlessly into their new roles, taking over much of the cleaning and freeing up Darlene and Marianne. Everything felt more stable now.
Around 8 a.m., Jiang Hai finally woke up. Yawning, he came downstairs in three large strides and headed straight for the kitchen. Spotting Qi Ya busy at the stove, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"What's for breakfast?" he asked, nuzzling into her neck.
"Oatmeal today," she replied with a smile, pointing to the bubbling pot.
"Oatmeal again?" Jiang Hai groaned.
To be honest, oats were familiar in name but still foreign in Chinese culture. Though they appeared in ancient herbal texts under names like brome and wild wheat, they'd never been a staple—mostly because they were a pain to husk.
Only with modern machines did oats become viable for human consumption. They were low in sugar but packed with nutrients and energy—great for those recovering from illness or suffering from weakness. Their high fiber content also promoted digestion. By nutritional and economic value, they even surpassed staples like rice and wheat.
Still, Jiang Hai just didn't like the taste. It felt like chewing sawdust.
"It's good for your health," Qi Ya said, tapping his stomach with a light scold.
Jiang Hai knew resistance was useless. At least there was food.
By the time he came down, breakfast was nearly ready. Afra and the others soon came in and helped bring the dishes out. Jiang Hai didn't like eating alone, and since they all lived together now, meals were communal.
Besides the oatmeal, there were fried eggs from the pheasants raised on the manor, which tasted exceptional thanks to their diet. If sold in China, each egg could easily fetch five dollars. There were also homemade sausages—made by Mrs. Philemon and the other women during winter downtime. With fewer tourists visiting Winthrop, they had extra time and used minced meat from Jiang Hai's cattle to create air-dried, smoked, and fresh sausages.
These sausages tasted fantastic.
A steaming bowl of oatmeal, a fried egg, a juicy sausage, a fresh vegetable salad from the garden, and warm buttered bread—Jiang Hai really had nothing to complain about.
Just as breakfast was wrapping up, Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen returned, sweaty from their run. After exchanging greetings, Jiang Hai left the villa with Xiaobai and Xiaohuang.
First, he went to the stable to check on Xiaoxia, his Shire horse. He brushed its teeth, took it for a run, and fed it carrots from the manor. Then he headed to the cowshed to find Robbins-Garcia—they needed to discuss recruitment.
The fishery exhibition had ended two days ago. As expected, Tenglong Manor took the top prize for quality seafood.
Yesterday, Pra Walton called to finalize the seafood quantities. Jiang Hai wasn't sure how many Sam's Clubs there were in the U.S., but he knew that Pra had secured 103 stores. Each would have a dedicated Tenglong Manor booth—half for beef, half for seafood.
Beef followed last year's model, with increased pricing. The seafood side, however, required a lot of aquariums and fresh restocking every three days. As soon as the contracts were signed, Walmart, Sam's Club, and Tenglong Manor mobilized.
They'd spent all of yesterday handling logistics. Today, Jiang Hai was here to talk about adding more people.
Robbins-Garcia wasn't the only one involved—Edward Anderson's input was also critical. This would be their first external recruitment drive, and Jiang Hai was determined to get it right.