"Hiss..." A sudden urge to urinate woke Jiang Hai in the middle of the night. Blinking through the haze of sleep, he glanced at the lovely women sprawled across the massive bed. Rubbing his head, he quietly slipped to the floor.
After taking care of his needs in the bathroom, he stepped out, wrapped in a bathrobe.
It was Jiang Hai's tenth day at Pra Walton's villa. Ever since Dufamen had slaughtered the cattle, he hadn't had a single moment of rest. Returning to the manor wasn't an option, so he'd taken refuge here.
But hiding here wasn't ideal. Why? Because it was exhausting. Some people wondered why polygamy had been abolished in modern times. Some said it was because the gender ratio had normalized, unlike the war-torn eras when men outnumbered women. Others said it was due to women's rising social status—they could now hold up half the sky.
Jiang Hai, however, suspected monogamy might just be a measure to protect men… and women too. Being with multiple partners was less like love and more like working an ox to death.
At first, during his stay, Jiang Hai had enjoyed himself. The women were relaxed, and Pra Walton indulged him, allowing him to do whatever he pleased—watching Japanese romance, action, or idol dramas, following their tropes without complaint.
But after three days, he started feeling dizzy, and by the end of a week, weak. Today, his tenth day, he had only visited three times during the day and once more in the evening with Pra Walton. Yet even then, he felt his strength waning.
"Hey, that's just me. Anyone else would be hospitalized by now," Jiang Hai muttered, rubbing his head as he went downstairs to fetch a beer. Sitting by the window under the moonlight, he sought a moment of peace.
The contrast between these women and those at his manor was stark. His manor had more women, but they genuinely cared for him. They rotated visits, keeping things manageable. Here, the women valued Jiang Hai only for what he could offer. They depended on Pra Walton, not him. Their relationship with Jiang Hai was strictly transactional.
That was why, after a few days, he felt homesick. Though he had fun here, this was not his home—Winthrop was. Gazing at the moon, he thought of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with his family.
"Am I just going to give up and go back?" he murmured, rubbing his head. Fame or not, he felt uncomfortable lingering out here, unsure when the current hype would subside.
"Can't sleep? I thought you'd be exhausted and go to bed early."
The voice startled him. He turned to see Cheryl Lee, one of Pra Walton's Korean companions. Moonlight streamed across her, revealing her figure in full. Perhaps it was Pra Walton's order—or simply habit—but in this villa, the women were completely naked.
Topless, bottomless, barefoot… bare from head to toe.
Jiang Hai had seen this before, but he couldn't help staring. The women here were flawless in appearance and figure. Cheryl Lee, for instance, had no typical European skin features like freckles or large pores. Tall and slender, she combined delicate Asian-like pores with sculpted European features—a rare perfection.
As she noticed his gaze, she smiled and sat across from him, taking his beer, sipping, and returning it to his hand.
"Wow, this beer is really bitter. I'm not used to it without lemon," she said with a pout.
Jiang Hai smiled. Domestic beers often blended malt and alcohol to balance taste, but he preferred the bitterness straight, no lemon required.
"You're more used to soju. In South Korea, people drink it like this," he noted.
"Do you like it too?" Cheryl Lee asked excitedly.
"Me? Not really…" Jiang Hai laughed. She lightly kicked him, but he only grinned and continued drinking. Truthfully, he disliked South Korean soju—it was low in alcohol, made from rice, and lacked spices. Strong in its own way, but unlike anything he enjoyed.
Yet he did like Korean cuisine—cold noodles, rice cakes, barbecue, especially barbecue sauce. Soju, however, was not for him.
Seeing his silence, Cheryl Lee hesitated.
"Um… have you been busy lately?" she asked, avoiding his eyes, her guilt and uncertainty evident.
"Don't you know if I'm busy? You've been around all day. I'm free now, but I probably can't leave. What's up?" Jiang Hai asked, curious about why she approached him.
"Well… someone wants to see you. Is it convenient?" Cheryl Lee asked, gritting her teeth slightly.
"People from South Korea?" Jiang Hai asked with a smile. She nodded gravely.
"Seems like I was right…" Jiang Hai touched his chin, squinting thoughtfully.
(To be continued.)