"Hiss, I'd better not come to your house next time. If your parents want to see me, they should come to my manor. It's first class both ways..." Jiang Hai rubbed his temples, speaking to Ai Xiaoxi beside him as they sat in the first-class cabin of the plane. A headache was creeping up on him.
Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand before gently patting Jiang Hai's arm.
"Go to your manor? How do you hide your little lovers there?" she teased, leaning against his arm with a smile. Last night's dinner had clearly left Jiang Hai in a foul mood.
But he wasn't the only one displeased—almost no one at the table had enjoyed themselves.
Ai Xiaoxi's family had been shocked by the shamelessness of their relatives during the meal.
After dinner, the three families finally left, and Jiang Hai felt a wave of relief wash over him.
They stayed for one more night, and the next morning, Ai Xiaoxi drove them to the airport in Wei City.
The tickets had been booked the day before. Although the flight was short, Jiang Hai had insisted on two first-class seats.
Of course, the first-class cabin on this small plane couldn't compare to those on bigger flights. It simply featured larger sofas, a nicer environment, and no crowding—yet it cost more than twice as much.
Still, domestic flights weren't terribly expensive, and Jiang Hai didn't mind paying over two thousand yuan per person.
So, first class it was. If you have the money, why not enjoy it? Spend it on something worthwhile—not on children!
"Uh, where did the little lover come from? You're imagining things," Jiang Hai said awkwardly with a self-righteous grin. But even as he spoke, he felt his words rang a bit hollow.
"Tsk, don't let me catch you speechless. That Aphra, Dinah, Hilda, and the rest—don't tell me you're innocent around them. They're all trying to get into your bed. They say you're honest, but I don't buy it, no matter what anyone else says." Ai Xiaoxi pinched Jiang Hai's arm, tinged with playful jealousy.
Jiang Hai could only smile awkwardly in response.
In truth, the dynamic between Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi was subtly shifting. Before Jiang Hai returned this time, Ai Xiaoxi would never have been jealous. How many women Jiang Hai had on the side was none of her business.
Because she wasn't his girlfriend, she didn't care about his other relationships. Those women were no different from her in that sense, so she didn't get jealous.
But now, after meeting her parents as her boyfriend, something stirred within her heart.
To be honest, she was considering taking their relationship a step further.
She realized she needed to reflect on what Feng Yunchen had told her from the start.
However, if she became Jiang Hai's official girlfriend, she would have to accept that she wouldn't be the only woman in his life.
That was the hardest part to accept, the part she needed to think through carefully. Everyone wants to be the only one by their partner's side, but Ai Xiaoxi couldn't. At least not with Feng Yunchen in the picture—she couldn't get rid of him.
Enough of these thoughts for now.
Ai Xiaoxi and Jiang Hai settled into their seats. After watching a movie, the plane gently touched down at Taiping International Airport in Bingcheng. Wei City wasn't far from Bingcheng; the flight passed in a flash.
As Jiang Hai stepped out of the airport with Ai Xiaoxi's luggage, he spotted a group of people waiting in the distance.
He hadn't notified many people about his return this time—not even Qi Li knew the exact time.
But his buddies had known for a while. They'd been waiting in the parking lot long before the plane landed. Seeing Jiang Hai emerge, they waved enthusiastically.
Jiang Hai smiled and quickly approached them, greeting each with a friendly punch—a customary way they said hello. Of course, he held back so as not to hurt them.
"You guys have been gone for more than half a year without coming back. Are you really planning to settle in the U.S. and never return?" Huang Yunfei, who was about to get married, joked with a grin.
"You haven't seen this kid's manor yet. If you had, you wouldn't want to come back either. It's beautiful—great food, comfortable housing, good sleep, and fun everywhere. Honestly, if it weren't for my parents and work here, I'd move there and live with him," Fu Yuan, the only one who had been there, said enviously.
"Okay, at least one of you has been. The rest of us haven't," Xu Wei sighed.
Jiang Hai laughed. "It's not easy to get here. You gotta handle your own airfare, but once you arrive, food, drinks, entertainment—everything's on me. It's a one-stop service."
The brothers looked a bit emotional, and Jiang Hai chuckled. Money wasn't a big deal between them. What mattered was that they treated each other as equals—no hierarchy or status games. Their brotherhood wasn't like colleagues or casual friends. It was something deeper, built over years that couldn't be measured by money.
He could cover everyone's expenses, but they wouldn't accept it. They came to have fun, not to be treated.
"This time I'm married, so I took half a month off. I can join you all then," Huang Yunfei said thoughtfully. He wasn't short on money; as a nurse, he earned well.
He had originally planned a honeymoon trip to Europe, spending tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan without worry.
But Europe or the U.S. was pretty much the same to him, and it'd be cheaper and more fun to hang out with Jiang Hai. Now, the only question was how to explain it to his wife.
"I don't have anything going on recently, so count me in!" Fu Yuan said excitedly. Since his last visit to Jiang Hai's manor, he'd wanted to go again. This was his chance.
"I'm free, too, but I only have money for the plane ticket…" Xu Wei hesitated. Winter was coming soon, and Ice City's cold weather meant less work. Fu Yuan had praised Jiang Hai highly after his last visit.
Airfare wasn't expensive, really. First-class was pricey, but these old guys didn't need to splurge on that. It was only a dozen hours, so economy would do. Flights from the capital to the U.S. could be found for a little over 3,000 yuan, sometimes even cheaper.
"Okay, come on over! We've opened a tourist spot there, and there's plenty to do. Last time Fu Yuan was here, he just played with my guns. Now the shooting range is expanded—you can play all you want. It's all mine," Jiang Hai laughed.
His buddies lit up at the mention of guns, the sea, and the manor.
Soon, Huang Yunfei, Xu Wei, and Fu Yuan decided to come visit Jiang Hai.
Xiang Hua, who had come with them, couldn't go. Although close to Jiang Hai, he lacked the money.
Not that he didn't have 18,000 yuan, but his wife controlled the finances.
Their house was bought by his wife; his job was arranged by his father-in-law. Plus, his wife was pregnant, so visiting Jiang Hai was out of the question. He sighed in resignation.
Just then, Ai Xiaoxi walked up and stood beside Jiang Hai.
The first to notice her was Huang Yunfei. Unfortunately, Huang Yunfei wasn't exactly a stand-up guy.
Seeing a beautiful woman next to Jiang Hai, he coughed awkwardly and turned his face sideways, hiding his smile that had taken on a deeper, more cunning look.
"Miss, is there anything I can help you with?" he said softly when Ai Xiaoxi looked at him.
"Oh, no, thank you," Ai Xiaoxi smiled and naturally linked arms with Jiang Hai. Huang Yunfei nearly lost his balance. The others who had come were a bit confused.
"By the way, let me introduce you. This is Ai Xiaoxi, my… um, friend who came back with me this time. This is Huang Yunfei, that's Fu Yuan, Xu Wei, and Xiang Hua—these are all my good buddies." Jiang Hai smiled as he introduced Ai Xiaoxi, who nodded politely to each of them.
"I was wondering, when did you start having a girlish heart and a pink suitcase?" Fu Yuan teased Jiang Hai with a smile.
"They say men become bad when they get money. Jiang Hai, you've definitely gone bad!" Huang Yunfei joked.