"Hello, uh... are you back in Bingcheng now?" Qi Li was momentarily stunned when she answered the phone, surprised by Jiang Hai's enthusiastic voice. But after that brief pause, a warm happiness blossomed in her heart. It seemed her efforts were finally paying off. She quickly asked Jiang Hai.
"Yes, I'm back. I just finished cleaning up the room," Jiang Hai replied.
"Oh, great. Then open the door—I'm downstairs. I'll be up soon." Hearing that Jiang Hai was indeed in Bingcheng, Qi Li let out a sigh of relief.
Jiang Hai was taken aback. Downstairs? What was going on?
But before he could question further, Qi Li had already hung up. Since they were all close to Jiang Hai's phone, Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen had clearly overheard the call. The three of them exchanged glances, all a little puzzled.
"Hey, let's see who it is!" Jiang Hai said to the two women. He got up from the pile of fragrant meat, walked to the door, and opened the security door. Sure enough, he immediately heard the sharp tapping of high heels echoing down the corridor.
As the sound grew closer, Qi Li's familiar OL outfit appeared in front of him.
"So you really are here..." Qi Li smiled when she saw Jiang Hai open the door, then hurried upstairs. But when she reached the room, she saw more than just him inside.
Alongside Jiang Hai were Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen. Qi Li's face froze.
"You're here too!" She forced a reluctant smile at the two women.
"Come in, and tell me why you're just standing there," Jiang Hai said casually, handing her a pair of slippers.
Qi Li's body trembled slightly. This was the first time Jiang Hai had taken the initiative to invite her into his private space. Even though there were two women here, this felt significant. Normally full of queenly composure, she still noticed these little moments clearly.
Without hesitation, she kicked off her black high heels and stepped inside, slipping on Jiang Hai's slippers for the first time.
Jiang Hai didn't think much of it, but the silent aura battle among the three women had already begun.
"Did you all come back together? When did you arrive?" Qi Li asked casually from the sofa.
"I came back earlier. Jiang Hai and Xiaoxi just got back today," Feng Yunchen replied with a glance at Ai Xiaoxi, who looked slightly confused. Feng Yunchen still hoped Ai Xiaoxi could compete with Qi Li, but it was clear Ai Xiaoxi was lagging behind. So Feng Yunchen, the "mistress," had to face Qi Li herself.
"Oh, you just arrived today and already cleaned up the room? That's impressive." Qi Li nodded nonchalantly, then exchanged veiled barbs with Feng Yunchen.
Listening to their words, Jiang Hai—no matter how dense—could tell the atmosphere was tense. Yet he was still confused about the undercurrents in their conversation. For the first time, he felt like he might have done something wrong.
"By the way, Jiang Hai, come home with me later. My mother has been asking why you didn't come for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since you're back on the 11th, let's have a meal together!" Qi Li suddenly changed the subject, looking at Jiang Hai seriously.
Jiang Hai was momentarily thrown off. Then he realized—she must already know that he and Ai Xiaoxi spent the festival together. Since that was done and over with, he had no choice but to go to her house for dinner.
Looking at Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen with some embarrassment, Jiang Hai knew if he went, they definitely couldn't. But they had just agreed to go eat halal food, and Jiang Hai really hated letting people down.
"It's fine. We can just have a feast here at home. Just make sure to come back early tonight," Ai Xiaoxi said, showing her maturity. She knew Jiang Hai wasn't hers alone. Having spent these days together, it was only right to accompany Qi Li to deal with her mother.
Jiang Hai had told her about Qi Li's past actions—not entirely aboveboard—but he owed her a debt, and it was time to repay it. Ai Xiaoxi, stepping into the role of Jiang Hai's girlfriend, had begun seeing things from his perspective.
"Uh, definitely..." Jiang Hai sighed in relief, feeling less awkward.
Just as he was about to agree, Qi Li cut him off.
"I don't think he'll be back tonight. You should go to bed early. It's not easy for me to stay there, but Jiang Hai will come back here to live. After all, he's still my husband!" Qi Li said firmly.
Ai Xiaoxi was speechless. Shouldn't everyone be willing to back off here? But Qi Li never softened when facing Jiang Hai. Yet when facing them, this strong woman showed no mercy—they were watching her, and she was watching them right back.
"Well, we'll see what happens. Okay, Qi Li, let's go!" Jiang Hai realized there was no way out. The looks from these three women—six intense pairs of eyes—were like electric currents crackling before him.
At this crucial moment, Jiang Hai's cowardly courage kicked in. Nodding apologetically to Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen, he turned to Qi Li. Since he had agreed to go, he couldn't just pretend it wasn't happening.
"Let's go."
Qi Li stood up triumphantly, like a general after a battle won. She looked at Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, then strode toward the door. Jiang Hai put on his coat, hugged the two women briefly, and walked out with Qi Li.
Once the door closed, Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but curl her lips.
"There's no way. We're just naturally weaker than that woman, but I believe we can definitely beat that guy and hold Jiang Hai firmly in our hands," Feng Yunchen said, relaxed as she lounged back on the sofa.
Ai Xiaoxi smiled. Sister Chen was always so optimistic—it was a good mindset. Sometimes, she overthought things too much.
"Okay, okay, forget about her. What should we eat tonight?" Shaking off her worries, Ai Xiaoxi sat opposite Feng Yunchen.
Now that she was ready to face her relationship with Jiang Hai head-on, she refused to be distracted. Laughing and enjoying themselves now was the real victory.
"How about some open-faced sandwiches? How long has it been since you last ate a hamburger?" Feng Yunchen suggested after some thought.
"Oh, it feels like forever..." For women in their line of work, high-calorie foods were usually off-limits.
Though Jiang Hai had sent beef and other foods that helped improve their bodies without causing weight gain, old habits died hard. Not eating such foods was better for their health anyway.
"Then let's order!" Seeing Ai Xiaoxi's interest, Feng Yunchen picked up the phone to place the order.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hai didn't know—or care—what the two girls planned to eat at home.
After going upstairs with Qi Li, Jiang Hai's mind was still tangled in thoughts about the future.
To be honest, Jiang Hai's personality was really messed up. He was always a bit indecisive when facing problems, and he could never resist temptation—just like with Afra and the others a few months ago.
Although he wasn't a gentleman, he didn't take advantage of others. A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, and all that...
But now? Jiang Hai was terrified when Qi Li came at him head-on. Someone like him wouldn't last three episodes in a TV drama.
On one side was Qi Li, whose knot he was trying to untie; on the other were Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi. Jiang Hai was truly torn.
"Don't worry. If you really want to come back tonight, then come back..." Qi Li said softly from the car, noticing Jiang Hai's pained expression and feeling a bit disappointed.
"Forget it, I'll listen to you tonight. But tomorrow, you have to go out with us," Jiang Hai said with a smile, shaking his head to dismiss his tangled thoughts.
"I want to go too?" Qi Li looked a bit surprised. Was this really okay?
"Of course. We have to go together. The four of us will go out and have fun. Let me think... maybe the amusement park!" Jiang Hai said confidently, already planning tomorrow's outing.
Qi Li chuckled.
"Hey, are you still so young? You want to go to the amusement park?"
"Then where else would we go?" Jiang Hai shrugged.
"Alright, let's go to the amusement park!" Qi Li finally agreed, unsure where else they could all go together.