Ah... ah..." In the hotel room, Feng Yunchen's voice echoed intermittently.
On the spacious bed, a heated encounter between Jiang Hai, Feng Yunchen, and Ai Xiaoxi continued.
By the time everyone left the agricultural trade center that afternoon, it was already past five. They then took a car to the legendary Li's Restaurant. However, upon arrival, they found that it was not much different from Tan's Restaurant.
While the food was delicious, the ingredients were just average. It was good enough to impress foreigners, but not particularly popular among locals.
Unlike Tan's Restaurant, Li's Restaurant did not allow customers to order dishes. Instead, a set menu was served, and diners ate whatever was provided.
Even with Minister Qin accompanying them, Jiang Hai and his friends followed the restaurant's rules. After enjoying a delicious meal, they returned to the hotel. Minister Qin saw them off before leaving on his own accord. He did not reveal his intentions to Jiang Hai, and Jiang Hai was more than happy to enjoy his leisure time.
Once Minister Qin departed, Qi Li took the initiative to take Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi away with her. Though she was aware of Jiang Hai's relationship with them, she couldn't simply watch them stay while she was left out. Since Jiang Hai had no intention of keeping her around, she decided not to let others have what she couldn't.
After sending them home, Qi Li took a taxi back.
When the three of them reunited, the attraction was undeniable. It had been a long time since Jiang Hai had experienced this. The last time he indulged was vaguely linked to an unfortunate incident involving Selena Gomez.
Since then, he had relied only on his own hands, to the point that he felt he was losing his edge. As for Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, they had remained loyal to him since their return.
Women have their own desires too, and with that in mind, there was no need for words once they were together.
Clothes vanished in less than a minute, and the battle began. After three intense hours, it was already past midnight. Despite Jiang Hai's extraordinary physical strength, which was twice that of an average person, the one-against-two match left him exhausted.
Even with his endurance, he was drenched in sweat—a rare occurrence. Meanwhile, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi were utterly spent, collapsed like two puddles of mud, completely drained of energy.
Looking at the sweat-soaked trio, Jiang Hai lifted them up and carried them to the hotel's jacuzzi. After filling the tub and changing the sheets, he held them close as they soaked in the warm water.
Feeling the soothing jets of the jacuzzi, Jiang Hai let out a long sigh. This was pure bliss.
"How long will you stay this time?" Feng Yunchen asked softly, resting against his chest. The entire day had passed, and they had barely had the chance to talk properly.
"Not sure. Everything's mostly settled, so we might leave soon. What about you? Have you thought about it? Do you want to come with me?" Jiang Hai asked, tightening his arms around them.
"Us? We haven't decided yet because we don't know in what capacity we'd be going." Burying her head against his shoulder, Feng Yunchen gave a self-deprecating laugh before speaking. Ai Xiaoxi, on the other side, also tightened her embrace.
Jiang Hai's body stiffened slightly—he didn't know what to say.
As the mistress of the house? That was clearly impossible. Not because he was heartless, but because he was already married to Qi Li. Bringing in a new "leading lady" was out of the question.
But if not in that role, then what? He had no problem defining their relationship in another way, but would they accept it?
For the first time, Jiang Hai realized that those harem and stallion novels he had read were all nonsense. Why would a woman stay loyal just because she had been with you? Why would deep-seated resentment vanish with a laugh?
People are selfish. Jiang Hai wanted to keep them, and they wanted to keep him, but they knew they couldn't.
That internal conflict lingered, and it was precisely why there had never been a true "heroine" in this story.
"I just want you both to stay by my side so I can take care of you, and you don't have to feel pressured. But... as for identity, it's not possible right now. In the future..." Jiang Hai hesitated, shaking his head.
"We'll figure it out later. For now, just stay with us a little longer. By the way, weren't you planning to go to Su Province in the afternoon? It just so happens we're heading to Magic City in a few days. Let's go together," Feng Yunchen suggested, patting his chest with a smile.
In reality, she had just been caught up in the moment. When she chose to be with Jiang Hai, she knew she might never get the chance to wear a wedding dress and be blessed by her family.
Jiang Hai was a wild horse. Loving him meant being prepared for that.
She was no longer a child; she was the same age as Jiang Hai. Staying by his side like this... wasn't so bad.
As for Ai Xiaoxi, she might still hold onto some dreams, but those were no longer Feng Yunchen's concern. Glancing at the girl also lying against Jiang Hai, she observed her for a moment.
"Why are you going to Shanghai?" Jiang Hai asked, surprised. He hadn't heard about their plans to visit the city.
"We're going to Shanghai for CJ. We're models, after all—we need to make a living," Ai Xiaoxi replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Jiang Hai was momentarily stunned.
"Wait, isn't that at the end of June?" (For the sake of the plot, it's been moved to the end of June in this parallel space.) "It's only early June now. Why are you going so soon?" he asked, puzzled.
In his past life, as a self-proclaimed homebody, he had always been interested in exhibitions featuring attractive models.
CJ, also known as CHINAJOY (China International Digital Interactive Entertainment Expo), was initially established as a platform for gaming companies. Over time, it shifted focus, with companies competing over which showgirls were the most beautiful, revealing, or captivating rather than the quality of their games.
This attracted smaller game companies hoping to generate buzz and make a fortune.
Every year, Jiang Hai had browsed online galleries of the event for, well, "research purposes."
However, in recent years, larger companies like Tencent (nicknamed "Penguin") stepped in, pushing for stricter regulations. Their games were notorious for being pay-to-win, but they still dominated China's gaming market. If things continued unchecked, their influence could wane.
So, in the past two years, the industry cracked down on overly revealing outfits. Last year, everything was tightly covered—but it killed the buzz. Even enthusiasts like Jiang Hai lost interest.
This year, however, rumors suggested they would "relax" the rules a bit—not as extreme as before, but not entirely devoid of attention-grabbing elements.
Still, now that he lived in the U.S., Jiang Hai didn't follow these updates as closely.
"We don't need to sign contracts, try on clothes, or do runway rehearsals, but even though the event starts on the 30th, we need to prepare. It takes about half a month," Feng Yunchen explained, rolling her eyes at him. "Do you think making money is that easy? Even car show models have to practice in advance."
CJ's showgirls didn't just stand around looking pretty. They had to perform—singing, dancing, and demonstrating the products they endorsed. They needed to know their stuff. Training in advance was necessary.
Especially the dancing—it required serious practice. Though they weren't debuting as K-pop idols, they couldn't afford to look bad.
Hearing her explanation, Jiang Hai nodded, mentally calculating his schedule.
"Then let's go together," he finally said with a grin.
"Really? That's great!" Ai Xiaoxi cheered excitedly.
Originally, neither of them had been eager to go to CJ. It was exhausting, the pay wasn't great, and they didn't need the money. Plus, rich playboys often harassed models at such events, which was disgusting.
The only perk was exposure, which they couldn't ignore.
But now, with Jiang Hai coming along, the trip sounded much more appealing.