"Here are your boarding passes. Have you really decided not to stay?" Jiang Hai asked, holding two boarding passes in his hand as he stood in front of Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi at the Guaranteed Airport in New York.
Time can sometimes pass by so quietly. Before they knew it, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi had been in the United States for eleven days. Today, their visas had expired, and it was time to head back to China.
Jiang Hai and his friends had returned to New York from his manor two days ago. It wasn't easy to come to New York, especially considering the complicated relationship between the two women and him. Still, Jiang Hai was generous and had them stay at the Westin Hotel in Times Square.
The food was top-notch, and of course, Jiang Hai bought them plenty of things. However, the two women were quite stubborn. Living in Jiang Hai's house and eating his food was no issue for them, but they didn't want the clothes and other items he had bought. Still, Jiang Hai made sure to mix them into their luggage—after all, they had too much stuff to carry.
In addition to shopping, they visited all the major attractions in New York. Although they only had two days, they made the most of it. With Jiang Hai acting as a "fake guide," they visited places like the Statue of Liberty, where they took a group photo and looked out over the sea through a telescope. They strolled down Broadway Street, watched a performance of The Lion King—which, while they had seen the cartoon, was their first time seeing it on stage.
Unfortunately, neither Feng Yunchen nor Ai Xiaoxi understood the play's dialogue, so they left after about two-thirds of the show. Still, they saved some small videos on their phones, and whether they finished watching or not, they could at least say they had seen it. They also visited Wall Street, though, with two young models and a cattle breeder, they didn't quite feel the "elite" atmosphere—more like tourists. No, they were tourists.
They made their way to Central Park, the United Nations Headquarters, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the inspiration for Night at the Museum. They even visited the Empire State Building, where King Kong once held his beloved woman. After evading the cameras, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi helped Jiang Hai enjoy the moment.
They also visited New York's Central Station, located above the home of the Knicks. Unfortunately, the NBA regular season had already ended in May, and the Knicks, who hadn't made it to the playoffs, left the court eerily quiet. While June would bring the draft, this year wasn't a major one, so explosive news was unlikely.
The last major attraction was Times Square, where Jiang Hai and his friends were staying, so they didn't feel the need to visit it. Compared to the tourist spots, Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi were more drawn to Fifth Avenue.
The luxury goods there had an inexplicable allure for them. Even though the prices were much lower than they expected—for instance, a Burberry trench coat that costs 100,000 yuan in China was only about 10,000 USD—10,000 USD was still a substantial amount. Ai Xiaoxi could only gaze at them longingly.
Feng Yunchen, on the other hand, was more financially comfortable, so she bought a set of clothes to take home. Jiang Hai noticed everything.
He bought each of them an entire outfit, including a trench coat, shirt, pants, boots, shoes, and bag. The entire set cost about 200,000 USD per person, but neither woman knew that.
Jiang Hai also gave them two special gifts—one placed in their luggage and the other on Feng Yunchen. Feng Yunchen knew about hers, but Ai Xiaoxi had no idea.
"I've said it before. Think it over again. Don't worry. If we come to any conclusions, we'll let you know right away," Feng Yunchen replied with a smile, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't the type to depend on a man. Though staying with Jiang Hai was pleasant, she knew it was time to head back and think things through.
They took the first-class boarding passes from Jiang Hai with gratitude. The economy class would have been uncomfortable, and the money they'd saved on those tickets would barely cover a car for the journey home. To Jiang Hai, however, a few hundred thousand yuan was a small sum; his wealth now was counted in billions.
"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. Have a safe journey," Jiang Hai said, shrugging as he reluctantly accepted the situation.
Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi laughed at his words.
"After all these flights, don't you know that planes fly against the wind? If they flew with it, they'd fall!" Ai Xiaoxi teased. She walked ahead of Jiang Hai, looking back over her shoulder.
Under Feng Yunchen's watch, Ai Xiaoxi shared a lingering kiss with Jiang Hai before they left. She felt she couldn't stay any longer. If she did, she feared she would fall for Jiang Hai—and that would lead to trouble. Like Feng Yunchen, she knew there was no future with him.
Before Jiang Hai could react, Feng Yunchen kissed him as well. After bidding the two women goodbye, they walked to the security check, glancing back every few steps.
Jiang Hai sighed once they were out of sight. To be honest, he had enjoyed the past eleven days more than he'd expected.
He'd never considered spending an entire night with a girl in his arms—let alone two girls. It all felt like a dream, and now that they were gone, Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness.
"Those who should leave can't stay, and those who should stay can't leave," he muttered softly, remembering the call he'd received from Feng Yunchen, letting him know they had boarded the plane.
He sighed again. "Okay, from today on, I'm back to being single. But wait, I think I have an Aphra... Ugh, this is a headache," he added, patting his forehead.
While Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi were around, Aphra's presence didn't make things as awkward. But now that they were gone, Aphra was the only woman in the manor with whom Jiang Hai had a special relationship. This left him feeling a bit uneasy about facing her.
"Should I find a reason to stay away for a few more days?" he wondered aloud, rubbing his chin.
It seemed like the best solution, so he made a call—not to Aphra directly, but to Darlene and Marianne, letting them know he had business in New York and would be back in a few days. In the meantime, Aphra would help take care of the woman he had locked in the warehouse.
Yes, the former KGB female agent Jiang Hai had captured while stranded at sea was still locked up in his warehouse. However, she had undergone a change since her capture. Jiang Hai had installed a small cell in the warehouse, equipped with water supply and drainage. He no longer worried about her needs, as she was cooperating willingly.
He trusted Aphra to help take care of her, and after finishing the call, Jiang Hai sighed in relief, temporarily putting his worries aside. But then, another question arose: what should he do in New York? Travel? He had already explored the city.
As the saying goes, men get worse when they have money, and men who are rich and bored are more likely to go astray.
For example, Jiang Hai now found that the habit of sleeping with a girl in his arms had grown on him. If he slept alone with just a pillow now, he would feel uncomfortable.
Thinking about this, he recalled Moses Adams. This guy seemed to know of some fun spots in the area.
A quick phone call later, Moses was engaged in a heated discussion with the old-timers at Winthrop. After some deliberation, they agreed that Winthrop could be turned into a tourist attraction. Mayor Wallis had recently negotiated with the Iroquois to sell handmade wood carvings and wild American ginseng, agreeing to exchange goods.
The town also discussed ten tourism initiatives, including beach villas, public beaches, fishing boats, horse farms, private ranches, gun shops, souvenir shops, the first church in Massachusetts, and more. (To be continued.)